An Anthropomorphic Robot Hand Developed Based on Underactuated Mechanism and Controlled by EMG Signals

When developing a humanoid myo-control hand,not only the mechanical structure should be considered to afford a highdexterity,but also the myoelectric (electromyography,EMG) control capability should be taken into account to fully accomplishthe actuation tasks.This paper presents a novel humanoid robotic myocontrol hand (AR hand Ⅲ) which adopted an underac-tuated mechanism and a forearm myocontrol EMG method.The AR hand Ⅲ has five fingers and 15 joints,and actuated by threeembedded motors.Underactuation can be found within each finger and between the rest three fingers (the middle finger,the ringfinger and the little finger) when the hand is grasping objects.For the EMG control,two specific methods are proposed:thethree-fingered hand gesture configuration of the AR hand Ⅲ and a pattern classification method of EMG signals based on astatistical learning algorithm-Support Vector Machine (SVM).Eighteen active hand gestures of a testee are recognized ef-fectively,which can be directly mapped into the motions of AR hand Ⅲ.An on-line EMG control scheme is established basedon two different decision functions:one is for the discrimination between the idle and active modes,the other is for the recog-nition of the active modes.As a result,the AR hand Ⅲ can swiftly follow the gesture instructions of the testee with a time delayless than 100 ms.     

Bio-inspired Design and Inverse Kinematics Solution of an Omnidirectional Humanoid Robotic Arm with Geometric and Load Capacity Constraints

Inspired by the driving muscles of the human arm,a 4-Degree of Freedom(DOF)concentrated driving humanoid robotic arm is proposed based on a spatial double parallel four-bar mechanism.The four-bar mechanism design reduces the inertia of the elbow-driving unit and the torque by 76.65％and 57.81％,respectively.Mimicking the human pose regulation strategy that the human arm picks up a heavy object by adjusting its posture naturally without complicated control,the robotic arm features an integrated position-level closed-form inverse solution method considering both geometric and load capacity limitations.This method consists of a geometric constraint model incorporating the arm angle(φ)and the Global Configuration(GC)to avoid joint limits and singularities,and a load capacity model to constrain the feasible domain of the arm angle.Further,trajectory tracking simulations and experiments are conducted to validate the feasibility of the proposed inverse solution method.The simulated maximum output torque,maximum output power and total energy consumption of the robotic arm are reduced by up to 2.0％,13.3％,and 33.3％,respectively.The experimental results demonstrate that the robotic arm can bear heavy loads in a human-like posture,effectively reducing the maximum output torque and energy consumption of the robotic arm by 1.83％and 5.03％,respectively,while avoiding joints beyond geometric and load capacity limitations.The proposed design provides a high payload-weight ratio and an efficient pose control solution for robotic arms,which can potentially broaden the application spectrum of humanoid robots.     

A Supplementary System for a Brain-Machine Interface Based on Jaw Artifacts for the Bidimensional Control of a Robotic Arm

Non-invasive Brain-Machine Interfaces (BMIs) are being used more and more these days to design systems focused on helping people with motor disabilities. Spontaneous BMIs translate user''s brain signals into commands to control devices. On these systems, by and large, 2 different mental tasks can be detected with enough accuracy. However, a large training time is required and the system needs to be adjusted on each session. This paper presents a supplementary system that employs BMI sensors, allowing the use of 2 systems (the BMI system and the supplementary system) with the same data acquisition device. This supplementary system is designed to control a robotic arm in two dimensions using electromyographical (EMG) signals extracted from the electroencephalographical (EEG) recordings. These signals are voluntarily produced by users clenching their jaws. EEG signals (with EMG contributions) were registered and analyzed to obtain the electrodes and the range of frequencies which provide the best classification results for 5 different clenching tasks. A training stage, based on the 2-dimensional control of a cursor, was designed and used by the volunteers to get used to this control. Afterwards, the control was extrapolated to a robotic arm in a 2-dimensional workspace. Although the training performed by volunteers requires 70 minutes, the final results suggest that in a shorter period of time (45 min), users should be able to control the robotic arm in 2 dimensions with their jaws. The designed system is compared with a similar 2-dimensional system based on spontaneous BMIs, and our system shows faster and more accurate performance. This is due to the nature of the control signals. Brain potentials are much more difficult to control than the electromyographical signals produced by jaw clenches. Additionally, the presented system also shows an improvement in the results compared with an electrooculographic system in a similar environment.     

Locomotion Generation and Motion Library Design for an Anguilliform Robotic Fish

In this paper, modeling, locomotion generation, motion library design and path planning for a real prototype of an Anguilliform robotic fish are presented. The robotic fish consists of four links and three joints, and the driving forces are the torques applied to the joints. Considering kinematic constraints and hydrodynamic forces, Lagrangian formulation is used to obtain the dynamic model of the fish. Using this model, three major locomotion patterns of Anguilliform fish, including forward locomotion, backward locomotion and turning locomotion are investigated. It is found that the fish exhibits different locomotion patterns by giving different reference joint angles, such as adding reversed phase difference, or adding deflections to the original reference angles. The results are validated by both simulations and experiments. Furthermore, the relations among the speed of the fish, angular frequency, undulation amplitude, phase difference, as well as the relationship between the turning radius and deflection angle are investigated. These relations provide an elaborated motion library that can be used for motion planning of the robotic fish.     

