This introduction to the theory of rigid structures explains how to analyze the performance of built and natural structures under loads, paying special attention to the role of geometry. The book unifies the engineering and mathematical literatures by exploring different notions of rigidity - local, global, and universal - and how they are interrelated. Important results are stated formally, but also clarified with a wide range of revealing examples. An important generalization is to tensegrities, where fixed distances are replaced with 'cables' not allowed to increase in length and 'struts' not allowed to decrease in length. A special feature is the analysis of symmetric tensegrities, where the symmetry of the structure is used to simplify matters and allows the theory of group representations to be applied. Written for researchers and graduate students in structural engineering and mathematics, this work is also of interest to computer scientists and physicists.

For readers from both academia and industry wishing to pursue their studies and /or careers in planetary robotics, this book represents a one-stop tour of the history, evolution, key systems, and technologies of this emerging field. The book provides a comprehensive introduction to the key techniques and technologies that help to achieve autonomous space systems for cost-effective, high performing planetary robotic missions. Main topics covered include robotic vision, surface navigation, manipulation, mission operations and autonomy, being explained in both theoretical principles and practical use cases. The book recognizes the importance of system design hence discusses practices and tools that help take mission concepts to baseline design solutions, making it a practical piece of scientific reference suited to a variety of practitioners in planetary robotics.

Given the near incomprehensible enormity of the universe, it appears almost inevitable that humankind will one day find a planet that appears to be much like the Earth. This discovery will no doubt reignite the lure of interplanetary travel. Will we be up to the task? And, given our limited resources, biological constraints, and the general hostility of space, what shape should we expect such expeditions to take?

In "Robots in Space, " Roger Launius and Howard McCurdy tackle these seemingly fanciful questions with rigorous scholarship and disciplined imagination, jumping comfortably among the worlds of rocketry, engineering, public policy, and science fantasy to expound upon the possibilities and improbabilities involved in trekking across the Milky Way and beyond. They survey the literature--fictional as well as academic studies; outline the progress of space programs in the United States and other nations; and assess the current state of affairs to offer a conclusion startling only to those who haven't spent time with Asimov, Heinlein, and Clarke: to traverse the cosmos, humans must embrace and entwine themselves with advanced robotic technologies.

Their discussion is as entertaining as it is edifying and their assertions are as sound as they are fantastical. Rather than asking us to suspend disbelief, "Robots in Space" demands that we accept facts as they evolve.

Various emerging technologies, from social robotics to social media, appeal to our desire for social interactions, while avoiding some of the risks and costs of face-to-face human interaction. But can they offer us real friendship? In this book, Alexis Elder outlines a theory of friendship drawing on Aristotle and contemporary work on social ontology, and then uses it to evaluate the real value of social robotics and emerging social technologies. In the first part of the book Elder develops a robust and rigorous ontology of friendship: what it is, how it functions, what harms it, and how it relates to familiar ethical and philosophical questions about character, value, and well-being. In Part II she applies this ontology to emerging trends in social robotics and human-robot interaction, including robotic companions for lonely seniors, therapeutic robots used to teach social skills to children on the autism spectrum, and companionate robots currently being developed for consumer markets. Elder articulates the moral hazards presented by these robots, while at the same time acknowledging their real and measurable benefits. In the final section she shifts her focus to connections between real people, especially those enabled by social media. Arguing against critics who have charged that these new communication technologies are weakening our social connections, Elder explores ways in which text messaging, video chats, Facebook, and Snapchat are enabling us to develop, sustain, and enrich our friendship in new and meaningful ways.

The aim of the book is to introduce the state-of-the-art technologies in the field of robotics, mechatronics and automation in agriculture in order to summarize and review the improvements in the methodologies in agricultural robotics. Advances made in the past decades are described, including robotics for agriculture, mechatronics for agriculture, kinematics, dynamics and control analysis of agricultural robotics, and a wide range of topics in the field of robotics, mechatronics and automation for agricultural applications.

