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The significance of inspection processes increases when producing parts with high levels of customer input. These processes must adapt to variations in significant product characteristics. Mass customisation and reconfigurable manufacturing are currently being researched as ways to respond to high levels of customer input. This paper presents the research and development of modular inspection equipment that was designed to meet the on-line quality requirements of mass customisation and reconfigurable manufacturing environments. Simulated results were analysed for application in an industrial environment. The implementation of the equipment in South Africa is briefly discussed. The research indicates that manufacturers need only invest in the required equipment configurations when they are needed for on-line inspection.

Robots are increasingly being used in the industry. Businesses that use robots can produce products and provide services at lower costs and with higher quality. Some industries, like automotive manufacturing, have become dependent on robots. The impact of robots on society and the greater economy is not clear. Robots threaten the jobs of lowskilled workers and even middle-skilled workers. While researchers and governments are trying to understand the impact of robots on the economy, it is commonly accepted that robots will be used more widely across all industries. With this in mind, it is useful to consider the current research in robotics at South African research institutions. This paper is such a review. It is not exhaustive, but it provides a sense of the robotics research being done in South African research institutions. It appears that research institutions do not work on common themes, yet many research groups relate their work to Industry 4.0. The review suggests that each research group is working on topics of interest to them. The implication of this is that a wide variety of robotic themes are being researched in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vehicle simulators aim to provide the user with a driving experience that replicates the sensations experienced in a real vehicle. An important aspect is the replication of motion cues. The replication of motion cues in the vehicle simulator is limited by platform workspace and the selected position control systems performance. In this work a Matlab/Simulink setup that incorporates the various aspects involved in replication of motion sensations was created. This includes input data scaling, classical washout algorithm and inverse kinematic implementations. By adjusting the input data scaling and classical washout algorithm filter parameters platform motion that adheres to the actuator motion constraints was assured. Therefore this simulation system makes the design process easier since no parameter adjusting was done on the actual motion platform. This simulation system also ensures safe operation of the vehicle simulator system for the user and ensures safety of the vehicle simulator mechanical structure. Additionally the system allowed for the derived inverse kinematic equations to be verified and evaluated the effectiveness of the classical washout motion cueing algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Touch Hand II is a desktop 3D printed prosthetic hand that has been developed to improve on the first design iteration, in order to reach the goal of providing transradial amputees with a low-cost alternative prosthetic hand, in comparison to commercial options. The powered grip strength, closing/opening times, mass, power usage, aesthetics, structural integrity, and cost have all been improved on through this research. The new design is compared to five other low-cost hands and two commercial hands. This comparison shows that the new design has seven characteristics that are similar to or outperform the commercial products. The same can only be said for at most four characteristics of the other low-cost hands. This paper focuses on the mechanical design of the major hand components, although it is also shown how the custom circuit board fits in the palm, and an overview of the programmed control system is described, with possible future additions of amputee feedback and command input. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Touch Hand 4.5 is a highly customisable prosthetic hand, which features an optimised modular design of the Touch Hand 4. The Touch Hand team has developed a low-cost prosthetic hand, which has been built using an additive manufacturing process. The functionality and features are discussed that are crucial for amputees., Methods: This paper documents the design and integration of the Touch Hand 4.5 to be used in the Cybathlon 2020 event as well as the development of the mechanical structure of the hand, socket, electronics and control system utilized. The Touch Hand 4.5 was designed and continuously optimized, with the goal to achieve the tasks in the Cybathlon 2020 event., Results: The performance and functionality of the Touch Hand 4.5 was tested on a global scale at the Cybathlon 2020. The device and technology were evaluated against the leading prosthetics and prototypes from around the world. A series of everyday tasks, as set by the Cybathlon event, were performed to determine the capabilities of the device, with the pinch grip, full grip, half grip, and a thumb grip. The Touch Hand team was the only team to complete the Haptic Box task in all three races, which comprised of the identification of objects without the aid of visual input or perception, with a duration between 100 and 120 s. The Breakfast task entailed completing a series of everyday breakfast tasks, such as cutting a loaf of bread, lighting a candle, opening a sugar packet, opening a plastic bottle and a jar, as well as opening a tin can with a can opener. This task was only completed in Race 3, with a duration of 132 s, due to a faulty equipment that was supplied., Conclusion: The first contribution that was achieved was the design and development of an additive manufactured hand and socket, considering the socket to have comfort, breathability and decreased irritability. The second contribution was the design optimisation with the linear actuator integration, for a multi-grip hand, which allowed for the pinch grip, full grip, half grip, and a thumb grip. Slippage prevention with grip force control system integration was also implemented., Trial Registration Number: Ethical clearance certificate HCC/0161/011., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Although three million people around the world suffer from the lack of one or both upper limbs 80% of this number is located within developing countries. While prosthetic prices soar with technology 3D printing and low cost electronics present a sensible solution for those that cannot afford expensive prosthetics. The electronic and control design of a low-cost prosthetic hand, the Touch Hand II, is discussed. This paper shows that sensorless techniques can be used to reduce design complexities, costs, and provide easier access to the electronics. A closing and opening finite state machine (COFSM) was developed to handle the actuated digit joint control state and a supervisory switching control scheme, used for speed and grip strength control. Three torque and speed settings were created to be preset for specific grasps. The hand was able to replicate ten frequently used grasps and grip some common objects. Future work is necessary to enable a user to control it with myoelectric signals (MESs) and to solve operational problems related to electromagnetic interference (EMI).

With continuous advancements on active prosthetics the detection of the user's intention becomes the new technological bottleneck. While electromyography (EMG) is widely used to detect individual muscular contributions, sweat and relative sensor movements degrade the quality of the signal over time. In this paper, we bypass the problems created with the skin contact analyzing the muscular activation with Archimedean Spiral (AS) electrodes. We compare traditional EMG electrodes with AS electrodes, stacked up in textile embroidered layers to improve their functionality, and eventually adding a layer of cloth/silicon between the electrodes and the human skin to ascertain the feasibility of the method. We use n=9 volunteers to perform a loaded wrist extension and record signals from the extensor digitorum muscle group. We evaluate the amplitude and noise from all results and conclude that the AS electrode is capable of detecting muscular activation without touching the skin. As part of a low-cost prosthetic initiative, this EMG alternative can be potentially embedded to the prosthetic socket to improve usage and reduce adaptation problems.