Industrial robot application(IRA)provides an opportunity for the low-carbon development of trade.This study focuses on the green revolution of manufacturing export trade,analyzes the mechanism by which IRA affects CO_...Industrial robot application(IRA)provides an opportunity for the low-carbon development of trade.This study focuses on the green revolution of manufacturing export trade,analyzes the mechanism by which IRA affects CO_(2) emissions embodied in manufacturing exports(CIE),and conducts an empirical test based on panel data from 37 countries from 2000 to 2019.This study found that first,IRA can significantly reduce CIE,but there is a U-shaped nexus between the two,which shows a rebound effect.Second,the heterogeneity test demonstrates that in com-parison to both the low-tech and high-tech sectors,IRA in the medium-tech industry can significantly reduce CIE;compared with the low-IRA sectors,the high-IRA sectors exhibit a more obvious reduction.In addition,IRA has a stronger effect on high-carbon-intensity areas.Third,the mechanism test shows that IRA mainly affects CIE through low-carbon technology and productivity effects.Moreover,environmental regulations and the manufacturing in-telligence process positively moderate the nexus between IRA and CIE.Finally,these conclusions provide possible empirical evidence for the smart evolution of the manufacturing industry and the green development of trade.展开更多
Some aspects of the robot application in the iron and steel industry were introduced.Even though many successful robot systems improved automation and human-machine operation in iron plants,based on the characteristic...Some aspects of the robot application in the iron and steel industry were introduced.Even though many successful robot systems improved automation and human-machine operation in iron plants,based on the characteristics of the iron and steel industry,difficulties remain for robot applications that are different from other industries.Research and development for robot application is necessary to promote more robots that help personnel work.Furthermore,some key points,new applications,and technological innovation need to be focused on.展开更多
We outline problems and potential solutions for feasible human-machine interfaces using cable-based parallel manipulators for physiotherapy applications.From an engineering perspective,we discuss the design constraint...We outline problems and potential solutions for feasible human-machine interfaces using cable-based parallel manipulators for physiotherapy applications.From an engineering perspective,we discuss the design constraints related to acceptance by patients and physiotherapist users.To date,most designs have focused on mobile platforms that are designed to be operated as an end-effector connected to human limbs for direct patient interaction.Some specific examples are illustrated from the authors' experience with prototypes available at Laboratory of Robotics and Mechatronics (LARM),Italy.展开更多
This paper investigates the use of artificial neural networks(ANNs)as a viable digital twin or alternative to the typical whispering gallery mode(WGM)optical sensors in engineering systems,especially in dynamic enviro...This paper investigates the use of artificial neural networks(ANNs)as a viable digital twin or alternative to the typical whispering gallery mode(WGM)optical sensors in engineering systems,especially in dynamic environments like robotics.Because of its fragility and limited endurance,the WGM sensor which is based on micro-optical resonators is inappropriate in these kinds of situations.In order to address these issues,the paper suggests an ANN that is specifically designed for the system and makes use of the WGM sensor’s high-quality factor(Q-factor).By extending the applicability and endurance to dynamic contexts and reducing fragility problems,the ANN seeks to give high-resolution measurement.In order to minimize post-processing requirements and maintain system robustness,the study goal is for the ANN to function as a representative predictor of the WGM sensor output.The GUCnoid 1.0 humanoid robot is used in the paper as an example to show how the WGM optical sensors may improve humanoid robot performance for a variety of applications.The results of the experiments demonstrate that the sensitivity,precision,and resolution of ANN outputs and actual WGM shifts are equivalent.As a consequence,current obstacles to the widespread use of high-precision sensing in the robotics industry are removed,and the potential of ANNs as virtual substitutes or the digital twin for genuine WGM sensors in robotics systems is validated.So,this paper can be very beneficial not only to the sensing technologies that are used in robotics,which are subjected to the dynamic environments,but also to the industrial automation and human-machine interface.展开更多
Traditional rigid-body in-pipe robots usually have complex and heavy structures with limited flexibility and adaptability.Although soft in-pipe robots have great improvements in flexibility,they still have manufacturi...Traditional rigid-body in-pipe robots usually have complex and heavy structures with limited flexibility and adaptability.Although soft in-pipe robots have great improvements in flexibility,they still have manufacturing difficulties due to their reliance on high-performance soft materials.Tensegrity structure is a kind of self-stressed spatial structure consisting discrete rigid struts connected by a continuous net of tensional flexible strings,which combines the advantages of both rigid structures and soft structures.By applying tensegrity structures into robotics,this paper proposes a novel worm-like tensegrity robot for moving inside pipes.First,a robot module capable of body deformation is designed based on the concept of tensegrity and its deformation performance is analyzed.Then,the optimal parameters of the module are obtained based on the tensegrity form-finding.The deformation ability of the tensegrity module is tested experimentally.Finally,the worm-like tensegrity robot that can crawl inside pipes is developed by connecting three modules in series.Motion performance and load capacity are tested on the prototype of the worm-like tensegrity robot by experiments of moving in horizontal pipe,vertical pipe,and elbow pipe.Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed design and suggest that the robot has high compliance,mobility,and adaptability although with simple structure and low cost.展开更多
