New Trends in Medical and Service Robots—Selected Papers from MESROB 2023

A special issue of Machines (ISSN 2075-1702). This special issue belongs to the section "Automation and Control Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2023) | Viewed by 10957

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Applied Mechanics, Faculty of Mechanics, University of Craiova, Calea Bucuresti Str. No.107, 200512 Craiova, Romania
Interests: biomechanics; biocomposite materials
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Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical, Energy and Management Engineering, Università della Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy
Interests: robotics; robot design; mechatronics; walking hexapod; design procedure; mechanics of machinery; leg–wheel
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Guest Editor
LARM2: Laboratory of Robot Mechatronics, Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via del Politecnico 1, 00133 Roma, Italy
Interests: mechanism design; mechanics of robots; robot design; medical devices; experimental mechanics; history of mechanical engineering; prototypes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
CESTER—Research Center for Industrial Robots Simulation and Testing, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Bulevardul Muncii Street, No. 103-105, 400641 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Interests: robotics; modeling; dynamics; simulation; kinematics

Special Issue Information

Dear colleagues,

This forthcoming Special Issue will include high-quality publications focusing on the following topics, which are relevant in the field of medical robotics and derived from the 8th International Workshop on New Trends in Medical and Service Robots (http://mecanica.ucv.ro/MESROB2023/index.html). Topics of interest for this Special Issue include, but are not limited to:

  • Design of medical devices;
  • Kinematics and dynamics for medical robotics;
  • Exoskeletons and prostheses;
  • Anthropomorphic hands;
  • Therapeutic robots and rehabilitation;
  • Cognitive robots;
  • Humanoid and service robots;
  • Assistive robots and elderly assistance;
  • Surgical robots;
  • Human–robot interfaces;
  • Haptic devices;
  • Biomechanics.

Prof. Dr. Tarnita Daniela
Prof. Dr. Giuseppe Carbone
Prof. Dr. Marco Ceccarelli
Prof. Dr. Doina Pisla
Guest Editors

