Search Results (268)

High-precision 6D pose estimation for pick-and-place operations remains a critical problem for industrial robot arms in manufacturing. This study introduces an analytics-based solution for 6D pose estimation designed for a real-world industrial application: it enables the Staubli TX2-60L (manufactured by Stäubli International AG, Horgen, Switzerland) robot arm to pick up metal plates from various locations and place them into a precisely defined slot on a brake pad production line. The system uses a fixed eye-to-hand Intel RealSense D435 RGB-D camera (manufactured by Intel Corporation, Santa Clara, California, USA) to capture color and depth data. A robust software infrastructure developed in LabVIEW (ver.2019) integrated with the NI Vision (ver.2019) library processes the images through a series of steps, including particle filtering, equalization, and pattern matching, to determine the X-Y positions and Z-axis rotation of the object. The Z-position of the object is calculated from the camera’s intensity data, while the remaining X-Y rotation angles are determined using the angle-of-inclination analytics method. It is experimentally verified that the proposed analytical solution outperforms the hybrid-based method (YOLO-v8 combined with PnP/RANSAC algorithms). Experimental results across four distinct picking scenarios demonstrate the proposed solution’s superior accuracy, with position errors under 2 mm, orientation errors below 1°, and a perfect success rate in pick-and-place tasks. Full article

The demand for functional beverages is increasing as consumers seek options that offer health benefits, and plant-based beverages are gaining popularity for their associated advantages. The objective of this study was to optimize the formulation of a chickpea and hibiscus beverage to maximize flavor sensory acceptance, antioxidant capacity, and anthocyanin content using a mixture design and characterize the optimal formulation. An extreme vertices mixture design was employed, with fixed proportions of chickpea beverage (66.5%) and inulin (2%), while varying the proportions of hibiscus decoction, monk fruit, and cinnamon powder. Additionally, the Kano model was used to classify the beverage’s attributes. The optimized formulation consisted of 31.41% hibiscus decoction, 0.48% monk fruit, and 0.61% cinnamon powder, achieving 329.2 µmol TE/100 mL (antioxidant capacity), 3.567 mg C3GE/100 mL (anthocyanin content), and a flavor rating of 6.2. The Kano model classified good taste, functional properties, monk fruit sweetening, and chickpeas as attractive attributes, with functional properties obtaining the highest satisfaction index (0.88). These results demonstrate that employing a mixture design is an effective tool to enhance health-related aspects and consumer acceptance. Additionally, the incorporation of the Kano model provides a broader perspective on the development of functional beverages by identifying key attributes that influence product acceptance and market success. Full article

Precise odor source localization in turbulent and sparse environments plays a vital role in enabling robotic systems for hazardous chemical monitoring and effective disaster response. To address this, we propose Cooperative Gravitational-Rényi Infotaxis (CGRInfotaxis), a distributed decision-optimization framework that combines multi-agent collaboration with hybrid cognitive strategy to improve search efficiency and robustness. The method integrates a gravitational potential field for rapid source convergence and Rényi divergence-based probabilistic exploration to handle sparse detections, dynamically balanced via a regulation factor. Particle filtering optimizes posterior probability estimation to autonomously refine search areas while preserving computational efficiency, alongside a distributed interactive-optimization mechanism for real-time decision updates through agent cooperation. The algorithm’s performance is evaluated in scenarios with fixed and randomized odor source locations, as well as with varying numbers of agents. Results demonstrate that CGRInfotaxis achieves a near-100% success rate with high consistency across diverse conditions, outperforming existing methods in stability and adaptability. Increasing the number of agents further enhances search efficiency without compromising reliability. These findings suggest that CGRInfotaxis significantly advances multi-agent odor source localization in turbulent, sparse environments, offering practical utility for real-world applications. Full article

