This paper proposes a biomimetic finger module to be used in a lightweight hand prosthesis. The finger module consists of finger skeleton and an actuator module driven by SMA (Shape Memory Alloy). The prototype finger module can perform flexion and extension motions; finger flexion is driven by a contraction force of SMA, but it is extended by an elastic force of an extension spring inserted into the finger skeleton. The finger motions are controlled by feedback of electric resistance of SMA because the finger module has no sensors to measure length and angle. Total weight of a prototype finger module is 30g. In experiments the finger motions and finger grip force are tested and compared with simulation results when a constant contraction force of SMA is given. The experimental results show that the proposed SMA-driven finger module is feasible to the lightweight hand prosthesis.

This paper demonstrates how to implement inherent pitching stability in an insect-mimicking flapping-wing system for vertical takeoff. Design and fabrication of the insect-mimicking flapping-wing system is briefly described focusing on the recent modification. Force produced by the flapping-wing systems is estimated using the UBET (Unsteady Blade Element Theory) developed in the previous work. The estimation shows that the wing twist placed in the modified system can improve thrust production for about 10 %. The estimated thrust is compared with the measured thrust, which proves that the UBET provides fairly good estimations for the thrust produced by the flapping-wing systems. The vertical takeoff test shows that inherent pitching stability can be implemented in an insect-mimicking flapping-wing system by aligning the aerodynamic force center and center of gravity.

Reconnaissance robots can reduce the danger of hazardous places by providing information before human personnel take action. For the usage, robot platform should be small and light. However, this fact leads to a scaling issue with terrain that landscape poses a huge obstacle for the vehicle. The problem can be solved by the inspiration of nature. This paper presents design of the locomotive mechanism inspired by Pill bugs. The mechanism was designed by the principles of a pill bug's locomotion and experiments were conducted to validate the mechanism.

In this paper, a formation guidance method for UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) to simulate the formation flight of birds proposed. The proposed method solves all issues of approaching for formation, formation keeping, and scarce chance to be collided with each UAV during formation process. Also, we design the feedforward controller to compensate the change of speed and heading for maneuvering of the leader UAV and the feedback controller to consider the response lag of the system. The stability and performance of the proposed controller is verified via numerical simulations of the full 6-Dof model of UAV.

There have been many homing navigation algorithms for robotic system. In this paper, we suggest a bio-inspired navigation model. It builds path integration based on optical flow. We consider two factors on robot movements, translational movement and rotational movement. For each movement, we found distinguishable optical flows. Based on optical flow, we estimate ego-centric robot movement and integrate the path optimally. We can determine the homing direction and distance. We test this algorithm and evaluate the performance of homing navigation for robotic system.

Fish generates large thrust through an oscillating motion with a compliant joint of caudal fin. The compliance of caudal fin affects the thrust generated by the fish. Due to the flexibility of the fish, the fish can generate a travelling wave motion which is known to increase the efficiency of the fish. However, a detailed research on the relationship between the flexible joint and the thrust generation is needed. In this paper, the compliant joint of a caudal fin is implemented in the driving mechanism of a robotic fish. By varying the driving frequency and stiffness of the compliant joint, the relationship between the thrust generation and the stiffness of the flexible joint is investigated. In general, as the frequency increases, the thrust increases. When higher driving frequency is applied, higher stiffness of the flexible joint is needed to maximize the thrust. The bending angles between the compliant joint and the caudal fin are compared with the changes of the thrust in one cycle. This result can be used to design the robotic fish which can be operated at the maximum thrust condition using the appropriate stiffness of the compliant joint.

This paper describes a new design of optical flow estimation system with three cameras. Optical flow provides useful information of camera movement; however a unique solution is not usually available for unknowns including the depth information. A camera and two tilted cameras are used to have different view of angle and direction of movement to the camera axis. Geometric analysis is performed for cases of several independent movements. The ideas of taking advantage of the extra information for robot navigation are discussed with experimental results.

