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This research explored whether individual interactions with a robotic cat could improve quality of life for persons living with advanced dementia. The research was conducted with five women residents in a Manitoba personal care home. Theories of personhood, agitation, and nurturance provided the conceptual framework. Ethnographic research methods included video-recorded observations of each resident with the cat, semi-structured interviews with staff and family, participant observation and three sets of agitation inventories (CMAI). Findings suggested agitation was reduced, socialization increased and, with pet loving residents, nurturant behaviour was evident. The cat, as a device for increased social attention, created positive results with the non-pet lovers. Advanced dementia did not prevent the women from indicating choice. The study concluded that a robotic cat could be a useful resource for persons with advanced dementia, dependent upon prior life-style and personal choice.

Based on my analysis, I found that there are a variety of ways in which individuals interact with and emotionally engage with their Roomba iRobots, via participation in a brand community or through forms of anthropomorphism such as treating it as a pet or human. I explain that there is a spectrum regarding the extent to which individuals anthropomorphize their Roomba and emotionally engage with the device. The thesis concludes with the finding that some individuals emotionally engage with their Roomba in a significant way, while others desire a disconnection from their device. I end with the suggestion that sociologists continue to consider the implications of people’s increasing interactions with technological objects and further investigate different areas of human-robot emotional connection.

This thesis has treated a three-axis robot which task is to serve a larger test machine tomove the modules to be tested, from the storage to the test site. The robot is composed ofthree linear actuators; two standard components of ball screw type and a custom-builtactuator of trapezoidal type. The work has mainly focused on the custom-built device to seeif it could be replaced with a standard component. Part of the work has been to look into thepicking tool and to see if there are any possibilities to improve its function.The report presents two different proposals which I decided to call Robot 1 and Robot 2 andthey aim to address the problems arising in the purpose-built linear unit and the X-axislinearity problems. Robot 1 focuses on eliminating the problems that arise around therobot's X-axis, with such simple means as possible and without making excessive materialchanges. The idea behind the solution of Robot 1 is also to be able to apply it onto existingmachinery without too much interference. Robot 2 is significantly more advanced and alsoimplies considerable material changes. The advantage of Robot 2 is that it takes into accountboth the problems with the X-axis and Y-axis, and should absolutely be considered on newmachines, but also for existing machines. For the picking tool the thesis presents the solutionin the form of both a modified existing vacuum tool and a brand new pneumatic gripper forRobot 2 which differ from the vacuum system. I think that the vacuum tool presented shouldbe considered to be implemented even if no other modifications are made on the robotbecause of its simple construction.The thesis presents the functions and problems with the current robot and its picking tool.For the described problems the different solutions have been presented, partly by findingcompletely new market components but also through new self-designed components.During this time, choices of materials and material dimensions have been based onoverestimates and previous material selections, which later were controlled by using FEManalysisin CAD-environment.The work is considered to have gone well and the goals that have been set have beenachieved in a satisfactory manner.

I den här rapporten utreds möjligheten att fräsa laxkilar av konstruktionsstål, enkomponent som ingår i de vågkraftgeneratorer som utvecklas vid Uppsala universitet,genom att använda en industrirobot. Denna användning av robotar inom bearbetningskiljer sig från den konventionella genom att roboten här genom helabearbetningsmomentet håller det bearbetade stycket. Den vanliga användningen avrobotar inom bearbetning är att roboten används för att plocka stycket i och ur enbearbetningsmaskin. Genom att istället låta roboten hålla stycket genom helabearbetningen kan dess flexibilitet utnyttjas.Rapporten presenterar resultat av den använda robotens uppmätta egenskaper samtpraktiska tester av fräsning. Ett antal laxkilar har tillverkats med metoden och utifrånanalyser av dessa har en kvalitetsmässigt och produktivitetsmässigt utvärdering avmetoden gjorts.Ett robotverktyg för att hålla ämnet som ska bearbetas har designats och en prototyp avverktyget har tillverkats. I rapporten presenteras även ett förslag på en komplettrobotcell för bearbetningen.Resultatet av testerna visar att det är möjligt att fräsa laxkilar med presenterad metod.Ytjämnheten är sämre, måttavvikelserna är större och tillverkningstider är högre än vidkonventionell fräsning. Detta resultat är väntat då roboten är mindre stabil än enbearbetningsmaskin, vilket innebär att den är sämre på att motstå de vibrationer somskärkrafter vid fräsning ger upphov till. Metoden är därför lämplig för tillämpningar därkraven på dessa egenskaper inte är så höga.Ytterligare tester krävs dock för att undersöka metodens repeterbarhet och slitage påutrustningen. Även robotverktyget behöver verifieras i ytterligare tester.Nyckelord. Industrirobot,

This research explored whether individual interactions with a robotic cat could improve quality of life for persons living with advanced dementia. The research was conducted with five women residents in a Manitoba personal care home. Theories of personhood, agitation, and nurturance provided the conceptual framework. Ethnographic research methods included video-recorded observations of each resident with the cat, semi-structured interviews with staff and family, participant observation and three sets of agitation inventories (CMAI). Findings suggested agitation was reduced, socialization increased and, with pet loving residents, nurturant behaviour was evident. The cat, as a device for increased social attention, created positive results with the non-pet lovers. Advanced dementia did not prevent the women from indicating choice. The study concluded that a robotic cat could be a useful resource for persons with advanced dementia, dependent upon prior life-style and personal choice.