Despite rapid advances in robot learning, the coordination of closed-loop manipulation in cluttered environments remains a challenging and relatively underexplored problem. We present a novel two-level hierarchical architecture for a depth vision-equipped robotic arm that integrates pushing, grasping, and high-level decision making. Central to our approach is a prioritised action–selection mechanism that facilitates efficient early-stage learning via behaviour cloning (BC), while enabling scalable exploration through reinforcement learning (RL). A high-level decision neural network (DNN) selects between grasping and pushing actions, and two low-level action neural networks (ANNs) execute the selected primitive. The DNN is trained with RL, while the ANNs follow a hybrid learning scheme combining BC and RL. Notably, we introduce an automated demonstration generator based on oriented bounding boxes, eliminating the need for manual data collection and enabling precise, reproducible BC training signals. We evaluate our method on a challenging manipulation task involving five closely packed cubic objects. Our system achieves a completion rate (CR) of 100%, an average grasping success (AGS) of 93.1% per completion, and only 7.8 average decisions taken for completion (DTC). Comparative analysis against three baselines—a grasping-only policy, a fixed grasp-then-push sequence, and a cloned demonstration policy—highlights the necessity of dynamic decision making and the efficiency of our hierarchical design. In particular, the baselines yield lower AGS (86.6%) and higher DTC (10.6 and 11.4) scores, underscoring the advantages of content-aware, closed-loop control. These results demonstrate that our architecture supports robust, adaptive manipulation and scalable learning, offering a promising direction for autonomous skill coordination in complex environments. Full article

With the global increase in maritime activities, the frequency of maritime accidents has risen, underscoring the urgent need for faster and more efficient search and rescue (SAR) solutions. This study presents an intelligent unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based maritime rescue system that combines GPS-driven dynamic path planning with vision-based dual-target detection and tracking. Developed within the Gazebo simulation environment and based on modular ROS architecture, the system supports stable takeoff and smooth transitions between multi-rotor and fixed-wing flight modes. An external command module enables real-time waypoint updates. This study proposes three path-planning schemes based on the characteristics of drones. Comparative experiments have demonstrated that the triangular path is the optimal route. Compared with the other schemes, this path reduces the flight distance by 30–40%. Robust target recognition is achieved using a darknet-ROS implementation of the YOLOv4 model, enhanced with data augmentation to improve performance in complex maritime conditions. A monocular vision-based ranging algorithm ensures accurate distance estimation and continuous tracking of rescue vessels. Furthermore, a dual-target-tracking algorithm—integrating motion prediction with color-based landing zone recognition—achieves a 96% success rate in precision landings under dynamic conditions. Experimental results show a 4% increase in the overall mission success rate compared to traditional SAR methods, along with significant gains in responsiveness and reliability. This research delivers a technically innovative and cost-effective UAV solution, offering strong potential for real-world maritime emergency response applications. Full article

The commercialization of selective broccoli harvesters, a critical response to agricultural labor shortages, is hampered by end effectors with large operational envelopes and poor adaptability to complex field conditions. To address these limitations, this study developed and evaluated a novel end-effector with an integrated transverse cutting mechanism and a foldable grasping cavity. Unlike conventional fixed cylindrical cavities, our design utilizes actuated grasping arms and a mechanical linkage system to significantly reduce the operational footprint and enhance maneuverability. Key design parameters were optimized based on broccoli morphological data and experimental measurements of the maximum stem cutting force. Furthermore, dynamic simulations were employed to validate the operational trajectory and ensure interference-free motion. Field tests demonstrated an operational success rate of 93.33% and a cutting success rate of 92.86%. The end effector successfully operated in dense planting environments, effectively avoiding interference with adjacent broccoli heads. This research provides a robust and promising solution that advances the automation of broccoli harvesting, paving the way for the commercial adoption of robotic harvesting technologies. Full article

Background: The coordination between the upper and lower limbs is essential for athletic performance. However, the structural features that influence coordination difficulty remain insufficiently understood. Few studies have systematically analyzed how task components such as the directional congruence or rhythm structure affect inter-limb coordination. Objective: This study aimed to clarify the structural factors that influence the difficulty of upper–lower limb coordination tasks under rhythmic constraints and to explore the feasibility of applying such tasks in future coordination assessments. Methods: Eighty-six male high school baseball players performed six Rhythm Jump tasks combining fixed upper limb movements with varying lower limb patterns. The task performance was analyzed using three indices: full task success, partial success, and average successful series. One year later, a follow-up test involving 27 participants was conducted to evaluate the reproducibility and sensitivity to the performance change. Results: The task difficulty was significantly affected by structural features, including directional incongruence, upper limb static holding, and rhythmic asynchrony. The tasks that exhibited these features had lower success rates. Some tasks demonstrated moderate reproducibility and captured subtle longitudinal changes in the performance. Conclusions: The results highlight the key structural factors contributing to coordination difficulty and support the potential applicability of Rhythm Jump tasks as a basis for future assessment tools. Although further validation is necessary, this study provides foundational evidence for the development of practical methods for evaluating inter-limb coordination. Full article

