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Simulation is widely used in Medical Education as a teaching and learning method. The purpose of this paper is to discover the implication of the simulator into clinical trainee behaviour, medical education, and patient safety. At the other hand, a methodology of quantitative research design towards implementing Upper Limb Spasticity Simulator (ULSS) named BITA1.0 is discussed. The Descriptive Quantitative Research design is focused on formative clinical assessment with students of Master in Rehabilitation, Universiti Teknologi MARA as subjects with pre and post-response test. With the intention of implementing BITA1.0 into medical education, the result from The Descriptive Quantitative Research is essential. Keywords: simulation; spasticity; upper limb; medical education eISSN: 2398-4287© 2020. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v5iSI3.2552

Providing optimal rehabilitation services to the broad public is one of the greatest challenges in the healthcare sector due to the shortage of rehabilitation physicians and facilities. Recent advances in digitalization and sophisticated data analytics offers new innovative ways in delivering rehabilitation services to enhance the quality of life of people with disabilities. Currently, the development of data-driven solutions for rehabilitation in Malaysia is limited due to multiple factors: medical and rehabilitation data is not digitally stored; the knowledge for the interpretation of clinical data is distributed; in particular, there is a lack of expertise in the field of medical data science. Thus, a data science platform is proposed so that medical expertise can be made available through digital services and is not dependent on human resource, location, time or financial ability. This platform is applied for the smart diagnosis of upper limb spasticity in compliance with clinical practice, and extensible for the other smart rehabilitation applications. By collaborating with the prestigious Fraunhofer Society, their knowhow in industrial data science can be brought to Malaysia towards improved health care in the country. The smart diagnosis system provides advice in classifying the severity level of upper limb spasticity based on the Modified Ashworth Scale and the Modified Tardieu scale. The basis is a measurement system for muscle signal, muscle tone and elbow motion. Users of the smart diagnosis application include rehabilitation physicians, doctors from other specialities, nurses, psychologists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists. The tools provided by the data science platform is deployed to store and analyze the clinical data. Further, the expertise of a rehabilitation physician is emulated in the form of an expert system to determine the severity level of upper limb spasticity. The digital clinical database helps medical researchers in secondary analysis towards knowledge discovery for the betterment of intervention and treatment of spasticity.

The Machine Learning Model (MLM) has garnered popularity in rehabilitation, ranging from developing algorithms in outcome prediction, prognostication, and training artificial intelligence. High-quality data plays a critical role in algorithm development. Limited studies have explored factors that may influence the MLM algorithm performance in predicting spasticity severity level. The objectives of this study were to train and validate a MLM algorithm for spasticity assessment and determine the algorithm's prediction performance in predicting ambiguous spasticity datasets. Forty-seven persons with central nervous system pathology that fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria were recruited. Four biomechanical properties of spasticity were obtained using off-the-shelf wearable sensors. The data were analyzed individually, and ambiguous datasets were separated. The acceptable inertial data were used to train and validate MLM in predicting spasticity. The trained and validated MLM algorithm was later deployed to predict the ambiguous spasticity datasets. A series of MLM were applied, including Support Vector Machine, Decision Tree, and Random Forest. The MLM's performance accuracy of the validation data was 96%, 52%, and 72%, respectively. The validated MLM accuracy performance level predicting ambiguous datasets reduces to 20%, 23%, and 23%, respectively. This study elucidates data biases and variances of disease background, pathophysiological and anatomical factors that have to be considered in MLM training.

Upper limb spasticity (ULS) is a common pathophysiological changes manifest by a structural damage towards the central nervous system (CNS) that includes brain and spinal cord. The current clinical practice of spasticity assessment utilizes Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) as a subjective tool to measure the severity of spasticity. Lack of objective value, poor sensitivity in detecting minimal changes, and dependency to the interpretation by the assessing clinicians are the several reasons of the inter and intra-rater variability of the measurement using MAS. These limit the use of MAS in diagnosing, treating, and monitoring spasticity especially in inexperienced clinicians, hence leading to inadequate spasticity management. To overcome this problem, a study is carried out to quantify and develop a data-driven model of ULS detection based on MAS. The characteristics that detect the existence of ULS according to MAS are identified and adopted to train the machine learning models for smart diagnosis purpose to assist the physicians to effectively manage spasticity.

Smart Health means innovation of the health sector through digitization. This leads to many possibilities regarding to an effective home-based, self-managed physical rehabilitation. With an innovative Product-Service-System (PSS), patients will have a better access, availability, and affordability of physical rehabilitation. In this contribution we present generic approaches of upgrading existent systems from a technological perspective. Furthermore, we introduce a framework for the agile development of innovative PSS, which could be adapted to other fields. The initial situation is an existing PSS for physical rehabilitation. The framework covers four phases. The planning phase consists of methods from the value based idea creation to Systems Engineering (SE) approaches, which focus on the conception of a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). The second phase describes a fast prototyping of the previously defined MVP, which addresses the PSS concept and the business model. Based on that, the next phase consists of the validation of the developed prototype and business model by real customers. The result is analyzed in the fourth stage. The learnings are interpreted regarding to the real market demand for the developed PSS. The developed PSS will be improved or completely changed through multiple iterations.

