scholarly journals The SMOOTH-Robot: A Modular, Interactive Service Robot

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norbert Krüger ◽  
Kerstin Fischer ◽  
Poramate Manoonpong ◽  
Oskar Palinko ◽  
Leon Bodenhagen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Elderly Care ◽  
Use Cases ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Service Robot ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Care Giving ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Actual Care ◽  
Sufficient Degree ◽  
Interactive Service

The SMOOTH-robot is a mobile robot that—due to its modularity—combines a relatively low price with the possibility to be used for a large variety of tasks in a wide range of domains. In this article, we demonstrate the potential of the SMOOTH-robot through three use cases, two of which were performed in elderly care homes. The robot is designed so that it can either make itself ready or be quickly changed by staff to perform different tasks. We carefully considered important design parameters such as the appearance, intended and unintended interactions with users, and the technical complexity, in order to achieve high acceptability and a sufficient degree of utilization of the robot. Three demonstrated use cases indicate that such a robot could contribute to an improved work environment, having the potential to free resources of care staff which could be allocated to actual care-giving tasks. Moreover, the SMOOTH-robot can be used in many other domains, as we will also exemplify in this article.

scholarly journals Prototype Design and Experimental Evaluation of Autonomous Collaborative Communication System for Emerging Maritime Use Cases

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (11) ◽  
pp. 3871
Author(s):  
Jiri Pokorny ◽  
Khanh Ma ◽  
Salwa Saafi ◽  
Jakub Frolka ◽  
Jose Villa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Communication System ◽  
Autonomous Vehicles ◽  
High Speed ◽  
High Capacity ◽  
Workplace Safety ◽  
Unmanned Vehicles ◽  
Use Cases ◽  
Automated Systems ◽  
Collaborative Communication ◽  
Wide Range

Automated systems have been seamlessly integrated into several industries as part of their industrial automation processes. Employing automated systems, such as autonomous vehicles, allows industries to increase productivity, benefit from a wide range of technologies and capabilities, and improve workplace safety. So far, most of the existing systems consider utilizing one type of autonomous vehicle. In this work, we propose a collaboration of different types of unmanned vehicles in maritime offshore scenarios. Providing high capacity, extended coverage, and better quality of services, autonomous collaborative systems can enable emerging maritime use cases, such as remote monitoring and navigation assistance. Motivated by these potential benefits, we propose the deployment of an Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) and an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) in an autonomous collaborative communication system. Specifically, we design high-speed, directional communication links between a terrestrial control station and the two unmanned vehicles. Using measurement and simulation results, we evaluate the performance of the designed links in different communication scenarios and we show the benefits of employing multiple autonomous vehicles in the proposed communication system.

scholarly journals Multi-stable composite twisting structure for morphing applications

2012 ◽  
Vol 468 (2141) ◽  
pp. 1230-1251 ◽  
Author(s):  
X. Lachenal ◽  
P. M. Weaver ◽  
S. Daynes
Keyword(s):  
Analytical Model ◽  
Material Properties ◽  
Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Engineering Structures ◽  
The Past ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Morphing Structure ◽  
Low Mass ◽  
Unstable States

Conventional shape-changing engineering structures use discrete parts articulated around a number of linkages. Each part carries the loads, and the articulations provide the degrees of freedom of the system, leading to heavy and complex mechanisms. Consequently, there has been increased interest in morphing structures over the past decade owing to their potential to combine the conflicting requirements of strength, flexibility and low mass. This article presents a novel type of morphing structure capable of large deformations, simply consisting of two pre-stressed flanges joined to introduce two stable configurations. The bistability is analysed through a simple analytical model, predicting the positions of the stable and unstable states for different design parameters and material properties. Good correlation is found between experimental results, finite-element modelling and predictions from the analytical model for one particular example. A wide range of design parameters and material properties is also analytically investigated, yielding a remarkable structure with zero stiffness along the twisting axis.

