Although cognitive robotics is still a work in progress, the trend is to “free” robots from the assembly lines of the third industrial revolution and allow them to “enter human society” in large numbers and many forms, as forecasted by Industry 4.0 and beyond. Cognitive robots are expected to be intelligent, designed to learn from experience and adapt to real-world situations rather than being preprogrammed with specific actions for all possible stimuli and environmental conditions. Moreover, such robots are supposed to interact closely with human partners, cooperating with them, and this implies that robot cognition must incorporate, in a deep sense, ethical principles and evolve, in conflict situations, decision-making capabilities that can be perceived as wise. Intelligence (true vs. false), ethics (right vs. wrong), and wisdom (good vs. bad) are interrelated but independent features of human behavior, and a similar framework should also characterize the behavior of cognitive agents integrated in human society. The working hypothesis formulated in this paper is that the propensity to consolidate ethically guided behavior, possibly evolving to some kind of wisdom, is a cognitive architecture based on bio-inspired embodied cognition, educated through development and social interaction. In contrast, the problem with current AI foundation models applied to robotics (EAI) is that, although they can be super-intelligent, they are intrinsically disembodied and ethically agnostic, independent of how much information was absorbed during training. We suggest that the proposed alternative may facilitate social acceptance and thus make such robots civilized.
Mechanical engineering and machinery, Electronic computers. Computer science
Robotic polishing in CAD-free industrial settings relies on point-cloud data, yet noise and non-uniform sampling often compromise kinematic feasibility and finishing quality. This paper proposes an adaptive motion planning approach with explicit kinematic constraints. A downsampling–clustering–mapping-back strategy is first employed for rapid workpiece extraction. Subsequently, an improved supervoxel representation and attributed adjacency graph (AAG) are developed, utilizing a multi-objective energy formulation to partition sub-regions that satisfy geometric consistency and kinematic reachability. To handle point-cloud noise, a lightweight neural network predicts scanning directions and step-distance coefficients, followed by thick-slice serpentine path generation. Finally, closed-loop verification ensures safety through inverse-kinematics and safety-margin checks. Experimental results demonstrate consistent sub-micron finishing quality, with Ra ≈ 0.6 μm on complex mold surfaces. Moreover, the proposed pipeline achieves a 7.5× preprocessing speedup, completing workpiece extraction in 1.14 s for a 237,640-point scan, and improves kinematic feasibility to 100% IK success while reducing the mean TCP normal deviation by ~76% compared with a PCA-based baseline.
In this study, as part of the development of a generic track structure design method, a method for verifying the fatigue life of rails on curves was investigated. To determine the design force for verifying the fatigue life of rails on curves, the lateral force during a vehicle run was estimated by the wheel / lateral force estimation formula by varying various parameters such as the curve radius. Taking a curve segment 800 m > R ≥ 600 m as an example, it was assumed that curves of the same extension existed for each curve radius and superelevation, and the probability frequency distribution of the variable lateral force coefficient was determined. Then, all curves on all lines laid by a certain operator were classified into three curve categories, (i) R ≥ 800 m, (ii) 800 m > R ≥ 600 m and (iii) 600 m > R. The total curve length was classified into each category, and the probability of occurrence of the lateral force was determined. When the mean and standard deviation coefficient of variation of the lateral force coefficient was calculated for the results, it was 0.25 for (i) R ≥ 800 m, 0.30 for (ii) 800 m > R ≥ 600 m and 0.35 for (iii) 600 m > R. Then, methods for estimating the bending stress at the bottom of the rail under lateral force, which is the response value, were investigated. A FEM model of both rail tracks was constructed considering vertical and horizontal bending and torsional bending, nonlinearity of the fastening systems, and lateral force on the high and low rails. The results of the analysis using this model confirmed that the bending stresses at the bottom of the rails can be estimated to be within 10 % accuracy at the bottom of the rails during vehicle passage on the service line.
