The topics covered in this book range from modeling and programming languages and environments, via approaches for design and verification, to issues of ethics and regulation. In terms of techniques, there are results on model-based engineering, product lines, mission specification, component-based development, simulation, testing, and proof. Applications range from manufacturing to service robots, to autonomous vehicles, and even robots than evolve in the real world. A final chapter summarizes issues on ethics and regulation based on discussions from a panel of experts. The origin of this book is a two-day event, entitled RoboSoft, that took place in November 2019, in London. Organized with the generous support of the Royal Academy of Engineering and the University of York, UK, RoboSoft brought together more than 100 scientists, engineers and practitioners from all over the world, representing 70 international institutions. The intended readership includes researchers and practitioners with all levels of experience interested in working in the area of robotics, and software engineering more generally. The chapters are all self-contained, include explanations of the core concepts, and finish with a discussion of directions for further work. Chapters 'Towards Autonomous Robot Evolution', 'Composition, Separation of Roles and Model-Driven Approaches as Enabler of a Robotics Software Ecosystem' and 'Verifiable Autonomy and Responsible Robotics' are available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

This open access book reports on cutting-edge electrical engineering and microelectronics solutions to foster and support digitalization in the semiconductor industry. Based on the outcomes of the European project iDev40, which were presented at the two first conference editions of the European Advances in Digital Transformation Conference (EADCT 2018 and EADTC 2019), the book covers different, multidisciplinary aspects related to digital transformation, including technological and industrial developments, as well as human factors research and applications. Topics include modeling and simulation methods in semiconductor operations, supply chain management issues, employee training methods and workplaces optimization, as well as smart software and hardware solutions for semiconductor manufacturing. By highlighting industrially relevant developments and discussing open issues related to digital transformation, the book offers a timely, practice-oriented guide to graduate students, researchers and professionals interested in the digital transformation of manufacturing domains and work environments.

This book provides the state-of-the-art intelligent methods and techniques for solving real-world problems along with a vision of the future research. The fifth 2020 Future Technologies Conference was organized virtually and received a total of 590 submissions from academic pioneering researchers, scientists, industrial engineers, and students from all over the world. The submitted papers covered a wide range of important topics including but not limited to computing, electronics, artificial intelligence, robotics, security and communications and their applications to the real world. After a double-blind peer review process, 210 submissions (including 6 poster papers) have been selected to be included in these proceedings. One of the meaningful and valuable dimensions of this conference is the way it brings together a large group of technology geniuses in one venue to not only present breakthrough research in future technologies, but also to promote discussions and debate of relevant issues, challenges, opportunities and research findings. The authors hope that readers find the book interesting, exciting and inspiring

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? How to Walk on Water and Climb up Walls takes readers on a wondrous journey into the world of animal motion. From basement labs at MIT to the rain forests of Panama, David 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. Integrating biology, engineering, physics, and robotics, How to Walk on Water and Climb up Walls demystifies the remarkable secrets behind animal locomotion.

This book deals with "Computer Aided Writing", CAW for short. The contents of that is a sector of Knowledge based technics and Knowledge Management. The role of Knowledge Management in social media, education and Industry 4.0 is out of question. More important is the expectation of combining Knowledge Management and Cognitive Technology, which needs more and more new innovations in this field to face recent problems in social and technological areas. The book is intended to provide an overview of the state of research in this field, show the extent to which computer assistance in writing is already being used and present current research contributions. After a brief introduction into the history of writing and the tools that were created, the current developments are examined on the basis of a formal writing model. Tools such as word processing and content management systems will be discussed in detail. The special form of writing, "journalism", is used to examine the effects of Computer Aided Writing. We dedicate a separate chapter to the topic of research, since it is of essential importance in the writing process. With Knowledge Discovery from Text (KDT) and recommendation systems we enter the field of Knowledge Management in the context of Computer Aided Writing. Finally, we will look at methods for automated text generation before giving a final outlook on future developments.

This book introduces readers to the shell structure, operating principle, manufacturing process, and control theory for cylindrical vibratory gyroscopes. The cylindrical vibratory gyroscope is an important type of Coriolis vibratory gyroscope that holds considerable potential for development and application. The main aspects addressed include: operating principle and structure, theoretical analysis and modeling, dynamic analysis and modeling, manufacturing process, parameter testing methods, closed-loop control, and the error compensation mechanism in cylindrical vibratory gyroscopes.

