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Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder among the elderly, the diagnostic and prognostic of which is based mostly on clinical signs. LevoDopa replacement is the gold standard therapy for PD, as it ameliorates the motor symptoms. However, it does not affect the progression of the disease and its long‐term use triggers severe complications. There are no bona fide biomarkers for monitoring the patients’ response to LevoDopa and predicting the efficacy of levodopa treatment. Here, we have combined qPCR microRNA array screening with analysis of validated miRs in naïve versus Levodopa‐treated PD patients. We have identified plasma miR‐19b as a possible biomarker for LevoDopa therapy and validated this result in human differentiated dopaminergic neurons exposed to LevoDopa. In silico analysis suggests that the LevoDopa‐induced miR‐19b regulates ubiquitin‐mediated proteolysis.

Respiratory diseases are among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, representing a major unmet medical need. New chemical entities rarely make it into the clinic to treat respiratory diseases, which is partially due to a lack of adequate predictive disease models and the limited availability of human lung tissues to model respiratory disease. Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) may help fill this gap by serving as a scalable humanin vitromodel. In addition, humanin vitromodels of rare genetic mutations can be generated using hPSCs. hPSC-derived epithelial cells and organoids have already shown great potential for the understanding of disease mechanisms, for finding new potential targets by using high-throughput screening platforms, and for personalised treatments. These potentials can also be applied to other hPSC-derived lung cell types in the future. In this review, we will discuss how hPSCs have brought, and may continue to bring, major changes to the field of respiratory diseases by understanding the molecular mechanisms of the pathology and by finding efficient therapeutics.

In relation to an important problem for the industry, such as the precise production of parts that are used in electronic automotive systems, that often work under extreme conditions, efficient metrological verification and the time required, are elements that influence the efficiency of production. Based on these considerations, this paper aims to carry out theoretical and experimental research in the field of three-dimensional scanning, as well as in the field of reverse engineering until 3D printing.

Metal oxide varistors (MOV) are the newest and most advanced category of overvoltage protection elements, with obvious advantages. They are manufactured in an extremely wide range of construction, for each voltage level, from telecommunications networks and low voltage electrical installations to high and very high voltage networks, regardless of the type of current (AC or DC). This paper presents an original overvoltage protection module designed to operate in the automotive environment, based on Metal Oxide Varistors. Some design feature and experimental results are also presented in the second part of the paper.

In relation to an important problem for the industry, such as the precise production of parts that are used in electronic automotive systems, that often work under extreme conditions, efficient metrological verification and the time required, are elements that influence the efficiency of production. Based on these considerations, this paper aims to carry out theoretical and experimental research in the field of three-dimensional scanning, as well as in the field of reverse engineering until 3D printing.

This research investigates the automatic translation of contracts to computer understandable rules trough Natural Language Processing. The most challenging aspect, which is studied throughout this paper, is to understand the meaning of the contract and express it into a structured format. This problem can be reduced to the Named Entity Recognition and Rule Extraction tasks, the latter handles the extraction of terms and conditions. These two problems are difficult, but deep learning models can tackle them. We think that this paper is the first work to approach Rule Extraction with deep learning. This method is data-hungry, so the research also introduces data sets for these two tasks. Additionally, it contributes to the literature by introducing Law-Bert, a model based on BERT which is pre-trained on unlabelled contracts. The results obtained on Named Entity Recognition and Rule Extraction show that pre-training on contracts has a positive effect on performance for the downstream tasks.

