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In this paper, a mixed control wheelchair (MCW) is presented to overcome problem related to movement and user command for elderly and paralyzed people. The MCW comprises of five individual control blocks, which are fed at the main control unit to provide appropriate control actions. The main feature of this assistive device is that it can navigate by following the eyesight of the user. The proposed MCW can also be controlled using either joystick or voice command or finger movement or through mobile app or a combination of all. This system uses multiple sensor networks to measure the terrain condition, users command and translate it into control action. The proposed control system runs on a Raspberry Pi, which can able to take a proper turn as well as capable to control forward or backward motion. Raspberry Pi, camera module and sensors networks, etc. were all connected into the android mobile system, shortening the physical distance between the disabled person end and the supervisor end and serial communication was used. Multiple-Layer system architecture with outstanding control functions was constructed that uses android mobile interfacing to realize the automatic control and capture videos of the room remotely. It is shown that the users can carry out all essential tasks with the proposed MCW, almost as fast as with the traditional controller. The smart wheelchair can assist elderly people and also improve their quality of life.

Teknologi robotika kini sudah semakin berkembang pesat, hal ini ditunjukkan banyak sekali penggunaan teknologi robot yang digunakan dalam kehidupan sehari-hari untuk membantu pekerjaan manusia. Robot pengantar makanan atau minuman juga menjadi salah satu teknologi robotika yang kini semakin marak dikembangkan. Banyak peneliti yang sudah mulai mengembangkan robot sebagai alat pembantu pekerjaan manusia untuk pengantar makanan dan minuman. Pada robot tersebut, proses untuk mengatur kecepatan roda penggeraknya dapat menggunakan kontrol langsung atau kontrol tidak langsung. Pada penelitian ini, pengontrolan secara tidak langsung dilakukan menggunakan joystick untuk mengatur masukan pulse width modulation yang kemudian dikonversikan menjadi kecepatan robot. Pengaturan ini dibantu dengan mikrokontorller ATMEGA 328P sebagai alat untuk komputasi dan eksekusi jari program. Sehingga kecepatan robot dapat diatur dengan sempurna. Berdasarkan hasil pengujian diperoleh bahwa perubahan PWM awal pada saat robot dari kondisi diam menuju berjalan dengan perubahan kecepatan yang linier terhadap perubahan sinyal analog dari joystick, sehingga pergerakan robot lebih stabil. Nowdays, robotics was growing rapidly, it is widely used in everyday life to help human work. Food or beverage delivery robots are also one of the robotics technologies that are increasingly being developed today. Many developers has started to develop food or beverage delivery robots. In order to adjust the speed of the robots, we can use direct or indirect control. This study uses indirect control using joystick as a regulator of pulse width modulation which is converted to robot speed. Furthermore,, we used ATMEGA 328P microcontroller for computing and finger execution of the program. So that the speed of the robot can be adjusted perfectly. The result show that the initial PWM changes when the position of robot is rest to walking has linear change in speed to changes in the analog signal from the joystick, so that the robot's movement is more stable.

Driving an Electric-powered wheelchair requires a specific set of motor, visual and cognitive skills. One of the options is the use of wheelchair simulators to train the driving of the wheelchair in a controlled and completely safe environment. However, existing simulators do not have simultaneous characteristics of being multimodal and having training scenarios of activities of daily living. These two features would be very useful for training users with different disabilities in the activities they will use in daily living, as it could be adapted to a large number of users, avoiding specific customizations for each disability. This research proposes a multimodal Electric-powered wheelchair simulator with simultaneous focus in the training of activities of daily living and adaptability. The simulator was developed using the Unity 3D tool, with three scenarios (obstacles, accessibility ramp and elevators) and three input controls: joystick, electromyography and eye tracking. A pilot test was performed with four participants with different disabilities and experience in driving electric powered wheelchairs. Participants improved both their skills in operating the wheelchair and in relation to the control used, taking less time and effort at later stages of the experiment. And they demonstrated more confidence and ability in the use of the simulator as the experiment progressed. The multimodal simulator has the potential to help individuals train and develop the motor, cognitive and visual skills necessary to drive the wheelchair correctly while providing a high degree of adaptability to the user and his or her pathologies.

