A bio-inspired predictive sensory-motor coordination scheme for robot reaching and preshaping

This paper presents a sensory-motor coordination scheme for a robot hand-arm-head system that provides the robot with the capability to reach an object while pre-shaping the fingers to the required grasp configuration and while predicting the tactile image that will be perceived after grasping. A model for sensory-motor coordination derived from studies in humans inspired the development of this scheme. A peculiar feature of this model is the prediction of the tactile image. The implementation of the proposed scheme is based on a neuro-fuzzy module that, after a learning phase, starting from visual data, calculates the position and orientation of the hand for reaching, selects the best-suited hand configuration, and predicts the tactile feedback. The implementation of the scheme on a humanoid robot allowed experimental validation of its effectiveness in robotics and provided perspectives on applications of sensory predictions in robot motor control.     

Limit cycles with chattering in relay feedback systems

Relay feedback has a large variety of applications in control engineering. Several interesting phenomena occur in simple relay systems. In the paper, scalar linear systems with relay feedback are analyzed. It is shown that a limit cycle where part of the limit cycle consists of fast relay switchings can occur. This chattering is analyzed in detail and conditions for approximating it by a sliding mode are derived. A result on existence of limit cycles with chattering is given, and it is shown that the limit cycles can have arbitrarily many relay switchings each period. Limit cycles with regular sliding modes are also discussed. Examples illustrate the results.     

Real-Time Imaging through Optical Fiber Array-Assisted Laser-Induced Fluorescence of Capillary Electrophoretic Enantiomer Separations

An advanced detection system based on laser-induced fluorescence imaging for capillary electrophoresis (CE) is presented. An optical fiber array was constructed for collection and transportation of the emitted fluorescent light to the charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. The fiber array makes the setup compact compared with a setup where the capillary is imaged through a camera objective. The imaging detector captures the sample zones in motion during the migration through the capillary. This allows unique studies on dynamic events otherwise unrevealed. During the study, unexplained nonlinear migration behavior was revealed. Enantiomer separations of dansylated amino acids using cyclodextrins, imaged between 1.5 and 12 cm of a 28-cm-long 50-μm i.d. capillary, were used for evaluation of the system. Comparing the optical fiber array with a camera lens system, the signal-to-noise-ratio (S/N) was 10 times higher. This is due to a combination of both higher signal and lower noise levels. To improve the S/N ratio further, a computer program for signal processing was designed. Using dichlorofluorescein, a concentration limit of detection (CLOD) of 350 pM was achieved and improved 10 times to 35 pM with computer postprocessing using 79 images. This is equal to 400 zeptomole for a 3-mm-long sample zone in a 50-μm i.d. capillary.     

Prediction of development of fatigue during a simulated ambulance work task from physical performance tests

The aims of this study were (1) to identify which physical performance tests could best explain the development of fatigue during a simulated ambulance work task, (2) to investigate the effect of height and weight and (3) to investigate in what respects these findings differ between female and male ambulance personnel. Forty-eight male and 17 female ambulance personnel completed a test battery assessing cardio-respiratory capacity, muscular strength and endurance, and co-ordination. The subjects also completed a simulated ambulance work task -- carrying a loaded stretcher. The work task was evaluated by development of fatigue. Univariate and multiple regression analyses were used to investigate to what extent the tests in the test battery were able to explain the variance of developed fatigue. The explained variance was higher for female than for male ambulance personnel (time > 70% of HRpeak: R2 = 0.75 vs 0.10, accumulated lactate: R2 = 0.62 vs 0.42, perceived exertion: R2 = 0.75 vs 0.10). Significant predictors in the models were VO2max, isometric back endurance, one-leg rising, isokinetic knee flexion and shoulder extension strength. Height, but not weight, could further explain the variance. The high physical strain during carrying the loaded stretcher implies the importance of investigating whether improved performance, matching the occupational demands, could decrease the development of fatigue during strenuous tasks.     

A numerical framework for load identification and regularization with application to rolling disc problem

Indirect identification methods are applied when direct measurement is unfeasible. One example is the measurement of the contact force between wheel and rail in railway traffic. This paper focuses on optimization-based methods for the identification of contact forces with the aim of developing a reliable and robust load identification scheme. A particular issue discussed here is the choice of discretization in space–time, enabling the sampling instances of the measurements, the parameterization of the sought input and the discretization of the pertinent state equations to be decoupled, in contrast to traditional methods such as, e.g. dynamic programming.In the present preliminary study where a 2-D disc is considered as a representative of a train wheel, a radial concentrated force rotates around the disc’s perimeter, representing the contact force acting on the rim of the wheel, while radial strains are measured on a set of points corresponding to the strain gauges position. The strain history data is then used in the identification procedure where the applied force is sought to minimize the discrepancy between the predicted and measured strain history. In particular the convergence of the results with respect to the temporal discretization of the model and the time parameterization of the sought loading history are investigated under the influence of noise. It is seen that choosing a discretization of the sought load that is coarser than that of the state variable gives a more robust scheme. The traditional Tikhonov regularization can also be added within the current framework. Furthermore, with the aid of a sensitivity analysis, the influence of measurement noise can be quantified.     

Distributed nonlinear model predictive control based on contraction theory

A novel distributed model predictive control algorithm for continuous‐time nonlinear systems is proposed in this paper. Contraction theory is used to estimate the prediction error in the algorithm, leading to new feasibility and stability conditions. Compared to existing analysis based on Lipschitz continuity, the proposed approach gives a distributed model predictive control algorithm under less conservative conditions, allowing stronger couplings between subsystems and a larger sampling interval when the subsystems satisfy the specified contraction conditions. A numerical example is given to illustrate the effectiveness and advantage of the proposed approach.     

Automatic evaluation of protein sequence functional patterns

A procedure that automatically provides an evaluation of the diagnostic ability of a protein sequence functional pattern is described. The procedure relies on the identification of the closest definable set in terms of a (protein sequence) database functional annotation to the set of database instances containing a given pattern. Assuming annotation correctness and completeness in the protein sequence database, the degree of statistical association between these sets provides an appropriate measure of the diagnostic ability of the pattern. An experimental implementation of the procedure, using the NBRF/PIR protein database, has been applied to a diverse collection of published sequence patterns. Results obtained reveal that frequently it is not possible to define (in NBRF/PIR database terminology) the set of database instances containing a given pattern, suggesting either lack of pattern diagnostic ability or protein database annotation incompleteness and/or inconsistencies.