Rationale: In recent years, more evidence has become available showing that airway nerves may undergo remodeling in asthma. The mechanisms involved in this response remain largely unknown. We aimed to assess the role of IL13 and IL33 in neuronal plasticity via secretion of ASM-derived neurotrophic factors (NTFs) such as BDNF and its receptor TrkB. Methods: Primary bovine airway smooth muscle (bASM) or human (hASM) cells were stimulated with IL13 or IL33, either in mono-cultures or in co-cultures with neuronal SH-SY5Y cells. Single-cell RNA seq data from airway biopsies of asthma patients was mined to assess the expression of NTFs and their receptors. Results: IL33 stimulation of bASM/SH-SY5Y and hASM/SH-SY5Y co-cultures increased BDNF expression, whereas IL13 stimulation did not alter BDNF/TrkB expression. IF staining showed an increased neuronal density upon IL33 stimulation in bASM/SH-SY5Y and hASM/SH-SY5Y co-cultures. Inhibiting the IL33 receptor ST2/IL1RL1 abolished the effect, whereas anti-BDNF partially prevented the augmented neuronal network formation. Single-cell seq data from asthma patients indicated TrkB being primarily expressed in ASM and increased in expression in asthmatic donors. Furthermore, in biopsies from asthma patients, a correlation was found between IL33 receptor IL1RL1 and TrkB mRNA expression. Conclusions: IL33 is a potential link between airway inflammation and airway neuronal plasticity, as IL-33 increased BDNF and TrkB expression and neuronal density in vitro. Increased neuronal density could be inhibited by anti-ST2 and is partially mediated via TrkB/BDNF. Importantly, patient data showed a correlation between IL1RL1 and TrkB, suggesting a critical role for IL33 in neuronal plasticity in asthma.

Diesel exhaust particles (DEP) causes air pollution and is envisioned as cause for lung disorders including COPD. DEP induces inflammation and reactive oxygen species (ROS), linked to mitochondrial dysfunction. Bronchial epithelial cell damage drives epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and fibrosis, processes sensitive to cAMP. Exchange proteins directly activated by cAMP (Epac’s) are mediators of fibrosis and inflammation. Epac’s expression (function) is altered by oxidative stress. Epac’s role in DEP induced lung injury is unknown. BEAS-2B cells were exposed to different concentrations (= 300 µg/ml) of DEP = 72h. Markers: inflammation (IL-8 (CXCL8), IL-8, IL-6), oxidative stress (thioredoxin (TXN), heme oxygenases (HMOX1/2), HIF1A, GPX1, CAT), mitochondrial activity (Nrf1, SOD1/2/3)), mitochondrial shape (mitotracker), viability, metabolism (Seahorse), cAMP (Epac’s), EMT (NRF1, E-cadherin), cell migration (wound healing, xCelligence). DEP increased CXCL8 and IL-6, not IL-8. DEP induced HMOX1 not HMOX2 or HIF1A; enhanced TXN and SOD2 but decreased GPX1. CAT and SOD1 were unchanged. DEP reduced cell viability. NRF1 was up- and E-cadherin reduced. DEP delayed wound healing and BEAS-2B cell adherence. DEP changed mitochondria morphology, reduced mitochondrial bioenergetics (respiration, ATP, spare capacity). Next, DEP induced transient alterations in cAMP, and Epac’s expression. DEP change inflammation, ROS handling, accompanied by EMT-like features. DEP alters mitochondrial bioenergetics and cAMP dynamics evidenced by alterations in the abundance of both Epac’s. Currently, we pharmacologically target Epac’s to restore mitochondria bioenergetics in experimental models of DEP.

