This book tackles the latest research trends in technology acceptance models and theories. It presents high-quality empirical and review studies focusing on the main theoretical models and their applications across various technologies and contexts. It also provides insights into the theoretical and practical aspects of different technological innovations that assist decision-makers in formulating the required policies and procedures for adopting a specific technology.

Force and Position Control of Mechatronic Systems provides an overview of the general concepts and technologies in the area of force and position control. Novel ideas and innovations related to this area are presented and reported in detail, and examples of applications in medical technology are given. The book begins by introducing force sensing, and modelling of contacting objects. In then moves steadily through a variety of topics, including: * disturbance observer-based force estimation; * force-based supervisory control; * stabilization systems; * controller design; and * control of tube insertion procedures. This book will be of interest to researchers, engineers and students interested in force control, particularly those with a focus on medical applications of these ideas. Advances in Industrial Control reports and encourages the transfer of technology in control engineering. The rapid development of control technology has an impact on all areas of the control discipline. The series offers an opportunity for researchers to present an extended exposition of new work in all aspects of industrial control.

This book introduces the technological innovations of robotic vehicles. It presents the concepts required for self-driving cars on the road. Besides, readers can gain invaluable knowledge in the construction, programming, and control of the six-legged robot. The book also presents the controllers and aerodynamics of several different types of rotorcrafts. It includes the simulation and flight of the various kinds of rotor-propelled air vehicles under each of their different aerodynamics environment. The book is suitable for academia, educators, students, and researchers who are interested in autonomous vehicles, robotics, and rotor-propelled vehicles.

This book focuses on the latest endeavors relating researches and developments conducted in fields of control, robotics and automation. Through more than ten revised and extended articles, the present book aims to provide the most up-to-date state of the art of the aforementioned fields allowing researcher, Ph.D. students and engineers not only updating their knowledge but also benefiting from the source of inspiration that represents the set of selected articles of the book. The deliberate intention of editors to cover as well theoretical facets of those fields as their practical accomplishments and implementations offers the benefit of gathering in the same volume a factual and well-balanced prospect of nowadays research in those topics. Special attention toward "Intelligent Robots and Control" may characterize another benefit of this book.

This book presents several novel constructive methodologies for global stabilization and H-infinity control in switched dynamic systems by using the systems' structure information. The main features of these new approaches are twofold: i) Novel Lyapunov functions are constructed and new switching strategies are designed to guarantee global finite-time stabilization of the closed-loop switched dynamic systems,while ii) without posing any internal stability requirements on subsystems, the standard H-infinity control problem of the switched dynamic systems is solved by means of dwell-time switching techniques. Systematically presenting constructive methods for analyzing and synthesizing switched systems, the content is of great significance to theoretical research and practical applications involving switched systems alike. The book provides a unified framework for stability analysis, stabilization and H-infinity control of switched systems, making it a valuable resource for researchers and graduate students who want to learn about the state of the art in the analysis and synthesis of switched systems, as well as recent advances in switched linear systems. In addition, it offers a wealth of cutting-edge constructive methods and algorithm designs for researchers who work with switched dynamic systems and graduate students of control theory and control engineering.

Since the 1980s, scientists have been researching adaptive structures for materials, for multifunctional elements or even for complete systems. Adaptronics (smart materials, smart structures, smart systems) is a field of distinct interdisciplinarity. The book therefore offers an interdisciplinary view of adaptronic systems, materials and functional elements and their applications. The subject matter integrates various engineering disciplines, from electrical engineering and information technology to manufacturing and control engineering, materials engineering and structural mechanics - to name but a few of the relevant subject areas. Starting from the basic principles and variants of adaptronic systems and functional materials, the textbook explains the different construction methods of functional elements. Building on this, readers learn how to apply this knowledge to active shape control, active vibration control and active vibroacoustics. For each of these topics the author presents current examples from research, discusses research results and future research questions. Each of the nine chapters closes with references to further literature. An index of the mathematical symbols used and a keyword index facilitate learning for readers.The book is aimed at Master's students in engineering courses such as mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, mechatronics, automotive engineering and related courses. The book provides a comprehensive overview for industrial practitioners who want to familiarize themselves with the field of adaptronics and also serves as a reliable reference book.

This book includes high-quality research papers presented at Symposium on Power Electronic and Renewable Energy Systems Control (PERESC 2020), which is held at the School of Electrical Sciences, IIT Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India, during 4-5 December 2020. The book covers original work in power electronics which has greatly enabled integration of renewable and distributed energy systems, control of electric machine drives, high voltage system control and operation. The book is highly useful for academicians, engineers, researchers and students to be familiar with the latest state of the art in power electronics technology and its applications.

This book offers essential information on China's human spacecraft technologies, reviewing their evolution from theoretical and engineering perspectives. It discusses topics such as the design of manned spaceships, cargo spacecraft, space laboratories, space stations and manned lunar and Mars detection spacecraft. It also addresses various key technologies, e.g. for manned rendezvous, docking and reentry. The book is chiefly intended for researchers, graduate students and professionals in the fields of aerospace engineering, control, electronics & electrical engineering, and related areas.

