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The study of bio-inspired structures and their reproduction has always fascinated humans. The advent of soft robotics, thanks to soft materials, has enabled considerable progress in this field. Over the years, polyps, worms, cockroaches, jellyfish, and multiple anthropomorphic structures such as hands or limbs have been reproduced. These structures have often been used for gripping and handling delicate objects or those with complex unknown a priori shapes. Several studies have also been conducted on grippers inspired by the seahorse tail. In this paper, a novel biomimetic soft pneumatic actuator inspired by the tail of the seahorse Hippocampus reidi is presented. The actuator has been developed to make a leg to sustain a multi-legged robot. The prototyping of the actuator was possible by combining a 3D-printed reinforcement in thermoplastic polyurethane, mimicking the skeletal apparatus, within a silicone rubber structure, replicating the functions of the external epithelial tissue. The latter has an internal channel for pneumatic actuation that acts as the inner muscle. The study on the anatomy and kinematic behaviour of the seahorse tail suggested the mechanical design of the actuator. Through a test campaign, the actuator prototype was characterized by isotonic tests with an external null load, isometric tests, and activation/deactivation times. Specifically, the full actuator distension of 154.5 mm occurs at 1.8 bar, exerting a maximum force of 11.9 N, with an activation and deactivation time of 74.9 and 94.5 ms, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An autonomous robotic device has been developed for the waterless cleaning of photovoltaic panels in desert zone. • Two helical brushes with opposite helix angles wipe away sand from the photovoltaic panels. • Ultrasonic sensors are used for the real-time adjustment of the position, trajectory and speed rate of the robotic device. • The proposed robotic device has been successfully validated by means of laboratory experiments. In desert zones, a continuous cleaning activity of photovoltaic panels in solar plants is required since the deposition of both airborne dust and sand after a storm can reduce their efficiency up to 80%. Manual cleaning of the photovoltaic panels in dry areas is costly, cannot make use of water and workers must be employed several times in a month, often under extreme environmental conditions. For all these reasons, the research of cleaning solutions performed by autonomous robotic systems are seen beneficial to recover the solar panels efficiency at reasonable costs also nightly. In this respect, this paper presents the implementation of an unmanned low-cost robotic device operating without rails or guides for waterless dust and sand removal from the surface of photovoltaic panels. The robot autonomously moves as a half-track and gently wipes the dust away by means of a couple of independent helical brushes that alternatively rotate, according to a defined combination of the cleaning and motion strategy. Moreover, in real-time the robot detects its spatial position by ultrasonic sensors, regulates both its speed rate and motion direction. The on-board control system, based on an ARDUINO DUE platform, settles the robot travel direction, its speed and which brush must be activated for cleaning. Experimental tests have been performed by fabricating a prototype of the device to assess its effectiveness and reliability in terms of the autonomous motion, dust removal and low power consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the design of a 2-dof (degrees of freedom) rehabilitation robot for upper limbs driven by pneumatic muscle actuators is presented. This paper includes the different aspects of the mechanical design and the control system and the results of the first experimental tests. The robot prototype is constructed and at this preliminary step a position and trajectory control by fuzzy logic is implemented. The pneumatic muscle actuators used in this arm are designed and constructed by the authors' research group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: For off-road mobility, some manual or power assisted devices were conceived to be self-driven by paraplegics while for tetraplegics non power-assisted devices were conceived. These devices require one or more conductors who are subjected to a high physical demand thus potentially creating: precarious safety condition for the user an elevated physical demand of conductors could reduce the care and the attention to give to the user; the time of the outdoor adventure experience of the user could be limited. Methods: To address these issues, an innovative user-centered power assisted off-road wheelchair for the transportation of tetraplegics along mountain trails was developed. The device, structured like a trike, is driven by two healthy conductors; the user is placed in the middle of the frame. A movable seat provides for the transfer from the standard to the off-road wheelchair. An electrical motor, powered by a battery pack, provides for the actuation. All the design and prototype aspects, the control system and experimental tests are detailed. Results: The prototype satisfies mechanical, safety and duration requirements. No physical demand while using the device and for the transfer of the user to the device was identified. Fun and engaging tests were carried out and all the participants were involved. The device has the potential to enhance the quality of life of tetraplegics in terms of new life experiences. The device revealed the real possibility of a full recreational experience, an enhanced participation and a better social integration of tetraplegics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Powered ankle-foot prostheses for walking often have limitations in the range of motion and in push-off power, if compared to a lower limb of a healthy person. A new design of a powered ankle-foot prosthesis is proposed to obtain a wide range of motion and an adequate power for a push-off step. The design methodology for this prosthesis has three points. In the first one, a dimensionless kinematic model of the lower limb in the sagittal plane is built, through an experimental campaign with healthy subjects, to calculate the angles of lower limb during the gait. In the second point a multibody inverse dynamic model of the lower limb is constructed to calculate the foot-ground contact force, its point of application and the ankle torque too, entering as input data the calculated angles of the lower limb in the previous point. The third point requires, as input of the inverse dynamic model, the first dimensioning data of the ankle-foot prosthesis to obtain the load acting on the components of the prosthesis and the angle torque of the actuator during the gait cycle. Finally, an iteration cycle begins with the inverse dynamic model modifying the ankle torque and angle until these quantities during the gait are as close as possible to the physiological quantities. After the mechanical design and the construction of the prototype of the prosthesis, an experimental methodology was used for preliminary validation of the design. The preliminary tests in the laboratory on the prototype alone show that the range of motion of the ankle angle during the gait is close to a healthy person's: 27.6° vs. 29°. The pushing force of the distal area of the prototype is 1.000 N, instead of 1.600 N, because a budget reduction forced us to choose components for the prototype with lower performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emerging demographic trends toward an aging population, demand new ways and solutions to improve the quality of elderly life. These include, prolonged independent living, improved health care, and reduced social isolation. Recent technological advances in the field of assistive robotics bring higher sophistication and various assistive abilities that can help in achieving these goals. In this paper, we present design and validation of a low-cost telepresence robot that can assist the elderly and their professional caregivers, in everyday activities. The developed robot structure and its control objectives were tested in, both, a simulation and experimental environment. On-field experiments were done in a private elderly care center involving elderly persons and caregivers as participants. The goal of the evaluation study was to test the software architecture and the robot capabilities for navigation, as well as the robot manipulator. Moreover, participants' reactions toward a possible adoption of the developed robot system in everyday activities were assessed. The obtained results of the conducted evaluation study are also presented and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]