PJD (close combat) in the Indonesian National Army is a battle conducted in the city and in a very large area. CQB (close quarter battle) robot is a robot to perform reconnaissance and paralyze opponents during close combat. The obstacles faced by the Indonesian National Army are city wars, wars in building areas and while conducting reconnaissance are still very lacking. From the above constraints, the author seeks to create a solution, namely by designing a mobile robot that is used to help soldiers during close combat and can use robots that are moved remotely using joysticks. In this study used experimental methods to achieve the desired results, the manufacture of this robot also has several parts that will be explained, especially in the control system that uses joysticks and elevation azimuth because of the weapon to set the position of which angle is desired for the target enemy to be aimed at based on the results of vision on the camera in the robot connected to android. By using the PID method to minimize errors and errors so that the robot can function properly.

An impedance matching control framework between a human and a haptic joystick for long-term teleoperation is proposed in this research. An impedance model of the human arm is established analyzing the characteristics of human perception, decision, and action. The coefficients of the human arm’s impedance have been identified using a least squares method. The human arm’s impedance matching algorithm generates a corresponding motion vector for the human arm, which is determined by the interaction force measured by a force/torque sensor considering the impedance modeling of the human arm. The impedance control has been adopted for the haptic joystick to match the desired impedance to that of the human arm, which is aimed to minimize the energy consumption of the human arm for long-term teleoperation. By minimizing the fatigue of the operator, the remote control accuracy of the teleoperation can be improved. A PD control with gravity compensation algorithm has been adopted to maintain desired trajectory for the joystick by the operator more conveniently. The effectiveness of matching control has been demonstrated by trajectory following experiments for a mobile robot.

In this research work a self-driving wheelchair Self-E is designed and implemented. The wheelchair can be used for indoor navigation and it can help elderly and differently abled people on a day-to-day life. With an Android app developed for Self-E, the user can specify destination coordinates just by touching on the screen of his/her electronic gadget. It takes the user to the destination without the need for continuous control like using joystick till the destination is reached. The research involves the dynamic modelling, design, simulation of the model in ROS Gazebo, implementation and testing of the wheelchair. With extensive experiments that demonstrate the performance and accuracy of the system, testing with patients, and users experience indicate that Self-E could be a better option compared to a joystick controlled powered wheelchairs for certain category of users.

Despite having many advances in video game control such as voice or gesture control, most video game console manufacturers still use a joystick as the main control for their console. Currently, the problem with video game manufacturers is that instead of using the joystick as the point of user interface design, they instead used a design from another device such as a computer or tv. The research will compare Xbox One and Steam OS user interface by using KLM-GOMS Model. Based on the calculation it is concluded that the overall Xbox One has a more efficient design compared to Steam.

In earlier studies, blindfolded participants used a joystick to orient themselves to the direction of balance in the horizontal roll plane while in a device programmed to behave like an inverted pendulum. In this spaceflight analog situation, position relevant gravitational cues are absent. Most participants show minimal learning, positional drifting, and failure of path integration. However, individual differences are substantial, some participants show learning and others become progressively worse. In Experiment 1, our goal was to determine whether spatial acuity could explain these individual differences in active balancing. We exposed blindfolded participants to passive movement profiles, with different frequency components, in the vertical and horizontal roll planes. They pressed a joystick trigger to indicate every time they passed the start point. We found greater spatial acuity for higher frequencies but no relation between passive spatial accuracy and active balance control in the horizontal roll plane, suggesting that spatial acuity in the horizontal roll plane does not predict performance in a disorienting spaceflight condition. In Experiment 2, we found significant correlations between passive spatial acuity in the vertical roll plane, where participants have task relevant gravitational cues, and early active balancing in the horizontal roll plane. These correlations appeared after participants underwent brief provocative vestibular stimulation by making a pitch head movement during vertical yaw rotation. Our findings suggest that vestibular stimulation may be a valuable part of assessments of individual differences in performance during initial exposure to disorienting spaceflight conditions where there are no reliable gravity dependent positional cues.