Mechanical engineering and machinery, Engineering machinery, tools, and implements
To address the issues of low detection accuracy and poor real-time performance in existing methods for detecting minor abnormalities such as cracks, oil leaks, and loose bolts in rotating industrial machinery under dynamic vibration conditions, this paper proposes a lightweight detection system based on YOLOv8 (You Only Look Once version 8) with adaptive feature enhancement. First, this paper employs a temporal motion compensation module based on optical flow to estimate and correct the vibration displacement between adjacent frames. Second, this paper designs a lightweight YOLOv8 network, using depthwise separable convolution instead of traditional convolution. Finally, this paper employs a weighted fusion strategy to improve the accuracy of small object detection in complex backgrounds. This model is deployed on the Jetson AGX Xavier edge computing platform, utilizing FP16 (half-precision floating-point) / INT8 (8-bit integer) quantization and asynchronous pipeline inference to ensure real-time processing capabilities on edge devices. The experimental results show that the method achieves an average detection accuracy of 97.8% (mAP@0.5) and 86.6% (mAP@0.5:0.95), with an average inference speed of 29.5 FPS (frames per second). This demonstrates that the method has reached industrial-grade performance in terms of detection accuracy, real-time performance, and deployment stability, making it highly valuable for practical applications.
Pengfei Pang, Jian Tang(Member CCF), Ting Rui
et al.
With the wide application of intelligent equipment in modern industrial production, it is particularly important to study how to intelligently sense the faults of rotating machinery, improve the diagnosis efficiency and enhance the interpretation ability of the diagnosis process. Although the traditional 1-D CNN performs well in fault diagnosis, it has limitations in capturing subtle changes and complex patterns of fault signals, and its interpretability needs to be improved. Therefore, based on the improved ELCNN model, this paper discusses its diagnosis mechanism in depth, aiming at providing a new idea for intelligent fault diagnosis of rotating machinery. The functions of convolutional layer and S-GAP layer in ELCNN are studied and analyzed. Through single-layer linear convolution, ELCNN can adaptively learn the frequency domain features of the signal and realize the lightweight of the model. At the same time, the S-GAP layer enhances the ability of ELCNN to capture the main peak frequency of fault signals through feature sparseness. The experimental results show that the accuracy of ELCNN in frequency domain feature extraction is more than 80 %. The main peak frequency extracted can effectively help engineers understand the basis of model judgment and improve the reliability of the model.
A dynamic model of an asymmetric system is developed with limiter under heave conditions to explore the impact characteristics of a marine rotating machinery coupled airbag-floating raft-limiter systems. The steady-state response of the system is numerically solved using the Runge-Kutta theory. Nonlinear dynamic analysis methods, including energy trajectories and time-averaged energy diagrams, have been introduced to examine the influence of rotor speed, heaving amplitude, limiter clearance, and contact stiffness on the dynamic characteristics of the system. The results show that the amplitude of the heave increases, the system collides with the limiter, resulting in a significant reduction in amplitude. Meanwhile, the dynamic behavior of system transitions from quasi-periodic motion to chaotic state. After the impact, the energy of the system begins to concentrate in the region of impact, and the higher the time-averaged energy value, the more severe the impact of the system. The method proposed in this paper can provides an optimization scheme and theoretical reference for the impact problem of this system.
AbstractWith the interaction in automobile manufacturing technology, products made of integrated die-cast aluminum alloy are becoming more and more widespread. However, engineers frequently ignore the impact of structural features on mechanical properties when utilizing simulation software to determine a product's strength, and current constitutive models do not account for structural flaw studies. To examine the correlation between structural flaws and mechanical properties of the die-cast aluminum alloy, quasi-static tensile tests were performed on JDA1b alloy specimens. The defect rates were varied by adding circular holes with varying diameters at the center of the specimens. The results showed that the JDA1b alloy’s tensile strength and elongation significantly decreased as the fault rate increased. A constitutive model with defect rates is proposed, which has higher accuracy than the J–C model. Simulations and experimental findings effectively validated the accuracy of the proposed constitutive model. The proposed model provides support for high-precision computing for analyzing the mechanical performance of materials.
