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Article
Publication date: 12 October 2012

Aolin Tang and Qixin Cao

A walking assistant robot can help elderly people walk around independently, which could improve the life quality of the elderly and benefit our aging society. Ensuring the…

Abstract

Purpose

A walking assistant robot can help elderly people walk around independently, which could improve the life quality of the elderly and benefit our aging society. Ensuring the elderly person's walking comfort with such a robot is very important. At present, the majority of walking assistant robot research does not focus on this field. The purpose of this paper is to examine the requirements of comfortable walking and outline the design of a motion control algorithm for a walking assistant robot, Walkmate III, based on comfort.

Design/methodology/approach

During walking, the walking assistant robot should be able to capture the intent of user, guide the user and move at the same pace as the user. Usually, force or haptic interface is used to detect the user's walking intention. The motion control system then transforms the forces applied by the user into the robot's motion. By surveying the elderly people at a nursing home, the authors find that this transformation is important to the walking comfortableness and should be carefully designed. In this paper, the model of walking assisting process with such kind of walking assistant robot is derived at first. Based on this model, a new motion control algorithm is then designed.

Findings

The elderly hoped that, in all topographic conditions, only small forces were needed to drive the walker during walking. Also, good maneuverability was also very important for a walker, to offer the user comfort, which meant the walking assistant robot should be able to respond to the input forces quickly and precisely. Currently widely‐used motion control algorithms cannot satisfy all those requirements. In this paper, a new motion control algorithm is proposed, which can get a fast and precise response to the input forces and the input forces needed to drive the robot are kept at a preferred small level, so that the user will not feel tired during walking. Furthermore, by modifying, force feedback can be realized to improve the comfortableness of walking.

Practical implications

The availability of walking assistant robot with improved walking comfortableness might encourage a wider adoption of robotics in our daily life. It could also benefit our aging society by improving the life quality of the elderly and reducing the pressure deriving from nursing labor shortages.

Originality/value

This paper is of value to engineers and researchers developing walking assistant robots for the elderly people.

Details

Industrial Robot: An International Journal, vol. 39 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-991X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 May 2017

Iman Kardan and Alireza Akbarzadeh

This paper aims to overcome some of the practical difficulties in assistive control of exoskeletons by developing a new assistive algorithm, called output feedback assistive…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to overcome some of the practical difficulties in assistive control of exoskeletons by developing a new assistive algorithm, called output feedback assistive control (OFAC) method. This method does not require feedbacks from force, electromyography (EMG) or acceleration signals or even their estimated values.

Design/methodology/approach

The presented controller uses feedbacks from position and velocity of the output link of series elastic actuators (SEAs) to increase the apparent integral admittance of the assisted systems. Optimal controller coefficients are obtained by maximizing the assistance ratio subjected to constraints of stability, coupled stability and a newly defined comfort measure.

Findings

The results confirm the effectiveness of using the inherent properties of SEAs for removing the need for extra controversial sensors in assistive control of 1 degree of freedom (1-DOF) SEA powered exoskeletons. The results also clearly indicate the successful performance of the OFAC method in reducing the external forces required for moving the assisted systems.

Practical implications

As the provided experiments indicate, the proposed method can be easily applied to single DOF compliantly actuated exoskeletons to provide a more reliable assistance with lower costs. This is achieved by removing the need for extra controversial sensors.

Originality/value

This paper proposes a novel assistive controller for SEA-powered exoskeletons with a simple model-free structure and independent of any information about interaction forces and future paths of the system. It also removes the requirement for the extra sensors and transforms the assistive control of the compliantly actuated systems into a simpler problem of position control of the SEA motor.

Details

Industrial Robot: An International Journal, vol. 44 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-991X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 June 2017

Michał R. Nowicki, Dominik Belter, Aleksander Kostusiak, Petr Cížek, Jan Faigl and Piotr Skrzypczyński

This paper aims to evaluate four different simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) systems in the context of localization of multi-legged walking robots equipped with compact…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to evaluate four different simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) systems in the context of localization of multi-legged walking robots equipped with compact RGB-D sensors. This paper identifies problems related to in-motion data acquisition in a legged robot and evaluates the particular building blocks and concepts applied in contemporary SLAM systems against these problems. The SLAM systems are evaluated on two independent experimental set-ups, applying a well-established methodology and performance metrics.

Design/methodology/approach

Four feature-based SLAM architectures are evaluated with respect to their suitability for localization of multi-legged walking robots. The evaluation methodology is based on the computation of the absolute trajectory error (ATE) and relative pose error (RPE), which are performance metrics well-established in the robotics community. Four sequences of RGB-D frames acquired in two independent experiments using two different six-legged walking robots are used in the evaluation process.

Findings

The experiments revealed that the predominant problem characteristics of the legged robots as platforms for SLAM are the abrupt and unpredictable sensor motions, as well as oscillations and vibrations, which corrupt the images captured in-motion. The tested adaptive gait allowed the evaluated SLAM systems to reconstruct proper trajectories. The bundle adjustment-based SLAM systems produced best results, thanks to the use of a map, which enables to establish a large number of constraints for the estimated trajectory.