Bu çalışmada, beş eksenli bir kaynak robotunun kontrolü için Microsoft Visual Studio C# 2010 editöründe bir arayüz yazılımı hazırlanmış olup, bu yazılım içerisinde PC Uyumlu Microsoft Xbox 360 Pc Wireless Joystick’i kullanabilmek için program bloğu hazırlanmıştır. Bu yazılım ile kaynak uygulaması uzaktan kumanda edilebilmekte olup, kullanılan Joystick kaynak robotu el terminaline dönüştürülmüştür. Bunun için ilk olarak Xbox 360 Kablosuz Joystick ve alıcısı için gerekli olan sürücüler bilgisayara yüklenmiş olup, Microsoft Visual Studio C# programında gerekli olan kütüphaneler de hazırlanan arayüze eklenmiştir. Daha sonra hazırlanan bu arayüzde kaynak uygulaması ve kaynak robotu için Joystick’te kullanılacak butonlara ait kod blokları C# editöründe hazırlanmıştır. Bu kod blokları ile Joystick’te kullanılan butonların bir kısmı ile robotun X, Y, Z, A ve B esenlerine uzaktan kumanda ile hareket verilebilmektedir. Bunun yanı sıra bu butonların bir kısmı ile de kaynak makinesini açma kapama, hareket koordinatlarını kaydetme, robotu durdurup çalıştırma ve acil stop gibi eylemeler yapılabilmektedir. Robotlu kaynak uygulamalarında Joystick kullanımı ile hem kaynakçının sağlığı korunmakta hem de kullanılan diğer el terminaline göre maliyetler oldukça azalmaktadır. Ayrıca yazılımın milli olması ile ülkemiz teknolojisine yenilik getirmesi ve katkıda bulunması amaçlanmıştır.

This paper presents constant hand signal acknowledgment for controlling automated Arm. A couple of extraordinary application in military along with bomb arranging with the guide of bomb removal robot, human oversee is needed for the mechanical arm on apex of it. Nonetheless, the bomb removal robot regularly constrained by uncommon plan joystick or gaming control center, for example, Play station regulator, the control of those regulator for the mechanical arm is confounded and unintuitive. In this venture a 6-axis automated arm is fabricate and executes signal control into it.

The number of disable people increases each years. This growing phenomenon attracts attention, especially for many researcher in order to help people with disabilities. Generally, disable people has a problem to do an activity by himself, because their hand and feet can not to be used normally. Many developed technology’s with an aim of helping the disabilities. One of them is a wheelchair. It is the most common stuff that used for helping disabilities as a tool for mobilization. There are two types of wheelchair. The first is the manual wheelchair, operated by hand. The second is an electrical wheelchair, that operated by joystick or other electric device. Both types of wheelchairs still uses a hand for operating the navigation. Meanwhile, recently, the development of smart wheelchair technology has been built up by using a display monitor with several menus selection and caused a problem for selecting menu in display monitor for disable people with hand defects. Based on those problems, this research proposed a selection method of navigation menu in the smart-wheelchair by utilizing the movements of the eyeball as an alternative solution for persons with disabilities in handicapped hands by using Height Measurement Approach and Sector Percentage Measurement.

We have evaluated four locomotion interfaces, namely natural walking (NW), omnidirectional treadmill (OT), walk-in-place (WiP), and joystick (JS). In this within-group study, an avoidance movement task with a virtual character was performed by all participants for each examined interface. Our study considers that natural walking is the most realistic method for navigating in a virtual environment and explores the differences across the examined locomotion interfaces by collecting avoidance movement measurements (clearance distance, trajectory length, and trajectory curvature) and self-reported subjective ratings (simulation sickness, usefulness, satisfaction, ease of use, and task load). The results suggest that, despite the fact that the avoidance movement measurements of the WiP, JS, and NW interfaces share similarities, they, more often than not, differ from the measurements of the OT interface, which makes the OT interface unable to provide precise avoidance movement data for our participants. Moreover, the OT interface was rated lower by participants in terms of learning, usability, efficacy, satisfaction, physical demand, and effort. Our study shows that NW, OT, WiP, and JS as locomotion interfaces present several benefits and drawbacks concerning their application in avoidance movement behavior tasks with a virtual character.