Industry 4.0 is changing design and manufacturing methodologies because future production lines will manufacture customized products for the mass market. As for that, Automated machines and systems in such a production line need to communicate with each other. In this context, data exchange takes place between different kind of systems or platforms. Therefore a system level approach clarifying the interactions between the manufacturing devices in heterogeneous environments addressing highly dynamic and often loosely coupled production processes is required. This paper describes a model-based systems engineering approach of which the system integration of a smart factory is systematically managed right from the conception design phase. During the conception phase, the communication flows between the system elements is specified using CONSENS (Conceptual Design Specification Technique for the Engineering of Complex Systems). Based on the system level design specifications, a working prototype of a mini production line deploying Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) technology has been developed. The SCADA software acts as a human-machine interface and provides a gateway to access data of the production line either locally or through the internet. Multi-role users could access the system locally or remotely for monitoring, controlling, analyzing and ordering using SCADA as the interface.

In Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI), data sets need consistency factor to train good filters and classifiers. If there is lack of pattern in the data sets, it will affect the classification accuracy of the results. Consistency in extracted data-epoch requires precise markers to be embedded along the continuous Electroencephalography (EEG) data collection process. This study suggests placing the markers on actual movement through Electromyography (EMG) data classifications during isometric finger flexion and extension. An EMG-based marker system is applied to generate marker in EEG signal during data measurement in real time. EEGLAB software is used for pre-processing. The data loaded into the BCILAB interface for chosen feature extraction and classification. Spectrally weighted Common Spatial Pattern (Spec-CSP) used as feature extraction method and Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) is implemented for classification process. Results show that EMG-based marker approach shows higher potential success rate, at 73.6% compared to visual cue-based marker at 71.1%. It is suggested that EMG-based marker approach is applicable in finding pattern recognition of EEG data in isometric finger flexion and extension.

Prosthetic hand acts as a tool that enables the amputee to perform daily tasks. Instead of passive devices which are aesthetically pleasing, current devices come with improved functionality utilizing robotic technology. There are various ways to control a prosthetic hand. One of it includes Brain Computer Interface (BCI) which has advanced technologies and creates new possibilities in providing healthcare solutions for people with severe motor impairment. Generally, Electroencephalography (EEG) is dominated by BCI researchers as it provides non-invasive, inexpensive equipment, good resolution, ease of use, portability and no implantation approaches. EEG signals were recorded from healthy subjects through brain waves at specific locations on the scalp using Emotiv EEG Headset. This device can capture brain waves that include artifacts such as movement of a limb, respiration, speech, heartbeat and many more. Most artifacts will disturb the data, but artifacts can also be used for researchers to control the prosthetic hand. This paper shows that this technology is still undergoing a maturing process. In this work, the state-of-the-art is reviewed and a conceptual design for a non-invasive approach for controlling a prosthesis hand using Emotiv EEG Headset integrated with Graphical User Interface (GUI) is presented and designed using LabVIEW. This project is designed for applying cost-effective prosthetic hands controlled using signal artifacts. This device can be used and controlled by paralyzed individuals with limited communication ability using simple GUI.

The application of a high-fidelity part-task trainer for clinical education on upper limb disorders allows students to carry out recurring practices, gain skills and build up their confidence prior to engaging with real patients. The standardization of the symptoms assessment assists in the improvement of clinical findings which are not just limited to spasticity, but also leadpipe rigidity and cogwheel rigidity. The deployment of the Beckhoff PC-based control technology enables high precision in simulating spasticity characteristics thus increasing trainee proficiency. With the growing number of medical schools and therapy training centers, it solves the dilemma of patient unavailability and the difficulty of obtaining patient assistance for the preparation of apprenticeship training.