The mobile hybrid machining robot has a very bright application prospect in the field of high-efficiency and high-precision machining of large aerospace structures.However,an inappropriate base placement may make the ...The mobile hybrid machining robot has a very bright application prospect in the field of high-efficiency and high-precision machining of large aerospace structures.However,an inappropriate base placement may make the robot encounter a singular configuration,or even fail to complete the entire machining task due to unreachability.In addition to considering the two constraints of reachability and non-singularity,this paper also optimizes the robot base placement with stiffness as the goal to improve the machining quality.First of all,starting from the structure of the robot,the reachability and nonsingularity constraints are transformed into a simple geometric constraint imposed on the base placement:feasible base placement area.Then,genetic algorithm is used to search for the base placement with near optimal stiffness(near optimal base placement for short)in the feasible base placement area.Finally,multiple controlled experiments were carried out by taking the milling of a protuberance on the spacecraft cabin as an example.It is found that the calculated optimal base placement meets all the constraints and that the machining quality was indeed improved.In addition,compared with simple genetic algorithm,it is proved that the feasible base placement area method can shorten the running time of the whole program.展开更多
With the increasing number of vehicles,manual security inspections are becoming more laborious at road checkpoints.To address it,a specialized Road Checkpoints Robot(RCRo)system is proposed,incorporated with enhanced ...With the increasing number of vehicles,manual security inspections are becoming more laborious at road checkpoints.To address it,a specialized Road Checkpoints Robot(RCRo)system is proposed,incorporated with enhanced You Only Look Once(YOLO)and a 6-degree-of-freedom(DOF)manipulator,for autonomous identity verification and vehicle inspection.The modified YOLO is characterized by large objects’sensitivity and faster detection speed,named“LF-YOLO”.The better sensitivity of large objects and the faster detection speed are achieved by means of the Dense module-based backbone network connecting two-scale detecting network,for object detection tasks,along with optimized anchor boxes and improved loss function.During the manipulator motion,Octree-aided motion control scheme is adopted for collision-free motion through Robot Operating System(ROS).The proposed LF-YOLO which utilizes continuous optimization strategy and residual technique provides a promising detector design,which has been found to be more effective during actual object detection,in terms of decreased average detection time by 68.25%and 60.60%,and increased average Intersection over Union(Io U)by 20.74%and6.79%compared to YOLOv3 and YOLOv4 through experiments.The comprehensive functional tests of RCRo system demonstrate the feasibility and competency of the multiple unmanned inspections in practice.展开更多
Soft actuators with programmable shape morphing and high stiffness variation are highly demanded in soft wearable applications.However,existing methods often struggle to achieve both capabilities simultaneously.Inspir...Soft actuators with programmable shape morphing and high stiffness variation are highly demanded in soft wearable applications.However,existing methods often struggle to achieve both capabilities simultaneously.Inspired by bulliform cells,we present a class of fabric-based cellular pneumatic actuators(FCPAs),capable of simultaneous shape morphing and stiffness variation(over 420-fold).The FCPA comprises a fabric shell embedded with fabric air chambers:the fabric shell provides geometric constraints to determine target shapes,while the air chambers function as discrete stiffnesstuning elements.A theoretical model is developed to guide the analysis and design of FCPAs,with model predictions agreeing well with experimental results.As a result,we can design and fabricate FCPAs with programmable shapes(such as“S”,“W”,and“R”shapes)and high load capability(>5 kg).By customizing the FCPAs,we further develop a soft wearable robot for shoulder abduction assistance and validate its effectiveness on a mannequin and a human subject.These results showcase the unique features of our FCPAs and their huge potential in soft wearable applications.展开更多