This book presents best selected papers presented at the 4th International Conference on Smart Computing and Informatics (SCI 2020), held at the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Vasavi College of Engineering (Autonomous), Hyderabad, Telangana, India. It presents advanced and multi-disciplinary research towards the design of smart computing and informatics. The theme is on a broader front which focuses on various innovation paradigms in system knowledge, intelligence and sustainability that may be applied to provide realistic solutions to varied problems in society, environment and industries. The scope is also extended towards the deployment of emerging computational and knowledge transfer approaches, optimizing solutions in various disciplines of science, technology and health care.

This book presents the human, cultural, and scientific contributions of professor Eliano Pessa, who recently passed away. His research interests and activities were varied, some of which included quantum physics, cognitive science and psychology, systems science, artificial intelligence, and alpinism. They were never disciplinary-separated issues, but rather some coherent dimensions of his interests in life. He lived and not only practiced interdisciplinarity and multiple dimensions; he considered it unacceptable to do only one thing in life. The contributors in this volume consider, discuss, interpret, and represent the multiplicity and interdisciplinarity experienced, lived and applied by Pessa. The chapters are inspired by, rebuild, and retrace such networked interests lived by him from the personal, cultural, and scientific points of view of the authors. This is true interdisciplinarity and usage of non-equivalences, honoring the richness of Pessa's contributions.

This book comprises select proceedings of the international conference ETAEERE 2020. This volume covers latest research in advanced approaches in automation, control based devices, and adaptive learning mechanisms. The contents discuss the complex operations and behaviors of different systems or machines in different environments. Some of the areas covered include control of linear and nonlinear systems, intelligent systems, stochastic control, knowledge-based systems applications, fault diagnosis and tolerant control, and real-time control applications. The contents of this volume can be useful for researchers as well as professionals working in control and automation.

This book provides readers with a 360-degree perspective on the Internet of Things (IoT) design and M2M communication process. It is intended to be used as a design guide for the development of IoT solutions, covering architecture, design, and development methods. This book examines applications such as industry automation for Industry 4.0, Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), and Internet of Services (IoS) as it is unfolding. Discussions on engineering fundamentals are limited to what is required for the realization of IoT solutions. Internet of Things and M2M Communication Technologies: Architecture and Practical Design Approach to IoT in Industry 4.0 is written by an industry veteran with more than 30 years of hands-on experience. It is an invaluable guide for electrical, electronic, computer science, and information science engineers who aspire to be IoT designers and an authoritative reference for practicing designers working on IoT device development. Provides complete design approach to develop IoT solutions; Includes reference designs and guidance on relevant standards compliance; Addresses design for manufacturability and business models.

This book focuses on the principles and technology of environmental perception in unmanned systems. With the rapid development of a new generation of information technologies such as automatic control and information perception, a new generation of robots and unmanned systems will also take on new importance. This book first reviews the development of autonomous systems and subsequently introduces readers to the technical characteristics and main technologies of the sensor. Lastly, it addresses aspects including autonomous path planning, intelligent perception and autonomous control technology under uncertain conditions. For the first time, the book systematically introduces the core technology of autonomous system information perception.

This book presents state-of-the-art research, challenges and solutions in the area of human-robot collaboration (HRC) in manufacturing. It enables readers to better understand the dynamic behaviour of manufacturing processes, and gives more insight into on-demand adaptive control techniques for industrial robots. With increasing complexity and dynamism in today's manufacturing practice, more precise, robust and practical approaches are needed to support real-time shop-floor operations. This book presents a collection of recent developments and innovations in this area, relying on a wide range of research efforts. The book is divided into five parts. The first part presents a broad-based review of the key areas of HRC, establishing a common ground of understanding in key aspects. Subsequent chapters focus on selected areas of HRC subject to intense recent interest. The second part discusses human safety within HRC. The third, fourth and fifth parts provide in-depth views of relevant methodologies and algorithms. Discussing dynamic planning and monitoring, adaptive control and multi-modal decision making, the latter parts facilitate a better understanding of HRC in real situations. The balance between scope and depth, and theory and applications, means this book appeals to a wide readership, including academic researchers, graduate students, practicing engineers, and those within a variety of roles in manufacturing sectors.

As the world has entered the era of big data, there is a need to give a semantic perspective to the data to find unseen patterns, derive meaningful information, and make intelligent decisions. This 2-volume handbook set is a unique, comprehensive, and complete presentation of the current progress and future potential explorations in the field of data science and related topics. Handbook of Data Science with Semantic Technologies provides a roadmap for a new trend and future development of data science with semantic technologies. The first volume serves as an important guide towards applications of data science with semantic technologies for the upcoming generation and thus becomes a unique resource for both academic researchers and industry professionals. The second volume provides a roadmap for the deployment of semantic technologies in the field of data science that enables users to create intelligence through these technologies by exploring the opportunities while eradicating the current and future challenges. The set explores the optimal use of these technologies to provide the maximum benefit to the user under one comprehensive source. This set consisting of two separate volumes can be utilized independently or together as an invaluable resource for students, scholars, researchers, professionals, and practitioners in the field.