Diesel exhaust particles (DEP) causes air pollution and is envisioned as cause for lung disorders including COPD. DEP induces inflammation and reactive oxygen species (ROS), linked to mitochondrial dysfunction. Bronchial epithelial cell damage drives epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and fibrosis, processes sensitive to cAMP. Exchange proteins directly activated by cAMP (Epac’s) are mediators of fibrosis and inflammation. Epac’s expression (function) is altered by oxidative stress. Epac’s role in DEP induced lung injury is unknown. BEAS-2B cells were exposed to different concentrations (≤ 300 µg/ml) of DEP ≤ 72h. Markers: inflammation (IL-8 (CXCL8), IL-8, IL-6), oxidative stress (thioredoxin (TXN), heme oxygenases (HMOX1/2), HIF1A, GPX1, CAT), mitochondrial activity (Nrf1, SOD1/2/3)), mitochondrial shape (mitotracker), viability, metabolism (Seahorse), cAMP (Epac’s), EMT (NRF1, E-cadherin), cell migration (wound healing, xCelligence). DEP increased CXCL8 and IL-6, not IL-8. DEP induced HMOX1 not HMOX2 or HIF1A; enhanced TXN and SOD2 but decreased GPX1. CAT and SOD1 were unchanged. DEP reduced cell viability. NRF1 was up- and E-cadherin reduced. DEP delayed wound healing and BEAS-2B cell adherence. DEP changed mitochondria morphology, reduced mitochondrial bioenergetics (respiration, ATP, spare capacity). Next, DEP induced transient alterations in cAMP, and Epac’s expression. DEP change inflammation, ROS handling, accompanied by EMT-like features. DEP alters mitochondrial bioenergetics and cAMP dynamics evidenced by alterations in the abundance of both Epac’s. Currently, we pharmacologically target Epac’s to restore mitochondria bioenergetics in experimental models of DEP.

Lipotoxicity causes hepatic cell death and therefore plays an important role in the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Metformin, a first-line anti-diabetic drug, has shown a potential protective effect against NAFLD. However, the underlying mechanism is still not clear. In this study, we aim to understand the molecular mechanism of the protective effect of metformin in NAFLD, focusing on lipotoxicity. Cell death was studied in HepG2 cells and primary rat hepatocytes exposed to palmitate and metformin. Metformin ameliorated palmitate-induced necrosis and apoptosis (decreased caspase-3/7 activity by 52% and 57% respectively) in HepG2 cells. Metformin also reduced palmitate-induced necrosis in primary rat hepatocytes (P

The unprecedented expansion of urban areas is a great challenge, but also a great opportunity to develop new technologies and services that will change the way we see and perceive our society. The exponential improvement of our electronics, telecommunication/information technologies, and the lower cost of production, allows us to solve complex challenges and bold leaps in the development of urban areas. This article proposes a solution for integrated utilities, addressing the challenges that come with large telecommunication, water, gas and electricity networks, in order to provide services at a low, reliable and sustainable price. For the future, it is expected that millions of distributed, storage and management power generation systems, but equipped with autonomous intelligence and automation to increase the economy, sustainability, reliability and security of technicalmunicipal networks.

Metal oxide varistors (MOV) are the newest and most advanced category of overvoltage protection elements, with obvious advantages. They are manufactured in an extremely wide range of construction, for each voltage level, from telecommunications networks and low voltage electrical installations to high and very high voltage networks, regardless of the type of current (AC or DC). This paper presents an original overvoltage protection module designed to operate in the automotive environment, based on Metal Oxide Varistors. Some design feature and experimental results are also presented in the second part of the paper.

In this paper we present our approach on solving the positioning problem for the Tool Center Point (TCP) of a 2 Degrees of Freedom (DOF) robotic arm similar to the way a human solves positioning tasks. The presented method relies on visual feedback and angular positions of the elements and eliminates from the equation the need to know the elements lengths, contrary to classical robotics where positioning is done through the direct and inverse kinematics method. The paper presents hardware, software and the general architecture of the system and also the proposed positioning algorithm. The scope of this research is to expand the area where robotics can be used, toward unstructured environments, where with help of vision systems, robots can successfully complete tasks.