Uniform wall thickness plays an essential role in avoiding forming failure in incremental sheet forming. However, it is challenging to promote the uniform distribution of wall thickness in single-pass forming of high wall angle and complex three-dimensional thin-walled parts using flexible dieless incremental sheet forming technology. In this article, based on the hydraulic support single-point incremental sheet forming technology, the finite element software is used to simulate and analyze the influence of different support pressure on the wall thickness distribution and the uniform critical angle of single-pass incremental sheet forming truncated pyramid parts. The results show that the hydraulic support can effectively improve the thickness uniformity and critical forming angle. In addition, a single-point increment experiment system of hydraulic support is designed, and the uniform critical angle of wall thickness corresponding to different support pressure is obtained. The experimental results are consistent with the finite element simulation results. Therefore, this article provides guidance for manufacturing high wall angles and complex parts with uniform wall thickness in single-pass incremental sheet forming.
In the current recycling process of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP), due to the serious damage of aggregate gradation and the large amount of aged asphalt still wrapped around the surface of the treated aggregate, the low recycling rate and poor performance of the recycled asphalt mixture are the major problems of RAP. In view of the shortcomings of RAP recycling technology, it is urgent to research new treatment methods and design specialized asphalt-stripping equipment to solve the existing problems. In this paper, based on theoretical analysis and EDEM discrete element simulation, a principle prototype for efficient micro-damage fine stripping of asphalt on the RAP surface is developed and tested. The results demonstrate that the principle prototype has a satisfactory asphalt-stripping effect and achieves fine stripping of aged asphalt on the surface of aggregate without large-scale crushing. This principle prototype has significant engineering application values, which provides design solutions and data support for further equipment development.
Anant Venktesh Tripathi, B. Suthakar, A. Surendrakumar
et al.
India is one of the leading producers of neem in the world. But still, there is no mechanical system available for either harvesting the neem fruits from the tree or collecting the neem fruits from the ground. Also, the manual ground collection of neem fruit is a very laborious and time-consuming operation. The cost of ground collection of neem fruit is higher than its selling price which makes neem plantation uneconomical. The introduction of a collection system for collecting the neem fruit from the ground may represent the technological change that is the key factor for improved competitiveness. The main purpose of this work was to develop ground collection system based on the principle of suction. The design of the machinery was based on a determination of fruit geometry and its physical and engineering properties. The proposed innovation enabled a fully mechanical solution for collecting the fallen neem fruit from the ground, achieving a collection capacity of approximately 10 kg.h-1 with a collection efficiency of over 90%.
Abstract Wood ashes obtained from household heating and cooking are often applied to home gardens and arable fields by farmers. The effect of tree species and their locations on the elemental composition of wood ashes derived from domestic cooking and heating is unknown. The study aimed to discover the fertilizer values of wood ashes obtained from Betula pendula, Carpinus betulus, Fagus sylvatica, Larix decidua, Picea abies, Pinus sylvestris, Quercus robur, and Tilia cordata from two different localities, Hlinsko and Mšec, Czech Republic. The total element content in the ashes of dry wood samples (wood and bark) burnt at 460°C with a wood stove interfaced with a thermometer was determined using portable x‐ray spectrometry. The content (in g kg−1) of P (3.23–20.53), K (26.79–136.22), Ca (94.89–295.56), and S (2.97–11.75) in the ashes varies according to the tree species, locality, parent rock, and anthropogenic activities in the location of trees. Additionally, trace element contents ranged from 0.63–32.07 g Mn kg−1, 0.34–4.6 g Fe kg−1, 32.4–2062 mg Zn kg−1, 47.61–193.09 mg Cu kg−1, 3.99–21.53 mg Mo kg−1, and 1.50–6.62 mg Se kg−1. The pH of the ashes ranged from 8.71 to 11.54, suitable to alleviate soil acidity and a condition satisfying soil additive. A significant positive correlation between the contents of Cu, Sr, and Pb with the ashes of Picea abies, Larix decidua, Pinus sylvestris, and Betula pendula at Hlinsko is indicative of ancient anthropogenic activities input in the soil. The combustion of wood under home heating temperatures resulted in the concentration of most risk metal(loid)s, below permissible limits in agricultural soils. Application of wood ashes on arable fields requires considerable caution due to potentially toxic elements (Zn and Pb).
