Tetrobot

Tetrobot

Robotic systems are characterized by the intersection of computer intelligence with the physical world. This blend of physical reasoning and computational intelligence is well illustrated by the Tetrobot study described in this book. Tetrobot: A Modular Approach to Reconfigurable Parallel Robotics describes a new approach to the design of robotic systems. The Tetrobot approach utilizes modular components which may be reconfigured into many different mechanisms which are suited to different applications. The Tetrobot system includes two unique contributions: a new mechanism (a multilink spherical joint design), and a new control architecture based on propagation of kinematic solutions through the structure. The resulting Tetrobot system consists of fundamental components which may be mechanically reassembled into any modular configuration, and the control architecture will provide position control of the resulting structure. A prototype Tetrobot system has been built and evaluated experimentally. Tetrobot arms, platforms, and walking machines have been built and controlled in a variety of motion and loading conditions. The Tetrobot system has applications in a variety of domains where reconfiguration, flexibility, load capacity, and failure recovery are important aspects of the task. A number of key research directions have been opened by the Tetrobot research activities. Continuing topics of interest include: development of a more distributed implementation of the computer control architecture, analysis of the dynamics of the Tetrobot system motion for improved control of high-speed motions, integration of sensor systems to control the motion and shape of the high-dimensionality systems, and exploration of self-reconfiguration of the system. Tetrobot: A Modular Approach to Reconfigurable Parallel Robotics will be of interest to research workers, specialists and professionals in the areas of robotics, mechanical systems and computer engineering.

International Conference on Advancements of Medicine and Health Care through Technology; 23 - 26 September 2009 Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Projections for advances in medical and biological technology will transform medical care and treatment. This in great part is due to the result of the interaction and collaboration between medical sciences and engineering. These advances will result in substantial progress in health care and in the quality of life of the population. Frequently however, the implications of technologies in terms of increasing recurrent costs, additional required support services, change in medical practice and training needs are underestimated. As a result, the widespread irrational use of te- nologies leads to a wastage of scarce resources and weakens health systems performance. To avoid such problems, a syst- atic and effective Health Technology System must be developed and introduced, requiring the support and commitment of decision makers of all levels of the health system. The MediTech2009 conference aims to provide a special opportunity for the Romanian professionals involved in basic - search, R&D, industry and medical applications to exchange their know-how and build up collaboration in one of the most human field of science and techniques. The conference is intended to be an international forum for researchers and practit- ners interested in the advance in, and applications of biomedical engineering to exchange the latest research results and ideas in the areas covered by the topics (and not only!). We believe the reader will find the proceedings an impressive document of progress to date in this rapidly changing field.

Sensor Fusion and Decentralized Control in Robotic Systems