Due to the lightweight and compliance, fabric-based pneumatic exosuits are promising in the assistance and rehabilitation of elbow impairments. However, existing elbow exosuits generally suffer from remarkable mechani...Due to the lightweight and compliance, fabric-based pneumatic exosuits are promising in the assistance and rehabilitation of elbow impairments. However, existing elbow exosuits generally suffer from remarkable mechanical resistance on the flexion of the elbow, thus limiting the output force, range of motion(ROM), and comfortability. To address these challenges, we develop a fabric-based soft elbow exosuit with an adaptive mechanism and composite bellows in this work. With the elbow kinesiology considered, the adaptive mechanism is fabricated by sewing the interface of the exosuit into spring-like triangle pleats, following the profile of the elbow to elongate or contract when the elbow flexes or extends. The composite bellows are implemented by further sealing a single blade of bellows into two branches to enhance the output force. Based on these structural features, we characterize the mechanical performance of different soft elbow exosuits: exosuit with normal bellows-NB, exosuit with adaptive mechanism and normal bellows-AMNB, exosuit with adaptive mechanism and composite bellows-AMCB. Experimental results demonstrate that by comparing with NB, the mechanical resistance of AMNB and AMCB decreases by 80.6% and 78.6%, respectively;on the other hand, the output torque of AMNB and AMCB increases to 120.3% and 207.0%, respectively, at50 k Pa when the joint angle is 120°. By wearing these exosuits on a wooden arm model(1.25 kg), we further verify that AMCB can cover a full ROM of 0°–130° at the elbow with 500 g weight. Finally, the application on a health volunteer with AMCB shows that when the volunteer flexes the elbow to lift a weight of 500 g, the s EMG activity of the biceps and triceps is markedly reduced.展开更多
The ionic polymer–metal composite(IPMC),a type of electroactive polymer(EAP)actuator,has created a unique opportunity to design robots that mimic the motion of biological systems due to its soft structure and operati...The ionic polymer–metal composite(IPMC),a type of electroactive polymer(EAP)actuator,has created a unique opportunity to design robots that mimic the motion of biological systems due to its soft structure and operation at a low voltage.Although this polymer actuator has strong potential for a next-generation artificial muscle actuator,it has been observed by many researchers that supplying actuation voltages in multiple locations is challenging.In robotic applications,a tethered operation is prohibited and the battery weight can be critical for actual implementation.In this research,the remote unit can provide necessary power and control signals to the target mobile robot units actuated by IPMCs.This research addresses a novel approach of using a wireless power link between the IPMC and a remote unit using microstrip patch antennas designed on the electrode surface of the IPMC for transmitting the power.Frequency modulation of the microwave is proposed to selectively actuate a particular portion of the IPMC where the matching patch antenna pattern is located.This approach can be especially useful for long-term operation of small-scale locomotion units and avoids problems caused by complex internal wiring often observed in various types of biologically inspired robots.展开更多
基金the National Social Science Foundation of China(Grant No.23FGLB024)Special Project on“Promoting High-Quality Development through the Integration of the Yangtze River Delta”of Shaoxing University(Grant No.2024CSJYB01)to provide fund for the study。
文摘Industrial robot application(IRA)provides an opportunity for the low-carbon development of trade.This study focuses on the green revolution of manufacturing export trade,analyzes the mechanism by which IRA affects CO_(2) emissions embodied in manufacturing exports(CIE),and conducts an empirical test based on panel data from 37 countries from 2000 to 2019.This study found that first,IRA can significantly reduce CIE,but there is a U-shaped nexus between the two,which shows a rebound effect.Second,the heterogeneity test demonstrates that in com-parison to both the low-tech and high-tech sectors,IRA in the medium-tech industry can significantly reduce CIE;compared with the low-IRA sectors,the high-IRA sectors exhibit a more obvious reduction.In addition,IRA has a stronger effect on high-carbon-intensity areas.Third,the mechanism test shows that IRA mainly affects CIE through low-carbon technology and productivity effects.Moreover,environmental regulations and the manufacturing in-telligence process positively moderate the nexus between IRA and CIE.Finally,these conclusions provide possible empirical evidence for the smart evolution of the manufacturing industry and the green development of trade.
文摘Some aspects of the robot application in the iron and steel industry were introduced.Even though many successful robot systems improved automation and human-machine operation in iron plants,based on the characteristics of the iron and steel industry,difficulties remain for robot applications that are different from other industries.Research and development for robot application is necessary to promote more robots that help personnel work.Furthermore,some key points,new applications,and technological innovation need to be focused on.
基金supported by the research project RORAS 2 of the Mediterranean Program funded by INRIA,France
文摘We outline problems and potential solutions for feasible human-machine interfaces using cable-based parallel manipulators for physiotherapy applications.From an engineering perspective,we discuss the design constraints related to acceptance by patients and physiotherapist users.To date,most designs have focused on mobile platforms that are designed to be operated as an end-effector connected to human limbs for direct patient interaction.Some specific examples are illustrated from the authors' experience with prototypes available at Laboratory of Robotics and Mechatronics (LARM),Italy.