The main issue of this paper is to design a controller for Discrete Event Systems (DES), based on the Supervisory Control Theory (SCT), applied in transport or logistic areas. This theory is used mostly for command and control of many cybernetic, manufacturing, communication, military or transportation as well as many others. The controller designed for the DES applications is currently named as a supervisor. The SCT based applications involve many dedicated languages and automation concepts taken from the classic control domain. By using SCT, any logistic chain can be modeled by using automation sequences. The automation itself is a true event sequence generator. The desired and controlled behavior of that logistic system is clearly defined by its specifications. By using SCT elements, any supervisor can be particularly synthesized, avoiding the transportation to reach some undesired states. After defining all operations, the resulted supervisor can be implemented in practice to perform real control tasks. Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) are widely applied for control tasks in today industry, and, by consequent, the supervisor for an industrial logistic chain could be implemented by means of PLCs. The language which is mostly used for programming PLCs is based on the Ladder Logic Diagram (LLD). Any supervisor described in an automation sequence form could be easily converted to an LLD code. As an example, in this paper, a small manufacturing system that consists of two machines and a buffer is considered. All pieces must be vehiculated between the machines on a simple logistic sequence, depending on their state. The implementation of the supervisor is also provided.

This paper studies the performances and proposes some new configurations of dedicated radio frequency based (RF) front-end receivers, developed for the automotive applications, located in the Remote Keyless Entry (RKE). Our intention is to optimally design a new RKE Receiver architecture capable of receiving more power, for an accurate RF response on the car key Transmitter. We considered, for simulations, some new values of inductivities, capacities as well as some dimensions of the conductor tracks on the PCB. A complex impedance analysis is performed to determine the best solutions in terms of performance.

This paper tries to develop a complete monitoring system for a relatively small volume (less than one cubic meter) for which the volume should be scanned and stored in order to detect the presence of a foreign body (including parts of a human operator’s body). Applications are numerically controlled tools or power-operated industrial panels. It will take into account the definition of the monitored volume, a study on the possible use of 2D combined systems, the choice of the scanning system and data storage of the volume, the configuration of the equipment, the setting of the software for information storage and comparison, the writing of the related program sequences, examples of operating the system and the software, and, also, testing its operational efficiency.

An important topic nowadays is to have cars and roads that provide comfort and safety. Mechatronics systems are used to have this approach. The brake system is now base on an electronic stability system, the steering system is partly or fully automated and the speed is control by the cruise control system. The new target for the automotive industry is to create a car able to decide by itself on all actions related to safety and comfort – a fully automated vehicle. One of the most important innovations for autonomous driving is drive by the idea of connected cars: car2car and car2infrastructure. In the present paper, it is analysed a cruise control system based on communication technology. A simple prototype is build up using Arduino and modules for communication. To calibrate and parametrize the system, we use a Simulink model.

The modernization of existing power generators is one of the key priorities of electricity producers around the world. In order to achieve the digital interconnection of synchronous generators, located largely in hydro-power plants, it is necessary to use an appropriate excitation system. This paper presents an overview of the main objectives to be met by electricity producers in Romania. A model for experimental studies is also presented. The main purpose of this paper is not only to present the current situation in this field, but also to identify some solutions and trends regarding the modernization of the existing generators, in order to meet the requirements of the existing norms and standards, system and the software, and, also, testing its operational efficiency.

This paper presents a simple algorithm, forwarded by an adequate software, performed in order to obtain an optimisation of the engineering graph developed for a real 400 kV Over Head Power Line, located in the West Region of Romania. The Critical Path of the whole construction sequence was determined by using the Ford Algorithm. We obtained a more accurate operation overview for all major phases on the construction site, by emphasizing the time relations between all these phases/operations. The newly applied software could be useful for other engineering applications, in all domains.

This article will present an off-grid photovoltaic energy system based on a photovoltaic element (PV), or a group of PVs, integrated in a solar battery (SB), directly connected to an electrical battery (EB) having no DC-DC adapter (use of adapters is the most common solution existing now on in this domain). This SB must be properly adjusted to the EB, not only as voltage, but it must provide also the same amount of energy as the system when operating at its classically detected maximum power operating point. This proposed technical solution is more economically justified, compared to the classic one: SB+DC-DC+EB, due to the simple fact that the DC-DC converter is no longer required at all. A simple mathematical model for the current-voltage characteristics is also presented, followed by a comparison between the classic DC-DC converter-based solution and the newly proposed one, without DC-DC converter.

