Search Results (28)

The COVID-19 pandemic imposed unprecedented restrictions on movement and daily life, testing the resilience and adaptability of existing housing stock, as families worldwide were forced to adapt their homes into multifunctional environments. In New Zealand, where lockdowns were among the most stringent globally, homes rapidly transformed into workplaces, schools, gyms, and places of refuge. Little is known about how these adaptations affected the sustainability of homes and occupants’ well-being, particularly in the context of future crises. This study examined the economic, environmental, and psychosocial impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on New Zealand households. A questionnaire survey was conducted, and a quantitative analysis method was employed using survey data from 92 valid responses from New Zealand respondents who experienced lockdowns in various types of housing. To find important patterns and connections, descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were conducted. Findings revealed that economic factors had the strongest influence on respondents’ perceived experience during the COVID-19 lockdown, with households reporting increased electricity and water use but reduced fuel costs. Environmental factors were also significant, with respondents noting the importance of fresh air, sunlight, acoustic privacy, and more spacious rooms, alongside the critical need for a dedicated workspace. Psychosocial effects included higher distraction levels, monotony, and heightened concern for health. Group differences highlighted the influence of age and the number of bedrooms on the perceived experience of lockdown. This pilot work offers a New Zealand perspective on the intersection of the pandemic with the sustainability of homes. The practical implications of this study highlight the need for sustainable housing retrofits, hybrid work policies that support ergonomic and acoustically adequate home offices, and demographic-sensitive interventions to enhance resilience and occupant well-being in future crises. Full article

With the continuous development of modern robotics technology, in order to overcome the obstacles to the ability to complete tasks due to the fixed structure of the robot itself, to realize the reconfigurable purpose of the manipulator, it can be assembled into different degrees of freedom or configurations according to the needs of different tasks, which has the characteristics of a compact structure, high integrability, and low cost. The overall design scheme of a cable-free modular reconfigurable manipulator is proposed, and based on the target design parameters, the structural design of each module is completed, and the module library is constructed. Each module realizes rapid assembly or disassembly through a new type of docking mechanism module, which improves the flexibility and reliability of the manipulator. Meanwhile, a finite element analysis is carried out on the whole manipulator to optimize the structure that does not meet the strength and stiffness requirements. The wireless energy transmission module is integrated into the joint module to realize the cable-free design of the manipulator in the structure. The kinematic models of each module are established separately, providing a method to quickly construct the kinematics of different configurations of the manipulator, and the dexterity of the workspace is analyzed. Then, two methods, joint space planning and Cartesian space planning, are adopted to generate the corresponding motion paths and kinematic curves, which successfully verifies the reasonableness of the kinematics of the designed manipulator. Finally, combined with the results of the dynamics simulation, the corresponding dynamics curves of the end of each joint are generated to further verify the reliability of its design. It provides a new way of thinking for the research and development of highly intelligent and highly integrated manipulators. Full article

In rigid lower-mobility parallel manipulators the motion of the end-effector is partially constrained due to a combination of passive kinematic pairs and rigid components. Translational mechanisms, such as the Delta manipulator, are the most common ones among this type of mechanisms. When flexible elements are introduced, as in Parallel Continuum Manipulators, the constraint is no longer rigid, and new challenges arise in performing certain motions depending on the degree of compliance. Mobility analysis shifts from being purely a geometric issue to one that heavily relies on force distribution within the mechanism. Simply converting classical lower-mobility rigid parallel mechanisms into Parallel Continuum Mechanisms may yield unexpected outcomes. This work, making use of a planar parallel continuum Delta manipulator, on the one hand, presents two different approaches to solve the Forward Kinematics of planar continuum manipulators, and, on the other hand, explores some challenges and issues in assessing the resultant workspace for different design alternatives of this kind of flexible manipulators. Full article

