RoboticsPub Date : 2024-07-11DOI: 10.3390/robotics13070102
Dimitrios Katsatos, P. Charalampous, Patrick Schmidt, Ioannis Kostavelis, Dimitrios Giakoumis, Lazaros Nalpantidis, Dimitrios Tzovaras
{"title":"Semantic 3D Reconstruction for Volumetric Modeling of Defects in Construction Sites","authors":"Dimitrios Katsatos, P. Charalampous, Patrick Schmidt, Ioannis Kostavelis, Dimitrios Giakoumis, Lazaros Nalpantidis, Dimitrios Tzovaras","doi":"10.3390/robotics13070102","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/robotics13070102","url":null,"abstract":"The appearance of construction defects in buildings can arise from a variety of factors, ranging from issues during the design and construction phases to problems that develop over time with the lifecycle of a building. These defects require repairs, often in the context of a significant shortage of skilled labor. In addition, such work is often physically demanding and carried out in hazardous environments. Consequently, adopting autonomous robotic systems in the construction industry becomes essential, as they can relieve labor shortages, promote safety, and enhance the quality and efficiency of repair and maintenance tasks. Hereupon, the present study introduces an end-to-end framework towards the automation of shotcreting tasks in cases where construction or repair actions are required. The proposed system can scan a construction scene using a stereo-vision camera mounted on a robotic platform, identify regions of defects, and reconstruct a 3D model of these areas. Furthermore, it automatically calculates the required 3D volumes to be constructed to treat a detected defect. To achieve all of the above-mentioned technological tools, the developed software framework employs semantic segmentation and 3D reconstruction modules based on YOLOv8m-seg, SiamMask, InfiniTAM, and RTAB-Map, respectively. In addition, the segmented 3D regions are processed by the volumetric modeling component, which determines the amount of concrete needed to fill the defects. It generates the exact 3D model that can repair the investigated defect. Finally, the precision and effectiveness of the proposed pipeline are evaluated in actual construction site scenarios, featuring reinforcement bars as defective areas.","PeriodicalId":506759,"journal":{"name":"Robotics","volume":"134 30","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141656272","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
RoboticsPub Date : 2024-07-10DOI: 10.3390/robotics13070101
E. Basan, Alexander Basan, Alexey Mushenko, A. Nekrasov, Colin J. Fidge, Alexandr Lesnikov
{"title":"Analysis of Attack Intensity on Autonomous Mobile Robots","authors":"E. Basan, Alexander Basan, Alexey Mushenko, A. Nekrasov, Colin J. Fidge, Alexandr Lesnikov","doi":"10.3390/robotics13070101","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/robotics13070101","url":null,"abstract":"Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) combine a remarkable combination of mobility, adaptability, and an innate capacity for obstacle avoidance. They are exceptionally well-suited for a wide range of applications but usually operate in uncontrolled, non-deterministic environments, so the analysis and classification of security events are very important for their safe operation. In this regard, we considered the influence of different types of attacks on AMR navigation systems to subdivide them into classes and unified the effect of attacks on the system through their level of consequences and impact. Then, we built a model of an attack on a system, taking into account five methods of attack implementation and identified the unified response thresholds valid for any type of parameter, which allows for creating universal correlation rules and simplifies this process, as the trigger threshold is related to the degree of impact that the attack has on the finite subsystem. Also, we developed a methodology for classifying incidents and identifying key components of the system based on ontological models, which makes it possible to predict risks and select the optimal system configuration. The obtained results are important in the context of separating different types of destructive effects based on attack classes. Our study showed that it is sometimes difficult to divide spoofing attacks into classes by assessing only one parameter since the attacker can use a complex attack scenario, mixing the stages of the scenarios. We then showed how adding an attack intensity factor can make classification more flexible. The connections between subsystems and parameters, as well as the attack impact patterns, were determined. Finally, a set of unique rules was developed to classify destructive effects with uniform response thresholds for each parameter. In this case, we can increase the number of parameters as well as the type of parameter value.","PeriodicalId":506759,"journal":{"name":"Robotics","volume":"19 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141659551","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
RoboticsPub Date : 2024-06-14DOI: 10.3390/robotics13060092
Allyson Miles, Noelle L. Fields, Michael Bennett, Ling Xu, Karen J. Magruder, M. K. Stringfellow, Benjamin J. Sesay, Swasati Handique
