Vast improvements in robotics and wireless communication have made teleoperated robots significantly more prevalent in industry, defense, and research. To help bridge the gap for these robots in the workplace, there has been a tremendous increase in research toward the development of biomimetic robotic hands that can simulate human operators. However, current methods of control are limited in scope and do not adequately represent human muscle memory and skills. The vision of this thesis is to provide a pathway for overcoming these limitations and open an opportunity for development and implementation of a cost effective methodology towards controlling a robotic hand. The first chapter describes the experiments conducted using Flexpoint bend sensors in conjunction with a simple voltage divider to generate a cost-effective data glove that is significantly less expensive than the commercially available alternatives. The data glove was able to provide sensitivity of less than 0.1 degrees. The second chapter describes the molding process for embedding pressure sensors in silicone skin and data acquisition from them to control the robotic hand. The third chapter describes a method for parsing and observing the information from the data glove and translating the relevant control variables to the robotic hand. The fourth chapter focuses on the feasibility of the brain computer interfaces (BCI) and successfully demonstrates the implementation of a simple brain computer interface in controlling a robotic hand. / Master of Science

La peau est un organe capable de se régénérer et de cicatriser. Elle constitue la première barrière de protection de notre organisme contre les agressions physico-chimiques extérieures. Depuis plusieurs décennies des recherches ont été menées pour maîtriser la culture du derme pour plusieurs applications telles que la greffe des grands brulés. L’aspect technologique de ce domaine a fait l’objet de plusieurs travaux. Dans les années 2000, l'équipe de notre laboratoire a proposé la méthode de culture du derme associée à des microsystèmes en silicium. C’est l’unique méthode actuelle qui permet la mesure des forces isométrique du derme équivalent lors de sa culture.Dans une première étude, nous avons proposé des nouvelles méthodes de mesure des forces isométriques qui s’exercent dans des peaux reconstruites en culture entre deux lames de silicium afin de fabriquer un bio-dispositif miniaturisé à faible coût. Ainsi, les dimensions optimales ont été calculées et des nouvelles lames ont été fabriquées. L’optimisation que nous avons retenue est relative à l’amélioration de la sensibilité de la mesure des forces. Afin de quantifier le fléchissement de lames due aux forces isométriques appliquées par le derme en culture, nous avons opté pour la mesure des déplacements des lames sous l’effets des forces isométriques, à l’aide d’ondes acoustiques de surface (SAW). Ce choix se justifie par la simplicité de l’intégration des transducteurs interdigités qui génèrent les ondes acoustiques, de la possibilité d’utiliser une interrogation sans fils et la réalisation physique de l’intercorrélation des ondes générées.A l’aide de simulation nous avons identifié les déformations des ondes et les écarts de fréquence qu’elles provoquent. En effet, la dissymétrie de la courbe d’intercorrélation des signaux transmis et reçus, par les transducteurs interdigités, est intiment liée à l’écart de fréquence de l’onde reçue. Nous avons démontré que le fléchissement engendre bien la dissymétrie dans l’axe du temps qui peut être mesurée plus précisément dans les limites d‘échantillonnage. Deux démonstrateurs sont modélisés et fabriqués dans la salle blanche afin de valider l’instrumentation et le principe de transduction d’un signal chirpé avec une onde acoustique de surface. Les résultats obtenus montrent que la méthode de mesure à l’aide d’une onde acoustique nous permet de faire de mesure de force mais dans une gamme d’intensité plus élevée que celle attendue. Par la suite, nous avons étudié la méthode de mesure de forces par les capteurs à base de piézorésistances. Sachant que la technique est basée sur la variation de résistivité du matériau déformé, nous avons décidé de replacer les grilles de lame prévue pour l’accrochage du derme en culture par le matériau piézorésistif implanté sur les micro poutres. Afin d’améliorer la résolution de détection de faibles forces une série de calcul et de simulations de la position et les dimensions du matériau piézorésistif et des micropoutres sont effectués et présentés. Une autre étude que nous avons menée en parallèle concerne le développement d’une instrumentation embarquée permettant de suivre la croissance du derme en culture basé sur un système de vision. Vu les conditions strictes de notre cahier de charges qui exigeait la portabilité et l’autonomie de système final, nous avons prévu le développement d’un système de vision embarqué basé sur un module de caméra et une carte FPGA. La caméra à haute définition montée sur le système de boite de culture finale avec un objectif permet de prendre des images de fluorescences des cellules en culture. / The skin is an organ which can regenerate and heal. It is the first shield of protection of our body against external physico-chemical aggression. For several decades, researches have been conducted to control the dermis culture for several applications such as grafting large burns. The technological aspect of this area has been the subject of several works. In the 2000s, the team of our laboratory proposed the dermis culture method associated with silicon microsystems. This is the only current method that allows the measurement of isometric forces of the equivalent dermis during its culture.In a first stage of study, in order to produce a miniaturized and low-cost bio-device, we proposed new methods to measure isometric forces in reconstructed skins in culture between two silicon beams. Thus, the optimal dimensions were calculated and new beams were fabricated. The chosen optimization is related to improve the sensitivity of the force measurement. To quantify the deflection of the beams due to the isometric forces applied by the dermis in culture, we opted for the measurement of the displacements of the beams under the influence of the isometric forces by using surface acoustic waves (SAW). This choice is justified by the simplicity of the integration of the interdigital transducers (IDT) that generate the SAW, the possibility of using a wireless interrogation and the physical realization of the cross-correlation of the generated waves.Using simulation, we have identified the frequency deviations caused by wave deformations. Indeed, the dissymmetry of the cross-correlation curve of the signals generated and received by IDT is closely related to the frequency deviation of the received wave. We have evidenced that the beam deflection generates the dissymmetry in the time axis which can be measured more precisely within the limits of sampling. Two demonstrators were designed and manufactured in the clean room to validate the instrumentation and the principle of transducing a chirped signal with a SAW. The obtained results show that the proposed SAW-based force measuring method allows us to measure force, but in a higher intensity range than expected. Subsequently, we studied the method of force measurement by piezoresistors. Considering that the technique is based on the variation of resistivity of the deformed material, we decided to replace the silicon grids provided for the attachment of the dermis in culture by the piezoresistive material implanted on the silicon micro-beams. To improve the low-resolution detection, a series of calculations and simulations of the positions and the dimensions of the piezoresistive material and the micro-beams have been carried out and presented. Another study that we conducted in parallel concerns the development of an on-board instrumentation to monitor the growth of the dermis in culture based on a vision system. Considering of the strict conditions of our specifications that required the portability and autonomy of the final system, we developed an embedded vision system based on a camera module and a FPGA card. The high definition camera mounted on the system of final culture box with a lens allows to take fluorescence images of cells in culture.