To develop a teleoperation system for forest harvesters using images from the work area. In a CPE (customer premises equipment) environment, both the control command to operate a forest harvester and images to monitor the work area are transmitted using 5.8 GHz Wi-Fi. The control command is sent to the harvester by wirelessly connecting CAN (controller area network) buses in the harvester and remote control station. The images are sent to the operator through video streaming over Wi-Fi. To evaluate the feasibility of the proposed teleoperation system, the delays for transmitting control commands and images are measured in various environments such as open space, a space with obstacles, and a forest. The total delay comprised the wireless communication delay and the time required to properly format the data for transmission over Wi-Fi. The delay of CAN-to-Ethernet and Ethernet-to-CAN conversion for transmitting CAN bus data and the delay due to the encoding/decoding of transmitted images were 0.213 and 119.457 ms, respectively. The wireless communication delay was maximum 3.506 ms. Provided that the reception sensitivity did not exceed the capability of the receiving antenna, the data loss did not occur. A field test conducted over 350 m on a relatively flat surface showed that the operator could suitably teleoperate all the harvester actuators and functions by using joysticks and switches under video guidance. A teleoperation system was developed for a forest harvester. The system consists of control command transmission and image transmission over Wi-Fi CPE. The delay between the environment recognition by the operator and actuator control was acceptable according to the operator’s assessment and various studies.

Trust as a precursor for users' acceptance of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies that operate as a conceptual extension of humans (e.g., autonomous vehicles (AVs)) is highly influenced by users' risk perception amongst other factors. Prior studies that investigated the interplay between risk and trust perception recommended the development of real-time tools for monitoring cognitive states (e.g., trust). The primary objective of this study was to investigate a feature selection method that yields feature sets that can help develop a highly optimized and stable ensemble trust classifier model. The secondary objective of this study was to investigate how varying levels of risk perception influence users' trust and overall reliance on technology. A within-subject four-condition experiment was implemented with an AV driving game. This experiment involved 25 participants, and their electroencephalogram, electrodermal activity, and facial electromyogram psychophysiological signals were acquired. We applied wrapper, filter, and hybrid feature selection methods on the 82 features extracted from the psychophysiological signals. We trained and tested five voting-based ensemble trust classifier models using training and testing datasets containing only the features identified by the feature selection methods. The results indicate the superiority of the hybrid feature selection method over other methods in terms of model performance. In addition, the self-reported trust measurement and overall reliance of participants on the technology (AV) measured with joystick movements throughout the game reveals that a reduction in risk results in an increase in trust and overall reliance on technology.

