Current Issue : April-June Volume : 2025 Issue Number : 2 Articles : 5 Articles
Robotic devices with integrated tactile sensors can accurately perceive the contact force, pressure, sliding, and other tactile information, and they have been widely used in various fields, including human–robot interaction, dexterous manipulation, and object recognition. To address the challenges associated with the initial value drift, and to improve the durability and accuracy of the tactile detection for a robotic dexterous hand, in this study, a flexible tactile sensor is designed with high repeatability by introducing a supporting layer for pre-separation. The proposed tactile sensor has a detection range of 0–5 N with a resolution of 0.2 N, and the repeatability error is as relatively small as 1.5%. In addition, the response time of the proposed tactile sensor under loading and unloading conditions are 80 ms and 160 ms, respectively. Moreover, a three-dimensional force decoupling detection method is developed by distributing tactile sensor units on a non-coplanar robotic fingertip. Finally, using a backpropagation neural network, the classification and recognition processes of nine types of objects with different shapes and categories are realized, achieving an accuracy higher than 95%. The results show that the proposed three-dimensional force tactile sensing system could be beneficial for the delicate manipulation and recognition for robotic dexterous hands....
Industrial robots are widely used in welding operations because of their high production eciency. The structure of the robot and the complex stress conditions during welding operations lead to the vibration of the end of robot, which leads to welding defects. However, current vibration suppression techniques for welding robots usually only consider the robotic performance while overlooking their impact on the welding metal forming process. Therefore, based on the inuence of robot vibration on welding pool stability during the welding process, a new welding robot vibration suppression method is proposed in this paper, along with the establishment of a welding pool stability assessment model. The proposed vibration suppression algorithm is based on the optimization of the welding trajectory. To enhance the performance of the method, the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm is applied to optimize the joint angular velocity and angular acceleration. Finally, robot welding experiments are designed and conducted. By comparing vibration measurement data and welding quality before and after the vibration suppression, the eectiveness and stability of the proposed method are validated....
In order to solve the limitations of the existing bridge pier damage detection equipment, a rope-driven bridge pier damage detection robot (RDBPDR) is proposed. Firstly, the composition of the RDBPDR system was introduced. Secondly, the kinematical and dynamical model of the RDBPDR was established, and the optimization model of rope tension was given. Based on the dynamic model, the evaluation method and index of the stability of the RDBPDR were given. Finally, the distribution of the stability evaluation index of the RDBPDR in the workspace was clarified with an example calculation and analysis. The results show that the stability of the RDBPR gradually decreases from the geometric center to the boundary area in the horizontal section. With the increase in the height of the damage detection platform, the stability of the RDBPDR gradually increases in the vertical direction, but this change is not significant. It provides a basis for detection task planning, overall structure configuration, and prototype testing in the future....
The application of smart materials in robots has attracted considerable research attention. This study developed an inchworm robot that integrates smart materials and a bionic design, using the unique properties of magnetorheological elastomers (MREs) to improve the performance of robots in complex environments, as well as their adaptability and movement efficiency. This research stems from solving the problem of the insufficient adaptability of traditional bionic robots on different surfaces. A robot that combines an MRE foot, an electromagnetic control system, and a bionic motion mechanism was designed and manufactured. The MRE foot was made from silicone rubber mixed with carbonyl iron particles at a specific ratio. Systematic experiments were conducted on three typical surfaces, PMMA, wood, and copper plates, to test the friction characteristics and motion performance of the robot. On all tested surfaces, the friction force of the MRE foot was reduced significantly after applying a magnetic field. For example, on the PMMA surface, the friction force of the front leg dropped from 2.09 N to 1.90 N, and that of the hind leg decreased from 3.34 N to 1.75 N. The robot movement speed increased by 1.79, 1.76, and 1.13 times on PMMA, wooden, and copper plate surfaces, respectively. The MREbased intelligent foot design improved the environmental adaptability and movement efficiency of the inchworm robot significantly, providing new ideas for the application of intelligent materials in the field of bionic robots and solutions to movement challenges in complex environments....
Background and Objectives: Resection of the caudate lobe of the liver is considered a highly challenging surgical procedure due to the deep anatomic location of this segment and the relationships with major vessels. There is no clear evidence about the safety and effectiveness of robotic resection of the caudate lobe. The aim of this systematic review was to report data about the safety, technical feasibility, and postoperative outcomes of robotic caudate lobectomy. Materials and Methods: A systematic review of the MEDLINE and SCOPUS databases was undertaken, including studies published until 19 December 2024. Results: A total of 5 studies including 110 patients were selected. Of these surgeries, 56.3% were performed for malignant tumors. Tumor size varied significantly between 0.9 and 7.7 cm in the largest diameter. The mean operative time was 184.5 min (range 70–522 min), and the estimated blood loss was 95.5 mL (range 10–1500 mL). The median hospital length of stay was 4.2 days (range 2–19 days) and no cases of conversion to open were reported. All the patients underwent R0 resection. In total, 24 out of 110 patients (21.8%) developed postoperative complications, with 1.8% of all patients developing a major complication (Clavien–Dindo classification ≥ III). No perioperative deaths were reported by the included studies. Conclusions: Few retrospective studies investigating the outcomes of robotic resection of the caudate lobe are currently available in the literature. From published data, it may be a safe and feasible alternative to open and laparoscopic caudate lobectomy in selected patients in referral HPB centers. Further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm such preliminary findings....
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