The purpose of this project is to explore the FBG (Fiber Bragg Grating) technology and create a force sensor. The result can be used as a basis for further projects.The project starts with force and strain measurements. The project then evolves to incorporate multiple FBG sensors. An uncommon method of writing the FBG withcoating is tested, which results in a FBG with most of the coating left.The result is a multi-FBG sensor. And even though the individual FBG is not linear the sum shows fantastic linearity with R-square of 0.99999. The change in wavelength is 1328pm/N. A common issue in the strain measurement is discussed and proof is provided. This shows that the reference value of the FBG is 1.12pm/μstrain instead of 1.21pm/μstrain. This is important if the FBG is mounted in a structure, because then the material proprieties will be dominating. Another result is that the peaks of Fabry Perot grating pair are linear but with different coecients.

Organic and inorganic nanostructured materials, nano- and mesoscale objects and devices, and their integration into existing microelectronic technologies have been at the center of recent fundamental and applied research in nanotechnology. One of the critical needs is to develop an enhanced predictive capability of structure-property correlations and enable robust high performance systems by design. My thesis work was concerned with the theoretical and experimental studies of electronic and mechanical properties of chemically functionalized nanowires. I will describe a theoretical approach for investigating structure-property correlations in atomic-sized metallic wires based on the Density Functional Theory (DFT) for structure calculations and the Non-equilibrium Green's Function (NEGF) technique for electronic transport properties simulations. This synergistic approach is shown to yield the atomic structure of the smallest niobium nanowires. Furthermore, the method was applied to simulate electronic properties of chemically functionalized graphene nanoribbons. Further, I will demonstrate an experimental technique for simultaneous measurements of force and conductance in atomic-size objects based on quartz tuning fork piezoelectric sensors. A peculiar scaling effect, relevant for a broad range of test and measurement applications, namely the squeeze film effect, was observed during the development of the sensors. Using theoretical analysis based on finite element simulations of the hydrodynamic behavior of the sensors in a broad range of ambient conditions, I explain the observed phenomenon.