Research limitations/implications

The evaluation was performed using indoor mockups of terrain. Experiments in more natural and challenging environments are envisioned as part of future research.

Practical implications

The lack of accurate self-localization methods is considered as one of the most important limitations of walking robots. Thus, the evaluation of the state-of-the-art SLAM methods on legged platforms may be useful for all researchers working on walking robots’ autonomy and their use in various applications, such as search, security, agriculture and mining.

Originality/value

The main contribution lies in the integration of the state-of-the-art SLAM methods on walking robots and their thorough experimental evaluation using a well-established methodology. Moreover, a SLAM system designed especially for RGB-D sensors and real-world applications is presented in details.

Details

Industrial Robot: An International Journal, vol. 44 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-991X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 January 2017

Yezhuo Li, Yan-An Yao, Junlin Cheng, Yaobin Tian and Ran Liu

The purpose of this paper is to propose an agile assistant robot to be used as a mobile partner with two rotational motions and one translational motion. This robot possesses the…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose an agile assistant robot to be used as a mobile partner with two rotational motions and one translational motion. This robot possesses the rolling function and three operating abilities to assistant human beings in the industrial environment.

Design/methodology/approach

The main body of the robot is a typical 4-RSR (where R denotes a revolute joint and S denotes a spherical joint) parallel mechanism. The mechanism can reach any position on the ground by two rolling modes (the equivalent Watt linkage rolling mode and the equivalent 6R linkage rolling mode), and the robot can work as a spotlight or a worktable in operating modes at the target location. The mobility, rolling modes, operating modes and kinematics are analyzed.

Findings

Based on the results of kinematics of this assistant robot, the upper platform of the 4-RSR rolling mechanism has two rotational motions and one translational motion which can be used in the industry. The proposed concept is verified by experiments on a physical prototype.

Practical implications

This paper also discusses the application to industrial cases where cooperation between workers and robots is required.

Originality/value

The work presented in this paper is a novel exploration to apply parallel mechanisms to the field of assistant rolling robots. It is also a new attempt to use the rolling mechanism in the field of mobile operating robots for industry tasks.

Details

Industrial Robot: An International Journal, vol. 44 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-991X

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 14 October 2019

Katerina Berezina, Olena Ciftci and Cihan Cobanoglu

Purpose: The purpose of this chapter is to review and critically evaluate robots, artificial intelligence and service automation (RAISA) applications in the restaurant industry to…

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this chapter is to review and critically evaluate robots, artificial intelligence and service automation (RAISA) applications in the restaurant industry to educate professors, graduate students, and industry professionals.

Design/methodology/approach: This chapter is a survey of applications of RAISA in restaurants. The chapter is based on the review of professional and peer-reviewed academic literature, and the industry insight section was prepared based on a 50-minute interview with Mr. Juan Higueros, Chief Operations Officer of Bear Robotics.

Findings: Various case studies presented in this chapter illustrate numerous possibilities for automation: from automating a specific function to complete automation of the front of the house (e.g., Eatsa) or back of the house (e.g., Spyce robotic kitchen). The restaurant industry has already adopted chatbots; voice-activated and biometric technologies; robots as hosts, food runners, chefs, and bartenders; tableside ordering; conveyors; and robotic food delivery.

Practical implications: The chapter presents professors and students with a detailed overview of RAISA in the restaurant industry that will be useful for educational and research purposes. Restaurant owners and managers may also benefit from reading this chapter as they will learn about the current state of technology and opportunities for RAISA implementation.

Originality/value: To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this chapter presents the first systematic and in-depth review of RAISA technologies in the restaurant industry.

Details

Robots, Artificial Intelligence, and Service Automation in Travel, Tourism and Hospitality
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78756-688-0

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 11 June 2021

Rakibul Hasan, Park Thaichon and Scott Weaven

The main objective of this chapter is broadening the understanding of anthropomorphic artificial intelligence (AI) (e.g. avatars, humanoid robots, chatbots) in both physical and…

Abstract

The main objective of this chapter is broadening the understanding of anthropomorphic artificial intelligence (AI) (e.g. avatars, humanoid robots, chatbots) in both physical and digital environments. The chapter strives to demonstrate how organisations can curate relationship marketing and enhance customer experience by employing anthropomorphic AI. To achieve this, the chapter extends existing understanding in three ways. First, it explains the interconnectivity between relationship marketing and customer experience. Second, it presents anthropomorphic AI along with its different characteristics and technologies. Third, it offers some real-life uses cases and examples of such AI drawing from practical insights into five selected industries. Overall, the chapter provides some food of thoughts concerning the successful application and deployment of anthropomorphic AI in marketing practices.

Article
Publication date: 6 January 2012

Seyed H. Mohades Kasaei, Mohammadreza Kasaei and S. Alireza Kasaei

The purpose of this paper is to design and implement a team of kid size humanoid soccer robots conforming to RoboCup Humanoid league.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to design and implement a team of kid size humanoid soccer robots conforming to RoboCup Humanoid league.

