6DoF Pose Estimation of Transparent Object from a Single RGB-D Image

6DoF object pose estimation is a foundation for many important applications, such as robotic grasping, automatic driving, and so on. However, it is very challenging to estimate 6DoF pose of transparent object which is commonly seen in our daily life, because the optical characteristics of transparent material lead to significant depth error which results in false estimation. To solve this problem, a two-stage approach is proposed to estimate 6DoF pose of transparent object from a single RGB-D image. In the first stage, the influence of the depth error is eliminated by transparent segmentation, surface normal recovering, and RANSAC plane estimation. In the second stage, an extended point-cloud representation is presented to accurately and efficiently estimate object pose. As far as we know, it is the first deep learning based approach which focuses on 6DoF pose estimation of transparent objects from a single RGB-D image. Experimental results show that the proposed approach can effectively estimate 6DoF pose of transparent object, and it out-performs the state-of-the-art baselines by a large margin.

Hazard analysis and risk assessment in metal cutting process

The paper deals with the issue of occupational health and safety in a metalworking manufacturing organization. Hazard and threat have been defined when cutting metal materials with a band saw. We assessed the risk by an extended point method, where we determined the risk rate values. In most cases of sawmill work, we found a “moderate” or “negligible” risk. The highest, ‘serious’ risk we found in a possible electric shock. In this case, we have also taken the necessary actions. As a precaution, we have also proposed safety measures for other threats.

A 3D wireless charging cube with externally enhanced magnetic field for extended range of wireless power transfer

More mobile devices such as mobile phones and robots are wirelessly charged for convenience, simplicity, and safety, and it would be desirable to achieve three-dimensional (3D) wireless charging with high spatial freedom and long range. This paper proposes a 3D wireless charging cube with three orthogonal coils and supporting magnetic cores to enhance the magnetic flux outside the cube. The proposed system is simulated by Ansoft Maxwell and implemented by a downsized prototype. Both simulation and experimental results show that the magnetic cores can strengthen the magnitude of B-field outside the cube. The final prototype demonstrates that the power transfer distance outside the cube for getting the same induced electromotive force in the receiver coil is extended approximately by 50 mm using magnetic cores with a permeability of 2800. It is found that the magnitude of B-field outside the cube can be increased by increasing the width and the permeability of the magnetic cores. The measured results show that when the permeability of the magnetic cores is fixed, the induced electromotive force in the receiver coil at a point 300 mm away from the center of the cube is increased by about 2V when the width of the magnetic cores is increased from 50 to 100 mm. The increase in the induced electromotive force at an extended point implies a greater potential of wireless power transfer capability to the power pickup.

Assessment of Wood Processing Safety in the Production Organization

Occupational health and safety legislation imposes an obligation on the production organization to regularly and comprehensibly inform employees of the dangers, threats and risks involved. In the paper, we assessed the basic requirements of safety in the wood processing workshop on the forming disc saw. Deficiencies in non-compliance with security regulations were determined from the check list analysis (CLA). The safety assessment was performed using the extended point method, where we determined the value of the risk measure. When working on a saw blade, the risk cannot be accepted and safety precautions have to be proposed. For the production organization, we have proposed remedial measures and a safety card to be considered before working on forming disc saw. All the measures proposed by us were accepted and implemented by the production organization. Applying and observing safety measures can prevent the occurrence of an occupational injury or damage to the health of the worker.