The use of body-powered prostheses can be tiring and lead to further problems with compliance and prosthetic restoration. Brain-Computer-Interfaces (BCI) offers a mean of controlling prostheses for patients that otherwise are unable to operate such devices due to physical limitations. An issue with BCIs is that they tend to either require invasive recording methods, posing a surgical risk, or work by generating control signals from not task related brain activity patterns such as right vs. left hand, hand vs. leg or visual stimulation and therefore are not intuitive in their control. This research aims to test the possibility of controlling the grasp and release of an upper limb prosthetic terminal device by classifying Electroencephalogram (EEG) data from real hand grasping and releasing movement. Data from five healthy subjects were recorded using a consumer grade non-invasive Emotiv EPOC headset. During the measurement the subjects were asked to perform isometric finger extension and flexion of their right hand. In order to bring the EEG data into correlation with the executed movement a simultaneous electromyogram (EMG) recording is proposed as an alternative method to recordings of visual cued movement. Classified EMG data was used to generate markers in the EEG data and to epoch the data. In order to increase the signal to noise ratio and allow better classification, the EEG data was filtered and spectrally weighted common spatial patterns (spec-CSP) were used for feature extraction. Using linear discriminant analysis a classification rate of up to 73.2% between grasp and release was achieved. In this work, a novel EMG-assisted approach has been developed for classification of EEG data from hand grasp and release movements. It shows feasibility for a more intuitive control of upper limb prosthetic terminal device using low-cost BCI without the risk associated with invasive measurement.

The development of a robotic exoskeleton to restore and rehab, hand and finger function is highly competitive nowadays. The robotic exoskeleton is an active actuated mechanism implemented in rehabilitation system, in which each finger attached to an instrumented lead screw mechanism allowing force and position control, according to the normal human setting. The robotic device is a direct driven actuated based on ergonomics measurements, capable to assist in flexion and extension motion. As an adaptation mechanism, it's also compatible with various sizes and shapes of anthropometric human‘s finger. The integration of DC servo motor and lead screw mechanism were the main features of the interface, which allows independent motion of the five fingers with small and lightweight actuators. The device is easily transportable, efficient safety performance, user friendly and offer multiple modes of training potentials. This paper presents the measurements implemented in the system to determine the requirements for finger and hand rehabilitation device, the design and characteristic of the whole system.

Functional recovery of upper limb after stroke is crucial to restore the ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL). This paper presents a robotic rehabilitation approach based on repetitive exercise aimed to help stroke survivors relearn the skills of finger flexion and extension at the comfort of their home. The finger rehabilitation device deploysShape Memory Alloy(SMA) wires as an actuation approach to deliver three degrees of freedom per finger module. The advantages and challenges of using SMA wires rather than conventional actuators are discussed. A prototype of the finger rehabilitation device was built using PLA material and experiments have been conducted for the purposes of feasibility study. Tests conducted on the wires suggest that it has to have sufficient weight and also has to be stretching at high temperature rather than room temperature in order to have an optimum range of recovery.

Friction stir welding (FSW) is a relatively new solid-state joining process which is considered energy efficient, eco-friendly and versatile. High stress and strain occur at the rotating tool, consisting of a pin (probe) and a shoulder, during the friction stir process. The geometrical design of the tool has some impact in terms of stress and strain once static load is applied against the tool. In this work, specific stress can be found on the tool due to the plunging and travel process that is analysed using finite element method. In the present work, a steady state finite element stress analysis of friction stir welding was carried out using CATIA V5 software. The critical points of the FSW tool are located mainly on the edge between the shoulder and the pin, where a large amount of stress is found and further leads to failure or tool defects. This critical stress and strain can be reduced by enlarging the diameter size of the pin and increasing tool life.

This paper describes a system-level design for an upper limb spasticity part-task trainer driven by clinical data stored in a cloud database. The robotic part-task trainer has been developed for pre-clinical training of medical personnel on the evaluation of upper limb spasticity based on the Modified Ashworth Scale. The cloud-based system enables continuous updating of clinical data of upper limb spasticity by rehabilitation physicians. Multiple part-task trainers can be connected to the cloud database via the internet, thus enabling the remote coaching of trainees and instant feedback of professional therapists and clinicians to the trainees. It is expected that the functionality provided by the cloud technology will benefit the pedagogy of medical education in the future.

Smart factories of the era of the fourth industrial revolution or Industry 4.0 that employ a completely new approach to production are beginning to emerge. In this context, information and communication technology driven by the Internet of Things, Data and Services play a vital role. To demystify and showcase how a smart factory works, a reference model consisting of a principle solution and a working prototype for a smart factory has been developed. The principle solution consisting of six key aspects has been specified using the specification technique CONSENS. This paper describes one of the six key aspects, namely, the active structure of a smart factory. The active structure describes a system-level concept for a smart product that records its own product identity and production history from the moment an order is placed right through to outbound logistics. In this context, the key system elements and their interdependencies in terms of information, energy and material flows are described.

Gaming systems have been proven to be able to improve physical and cognitive skills. Several studies have integrated games to be part of rehabilitation program to improve functional ability of human limbs in performing activities of daily living. This paper presents the development of an interactive electromyogram (EMG) based PONG game for foot dorsifexion and plantarflexion exercise. PONG game is selected because it is a classical game that can be easily comprehended and can be played by young and old people. Two surface EMG sensors were used in this work to acquire muscle activity of tibialis anterior muscle and gastrocnemius muscle. An experimental study was carried out to examine the viability of this sensor as input to play the game. The results were satisfactory. This study further strengthens the viability of using muscle activity as an input for gaming system and as a mean to monitor patient rehabilitation progress.

