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This work presents a novel method for the estimation of stride length (SL) from inertial sensor-based wireless foot sensor module (WFSM). SL variability is a widely used and clinically relevant spa...

With the rapid development of mechatronics and robotics technology, the application of robots has been extended from the industrial field to daily life and has become an indispensable part of work and daily life. The accuracy and flexibility of the operator determine the operating efficiency of the robot. Although the level of development of the operator is constantly improving, the traditional operator has a simple structure and generally adopts parallel movement or tightening. The holding structure has poor flexibility and stability, making it difficult to achieve precise position capture and control and cannot meet the requirements of delicate tasks. In this paper, a basic force analysis of the manipulator is carried out, and the change trend of the force and driving force of each joint when the manipulator is grasping objects is obtained, so as to determine that the manipulator can grasp the object stably; then, in the strength analysis of the manipulator, it is determined that the material meets the strength requirements. This paper conducts an output voltage experiment on the static performance and coupling error of the mechanical arm wrist force sensor. Secondly, in order to study the influence of the temperature change in the space environment on the zero-point output of the mechanical arm sensor, a high and low temperature test box are used to simulate the temperature brought by the temperature change to the sensor. Experiments show that the maximum coupling error of the sensor is 1.81%, which is less than 2% of the design index. This indicates that the operator sensor is used to detect the force and torque that the space operator’s edge operator experiences when it interacts with the external environment and provides the necessary power sensing information for power control and compatible operator motion control, completing some complex; the Fine project is an important prerequisite for realizing the intelligence of space operators.

We propose a vertical linear motor (VLM) for semiconductor manufacturing equipment that compensates for the weight of the moving part by using the balance of magnetic and elastic forces. The developed VLM achieves zero stiffness with a constant upward force over a working range. The magnetic circuit of the VLM is designed to provide a linear negative stiffness over a ±2 mm stroke, with an upward force of 14 N at a 0 mm stroke. The negative stiffness is compensated for by the positive stiffness of elastic component-like springs. The upward force is then constant over the working range and corresponds to the weight of the moving part. The proposed VLM is designed to minimize the coupling effects of stiffness and gravity compensation forces by using magnetic flux saturation and magnetic flux path design. We investigate the effects of each design parameter on VLM operation through finite element analysis. Finally, the simulated forces in the proposed VLM are experimentally verified, indicating a linear negative stiffness of approximately −13.5 N/mm and a gravity compensation force of 14.9 N.

Because the human arm and leg have a similar skeletal structure, it may be possible to use the leg to operate a robot by the master-slave method. However, operation by the leg with six degrees of freedom has two problems. First, people move their ankle with a curved motion despite intending to move it linearly. Second, it is a burden for the operator to suspend their legs in the air during operation. This study dealt with these problems. For the first problem, we hypothesized that one of the reasons was that the muscle load of a curved motion was smaller than that of a linear motion, and we quantitatively compared them by musculoskeletal analysis. The muscle loads of curved motions were 20% smaller in the anteroposterior direction, 3.1% to 23.8% smaller in the lateral direction, and 10% smaller in the vertical direction than linear motions, which showed that the hypothesis was consistent. Further, comparison of the analysis results with the results of a previous study suggested that subjects unconsciously tried to reduce the muscle load and to move closer to a linear line when they moved their ankle while consciously intending to make a linear motion. For the second problem, we developed two different prototypes of a leg support device. An experiment to evaluate the effectiveness of these devices showed that subjective exercise intensity of the tasks in the experiment using the devices was 40% or more less than that without the device, which proved the effectiveness of the devices.

When using a force feedback device to interact with a virtual world, the effect of immersion is highly dependent on its performance of gravity compensation. In this work, an active and passive combined gravity compensation approach is presented for a horizontally mounted 6-DOF hybrid force feedback device (HFFD-6). Both active and passive methods are analyzed with simulation and corresponding parameters in the passive approach are then optimized. And to evaluate the performance of the gravity compensation approach, physical experiments are also conducted to measure the gravity compensation errors in the workspace. Moreover, comparison studies are conducted to illustrate the superiority of the proposed approach in terms of output force capability. These experiments have demonstrated that the proposed approach is feasible to achieve gravity compensation and improve the output force capability of the device.

In this letter, we show that soft robotic hands provide a robust means of performing basic primitives of in-hand manipulation in the presence of uncertainty. We first discuss the design of a prototype hand with dexterous soft fingers capable of moving objects within the hand using several basic motion primitives. We then empirically validate the ability of the hand to perform the desired object motion primitives while still maintaining strong grasping capabilities. Based on these primitives, we examine a simple, heuristic finger gait which enables continuous object rotation for a wide variety of object shapes and sizes. Finally, we demonstrate the utility of our dexterous soft robotic hand in three real-world cases: unscrewing the cap of a jar, orienting food items for packaging, and gravity compensation during grasping. Overall, we show that even for complex tasks such as in-hand manipulation, soft robots can perform robustly without the need for local sensing or complex control.

