Current Issue : October-December Volume : 2026 Issue Number : 4 Articles : 5 Articles
This paper introduces a novel diameter-varying spherical robot that locomotes by local shell deformation and rolling. The robot is based on a dodecahedron-inspired shell structure equipped with 12 movable outer modules driven by a central screw-driven lifting mechanism. Unlike conventional spherical robots that mainly use the internal mass shift or internal rotating units inside a rigid shell, the proposed robot changes its locally deforming geometry by extending selected outer modules. To investigate the resulting rolling behavior, a physical simulation environment was constructed in Unreal Engine coupled with an external Python controller through OSC-based communication. The physical simulation preserves the essential geometry of the robotic body including control circuits situated in the core part and provides a repeatable platform for observing contact-driven rolling locomotion under time-managed operation. As the initial operational observation of the diameter-varying spherical robot, hardware observations were conducted to examine whether the same deformation-induced rolling principle could be physically realized in the fabricated robot. The paper presents the design of the spherical robot, the locomotion principle, physical simulation environment and the rolling simulation, and the experimental verification of the fabricated robot....
Background: The incidence of thyroid cancer has increased globally. In recent years, robotic surgical systems have been applied in thyroid surgery, and the rapid development of fifthgeneration (5G) communication technology has laid a solid foundation for the smooth implementation of remote surgery. Objective: The aim was to explore the feasibility and safety of telerobotic radical thyroidectomy using 5G communication technology to treat thyroid cancer. Methods: From August 2024 to October 2024, telerobotic radical thyroidectomy was performed on seven female patients using a 5G wireless network and a dedicated line network (or ordinary wired broadband) spanning 22–2200 km. The patients’ clinical and information transmission data were analyzed. Results: All patients (papillary thyroid carcinoma, female, with an average age of 44.0 ± 4.6 years) underwent uneventful surgical procedures without any transfer to open surgery or complications. The average surgical duration was 91.3 ± 11.8 min, the average blood loss was 11.4 ± 4.8 mL, and the average postoperative hospital stay was 3.6 ± 0.8 days. All subjects were successfully discharged within 5 days after surgery. The average total latency time of the intraoperative network was 137.5 (range, 121–159) ms, and there were no adverse events, such as network disconnection, frame loss, or network attacks. The operator worked smoothly without any obvious delay or lag, and the recorded audio and video are clear. Conclusions: Telerobotic radical thyroidectomy for thyroid cancer over a 5G network demonstrates promising feasibility and safety. With stable network transmission and a clear surgical field, the precise operations required in thyroid surgery can be performed reliably. These findings suggest that this technology can facilitate high-quality surgical care in remote areas, contributing to a more balanced distribution of medical resources....
The convergence of Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, and Robotics is no longer a futuristic vision; it is rapidly becoming the foundation of real-time, intelligent, and context-aware systems. Al enables perception and reasoning, loT provides scalable sensing and communication, and robotics delivers embodied actuation. Despite significant progress in pairwise combinations such as AloT and the Intemet of Robotic Things (IoRT), there remains a lack of unified design frameworks that fully integrate all three. This survey synthesizes the stateof- the-art across these domains, emphasizing the emerging role of Small Language Models (SLMs) at the edge and Large Language Models (LLMs) in the cloud for distributed cognition and autonomous decision-making. We propose a modular system architecture that aligns with these trends, analyze persistent gaps in interoperability and feedback control, and classify existing work by integration depth. Our review highlights how hybrid SLM-LLM systems, when coupled with loT infrastructure and robotic agents, can address challenges in real-time adaptation, scalability, and reliability. This work o ers a conceptual and technical roadmap for designing next-generation Al-loT-Robotic ecosystems that are modular, interpretable, and capable of learning within dynamic environments, paving the way for the emerging paradigm of Connected Robotics and Physical Al....
Stroke-related gait impairments are frequently associated with deficits in trunk control, movement coordination, and dynamic stability. Although robotic-assisted gait rehabilitation has shown promising clinical benefits, phase-specific biomechanical adaptations following rehabilitation remain incompletely understood. This study investigated phase-specific biomechanical adaptations following robotic-assisted gait rehabilitation in individuals with stroke using sensor-derived waveform analysis. Rehabilitation was performed three times per week over approximately 5–6 weeks using treadmill-based robotic gait training under dynamic body-weight support conditions. Pre- and post-intervention kinematic data were collected using a sensor-based motion analysis system. Joint kinematics, trunk motion, and center of gravity (COG) displacement were analyzed across the normalized gait cycle using waveform-based effect size analysis, statistical parametric mapping, principal component analysis, and k-means clustering to explore inter-individual adaptation patterns. Thirteen post-stroke hemiplegia patients (10 males; age = 63.9 ± 13.8 years), including six subacute and seven chronic stroke survivors, completed 16 rehabilitation sessions. The most prominent improvements were observed in trunk lateral flexion, particularly during loading response (d = 0.47, p < 0.01), indicating enhanced frontal plane trunk stability. Trunk flexion– extension showed reduced compensatory motion, whereas hip and knee adaptations were smaller and phase-dependent. COG displacement decreased across the gait cycle, reflecting improved dynamic stability. Step length increased significantly on both hemiplegic (Δ = +5.73 cm, p = 0.024) and intact sides (Δ = +8.83 cm, p = 0.007), while cadence and load symmetry remained unchanged. Clustering analysis revealed heterogeneous adaptation profiles rather than distinct responder groups. Chronic participants demonstrated greater variability within the Principal Component Analysis space compared to subacute participants, suggesting more variable and individualized biomechanical reorganization patterns rather than clearly separable recovery categories. Overall, robotic rehabilitation induced inter-individual biomechanical adaptations, predominantly involving proximal trunk control and stabilization strategies....
The integration of robotic systems in knee arthroplasty has accelerated, with early results indicating improved precision and outcomes. The ROSA® Knee System facilitates the robotic-assisted positioning of cutting guides while enabling real-time assessment of ligament balance, with the surgeon retaining control of all bone resections. This study aimed to evaluate the precision of implant positioning, achievement of the planned hip–knee–ankle (HKA) axis, and consistency across different operating surgeons. A prospective observational study was conducted on patients undergoing robotic-assisted total knee arthroplasty (RATKA) using the ROSA Knee System. Radiographic assessments included preand post-operative AP/lateral knee and long-limb radiographs, supplemented with post-operative CT to assess femoral component rotation. Intra-operative alignment data recorded by the ROSA console were compared to post-operative imaging. Complication rates were also evaluated. Among 94 knees analyzed, the mean difference between intra-operative and post-operative HKA measurements was 1.66 ± 2.09◦, which was statistically significant. Minor but significant differences were observed in LDFA (0.32 ± 1.84◦, p = 0.034), MPTA (0.84 ± 1.17◦, p < 0.001), and femoral component rotation (1.63 ± 2.40◦, p < 0.001). No significant variation was noted in LDFA or MPTA between surgeons, though differences were present in rotational alignment and HKA. The intra-operative HKA showed moderate correlation with both measured post-op HKA and arithmetic HKA (aHKA), with slightly stronger correlation with the latter. The ROSA Knee System enables reproducible and accurate implant positioning with reliable restoration of the planned HKA axis. Once a surgeon is proficient, results are consistent without increased complication risks....
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