A new approach is presented to study the kinematic properties of stationary robots with a closed structure. It combines the application of conventional methods from kinematics with geometric parameters represented in a barycentric coordinate system. This allows examining the influence of the proportions of the robot’s links on its basic mechanical characteristics. Each point from the newly introduced barycentric space corresponds to a set of robots with the same link proportions. The proposed approach is used to study three aspects: the link proportions for which the robot can exist; the shape of the robot’s workspace; and the possible singular configurations. This is valuable when evaluating the qualities of existing robots and could be applied to the design of new mechanical systems. An example of a 5-link robot with a closed structure is considered. The conditions for the existence of the mechanism and the conditions under which certain types of singular configurations can occur are defined. The example reveals the great potential of combining barycentric coordinates and Jacobian properties. The barycentric coordinates of 10 robots with a 5-link closed structure known from the literature are determined, and their properties are analyzed. The results are presented graphically. An extension of the application area of the approach is discussed. Full article

Crawling robots are the focus of intelligent inspection research, and the main feature of this type of robot is the flexibility of in-plane attitude adjustment. The crawling robot HIT_Spibot is a new type of steam generator heat transfer tube inspection robot with a unique mobility capability different from traditional quadrupedal robots. This paper introduces a hierarchical motion planning approach for HIT_Spibot, aiming to achieve efficient and agile maneuverability. The proposed method integrates three distinct planners to handle complex motion tasks: a nonlinear optimization-based base motion planner, a TOPSIS-based base orientation planner, and a Mask-D3QN (MD3QN) algorithm-based gait motion planner. Initially, the robot’s base and foot workspace were delineated through envelope analysis, followed by trajectory computation using Larangian methods. Subsequently, the TOPSIS algorithm was employed to establish an evaluation framework conducive to foundational turning planning. Finally, the MD3QN algorithm trained foot-points to facilitate robot movement along predefined paths. Experimental results demonstrated the method’s adaptability across diverse tube structures, showcasing robust performance even in environments with random obstacles. Compared to the D3QN algorithm, MD3QN achieved a 100% success rate, enhanced average overall scores by 6.27%, reduced average stride lengths by 39.04%, and attained a stability rate of 58.02%. These results not only validate the effectiveness and practicality of the method but also showcase the significant potential of HIT_Spibot in the field of industrial inspection. Full article

Creative social enterprises are increasingly emerging in rural regions, motivated by a desire to take social responsibility through creative approaches. These enterprises integrate entrepreneurial activities with creative social attributes and are sometimes set in rural collaborative workspaces (CWSs) facilitating entrepreneurial activities. Under the frame of entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs), we argue that CWSs can be seen as brokers, who (1) link resources as liaisons, (2) hold and pass resources as gatekeepers, (3) enhance resource flows as coordinators, and (4) reproduce experiences as representatives. Against this backdrop, this paper presents a case study of two creative social enterprises in a CWS with a cooperative structure in rural Upper Austria by analyzing entrepreneurial biographies about the demand and use of entrepreneurial resources. Through a comparison between before and after the emergence of the CWS, the findings suggest that the EE for creative and social entrepreneurship undergoes two different types of transformation, a radical and a gradual one. The brokerage process of the CWS enhances local resource networks’ transformation of EE and brings the transformation in terms of translocal resources and integral EE of enterprises in the CWS. Additionally, the CWS generates social impacts on the local community through social enterprises. This paper contributes to ecosystem literature by introducing an actor-centric perspective and giving new insights into social entrepreneurship and the transformative power of CWSs as brokers. Full article

During the Ph.D. project titled Flying off-site: new investigation methodologies for the analysis of historical landscapes, QGIS was used as a workspace for the archaeogeographical analysis of the territory of Castronovo di Sicilia (PA). The interaction between native applications and plug-ins developed by third parties showed that this software is the ideal environment for a complete archaeogeographical analysis, as it can integrate archaeological and geographical information of different types. The possibility of using a single software not only reduces research costs and time but also allows for new data to be obtained and a holistic approach to be applied to analyzed landscape Full article