Upper limb spasticity is commonly seen in conditions of upper motor neuron pathology, of which includes traumatic brain injury, stroke, high cervical spinal cord injury and Cerebral Palsy. Trained physicians, physiotherapists and occupational therapists are needed for the rehabilitation of such patients. To obtain skills in addressing spasticity, current practice in training of students utilizes patients as primary learning subjects. Novices without the required skills put the patient safety at stake. Further, physicians and therapists evaluate spasticity using the Tardieu, Ashworth, and Modified Ashworth Scale which can vary dependent on experience. Variability in rater scores suggest that training can be improved. To tackle this issue, an upper limb part-task trainer that is capable of consistently emulating spasticity symptoms is proposed for pre-clinical training of physicians, therapists and medical students. In order to obtain clinical data for the emulation of upper limb spasticity symptoms, a non-invasive evaluation procedure has been designed deploying a goniometer and a manual muscle tester. The goniometer measures the angle of elbow joint of the patient while the manual muscle tester measures the force applied by the rehabilitation physician on the patient's forearm. The elbow joint angle and its resistance force are recorded in real time via a data acquisition interface and NI LabVIEW software. The evaluation procedure was carried out by a rehabilitation physician during a routine rehabilitation session to the patients with symptoms of upper limb spasticity.

Stroke is a major cause of long-term disability among adults in many countries. Post stroke rehabilitation consumes a huge amount of health care resources in terms of costs related to hospital and home assistance. Recently, robot-assisted rehabilitation has been introduced to support physiotherapists in providing high-intensity and repetitive rehabilitation sessions. It has been observed that robotics offers an objective and reliable tool to monitor patient's progress and to accurately assess their motor function. This paper presents a novel finger rehabilitation approach for acute paralyzed stroke survivors using a wearable device for hand motor function restoration. After analyzing four main working mechanisms for hand assistance and rehabilitation, i.e. pneumatic cylinders, artificial rubber muscles, linkage mechanism and cable-driven mechanism, a new device called Pneumatic Actuated Finger Exoskeleton (PAFEx) has been designed. The prototype development was carried out in four stages involving simulation of the assisted structure of the MCP joint and the PIP joint, algorithm development, design and fabrication of prototype as well as product function evaluation. Offering ease of use and affordability, the device has great potential to be deployed for individualized rehabilitation session for patients who have to undergo therapy in their home.

A long-term goal of agricultural automation is to deploy intelligentrobots to facilitate labor-intensive tasks such as crop care or selective harvesting with minimum human supervision. To achieve this goal, the agricultural robots must be able to adapt themselves in response to various terrain conditions. The reason is that the terrain characteristics can jeopardize the performance of a robotin carrying out a taskor even causing it being trapped in the field. The aim of this work is to evaluate the effectiveness of using an intelligent algorithm, i.e. support vector machine (SVM) in recognizing various terrain conditions in an agricultural field. For this purpose, asmall tracked-driven mobile robot together witha terrain test bed has been developed. The terrain test bed emulates three types of terrain conditions, i.e. sand, gravel and vegetation. The tracked-driven robot is embedded with a low power MEMS accelerometer for measuring vibration signals resulted from the track-terrain interaction. An experimental study was conducted usinga SVMtrained with three different kernel functions, i.e. linear function, polynomial function and radial basis function (RBF). The results showed that the SVM can recognize different terrain conditions effectively. This work contributes to devising a self-adaptive agricultural robot in coping with changing terrain conditions.

Smart solutions for energy generationare required for a sustainable future. Many studiesand researches are in the pipeline to forge new reliable and affordable techniques for electricity generation from natural sources, particularly in low power generation due to mass consumption of small and portable electronic devices. In this context, piezoelectric material is seen as a potential candidate for energy generation since it has an outstanding property of converting kinetic energy into electricity. In this study, a prototype termed as Vibration Energy Harvester (VEnH) is developed to assess its performance in generating electricity from a vibration source. The prototype consists of a cantilever beam with a piezoceramic attached at half-length of the cantilever beam, a DC motor for emulationof the vibration produced by human footsteps and a microcontroller. Whena continuous force is applied to the VEnH, the cantilever beam experiencesdeformations and thus induces electricity. Two tests were conducted, namely the input force magnitude variation (1 mm – 18 mm) tests and the input frequency increment (0 Hz – 10 Hz) tests. The results showed that the output voltage was consistently increased proportional to the applied input displacement until it reacheda saturationpoint. In an optimal condition, about 5.4 Volts was generated before it reached the saturation point. Nonetheless the saturation point varies according to the input excitation frequency and it is discovered that the optimal input excitation frequency is of4.2 Hz. The results have potently showed the energy generation via VEnH isreliable and consistent, and thus upholds the positive prospective for its applications to harvest energy from human activities.