文摘This paper investigates the use of artificial neural networks(ANNs)as a viable digital twin or alternative to the typical whispering gallery mode(WGM)optical sensors in engineering systems,especially in dynamic environments like robotics.Because of its fragility and limited endurance,the WGM sensor which is based on micro-optical resonators is inappropriate in these kinds of situations.In order to address these issues,the paper suggests an ANN that is specifically designed for the system and makes use of the WGM sensor’s high-quality factor(Q-factor).By extending the applicability and endurance to dynamic contexts and reducing fragility problems,the ANN seeks to give high-resolution measurement.In order to minimize post-processing requirements and maintain system robustness,the study goal is for the ANN to function as a representative predictor of the WGM sensor output.The GUCnoid 1.0 humanoid robot is used in the paper as an example to show how the WGM optical sensors may improve humanoid robot performance for a variety of applications.The results of the experiments demonstrate that the sensitivity,precision,and resolution of ANN outputs and actual WGM shifts are equivalent.As a consequence,current obstacles to the widespread use of high-precision sensing in the robotics industry are removed,and the potential of ANNs as virtual substitutes or the digital twin for genuine WGM sensors in robotics systems is validated.So,this paper can be very beneficial not only to the sensing technologies that are used in robotics,which are subjected to the dynamic environments,but also to the industrial automation and human-machine interface.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China,52005293,Yixiang Liu,U20A20201Yixiang Liu,Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation,ZR2020QE152+3 种基金Yixiang Liu,Key R&D Program of Hebei Province,China,20311803DYixiang Liu,Key R&D Program of Shandong Province,China,2021CXGC011304Yixiang Liu,Research Project of the State Key Laboratory of Mechanical Transmissions,Chongqing University,SKLMT-MSKFKT-202118Yixiang Liu,Fundamental Research Funds of Shandong University,2021JCG001,Yixiang Liu.
文摘Traditional rigid-body in-pipe robots usually have complex and heavy structures with limited flexibility and adaptability.Although soft in-pipe robots have great improvements in flexibility,they still have manufacturing difficulties due to their reliance on high-performance soft materials.Tensegrity structure is a kind of self-stressed spatial structure consisting discrete rigid struts connected by a continuous net of tensional flexible strings,which combines the advantages of both rigid structures and soft structures.By applying tensegrity structures into robotics,this paper proposes a novel worm-like tensegrity robot for moving inside pipes.First,a robot module capable of body deformation is designed based on the concept of tensegrity and its deformation performance is analyzed.Then,the optimal parameters of the module are obtained based on the tensegrity form-finding.The deformation ability of the tensegrity module is tested experimentally.Finally,the worm-like tensegrity robot that can crawl inside pipes is developed by connecting three modules in series.Motion performance and load capacity are tested on the prototype of the worm-like tensegrity robot by experiments of moving in horizontal pipe,vertical pipe,and elbow pipe.Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed design and suggest that the robot has high compliance,mobility,and adaptability although with simple structure and low cost.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.91948301,52175025 and 51721003).
文摘The mobile hybrid machining robot has a very bright application prospect in the field of high-efficiency and high-precision machining of large aerospace structures.However,an inappropriate base placement may make the robot encounter a singular configuration,or even fail to complete the entire machining task due to unreachability.In addition to considering the two constraints of reachability and non-singularity,this paper also optimizes the robot base placement with stiffness as the goal to improve the machining quality.First of all,starting from the structure of the robot,the reachability and nonsingularity constraints are transformed into a simple geometric constraint imposed on the base placement:feasible base placement area.Then,genetic algorithm is used to search for the base placement with near optimal stiffness(near optimal base placement for short)in the feasible base placement area.Finally,multiple controlled experiments were carried out by taking the milling of a protuberance on the spacecraft cabin as an example.It is found that the calculated optimal base placement meets all the constraints and that the machining quality was indeed improved.In addition,compared with simple genetic algorithm,it is proved that the feasible base placement area method can shorten the running time of the whole program.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(grant number:2017YFC0806503)。
文摘With the increasing number of vehicles,manual security inspections are becoming more laborious at road checkpoints.To address it,a specialized Road Checkpoints Robot(RCRo)system is proposed,incorporated with enhanced You Only Look Once(YOLO)and a 6-degree-of-freedom(DOF)manipulator,for autonomous identity verification and vehicle inspection.The modified YOLO is characterized by large objects’sensitivity and faster detection speed,named“LF-YOLO”.The better sensitivity of large objects and the faster detection speed are achieved by means of the Dense module-based backbone network connecting two-scale detecting network,for object detection tasks,along with optimized anchor boxes and improved loss function.During the manipulator motion,Octree-aided motion control scheme is adopted for collision-free motion through Robot Operating System(ROS).The proposed LF-YOLO which utilizes continuous optimization strategy and residual technique provides a promising detector design,which has been found to be more effective during actual object detection,in terms of decreased average detection time by 68.25%and 60.60%,and increased average Intersection over Union(Io U)by 20.74%and6.79%compared to YOLOv3 and YOLOv4 through experiments.The comprehensive functional tests of RCRo system demonstrate the feasibility and competency of the multiple unmanned inspections in practice.
