• Journal of the Korean Institute of Intelligent Systems
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.498-504
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• 2005

A fuzzy logic for collision avoidance of underwater robots is proposed in this paper. The VFF(Virtual Force Field) method, which is widely used in the field of mobile robots, is modified for application to the autonomous navigation of underwater robots. This Modified Virtual Force Field(MVFF) method using the fuzzy logic can be used in either track keeping or obstacle avoidance. Fuzzy logics are devised to handle various situations which can be faced during autonomous navigation of underwater robots. The obstacle avoidance algorithm has the ability to handle multiple static obstacles. Results of simulation show that the proposed method can be efficiently applied to obstacle avoidance of the underwater robots.

• International Journal of Control, Automation, and Systems
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.450-462
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• 2004

In this paper, we describe a system for controlling the perceptual processes of two cooperative mobile robots that addresses the issue of enhancing perceptual awareness. We define awareness here as knowing the location of other robots in the environment. The proposed system benefits from a formalism called perceptual anchoring. Here, perceptual anchoring enhances the awareness of the system by employing an anchor-based active gaze control strategy or active perceptual anchoring to control the perceptual effort according to what is important at a given time. By anchoring we extend the notion of awareness as knowing what the symbols in the control module represent to by connecting them to the objects or features in the environment. We demonstrate the present system through a simulation of two nonholonomic mobile robots performing a cooperative transportation by carrying a cargo to a target location where there are two other robots moving about. The system is able to efficiently focus the perceptual effort and thus able to safely carry the cargo to the target position.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.18 no.10
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• pp.955-963
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• 2012

A mobile tour-guide robot is a very attractive tour-guide in the exhibition hall of science museums and the necessity of tour-guide robots for museums is gradually increasing. Two kinds of robots have served as tour-guide robots in an exhibition hall of the Korea National Science Museum which is a very densely populated museum of many people and exhibits. The robots move around the large exhibition area and provide guide services to lots of visitors. A robot leads the way to the exhibit that a visitor wants to find and it takes the shortest route. Robots were operated for four months from January to April 2011, and we observed behavior of visitors and collected subjective evaluation of users. The result shows that there are four stages of using a mobile tour-guide robot and some differences of subjective evaluations depending on the gender and the age of the user and we suggest several improvements on the mobile tour-guide robot.

• ETRI Journal
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.913-923
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• 2014

This paper proposes a global mapping algorithm for multiple robots from an omnidirectional-vision simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) approach based on an object extraction method using Lucas-Kanade optical flow motion detection and images obtained through fisheye lenses mounted on robots. The multi-robot mapping algorithm draws a global map by using map data obtained from all of the individual robots. Global mapping takes a long time to process because it exchanges map data from individual robots while searching all areas. An omnidirectional image sensor has many advantages for object detection and mapping because it can measure all information around a robot simultaneously. The process calculations of the correction algorithm are improved over existing methods by correcting only the object's feature points. The proposed algorithm has two steps: first, a local map is created based on an omnidirectional-vision SLAM approach for individual robots. Second, a global map is generated by merging individual maps from multiple robots. The reliability of the proposed mapping algorithm is verified through a comparison of maps based on the proposed algorithm and real maps.

• Transactions on Control, Automation and Systems Engineering
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.66-70
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• 2001

This paper describes the design of a two-axis force sensor for robots finger. In detects the x-direction force Fx and y-direction force Fy simultaneously. In order to safely grasp an unknown object using the robots fingers, they should detect the force or gripping direction and the force of gravity direction, and perform the force control using the forces detected. Therefore, the robots hand should be made by the robots finger with tow-axis force sensor that can detect the x-direction force and y-direction force si-multaneously. Thus, in this paper, the two-axis force sensor for robots finger is designed using several parallel-plate beams. The equations to calculate the strain of the beams according to the force in order to design the sensing element of the force sensor are derived and these equations are used to design the aize of two-axis force sensor sensing element. The reliability of the derive equa-tions is verified buy performing a finite element analysis of the sensing element. The strain obtained through this process is compared to that obtained through the theory analysis and a characteristics test of the fabricated sensor. It reveals that the rated strains calculated from the derive equations make a good agreement with the results from the Finite Element Method analysis and from the character-istic test.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.101-106
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• 2010

