A 6-DOF humanoid wall-climbing robot with flexible adsorption feet based on negative pressure suction

A wide range of dangerous and special tasks have witnessed the applications of wall-climbing robots, but they still cannot adapt well torough or sloping walls. This paper proposes a 6-DOF (degree of freedom) humanoid wall-climbing robot (HWCR) based on the principle of negative pressure suction. HWCR has the advantages of flexible adsorption feet, strong adaptability, strong anti-subversion performance, and high friction to the wall. We deduce mechanics formulas and carry out a parametric design of the foot structure so that it can meet the requirement of robot wall climbing. We use Fluent to analyze the flow field of the adsorption foot and determine the motor speed that can provide a reliable adsorption force. Using the D-H matrix to plan gait, we also design a compound cycloid-based foot trajectory to reduce the impact between the HWCR and the wall. Experiments on the uneven wall and sloping wall show that the vehicle can walk with an ideal gait, and the resistance value of the servo on each joint is much lower than the critical value, which ensures the smooth movement of the HWCR.     

Shared human–robot path following control of an unmanned ground vehicle

This paper considers the shared path following control of an unmanned ground vehicle by a single person. A passive measure of human intent is used to blend the human and machine inputs in a mixed initiative approach. The blending law is combined with saturated super-twisting sliding mode speed and heading controllers, so that exogenous disturbances can be counteracted via equivalent control. It is proven that when the proposed blending law is used, the combined control signals from both the human and automatic controller respect the actuator magnitude constraints of the machine. To demonstrate the approach, shared control experiments are performed using an unmanned ground vehicle, which follows a lawn mower pattern shaped path.     

Acquisition and Spread of Antimicrobial Resistance: A tet(X) Case Study

Understanding the mechanisms leading to the rise and dissemination of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is crucially important for the preservation of power of antimicrobials and controlling infectious diseases. Measures to monitor and detect AMR, however, have been significantly delayed and introduced much later after the beginning of industrial production and consumption of antimicrobials. However, monitoring and detection of AMR is largely focused on bacterial pathogens, thus missing multiple key events which take place before the emergence and spread of AMR among the pathogens. In this regard, careful analysis of AMR development towards recently introduced antimicrobials may serve as a valuable example for the better understanding of mechanisms driving AMR evolution. Here, the example of evolution of tet(X), which confers resistance to the next-generation tetracyclines, is summarised and discussed. Initial mechanisms of resistance to these antimicrobials among pathogens were mostly via chromosomal mutations leading to the overexpression of efflux pumps. High-level resistance was achieved only after the acquisition of flavin-dependent monooxygenase-encoding genes from the environmental microbiota. These genes confer resistance to all tetracyclines, including the next-generation tetracyclines, and thus were termed tet(X). ISCR2 and IS26, as well as a variety of conjugative and mobilizable plasmids of different incompatibility groups, played an essential role in the acquisition of tet(X) genes from natural reservoirs and in further dissemination among bacterial commensals and pathogens. This process, which took place within the last decade, demonstrates how rapidly AMR evolution may progress, taking away some drugs of last resort from our arsenal.     

Coverage optimization algorithm based on VF-CS in mobile sensor network

A random placement of large-scale sensor network in the outdoor environment often causes low coverage.An area coverage optimization algorithm of mobile sensor network (MSN) based on virtual force perturbation and Cuckoo search (VF-CS) was proposed.Firstly,the virtual force of the sensor nodes within the Thiessen polygon was analyzed based on the partitioning of Voronoi diagram of the monitoring area.Secondly,the force of polygon vertices and neighbor nodes was taken as the perturbation factor for updating the node’s location of the Cuckoo search (CS).Finally,the VF-CS guided the node to move so as to achieve the optimal coverage.The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm has higher coverage and shorter average moving distance of nodes than the Voronoi diagram based algorithms in literatures.     