Feedback Control of an Achiral Robotic Microswimmer

Magnetic microswimmers are useful for navigating and performing tasks at small scales.To demonstrate effective control over such microswimmers,we implemented feedback control of the three-bead achiral microswimmers in both simulation and experiment.The achiral microswimmers with the ability to swim in bulk fluid are controlled wirelessly using magnetic fields generated from electromagnetic coils.The achirality of the microswimmers introduces unknown handedness resulting in uncertainty in swimming direction.We use a combination of rotating and static magnetic fields generated from an approximate Helmholtz coil system to overcome such uncertainty.There are also movement uncertainties due to environmental factors such as unsteady flow conditions.A kinematic model based feedback controller was created based on data fitting of experimental data.However,the controller was unable to yield satisfactory performance due to uncertainties from environmental factors;i.e.,the time to reach target pose under adverse flow condition is too long.Following the implementation of an integral controller to control the microswimmers' swimming velocity,the microswimmers were able to reach the target in roughly half the time.Through simulation and experiments,we show that the feedback control law can move an achiral microswimmer from any initial conditions to a target pose.     

Robotic fourth-arm enucleation of an esophageal leiomyoma and review of literature

Esophageal leiomyomas are resected in symptomatic and/or malignancy-suspicious cases. Traditionally, they have been removed by laparotomy or thoracotomy and more recently by thoracoscopy and laparoscopy. Mucosal injury is reported as high as 7% of cases but may be higher in unreported general practice. Robotic technology seems to offer advantages. We describe a robotic approach that seems to minimize mobilization of the esophagus, potentially decreasing the likelihood of mucosal injury and postoperative recovery time. We review the literature to evaluate the reports of mucosal injury with the open, minimally invasive, and robotic techniques and describe our own method. To improve efficiency, we use a four-arm technique.     

Development of a Prototype Over-Actuated Biomimetic Prosthetic Hand

The loss of a hand can greatly affect quality of life. A prosthetic device that can mimic normal hand function is very important to physical and mental recuperation after hand amputation, but the currently available prosthetics do not fully meet the needs of the amputee community. Most prosthetic hands are not dexterous enough to grasp a variety of shaped objects, and those that are tend to be heavy, leading to discomfort while wearing the device. In order to attempt to better simulate human hand function, a dexterous hand was developed that uses an over-actuated mechanism to form grasp shape using intrinsic joint mounted motors in addition to a finger tendon to produce large flexion force for a tight grip. This novel actuation method allows the hand to use small actuators for grip shape formation, and the tendon to produce high grip strength. The hand was capable of producing fingertip flexion force suitable for most activities of daily living. In addition, it was able to produce a range of grasp shapes with natural, independent finger motion, and appearance similar to that of a human hand. The hand also had a mass distribution more similar to a natural forearm and hand compared to contemporary prosthetics due to the more proximal location of the heavier components of the system. This paper describes the design of the hand and controller, as well as the test results.     

Virtual Reality Based Support System for Layout Planning and Programming of an Industrial Robotic Work Cell

Traditional robotic work cell design and programming are considered inefficient and outdated in current industrial and market demands. In this research, virtual reality (VR) technology is used to improve human-robot interface, whereby complicated commands or programming knowledge is not required. The proposed solution, known as VR-based Programming of a Robotic Work Cell (VR-Rocell), consists of two sub-programmes, which are VR-Robotic Work Cell Layout (VR-RoWL) and VR-based Robot Teaching System (VR-RoT). VR-RoWL is developed to assign the layout design for an industrial robotic work cell, whereby VR-RoT is developed to overcome safety issues and lack of trained personnel in robot programming. Simple and user-friendly interfaces are designed for inexperienced users to generate robot commands without damaging the robot or interrupting the production line. The user is able to attempt numerous times to attain an optimum solution. A case study is conducted in the Robotics Laboratory to assemble an electronics casing and it is found that the output models are compatible with commercial software without loss of information. Furthermore, the generated KUKA commands are workable when loaded into a commercial simulator. The operation of the actual robotic work cell shows that the errors may be due to the dynamics of the KUKA robot rather than the accuracy of the generated programme. Therefore, it is concluded that the virtual reality based solution approach can be implemented in an industrial robotic work cell.     

Robotic Production of Cancer Cell Spheroids with an Aqueous Two-phase System for Drug Testing

Cancer cell spheroids present a relevant in vitro model of avascular tumors for anti-cancer drug testing applications. A detailed protocol for producing both mono-culture and co-culture spheroids in a high throughput 96-well plate format is described in this work. This approach utilizes an aqueous two-phase system to confine cells into a drop of the denser aqueous phase immersed within the second aqueous phase. The drop rests on the well surface and keeps cells in close proximity to form a single spheroid. This technology has been adapted to a robotic liquid handler to produce size-controlled spheroids and expedite the process of spheroid production for compound screening applications. Spheroids treated with a clinically-used drug show reduced cell viability with increase in the drug dose. The use of a standard micro-well plate for spheroid generation makes it straightforward to analyze viability of cancer cells of drug-treated spheroids with a micro-plate reader. This technology is straightforward to implement both robotically and with other liquid handling tools such as manual pipettes.     