<p>U disertaciji je prikazano teorijsko i praktično istraživanje koje se odnosi na projektovanje, fabrikaciju i karakterizaciju heterogeno integrisanih induktivnih senzora za mjerenje sile, pritiska i pomjeraja. Cilj istraživanja doktorske disertacije je kombinovanje različitih tehnologija izrade i materijala, kako bi se projektovali senzori koji će biti konkurentni aktuelnim rešenjima, i koji bi se mogli koristiti za konkretne primjene. U okviru istraživanja, heterogenom integracijom su kombinovane prednosti tehnologije štampanih ploča (Printed Circuit Board - PCB), fleksibilne tehnologije i tehnologije niskotemperaturne zajedno-pečene keramike (Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramics &ndash; LTCC). Razvijena su tri prototipa senzora za mjerenje sile, pritiska i pomjeraja korišćenjem struktura sa induktorom i feritom u njegovoj blizini. Mjerenje realizovanih prototipova senzora vrši se bežično pomoću spregnutog antenskog namotaja. Na osnovu početnih rezultata ispitivanja, senzori su modifikovani u cilju poboljšanja i optimizovanja performansi. Projektovani senzori omogućavaju bežično mjerenje, jeftini su, kompaktni i jednostavni. Na osnovu teorijske analize, simulacija, eksperimetnalnih mjerenja, ustanovljena je ispravnost rada i primjenljivost realizovanih senzora.</p> / <p>In doctoral thesis theoretical and practical investigation on design, fabrication and characterisation of heterogenous integrated inductive sensors for measuring force, pressure and displacement are shown. The aim of the thesis is to investige the usage of different technologies and materials in order to design sensors which will be competitive to actual solutions and usable for specific aplications. Using heterogenous integraton, advantages of Printed Circuit Board technology (PCB), flexible and Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramics (LTCC) technologies are used. Three sensor prototypes for measuring force, pressure and displacement are developed using inductor and ferrite in its near proximity. Measurements of the realised sensor prototypes are wirelessly done using an external surrounding coil as an antenna. Based on the initial measuring results, sensors are redesigned in order to improve and optimize their performance. Projected sensors are low-cost, compact, simple, and enable wireless measurement. The proper operation and applicability of realized sensors are confirmed using theoretical analysis, simulation and experimental testing with presented results.</p>

<p>U doktorskoj disertaciji razmatra se merenje sile i pomeraja pomoću<br />senzora koji mogu da se integrišu u već postojeće elemente na<br />robotskim i industrijskim sistemima. Sila se meri merenjem<br />deformacije elastičnog elementa. Za merenje pomeraja postignuto je<br />na dva načina: optičkom komponentom i induktivnom strukturom<br />izrađenom štampanjem na fleksibilnoj foliji i njenim odgovarajućim<br />sečenjem. Merenje sile demonstrirano je na primeru klatna sa bazom<br />kod kojeg se meri sila kontakta sa podlogom, a merenje pomeraja je<br />pokazano na primeru merenja vibracija. Sistem za merenje vibracija<br />dopunjen je i sistemom za automatsko podešavanje radne tačke koji se<br />može iskoristiti za automatsku kalibraciju.</p> / <p>In this thesis, measurement of force and displacement has been analyzed<br />using sensors which can be embedded into existing elements of robotic and<br />industrial systems. Force is measured by measuring the deformation of<br />elastic elements. Two mehtods have been applied to displacement<br />measurement: an optical component and an inductive structure fabricated by<br />printing on flexible substrate and its subsequent cutting. Measurement of<br />force has been demonstrated on a pendulum attached to its base, where the<br />contact between the base and its support is measured. Displacement<br />measurement has been shown by measuring vibration. The vibration<br />measurement system is supplemented with an automatic operating point<br />adjustment system which also adds an automatic calibration feature.</p>