{"title":"Robotic Animal Use among Older Adults Enrolled in Palliative or Hospice Care: A Scoping Review and Framework for Future Research","authors":"Allyson Miles, Noelle L. Fields, Michael Bennett, Ling Xu, Karen J. Magruder, M. K. Stringfellow, Benjamin J. Sesay, Swasati Handique","doi":"10.3390/robotics13060092","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/robotics13060092","url":null,"abstract":"As the population of older adults increases, there is an anticipated rise in the utilization of hospice and palliative care. Many significant advancements in technology have been used to address the unique needs of this demographic; however, an unexplored area of research is the use of robotic animals as part of end-of-life care. The purpose of this scoping review was to examine the state of the literature on robotic animal use among older adults enrolled in palliative or hospice care and to offer a framework for future research. Following a guide for scoping reviews, we identified relevant studies and then charted, collated, summarized, and reported the data. Two articles were selected for final review. The results found that decreased medication use, behavior change, and emotional benefits were potential outcomes of robotic animal use in hospice and palliative care. Perceptions of the robot and ethical considerations were also discussed. Overall, the study findings point toward the potential uses of robotic animals as part of end-of-life care, however, more empirical research is critically needed.","PeriodicalId":506759,"journal":{"name":"Robotics","volume":"28 21","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141340439","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
RoboticsPub Date : 2024-06-14DOI: 10.3390/robotics13060091
Manel Abbes, Gérard Poisson
{"title":"Geometric Approach for Inverse Kinematics of the FANUC CRX Collaborative Robot","authors":"Manel Abbes, Gérard Poisson","doi":"10.3390/robotics13060091","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/robotics13060091","url":null,"abstract":"Because they are safe and easy to use, collaborative robots are revolutionizing many sectors, including industry, medicine, and agriculture. Controlling their dynamics, movements, and postures are key points in this evolution. Inverse kinematics is then crucial for robot motion planning. In 6R serial robots, achieving a desired pose is possible with different joint combinations. In this paper, our focus lies in studying forward and, mainly, inverse kinematics of the FANUC CRX-10iA cobot, a 6R cobotic arm with a non-spherical wrist. Its specific structural parameters implies that no analytical solutions exist except for some particular situations. FANUC does not provide the complete set of inverse kinematic solutions, even when 16 solutions are possible, only 8 of them are provided in Roboguide software. Furthermore, the existing literature on joints-to-workspace mapping for CRX cobots is currently very limited. It either lacks or provides partial or inconsistent inverse kinematics analysis. We present and detail a novel fully geometric method for numerically solving inverse kinematics meeting the requirement of high precision and a fast response. This approach provides both the exact number of inverse kinematics solutions and the sets of joint angles even for singular configuration. Its effectiveness was verified through simulations using the Roboguide Software and experimentation on the actual CRX-10iA cobot. Several examples (8, 12, or 16 inverse kinematic solutions) have enabled us to validate and prove the robustness and reliability of this geometric approach.","PeriodicalId":506759,"journal":{"name":"Robotics","volume":"7 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141340907","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Pose Estimation of a Container with Contact Sensing Based on Discrete State Discrimination","authors":"Daisuke Kato, Yuichi Kobayashi, Daiki Takamori, Noritsugu Miyazawa, Kosuke Hara, Dotaro Usui","doi":"10.3390/robotics13060090","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/robotics13060090","url":null,"abstract":"In cases where vision is not sufficiently reliable for robots to recognize an object, tactile sensing can be a promising alternative for estimating the object’s pose. In this paper, we consider the task of a robot estimating the pose of a container aperture in order to select an object. In such a task, if the robot can determine whether its hand with equipped contact sensor is inside or outside the container, estimation of the object’s pose can be improved by reflecting the discrimination to the robotic hand’s exploration strategy. We propose an exploration strategy and an estimation method using discrete state recognition on the basis of a particle filter. The proposed method achieves superior estimation in terms of the number of contact actions, operation time, and stability of estimation efficiency. The pose is estimated with sufficient accuracy that the hand can be inserted into the container.","PeriodicalId":506759,"journal":{"name":"Robotics","volume":"69 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141348070","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
RoboticsPub Date : 2024-06-13DOI: 10.3390/robotics13060089
Yeong-Hwa Chang, Cheng-Yuan Yang, Hung-Wei Lin
{"title":"Robust Adaptive-Sliding-Mode Control for Teleoperation Systems with Time-Varying Delays and Uncertainties","authors":"Yeong-Hwa Chang, Cheng-Yuan Yang, Hung-Wei Lin","doi":"10.3390/robotics13060089","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/robotics13060089","url":null,"abstract":"Master–slave teleoperation systems with haptic feedback enable human operators to interact with objects or perform tasks in remote environments. This paper presents a sliding-mode control scheme tailored for bilateral teleoperation systems operating in the presence of unknown uncertainties and time-varying delays. To address unknown but bounded uncertainties, adaptive laws are derived alongside controller design. Additionally, a linear matrix inequality is solved to determine the allowable bound of delays. Stability of the closed-loop system is ensured through Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional analysis. Two-degree-of-freedom mechanisms are self-built as haptic devices. Free-motion and force-perception scenarios are examined, with experimental results validating and comparing performances. The proposed adaptive-sliding-control method increases the position performance from 58.48% to 82.55% and the force performance from 83.48% to 99.77%. The proposed control scheme demonstrates enhanced position tracking and force perception in bilateral teleoperation systems.","PeriodicalId":506759,"journal":{"name":"Robotics","volume":"61 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141349364","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