This article will discuss about the improvement of a simple radio frequency (RF) front-end transceiver unit located into an embedded system taken from the automotive industry, as part of a remote keyless entry (RKE) car system. The main objective is to reduce its size and complexity as well as to reduce radiation. Some impedance tests on the existing and on the proposed model were also carried out.

Power conversion using electrical machines is always accompanied by power losses (active and reactive) and implicitly by losses of electricity in all the elements of that given electrical network topology. The level of energy losses in the electrical machines operating as motors oscillates in the range between $\mathbf{5}\div \mathbf{25}\%$ of the active energy supplied, depending on the structure of the electrical network, the operating conditions of the motor, its parameters etc. Most of that energy is lost as heat, but there are magnetization losses too. This paper will describe a new computational method for active power assessment and will test it with measurements on a real 160 kW asynchronous motor powering a mixing unit. It is a simple algorithm which could easily be applied for each electrical machine in service, by the owners of that drive, using simplified equipment.

This paper describes the design of a new electronic product, integrally designed by the authors, part of a research study and of a technological transfer, from our university to the industrial market. It is a low voltage class D surge-arrester, based only on metal-oxide varistors (ZnO varistors), made specifically for low voltage residential equipment, domestic ore home appliances. Located inside a classic multiplug socket, it could protect the whole LV installation inside that building against any type of occurring overvoltage (pulsed and long ones). The results of the applicative research were transferred, to be mass produced, to a local electronic products manufacturer, Protenergo S.A. This home module has some original solutions which are making this product cheaper, easy to use and adapted to any existing low voltage installation even in ancient (refurbished or not) old buildings. We will present also a simple and original analytical method applied to choose the exact type of varistor required. Starting from researches and 3D sketches, it arrives to a fully functional product, applied on a large scale since 2015.

For stability and impact reaction forces assessment of a quadruped robot during walking, a dynamic analysis is considered. For this purpose, a variant of a quadruped robot based on Jansen mechanism is presented. For interpreting the influence of the reaction forces from the ground during walking, the analysis was conducted with help of ADAMS software using a 3D model of the robot. Material specifications, forces and moments acting in the robot structure were considered. Graphical results obtained regarding the ground reaction forces are displayed. Also a reduced mass moment of inertia at the crankshaft is taken into consideration based on Lagrange motion equation and generalized coordinates.

The concepts which go out from the design activity are based on high knowledge [1], rules of designing [2] and previous experience. Until the product is closer to the series and after in the final customer environment, many processes have to be followed. In the development phase (the phase which contains the concept ideas), considering that a separate plastic connector assembled with Aluminum housing has more advantages [4], the current topic which is handled in this paper is to change the material to plastic and establish how the PCB is mounted and positioned inside the housing. More said which the optimal process for this application is. And this is the most challenging step, of choosing the optimal technology for the assembly (in this case 2 assemblies are considered: the PCB with the housing, which is the PCB mounting/ fixation, and the PCB holes with the connector pins, which is the PCB positioning). The material was changed due to higher properties of plastic which in automotive field brings strong added value. As known, in automotive field there are several processes for the mounting of PCB inside the housing like, snapping-on, clamping, screwing and press-fit. To position and to interconnect the PCB holes with the pins, processes like press-fit, spring contact and wave soldering. The selection of the proper process is made by implementing each of the processes requirements into the shape design of the connector, pins and housing.

The objective of this study is to analyze the participants’ views on the impact of the Erasmus program on professional training and personal development of participants, highlighting the effects of the Erasmus mobility on student participants (educational level, professional, cultural, interpersonal, etc.). The participants in this study were 89 students of technical universities participating in the Erasmus mobility. The research involved a survey based on a questionnaire centered on the educational/vocational impact, cultural impact, and the relational impact of the Erasmus mobility on the personal and professional development of students/beneficiaries. The results show that an Erasmus mobility stimulate the acquisition of a social and cultural capital, acquisitions hard to gain in an otherwise normal context of life.

