• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.276-280
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• 2020

A linear piezoelectric actuator that utilizes the elliptical motion of the two tips of the actuator is proposed. This device is easy to fabricate owing to its simple structure, consisting of three piezo ceramic benders and is suitable for use in micro robotic applications. A π-shaped structure, which was composed of four piezo ceramic benders, was constructed. Two of the benders were positioned on the center of the actuator, and the joints were attached at the ends of the cantilever. The other two benders were positioned on the side of the actuator and were attached between the joint and the tips. The actuator structure was designed to obtain the first bending mode of the horizontal vibration and the vertical vibration at the same frequency, resulting in elliptical motions at the tips. When two sinusoidal wave voltages with a 90-degree phase difference were applied to the two pairs of the actuator benders, elliptical motions were obtained at the tips. The driving characteristics of the prototype actuator were then measured using a laser doppler vibrometer.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.30 no.10
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• pp.1023-1029
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• 2013

Water running animals such as basilisk lizards have an advantage of high-speed movement and high power efficiency on water; so researchers in robotic fields have been interested in the water running locomotion. This paper presents prototype-design and experimental study on the fourand six-legged water running robot. Based on the previously proposed quadruped water running robot, we assemble a hexapedal water running robot. The legs of the water running robot are designed based on four-bar parallel link for repeated motion along to pre-defined path. Stability performance of the quadruped and hexapedal water running robot are investigated by experiments on rolling criterion. As a result, hexapedal robot performs better stability than quadruped robot. Based on the hexapedal robot design, we are planning to optimize the position of legs and operating frequency.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.223-231
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• 2019

The properties of Electroactive Polymer (EAP) materials are attracting the attention of engineers and scientists from many different disciplines. From the point-of-view of robotics, Ionic Polymer Metal Composites (IPMC) belong to the most developed group of the EAP class. To allow effective design of IPMC-actuated mechanisms with large induced strains, it is necessary to have adequate analytical tools for predicting the behavior of IPMC actuators as well as simulating their response as part of prototyping methodologies. This paper presents a novel IPMC motor construction. To simulate the bending behavior that is the dominant phenomenon of motor movement process, a nonlinear model is used. To accomplish the motor design, the IPMC model was identified via a series of experiments. In the proposed model, the curvature output and current transient fields accurately track the measured responses, which is verified by measurements. In this research, a three-dimensional Finite Element Method (FEM) model of the IPMC motor, composed of IPMC actuators, simultaneously determines the mechanical and electrical characteristics of the device and achieves reliable analysis results. The principle of the proposed drive and the output signals are illustrated in this paper. The proposed modelling approach can be used to design a variety of controllers and motors for effective micro-robotic applications, where soft and complex motion are required.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.115-124
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• 2021

Non-verbal communication is important in human interaction. It provides a layer of information that complements the message being transmitted. This type of information is not limited to human speakers. In human-robot communication, increasing the animacy of the robotic agent-by using non-verbal cues-can aid the expression of abstract concepts such as emotions. Considering the physical limitations of artificial agents, robots can use light and movement to express equivalent emotional feedback. This study analyzes the effects of LED and motion animation of a spherical robot on the emotion being expressed by the robot. A within-subjects experiment was conducted at the University of Tsukuba where participants were asked to rate 28 video samples of a robot interacting with a person. The robot displayed different motions with and without light animations. The results indicated that adding LED animations changes the emotional impression of the robot for valence, arousal, and dominance dimensions. Furthermore, people associated various situations according to the robot's behavior. These stimuli can be used to modulate the intensity of the emotion being expressed and enhance the interaction experience. This paper facilitates the possibility of designing more affective robots in the future, using simple feedback.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.33 no.8
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• pp.1203-1211
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• 2009

The dynamics of underwater vehicles can be greatly influenced by the dynamics of the vehicle thrusters. The control of the state of the hovering or very slow motion of the underwater vehicle is most important for automatic docking or control of the manipulator of the vehicle. The dynamics of the thruster based on the electric motor is nonlinear and has uncertain parameters. Since the dynamics of the vehicle coupled with the dynamics of the thruster is nonlinear and has uncertain parameters, a robust control is very effective for a desired motion tracking of the uncertain and nonlinear vehicle. In this paper a study was performed on the robust control scheme of the very slow motion or hovering motion of the underwater vehicle actuated by the electric motor. Also, a concurrent control on the state of the vehicle with nonlinearity and uncertain parameters was performed. A sliding mode control algorithm out of robust controllers was designed and applied, which compensates the nonlinear forces and uncertain parameters of the vehicle and actuator. Through a computer simulation, the proposed control scheme was compared with a linear PD controller and its superior performance was validated.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.238-248
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• 2010