Single-frequency global navigation satellite system/inertial navigation system (GNSS/INS) integration has wide application prospects in urban environments; however, correct integer ambiguity is the major challenge because of GNSS-blocked environments. In this paper, a sequential strategy of partial ambiguity resolution (PAR) of GNSS/INS for tightly coupled integration based on the robust posteriori residual, elevation angle, and azimuth in the body frame using INS aids is presented. First, the satellite is eliminated if the maximum absolute value of the robust posteriori residuals exceeds the set threshold. Otherwise, the satellites with a minimum elevation angle of less than or equal to 35° are successively eliminated. If satellites have elevation angles greater than 35°, these satellites are divided into different quadrants based on their azimuths calculated in body frame. The satellite with the maximum azimuth in each quadrant is selected as the candidate satellite, the candidate satellites are eliminated one by one, and the remaining satellites are used to calculate the position dilution of the precision (PDOP). Finally, the candidate satellite with the lowest PDOP is eliminated. Two sets of vehicle-borne data with a low-cost GNSS/INS integrated system are used to analyze the performance of the proposed algorithm. These experiments demonstrate that the proposed algorithm has the highest ambiguity fixing rates among all the designed PAR methods, and the fixing rates for these two sets of data are 99.40% and 98.74%, respectively. Additionally, among all the methods compared in this paper, the proposed algorithm demonstrates the best positioning performance in GNSS-blocked environments. Full article

The increasing rate of atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition caused by human activities is a global concern. A rise in N deposition can alter the soil microbial community, as demonstrated by most long-term N addition experiments. Nevertheless, it remains unknown how short-term N addition influences the early succession of the soil microbial community in forests. In this study, the responses of the soil microbial community to multi-level and short-term (one-year) N addition in the soil of Larix gmelinii var. principis-rupprechtii (Mayr) Pilg. plantations in the Yanshan Mountains were explored. We used high-throughput sequencing technology to analyze the 16S rRNA of bacteria, the ITS gene of fungi, and the nifH functional gene of N-fixing bacteria. The results revealed a decrease in N-fixing functional gene abundance (such as nifH) and a slight rise in fungal and bacterial copy number due to N addition. N addition influenced the N-fixing bacterial community but had no influence on the fungal and bacterial communities in general. It drastically decreased the diversity of N-fixing microbial communities while having little impact on the diversity of fungi and bacteria. The NO₃⁻-N concentration exhibited a negative connection with the Shannon–Wiener index of the N-fixing microbial community when it exceeded a specific limit. Actinomycetes and N-fixing bacteria were significantly negatively correlated. The changes in soil NO₃⁻-N concentration and abundance of actinomycetes were the main reasons for the decrease in N-fixing microbial community diversity. The results of this study set the groundwork for exploring the initial succession mechanisms of soil microorganisms after N addition. This study offers a scientific theoretical basis for precise management of plantations under N deposition. Full article

