scholarly journals Paquitop.arm, a Mobile Manipulator for Assessing Emerging Challenges in the COVID-19 Pandemic Scenario

Robotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 102
Author(s):  
Giovanni Colucci ◽  
Luigi Tagliavini ◽  
Luca Carbonari ◽  
Paride Cavallone ◽  
Andrea Botta ◽  
...  

The use of automation and robotics technologies for caregiving and assistance has become a very interesting research topic in the field of robotics. The spread of COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of social distancing in hospitals and health centers, and collaborative robotics can bring substantial improvements in terms of sparing health workers basic operations. Thus, researchers from Politecnico di Torino are working on Paquitop.arm, a mobile robot for assistive tasks. The purpose of this paper is to present a system composed of an omnidirectional mobile platform, a 6 DOF robot arm, and a depth camera. Task-oriented considerations are made to estimate a set of mounting parameters that represents a trade-off between the exploitation of the robot arm workspace and the compactness of the entire system. To this end, dexterity and force transmission indexes are introduced to study both the kinematic and the static behavior of the manipulator as a function of the mounting parameters. Finally, to avoid singularities during the execution of the task, the platform approach to the task workspaces is studied.

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 ◽  
pp. 122-125
Author(s):  
Hasniati ◽  
Badu Ahmad ◽  
Andi Ahmad Yani ◽  
Nur Indrayanti Nur Indar ◽  
Atta Irene Allorante ◽  
...  

2011 ◽  
Vol 08 (03) ◽  
pp. 181-195
Author(s):  
ZHAOXIAN XIE ◽  
HISASHI YAMAGUCHI ◽  
MASAHITO TSUKANO ◽  
AIGUO MING ◽  
MAKOTO SHIMOJO

As one of the home services by a mobile manipulator system, we are aiming at the realization of the stand-up motion support for elderly people. This work is charaterized by the use of real-time feedback control based on the information from high speed tactile sensors for detecting the contact force as well as its center of pressure between the assisted human and the robot arm. First, this paper introduces the design of the tactile sensor as well as initial experimental results to show the feasibility of the proposed system. Moreover, several fundamental tactile sensing-based motion controllers necessary for the stand-up motion support and their experimental verification are presented. Finally, an assist trajectory generation method for the stand-up motion support by integrating fuzzy logic with tactile sensing is proposed and demonstrated experimentally.


Volume 2 ◽  
2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reza Ravani ◽  
Ali Meghdari

The aim of this paper is to demonstrate that the techniques of Computer Aided Geometric Design such as spatial rational curves and surfaces could be applied to Kinematics, Computer Animation and Robotics. For this purpose we represent a method which utilizes a special class of rational curves called Rational Frenet-Serret (RF) [8] curves for robot trajectory planning. RF curves distinguished by the property that the motion of their Frenet-Serret frame is rational. We describe an algorithm for interpolation of positions by a rational Frenet-Serret motion. Further more we provide an analysis on spatial frames (Frenet-Serret frame and Rotation Minimizing frame) for smooth robot arm motion and investigate their applications in sweep surface modeling.


Author(s):  
Michael John Chua ◽  
Yen-Chen Liu

Abstract This paper presents cooperation and null-space control for networked mobile manipulators with high degrees of freedom (DOFs). First, kinematic model and Euler-Lagrange dynamic model of the mobile manipulator, which has an articulated robot arm mounted on a mobile base with omni-directional wheels, have been presented. Then, the dynamic decoupling has been considered so that the task-space and the null-space can be controlled separately to accomplish different missions. The motion of the end-effector is controlled in the task-space, and the force control is implemented to make sure the cooperation of the mobile manipulators, as well as the transportation tasks. Also, the null-space control for the manipulator has been combined into the decoupling control. For the mobile base, it is controlled in the null-space to track the velocity of the end-effector, avoid other agents, avoid the obstacles, and move in a defined range based on the length of the manipulator without affecting the main task. Numerical simulations have been addressed to demonstrate the proposed methods.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abimbola Olaniran ◽  
Jane Briggs ◽  
Ami Pradhan ◽  
Erin Bogue ◽  
Benjamin Schreiber ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: This paper explores the extent of community-level stock-out of essential medicines among Community Health Workers (CHWs) in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) and identifies the reasons for and consequences of essential medicine stock-outs. Methods: A systematic review following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines was conducted. Five electronic databases were searched with a prespecified strategy and the grey literature examined, January 2006 - March 2021. Papers containing information on (i) the percentage of CHWs stocked out or (ii) reasons for stock-outs along the supply chain and consequences of stock-out were included and appraised for risk of bias. Outcomes were quantitative data on the extent of stock-out, summarized using descriptive statistics, and qualitative data regarding reasons for and consequences of stock-outs, analyzed using thematic content analysis and narrative synthesis. Results: Two reviewers screened 1083 records; 78 evaluations were included. Over the last fifteen years, CHWs experienced stock-outs of essential medicines nearly one third of the time and at a significantly (p < 0.01) higher rate than the health centers to which they are affiliated (28.93% [CI 95%: 28.79 - 29.07] vs 9.17 % [CI 95%: 8.64 - 9.70], respectively). A comparison of the period 2006-2015 and 2016-2021 showed a significant (p < 0.01) increase in CHW stock-out level from 26.36% [CI 95%: 26.22 -26.50] to 48.65% [CI 95%: 48.02- 49.28] while that of health centers increased from 7.79% [95% CI: 7.16 - 8.42] to 14.28% [95% CI: 11.22- 17.34]. Distribution barriers were the most cited reasons for stock-outs. Ultimately, patients were the most affected: stock-outs resulted in out-of-pocket expenses to buy unavailable medicines, poor adherence to medicine regimes, dissatisfaction, and low service utilization. Conclusion: Community-level stock-out of essential medicines constitutes a serious threat to achieving universal health coverage and equitable improvement of health outcomes. This paper suggests stock-outs are getting worse, and that there are particular barriers at the last mile. There is an urgent need to address the health and non-health system constraints that prevent the essential medicines procured for LMICs by international and national stakeholders from reaching the people who need them the most.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 367-370
Author(s):  
Cia Aprilianti