[EN] Soccer robots have been frequently used to validate models of multi-agent systems, involving collaboration among the agents. For this purpose, many researchers in robotics have been developing robotic soccer teams which compete in events such as RoboCup. This paper presents a strategy model for multi-robot coordination in robotic soccer teams involving ball position, team member position and opponent position for the selection of a team tactic and the player roles. This assignation is dynamical and achieved by a virtual coach. This strategy model was validated in a RoboCup Small Size League environment using Webots robot simulator, This project is partially funded by the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia under the grant number 600-RMI/ERGS 5/3 (23/2011)

The aim of this study is to develop an adequate part-task trainer occupied with varying levels of severity in spasticity symptoms focusing on the upper limb disorder for occupational therapists. Using the developed part-task trainer, the occupational therapists will have opportunities to repetitively engage in training without patient involvement. The part-task trainer is developed following the structure of human arm articulations with the ability to reproduce the spasticity stiffness. The structured interface programming is built providing three levels of spasticity: mild, moderate and severe. The programming was based on the clinical assessment of spasticity, measuring elbow joint angles and forces exerted by the patients. The recreated spasticity stiffness was evaluated by experienced occupational therapists. Therapists provided positive feedback regarding the mild and moderate level of spasticity leaving further improvement needed in order to reproduce the spasticity at the severe level.

On both natural and manmade terrains, the maneuverability of mobile robots has been improving. Nevertheless, stair climbing remains a challenging functionality for mobile robots. In this paper, a step-by-step stair climbing approach is proposed for a track-driven mobile robot equipped with flipper arms. The flipper arms are actuated by DC motors controlled by PID controller. Potentiometers and rotary encoders are used to provide closed loop feedbacks. Executable codes are generated using Real-Time Workshop of MATLAB/Simulink. The reference angles to be followed by the flipper arm in stair climbing are emulated and verified by real time experiments.

Recently, mechatronics as a self-contained discipline has undoubtedly shaped the development of technical systems. Mechatronics stands for the close interaction of mechanics, electronics, control engineering and software engineering. Due to the advancement of information and communication technologies, the functionality of mechatronic systems will go far beyond current standards. The increasing complexity requires a consistent comprehension of the tasks between all the developers involved. Especially during the early design phases, the communication and cooperation between the engineers is necessary to design a first overall system model. In addition, reusing of once successfully implemented solution knowledge is becoming increasingly important related to the overall context of the triangle of tension formed by time, cost and quality. In our work, we will present an approach for the identification of reusable controller strategies for the system design of advanced mechatronic systems.

Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) has been identified as an ideal candidate to actuate the finger joints of hand prosthesis due to its silent operation, small size, high force to weight ratio and operational similarity with human muscles. When current is applied to a SMA wire, the material is heated up. A phase transformation from Martensite to Austenite takes place and the wire contracts. This work evaluates the displacement and force produced from the contraction of a type of SMA wire, i.e. Nitinol (Ni-Ti). The displacement is determined by a linear potentiometer while the force is determined by a load cell. Furthermore the impacts of varying the bias force exerted on the SMA wire and the input current passed through the wire are investigated. Such insight into the characteristics of SMA can be used to realize biomimetic actuation in order to improve the dexterity of hand prosthesis.

Rehabilitation process for patients with spasticity must go through experienced physicians and therapists to avoid injuries and to maximize the rehabilitation session for the sake of the patients' improvement. To have experience and good skills, therapist trainees need to learn from the experienced clinicians. However, it becomes crucial to transfer the knowledge from the professional clinicians to the therapist trainees. Therefore it is important to be able to visualize the characteristics of spasticity quantitatively in order to support the learning process of therapist trainees. Four patients with varying spasticity levels were involved in this clinical data collection of upper limb spasticity. The clinical procedure involved repeated movements of arm extension and flexion, performed by an experienced clinician. The clinician evaluated the spasticity levels through the conventional manual methods of clinical skills and judgment. The clinical data was also collected via a digital goniometer and manual muscle tester (MMT), connected to a DAQ (product of National Instruments) and recorded using LabVIEW. The data was analyzed to investigate the pattern of each spasticity level according to the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS). The result of this research will help the therapist trainees to better understand and obtain a clear image of the spasticity stiffness pattern based on the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) level.

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is a less invasive procedure compared to traditional open surgery. It usually involves laparoscopic devices and remote control manipulation instruments comprising an endoscope for indirect observation of the surgical field. Interventional radiology (IVR) is one of the MIS methodologies. The IVR procedures include diagnosis such as angiograms, and treatment. The IVR procedures use small tubes called catheters, which are inserted through the body cavity or blood vessel to the treatment area. The IVR procedures lead to the risk of X-ray exposure to surgeon since the procedures is using the digital subtraction angiography device to get clear image of the patient blood vessel. Therefore, we have developed a foolproof tele-operated system to guide the catheter. Hence, the reliability in IVR procedure is crucial. The system is based on a mechatronic design methodology characterized by a principle solution specified in CONSENS® (CONceptual design Specification technique for the ENgineering of complex Systems). This principle solution serves as a basis for the first analysis and verification on the system level. Further, the proposed concept of control system can also be re-used in the other foolproof guidance systems.