A Systematic Approach to Learning Robot Programming with ROS provides a comprehensive, introduction to the essential components of ROS through detailed explanations of simple code examples along with the corresponding theory of operation. The book explores the organization of ROS, how to understand ROS packages, how to use ROS tools, how to incorporate existing ROS packages into new applications, and how to develop new packages for robotics and automation. It also facilitates continuing education by preparing the reader to better understand the existing on-line documentation. The book is organized into six parts. It begins with an introduction to ROS foundations, including writing ROS nodes and ROS tools. Messages, Classes, and Servers are also covered. The second part of the book features simulation and visualization with ROS, including coordinate transforms. The next part of the book discusses perceptual processing in ROS. It includes coverage of using cameras in ROS, depth imaging and point clouds, and point cloud processing. Mobile robot control and navigation in ROS is featured in the fourth part of the book The fifth section of the book contains coverage of robot arms in ROS. This section explores robot arm kinematics, arm motion planning, arm control with the Baxter Simulator, and an object-grabber package. The last part of the book focuses on system integration and higher-level control, including perception-based and mobile manipulation. This accessible text includes examples throughout and C++ code examples are also provided at https://github.com/wsnewman/learning_ros

A Mathematical Introduction to Robotic Manipulation presents a mathematical formulation of the kinematics, dynamics, and control of robot manipulators. It uses an elegant set of mathematical tools that emphasizes the geometry of robot motion and allows a large class of robotic manipulation problems to be analyzed within a unified framework.

The foundation of the book is a derivation of robot kinematics using the product of the exponentials formula. The authors explore the kinematics of open-chain manipulators and multifingered robot hands, present an analysis of the dynamics and control of robot systems, discuss the specification and control of internal forces and internal motions, and address the implications of the nonholonomic nature of rolling contact are addressed, as well.

The wealth of information, numerous examples, and exercises make A Mathematical Introduction to Robotic Manipulation valuable as both a reference for robotics researchers and a text for students in advanced robotics courses.

In this collection of essays, the four branches of radical cognitive science-embodied, embedded, enactive and ecological-will dialogue with performance, with particular focus on post-cognitivist approaches to understanding the embodied mind-in-society; de-emphasising the computational and representational metaphors; and embracing new conceptualisations grounded on the dynamic interactions of "brain, body and world". In our collection, radical cognitive science reaches out to areas of scholarship also explored in the fields of performance practice and training as we facilitate a new inter- and transdisciplinary discourse in which to jointly share and explore common reactions of embodied approaches to the lived mind. The essays originally published as a special issue in Connection Science.

Medical and Healthcare Robotics: New Paradigms and Recent Advances provides an overview and exclusive insights into current trends, the most recent innovations, and concerns in medical robotics. The book covers the major areas of medical robotics, including rehabilitation devices, artificial organs, assistive technologies, service robotics, and robotic devices for surgery, exploration, diagnosis, therapy, and training. It highlights the limitations and the importance of robotics and artificial intelligence for medical and healthcare applications. The book is a timely and comprehensive reference guide for undergraduate-level students, graduate students, and researchers in the fields of electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, mechatronics, control systems engineering, and biomedical engineering. It can be useful for master’s programs, leading consultants, and industrial companies. The book can be of high interest for physicians and physiotherapists and all technical people in the medical and biomedical fields.

Cyber Physical Systems: Architectures, Protocols and Applications helps you understand the basic principles and key supporting standards of CPS. It analyzes different CPS applications from the bottom up, extracting the common characters that form a vertical structure. It presents mobile sensing platforms and their applications toward interrelated paradigms, highlighting and briefly discussing different types of mobile sensing platforms and the functionalities they offer. It then looks at the naming, addressing, and profile services of CPS and proposes a middleware component to meet the requirements of dynamic applications and sensors/actuators deployment/configurations across different platforms. The middle chapters of the book present a context-aware sensor search, selection, and ranking model which addresses the challenge of efficiently selecting a subset of relevant sensors out of a large set of sensors with similar functionality and capabilities. The authors consider various topics in the energy management of CPS and propose a novel energy-efficient framework. They also present the fundamental networking technologies of CPS and focus on machine-to-machine communications for CPS, specifically the open technologies such as IPv6-based solutions that can be integrated into IoT and enable wireless sensor communications. In the book's final chapters, the authors bring you up to date on mobile cloud computing (MCC) research activities that enhance the capabilities of resource-constrained smart devices in CPS sensory environments. They also present a few representative CPS applications, including connected healthcare, gaming in public transport crowds, and a series of MCC-enabled emerging CPS applications. You will find that these application fields fully demonstrate the great potential of applying CPS in public life.