Renewable energy sources, Energy industries. Energy policy. Fuel trade
Abstract Research on micro-machines is becoming popular. In this paper, the electric driving behavior of liquid metal columns in confining channel was studied. When the electric field was applied, the liquid metal near the negative electrode became flat, longer. The NaOH electrolyte (1.0 mol/L) could flow from the positive electrode to the negative electrode from a small space above the liquid metal column. Besides, the length and volume of the liquid metal would affect its motion and deformation behavior. Both cylindrical liquid column (R = 5 mm, L = 5 cm) and linear liquid column (R = 5 mm, L = 40 cm) exhibit deformable movements, which are similar to the bionic movements of earthworms. The electrically driven liquid metal in closed systems could provide a theoretical basis for droplet actuation in microtubes. It has a very wide application prospect in the field of micro-drive machines.
Ocean engineering, Mechanical engineering and machinery
It is of great fundamental significance and practical application to understand the binding sites and dynamic process of the interaction between doxorubicin (DOX) and DNA molecules. Based on the Confocal Raman spectroscopy, the interaction between DOX and calf thymus DNA has been systemically investigated, and some meaningful findings have been found. DOX molecules can not only interact with all four bases of DNA molecules, i.e., adenine, thymine, cytosine, guanine, and phosphate, but also affect the DNA conformation. Meanwhile, the binding site of DOX and its derivatives such as daunorubicin and epirubicin is certain. Furthermore, the interaction between DOX and DNA molecules is a dynamic process since the intensities of each characteristic peaks of the base, e.g., adenine, cytosine, and phosphate, are all regularly changed with the interaction time. Finally, a dynamic mechanism model of the interaction between DOX and DNA molecules is proposed; that is, there are two kinds of interaction between DOX and DNA molecules: DOX-DNA acts to form a complex, and DOX-DOX acts to form a multimer. The two effects are competitive, as the former compresses DNA molecules, and the latter decompresses these DNA molecules. This work is helpful for accurately understanding and developing new drugs and pathways to improve and treat DOX-induced cytotoxicity and cardiotoxicity.
Paven Thomas Mathew, Wei Han, Brian J. Rodriguez
et al.
In this paper, the atomic-scale structure fabrication on Si (100) substrate using atomic force microscopy (AFM) with the aid of electrochemical and mechanical processes in a humid environment and under ambient conditions is studied. The local oxidation patterns are formed using platinum-coated tips with the aid of bias applied to the tip-substrate junction, and direct removal has been achieved using single crystal diamond tips, enabling the structure fabrication at the atomic and close-to-atomic scale. The depth and height of the etched trenches reached about 1 nm, which provides an approach for the fabrication of atomic-scale electrodes for molecular device development. Furthermore, material removal close to about three silicon atoms (~3.2 Å) has been achieved. This is important in molecular device fabrication. A detailed comparison among the nanopatterns and the material removal over bare and hydrofluoric acid (HF) treated silicon substrates is provided. This comparison is useful for the application of fabricating atomic-scale electrodes needed for the molecular electronic components. A deep understanding of atomic-scale material removal can be pushed to fabricate a single atomic protrusion by removing the neighbouring atoms so that the molecule can be attached to a single atom, thereby the AFM tip and Si substrate could act as the electrodes and the molecule between them as the channel, providing basic transistor actions in a molecular transistor design. In this paper, platinum-coated and single-crystal diamond tips are used to explain the oxide formations and direct material removal, respectively.