This paper presents the development of a voice and gesture based interface (HMI – Human - Machine Interface) for the human control of a mobile robot. The application utilizes the Microsoft Kinect sensor and its Visual Studio C# libraries for voice and gestures recognition. Once, the specific voice commands or gestures are recognized, the controller (a PC or Laptop) sends specific commands to a microcontroller (ATmega2560 on an Arduino Mega board). The microcontroller is mounted on the mobile robot and controls the robot’s motors. Also there are presented some limitations of the Kinect sensor to be taken into consideration when using it.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the behavior of the industrial robot Yamaha YK400, SCARA model, used in machining operations (drilling, milling, deburring). In the industrial robot structure was integrated a mill Lund 79314. The mechanical structure of the robot is under the influence of vibration during the milling process. This paper aims to determine the process parameters vibrational based on the position of the characteristic point, speed milling and material. To achieve the intended purpose, we used a data acquisition system composed of acceleration sensor, acquisition boards, LabView. The obtained results were analyzed and interpreted.

Parallel robots have received special interest due to their advantages over conventional serial mechanisms: high rigidity, high load capacity, high velocity and high precision. The parallel robot is a mechatronic system and requires to be designed in the spirit of the mechatronic philosophy. The use of a parallel robot in a given application requires a careful analysis of the structure and of the indispensable parameters. Structural synthesis of mechanisms for parallel robots is addressed in detail. This paper proposes a method of structural synthesis of the parallel robotic mechanism according to the concept of the mechatronic philosophy and of the kinematic connections. The authors offer a system for analyzing the robot performances based on the3D CompuGaugeequipment.

Nowadays, robotics focused towards an interdisciplinary cooperation with other scientific fields, with the main goal of submitting solutions to improve the human life quality. This new orientation required the development of subsystems that differ from the common robotic components and match the new applications requisites. One of these preoccupations envisages the analysis and design of high performance actuators. The paper deals in this way with specific aspects characterizing the analysis and modelling of actuators with a serial elastic element.

Mechatronics is a new methodology used to achieve an optimal design of an electromechanical product. This methodology is collection of practices, procedures and rules used by those who work in particular branch of knowledge or discipline. Education in mechatronics at the Polytechnic University Timisoara is organized on three levels: bachelor, master and PhD studies. These activities refer and to design the mechatronics systems. In this context the design, implementation and experimental study of a family of mechatronic demonstrator occupy an important place. In this paper, a variant for a mechatronic demonstrator based on the combination of the electrical and mechanical components is proposed. The demonstrator, named humanoid robot, is equivalent with an inverted pendulum. Is presented the analyze of components for associated functions of the humanoid robot. This type of development the mechatronic systems by the combination of hardware and software, offers the opportunity to build the optimal solutions.

An experimental test bench is proposed in order to analyze the trajectory shape described by the termination of the Jansen’s type of leg mechanism during a walking sequence. A prototype of a walking robot based upon Jansen walking mechanism is constructed for this purpose. A marker is placed at the end of the leg and a CCD camera recorded the trajectory shape described by the leg driven by a DC motor through a crank. The results are interpreted with the help of a program based on image processing created for determining the length and the height of the step during walking after studying the trajectory.

Mechatronics is a multidisciplinary and application oriented science and a methodology used to achieve an optimal design of an electromechanical product. Education in mechatronics at the Politehnica University Timisoara is organized on three levels: bachelor, master and PhD studies. These activities refer to: mechatronic components, computer interfacing electronics, systems (modelling, analysis, simulation, and control). The project discussed in the paper is a Mechatronic Demonstrator using the LEGO NXT-2 Platform. This demonstrator, named humanoid robot, is built at a low price and is suitable for studying the key elements of mechatronic systems: mechanical system dynamics, sensors, computer interfacing, and application development. This paper describes how the demonstrator has been used to validate the methods for data acquisition under experimental conditions. The article aims to describe the demonstrator construction (1), (2) to present the methods for data acquisition (method using two NXT platforms, method using a NXT platforms and oscilloscope, method using Matlab-Simulink) and to formulate conclusions (3).