基金supported by the National Key R&D Program of China(Grant No.2024YFB4707504)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.52025057)+1 种基金the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality(Grant No.24511103400)the Xplorer Prize。
文摘Soft actuators with programmable shape morphing and high stiffness variation are highly demanded in soft wearable applications.However,existing methods often struggle to achieve both capabilities simultaneously.Inspired by bulliform cells,we present a class of fabric-based cellular pneumatic actuators(FCPAs),capable of simultaneous shape morphing and stiffness variation(over 420-fold).The FCPA comprises a fabric shell embedded with fabric air chambers:the fabric shell provides geometric constraints to determine target shapes,while the air chambers function as discrete stiffnesstuning elements.A theoretical model is developed to guide the analysis and design of FCPAs,with model predictions agreeing well with experimental results.As a result,we can design and fabricate FCPAs with programmable shapes(such as“S”,“W”,and“R”shapes)and high load capability(>5 kg).By customizing the FCPAs,we further develop a soft wearable robot for shoulder abduction assistance and validate its effectiveness on a mannequin and a human subject.These results showcase the unique features of our FCPAs and their huge potential in soft wearable applications.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 52025057 and 91948302)the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality (Grant No. 20550712100)。
文摘Due to the lightweight and compliance, fabric-based pneumatic exosuits are promising in the assistance and rehabilitation of elbow impairments. However, existing elbow exosuits generally suffer from remarkable mechanical resistance on the flexion of the elbow, thus limiting the output force, range of motion(ROM), and comfortability. To address these challenges, we develop a fabric-based soft elbow exosuit with an adaptive mechanism and composite bellows in this work. With the elbow kinesiology considered, the adaptive mechanism is fabricated by sewing the interface of the exosuit into spring-like triangle pleats, following the profile of the elbow to elongate or contract when the elbow flexes or extends. The composite bellows are implemented by further sealing a single blade of bellows into two branches to enhance the output force. Based on these structural features, we characterize the mechanical performance of different soft elbow exosuits: exosuit with normal bellows-NB, exosuit with adaptive mechanism and normal bellows-AMNB, exosuit with adaptive mechanism and composite bellows-AMCB. Experimental results demonstrate that by comparing with NB, the mechanical resistance of AMNB and AMCB decreases by 80.6% and 78.6%, respectively;on the other hand, the output torque of AMNB and AMCB increases to 120.3% and 207.0%, respectively, at50 k Pa when the joint angle is 120°. By wearing these exosuits on a wooden arm model(1.25 kg), we further verify that AMCB can cover a full ROM of 0°–130° at the elbow with 500 g weight. Finally, the application on a health volunteer with AMCB shows that when the volunteer flexes the elbow to lift a weight of 500 g, the s EMG activity of the biceps and triceps is markedly reduced.
基金support for this work under the grant number IIS-0713075 and 0713083。
文摘The ionic polymer–metal composite(IPMC),a type of electroactive polymer(EAP)actuator,has created a unique opportunity to design robots that mimic the motion of biological systems due to its soft structure and operation at a low voltage.Although this polymer actuator has strong potential for a next-generation artificial muscle actuator,it has been observed by many researchers that supplying actuation voltages in multiple locations is challenging.In robotic applications,a tethered operation is prohibited and the battery weight can be critical for actual implementation.In this research,the remote unit can provide necessary power and control signals to the target mobile robot units actuated by IPMCs.This research addresses a novel approach of using a wireless power link between the IPMC and a remote unit using microstrip patch antennas designed on the electrode surface of the IPMC for transmitting the power.Frequency modulation of the microwave is proposed to selectively actuate a particular portion of the IPMC where the matching patch antenna pattern is located.This approach can be especially useful for long-term operation of small-scale locomotion units and avoids problems caused by complex internal wiring often observed in various types of biologically inspired robots.