Дана робота присв’ячена проектуванню та послідуючій технічні реалізації прилада, що придатний до використання в сфері офтальмології. Розроблений кератометр на який отримано патент UA 120893 та акт впровадження. Для реалізації прилада було залучено різні допоміжні засоби, такі як: середовища SolidWorks, LabView, 3Ds max та 3D принтер Anet A8. Перед вибором форми кілець для проекції, було проаналізовано три типи їх розміщення, а саме, площинне, від’ємне конусне та від’ємне параболоїдне розміщення. Програма 3Ds max застосована для просліддковування ходу променів світла після проходження концентричних кілець. В приладі міститься плата Arduino Micro на базі процесора ATmega32u4. Дана плата дає можливість приводити прилад в поступальний рух за допомогою джойстика. Рух по горизонталі передбачений для можливості фокусування камери, що міститься в приладі та для більш точного проведення діагностичної процедури. Кератометр дає змогу провести вимірювання передньої поверхні рогівки ока людини в різних меридіанах. Значення, які отримуються при цьому, оцінються в міліметрах та виводяться в спеціальне вікно програми. Інформацію зручно зберігати на будь якому інформаційному накопичувачу. Маючи дані про нормальну рогівку за допомогою розробленої програми в середовищі LabVIEW та маркерів, що проставляються на отриманому зображенні, можливо діагностувати стан передньої поверхні ока, а саме рогівки. Згідно дослідження, що було проведене на чотирьох добровольцях, отримано інформацію, що три з них мають певне відхилення від норми, а саме, астигматизм та кератоконус. Даний висновок був зроблений на основі експертного рішення та інформації отриманої від інших авторів в цій області. Прилад може бути використаним для проведення до та після операційної діагностики, а також, як засіб отримання даних, необхідних для підбору інтраокулярної лінзи. Слідуючими удосконаленнями, які плануються, має бути додання можливості діагностики інших структур ока людини. Такими структурами є задня стінка рогівки ока, райдужна оболонка та кришталик із задньою та передньою стінками капсули. This article is devoted to the design and subsequent technical implementation of the device, which is suitable for use in the field of ophthalmology. The developed keratometer for which the patent UA 120893 and the act of implementation were received. To implement the device, various auxiliary tools were involved, such as: SolidWorks environments, LabView, 3Ds max and Anet A8 3D printer. Before choosing the shape of the rings for the projection, three types of their placement were analyzed, namely, planar, negative cone and negative paraboloid placement. The 3Ds max program is used to analyze the path of light rays after passing through the concentric rings. The device contains an Arduino Micro board based on an ATmega32u4 processor. This board allows you to move the device in translational motion using a joystick. The horizontal movement is provided for the possibility of focusing the camera, which is contained in the device and for a more accurate diagnostic procedure. The keratometer allows you to measure the anterior surface of the human cornea in different meridians. The values obtained in this case are measured in millimeters and displayed in a special window of the program. It is convenient to store information on any information storage device. Having data on the normal cornea using the developed program in the LabVIEW environment and markers that are affixed to the resulting image, it is possible to diagnose the condition of the anterior surface of the eye, namely the cornea. According to a study that was conducted on four volunteers, information was obtained that three of them have a certain deviation from the norm, namely, astigmatism and keratoconus. This conclusion was made on the basis of expert judgment and information received from other authors in this area. The device can be used for carrying out before and after surgical diagnostics, as well as a means of obtaining the data necessary for the selection of an intraocular lens. The next improvements that are planned should be to make it possible to diagnose other structures of the human eye. These structures are the posterior wall of the cornea of the eye, the iris and the lens with the posterior and anterior walls of the capsule. Данная работа посвящена проектированию и последующей технические реализации прибора, что пригодный к использованию в сфере офтальмологии. Разработанный кератометр, на который получен патент UA 120893 и акт внедрения. Для реализации прибора были привлечены различные вспомогательные средства, такие как: среды SolidWorks, LabView, 3Ds max и 3D принтер Anet A8. Перед выбором формы колец для проекции, были проанализированы три типа их размещения, а именно, плоскостное, отрицательное конусное и отрицательное параболоидное размещения. Программа 3Ds max применена для анализа хода лучей света, после проходжения концентричесних колец. В приборе содержится плата Arduino Micro на базе процессора ATmega32u4. Данная плата позволяет приводить прибор в поступательное движение с помощью джойстика. Движение по горизонтали предусмотрено для возможности фокусировки камеры, что содержится в приборе и для более точного проведения диагностической процедуры. Кератометр позволяет провести измерения передней поверхности роговицы глаза человека в разных меридианах. Значения, получаемые при этом, оциванються в миллиметрах и выводятся в специальное окно программы. Информацию удобно хранить на любом информационном накопителю. Имея данные о нормальной роговицу с помощью разработанной программы в среде LabVIEW и маркеров, что проставляются на полученном изображении, возможно диагностировать состояние передней поверхности глаза, а именно роговицы. Согласно исследованию, которое было проведено на четырех добровольцах, получена информация, что три из них имеют определенное отклонение от нормы, а именно, астигматизм и кератоконус. Данный вывод был сделан на основе экспертного решения и информации, полученной от других авторов в этой области. Прибор может быть использован для проведения до и после операционной диагностики, а также как средство получения данных, необходимых для подбора интраокулярной линзы. Следующими усовершенствованиями, которые планируются, должно быть придания возможности диагностики других структур глаза человека. Такими структурами есть задняя стенка роговицы глаза, радужная оболочка и хрусталик с задней и передней стенками капсулы.

