Low-Cost Delivery and Telepresence Robot for the COVID-19 Crisis

2021 ◽  
pp. 85-98
Author(s):  
Arnon Jumlongkul
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Telepresence Robot

Telepresence Robots for Healthcare Management: COVID-19 Experience (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pradeep MHealth For Belt And Road Region (mHBR) ◽  
Mingzhong Wang ◽  
Chongdan Pan
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Emotional Health ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Aged Care ◽  
Healthcare Management ◽  
Healthcare Operations ◽  
Telepresence Robot ◽  
The World ◽  
Telepresence Robots

BACKGROUND Researchers have been investigating the use of robots in the world for elderly in various types of applications, such as communication with relatives and friends at a distance, transportation of medical supplies and equipment across healthcare/aged care facilities, surgical procedures etc. In China, ground zero of the COVID-19 outbreak, robots are being used in hospitals to deliver food and medication and take patients' temperatures. Drones are deployed to transport supplies, spray disinfectants and do thermal imaging. This paper will focus on telepresence robots that have become critically important to perform remote healthcare operations, complying with social distancing measures.UNSW and University of Sunshine Coast have been partners in the European Union VictoryaHome (VH) project (2014-2016) that involved Australia and EU countries Norway, Sweden, Netherlands and Portugal. The project was aimed at better emotional health of the elderly and the project identified some major problems, such as the high cost of robot and its high complexity, making their adoption difficult. This led to the project “Robots for Elderly” as part of the new “Robots for Elderly” project (involving Australia, China, Bangladesh and EU) in mHealth for Belt and Road (mHBR) Initiative led by the UM-SJTU Joint Institute in China from 2018. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to design, implement and test a low-cost telepresence robot for healthcare. The focus has been on implementing a low-cost telepresence robot for healthcare management for the elderly during pandemics like COVID-19. METHODS This project uses an innovative, multi-disciplinary collaboration across disciplines (software, electronics engineering, mechatronics and public health) involving young university talents from these fields. RESULTS According to preliminary customer feedback, the main functions have already been realized by our robot. The cost is approx. $500, about 20 times less expensive than the Giraff robot used in the VH project. CONCLUSIONS Many groups all over the world have been trying to develop low-cost robots for various applications. We addressed the needs for the healthcare of elderly, most affected by the Coronavirus and came up with a simple low-cost design of telepresence robot that can be deployed widely in hospitals and aged care establishments. The system is currently in a prototype level and will require an entrepreneur to commercialize it in large scale.

scholarly journals Low-cost Delivery and Telepresence Robot for COVID-19 Crisis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arnon Jumlongkul
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Dc Motors ◽  
Telepresence Robot ◽  
Driving Wheel ◽  
Optimum Technology ◽  
Network Camera ◽  
The Internet Of Things ◽  
Dual Functions

Purpose: The ongoing COVID-19 crisis has created the need for social distancing between medical staff and patients, therefore, healthcare robotics is increasingly important as regards infectious control. The purpose of this study was to design and fabricate a remote controlled transport robot that could provide an optimum technology base for developing countries, having dual functions of telepresence and delivery operations inside or outside buildings, is easy to assemble and also easily able to be cleaned using standard chemical agents.Methods: This machine was designed and fabricated to incorporate two main functions; delivery and telepresence. The robot consists of a base frame, DC motors for driving and steering systems, actuator motor for driving wheel elevation, Wi-Fi AP/Repeater, network camera, and a necessary a back-up power system.Results: This robot can be used both indoors and outdoors. It can carry loads of more than 80 kg. The machine can cross obstacles greater than 3 cm. It can be cleaned by disinfectant agents. An actuator motor can lift the driving wheels above the surface to prevent gear damage. Conclusion: This article demonstrates the concept of a healthcare telepresence and delivery robot that can provide distancing during the present COVID-19 crisis, using optimum technology for low and middle-income countries. In the future, the researcher should consider development of the delivery controls, combined with the telepresence system using the internet of things, to improve the navigation system, the manipulator system for supporting multi-floor transportation, and also other multi-functional purposes.