基于旋翼负压混合吸附的爬壁清洗机器人系统动力学性能研究

针对爬壁清洗机器人越障时,负压装置的吸附力下降导致吸附不稳定的问题,设计了一种旋翼负压混合吸附工作的多边形履带清洗机器人,并对爬行稳定性及越障性能进行了动力学分析。首先根据机器人爬壁的运动原理,建立机器人沿玻璃幕墙上的动力学模型,计算出电机理论驱动力矩;其次分析机器人在跨越障碍过程中的运动模型,结合与壁面接触的实际受力状态,对越障过程中关键阶段的本体倾翻、滑移两种失效形式进行运动学和动力学分析;然后根据玻璃幕墙实际的障碍高度,确定多边形履带的参数和理论驱动力矩的大小,并研制了实验样机进行爬行和越障试验,结果表明所设计的机器人具有良好的越障性能。     

考虑煤层倾角和钻孔倾角的钻屑量理论研究

为准确预测与预防深部开采煤与瓦斯突出,建立了考虑煤层倾角与钻孔倾角的新钻屑量理论计算公式,并分析了煤层倾角和钻孔倾角对钻屑量的影响。以平煤股份有限公司八矿为研究对象,将钻屑量理论计算值与该矿己15-21030风巷现场钻屑量实测值进行对比验证,得出在煤层倾角一定时,钻屑量随钻孔倾角增大呈幂指数递减关系,减小的比率呈“V”形变化趋势,原钻屑量理论值与实测值平均误差为5.5%,在考虑煤层倾角与钻孔倾角情况下的新钻屑量理论值与实测值平均误差为3.9%。     

高地压严重突出区域下向穿层钻孔预抽消突技术

利用工作面高抽巷施工掩护顺槽掘进工作面下向穿层条带预抽钻孔,通过对钻场底板深、浅孔注浆封堵围岩裂隙解决了孔内返水不畅难题;采取了"两堵一注"封孔方式确保封孔严密不漏气;孔内全程下吹水管,实现了单孔、分组、定时吹水工作目标,提高了下向消突钻孔抽采效果,形成了一套高效、快速的下向穿层钻孔消突管理模式,实现了高地压严重突出区域煤层高效消突以及技术经济一体化目标,安全经济效益显著。     

新型树启发式搜索算法的机器人路径规划

面对三维空间移动机器人从起始点到终止点的最短路径问题,提出一种新型的边缘点树启发式搜索(TreeEP)算法,该方法将地图空间进行密度可调的三维离散化处理,根据障碍安全距离筛选出障碍物的可靠边缘点信息,再利用树扩散架构选出最能引导搜索方向的潜力点进行扩散搜索,最终得出最短路径。提出局部调整策略,得到改进的Tree-EP算法。实验结果表明,在带障碍复杂地形最短路径搜索应用中,提出的Tree-EP算法与已有方法相比,能找到更短的移动路径。     

基于机器视觉的机车齿轮毂全自动双轴拧紧机的设计和应用

设计了基于机器视觉的机车齿轮毂全自动双轴拧紧机,根据拧紧工艺和扭矩控制原理实现对螺栓拧紧力矩的控制;通过丝杠变径机构,实现不同规格齿轮毂螺栓拧紧;利用机器视觉实现螺栓位置的识别以及初始位置的确定;讨论了自动拧紧机控制系统的硬件组成和软件系统配置,并介绍了防错、防漏功能的设计流程。螺栓自动拧紧机可提高装配精度和操作效率,降低工人的劳动强度。     

预压力对压电驱动履带移动系统的性能影响

为了提高夹心式压电驱动移动系统的机械输出性能，提出了一种U型预压力调节机构，并开展了预压力对夹心式压电驱动履带移动系统输出性能影响关系的实验研究。首先，针对U型预压力调节机构的安装对夹心式压电振子的振动特性影响关系开展了有限元仿真分析，发现U型预压力调节机构始终处在夹心式压电振子的两相工作模态振动节点位置；其次，开展了夹心式压电驱动履带移动系统的原理样机的预压力调节测试实验，确定了系统的最大输出牵引力及其所对应的最佳预压力；最后，在最佳预压力工作状态下，开展了原理样机的牵引力特性、越障性能以及模拟月壤环境下的运动特性实验。研究结果表明，在最佳预压力工作状态下，夹心式压电驱动履带移动系统的机械输出性能最佳，为其进一步在月面巡视器上的应用提供了技术支持和试验基础。