Purpose: Expectations for remote surgery in endovascular treatments are increasing. We conducted the world's first remote catheter surgery experiment using an endovascular treatment-supported robot. We considered the results, examined the issues, and suggested countermeasures for practical use. Methods: The slave robot in the angiography room is an original machine that enables sensing feedback by using an originally developed insertion force-measuring device, which detects the pressure stress on the vessel wall and alerts the operator using an audible scale. The master side was set in a separate room. They were connected via HTTP communication using local area network system. The surgeon operated by looking at a personal computer monitor that shared an angiography monitor. The slave robot catheterized and inserted a coil for an aneurysm in the silicon blood vessel model in the angiography room. Results: Our robot responded to the surgeon's operations promptly and to the joystick's swift movements quite accurately. The surgeon could control the stress to the model vessels using various actions, because the operator could hear the sound from the insertion force. However, the robot required a time gradient to reach a stable advanced speed at the time of the initial movement, and experienced a slight time lag. Conclusion: Our remote operation appeared to be sufficiently feasible to perform the surgery safely. This system seems extremely promising for preventing viral infection and radiation exposure to medical staff. It will also enable medical professionals to operate in remote areas and create a ubiquitous medical environment.

To assess the effect of support unloading on an intensity of neuronal activity (NA) in the areas of the posterior parietal cortex associated with planning and correction of reaching arm movements (5d, PRR, 7a, and LIP), NA of the studied areas of the cortex was recorded in two monkeys with a fixed head when performing the task of moving the cursor to a peripheral target using the joystick before and after 3-h water immersion. Fixation of the head in animals excluded the influence of changes in the vestibular entrance on the results obtained. The data obtained confirmed our assumption about the effect of support unloading on planning and correction of hand movements during the performance of the used motor task, which manifested itself in a decrease in the cursor movement accuracy and changes in the NA intensity in three PPC areas. However, in connection with the newest data on the dominance of the sensitivity of the region 7a (traditionally considered as visual) to the vestibular entrance, up to the inhibition of the visual entrance, it is much more important to conclude that it is necessary to first study various options for the interaction of the vestibular, visual and proprioceptive inputs in the areas of the cortex associated with reaching hand movements, from their convergence to the inhibition of one signal by another.

In this paper, a novel online whole-body motion planning algorithm for supervisory control of a legged mobile manipulator (LMM) is presented. The inputs to the proposed algorithm are the updates to the end-effector’s desired position in Cartesian coordinate system, given continuously at a constant frequency. The algorithm plans the trajectories and calculates the joint space parameters of the LMM in real time and returns all the joint angles continuously, at the same frequency, as the outputs. In the current implementation, the incremental inputs are given to the algorithm using a joystick by the user. To ensure a singularity-free motion of the LMM, the proposed algorithm plans adaptive stroke lengths for the trunk body. The algorithm is designed to be highly modular, so that any necessary improvement to it can be made easily. The proposed algorithm is tested by implementing it on a virtual robot in Gazebo simulation and then, validated on a physical prototype of a hexapod mobile manipulator.

The current experiment is part of an ongoing feasibility testing of grip force as a measure of stress in joystick-controlled tasks. In a previous study, we showed that grip force of one group was h...