Following the development of the semiconductor industry appeared increasingly smaller sized components. This has led to quad-copters, using mathematical models, implemented to a hardware platform with dedicated software for motion control. Quad-copters are difficult to drive, because they have six degrees of freedom, each operated separately from the joystick. In this context, this paper presents a control concept for quad-copters. The main features of this system are: ergonomics, ease of learning commands and portability. This system can be used for teaching purposes for initiating students into the world flying machines.

Cranial radiotherapy in children typically causes delayed and progressive cognitive dysfunction and there is no effective preventive strategy for radiation-induced cognitive impairments. Here we show that lithium treatment reduced irradiation-induced progenitor cell death in the subgranular zone of the hippocampus, and subsequently ameliorated irradiation-reduced neurogenesis and astrogenesis in the juvenile rat brain. Irradiation-induced memory impairment, motor hyperactivity and anxiety-like behaviour were normalized by lithium treatment. Late-onset irradiation-induced hypopituitarism was prevented by lithium treatment. Additionally, lithium appeared relatively toxic to multiple cultured tumour cell lines, and did not improve viability of radiated DAOY cells in vitro. In summary, our findings demonstrate that lithium can be safely administered to prevent both short- and long-term injury to the juvenile brain caused by ionizing radiation.

The ultrasound sensor imitates the bats and the other animals’ abilities to use ultrasound frequencies for navigation in order to determine the distance between them and the obstacles. These sensors are recommended to be used for difficult applications, in gasiform environments and represent one of the mobile robot’s sensor options. Our purpose of this study lies in presenting a method of detecting the distance between the mobile robot and obstacles and recording it, and in the same time the possibility of implementing it in order for it to be used by individuals (subjects) in applied studies.

A mechatronic integrated approach regarding the modeling, analysis and design of one DOF leg mechanism configuration is presented. This mechanism will be implemented in the structure of a walking robot and its configuration is inspired from Jansens type of walking mechanism. The trajectory shape described by the end point of the leg during a walking cycle is analyzed based upon a 2D model developed in Matlab. A mathematical model that consists in structural analysis and equations regarding three types of kinematic constraints proposed for synthesis process is briefly described.

One purpose of this study lies in presenting a method of detecting the distance and recorder it, between the mobile robot and obstacles, and in the same time the possibility of implementing in order for it to be used by individuals (subjects) in applied studies. Another purpose it is to present the main issues that might appear during the experimental analysis of a mobile robot.

In this article it is presented a general overview of the existing types of walking robots developed in the field of robotics research and the main advantages offered by legged locomotion in achieving a specific agility in crossing over uneven terrains. The aim of this article is to present the results of kinematical analysis developed upon a ten bar linkage designed in CAD in order to study the possibility of using this new type of mechanism for building a walking robot. It also illustrates the advantages of using CAD simulation tools for analyzing the path described by the end point of the foot during walking.

The aim of this paper is robot with vision system to interact with its environment. The task considered is recognizing and finding objects extracted from the image space. The work presents a Matlab program for different objects colour and shape recognition. The image taken by a low cost Web camera is processed and information is transferred to a robot controller for moving above the identified object.

Mobile robots are extensively approached as investigation topic in various research laboratories, due to their diverse applications. Currently, the interest is focused toward applications of mobile robots within unstructured working environments. The successful running of this type of applications is subject to the possibility of localizing obstacles within the working environment. This paper deals with a method to determine the position and the orientation of a rectangular object with respect to several infrared sensorial elements. Locating an object expects the determination of the reference frame coordinates of this object and of the object orientation relative to the axes of a coordinate system.