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 12030 KiB  
Article
Experimental Use Validation of the Master Hybrid Haptic Device Dedicated to Remote Center-of-Motion Tasks
by Majdi Meskini, Amir Trabelsi, Houssem Saafi, Abdelfattah Mlika, Marc Arsicault, Juan Sandoval, Saïd Zeghloul and Med Amine Laribi
Machines 2024, 12(1), 80; https://doi.org/10.3390/machines12010080 - 20 Jan 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1386
Abstract
The main objective of this paper is to discuss the experimental validation of a tele-operation system for remote center-of-motion tasks, such as laparoscopic surgery. This validation is based on the use of an extra sensor placed on the master manipulator. The tele-operation system [...] Read more.
The main objective of this paper is to discuss the experimental validation of a tele-operation system for remote center-of-motion tasks, such as laparoscopic surgery. This validation is based on the use of an extra sensor placed on the master manipulator. The tele-operation system is composed of a new hybrid haptic device (nHH) intended to be used as a master manipulator controlling a collaborative robot, used as a slave surgical robot. The resolution of the forward kinematic model (FKM) of the master device is performed experimentally thanks to the use of an extra sensor. The IMU, as the extra sensor, is installed on the serial part of the nHH device to measure the orientation and is enabled to solve the FKM of the parallel part of the nHH device. The use of an extra sensor reduces the calculation time, improves the accuracy of the KFM, and makes it suitable for real-time applications. The preliminary validation of the force feedback in the nHH workspace is validated. Experiments were conducted on the master–slave platform to validate the proposed approach. The results are promising, which proves that the nHH device presents a suitable performance for the desired task. Full article
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19 pages, 12682 KiB  
Article
Biomechanical Hand Prosthesis Design
by Emilia Furdu Lunguţ, Lucian Matei, Maria Magdalena Roşu, Mihaiela Iliescu and Corina Radu (Frenţ)
Machines 2023, 11(10), 964; https://doi.org/10.3390/machines11100964 - 16 Oct 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3169
Abstract
There are various studies on the structural and functional constructions of hand prostheses inspired by human biomechanics, and there are different kinds of prostheses available on the market. This paper aims to present the relevant stages of designing a hand prosthesis prototype that [...] Read more.
There are various studies on the structural and functional constructions of hand prostheses inspired by human biomechanics, and there are different kinds of prostheses available on the market. This paper aims to present the relevant stages of designing a hand prosthesis prototype that is innovative due to its mechanical structure and, therefore, the prosthesis fingers’ DOF and mobility. The prosthesis is designed to have independent finger motion with the rotations of each of the three phalanges and, most importantly, rotation for each of the fingers relative to the palm. All these motions are generated and controlled by micromotors, a microcontroller, and sensors. A reverse engineering technique was applied for obtaining the exterior surface dimensions of the prosthesis and this consequently ensures that this prosthesis looks as realistic as possible. Small, light mechanical parts were designed as components of the mechanical system for the motions of finger phalanges and most of them (gears, levers, shells) were made using 3D-printing technologies (digital light processing (DLP) and/or selective laser sintering (SLS)). Aspects of some technical problems which arose during the prototype assembly are also recorded in the paper. Further research development will focus on the tests conducted on the prosthesis and the consequent adjustments of the prototype. Full article
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20 pages, 13286 KiB  
Article
A Novel Exoskeleton Design and Numerical Characterization for Human Gait Assistance
by Cristian Copilusi, Marco Ceccarelli, Sorin Dumitru, Ionut Geonea, Alexandru Margine and Dorin Popescu
Machines 2023, 11(10), 925; https://doi.org/10.3390/machines11100925 - 26 Sep 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1936
Abstract
This paper addressed attention to the design of a new lower limb exoskeleton that can be used for human gait assistance as based on kinematic considerations. The designed leg exoskeleton had on its own structure a combination of three mechanism types, namely a [...] Read more.
This paper addressed attention to the design of a new lower limb exoskeleton that can be used for human gait assistance as based on kinematic considerations. The designed leg exoskeleton had on its own structure a combination of three mechanism types, namely a Chebyshev mechanism, a pantograph, and a Stephenson six-bar mechanism. The design core focused on inserting the Stephenson six-bar bar mechanism in order to obtain an imposed motion at the ankle joint level. Numerical simulations of the designed lower limb exoskeleton have been developed and the obtained results demonstrate the engineering feasibility of the proposed prototype, with a characterization of satisfactory operation performance. Full article
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15 pages, 3814 KiB  
Article
Design and Gait Control of an Active Lower Limb Exoskeleton for Walking Assistance
by Lingzhou Yu, Harun Leto and Shaoping Bai
Machines 2023, 11(9), 864; https://doi.org/10.3390/machines11090864 - 28 Aug 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3067
Abstract
In the development of assistive lower-limb exoskeletons, both exoskeleton design, and gait control are critical for their successful applications. This paper introduces an assistive lower-limb exoskeleton (ALEXO) for active walking assistance. The development of the ALEXO including mechanical design, sensors and gait control [...] Read more.
In the development of assistive lower-limb exoskeletons, both exoskeleton design, and gait control are critical for their successful applications. This paper introduces an assistive lower-limb exoskeleton (ALEXO) for active walking assistance. The development of the ALEXO including mechanical design, sensors and gait control is described. The exoskeleton adopts a hierarchical control. A 2-link model is built for dynamic analysis and lower-level control purposes. A trajectory tracking control method based on the computed torque control is proposed, in which physical interaction between the exoskeleton and the user is included. Simulations were conducted for different levels of interaction forces to verify the feasibility of the gait control. Moreover, walking trials of a healthy subject were performed, with muscle activities measured through EMG systems. Both simulation and system test results demonstrated the effectiveness of the developed exoskeleton with the proposed control method for walking assistance. Full article
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