Inom kanotsporten är synkronisering av paddeltag i en kanot med fler än en kanotist väldigt viktig för att uppnå en så hög hastighet som möjligt. Hans Rosdahl från Gymnastik- och Idrottshögskolan har därför gett i uppdrag att utveckla en mobilapplikation som ger respons till kanotisten som använder applikationen om dennes paddeltag är synkroniserad med frontkanotisten. En förstudie har därför utförts för att bland annat undersöka de olika sensoralternativen som fanns tillgängliga och en applikation inom operativsystemet Android har utvecklats. Applikationen ansluter sig till IMU-sensorer, Intertial Measurement Unit, som sitter på varje paddel och som mäter tröghetskrafterna för att bestämma orientering av sensorn. Applikationen tar emot IMU-data från sensorerna som sitter på användarkanotistens och frontkanotistens paddlar och varje sensor avgör när ett paddeltag har utförts genom orienteringen på sensorn. Denna sensordata som visar ett utfört paddeltag används för att beräkna tidsskillnaden är på paddeltagen från båda kanotister. När tidsskillnaden har räknats ut får användaren visuell respons på mobilskärmen om denne är synkroniserad med frontkanotisten eller inte och på vilken nivå synkroniseringen ligger. / Synchronisation of paddle stroke is an important aspect within the sports of paddling with multiple paddles in one boat to maximise the velocity. Hans Rosdahl from The Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, GIH, therefore provided a task to develop a mobile phone application that offers feedback to the paddlers using the application if their paddle stroke is synchronised with the paddler in front. A pre-study has been carried out to investigate possible sensor alternatives that are available, and an application has been developed for the mobile operative system Android. The application connects to an IMU, Inertial Measurement Unit, sensor that measures inertia to determine the orientation of the sensor node. The application receives sensor data from the IMU from the user paddler’s and the front paddler’s sensor nodes and each sensor determines when a paddle stroke has occurred using its orientation. The data showing a stroke is used to calculate the time difference between these strokes to evaluate if the user is synchronised with the front paddler or not. After this evaluation, the user receives a visual response of their synchronisation level on their screen.

Este trabalho teve por objetivo desenvolver e caracterizar um sensor de força utilizando uma fibra óptica modificada pelo processo conhecido como Fiber tapering. A fibra quando modificada deixa exposto o campo evanescente, o que a torna sensível a influências externas, e a luz guiada na fibra pode vir a sofrer reflexão interna total frustrada ao entrar em contato com materiais. Ao envolver a região modificada por um material elastomérico, a área de contato e consequentemente a atenuação torna-se uma função da intensidade da força aplicada, possibilitando então relacionar a força a atenuação da luz. Baseando-se nesse efeito, foi criado um sensor de dimensões reduzidas, de rápida resposta, linear, altamente sensível e de boa repetibilidade. Foi criado também um circuito eletrônico utilizando amplificadores operacionais para a aquisição e processamento do sinal proveniente da fibra e selecionado um sensor comercial comum para a realização de experimentos e comparações. Ambos os sensores foram posicionados sobre uma balança de precisão e submetidos a diversos esforços obtendo-se dados sobre a resposta estática. Em seguida utilizando um shaker eletrodinâmico foram medidos os tempos de resposta a uma entrada degrau, e realizando esforços repetitivos foram analisados os desvios das medidas lidas pelos sensores. / The aim of this research was to develop and characterize a force sensor using a modified optical fiber by a process known as Fiber tapering. The modified fiber leaves the evanescent field exposed and prone to external influences and the guided light may suffer frustration of total internal reflection upon contact with materials. When covering the modified fiber section with an elastomeric material, the contact area and therefore the attenuation becomes a function of the applied pressure, making it possible to relate force to attenuation in light intensity. Based on this effect, a small sensor was created, having a quick response time, with high linearity, high sensitivity and good repeatability. Along with the sensor, an electronic circuit using operational amplifiers was designed for acquisition and processing of the signal obtained from the optical fiber. In addition, in order to perform experiments and comparisons, a standard force sensor was chosen. Both sensors were placed over a precision weighing scale and had different intensities of force applied on them, and after that, data regarding static measurements was gathered. The response time was obtained using an electrodynamic shaker and applying a step input. Furthermore, data was gathered about the deviations on the measurements by performing a repetitive set of compressions.