Decomposition of the metastable beta titanium alloy Ti-15-3

1983 ◽  
Vol 41 ◽  
pp. 264-265
Author(s):  
Y. L. Chen ◽  
S. Fujlshiro
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
High Strength ◽  
Alpha Phase ◽  
Thick Sheet ◽  
Omega Phase ◽  
Beta Titanium Alloy ◽  
Beta Titanium ◽  
Beta Matrix ◽  
Metastable Beta ◽  
Very High

Metastable beta titanium alloys have been known to have numerous advantages such as cold formability, high strength, good fracture resistance, deep hardenability, and cost effectiveness. Very high strength is obtainable by precipitation of the hexagonal alpha phase in a bcc beta matrix in these alloys. Precipitation hardening in the metastable beta alloys may also result from the formation of transition phases such as omega phase. Ti-15-3 (Ti-15V- 3Cr-3Al-3Sn) has been developed recently by TIMET and USAF for low cost sheet metal applications. The purpose of the present study was to examine the aging characteristics in this alloy.The composition of the as-received material is: 14.7 V, 3.14 Cr, 3.05 Al, 2.26 Sn, and 0.145 Fe. The beta transus temperature as determined by optical metallographic method was about 770°C. Specimen coupons were prepared from a mill-annealed 1.2 mm thick sheet, and solution treated at 827°C for 2 hr in argon, then water quenched. Aging was also done in argon at temperatures ranging from 316 to 616°C for various times.

Chromic Acid Etching of Polyethylene

1973 ◽  
Vol 31 ◽  
pp. 72-73
Author(s):  
J. D. Muzzy ◽  
R. D. Hester ◽  
J. L. Hubbard
Keyword(s):  
Chromic Acid ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Acid Etching ◽  
Crystalline Morphology ◽  
Bulk Specimen ◽  
Morphological Studies ◽  
Perfect Form ◽  
Molecular Length ◽  
Lamellar Texture ◽  
Cost Studies

Polyethylene is one of the most important plastics produced today because of its good physical properties, ease of fabrication and low cost. Studies to improve the properties of polyethylene are leading to an understanding of its crystalline morphology. Polyethylene crystallized by evaporation from dilute solutions consists of thin crystals called lamellae. The polyethylene molecules are parallel to the thickness of the lamellae and are folded since the thickness of the lamellae is much less than the molecular length. This lamellar texture persists in less perfect form in polyethylene crystallized from the melt.Morphological studies of melt crystallized polyethylene have been limited due to the difficulty of isolating the microstructure from the bulk specimen without destroying or deforming it.

Glass Knife Geometry as Seen by the SEM

1971 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
pp. 454-455
Author(s):  
J. Temple Black
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Amorphous Material ◽  
Stress Concentrations ◽  
Basic Tool ◽  
Tool Materials ◽  
Optical Inspection ◽  
Surface Flaws ◽  
Slip Planes ◽  
Glass Knife ◽  
Diamond Knife

In ultramicrotomy, the two basic tool materials are glass and diamond. Glass because of its low cost and ease of manufacture of the knife itself is still widely used despite the superiority of diamond knives in many applications. Both kinds of knives produce plastic deformation in the microtomed section due to the nature of the cutting process and microscopic chips in the edge of the knife. Because glass has no well defined slip planes in its structure (it's an amorphous material), it is very strong and essentially never fails in compression. However, surface flaws produce stress concentrations which reduce the strength of glass to 10,000 to 20,000 psi from its theoretical or flaw free values of 1 to 2 million psi. While the microchips in the edge of the glass or diamond knife are generally too small to be observed in the SEM, the second common type of defect can be identified. This is the striations (also termed the check marks or feathers) which are always present over the entire edge of a glass knife regardless of whether or not they are visable under optical inspection. These steps in the cutting edge can be observed in the SEM by proper preparation of carefully broken knives and orientation of the knife, with respect to the scanning beam.

Spectraplot: A PC-based spectrum translation and display program

1988 ◽  
Vol 46 ◽  
pp. 918-919
Author(s):  
H. O. Colijn
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Transfer Program ◽  
File Transfer ◽  
Transfer Data ◽  
Error Checking ◽  
Data Files ◽  
The University

Many labs today wish to transfer data between their EDS systems and their existing PCs and minicomputers. Our lab has implemented SpectraPlot, a low- cost PC-based system to allow offline examination and plotting of spectra. We adopted this system in order to make more efficient use of our microscopes and EDS consoles, to provide hardcopy output for an older EDS system, and to allow students to access their data after leaving the university.As shown in Fig. 1, we have three EDS systems (one of which is located in another building) which can store data on 8 inch RT-11 floppy disks. We transfer data from these systems to a DEC MINC computer using “SneakerNet”, which consists of putting on a pair of sneakers and running down the hall. We then use the Hermit file transfer program to download the data files with error checking from the MINC to the PC.