This book shares important findings on the application of robotics in industry using advanced mechanisms, including software and hardware. It presents a collection of recent trends and research on various advanced computing paradigms such as soft computing, robotics, smart automation, power control, and uncertainty analysis. The book constitutes the proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Application of Robotics in Industry using Advanced Mechanisms (ARIAM2019), which offered a platform for sharing original research findings, presenting innovative ideas and applications, and comparing notes on various aspects of robotics. The contributions highlight the latest research and industrial applications of robotics, and discuss approaches to improving the smooth functioning of industries. Moreover, they focus on designing solutions for complex engineering problems and designing system components or processes to meet specific needs, with due considerations for public health and safety, including cultural, societal, and environmental considerations. Taken together, they offer a valuable resource for researchers, scientists, engineers, professionals and students alike.

This book tackles all the stages and mechanisms involved in the learning of manipulation tasks by bimanual robots in unstructured settings, as it can be the task of folding clothes. The first part describes how to build an integrated system, capable of properly handling the kinematics and dynamics of the robot along the learning process. It proposes practical enhancements to closed-loop inverse kinematics for redundant robots, a procedure to position the two arms to maximize workspace manipulability, and a dynamic model together with a disturbance observer to achieve compliant control and safe robot behavior. In the second part, methods for robot motion learning based on movement primitives and direct policy search algorithms are presented. To improve sampling efficiency and accelerate learning without deteriorating solution quality, techniques for dimensionality reduction, for exploiting low-performing samples, and for contextualization and adaptability to changing situations are proposed. In sum, the reader will find in this comprehensive exposition the relevant knowledge in different areas required to build a complete framework for model-free, compliant, coordinated robot motion learning.

This book describes new theories and applications of artificial neural networks, with a special focus on answering questions in neuroscience, biology and biophysics and cognitive research. It covers a wide range of methods and technologies, including deep neural networks, large scale neural models, brain computer interface, signal processing methods, as well as models of perception, studies on emotion recognition, self-organization and many more. The book includes both selected and invited papers presented at the XXI International Conference on Neuroinformatics, held on October 7-11, 2019, in Dolgoprudny, a town in Moscow region, Russia.

This book showcases new theoretical findings and techniques in the field of intelligent systems and control. It presents in-depth studies on a number of major topics, including: Multi-Agent Systems, Complex Networks, Intelligent Robots, Complex System Theory and Swarm Behavior, Event-Triggered Control and Data-Driven Control, Robust and Adaptive Control, Big Data and Brain Science, Process Control, Intelligent Sensor and Detection Technology, Deep learning and Learning Control, Guidance, Navigation and Control of Aerial Vehicles, and so on. Given its scope, the book will benefit all researchers, engineers, and graduate students who want to learn about cutting-edge advances in intelligent systems, intelligent control, and artificial intelligence.

This book features selected papers presented at the 14th International Conference on Electromechanics and Robotics 'Zavalishin's Readings' - ER(ZR) 2019, held in Kursk, Russia, on April 17-20, 2019. The contributions, written by professionals, researchers and students, cover topics in the field of automatic control systems, electromechanics, electric power engineering and electrical engineering, mechatronics, robotics, automation and vibration technologies. The Zavalishin's Readings conference was established as a tribute to the memory of Dmitry Aleksandrovich Zavalishin (1900-1968) - a Russian scientist, corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Sciences, and founder of the school of valve energy converters based on electric machines and valve converters energy. The first conference was organized by the Institute of Innovative Technologies in Electromechanics and Robotics at the Saint Petersburg State University of Aerospace Instrumentation in 2006. The 2019 conference was held with the XIII International Scientific and Technical Conference "Vibration 2019", and was organized by Saint Petersburg State University of Aerospace Instrumentation (SUAI), Saint Petersburg Institute for Informatics and Automation of the Russian Academy of Sciences (SPIIRAS) and the Southwest State University (SWSU) in with cooperation Russian Foundation for Basic Research (project No. 19-08-20021).

This book presents high-quality papers from the Seventh Asia International Symposium on Mechatronics (AISM 2019). It discusses the latest technological trends and advances in electromechanical coupling and environmental adaptability design for electronic equipment, sensing and measurement, mechatronics in manufacturing and automation, micro-mechatronics, energy harvesting & storage, robotics, automation and control systems. It includes papers based on original theoretical, practical and experimental simulations, development, applications, measurements, and testing. The applications and solutions discussed here provide excellent reference material for future product developments.