Based on recent advances in technology, many robots are developed and they are used in a hazardous environment such as military operation, fire, and building collapse and so on. Among them, reconnaissance robot should be able to perform various missions which people can not do. So it needs the capability of moving with hiding its position on rough terrain, overcoming obstacles, and guaranteeing its efficiency of reconnaissance. For this reason there are in progress of researching biomimetic robots. Therefore in this paper we proposed robot mechanism, two modules based on the screw and wheel mechanism which mimic snake, and the spiral climbing method was considered for overcoming the situation when moving on the trees.

The technique for estimation of sound source direction is one of the important methods necessary for various engineering fields such as monitoring system, military services and so on. As a new approach for estimation of sound source direction, this paper propose the bio-mimetic localization sensor based on mechanically coupling structure motivated by hearing structure of fly, Ormia Ochracea. This creature is known for its outstanding recognition ability to the sound which has large wavelength compared to its own size. ITTF (Inter-Tympanal Transfer Function) which is the transfer function between displacements of the tympanal membranes on each side has the all inter-tympanal information dependent on sound direction. The peak and notch features of desired ITTF can be generated by using the appropriate mechanical properties. A example of estimation of sound source direction using generated ITTF with monotonically changing notch and peak patterns is shown.

In this paper, we suggest a lifelike pattern generator for a quadruped walking system with a head, a tail, four legs and a torso. The system looks like a giant dinosaur which stands over 7 meters tall with its legs over 2 meters long. We focus on its lifelike naturalness. Thus, generating logical patterns in harmony with head-body-tail patterns and quadrupedal locomotion patterns makes you feel that the quadruped walking system is alive. The basic patterns of four legs and a body are obtained from a 3D graphic animation, which is made and captured from various motions of similar species in existence since the giant dinosaurs are exterminated. The dinosaur-like mechanism also is designed from bone and joint structures of quadrupedal animals. The lifelike pattern generator based on fuzzy logic could generate lifelike motions according to the dinosaur-like mechanism and the basic patterns. A series of computer simulations and experimental implements show that the pattern generator makes the quadruped walking system lifelike.

This paper proposes fault tolerant gaits of a quadruped robot with feet of flat shape. Fault tolerant gaits make it possible for a legged robot to continue static walking against a leg failure. In the previous researches, it was assumed that a legged robot had feet that have point contact with the surface. When the robot is endowed with feet having flat shape, fault tolerant gaits can show better performance compared with the former gaits, especially in terms of the stride length and gait stability. In this paper, fault tolerant gaits of a quadruped robot against a locked joint failure are addressed in straight-line motion and crab walking, respectively.

This paper provides an efficient model predictive control for the output voltage control of three-phase inverter system which includes output LC filters. Use of SVPWM (Space Vector Pulse-Width-Modulation) and the rotating d-q frame is made to obtain an input constrained dynamic model of the inverter system. From the measured/estimated output current and reference output voltage, corresponding equilibrium values of the inductor current and the control input are computed. Derivation of a feasible and invariant set around the equilibrium state is made and then a receding horizon strategy which steers the current state deep into the invariant set is proposed. In order to remove offset error, use of disturbance observer is made in the form of state estimator. The efficacy of the proposed method is verified through simulations.

In this paper, we investigate the effect of asynchronous haptic and video feedback on the performance of teleoperation. To analyze the effect, a tele-manipulation experiment is specially designed, which operator moves square objects from one place to another place by using master/slave telerobotic system. Task completion time and total number of falling of the object are used for evaluating the performance. Subjective study was conducted with 10 subjects in 16 different combinations of video and haptic feedback while participants didn't have any prior information about the amount of each delay. Initially we assume that synchronized haptic and video feedback would give best performance. However as a result, we found that the accuracy was increased when haptic and video feedback was synchronized, and the completion time was decreased when one of the feedback (either haptic or video) was decreased. Another interesting fact that we found in this experiment is that it showed even better accuracy when haptic information arrives little bit earlier than video information, than the case when those are synchronized.