Purpose Dynamic movement primitives (DMPs) is a general robotic skill learning from demonstration method, but it is usually used for single robotic manipulation. For cloud-based robotic skill learning, the authors consider trajectories/skills changed by the environment, rebuild the DMPs model and propose a new DMPs-based skill learning framework removing the influence of the changing environment. Design/methodology/approach The authors proposed methods for two obstacle avoidance scenes: point obstacle and non-point obstacle. For the case with point obstacles, an accelerating term is added to the original DMPs function. The unknown parameters in this term are estimated by interactive identification and fitting step of the forcing function. Then a pure skill despising the influence of obstacles is achieved. Using identified parameters, the skill can be applied to new tasks with obstacles. For the non-point obstacle case, a space matching method is proposed by building a matching function from the universal space without obstacle to the space condensed by obstacles. Then the original trajectory will change along with transformation of the space to get a general trajectory for the new environment. Findings The proposed two methods are certified by two experiments, one of which is taken based on Omni joystick to record operator’s manipulation motions. Results show that the learned skills allow robots to execute tasks such as autonomous assembling in a new environment. Originality/value This is a new innovation for DMPs-based cloud robotic skill learning from multi-scene tasks and generalizing new skills following the changes of the environment.

This is one of the first accounts for the security analysis of consumer immersive Virtual Reality (VR) systems. This work breaks new ground, coins new terms, and constructs proof of concept implementations of attacks related to immersive VR. Our work used the two most widely adopted immersive VR systems, the HTC Vive, and the Oculus Rift. More specifically, we were able to create attacks that can potentially disorient users, turn their Head Mounted Display (HMD) camera on without their knowledge, overlay images in their field of vision, and modify VR environmental factors that force them into hitting physical objects and walls. Finally, we illustrate through a human participant deception study the success of being able to exploit VR systems to control immersed users and move them to a location in physical space without their knowledge. We term this the Human Joystick Attack. We conclude our work with future research directions and ways to enhance the security of these systems.

Endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery is challenged by restricted visualization and dexterity, and the risk of internal carotid artery (ICA) injury. This study pursued two objectives: Development of a steerable, miniature multi-tool combining visualization and suction/irrigation, and development of a simulation model for ICA injury. The multi-tool featured a two degrees of freedom notched nitinol wrist controlled by a joystick. A theoretical range of motion of 90 degrees was intended. The inner lumen of the wrist was designed for suction and irrigation, a miniature camera attached to the tip would provide visualization. During testing, slack in the actuation cables affected the tools workspace and control. A maximum force of 0.45 N was applied through the tip. The simulation model was manufactured from medical grade ABS. It featured a removable nose cartridge for a cost efficient replacement method. A peristaltic pump and a needle tip were used for ICA injury simulation. For future evaluation of the model, a 5 point Likert scale was developed. Despite successful tests, some limitations remained. The tool was affected by slack and did not include illumination. No mucosal layer was included in the simulation model and haemostasis had to be assessed manually.

Recent advances in automation technology can lead to unsafe situations where operators lose their sense of agency over the automated equipment. On the other hand, increasing evidence has shown that providing operators with opportunities of continuous operation and helping them improve their performance on tasks through automation can boost their sense of agency. However, it is challenging to ensure that the operator maintains a sense of agency when working with a fully automated tool that removes him/her from the control loop. By demonstrating a tracking task in which participants continuously tracked a moving target through a cursor controlled by a joystick under different levels of automation, we illustrate how the participants’ sense of agency and tracking performance were altered in accordance with the level of automation. The results showed that their sense of agency was enhanced by increasing automation but began to decline when the level of automation exceeded 90%. More generally, this suggests that allowing operators a little contribution to control over the continuous operation of an automated tool may be sufficient to maintain their sense of agency while yielding the maximum improvement in performance.