Humanoid robots are highly sophisticated machines equipped with human-like sensory and motor capabilities. Today we are on the verge of a new era of rapid transformations in both science and engineering-one that brings together technological advancements in a way that will accelerate both neuroscience and robotics. Humanoid Robotics and Neuroscience: Science, Engineering and Society presents the contributions of prominent scientists who explore key aspects of the further potential of these systems. Topics include: Neuroscientific research findings on dexterous robotic hand control Humanoid vision and how understanding the structure of the human eye can lead to improvements in artificial vision Humanoid locomotion, motor control, and the learning of motor skills Cognitive elements of humanoid robots, including the neuroscientific aspects of imitation and development The impact of robots on society and the potential for developing new systems and devices to benefit humans The use of humanoid robotics can help us develop a greater scientific understanding of humans, leading to the design of better engineered systems and machines for society. This book assembles the work of scientists on the cutting edge of robotic research who demonstrate the vast possibilities in this field of research.

Learn robotics through magic, or enhance your magic with robotics! This book is a beginner's guide to creating robotics-infused magic. You'll be introduced to simple DIY electronics and Arduino programming, and you will learn how to use those tools to create a treasure trove of magic bots and effects, with readily-sourced materials and everyday objects. It's magic through the lens of the Maker Movement, with a dedication to accessibility -- cardboard meets Arduino meets magic! All ages, backgrounds, and abilities will find clever, fun projects within these pages that challenge their creativity and explode their imagination.

There's one resource we just can't get enough of: Time. In this issue of Make: , we celebrate that most fascinating and finite resource. First, build a miniature neomatrix word clock that colorfully spells out the time. Next, waste less time in the shop with a healthy helping of time-saving shop tips. Then, take a metaphorical trip to the past and dive into the history and theory behind modern mechanical clocks. Plus, 19 projects to make, including: 8 more crazy clocks to build 3D print an old-school bellows-style camera Program a wall-mounted display to track your social media stats Craft a 2-in-1 leather carrier for beer and wine for your next picnic Build a stylish motion-reactive LED table-top display and more!

The finite element method (FEM) is indispensable in modeling and simulation in various engineering and physical systems, including structural analysis, stress, strain, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, dynamics, eigenproblems, design optimization, sound propagation, electromagnetics, and coupled field problems. This textbook integrates basic theory with real-life, design-oriented problems using ANSYS, the most commonly used computational software in the field. For students as well as practicing engineers and designers, each chapter is highly illustrated and presented in a step-by-step manner. Fundamental concepts are presented in detail with reference to easy to understand worked examples that clearly introduce the method before progressing to more advanced content. Included are step-by-step solutions for project type problems using modelling software, special chapters for modelling and the use of ANSYS and Workbench programs, and extensive sets of problems and projects round out each chapter.

This book is devoted to mechatronic, chemical, bacteriological, biological, and hybrid systems, utilizing cooperative, networked, swarm, self-organizing, evolutionary and bio-inspired design principles and targeting underwater, ground, air, and space applications. It addresses issues such as open-ended evolution, self-replication, self-development, reliability, scalability, energy foraging, adaptivity, and artificial sociality. The book has been prepared by 52 authors from world-leading research groups in 14 countries. This book covers not only current but also future key technologies and is aimed at anyone who is interested in learning more about collective robotics and how it might affect our society.

