Search Results (4)

This research shows the development of a teleoperation system with an assistive robot (NAO) through a Kinect V2 sensor, a set of Meta Quest virtual reality glasses, and Nintendo Switch controllers (Joycons), with the use of the Robot Operating System (ROS) framework to implement the communication between devices. In this paper, two interchangeable operating models are proposed. An exclusive controller is used to control the robot’s movement to perform assignments that require long-distance travel. Another teleoperation protocol uses the skeleton joints information readings by the Kinect sensor, the orientation of the Meta Quest, and the button press and thumbstick movements of the Joycons to control the arm joints and head of the assistive robot, and its movement in a limited area. They give image feedback to the operator in the VR glasses in a first-person perspective and retrieve the user’s voice to be spoken by the assistive robot. Results are promising and can be used for educational and therapeutic purposes. Full article

Recent technological advances enable gripper-equipped robots to perform many tasks traditionally associated with the human hand, allowing the use of grippers in a wide range of applications. Depending on the application, an ideal gripper design should be affordable, energy-efficient, and adaptable to many situations. However, regardless of the number of grippers available on the market, there are still many tasks that are difficult for grippers to perform, which indicates the demand and room for new designs to compete with the human hand. Thus, this paper provides a comprehensive review of robotic arm grippers to identify the benefits and drawbacks of various gripper designs. The research compares gripper designs by considering the actuation mechanism, degrees of freedom, grasping capabilities with multiple objects, and applications, concluding which should be the gripper design with the broader set of capabilities. Full article

The present study was conducted to understand the changes in gonads and hematological parameters in climbing perch (Anabas testudineus) exposed to synthetic estrogen and progestogen [mixture of ethinylestradiol (EE2) and desogestrel (DES)]. Climbing perch were exposed to four different concentrations of EE2/DES mixtures, viz. 0 ng of EE2 and DES/L (T0), 3 ng EE2 and 15 ng DES/L (T3), 30 ng EE2 and 150 ng DES/L (T30), and 300 ng EE2 and 1500 ng DES/L (T300) for 60 days. On days 45 and 60, samples were taken to assess changes in somatic indexes, gonad histology, and hematological parameters. The gonadosomatic index (GSI) increased in both females and males with increasing concentrations of estrogen mixtures except for T30 females, which was the lowest among all\four treatments. The hepatosomatic index (HSI) was observed to be increased in males as estrogen content increased. However, compared to fish at T0, HSI in female individuals did not vary in T30 fish, where the value was the highest among all the treatments. On day 45, histological observations showed no feminization or intersexuality but several germ-cell deformities in the ovary (adhesion, degenerated oocyte wall, degenerated granulose layer, increased interfollicular space, atretic follicle, and cytoplasmic clumping) and testes (increased interstitial area, focal loss of spermatocyte, dilation of the lumen, breakage of tubular epithelium, and elongated seminiferous tubule) were observed in fish exposed to EE2 and DES. Fish reared at T30 had lower RBC count, hemoglobin (Hb), glucose, and hematocrit levels. On day 60, fish reared at T30 had the highest Hb content compared to fish raised in other treatment conditions. WBC was progressively higher with increasing EE2/DES concentrations. Significant erythrocyte cytoplasmic abnormalities and erythrocyte nuclear abnormalities were observed in fish exposed to higher EE2/DES concentrations. The present study provides insights into the adverse impacts of synthetic estrogens sourced from human contraceptive pills on fish physiology. Full article

A cerebrovascular accident, or a stroke, can cause significant neurological damage, inflicting the patient with loss of motor function in their hands. Standard rehabilitation therapy for the hand increases demands on clinics, creating an avenue for powered hand rehabilitation devices. Hand rehabilitation devices (HRDs) are devices designed to provide the hand with passive, active, and active-assisted rehabilitation therapy; however, HRDs do not have any standards in terms of development or design. Although the categorization of an injury’s severity can guide a patient into seeking proper assistance, rehabilitation devices do not have a set standard to provide a solution from the beginning to the end stages of recovery. In this paper, HRDs are defined and compared by their mechanical designs, actuation mechanisms, control systems, and therapeutic strategies. Furthermore, devices with conducted clinical trials are used to determine the future development of HRDs. After evaluating the abilities of 35 devices, it is inferred that standard characteristics for HRDs should include an exoskeleton design, the incorporation of challenge-based and coaching therapeutic strategies, and the implementation of surface electromyogram signals (sEMG) based control. Full article