RoboticsPub Date : 2024-06-02DOI: 10.3390/robotics13060088
T. I. Erdei, Tibor Péter Kapusi, András Hajdu, G. Husi
{"title":"Image-to-Image Translation-Based Deep Learning Application for Object Identification in Industrial Robot Systems","authors":"T. I. Erdei, Tibor Péter Kapusi, András Hajdu, G. Husi","doi":"10.3390/robotics13060088","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/robotics13060088","url":null,"abstract":"Industry 4.0 has become one of the most dominant research areas in industrial science today. Many industrial machinery units do not have modern standards that allow for the use of image analysis techniques in their commissioning. Intelligent material handling, sorting, and object recognition are not possible with the machinery we have. We therefore propose a novel deep learning approach for existing robotic devices that can be applied to future robots without modification. In the implementation, 3D CAD models of the PCB relay modules to be recognized are also designed for the implantation machine. Alternatively, we developed and manufactured parts for the assembly of aluminum profiles using FDM 3D printing technology, specifically for sorting purposes. We also apply deep learning algorithms based on the 3D CAD models to generate a dataset of objects for categorization using CGI rendering. We generate two datasets and apply image-to-image translation techniques to train deep learning algorithms. The synthesis achieved sufficient information content and quality in the synthesized images to train deep learning algorithms efficiently with them. As a result, we propose a dataset translation method that is suitable for situations in which regenerating the original dataset can be challenging. The results obtained are analyzed and evaluated for the dataset.","PeriodicalId":506759,"journal":{"name":"Robotics","volume":"18 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141272812","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
RoboticsPub Date : 2024-04-20DOI: 10.3390/robotics13040064
Giulio Reina
{"title":"Robotics and AI for Precision Agriculture","authors":"Giulio Reina","doi":"10.3390/robotics13040064","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/robotics13040064","url":null,"abstract":"To meet the rising food demand of a world population predicted to reach 9 [...]","PeriodicalId":506759,"journal":{"name":"Robotics","volume":"118 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140679371","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
RoboticsPub Date : 2024-04-18DOI: 10.3390/robotics13040063
Patrick Adjei, Norman L. Tasfi, Santiago Gomez-Rosero, Miriam A. M. Capretz
{"title":"Safe Reinforcement Learning for Arm Manipulation with Constrained Markov Decision Process","authors":"Patrick Adjei, Norman L. Tasfi, Santiago Gomez-Rosero, Miriam A. M. Capretz","doi":"10.3390/robotics13040063","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/robotics13040063","url":null,"abstract":"In the world of human–robot coexistence, ensuring safe interactions is crucial. Traditional logic-based methods often lack the intuition required for robots, particularly in complex environments where these methods fail to account for all possible scenarios. Reinforcement learning has shown promise in robotics due to its superior adaptability over traditional logic. However, the exploratory nature of reinforcement learning can jeopardize safety. This paper addresses the challenges in planning trajectories for robotic arm manipulators in dynamic environments. In addition, this paper highlights the pitfalls of multiple reward compositions that are susceptible to reward hacking. A novel method with a simplified reward and constraint formulation is proposed. This enables the robot arm to avoid a nonstationary obstacle that never resets, enhancing operational safety. The proposed approach combines scalarized expected returns with a constrained Markov decision process through a Lagrange multiplier, resulting in better performance. The scalarization component uses the indicator cost function value, directly sampled from the replay buffer, as an additional scaling factor. This method is particularly effective in dynamic environments where conditions change continually, as opposed to approaches relying solely on the expected cost scaled by a Lagrange multiplier.","PeriodicalId":506759,"journal":{"name":"Robotics","volume":" 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140688337","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
RoboticsPub Date : 2024-04-14DOI: 10.3390/robotics13040062
Giovanni Boschetti, Teresa Sinico
{"title":"Designing Digital Twins of Robots Using Simscape Multibody","authors":"Giovanni Boschetti, Teresa Sinico","doi":"10.3390/robotics13040062","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/robotics13040062","url":null,"abstract":"Digital twins of industrial and collaborative robots are widely used to evaluate and predict the behavior of manipulators under different control strategies. However, these digital twins often employ simplified mathematical models that do not fully describe their dynamics. In this paper, we present the design of a high-fidelity digital twin of a six degrees-of-freedom articulated robot using Simscape Multibody, a Matlab toolbox that allows the design of robotic manipulators in a rather intuitive and user-friendly manner. This robot digital twin includes joint friction, transmission gears, and electric actuators dynamics. After assessing the dynamic accuracy of the Simscape model, we used it to test a computed torque control scheme, proving that this model can be reliably used in simulations with different aims, such as validating control schemes, evaluating collaborative functions or minimizing power consumption.","PeriodicalId":506759,"journal":{"name":"Robotics","volume":"146 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140706796","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}