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Personal robots can help people live safer, more efficient and comfortable lives. However, such benefits cannot be achieved if people do not use, or accept, personal robots. The use of a technology is predominantly influenced by an individual's intention to use it, which is influenced by his or her attitudes toward it (Davis, 1989). Presently, the key factors that impact the use of personal robots are not fully understood. Two studies were conducted as first step assessments of the Smarr, Fisk, and Rogers (2013) theoretically-based framework of acceptance of personal robots. In study 1, 14 participants used a personal robot (a robot lawn mower) at their homes for about six weeks. Their acceptance and factors important for acceptance identified in the framework were measured using pre-use and post-use interviews and questionnaires, and weekly diaries. The framework was conceptually validated; participants mentioned 16 of the 20 factors in the Smarr et al. (2013) framework. However, the framework did not fully account for the breadth of factors discussed by participants, thereby suggesting variables may need to be added to or removed from the framework. In study 2, 280 participants reported their initial acceptance of a personal robot (a robot mower) with different levels of reliability and communication of feedback in an online survey. Level of robot reliability did significantly affect attitudinal and intentional acceptance. Follow up analyses indicated a trend that participants who received no information on reliability had numerically higher acceptance than participants who were informed that the robot had 70% reliability or 90% reliability. Neither communication of feedback nor its interaction with reliability affected acceptance. The Smarr et al. (2013) framework explained about 60% of the variance in intentional acceptance and 57% in attitudinal acceptance of a personal robot. Eight of the 15 relationships tested were supported via path analysis. Findings largely supported the Smarr et al. (2013) framework in explaining what impacts intentional and attitudinal acceptance of a personal robot. Results from these studies can inform the Smarr et al. (2013) framework of robot acceptance and other models of acceptance, and can guide designers in developing acceptable personal robots.

It is becoming increasingly necessary to carry out manual operations in environments which are hazardous to humans - using remote manipulator systems that can extend the operators reach. However, manual dexterity can become severely impaired due to the complex relationship that exists between the operator, the remote manipulator system and the task. Under such circumstances, the introduction of force feedback is considered a desirable feature, and is particularly important when attempting to carry out complex assembly operations. The dynamic interaction in the manmachine system can significantly influence performance, and in the past evaluation has been largely by comparative assessment. In this study, an experimental remote manipulator system, or tele-manipulator system, has been developed which consists of three electrically linked planar manipulator arms, each with three degrees of freedom. An articulated 'master' arm is used to control an identical 'slave' arm, and independently, a second kinematically and dynamically dissimilar slave arm. Fully resolved Generalized Control has been demonstrated using a high speed computer to carry out the necessary position and force transformations between dissimilar master and slave arms in realtime. Simulation of a one degree of freedom master-slave system has also been carried out, which includes a simple model of the human operator and a task based upon a rigid stop. The results show good agreement with parallel experimental tests, and have provided a firm foundation for developing a fully resolved position/position control scheme, and a unique way of backdriving the master arm. Preliminary tests were based on a peg-in-hole transfer task, and have identified the effect on performance of force reflection ratio. More recently a novel crank-turning task has been developed to investigate the interaction of system parameters on overall performance. The results obtained from these experimental studies, backed up by simulation, demonstrate the potential of computer augmented control of remote manipulator systems. The directions for future work include development of real-time control of tele-robotic systems and research into the overall man-machine interaction.

The purpose of this study was to find the best robot configuration for climbing and descending stairs, in addition to traveling on flat surfaces. Candidate robot types were analyzed to find the most suitable one for further study, based on stability, size, and energy consumption. Based on these considerations, the non-variable configuration tracked robot type was selected. The basic robot parameters (minimum track size, comparison of tracks with grousers vs. tracks without grousers, track angle of attack) were determined using static analysis methods and using North American standards for the stair geometry. Dynamic analysis methods were then employed to refine the geometry and ensure the stability of the robot when climbing and descending stairs. The final design was then simulated in Matlab to profile the device's velocity, acceleration, and power consumption during the stair climbing and descending phases. A prototype robot was constructed. The results of this study show that a non-variable tracked robot can be constructed for the purpose of climbing stairs by applying static and dynamic analysis techniques to optimize a design. This study provides the groundwork for this design, which can also serve as a basis for designing robots with other configurations.