Closed-Form Correlation of Buildings Energy Use With Key Design Parameters Calibrated Using a Genetic Algorithm

2011 ◽  
Vol 133 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Raed I. Bourisli ◽  
Adnan A. AlAnzi
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Algorithm ◽  
Closed Form ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Office Buildings ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Variable Function ◽  
Real Coded Genetic Algorithm ◽  
The Difference

This work aims at developing a closed-form correlation between key building design variables and its energy use. The results can be utilized during the initial design stages to assess the different building shapes and designs according to their expected energy use. Prototypical, 20-floor office buildings were used. The relative compactness, footprint area, projection factor, and window-to-wall ratio were changed and the resulting buildings performances were simulated. In total, 729 different office buildings were developed and simulated in order to provide the training cases for optimizing the correlation’s coefficients. Simulations were done using the VisualDOE TM software with a Typical Meteorological Year data file, Kuwait City, Kuwait. A real-coded genetic algorithm (GA) was used to optimize the coefficients of a proposed function that relates the energy use of a building to its four key parameters. The figure of merit was the difference in the ratio of the annual energy use of a building normalized by that of a reference building. The objective was to minimize the difference between the simulated results and the four-variable function trying to predict them. Results show that the real-coded GA was able to come up with a function that estimates the thermal performance of a proposed design with an accuracy of around 96%, based on the number of buildings tested. The goodness of fit, roughly represented by R2, ranged from 0.950 to 0.994. In terms of the effects of the various parameters, the area was found to have the smallest role among the design parameters. It was also found that the accuracy of the function suffers the most when high window-to-wall ratios are combined with low projection factors. In such cases, the energy use develops a potential optimum compactness. The proposed function (and methodology) will be a great tool for designers to inexpensively explore a wide range of alternatives and assess them in terms of their energy use efficiency. It will also be of great use to municipality officials and building codes authors.

FRAILTY AND SARCOPAENIA TRIALS IN PRIMARY CARE – IDENTIFYING AND OVERCOMING KEY BARRIERS TO SUCCESSFUL CLINICIAN PARTICIPATION

2015 ◽  
pp. 1-2
Author(s):  
A. SINCLAIR
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Target Population ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Long Term Conditions ◽  
Primary Care Research ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Primary Care Practitioners ◽  
Primary Care Staff

Primary care research involving older people brings together a wide range of primary care practitioners. Key areas of activity include: health promotion, disease prevention, screening and early diagnosis, as well as the management of common and long-term conditions such as frailty and sarcopaenia which are under-researched domains of health in this setting. Few interventional studies have identified frail or sarcopaenic patients as the target population based on recent definitions of either condition. Several barriers to successful research in the primary care area exist and overcoming such barriers is not straightforward but involves a multidimensional approach that attempts to enhance the confidence and opportunity to engage in research of primary care staff and the consideration of factors that allow external leads of research to coordinate their programme.

Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect: A Randomized Trial of Nurse Home Visitation

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1986 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
David L. Olds ◽  
Charles R. Henderson ◽  
Robert Chamberlin ◽  
Robert Tatelbaum
Keyword(s):  
Child Abuse ◽  
Emergency Room ◽  
Low Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Child Abuse And Neglect ◽  
Home Visitation ◽  
Developmental Problems ◽  
Care Giving ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Abuse And Neglect ◽  
First Year Of Life

A program of prenatal and infancy home visitation by nurses was tested as a method of preventing a wide range of health and developmental problems in children born to primiparas who were either teenagers, unmarried, or of low socioeconomic status. Among the women at highest risk for care-giving dysfunction, those who were visited by a nurse had fewer instances of verified child abuse and neglect during the first 2 years of their children's lives (P = .07); they were observed in their homes to restrict and punish their children less frequently, and they provided more appropriate play materials; their babies were seen in the emergency room less frequently during the first year of life. During the second year of life, the babies of all nurse-visited women, regardless of the families' risk status, were seen in the emergency room fewer times, and they were seen by physicians less frequently for accidents and poisonings than comparison group babies (P ≤ .05 for all findings, except where indicated.) Treatment differences for child abuse and neglect and emergency room visits were more significant among women who had a lower sense of control over their lives.