Purpose: To compare the dose distributions between three-dimensional (3D) and four-dimensional (4D) radiation treatment plans calculated by Ray-tracing or the Monte Carlo algorithm, and to highlight the difference of dose calculation between two algorithms for lung heterogeneity correction in lung cancers. Materials and Methods: Prospectively gated 4D CTs in seven patients were obtained with a Brilliance CT64-Channel scanner along with a respiratory bellows gating device. After 4D treatment planning with the Ray Tracing algorithm in Multiplan 3.5.1, a CyberKnife stereotactic radiotherapy planning system, 3D Ray Tracing, 3D and 4D Monte Carlo dose calculations were performed under the same beam conditions (same number, directions, monitor units of beams). The 3D plan was performed in a primary CT image setting corresponding to middle phase expiration (50%). Relative dose coverage, D95 of gross tumor volume and planning target volume, maximum doses of tumor, and the spinal cord were compared for each plan, taking into consideration the tumor location. Results: According to the Monte Carlo calculations, mean tumor volume coverage of the 4D plans was 4.4% higher than the 3D plans when tumors were located in the lower lobes of the lung, but were 4.6% lower when tumors were located in the upper lobes of the lung. Similarly, the D95 of 4D plans was 4.8% higher than 3D plans when tumors were located in the lower lobes of lung, but was 1.7% lower when tumors were located in the upper lobes of lung. This tendency was also observed at the maximum dose of the spinal cord. Lastly, a 30% reduction in the PTV volume coverage was observed for the Monte Carlo calculation compared with the Ray-tracing calculation. Conclusion: 3D and 4D robotic radiotherapy treatment plans for lung cancers were compared according to a dosimetric viewpoint for a tumor and the spinal cord. The difference of tumor dose distributions between 3D and 4D treatment plans was only significant when large tumor movement and deformation was suspected. Therefore, 4D treatment planning is only necessary for large tumor motion and deformation. However, a Monte Carlo calculation is always necessary, independent of tumor motion in the lung.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.361-367
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• 2015

This paper presents the design concept of an intrinsic continuum robot for safe man-machine interface and characteristic behaviors of its end-effector based on real experiments. Since pneumatic artificial muscles having similar antagonistic actuation to human muscles are used for main backbones of the proposed robot as well as in the role of the actuating devices, variable stiffness of robotic joints can be available in the actual environment. In order to solve the inherent shortcoming of an intrinsic continuum robot due to bending motion of the backbone materials, a Kalman filter scheme based on a triaxial accelerometer and a triaxial gyroscope was proposed to conduct an attitude estimation of the end-effector of the robot. The experimental results verified that the proposed method was effective in estimating the attitude of the end-effector of the intrinsic continuum robot.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.58 no.5
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• pp.412-418
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• 2015

Objective : To investigate the effects of posterior implant rigidity on spinal kinematics at adjacent levels by utilizing a cadaveric spine model with simulated physiological loading. Methods : Five human lumbar spinal specimens (L3 to S1) were obtained and checked for abnormalities. The fresh specimens were stripped of muscle tissue, with care taken to preserve the spinal ligaments and facet joints. Pedicle screws were implanted in the L4 and L5 vertebrae of each specimen. Specimens were tested under 0 N and 400 N axial loading. Five different posterior rods of various elastic moduli (intact, rubber, low-density polyethylene, aluminum, and titanium) were tested. Segmental range of motion (ROM), center of rotation (COR) and intervertebral disc pressure were investigated. Results : As the rigidity of the posterior rods increased, both the segmental ROM and disc pressure at L4-5 decreased, while those values increased at adjacent levels. Implant stiffness saturation was evident, as the ROM and disc pressure were only marginally increased beyond an implant stiffness of aluminum. Since the disc pressures of adjacent levels were increased by the axial loading, it was shown that the rigidity of the implants influenced the load sharing between the implant and the spinal column. The segmental CORs at the adjacent disc levels translated anteriorly and inferiorly as rigidity of the device increased. Conclusion : These biomechanical findings indicate that the rigidity of the dynamic stabilization implant and physiological loading play significant roles on spinal kinematics at adjacent disc levels, and will aid in further device development.

• 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.2568-2574
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• 2005

Control architecture of the action based robot engineering can be divided into two types of deliberate type - and reactive type- controller. Typical deliberate type, slow in reaction speed, is well suited for the realization of the higher intelligence with its capability to forecast on the basis of environmental model according to time flow, while reactive type is suitable for the lower intelligence as it fits to the realization of speedy reactive action by inputting the sensor without a complete environmental model. Looking at the environments in the application areas in which robots are actually used, we can see that they have been mostly covered by the uncertain and unknown dynamic changes depending on time and place, the previously known knowledge being existed though. It may cause, therefore, any deterioration of the robot performance as well as further happen such cases as the robots can not carry out their desired performances, when any one of these two types is solely engaged. Accordingly this paper aims at suggesting Goal-oriented Geometric Model(GGM) Based Intelligent System Architecture which leads the actions of the robots to perform their jobs under variously changing environment and applying the suggested system structure to the navigation issues of the robots. When the robots do perform navigation in human life changing in a various manner with time, they can appropriately respond to the changing environment by doing the action with the recognition of the state. Extending this concept to cover the highest hierarchy without sticking only to the actions of the robots can lead us to apply to the algorithm to perform various small jobs required for the carrying-out of a large main job.

• The Journal of the Institute of Internet, Broadcasting and Communication
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.161-166
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• 2014

Recently, indoor sports simulator equipped with virtual reality devices, like screen golf system, are riding high. There have been many attempts to develop the indoor simulator systems which can make people enjoy exercises in various sports area. A real horseback riding could not have been popularized, because of the cost involved, difficulty to learn and its dangerousness. In this research, a robotic horseback riding platform based on parallel mechanism and virtual reality device is proposed. The proposed platform provides realistic riding feels and various levels of riding difficulty. The equipped motion capture system with a vision sensor enables riders to correct their riding posture based on expert's one. The developed horseback riding platform make it possible to enjoy a horseback riding in all weather, and also can be used for systematic horseback riding training.