This book presents select peer-reviewed proceedings of the International Conference on Frontiers in Smart Systems Technologies (ICFSST 2019). It focuses on latest research and cutting-edge technologies in smart systems and intelligent autonomous systems with advanced functionality. Comprising topics related to diverse aspects of smart technologies such as high security, reliability, miniaturization, energy consumption, and intelligent data processing, the book contains contributions from academics as well as industry. Given the range of the topics covered, this book will prove useful for students, researchers, and professionals alike.

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.

This book focuses on the design, development, and characterization of a compact magnetic laser scanner for microsurgical applications. In addition, it proposes a laser incision depth controller to be used in soft tissue microsurgeries. The use of laser scanners in soft tissue microsurgery results in high quality ablations with minimal thermal damage to surrounding tissue. However, current scanner technologies for microsurgery are limited to free-beam lasers, which require direct line-of-sight to the surgical site, from outside the patient. Developing compact laser micromanipulation systems is crucial to introducing laser-scanning capabilities in hard-to-reach surgical sites, e.g., vocal cords. In this book, the design and fabrication of a magnetically actuated endoscopic laser scanner have been shown, one that introduces high-speed laser scanning for high quality, non-contact tissue ablations in narrow workspaces. Static and dynamic characterization of the system, its teleoperation through a tablet device, and its control modelling for automated trajectory executions have been shown using a fabricated and assembled prototype. Following this, the book discusses how the laser position and velocity control capabilities of the scanner can be used to design a laser incision depth controller to assist surgeons during operations.

The book Intelligent Systems and Applications - Proceedings of the 2020 Intelligent Systems Conference is a remarkable collection of chapters covering a wider range of topics in areas of intelligent systems and artificial intelligence and their applications to the real world. The Conference attracted a total of 545 submissions from many academic pioneering researchers, scientists, industrial engineers, students from all around the world. These submissions underwent a double-blind peer review process. Of those 545 submissions, 177 submissions have been selected to be included in these proceedings. As intelligent systems continue to replace and sometimes outperform human intelligence in decision-making processes, they have enabled a larger number of problems to be tackled more effectively.This branching out of computational intelligence in several directions and use of intelligent systems in everyday applications have created the need for such an international conference which serves as a venue to report on up-to-the-minute innovations and developments. This book collects both theory and application based chapters on all aspects of artificial intelligence, from classical to intelligent scope. We hope that readers find the volume interesting and valuable; it provides the state of the art intelligent methods and techniques for solving real world problems along with a vision of the future research.

This book advances research on mobile robot localization in unknown environments by focusing on machine-learning-based natural scene recognition. The respective chapters highlight the latest developments in vision-based machine perception and machine learning research for localization applications, and cover such topics as: image-segmentation-based visual perceptual grouping for the efficient identification of objects composing unknown environments; classification-based rapid object recognition for the semantic analysis of natural scenes in unknown environments; the present understanding of the Prefrontal Cortex working memory mechanism and its biological processes for human-like localization; and the application of this present understanding to improve mobile robot localization. The book also features a perspective on bridging the gap between feature representations and decision-making using reinforcement learning, laying the groundwork for future advances in mobile robot navigation research.

In this book Part I presents first an overview of the ECHORD++ project, with its mission and vision together with a detailed structure of its functionalities and instruments: Experiments, Robotic Innovation Facilities and Public end-user Driven Technology Innovation PDTI. Chapter 1 explains how the project is born, the partners, the different instruments and the new concept of cascade funding projects. This novelty made ECHORD++ a special project along the huge number of research groups and consortia involved in the whole project. So far, it is the European funded project with more research team and partners involved in the robotic field. In Chapter 2, one of the instruments in ECHORD++ is explained in detail: RIF. Robotic innovation facilities are a set of laboratories across Europe funded with the project with the goal of hosting consortia involved in any experiment that have special needs when testing their robotic research. In the chapter the three different and specific RIFs will be described and analyzed. Chapter 3 explains an important instrument in ECHORD++: the Experiments. In this part, a big number of research groups have been involve in short time funded research projects. The chapter explains the management of such Experiments, from the call for participation, the candidate's selection, the monitoring, reviews and funding for each of the 36 experiments funded for Echord. Chapter 4 is very special because it presents the innovation of funding public end-user driven technology, in particular, robotic technology. The robotic challenge is the key of such an instruments together with the management of the different consortia that participated competitively in the success of the robotic challenge proposed by a public entity, selected also with a very special and innovative process.