Application areas of the angle reflector

2021 ◽  
pp. 54-59
Author(s):  
L. R. Yurenkova ◽  
O. A. Yakovuk ◽  
I. V. Morozov
Keyword(s):  
Radio Wave ◽  
Outer Space ◽  
Road Transport ◽  
Optical Systems ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Design Activity ◽  
Primary Role ◽  
Beam Laser ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Graphical Calculation

The article provides examples of how the device known as the «angle reflector» a few decades ago has been increasingly used in various fields of science and technology in recent years. Angle reflectors are designed to change (reflect) optical and radar rays in the direction, opposite to the original direction. At present, angle reflectors are widely used to ensure the safety of road transport on dangerous road sections. Radio wave reflectors have the same design as optical ones; therefore, in radio detection and location, angle reflectors are used to send warning signals to ship radars on bridge supports, beacons and buoys. Modern angle reflectors attached to meteorological probes allow determining the direction and speed of the wind at high altitude, which is especially important in the study of the outer space. In recent years, devices have been developed to improve the accuracy of radar stations calibration. The examples of graphical calculation of angle reflectors presented in the article clearly demonstrate the primary role of geometry in the design activity of an engineer. The graphical calculation is based on the theoretical positions of projective geometry. The design and calculation of optical systems is carried out by the graphoanalytic method, since only with a combination of graphical and analytical methods it is possible to accurately calculate the course of a light beam, laser, or radio wave and thereby determine the design parameters of the devices. The article focuses on a graphical method for calculating two types of angle reflectors using orthogonal projection, due to which modern engineers will be able to create more up-to-date designs of optical systems with a wide range of applications.

Airbag Inflators

1999 ◽  
Author(s):  
William G. Broadhead ◽  
D. Theodore Zinke
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Motor Vehicle ◽  
Seat Belt ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Steering Wheel ◽  
Instrument Panel ◽  
Highway Traffic ◽  
National Highway Traffic Safety ◽  
Column Collapse ◽  
Wide Range

Abstract The design of an airbag restraint system presents a classic engineering challenge. There are numerous design parameters that need to be optimized to cover the wide range of occupant sizes, occupant positions and vehicle collision modes. Some of the major parameters that affect airbag performance include, the airbag inflator characteristics, airbag size and shape, airbag vent size, steering column collapse characteristics, airbag cover characteristics, airbag fold pattern, knee bolsters, seat, seat belt characteristics, and vehicle crush characteristics. Optimization of these parameters can involve extremely costly programs of sled tests and full scale vehicle crash tests. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) with regard to airbag design are not specific and allow flexibility in component characteristics. One design strategy, which is simplistic and inexpensive, is to utilize a very fast, high output gas generator (inflator). This ensures that the bag will begin restraining the occupant soon after deployment and can make up for deficiencies in other components such as inadequate steering column collapse or an unusually stiff vehicle crush characteristic. The use of such inflators generally works well for properly positioned occupants in moderate to high-speed frontal collisions by taking advantage of the principle of ridedown. When an airbag quickly fills the gap between the occupant and the instrument panel or steering wheel it links him to the vehicle such that he utilizes the vehicle’s front-end crush to help dissipate his energy, thus reducing the restraint forces. Unfortunately, powerful airbag systems can be injurious to anyone in the path of the deploying airbag. This hazard is present for short statured individuals, out of position children or any occupant in a collision that results in extra ordinary crash sensing time. Currently, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is proposing to rewrite FMVSS 208 to help reduce such hazards.