Studies on the steering characteristics of track-driven mobile robot have been previously performed in terms of stationary motions at a constant speed. Nevertheless, stationary motions are rather rare and almost all motions of track-driven mobile robot are non-stationary. This work presents an analysis on the steering behaviour of a track-driven paintball robot. A mathematical model of a track-driven platform that allows the study of its curvilinear motion on firm level ground has been developed. The non-linear kinematics model was simulated to predict the steerability of track-driven paintball robot under curvilinear maneuvers at varying initial velocities. The purpose of the modelling is to understand the locomotion and the behavior of the track-driven platform towards the development of an autonomous paintball robot named as the iBOT.

This paper focuses on the development of a robotic hand having fourteen degree-of-freedom (DOF) to trigger finger movement. The design combination and integration of fingers will produce a prosthetic hand which is approximately the size of a human hand. The prototype hand comprised of servo motors located at the palm to drive the pulley and belt mechanism connected to each of the finger joints enabling independent flexion finger link movement. A lightweight Light Dependent Resistor (LDR) sensor is positioned at the middle of the palm is to close around objects. The prosthetic provides three different controls of finger movement through the use of a Graphical User Interface (GUI) with computer interface, program and manually controlled and autonomous movement provided by a micro-controller of this robotic hand. The prototype hand model was developed using rapid prototype technique in order to get the best part quality and reduction in weight. The link parameter analysis to determine the end tip position of the robotic finger at certain rotation angle was computed. Experimental work has been carried out on the prototype robotic hand to ensure the entire rotation angle and movement of each link is functioning as desired.

In path planning for mobile robot, classical Q-learning algorithm requires high iteration counts and longer time taken to achieve convergence. This is due to the beginning stage of classical Q-learning for path planning consists of mostly exploration, involving random direction decision making. This paper proposed the addition of distance aspect into direction decision making in Q-learning. This feature is used to reduce the time taken for the Q-learning to fully converge. In the meanwhile, random direction decision making is added and activated when mobile robot gets trapped in local optima. This strategy enables the mobile robot to escape from local optimal trap. The results show that the time taken for the improved Q-learning with distance guiding to converge is longer than the classical Q-learning. However, the total number of steps used is lower than the classical Q-learning.

An interconnected, data driven smart logistics management system is crucial in a smart factory in context of Industry 4.0. Applying the concept of cyber-physical systems (CPSs) and Internet of Things (IoT) will create a standardized logistics system. This system can be applied across the supply chain to enable the sharing of information in real-time which consequently optimize logistics processes. In this project, a conceptual model of a smart logistics management system between a supplier and a manufacturer using NFC smart tags technology is developed and its application is shown using prototype demonstrator. The system is equipped with functions to monitor and manage logistic related data. The interface is built using windows form application and android phone application. The developed model’s abilities and specifications in context of industry 4.0 is evaluated using the VDMA Toolbox Industry 4.0. In the end this system achieved an average of level 4 in the Industry 4.0 evaluation and this system provides a concept on applying a smart logistic management system for manufacturers as a key step in transforming into smart factories.

A three-dimensional (3D) finite element model was created to simulate the friction stir welding process of 6063-T5 aluminum alloy. The analysis studies the fundamental knowledge of FSW process with respect to temperature difference in material to be joined and to simulate the temperature distribution in the workpiece as a result of a Friction Stir Welding. The simulation uses HyperMesh and HyperView solver from Altair Hyperworks. The simulation provides better understanding for the peak temperature distribution in the friction stir process. Two cases have (i) constant traverse speed, but varying been simulated rotational speed, and (ii) constant rotational speed, but varying traverse speeds. Simulation results show the peak temperatures increased when the traverse and rotational speeds were increased.

Position angle analysis by learning algorithm on robotics is extremely important as a tool for predictive maintenance to detect faults and mechanical problems. This paper presents position angle analysis on passive joint using three rotations (3R) under-actuated robot manipulator. Experiment was conducted to predict the position angle which were applied to three joint; Active 1, Active 2 and Passive respectively. Experiment by SIMULINK software was carried out to validate the value of position angle obtained during real-time experiment. As a conclusion, the 3rd position angle of passive joint followed the position angle for Active 1 and Active 2.