人X染色体长臂(Xq)和短臂(Xp)基因组学比较分析

X染色体发生X染色体失活 ,但是Xp基因有 30 %表现为逃逸 ,而Xq仅不到 3%。为了研究X染色体基因失活和表达逃逸发生和维持的分子机制 ,比较了Xq和XpDNA序列的RNA模拟结合强度。X染色体的核苷酸序列被分为 5 0kb一段 ,对每一段DNA做 7碱基 (7nt)字符串组合分析 (共有 4 7=16 384种组合 ) ,记录每段 5 0kbDNA中每种 7nt字符串的频率。选择生发中心B细胞中的 12 0个高表达基因 ,计算这些基因的内含子 7nt字符串的出现频率 ,称为intron 7nt,以此作为RNAs(RNA群 ,模拟细胞中RNA在小片段的总和 )。已知一段DNA序列的 7nt频率值和intron 7nt,即可以计算该DNA段与intron 7nt的结合强度。每段 5 0kbDNA与intron 7nt的结合强度取决于该DNA段与intron 7nt互补核苷酸的频率 ,互补的核苷酸序列越多 ,结合强度就越大。DNA段与intron 7nt的模拟结合强度称为RNA结合强度 ,试图模拟该段DNA可以结合的RNA小片段的总量。之所以采用 7nt字符串组合分析是考虑到连续 7个核苷酸互补则可以形成相对稳定的结合。研究发现 :1)Xp各DNA段的RNA结合强度均值显著大于Xq (P <0 0 0 1) ;2 )Xp上高结合RNA的DNA段数目显著高于Xq (P <0 0 0 1) ;3)RNA高结合DNA段形成的簇与X染色体基因表达逃逸区关联。有证据表明 ,RNA可以通过改变染色质     

Interactive effects of temperature and predation on an estuarine zooplankton community

The winter planktonic copepod community of the estuaries near Beaufort N.C. underwent a consistent transition from dominance by Acartia tonsa Dana to dominance by Centropages spp., which was associated with unpredictable decreases in water temperature and increases in abundance of predatory mysids. Centropages subsequently remained dominant until spring. Experimental manipulations of water temperature and mysid abundance in enclosures showed that copepod species composition was determined by an interaction of direct temperature effects with predatory interactions among copepods and mysids. Low temperatures stimulated recruitment of Centropages spp. and inhibited recruitment of Acartia tonsa. Temperature decreases also apparently stimulated migration of mysids into the study area. While A. tonsa was dominant, selective predation by mysids reduced the relative abundance of A. tonsa, but after Centropages became dominant mysid predation had no effect on copepod species composition. Predation by Centropages on the nauplii of other species probably contributed to its persistent dominance in the estuary. Rising temperatures in the spring favored recruitment of Acartia tonsa and inhibited Centropages recruitment. Selective predation by fish entering the estuary in spring may have contributed to the decline in abundance of Centropages spp. and mysids.     

果蝇心脏发育标记基因Hand多克隆抗体的制备

制备果蝇心脏标记基因Hand抗体对研究果蝇心脏发育具有重要意义。从果蝇体内提取出总RNA,反转录得到果蝇的cDNA,将其作为模板PCR得到Hand基因部分片段,将片段连接到pET-28a上,构建重组质粒pET一28a—Hand,将重组质粒转化rosetta受体菌,IPTG诱导表达,表达产物经镍柱纯化,SDS—PAGE电泳分析,结果表明Hand基因在大肠杆菌中成功表达,表达的Hand融合蛋白分子量大约为24kD,经镍柱纯化后获得了高纯度可溶性的Hand蛋白。     

Design and Implementation of an Interactive Web-Based Near Real-Time Forest Monitoring System

This paper describes an interactive web-based near real-time (NRT) forest monitoring system using four levels of geographic information services: 1) the acquisition of continuous data streams from satellite and community-based monitoring using mobile devices, 2) NRT forest disturbance detection based on satellite time-series, 3) presentation of forest disturbance data through a web-based application and social media and 4) interaction of the satellite based disturbance alerts with the end-user communities to enhance the collection of ground data. The system is developed using open source technologies and has been implemented together with local experts in the UNESCO Kafa Biosphere Reserve, Ethiopia. The results show that the system is able to provide easy access to information on forest change and considerably improves the collection and storage of ground observation by local experts. Social media leads to higher levels of user interaction and noticeably improves communication among stakeholders. Finally, an evaluation of the system confirms the usability of the system in Ethiopia. The implemented system can provide a foundation for an operational forest monitoring system at the national level for REDD+ MRV applications.