Product oil tankers are essential transportation equipment for petroleum transfer. Due to petroleum products’ intense penetration and solubility, the quality requirements for coating product oil tankers are high, and regular maintenance is needed. Currently, this relies on manual labor, which involves working in enclosed spaces with harsh conditions, high labor intensity, long working time periods, and unstable quality. We proposed a lightweight, rigid–flexible robotic system using a cable-driven parallel robot with a serial framework-type manipulator arm to address this with conceptual design and dimensional analysis. Based on the kinematic and static modeling, we analyzed the workspace of the cable-driven parallel robot. Considering the interference issues under different robot poses, we analyzed the dimensions of the framework-type manipulator arm and the terminal reachability of the rigid–flexible robotic system. The results show that the proposed rigid–flexible robot can cover all areas to be coated, providing a new automated solution for the specialized coating of product oil tanker cabins. Full article

The work defines in a new way the different types of solutions of the inverse kinematics (IK) problem for planar robots with a serial topology and presents an algorithm for solving it. The developed algorithm allows the finding of solutions for a wide range of robots by using a geometric approach, representing points in a polar coordinate system. Inverse kinematics, which is one of the most important, most studied and challenging problems in robotics, aims to calculate the values of the joint variables, given the desired position and orientation of the robot’s end effector. Configuration space is defined by joint angles and is the basis of most motion planning algorithms. Areas in the working and configuration space are generated that are reachable with different types of solutions. Programs are created that use the proposed algorithm for robots with two and three rotational degrees of freedom, and graphically present the results in the workspace and configuration space. The possibility of transitioning from one type of solution to another by passing through a singular configuration is discussed. The results are important for planning motions in the workspace and configuration space, as well as for the design and kinematic analysis of robots. Full article

Radioactive materials are potentially harmful due to the radiation emitted by radionuclides and the risk of radioactive contamination. Despite strict compliance with safety protocols, contamination with radioactive materials is still possible. This paper describes innovative and inexpensive formulations that can be employed as ‘eco-friendly’ tools for the safe decontamination of radiopharmaceuticals spills or other accidental radioactive contamination of the surfaces arising from general-purpose radioisotope handling facilities (radiopharmaceutical laboratories, hospitals, research laboratories, etc.). These new peelable nanocomposite coatings are obtained from water-based, non-toxic, polymeric blends containing readily biodegradable components, which do not damage the substrate on which they are applied while also displaying efficient binding and removal of the contaminants from the targeted surfaces. The properties of the film-forming decontamination solutions were assessed using rheological measurements and evaporation rate tests, while the resulting strippable coatings were subjected to Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and tensile tests. Radionuclide decontamination tests were performed on various types of surfaces encountered in radioisotope workspaces (concrete, painted metal, ceramic tiles, linoleum, epoxy resin cover). Thus, it was shown that they possess remarkable properties (thermal and mechanical resistance which permits facile removal through peeling) and that their capacity to entrap and remove beta and alpha particle emitters depends on the constituents of the decontaminating formulation, but more importantly, on the type of surface tested. Except for the cement surface (which was particularly porous), at which the decontamination level ranged between approximately 44% and 89%, for all the other investigated surfaces, a decontamination efficiency ranging from 80.6% to 96.5% was achieved. Full article

This paper deals with an up-to-date topic among robotic industrial applications that require a high degree of speed, rigidity, and orientation. Currently, when technology and software applications reach a high level of performance, in various robotic industrial applications that start from certain concepts, the implementation of efficient structures has proven to be challenging. New structures such as the parallel kinematic machine (PKM) category has proven its efficiency through its structure in terms of high inertia rigidity and high speeds during processes. This paper deals with the subject of PKM-type structures in terms of the optimal design workspace of such a structure. The calculation of the workspace is considered the premise from which it starts in terms of its implementation in a robotic production line. The entire process of calculating the workspace for a given PKM structure is carried out through modern CAD applications that have specific modules in place in this direction. CATIA V5 offers the possibility through the product engineering optimizer module, simulation and calculation of different scenarios aimed at identifying the volume of the workspace for a PKM structure. In the article, we demonstrate the relations between the robot workspace and the design parameters, a method that can also be applied for other parallel structures. The method is useful for robot designers in the optimization of parallel robots with regard to the workspace by using CAD tools. Previous research in the field refers of the usage of CAD tools only for visual representation and not for optimizing the workspace, while this study and test results show that CAD tools are suitable for analyzing and optimizing the robot workspace of the 6DOF parallel robot, due to its easiness in application and fast implementation time. Full article