Mobile manipulators combine the advantages of mobile platforms and robotic arms, extending their operational range and functionality to large spaces and remote, demanding, and/or dangerous environments. They also bring complexity and difficulty in dynamic modeling and control system design. However, advances in nonlinear system analysis and control system design offer powerful tools and concepts for the control of mobile manipulator systems. Fundamentals in Modeling and Control of Mobile Manipulators presents a thorough theoretical treatment of several fundamental problems for mobile robotic manipulators. The book integrates fresh concepts and state-of-the-art results to systematically examine kinematics and dynamics, motion generation, feedback control, coordination, and cooperation. From this treatment, the authors form a basic theoretical framework for a mobile robotic manipulator that extends the theory of nonlinear control and applies to more realistic problems. Drawing on their research over the past ten years, the authors propose novel control theory concepts and techniques to tackle key problems. Topics covered include kinematic and dynamic modeling, control of nonholonomic systems, path planning that considers motion and manipulation, hybrid motion/force control and hybrid position/force control where the mobile manipulator is required to interact with environments, and coordination and cooperation strategies for multiple mobile manipulators. The book also includes practical examples of applications in engineering systems. This timely book investigates important scientific and engineering issues for researchers and engineers working with either single or multiple mobile manipulators for larger operational space, better cooperation, and improved productivity.

The kimono-clad android robot that recently made its debut as the new greeter at the entrance of Tokyo's Mitsukoshi department store is just one example of the rapid advancements being made in the field of robotics. Cognitive robotics is an approach to creating artificial intelligence in robots by enabling them to learn from and respond to real-world situations, as opposed to pre-programming the robot with specific responses to every conceivable stimulus. Presenting the contributions of international experts from various disciplines within the field, Cognitive Robotics provides novel material and discusses advanced approaches in the field of intelligent robotics. It explains the various aspects of the topic to provide readers with a solid foundation on the subject. This edited collection presents theoretical research in cognitive robotics. It takes a multidisciplinary approach that considers the artificial intelligence, physical, chemical, philosophical, psychological, social, cultural, and ethical aspects of this rapidly emerging field. The editor is a prominent researcher whose Lovotics research into emotional bonds with robots is widely recognized. Supplying an accessible introduction to cognitive robotics, the book considers computational intelligence for cognitive robotics based on informationally structured space. It examines how people respond to robots and what makes robots psychologically appealing to humans. The book contextualizes concepts in the history of studies on intelligence theories and includes case studies of different types of robots in action. Although ideal for robotics researchers and professionals, this book is also suitable for use as a supporting textbook in advanced robotics courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

First published in 1987, the seven chapters that comprise this book review contemporary work on the geometric side of robotics. The first chapter defines the fundamental goal of robotics in very broad terms and outlines a research agenda each of whose items constitutes a substantial area for further research. The second chapter presents recently developed techniques that have begun to address the geometric side of this research agenda and the third reviews several applied geometric ideas central to contemporary work on the problem of motion planning. The use of Voronoi diagrams, a theme opened in these chapters, is explored further later in the book. The fourth chapter develops a theme in computational geometry having obvious significance for the simplification of practical robotics problems - the approximation or decomposition of complex geometric objects into simple ones. The final chapters treat two examples of a class of geometric 'reconstruction' problem that have immediate application to computer-aided geometric design systems.

Localization for underwater robots remains a challenging issue. Typical sensors, such as Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers, cannot be used under the surface and other inertial systems suffer from a strong integration drift. On top of that, the seabed is generally uniform and unstructured, making it difficult to apply Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) methods to perform localization. Reliable Robot Localization presents an innovative new method which can be characterized as a raw-data SLAM approach. It differs from extant methods by considering time as a standard variable to be estimated, thus raising new opportunities for state estimation, so far underexploited. However, such temporal resolution is not straightforward and requires a set of theoretical tools in order to achieve the main purpose of localization. This book not only presents original contributions to the field of mobile robotics, it also offers new perspectives on constraint programming and set-membership approaches. It provides a reliable contractor programming framework in order to build solvers for dynamical systems. This set of tools is illustrated throughout this book with realistic robotic applications.