Transmission Electron Microscopy of oriented Co84Cr14Ta2 thin films for longitudinal magnetic recording

1991 ◽  
Vol 49 ◽  
pp. 756-757
Author(s):  
T. P. Nolan
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Low Noise ◽  
Information Storage ◽  
High Coercivity ◽  
Magnetic Alloy ◽  
Magnetic Media ◽  
Transmission Electron

Thin film magnetic media are being used as low cost, high density forms of information storage. The development of this technology requires the study, at the sub-micron level, of morphological, crystallographic, and magnetic properties, throughout the depth of the deposited films. As the microstructure becomes increasingly fine, widi grain sizes approaching 100Å, the unique characterization capabilities of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) have become indispensable to the analysis of such thin film magnetic media.Films were deposited at 225°C, on two NiP plated Al substrates, one polished, and one circumferentially textured with a mean roughness of 55Å. Three layers, a 750Å chromium underlayer, a 600Å layer of magnetic alloy of composition Co84Cr14Ta2, and a 300Å amorphous carbon overcoat were then sputter deposited using a dc magnetron system at a power of 1kW, in a chamber evacuated below 10-6 torr and filled to 12μm Ar pressure. The textured medium is presently used in industry owing to its high coercivity, Hc, and relatively low noise. One important feature is that the coercivity in the circumferential read/write direction is significandy higher than that in the radial direction.

Influence of MBE Growth Conditions on Dislocation Densities of GaAs/Ge Epilayers Grown on Silicon Substrates

1985 ◽  
Vol 43 ◽  
pp. 364-365
Author(s):  
K.M. Hones ◽  
P. Sheldon ◽  
B.G. Yacobi ◽  
A. Mason
Keyword(s):  
High Efficiency ◽  
Lattice Mismatch ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Growth Conditions ◽  
Nonradiative Recombination ◽  
Device Structure ◽  
Si Substrates ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Dislocation Densities ◽  
Dislocation Type

There is increasing interest in growing epitaxial GaAs on Si substrates. Such a device structure would allow low-cost substrates to be used for high-efficiency cascade- junction solar cells. However, high-defect densities may result from the large lattice mismatch (∼4%) between the GaAs epilayer and the silicon substrate. These defects can act as nonradiative recombination centers that can degrade the optical and electrical properties of the epitaxially grown GaAs. For this reason, it is important to optimize epilayer growth conditions in order to minimize resulting dislocation densities. The purpose of this paper is to provide an indication of the quality of the epitaxially grown GaAs layers by using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to examine dislocation type and density as a function of various growth conditions. In this study an intermediate Ge layer was used to avoid nucleation difficulties observed for GaAs growth directly on Si substrates. GaAs/Ge epilayers were grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on Si substrates in a manner similar to that described previously.

A technique for protecting delicate specimens during processing

1989 ◽  
Vol 47 ◽  
pp. 982-983
Author(s):  
R.J. Mount ◽  
R.V. Harrison
Keyword(s):  
Basilar Membrane ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Organ Of Corti ◽  
Region Of Interest ◽  
Sensory Epithelium ◽  
Physical Damage ◽  
Air Drying ◽  
Specimen Handling ◽  
Two Component

The sensory end organ of the ear, the organ of Corti, rests on a thin basilar membrane which lies between the bone of the central modiolus and the bony wall of the cochlea. In vivo, the organ of Corti is protected by the bony wall which totally surrounds it. In order to examine the sensory epithelium by scanning electron microscopy it is necessary to dissect away the protective bone and expose the region of interest (Fig. 1). This leaves the fragile organ of Corti susceptible to physical damage during subsequent handling. In our laboratory cochlear specimens, after dissection, are routinely prepared by the O-T- O-T-O technique, critical point dried and then lightly sputter coated with gold. This processing involves considerable specimen handling including several hours on a rotator during which the organ of Corti is at risk of being physically damaged. The following procedure uses low cost, readily available materials to hold the specimen during processing ,preventing physical damage while allowing an unhindered exchange of fluids.Following fixation, the cochlea is dehydrated to 70% ethanol then dissected under ethanol to prevent air drying. The holder is prepared by punching a hole in the flexible snap cap of a Wheaton vial with a paper hole punch. A small amount of two component epoxy putty is well mixed then pushed through the hole in the cap. The putty on the inner cap is formed into a “cup” to hold the specimen (Fig. 2), the putty on the outside is smoothed into a “button” to give good attachment even when the cap is flexed during handling (Fig. 3). The cap is submerged in the 70% ethanol, the bone at the base of the cochlea is seated into the cup and the sides of the cup squeezed with forceps to grip it (Fig.4). Several types of epoxy putty have been tried, most are either soluble in ethanol to some degree or do not set in ethanol. The only putty we find successful is “DUROtm MASTERMENDtm Epoxy Extra Strength Ribbon” (Loctite Corp., Cleveland, Ohio), this is a blue and yellow ribbon which is kneaded to form a green putty, it is available at many hardware stores.

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