Robotic rehabilitation for poststroke therapies is an emerging new domain of application for robotics with proven success stories and clinical studies. New robotic devices and software applications are hitting the market, with the aim of assisting specialists carrying out physical therapies and even patients exercising at home. Rehabilitation robots are designed to assist patients performing repetitive movements with their hemiparetic limbs to regain motion. A successful robotic device for rehabilitation demands high workspace and force feedback capabilities similar to a human physiotherapist. These desired features are usually achieved at the expense of other important requirements, such as transparency and backdrivability, degrading the overall human-machine interaction experience.

A pneumatic gravity compensation system is typically nonlinear in behavior. It is difficult to establish an accurate mathematical model for it, and it is particularly difficult to realize high-precision pressure control. A pneumatic gravity compensation system driven by a frictionless cylinder is built. Considering that the traditional model-free adaptive control is slow for pseudo-gradient identification, an improved model-free adaptive control is proposed to predict the changes in the pseudo gradient and accelerate the process of pseudo gradient identification. The static and dynamic gravity compensation of the pneumatic gravity compensation system is realized. Finally, the experimental results show that the steady-error of step response of the improved model-free adaptive controller is less than 200 Pa, and the rise time is approximately 13 seconds. The sinusoidal tracking error (0.04 Hz) is approximately 1.94 KPa.

As a typical contact-free manipulation technique that removes friction and contamination risk, levitation has gradually become a preferred candidate for various applications. Magnetic levitation using diamagnetism, beyond Earnshaw’s theorem, is a kind of passive stable levitation that can be achieved at normal temperatures with no energy input. Appealingly, most seemingly nonmagnetic materials can be levitated in a magnetic field and can stabilize free levitation of magnetic materials. This review focuses on the fundamental principles of magnetic levitation using diamagnetism, with emphasis on its burgeoning applications. The theoretical basis associated with the magnetic levitation using diamagnetism is discussed by elucidating the characteristics of diamagnetic materials, and the key levitation mechanisms are clarified. Afterwards, state-of-the-art applications in various aspects, including sensing and measurement, actuating and micromanipulation, energy harvesting and magnetic gravity compensation, are summarized and compared. Finally, the review concludes with a brief outlook on future perspectives.

Adaptive nonlinear optimal control methods, as proposed in the literature, give rise to some questions around practical implementation in robotics, especially how to find a solution in a reasonable time and how to deal with gravity. This paper proposes a method to solve these problems by using a neural network with local basis-function domains, specifically the Cerebellar Model Articulation Controller (CMAC). The algorithm uses the local domains in order to keep track of the value of local cost-functionals. In this way, it can freeze the learning of the network’s weights in a feedforward-like component in the CMAC when the bias has been overcome identified by using an error-based cost-functional e.g. automatic gravity compensation in a robot. After the feedforward component has been established, the algorithm then starts to learn another set of weights which contribute to feedback-like terms in the CMAC and these weights get frozen when they no longer reduce a cost-functional that includes additional control effort e.g. in a robot the control effort beyond that needed to compensate for gravity is penalized. Lyapunov methods guarantee uniformly ultimately bounded signals and ensure weight drift and bursting do not occur. One advantage is that the training time for finding a near-optimal control does not increase over previous neural-adaptive methods. Another advantage is that penalizing the control effort in a search for optimization does result in any steady-state error due to gravity. Simulations show that the proposed method significantly outperforms a standard adaptive-CMAC control using e-modification, without increasing control effort or training time. An experimental flexible-joint robot verifies that the adaptive method significantly outperforms a linear quadratic regulator.

The hybrid force/position control base on fuzzy proportional-integral-derivative (PID) is proposed to improve the quality of robotic automatic grinding aviation blades. First, the perception for the contact force/torque is discussed. A multi-source parameters gravity compensation matrix is established to identify the parameters through matrix reorganization. The contact force/torque is perceived according to the gravity compensation result. Then, the hybrid force/position control base on fuzzy PID is designed to realize active force control. Nevertheless, the sharp edge phenomenon occurs although the force control algorithm, which seriously affects the grinding quality of blades. Finally, the fusion control of force and torque is proposed to weaken the sharp edge phenomenon. The experiment proves that the introduction of torque control avoids effectively the sharp edge phenomenon. Meanwhile, comparing the proposed control algorithm with the traditional PID control, the results show that the proposed hybrid force/position control based on fuzzy PID can ensure the stability of the contact force and improve the quality of the aviation blades.

During overhead work, workers need to keep raising weights of approximately 2 to 4 kg with the muscular strength of their upper limbs, and the burden of this work is high. Therefore, we developed an assistive device, named TasKi, using a self-weighted compensation mechanism to reduce the burden on upper limbs during overhead work. It can compensate for upper limb weight using the force of a spring in various postures of the upper limbs, without a battery. In this study, to provide effective assistance to many users, we clarified the crucial assistance and parameter adjustment range of settings corresponding to physical differences. First, the assistive force value of TasKi to reduce the work burden of each user was confirmed via a subjective evaluation experiment and myoelectric potential measurements. Next, we conducted a test survey of TasKi users and investigated the relationship between physique and the wearing feeling. According to the survey, 80% of the subjects provided favorable opinions on the assistive method used by TasKi. Finally, we had subjects of various physiques wear the device and investigated the relationship between physique and the wearing feeling with respect to shoulder joint movements. It was observed that the subjects with greater shoulder widths experienced difficulties when moving in the direction of internal-external rotation because of the small size of TasKi. The influence on the ease of motion and perception of size was less in the direction of flexion-extension and adduction-abduction motions.