Design/methodology/approach

The project is described in two main parts: hardware and software. The hardware section consists of the mechanical structure and the driver circuit board enabling each robot to walk, fast walk, autonomously get up, kick and dribble when it catches the ball. The software is developed as a robot application which consists of motion controller, autonomous motion robot, self localization based on vision system, AI, trajectory planning and network.

Findings

This year, the authors' developments for the humanoid robot include: the design and construction of our new humanoid robots structure and implementation of a new recurrent hybrid neural network for walking control. The control system consists of two neural network controllers, two standard PD controllers and a robot walking planar. The proposed neural network controller has three layers, which are input, hidden, and output layers.

Originality/value

This paper presents results of research work in the field of autonomous robot‐middle size soccer robot, supported by IAU‐ Isfahan Branch (Khorasgan).

Details

Industrial Robot: An International Journal, vol. 39 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-991X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 June 2012

Richard Bloss

The purpose of this paper is to review some of the recent innovations in robotics for a wide range of medically‐related applications.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review some of the recent innovations in robotics for a wide range of medically‐related applications.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper includes in‐depth interviews with developers of medical application‐related robots and a review of recent writings and technical papers on the topic.

Findings

Robots are finding all kinds of application in the medical field, from surgery to logistics to patient care and more. The future will surely see even more medical robot developments.

Practical implications

Managers and medical personal will learn how rapidly the medical robotics field is growing with successful applications appearing frequently.

Originality/value

The medical field will see how robotic technology is addressing needs, reducing costs and improving patient care and will learn where to turn for medical robotic answers.

Details

Industrial Robot: An International Journal, vol. 39 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-991X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 July 2020

Esyin Chew and Xin Ni Chua

The shortage of Chinese language teachers have been identified as a pressing issue globally. This paper aims to respond to the needs by investigating and designing the learning…

597

Abstract

Purpose

The shortage of Chinese language teachers have been identified as a pressing issue globally. This paper aims to respond to the needs by investigating and designing the learning innovation with autonomous programmable robot, NAO.

Design/methodology/approach

By thoughtfully embedding NAO robot into teaching basic Chinese language, this research demonstrates an inquiry qualitative case study of artificial intelligence design principles and learning engagement with rule-based reasoning and progress test design.

Findings

This state-of-the arts robot use its emotion recognition and body language automated (LED eye with various colours) to demonstrate the Chinese words, to increase learners’ understanding and enhance their memory of the words learned. The responses conclude that the novel learning experience is more fun and interesting, thus the engagement from the axis of novelty, interactivity, motivation and interest is enhanced.

Research limitations/implications

It is recognised that the number of research participants was small, but the qualitative finding demonstrate key issues and recommendation that may inspire future empirical research.

Practical implications

Today, robotics is a rapidly growing field and has received significant attention in education. Humanoid robots are now increasingly used in fields such as education, hospitality, entertainment and health care. Educational robots are anticipated to serve as teaching assistants.

Originality/value

The learning engagement paradigm has shifted from manual engagement to personal response systems or mixed-reality on mobile platforms, and now with the humanoid robot, the recommendation of four principles and future work and for designing humanoid robot as a language tutor are discussed. The educational robot model can be changed to a newer robot such as CANBOT U05E.

Details

On the Horizon , vol. 28 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1074-8121

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 July 2021

Wei Yang, Linghui Xu, Linfan Yu, Yuting Chen, Zehao Yan and Canjun Yang

Walking-aid exoskeletons can assist and protect effectively the group with lower limb muscle strength decline, workers, first responders and military personnel. However, there is…

Abstract

Purpose

Walking-aid exoskeletons can assist and protect effectively the group with lower limb muscle strength decline, workers, first responders and military personnel. However, there is almost no united control strategy that can effectively assist daily walking. This paper aims to propose a hybrid oscillators’ (HOs) model to adapt to irregular gait (IG) patterns (frequent alternation between walking and standing or rapid changing of walking speed, etc.) and generate compliant and no-delay assistive torque.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed algorithm, HOs, combines adaptive oscillators (AOs) with phase oscillator through switching assistive mode depending on whether or not the AOs' predicting error of hip joint degree is exceeded our expectation. HOs can compensate for delay by predicting gait phase when in AOs mode. Several treadmill and free walking experiments are designed to test the adaptability and effectiveness of HOs model under IG.

Findings

The experimental results show that the assistive strategy based on the HOs is effective under IG patterns, and delay is compensated totally under quasiperiodic gait conditions where a smoother human–robot interaction (HRI) force and the reduction of HRI force peak are observed. Delay compensation is found very effective at improving the performance of the assistive exoskeleton.

Originality/value

A novel algorithm is proposed to improve the adaptability of a walking assist hip exoskeleton in daily walking as well as generate compliant, no-delay assistive torque when converging.

Details

Industrial Robot: the international journal of robotics research and application, vol. 48 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-991X

Keywords

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