The Microsoft (R) Robotics Developer Studio (MSRDS) and LEGO (R) robots together offer a flexible platform for creating robotic systems. Designed for novices with basic programming skills, Robot Development Using Microsoft (R) Robotics Developer Studio provides clear instructions on developing and operating robots. It includes an extensive array of examples, with corresponding step-by-step tutorials and explanations. The first several chapters of the book introduce the development environment of MSRDS, including concurrency and coordination runtime (CCR), decentralized software services (DSS), visual simulation environment (VSE), and the Microsoft Visual Programming Language (MVPL). The text then covers the inputs and outputs to the robot and control logic and describes how MSRDS can be used to control a LEGO robot's hearing and vision. It also presents a real-life example involving a sumo robot contest. The final chapter provides information on related academic courses, websites, and books. The top-down approach used in this text helps readers think of a robot as a system rather than an assemblage of parts. Readers gain an understanding of methods for integration, design trade-offs, and teamwork-all essential skills for building robots. The MSRDS codes for all examples are available at http://msrds.caece.net/

Control Applications for Biomedical Engineering Systems presents different control engineering and modeling applications in the biomedical field. It is intended for senior undergraduate or graduate students in both control engineering and biomedical engineering programs. For control engineering students, it presents the application of various techniques already learned in theoretical lectures in the biomedical arena. For biomedical engineering students, it presents solutions to various problems in the field using methods commonly used by control engineers.

An important title in the 'Engineering Research Series', "Strategies for Collective Minimalist Mobile Robots" presents research on one of the most exciting areas of technology associated with robotics - co-ordinated teams, or groups, of tiny robots. These act colonially and behave as a body, or collect data individually, to feed information to a single data retrieval point, offering a network of information.

Intercommunication between many tiny robots allows for problem areas to be detected and concentrated upon, bringing the pack of robots together.

The developments and research reported here show the ways in which engineers are trying to mimic biological systems and behaviour to find solutions to engineering problems. Dr Melhuish's research aims to analyse various naturally occurring collective systems as models for robotic system development. He applied the results of observations of biological system behaviour among social insects, such as ants, to robot activity. Much of "Strategies for Collective Minimalist Mobile Robots" is concerned with a review of the remarkable achievements of groups of simple insects and the observation that collective achievement can far exceed the sum of individual performances. Although at an early stage of development and management, collective robotic technology has created a high level of interest from those involved in R & D among professional engineers.

COMPLETE CONTENTS: IntroductionBackground, issues, and related workMinimalist locomotionCollective minimalist movementMinimalist regulation of group sizeCollective minimalist action on the environmentCollective minimalist clusteringCollective minimalist sorting and segregationConclusions and further work.

Discovering the secrets of animal movement and what they can teach us Insects walk on water, snakes slither, and fish swim. Animals move with astounding grace, speed, and versatility: how do they do it, and what can we learn from them? In How to Walk on Water and Climb up Walls, David Hu takes readers on an accessible, wondrous journey into the world of animal motion. From basement labs at MIT to the rain forests of Panama, Hu shows how animals have adapted and evolved to traverse their environments, taking advantage of physical laws with results that are startling and ingenious. In turn, the latest discoveries about animal mechanics are inspiring scientists to invent robots and devices that move with similar elegance and efficiency. Hu follows scientists as they investigate a multitude of animal movements, from the undulations of sandfish and the way that dogs shake off water in fractions of a second to the seemingly crash-resistant characteristics of insect flight. Not limiting his exploration to individual organisms, Hu describes the ways animals enact swarm intelligence, such as when army ants cooperate and link their bodies to create bridges that span ravines. He also looks at what scientists learn from nature's unexpected feats-such as snakes that fly, mosquitoes that survive rainstorms, and dead fish that swim upstream. As researchers better understand such issues as energy, flexibility, and water repellency in animal movement, they are applying this knowledge to the development of cutting-edge technology. Integrating biology, engineering, physics, and robotics, How to Walk on Water and Climb up Walls demystifies the remarkable mechanics behind animal locomotion.