Proportional-Derivative (PD) control is one of the most widely used controllers, especially for robot manipulators. When the robot presents gravitational terms, PD control cannot guarantee position convergence, therefore compensation is required such as PD with gravity compensation, PD+G. PD+G control requires knowledge of the gravitational term and there exist several results that prove global asymptotic stability. However, there is no method to tune the PD gains. In this work, a novel method to tune the PD+G controller is proposed. The tuning method is obtained using the global asymptotic stability result of the La Salle's theorem and robot dynamics properties. A comparison between previous works is realized via simulations and experiments to verify our approach. The results show fast and smooth convergence to the desired reference without overshoots.

We present a new method for providing gravity compensation to a human or robot arm. This method allows the arm to be supported in any orientation, and also allows for the support of a load held in the hand. We accomplish this with a pantograph, whereby one portion of the linkage duplicates the arm's geometry, and another portion of the linkage contains a scaled copy of the arm. Forces applied to the scaled copy are transferred back to the original arm. We implement these concepts with two exoskeletons: the Panto-Arm Exo, a low-profile exoskeleton that supports the arm's weight, and the Panto-Tool Exo that supports a mass held in the hand. We present two linkages used for pantographs, and analyze how different linkage dimensions and their positioning relative to the body affect the forces providing gravity compensation. We also measured the effect of the Panto-Arm exoskeleton on fourteen subjects' arm muscles during static holding tasks and a task in which subjects drew horizontal and vertical lines on a whiteboard. Even though the Panto-Arm Exo linkage geometry and forces were not optimized, it reduced the Mid Deltoid by 33-43% and the Biceps Brachii by up to 52% in several arm postures.

This paper describes a semi-active assistive exoskeleton for upper-body motion assistance. The exoskeleton combines a passive shoulder exoskeleton and an active elbow joint unit, which can achieve both passive gravity compensation and also active assistance to carrying and sit-to-stand motion. The design, sensing and control are introduced, with preliminary test results performed.

This work investigates the gravity compensation topic, from a control perspective. Thegravity could be levelled by a compensating mechanical system or in the control law, suchas proportional derivative (PD) plus gravity, sliding mode control, or computed torquemethod. The gravity compensation term is missing in linear and nonlinear optimal con-trol, in both continuous- and discrete-time domains. The equilibrium point of the controlsystem is usually zero and this makes it impossible to perform regulation when the desiredcondition is not set at origin or in other cases, where the gravity vector is not zero at theequilibrium point. The system needs a steady-state input signal to compensate for the grav-ity in those conditions. The stability proof of the gravity compensated control law basedon nonlinear optimal control and the corresponding deviation from optimality, with proof,are introduced in this work. The same concept exists in discrete-time control since it usesanalog to digital conversion of the system and that includes the gravity vector of the sys-tem. The simulation results highlight two important cases, a robotic manipulator and atilted-rotor hexacopter, as an application to the claimed theoretical statements. GRIFFIN ERC-2017-Advanced Grant, Action: 788247 EU H2020 AERIAL-CORE project contract 871479 EU H2020 HYFLIERS project 779411

The focusing mirror is one of the most significant optical components in the synchrotron radiation facilities, it forms a spot at the level of submicron on samples. Generally, the desired surface is in the shape of an ellipse that can be realized by mechanical bending. However, the gravity of mirrors, a non-negligible factor, affects the accuracy of the elliptic surface. As a result, optimizing the width of mirrors is the essential method to compensate the gravity. The methodology for the optimization, considering the influence of bending moments and gravity, is proposed. The conclusion indicates that this method is correct and highly efficient comparing with the existing results.

Our sensorimotor control is well adapted to normogravity environment encountered on Earth and any change in gravity significantly disturbs our movement. In order to produce appropriate motor commands for aimed arm movements such as pointing or reaching, environmental changes have to be taken into account. This adaptation is crucial when performing successful movements during microgravity and hypergravity conditions. To mitigate the effects of changing gravitational levels, such as the changed movement duration and decreased accuracy, we explored the possible beneficial effects of gravity compensation on movement. Local gravity compensation was achieved using a motorized robotic device capable of applying precise forces to the subject’s wrist that generated a normogravity equivalent torque at the shoulder joint during periods of microgravity and hypergravity. The efficiency of the local gravity compensation was assessed with an experiment in which participants performed a series of pointing movements toward the target on a screen during a parabolic flight. We compared movement duration, accuracy, movement trajectory, and muscle activations of movements during periods of microgravity and hypergravity with conditions when local gravity compensation was provided. By using local gravity compensation at the arm, we were able to mitigate the changes in movement duration, accuracy, and muscle activity. Our results suggest that the use of such an assistive device would help with movements during unfamiliar environmental gravity.