This paper presents the work of investigating the used of Quantum Tunneling Composites (QTC) Pills as a tactile sensor material. The QTC Pills was tested for their resistivity characteristics to determine the sensor sensitivity, time of response and its allowable working range. The experiments were conducted base on the two parameters; the voltage, and the separation gap against the force/ load that exerted onto the QTC Pills. The results show that with a 5 V supply voltage and 0.5 mm separation gap of a side-by-side sensor construction, the usage of the QTC Pills as a tactile sensor can be optimized. Besides that the resistivity values established from the repeated experiment using QTC Pills produce the similar value and result. This makes the material suitable to be used as a tactile sensor material for the robotic hand.

Friction stir welding (FSW) is a promising joining process that offers a high potential to be widely applied across industry sectors such as automotive, shipbuilding and aerospace. Nevertheless the path force can vary significantly due to the fluctuation of workpiece temperature and other process variations, thus results in inconsistency in weld microstructure. This paper describes the system integration of a FSW machine with a focus on the development of a traverse controlled table in order to produce a consistent temperature and path force along the weld path in FSW process. Aluminium alloy 6061 plate and a FSW’s tool with a flat shoulder and conical pin without thread are used. Advantages of such an approach include wormhole generation will be eliminated, a high quality of weld microstructure can be produced and the synchronization between the temperature and path force can be obtained.

Coordination strategy is a relevant topic in multi-robot systems, and robot soccer offers a suitable domain to conduct research in multi-robot coordination. Team strategy collects and uses environmental information to derive optimal team reactions, through cooperation among individual soccer robots. This paper presents a diagrammatic approach to architecting the coordination strategy of robot soccer teams by means of a principle solution. The proposed model focuses on robot soccer leagues that possess a central decision-making system, involving the dynamic selection of the roles and behaviors of the robot soccer players. The work sets out from the conceptual design phase, facilitating cross-domain development efforts, where different layers must be interconnected and coordinated to perform multiple tasks. The principle solution allows for intuitive design and the modeling of team strategies in a highly complex robot soccer environment with changing game conditions. Furthermore, such an approach enables systematic realization of collaborative behaviors among the teammates., This work was partially supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) under the CICYT project Mission Based Control (COBAMI): DPI2011-28507-C02-01/02. Jose G. Guarnizo was supported by a scholarship from the Administrative Department of Science, Technology and Innovation COLCIENCIAS, Colombia.

Post stroke rehabilitation consumes a huge amount of health care resources in terms of costs related to hospital and home assistance. Recently, robot-assisted rehabilitation has been adapted to support physiotherapists in providing high-intensity and repetitive rehabilitation sessions. It has been observed that robotics offers an objective and reliable instrumented tool to monitor patient’s progress and accurately assess their motor function. Each finger is attached to an instrumented mechanism which allowing force control and a mostly linear displacement. This paper presents a novel finger rehabilitation approach for acute paralyzed stroke survivors using a wearable robotic interface for hand motor function recovery. The device designed based on biomechanics measurements, able to assist the subject in opening and closing movements. It capable to adapt with various hand shapes and finger sizes. Main features of the interface include a differential system, and a lead screw mechanism which allows independent movement of the five fingers with actuators. The device is safe, easily transportable, and offers multiple training possibilities. The prototype deployment was carried out to determine the requirements for a finger rehabilitation device, the design and characterization of the complete system. Offering ease of use and affordability, the device has great potential to be deployed for individualized rehabilitation session for patients who have to undergo therapy in their home.

[EN] Collaborative humanoid soccer robots are currently under the lime light in the rapidly advancing research area of multi-robot systems. With new functionalities of software and hardware, they are becoming more versatile, robust and agile in response to the changes in the environment under dynamic conditions. This work focuses on a new approach for strategy planning of humanoid soccer robot teams as in the RoboCup Standard Platform League. The key element of the approach is a holistic system model of the principle solution encompassing various strategies of a soccer robot team. The benefits of the model-based approach are twofold¿it enables intuitive behavioral specification of the humanoid soccer robots in line with the team strategies envisaged by the system developers, and it systematizes the realization of their collaborative behaviors based on the principle solution. The principle solution is modeled with the newly developed specification technique CONSENS for the conceptual design of mechatronic and self-optimizing systems., The specification technique CONSENS was developed in the course of the Collaborative Research Center 614 ‘‘Self-Optimizing Concepts and Structures in Mechanical Engineering’’ funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) under grant number SFB 614. The first two authors are funded by the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia under the grant number 600-RMI/ST/ FRGS 5/3/Fst (256/2010) and 600-RMI/ERGS 5/3 (23/2011).

This paper presents the development of a tactile sensor using single miniature sensing element based on pressure sensitive conductive rubber and outlines the resistance measurements performance. This sensor is specially designed for a robotic hand developed at UiTM Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. Nevertheless, the low cost, low density and flexible material is suitable for most robotics hand designs. It exhibits piezoresistive like behavior whose resistance change with force/pressure enables its applications as tactile sensor. The operating principle and hardware architecture of the sensor is explained. It consists of an array of 16 sensing elements in rows and columns for data acquisition. The test results indicate significant drop of resistance with the increase of applied load.

