Search results for " robot"
showing 10 items of 408 documents
Contact Estimation in Robot Interaction
2014
In the paper, safety issues are examined in a scenario in which a robot manipulator and a human perform the same task in the same workspace. During the task execution, the human should be able to physically interact with the robot, and in this case an estimation algorithm for both interaction forces and a contact point is proposed in order to guarantee safety conditions. The method, starting from residual joint torque estimation, allows both direct and adaptive computation of the contact point and force, based on a principle of equivalence of the contact forces. At the same time, all the unintended contacts must be avoided, and a suitable post-collision strategy is considered to move the r…
Automation Inner Speech as an Anthropomorphic Feature Affecting Human Trust: Current Issues and Future Directions
2021
This paper aims to discuss the possible role of inner speech in influencing trust in human–automation interaction. Inner speech is an everyday covert inner monolog or dialog with oneself, which is essential for human psychological life and functioning as it is linked to self-regulation and self-awareness. Recently, in the field of machine consciousness, computational models using different forms of robot speech have been developed that make it possible to implement inner speech in robots. As is discussed, robot inner speech could be a new feature affecting human trust by increasing robot transparency and anthropomorphism.
An Architecture for Telenoid Robot as Empathic Conversational Android Companion for Elderly People
2015
In Human-Humanoid Interaction (HHI), empathy is the crucial key in order to overcome the current limitations of social robots. In facts, a principal defining characteristic of human social behaviour is empathy. The present paper presents a robotic architecture for an android robot as a basis for natural empathic human-android interaction. We start from the hypothesis that the robots, in order to become personal companions need to know how to empathic interact with human beings. To validate our research, we have used the proposed system with the minimalistic humanoid robot Telenoid. We have conducted human-robot interactions test with elderly people with no prior interaction experience with …
Conceptual representations of actions for autonomous robots
2001
An autonomous robot involved in long and complex missions should be able to generate, update and process its own plans of action. In this perspective, it is not plausible that the meaning of the representations used by the robot is given from outside the system itself. Rather, the meaning of internal symbols must be firmly anchored to the world through the perceptual abilities and the overall activities of the robot. According to these premises, in this paper we present an approach to action representation that is based on a "conceptual" level of representation, acting as an intermediate level between symbols and data coming from sensors. Symbolic representations are interpreted by mapping …
Anchoring symbols to conceptual spaces: the case of dynamic scenarios.
2003
In recent years, there have been several proposals for the realization of models inspired to biological solutions for pattern recognition. In this work we propose a new approach, based on a hierarchical modular structure, to realize a system capable to learn by examples and recognize objects in digital images. The adopted techniques are based on multiresolution image analysis and neural networks. Performance on two different data sets and experimental timings on a single instruction multiple data (SIMD) machine are also reported.
A conceptual framework for ubiquitous mobile environments.
2008
The aim of this paper is to reflect upon and develop a conceptual framework that addresses the relationship between real and virtual life, with a particular focus on mobile gaming as one potential methodology for learning. The comprehension of the virtual-real life relationship is relevant not only to mobile gaming, but also to the ongoing discussions about and development of ubiquitous computing.
A Novel Adaptive Sliding Mode Controller for a 2-DOF Elastic Robotic Arm
2022
Collaborative robots (or cobots) are robots that are capable of safely operating in a shared environment or interacting with humans. In recent years, cobots have become increasingly common. Compliant actuators are critical in the design of cobots. In real applications, this type of actuation system may be able to reduce the amount of damage caused by an unanticipated collision. As a result, elastic joints are expected to outperform stiff joints in complex situations. In this work, the control of a 2-DOF robot arm with elastic actuators is addressed by proposing a two-loop adaptive controller. For the outer control loop, an adaptive sliding mode controller (ASMC) is adopted to deal with unce…
The Redesigned Serpens, a Low-Cost, Highly Compliant Snake Robot†
2022
The term perception-driven obstacle-aided locomotion (POAL) was proposed to describe locomotion in which a snake robot leverages a sensory-perceptual system to exploit the surrounding operational environment and to identify walls, obstacles, or other structures as a means of propulsion. To attain POAL from a control standpoint, the accurate identification of push-points and reliable determination of feasible contact reaction forces are required. This is difficult to achieve with rigidly actuated robots because of the lack of compliance. As a possible solution to this challenge, our research group recently presented Serpens, a low-cost, open-source, and highly compliant multi-purpose modular…
Design and Characterization of a Miniature Hydraulic Power Supply for High-Bandwidth Control of Soft Robotics
2020
Soft robotics holds enormous promise for a wide class of applications. However, system controllability, bandwidth, portability, and energy efficiency of soft robot power supplies are often inadequate. Soft robotics desperately needs improved solutions to drive soft actuators either pneumatically or hydraulically. This research paper offers a contribution to bridge this gap. It deals with small-scale power supplies for hydraulically-driven soft robots based on fluidic elastomer actuators in the power range 5-400 W. A design procedure for such power supplies is developed with an emphasis on high-bandwidth control. The performance requirements are established based on a literature survey, and …
Hibrid Adaptive/EKF Motion Control and Data Fusion for Ground Vehicles with Kinematical and Dynamical Uncertainties
2006
This paper considers the motion control problem of ground vehicles with nonholonomic constraints and parametric uncertainties both in the kinematic and in the dynamic model. The presence of uncertainties above is treated using adaptation laws where the Lyapunov's stability of the position and orientation errors is proved. Now, if the feedback signals are position and orientation provided by incremental encoders only, then noises of the odometric sensors above can damage the control in terms of difference between the desired and the actual motion of the vehicle and in terms of performances of the parametric adaptation. So an extended Kalman's filter (EKF) is inserted in the feedback for meas…