The Department of Energy national laboratories, like Los Alamos National Lab or Sandia National Lab, perform work on radioactive and chemically dangerous materials. Gloveboxes are often used to shield workers from these hazards, but they cannot completely eliminate the danger and often create new safety concerns due to reduced operator dexterity and ergonomic posture. When feasible, robots can be employed to remove the human from the radioactive hazard; allowing them to analyze the situation and make decisions remotely. Force sensor data from the manipulator can be used to simplify the control of these remote systems as well as make them more robust. Much research has been done to develop force and torque control algorithms to introduce compliance or detect collisions. Many of these algorithms are very complicated and currently only implemented in research institutions on torque-controlled manipulators. The literature review discusses many such controllers which have been developed and/or demonstrated. This thesis reviews, develops, and demonstrates several beneficial algorithms which can be implemented on commercially-available kinematically-controlled robots using commercially-available sensors with a reasonable investment of time. Force data is used to improve safety and manage contact forces while kinematically controlling the robot, as well as improve the world model. Safety is improved by detecting anomalous and/or excessive forces during operation. Environmental modeling data is inferred from position and/or force data. A six-axis sensor and joint torque sensors on 2 7DOF manipulators are used to demonstrate the proposed algorithms in two DOE relevant applications: remotely opening an incompletely modeled cabinet door and moving a robot in a confined space. / text

In flying robots, stability control is often very sensitive to the actuator performances, and the software module performing the controller, is usually subjected to a long and difficult tuning phase strongly dependent on the specific actuator used. The actuators are often electric motors equipped with propellers. The motor and propeller combination performs differently for every choice of components adopted, even if they are provided by the same vendor with the same part family. The project aims to develop an intelligent actuator module for flying robots composed by a BLDC motor and a propeller, which is invariant to the specific motor and propeller adopted. By gathering the force data of the four used on a quadrocopter, the force and control signal relation could be defined and stored into the program memory of the control board. A battery monitor and a Force-PWM controller was implemented such that it takes force as input and outputs the desired PWM-signal. Tests were made on a prototype of Iqarus quadrocopter and by mounting it with ropes to the floor, it was tested on the lift-off phase. The experiment showed theoretical and practical results, which concludes that the quadrocopter maintained the ability to lift right upwards without any remaining control, assuming proper weight balance of the quadrocopter. / Inom flygande robotar, är stabilitet kontrollen oerhört känsligt till styrdonets prestation, och mjukvaru modulen som utför kontrollen, är ofta förknippad med en lång och problematisk justerings fas starkt beroende av de enskilda styrdonen. Styrdonen är ofta elektriska motorer med propeller. Motor och propeller kombinationen uppträder olika för varje val av komponent, även om komponenterna är försedda från samma återförsäljare och modell. Syftet med detta projekt är att utveckla en intelligent styrdons modul för flygande robotar, omfattad av en BLDC motor och propeller, som blir oberoende av den särskilda motor och propeller kombination som används. Genom att samla kraft data för de fyra styrdonen som används på en quadrocopter, kunde relationen mellan kraft och kontroll signal bli definierad och lagrad i program minnet för kontrol kortet. En batteri monitor och en Kraft-PWM kontroller implementerades, vilket tar kraft data som ingång och skickar ut motsvarande PWM-signal som utgång. Tester var gjorda med en prototyp av Iqarus quadrocopter och genom att binda fast den med rep till golvet, testades den för upplyfts fasen. Experimenten visade teoretiska och praktiska resultat, vilket visar att quadrocoptern bevarade förmågan att lyfta rakt uppåt utan någon övrig kontroll, förutsatt ordentlig vikt balans av quadrocoptern. / <p>Hejsan,</p><p>Detta ar den nya versionen, som ska ersatta den gamla versionen som blev uppladdad 6/11-13.</p><p>Tack,</p><p></p><p>Mvh</p><p>Amil Lafih</p>