This book presents time synchronization and its essential role as a conduit of optimized networks and as one of the key imperatives of ubiquitous connectivity. The author discusses how, without proper time synchronization, many mission critical infrastructures such as 5G mobile networks, smart grids, data centres CATV, and industrial networks would render in serious performance issues and may be subject to catastrophic failure. The book provides a thorough understanding of time synchronization from fundamental concepts to the application of time synchronization in NextGen mission critical infrastructure. Readers will find information not only on designing the optimized products for mission critical infrastructure but also on building NextGen mission critical infrastructure.

The manufacturing industry has been optimized in recent years due to the rise of new technologies. These advances have paved the way for the development of intelligent vehicles. Intelligent Vehicles and Materials Transportation in the Manufacturing Sector: Emerging Research and Opportunities is a pivotal source of scholarly research on the various aspects of manufacturing vehicles with intelligent technology components. Including a range of perspectives on topics such as material handling, automated guided vehicles, and industrial robots, this book is ideally designed for engineers, academics, professionals, and practitioners actively involved in the manufacturing sector.

This book covers some selected problems of the descriptor integer and fractional order positive continuous-time and discrete-time systems. The book consists of 3 chapters, 4 appendices and the list of references. Chapter 1 is devoted to descriptor integer order continuous-time and discrete-time linear systems. In Chapter 2, descriptor fractional order continuous-time and discrete-time linear systems are considered. Chapter 3 is devoted to the stability of descriptor continuous-time and discrete-time systems of integer and fractional orders. In Appendix A, extensions of the Cayley-Hamilton theorem for descriptor linear systems are given. Some methods for computation of the Drazin inverse are presented in Appendix B. In Appendix C, some basic definitions and theorems on Laplace transforms and Z-transforms are given. Some properties of the nilpotent matrices are given in Appendix D.

This monograph introduces breakthrough control algorithms for partial differential equation models with moving boundaries, the study of which is known as the Stefan problem. The algorithms can be used to improve the performance of various processes with phase changes, such as additive manufacturing. Using the authors' innovative design solutions, readers will also be equipped to apply estimation algorithms for real-world phase change dynamics, from polar ice to lithium-ion batteries. A historical treatment of the Stefan problem opens the book, situating readers in the larger context of the area. Following this, the chapters are organized into two parts. The first presents the design method and analysis of the boundary control and estimation algorithms. Part two then explores a number of applications, such as 3D printing via screw extrusion and laser sintering, and also discusses the experimental verifications conducted. A number of open problems and provided as well, offering readers multiple paths to explore in future research. Materials Phase Change PDE Control & Estimation is ideal for researchers and graduate students working on control and dynamical systems, and particularly those studying partial differential equations and moving boundaries. It will also appeal to industrial engineers and graduate students in engineering who are interested in this area.

Service robots serve a wide range of people in residential, commercial, industrial, military, and many more applied fields. Service Robots and Robotics: Design and Application offers the latest research within the field, combining a mixture of case studies, research, and future directions. Staying abreast of the latest research within the field not only affords practitioners and academics the foot forward they need, it allows for a comprehensive look into the latest advances in a burgeoning field of technology. From tasks no humans can do to everyday tasks for the disabled and elderly, service robots are an enormously important facet of modern technology, and this volume offers a current look into their state of the art.

This book offers readers essential insights into system design for deep space probes and describes key aspects such as system design, orbit design, telecommunication, GNC, thermal control, propulsion, aerobraking and scientific payload. Each chapter includes the basic principles, requirements analysis, procedures, equations and diagrams, as well as practical examples that will help readers to understand the research on each technology and the major concerns when it comes to developing deep space probes. An excellent reference resource for researchers and engineers interested in deep space exploration, it can also serve as a textbook for university students and those at institutes involved in aerospace.

This book consolidates the current state of knowledge on implementing cooperating robot-based systems to increase the flexibility of manufacturing systems. It is based on the concrete experiences of experts, practitioners, and engineers in implementing cooperating robot systems for more flexible manufacturing systems. Thanks to the great variety of manufacturing systems that we had the opportunity to study, a remarkable collection of methods and tools has emerged. The aim of the book is to share this experience with academia and industry practitioners seeking to improve manufacturing practice. While there are various books on teaching principles for robotics, this book offers a unique opportunity to dive into the practical aspects of implementing complex real-world robotic applications. As it is used in this book, the term "cooperating robots" refers to robots that either cooperate with one another or with people. The book investigates various aspects of cooperation in the context of implementing flexible manufacturing systems. Accordingly, manufacturing systems are the main focus in the discussion on implementing such robotic systems. The book begins with a brief introduction to the concept of manufacturing systems, followed by a discussion of flexibility. Aspects of designing such systems, e.g. material flow, logistics, processing times, shop floor footprint, and design of flexible handling systems, are subsequently covered. In closing, the book addresses key issues in operating such systems, which concern e.g. decision-making, autonomy, cooperation, communication, task scheduling, motion generation, and distribution of control between different devices. Reviewing the state of the art and presenting the latest innovations, the book offers a valuable asset for a broad readership.