Development of a Methodology for Model Testing of Utor Welded Joints of a Vertical Cylindrical Tank

2021 ◽  
pp. 21-27
Author(s):  
D.A. Neganov ◽  
◽  
A.E. Zorin ◽  
O.I. Kolesnikov ◽  
G.V. Nesterov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Welded Joints ◽  
Strain State ◽  
Welded Joint ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Cylindrical Tank ◽  
Stress Strain ◽  
The Real ◽  
Stress Strain State ◽  
Hydraulic Machines ◽  
Wide Range

The methodology of laboratory modeling of the loading of utor welded joint of the tank is presented. The methodology is based on testing of the special design sample. It allows under uniaxial tension on the typical servo-hydraulic machines to reproduce in the zone of a utor welded joint the combined action of bending and shear forces, similar to that which occurs during the operation of a vertical cylindrical tank. To assess the distribution of the stress-strain state in the proposed design of the sample under its loading, the finite element modeling was performed in the ANSYS software package. It showed the fundamental correspondence of the stress distribution in the zone of the utor node in the sample and in the real tank. The experimental studies consisted in carrying out tests for the durability of a series of 16 samples loaded with the maximum force in the cycle, causing the calculated stresses in the zone of the welded utor node in the range of 100–200 % from the maximum permissible ones. The obtained results showed that the maximum loaded zone, where the destruction of the samples occurred, is the near-seam zone of the utor welded joint on the inside of the tank. This corresponds to the statistics of the real tank failures. It is established that the developed methodology ensures the possibility of carrying out correct resource tests of the tank utor welded joints. It is also possible to vary the stress-strain state scheme within a wide range in the area of the utor welded joint by changing the design parameters of the test sample. In compliance with the regulated welding technologies and the absence of unacceptable defects in the welded joint, the utor node has a high resource, which significantly exceeding 50 years of the tank operation.

Uncertainty in Collapse Strength Prediction of Sandwich Pipelines

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
U. Bhardwaj ◽  
A. P. Teixeira ◽  
C. Guedes Soares
Keyword(s):  
Probabilistic Models ◽  
Uncertainty Propagation ◽  
Simulation Method ◽  
External Pressure ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Collapse Strength ◽  
Parameters Uncertainty ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Model Predictions ◽  
Strength Models

Abstract This paper assesses the uncertainty in the collapse strength of sandwich pipelines under external pressure predicted by various strength models in three categories based on interlayer adhesion conditions. First, the validity of the strength models is verified by comparing their predictions with sandwich pipeline collapse test data and the corresponding model uncertainty factors are derived. Then, a parametric analysis of deterministic collapse strength predictions by models is conducted, illustrating insights of models’ behaviour for a wide range of design configurations. Furthermore, the uncertainty among different model predictions is perceived at different configurations of outer and inner pipes and core thicknesses. A case study of a realistic sandwich pipeline is developed, and probabilistic models are defined to basic design parameters. Uncertainty propagation of models’ predictions is assessed by the Monte Carlo simulation method. Finally, the strength model predictions of sandwich pipelines are compared to that of an equivalent single walled pipe.

Time for caring? Elderly care employees’ occupational activities in the cross draft between their work priorities, ‘must-do’s’ and meaningfulness

2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 8-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Nilsson ◽  
Kerstin Nilsson
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Care Coordination ◽  
Work Performance ◽  
Elderly Care ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Care Giving ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Individual

An increasing number of older people in the population will bring new challenges for the society and care coordination. One of the most important questions in care coordination is the employees’ work performance. The overall aim of this study was to examine care employees’ experience of factors that rule how they allocate their time and tasks in the care work. The study was qualitative and consists of focus group interviews with 36 employees in elderly care in five Swedish municipalities. Much of the work that care employees perform is controlled by others in the municipality organised health care. The employees had a limited possibility to decide what should be given priority in their work. However, the employees who participated in the focus group interviews did not want to prioritise tasks and duties they felt were faulty or in direct conflict with their own convictions. When employees experienced that the assistance assessments were correct and helpful to the individual elderly patient this contributed to the employees’ priority and performance of the task. The formal and informal control systems caused the employees’ priority to be mainly quantitative and visible work tasks, rather than more qualitative tasks and care giving to the elderly. In the intention to organise good care coordination that fit each elderly patients’ need it is important that those who work closest to the patient to a greater extent are given the opportunity to make their voice heard in decisions of care planning and assistance assessments.

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