Ship derusting has the characteristics of a complex operation environment, high labor intensity and low efficiency. In order to better cope with this situation, a new type of cable-driven parallel derusting robot (CDPDR) is proposed in this article. To improve the positioning accuracy and anti-interference capacity of the motion platform where the end effector is mounted, the system’s dynamic model, considering wave excitation, is established. Further, the controllable workspace and cable tension optimization algorithm are studied. In addition, a fast non-singular terminal sliding-mode controller is designed. Meanwhile, the adaptive technique is used to estimate the disturbance upper bound. Then, the Lyapunov theory is applied to prove the stability of the system. Finally, the performance of the controller is verified by high-fidelity simulations in two different scenarios. The results show that the proposed controller can converge in finite time and maintain small error under multiple external disturbances. The relevant research in this article can provide theoretical guidance for the application of CDPDRs on ships. Full article

The continuum robot is a new type of bionic robot which is widely used in the medical field. However, the current structure of the continuum robot limits its application in the field of minimally invasive surgery. In this paper, a bio-inspired compound continuum robot (CCR) combining the concentric tube continuum robot (CTR) and the notched continuum robot is proposed to design a high-dexterity minimally invasive surgical instrument. Then, a kinematic model, considering the stability of the CTR part, was established. The unstable operation of the CCR is avoided. The simulation of the workspace shows that the introduction of the notched continuum robot expands the workspace of CTR. The dexterity indexes of the robots are proposed. The simulation shows that the dexterity of the CCR is 1.472 times that of the CTR. At last, the length distribution of the CCR is optimized based on the dexterity index by using a fruit fly optimization algorithm. The simulations show that the optimized CCR is more dexterous than before. The dexterity of the CCR is increased by 1.069 times. This paper is critical for the development of high-dexterity minimally invasive surgical instruments such as those for the brain, blood vessels, heart and lungs. Full article

Building on the idea of Industry 4.0, new models of the highly connected factory that leverage factory-generated data to introduce cost-effective automation and involve the human worker for creating higher added value are possible. Within this context, collaborative robots are becoming more common in industry. However, promises regarding flexibility cannot be satisfied due to the challenging process of ensuring human safety. This is because current regulations and standards require updates to the risk assessment for every change to the robotic application, including the parts involved, the robotic components, and the type of interaction within the workspace. This work presents a novel risk analysis software tool that was developed to support change management for adaptive collaborative robotic systems in the connected factory model. The main innovation of this work is the tool’s ability to automatically identify where changes have been made to components or processes within a specific application through its integration with a connected factory architecture. This allows a safety expert to easily see where updates to the risk assessment are required, helping them to maintain conformity with the CE marking process despite frequent changes. To evaluate the benefits of this tool, a user study was performed with an exemplary use-case from the SHOP4CF project. The results show that this newly developed technology for risk assessment has better usability and lower omission errors when compared to existing methods. Therefore, this study underlines the need for tools that can help safety engineers cope with changes in flexible robotics applications and reduce omission errors. Full article

Single-port minimally invasive surgery requires only a single incision, which further reduced intraoperative bleeding, reduced postoperative pain, and improved cosmetic benefits. However, the cooperative operation of multiple surgical instruments and forming an effective workspace under a single micro-incision remain a great challenge. This paper proposes a new type of manual training platform for single-port minimally invasive surgery. The designed surgical instrument imitates the structure of a human arm. The proximal end of the instrument is deployable structures (such as shoulder joint and elbow joint); they form an operating space and provide stable support for the instrument after deployed. In addition, the distal end of the instrument is a flexible instrument (such as a human hand), to realize posture adjustment and perform surgical operations. The surgical instrument implements a series of synergistic movements from placement, deployment, adjustment, and recovery. In addition, the platform includes a retightening force adjusting mechanism for the tendon-driven method and a quick-change mechanism for surgical instruments. A series of experiments on a functional prototype have validated the effectiveness and reliability of the designed platform. It can be convenient for doctors to practice master–slave single-port surgical instruments in a variety of environments. Full article