Researches on air-ground robot cooperating system has been made recently. The cooperation among homogeneous robots focused on the architecture of the system, quality and influence of the communication. In contrast, the cooperation among heterogeneous robots such as aerial vehicle and ground vehicle robots has not been much handled. There are a couple of main points for those air-ground cooperating robots. One is using UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) as an extra sensor of UGV (Unmanned Ground Vehicle). This kind of application is usually used in situations such as guiding UGV to an appropriate path which could be better determined from the eye in the sky as UAV. The other main application of air-ground cooperating robot system is the localization. By combining sensor information from both UAV and UGV, the robot system as a whole can localize a target object or find features in the environment with better performance than UGV or UAV alone. Although these applications are recently studied in many different ways and devices, there are still a lot of possibilities in the field of air-ground cooperating robot systems. We introduce those research fields in this paper.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.60-72
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• 2016

This study proposes a multi-robot system, using multiple autonomous robots, to explore concrete structures and assist in their maintenance by sealing any cracks present in the structure. The proposed system employed a new self-localization method that is essential for autonomous robots, along with a visualization system to recognize the external environment and to detect and explore cracks efficiently. Moreover, more efficient crack search in an unknown environment became possible by arranging the robots into search areas divided depending on the surrounding situations. Operations with increased efficiency were also realized by overcoming the disadvantages of the infeasible logical behavioral model design with only six basic behavioral strategies based on distributed control-one of the methods to control swarm robots. Finally, this study investigated the efficiency of the proposed multi-robot system via basic sensor testing and simulation.

• Journal of Korean Gerontological Nursing
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• v.20 no.sup1
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• pp.144-153
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• 2018

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to review the influence of robot systems on nursing and robotics technology. Methods: The research design was a review article. The literature was done to help understand the current status and effects of robotic technology in the healthcare field, both domestic and overseas. The keywords searched were 'Nursing', 'Robot', and 'Patient safety' in Pubmed, CINAHL etc, and 'Nursing Activity', 'Nursing Care Integration Service' in RISS and KISS. Results: In healthcare, robotics is used in five areas; personal care robots, mobility and transfer robots, cognitive and emotional robots, nursing assist robots and care robots in palliative home care settings. Nurses' demands for utilization of robotic systems are high. Especially, if robotics is used for indirect and non-value-added nursing activities, efficiency may increase. Therefore, robotics should be used to help nurses focus on bedside care and perform better nursing care. Conclusion: Future robots and technology can help nurse to provide optimal nursing to patients, and will improve the quality life of patients. It is suggested that nursing research should be actively pursued in the future. Especially, it is an urgent field to improve nursing quality and reduce the burden of nurses.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.1178-1188
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• 2020

This study obtains preliminary data through a multifaceted examination of work undertaken by soldiers and factors that should be considered in the development of wearable robots; in addition, the study explores the development direction for such robots in this segment. This study conducted a survey on males who had military experience in order to analyze work practices. The results of the survey indicate that there has been an existing need for wearable robots for soldiers and that soldiers prefer robots equipped with functions to support specific physical activities and those that offer comfort while being worn. In addition, it was found that the method to wear robots should be developed according to the body part that considered movements performed by soldiers. It was also found that strengthening functionality over aesthetic factors is extremely important. Soldiers desired wearable robots that could assist their main activities, protect their bodies, and incorporated an excellent system in terms of wearability.

• The Journal of the Institute of Internet, Broadcasting and Communication
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.167-173
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• 2020

A lot of research has been done on pipe climbing robots to investigate the aging pipe structures of nuclear power plants and petrochemical plants. Nevertheless, most of the research on pipe climbing robots focused on the structural design and foundational motion control of pipe climbing robots. So, For the operator to control the pipe climbing robot, it has many difficulties to climb the pipe and avoid obstacles by manual operation. In this paper, propose an algorithm that recognizes obstacle by using camera images of pipe climbing robots, estimates the distance between pipe climbing robots and obstacles, and determines the position where pipe climbing robots can catch pipes to avoid obstacles between pipes.