International audience; When tracking targets moving in various directions with one's eyes, horizontal components of pursuit are more precise than vertical ones. Is this because horizontal target motion is predicted better or because horizontal movements of the eyes are controlled more precisely? When tracking a visual target with the hand, the eyes also track the target. We investigated whether the directional asymmetries that have been found during isolated eye movements are also present during such manual tracking, and if so, whether individual participants' asymmetry in eye movements is accompanied by a similar asymmetry in hand movements. We examined the data of 62 participants who used a joystick to track a visual target with a cursor. The target followed a smooth but unpredictable trajectory in two dimensions. Both the mean gaze-target distance and the mean cursor-target distance were about 20% larger in the vertical direction than in the horizontal direction. Gaze and cursor both followed the target with a slightly longer delay in the vertical than in the horizontal direction, irrespective of the target's trajectory. The delays of gaze and cursor were correlated, as were their errors in tracking the target. Gaze clearly followed the target rather than the cursor, so the asymmetry in both eye and hand movements presumably results from better predictions of the target's horizontal than of its vertical motion. Altogether this study speaks for the presence of anisotropic predictive processes that are shared across effectors.

The differently abled and/or old-aged people require assistance for their movement. Generally, such assistant providing tool is wheelchair. Normal wheelchairs are manually operated and heavy to move adding burden to the suffered. Hence, automated wheelchairs that are equipped with sensors and a data processing unit constitute a special class of wheeled mobile robots, termed as “smart wheelchairs” in general. In the existing system, the wheelchair movement that is controlled by joystick uses buttons to start and stop the wheel. This is difficult for the differently abled to press the required button with precision. Although there are smart wheelchairs with gesture control, it lacks accuracy in the calculation of the location. The proposed system uses artificial intelligence for its working and proves to be a unique combination of wheelchair and health monitoring system. The wheelchair can be accessed both in manual and automatic modes. In the manual mode, the wheel is controlled using joystick whereas in the automated mode, MPU6050 sensor and accelerometer is used to control the direction by gesture. SPO2 sensor attached to the wheelchair is used to collect the health parameters. Thus, enabling the self-dependency of the person. Further, deep learning analysis of the data from the sensors and the wheelchair usage pattern is compared with the dataset to determine the stress level. The signal from the sensors is monitored and the vitals data is updated in the ThingSpeak website via Bluetooth module serving as a digital health chart.

Currently joysticks are used for ROVs’ interface, though they prove to be tedious and there have been cases of severe damage to the vehicle and subsea architecture due to operator fatigue and attention loss. There is anecdotal evidence to suggest that the ease of manoeuvring with a more intuitive interface design would minimise these damage risks and psychological pressures related to operation. In this study we explored options for a more intuitive physical modality of ROV's interface. Specifically, we modelled alternative controllers and their operating functions in a 3D environment to provide insight on how they could be used. Three possible conceptual ideas were then proposed, which include the joystick with gesture controllers, the steering wheel with the trackball and the steering wheel with gesture controllers. To further strengthen the ideas presented within this paper and reduce the likelihood of authors’ bias, industry experts were consulted, and a formal survey targeting ROV pilots was conducted. To establish the most superior design, a trade-off analysis was conducted by developing a weighted ranking system based on the supporting and opposing arguments and the design's intuitiveness, with human psychology being used as another means of justification.

This study investigated the optical information and control strategies used in visually guided braking. In such tasks, drivers exhibit two different braking behaviors: impulsive braking and continuously regulated braking. We designed two experiments involving a simulated braking task to investigate these two behaviors. Participants viewed computer displays simulating an approach along a linear path over a textured ground surface toward a set of road signs. The task was to use a joystick as a brake to stop as close as possible to the road signs. Our results showed that participants relied on a weak constant- $$\tau$$ strategy (Bingham 1995) when regulating the brake impulsively. They used discrete $$\tau$$ values as critical values and they regulated the brake so as not to let $$\tau$$ fall below these values. Our results also showed that proportional rate control (Anderson and Bingham 2010, 2011) is used in continuously regulated braking. Participants initiated braking at a certain proportional rate value and controlled braking so as to maintain that value constant during the approach. Proportional rate control is robust because the value can fluctuate within a range to yield good performance. We argue that proportional rate control unifies the information-based approach and affordance-based approach to visually guided braking.