This volume of the series ARENA2036 compiles the outcomes of the first Stuttgart Conference on Automotive Production (SCAP2020). It contains peer-reviewed contributions from a theoretical as well as practical vantage point and is topically structured according to the following four sections: It discusses (I) Novel Approaches for Efficient Production and Assembly Planning, (II) Smart Production Systems and Data Services, (III) Advances in Manufacturing Processes and Materials, and (IV) New Concepts for Autonomous, Collaborative Intralogistics. Given the restrictive circumstances of 2020, the conference was held as a fully digital event divided into two parts. It opened with a pre-week, allowing everyone to peruse the scientific contributions at their own pace, followed by a two-day live event that enabled experts from the sciences and the industry to engage in various discussions. The conference has proven itself as an insightful forum that allowed for an expertly exchange regarding the pivotal Advances in Automotive Production and Technology.

The book reports on advanced topics in interactive robotics research and practice; in particular, it addresses non-technical obstacles to the broadest uptake of these technologies. It focuses on new technologies that can physically and cognitively interact with humans, including neural interfaces, soft wearable robots, and sensor and actuator technologies; further, it discusses important regulatory challenges, including but not limited to business models, standardization, education and ethical-legal-socioeconomic issues. Gathering the outcomes of the 1st INBOTS Conference (INBOTS2018), held on October 16-20, 2018 in Pisa, Italy, the book addresses the needs of a broad audience of academics and professionals working in government and industry, as well as end users. In addition to providing readers with detailed information and a source of inspiration for new projects and collaborations, it discusses representative case studies highlighting practical challenges in the implementation of interactive robots in a number of fields, as well as solutions to improve communication between different stakeholders. By merging engineering, medical, ethical and political perspectives, the book offers a multidisciplinary, timely snapshot of interactive robotics.

This book provides scientific research into Cognitive Internet of Things for Smart Society, with papers presented at the 2nd EAI International Conference on Robotic Sensor Networks. The conference explores the integration of networks and robotic technologies, which has become a topic of increasing interest for both researchers and developers from academic fields and industries worldwide. The authors posit that big networks will be the main approach to the next generation of robotic research, with the explosive number of networks models and increasing computational power of computers significantly extending the number of potential applications for robotic technologies while also bringing new challenges to the network's community. The 2nd EAI International Conference on Robotic Sensor Networks was held 25-26 August 2018 at the Kitakyushu International Conference Center (MICE), Kitakyushu, Japan.

This is the fourth volume of the successful series Robot Operating Systems: The Complete Reference, providing a comprehensive overview of robot operating systems (ROS), which is currently the main development framework for robotics applications, as well as the latest trends and contributed systems. The book is divided into four parts: Part 1 features two papers on navigation, discussing SLAM and path planning. Part 2 focuses on the integration of ROS into quadcopters and their control. Part 3 then discusses two emerging applications for robotics: cloud robotics, and video stabilization. Part 4 presents tools developed for ROS; the first is a practical alternative to the roslaunch system, and the second is related to penetration testing. This book is a valuable resource for ROS users and wanting to learn more about ROS capabilities and features.

The "2019 DigitalFUTURES - The 1st International Conference on Computational Design and Robotic Fabrication (CDRF 2019)" provides an international platform for advanced scientific research papers on the digital technology of architectural design and construction. The themes of the papers include, but are not limited to, architectural theories, tools, methods and procedures in material intelligence, data intelligence; computational intelligence, and robotic intelligence.

These proceedings showcase the best papers selected from more than 500 submissions, and introduce readers to the latest research topics and developmental trends in the theory and application of MMESE. The integrated research topic Man-Machine-Environment System Engineering (MMESE) was first established in China by Professor Shengzhao Long in 1981, with direct support from one of the greatest modern Chinese scientists, Xuesen Qian. In a letter to Long from October 22nd, 1993, Qian wrote: "You have created a very important modern science and technology in China!" MMESE studies the optimum combination of man-machine-environment systems. In this system, "man" refers to the people in the workplace (e.g. operators, decision-makers); "machine" is the general name for any object controlled by man (including tools, machinery, computers, systems and technologies), and "environment" describes the specific working conditions under which man and machine interact (e.g. temperature, noise, vibration, hazardous gases, etc.). The three main goals of optimizing man-machine-environment systems are to ensure safety, efficiency and economy. These proceedings present interdisciplinary studies on concepts and methods from physiology, psychology, system engineering, computer science, environmental science, management, education, and other related disciplines. They offer a valuable resource for all researchers and professionals whose work involves interdisciplinary areas touching on MMESE subjects.