The failure to implement Exclusive Breast Milk (ASI) is often obtained in the early period after delivery because the milk has not yet been released is a reason for mothers to provide formula milk. This activity aims to provide lactation massage education for third-trimester pregnant women to increase breastfeeding. The activity was carried out in four meetings. The implementation of the activity went well, and the majority of participant characteristics were ideal (80%), multi-parity (70%), mothers with low education levels (70%), and mothers working as IRT (90%). It is hoped that outreach activities on lactation massage for pregnant women can be used as a routine program for health centers and health workers so that they can assist and prepare pregnant women with knowledge about exclusive breastfeeding before delivery.


Author(s):  
Jessica Gloria Mogi ◽  
Gustaaf A. E. Ratag

Background: The Indonesian government recognizes the importance of mental health issues as indicated by the inclusion of such issues as indicators in the national program, the Healthy Indonesian Program with Family Approach (PIS-PK). This program is enforced in community health centers (puskesmas) in every regency in the country. However, the continually increasing number of mental disorder cases and the intense stigmatization of people with these disorders indicate the need to re-evaluate the capacity and delivery of designated centers’ mental health programs.Methods: This community survey involved interviewing the program directors of four community health centers in north Minahasa using the WHO-AIMS 2.2 questionnaire.Results: Very little effort has been made to improve mental health facilities and programs. Examples of aspects of health facilities that are lacking include training for health workers, the provision of psychotropic drugs, and supported employment or occupational rehabilitation.Conclusions: Community health centers are primary healthcare facilities for society. Therefore, mental health services should be implemented as one of their main programs.


2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 24-33
Author(s):  
Nam Nguyen ◽  
Trang Nguyen ◽  
Van Truong ◽  
Kim Dang ◽  
Nina Siman ◽  
...  

Community health workers (in Vietnam referred to as village health workers) have the potential to play a key role in expanding access to evidence-based tobacco use treatment. We conducted a cluster randomized controlled trial in community health centers in Vietnam that compared the effect of provider advice and cessation assistance (i.e. brief counseling and patient education materials) (BC) vs. BC + three sessions of in-person counseling delivered by a village health worker (BC+R) on providers’ and village health workers’ adherence to tobacco use treatment guidelines. All village health workers and health care providers received training. This paper presents data on the effect of the intervention on village health workers’ adherence to tobacco use treatment guidelines, including asking about tobacco use, advising smokers to quit, offering assistance and their attitude, norms, and self-efficacy related to tobacco use treatment. We examined changes in adherence to tobacco use treatment guidelines before and 12 months after the intervention among 89 village health workers working in the 13 community health centers enrolled in the BC+R study condition. Village health workers’ adherence to tobacco use treatment guidelines increased significantly. Village health workers were more likely to ask about tobacco use (3.4% at baseline, 32.6% at 12 months), offer advice to quit (4.5% to 48.3%) and offer assistance (1.1% to 38.2%). Perceived barriers to treating tobacco use decreased significantly. Self-efficacy and attitudes towards treating tobacco use improved significantly. Increased adherence to tobacco use treatment guidelines was associated with positive attitudes towards their role in delivering tobacco use treatment and increasing awareness of the community health center smoke-free policy. The findings suggest that, with training and support systems, village health workers can extend their role to include smoking cessation services. This workforce could represent a sustainable resource for supporting smokers who wish to quit.


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