Interventional Radiology (IVR) is one of the Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) methodologies. The operation of the IVR procedures are guided by image guidance Digital Subtraction Angiography (DSA) device which transmits continuous x-rays to detect the position of catheter. Catheter is a small tube inserted in blood vessel or body cavity, used in IVR procedures for diagnosing or treatment purposes. Recently, there has been considerable interest in developing remote-control system for catheter guide to prevent the surgeons from the risk of x-rays exposure. This paper describes the mechatronic design for a fail-safe catheter guide system used in blood circulatory system for IVR procedures. Several aspects of the catheter guide system are described, i.e. requirements, functions, environment, active structure, and behavior. There are close interplay between these aspects. Such a representation forms the basis for the subsequent design concretion. The prototype development of a key module for the catheter guide system, i.e. the slave system, is exemplified.Copyright © 2010 by ASME

The development of mechatronic systems starts with conceptual design, followed by design concretization and ends with system integration. The result of the conceptual design phase is the principle solution. It describes the main physical and logical operating characteristics of the system in a domain-spanning way. On the basis of this jointly developed principle solution, further design concretizations will take place in parallel within the domains involved. Finally, during the system integration phase, the outcomes from the individual domains are integrated to form an overall system. We developed a set of semiformal specification techniques to describe the principle solution of mechatronic systems. In collaboration with UNITY AG, we extended the usefulness of the specification technique for the management of development processes and development organization in enterprises.

Self-optimizing systems are technical systems with the ability to learn, communicate with each other, and optimize their behavior autonomously in response to environmental changes. The development of such systems demands new means of communication and cooperation between the specialists from diverse disciplines, especially during the conceptual design phase. The principle solution, as the result of conceptual design, should be formulated in a domain-spanning way and yet supports domain-specific concretization. In this endeavor, this paper addresses the domain-spanning specification technique for describing the principle solution of self-optimizing systems and explains how the domain-specific controller design process can be started in an integrative way. The synergistic impacts enabled by the principle solution are described from the viewpoints of complexity management, performance enhancement, and potential cost reduction along the controller design process.

The task of developing a fully collaborative humanoid robotic soccer team is a challenge. On one hand, the hardware of humanoid robots has evolved to allow fast and stable locomotion as well as precise sensing. On the other hand, the software of humanoid robots has evolved to enable highly complex operations such as object recognition and partial intelligence. Nevertheless, the cooperative play of multiple humanoid robots as a soccer team remains as an open research topic in the rapidly advancing research area of multi-robot systems. This work presents a systematic approach based on the specification of a principle solution for designing collaborative humanoid soccer robots as in the RoboCup Standard Platform League. The principle solution is specified using a newly developed specification technique for the conceptual design of mechatronic and self-optimizing systems. The presented approach enables intuitive specification of team strategies and systematic realization of collaborative behaviors of the humanoid soccer robots starting from the conceptual design phase. It facilitates cross domain development effort that requires multidisciplinary collaboration.

In recent years, there are significant growths of interest in wireless technology especially in the development of e-Nose sensor network. Several wireless e-Nose node sensor prototypes have been developed by some research institutions. Currently wireless e-Nose sensor networks are used in various research activities as well as industrial applications such as odour monitoring, gas monitoring, air quality monitoring, etc. The goal of this paper is to review the state-of-the-art of the wireless e-Nose sensor network technology and the future trend in wireless e-Nose sensor node development. This relatively novel technology offers promising advantage in many fields such as environmental monitoring, precision agriculture, medicine and cold chain control or traceability. Investigations and reviews pertaining to core processing, radio communication, power supply, sensing component, and dimension are presented.

The hand rehabilitation approach for people who are affected by cerebral apoplexy has been a long-standing issue with researchers worldwide. Currently, scientific research has discovered a way to recover the motor function. Moreover, the sensory function can be recovered by neuroplasticity. Previously, the conventional hand rehabilitation approach only focused on the motor function. Therefore, there is a need to develop an effective hand rehabilitation device to recover both the motor and sensory functions. This research embarked on the configuration setup and evaluation of new hand rehabilitation devices using a mechanical stimulation system. The system has directly led to the stimulation of tactile senses, which can later be used to help patients who lack motor and sensory functions. The work was carried out in four stages comprising the development of a programming algorithm, the design and fabrication of the device and finally, an evaluation of the product and its functions. The objective to develop and fabricate a new robust tactile grasping type stimulator for a hand rehabilitation device has been achieved successfully. The preliminary evaluation on a healthy volunteer was carried out to identify the safety factor in the implementation of hardware and software before targeted patients are used.