Aiming at the problem that the whole row of reciprocating seedling picking mechanism is prone to inertial impacts during operation due to its excessive mass, causing seedling damage and positioning errors, this study builds a motion control system with a PLC controller as the core and proposes a composite motion control strategy based on planned S-curve acceleration and deceleration and fuzzy PID to achieve rapid response, precise positioning, and smooth operation of the seedling picking mechanism. By establishing the objective function and constraint conditions and taking into account the dynamic change of the seedling picking displacement, the S-curve acceleration and deceleration control algorithm is planned in six and seven stages to meet the requirements of a smooth transition of the speed and continuous change of the acceleration curve of the seedling picking mechanism during movement. A fuzzy PID positioning control system is designed, the control system transfer function is constructed, and fuzzy rules are formulated to dynamically compensate for the error and its rate of change to meet the requirements of fast response and no overshoot oscillation of the positioning control system. The speed and acceleration of the seedling picking mechanism under the six-segment and seven-segment S-curve acceleration and deceleration motion control conditions were simulated using MATLAB2024a simulation software and compared with the trapezoidal acceleration and deceleration motion control. The planned S-curve acceleration and deceleration control algorithm has a more stable control effect on the seedling picking mechanism when it operates under the conditions of the dynamic change of the displacement, and it meets the design requirements of seedling picking efficiency. The positioning control system was modeled and simulated using the Simulink simulation platform. When KP = 15, KI = 3, and KD = 1, the whole-row seedling picking control system ran stably, responded quickly, and had no overshoot. Compared with the PID control system with fixed parameters, the fuzzy PID control system reduced the time consumption in the rising stage by 24.5% and shortened the overall stabilization process by 17.6%. The zero overshoot characteristic was ensured, and the response speed was faster. When a disturbance signal is added, the overshoot of the fuzzy PID control system is reduced by 2.4%, and the response speed is increased by 6.8% compared with the fixed-parameter PID control system. The dynamic response rate and anti-disturbance performance are better than those of the fixed-parameter PID control system. A bench comparison test was carried out. The results showed that the S-curve acceleration and deceleration motion control algorithm reduced the average mass loss rate of seedlings by 46.19% compared with the trapezoidal acceleration and deceleration motion control algorithm, and the seedling picking efficiency met the design requirements. Fuzzy PID positioning control was used, and the maximum displacement error of the end effector during seedling picking was −1.4 mm, and the average relative error rate was 0.22%, which met the positioning accuracy requirements of the end effector in the X-axis direction and verified the stability and accuracy of the designed control system. The designed control system was tested in the field, and the average comprehensive success rate of seedling picking and throwing reached 96.2%, which verified the feasibility and practicality of the control system. Full article

Background and Objectives: Conventional methods for removing cemented fixed prosthetic restorations (FPRs) are unreliable and lead to unsatisfactory outcomes. At their best, they allow the tooth to be saved at the expense of a laborious process that also wears down rotating tools and handpieces and occasionally results in abutment fractures. Restorations are nearly never reusable in any of these situations. Erbium-doped yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Er:YAG) and erbium-chromium yttrium-scandium-gallium-garnet (Er,Cr:YSGG) lasers casafely and effectively remove FPRs, according to scientific studiesre. This study sets out to examine the impact of Er:YAG laser radiation on the debonding of different ceramic restorations, comparing the behavior of various ceramic prosthetic restoration types under laser radiation action and evaluating the integrity of prosthetic restorations and dental surfaces exposed to laser radiation. Materials and Methods: The study included a total of 16 removed teeth, each prepared on opposite surfaces as abutments.y. Based on the previously defined groups, four types of ceramic restorations were included in the study: feldspathic (F), lithium disilicates (LD), layered zirconia (LZ), and monolithic zirconia (MZ). The thickness of the prosthetic restorations was measured at three points, and two different materials were used for cementation. The Er:YAG Fotona StarWalker MaQX laser was used to debond the ceramic FPR at a distance of 10 mm using an R14 sapphire tip with 275 mJ, 20 Hz, 5.5 W, with air cooling (setting 1 of 9) and water. After debonding, the debonded surface was visualized under electron microscopy. Results: A total of 23 ceramic FPRs were debonded, of which 12 were intact and the others fractured into two or three pieces. The electron microscopy images showed that debonding took place without causing any harm to the tooth structure. The various restoration types had the following success rates: 100% for the LZ and F groups, 87% for the LD group, and 0% for the MZ group. In terms of cement type, debonding ceramic FPRs cemented with RELYX was successful 75% of the time, compared to Variolink DC’s 69% success rate. Conclusions: In summary, the majority of ceramic prosthetic restorations can be successfully and conservatively debonded with Er:YAG radiation. Full article

Aiming at the problems of SiamFC, such as shallow network architecture, a fixed template, a lack of semantic understanding, and temporal modeling, this paper proposes a robust target-tracking algorithm that incorporates both channel and spatial attention mechanisms. The backbone network of our algorithm adopts depthwise, separable convolution to improve computational efficiency, adjusts the output stride and convolution kernel size to improve the network feature extraction capability, and optimizes the network structure through neural architecture search, enabling the extraction of deeper, richer features with stronger semantic information. In addition, we add channel attention to the target template branch after feature extraction to make it adaptively adjust the weights of different feature channels. In the search region branch, a sequential combination of channel and spatial attention is introduced to model spatial dependencies among pixels and suppress background and distractor information. Finally, we evaluate the proposed algorithm on the OTB2015, VOT2018, and VOT2016 datasets. The results show that our method achieves a tracking precision of 0.631 and a success rate of 0.468, improving upon the original SiamFC by 3.4% and 1.2%, respectively. The algorithm ensures robust tracking in complex scenarios, maintains real-time performance, and further reduces both parameter counts and overall computational complexity. Full article

Intramedullary nailing (IMN) is the gold standard for fixing mid-shaft fractures of long bones, but distal locking remains a challenging procedure. This study aims to develop and evaluate a novel mixed reality (MR)-based surgical navigation system for distal locking of IMN through phantom experiments. Twelve bone models closely replicating the mechanical properties, anatomy, and density of human tibial bone were utilized. Six orthopedic surgeons participated in the phantom experiments using both MR and traditional electromagnetic (EM) navigation systems. Effectiveness was evaluated using postoperative fluoroscopic imaging and the time taken for distal locking. Compared to the EM navigation system, the MR system significantly reduced distal locking time (81.54 ± 6.06 vs. 132.67 ± 6.45 s per screw) and achieved a higher success rate (23/24 vs. 21/24 screws accurately placed), but the difference in terms of success rate is not statistically significant. The MR-based navigation system for distal locking of IMN is time-efficient, accurate, and shows high potential for enhancing surgical precision in orthopedic procedures. Full article

Background. Establishing prompt vascular access facilitates resuscitation for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). While intraosseous access may decrease the time to vascular access, the impact on clinical outcomes in OHCA is unclear. Therefore, we aim to compare the effect of intraosseous (IO) versus intravenous (IV) vascular access on clinical outcomes after OHCA resuscitation. Methods. A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to synthesize evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) obtained from PubMed, CENTRAL, Scopus, and Web of Science until January 2025. Using Stata MP v. 17, we used the fixed-effects model to report dichotomous outcomes using the risk ratio (RR) and continuous outcomes using the mean difference (MD) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). PROSPERO ID: CRD42024627354. Results. Four RCTs and 9475 patients were included. There was no difference between both groups regarding the prehospital return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) (RR: 0.97, 95% CI [0.91, 1.03], p = 0.33), maintained ROSC (RR: 0.94, 95% CI [0.87, 1.01], p = 0.09), survival to discharge (RR: 1.03 with 95% CI [0.88, 1.21], p = 0.71), 30-day survival (RR: 0.98, 95% CI [0.82, 1.17], p = 0.79), or favorable neurological recovery (RR: 1.07, 95% CI [0.90, 1.29], p = 0.44). However, IO access significantly increased first-attempt access (RR: 1.24, 95% CI [1.19, 1.29], p < 0.001), decreased time to vascular access (MD: −0.24 min with 95% CI [−0.48, −0.01], p = 0.04), and decreased time to drug administration (MD: −0.38, 95% CI [−0.66, −0.10], p = 0.01). Conclusions. IO and IV vascular accesses showed similar clinical outcomes in OHCA patients, with no difference in ROSC, survival, or neurological recovery. Still, IO access showed a better procedural outcome with increased first-attempt success rates, faster access, and faster drug administration. Full article

Background: This retrospective clinical cohort study aimed to evaluate, over an 18-month follow-up period, implant survival rates, marginal bone loss, peri-implant parameters, and surgical and prosthetic complications in immediately loaded post-extraction implants used for single or partial implant-prosthetic rehabilitations. Methods: Ninety-nine met the inclusion criteria and received a total of 147 implants. Follow-up assessments were conducted at one week and at three, six, and twelve months after prosthesis delivery. Clinical and radiographic parameters were evaluated by three independent practitioners. The variables considered included smoking, systemic conditions, implant site, and prosthetic type. Results: The implant survival rate was 95.92% at 18 months. Failures were more frequent in smokers, patients with systemic diseases, and in the posterior maxilla. Marginal bone loss increased over time, with higher values in posterior regions and in patients with systemic conditions or smoking habits. Peri-implant clinical parameters values negatively increased in smokers. Surgical complications occurred only in smokers and patients with systemic conditions, more frequently in fixed bridge rehabilitations. Prosthetic complications were limited, more common in posterior regions and multi-unit restorations. Conclusions: Immediately loaded post-extraction implants demonstrated high reliability. Careful patient selection and structured follow-up are essential to reduce complications and ensure long-term success. Full article