In this paper, free vibration and transmission response for the torsional vibration of circular annular plate are presented. To the author’s knowledge, few studies can be found for the torsional vibration from wave standpoint. For this purpose, in this study, natural frequencies for the torsional vibration of annular plate with clamped–clamped and free–free boundaries are calculated. The natural frequencies obtained by wave approach are compared with those derived by the classical method. Furthermore, transmissibility curves of the periodic annular model and Fibonacci annular model are analyzed. The finite element simulations are carried out to verify the theoretical results. Finally, the influence of inner radius and length ratio on the transmission response is also discussed. The obtained results are useful for the torsional vibration reduction of machinery structures.
János Kundrák (ORCID: 0000-0002-6013-7856)1, Andrey V. Mitsyk (ORCID: 0000-0002-3267-8065)2, Vladimir A. Fedorovich (ORCID: 0000-0003-4440-3656)3, Angelos P. Markopoulos (ORCID: 0000-0002-3754-5202)4*, Anatoly I. Grabchenko (ORCID: 0000-0001-7807-960X) 3 1Institute of Manufacturing Science, University of Miskolc, 3515, Hungary 2Department of Machinery Engineering and Applied Mechanics, Volodymyr Dahl East Ukrainian National University, Severodonetsk, 93400 Ukraine 3Department of Integrated Engineering Techniques n.a. M.F. Semko, National Technical University, Kharkov Polytechnic Institute, Kharkov, 61002 Ukraine 4Laboratory of Manufacturing Technology, School of Mechanical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15780 Athens, Greece *Corresponding author: amark@mail.ntua.gr
The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)-funded research “Internet of Construction” (IoC) explores the digitalization and interconnection of construction processes throughout the value chain. It addresses the implementation of robotic processes and Industry 4.0 technologies within a broad consortium of industry partners. The consortium brings together suppliers of construction and robotic machinery with fabrication and construction contractors as well as architecture, mechanical engineering, and economics researchers. The IoC incorporates a living lab (Aachen West site), where new approaches are developed, tested, and evaluated in the context of real-world settings. While the project is ongoing, promising results in the enhancement of productivity in construction have already been demonstrated through the collaboration of industry and academic partners.
There are gaps in research needed to enhance policy intervention for rural households’ transitions from traditional biomass to cleaner energy sources. This paper reports on a survey among farmers in western Kenya to assess drivers of cooking energy choices for various key meals; to understand agricultural production factors in cooking energy choices; and to assess energy use homogeneity among varied sub-counties. The study sampled 388 respondents from four heterogeneous rural sub-counties differing in altitude, proximity to public forests, and cultural characteristics. The multinomial logit model analysis showed that significant factors influencing the shift from firewood to LPG for breakfast preparation included access to credit, income, formal employment, and the proportion of adults in the household. Shifting from firewood to crop wastes was significant, influenced by distance covered to collect firewood, and desire for warming houses. The shift from firewood to sticks was influenced by firewood cost, houses owned, and reliance on own farm for woodfuel. Determinants of cooking energy choices for breakfast, lunch and supper were identical. Sticks were seen as an inferior cooking energy source. The adoption of cleaner energy was more associated with breakfast than other meals. Despite the sub-counties’ heterogeneity, no substantial differences were observed among them on drivers of cooking energy choices. Study outcomes were consistent with other concepts associated with cooking energy usage, including the transition energy ladder and energy stacking.
Recently, it has been reported that combinations of various types of vegetable oils containing organic acids and DLC coatings are effective for reducing friction, but there are few reports of detailed investigations into the relationship between differences in the chemical structures of vegetable oil lubricants and friction reduction. Therefore, the authors investigated the influence on friction properties of two types of DLC coatings, a-C:H and ta-C under lubrication with vegetable oils which have different degrees of unsaturation. The ta-C coating displayed markedly lower friction coefficients than the a-C:H coating and the uncoated steel with all of the vegetable oil lubricants used. It was found that the low friction properties of the ta-C coating showed even lower friction coefficients with vegetable oils containing a higher content of monounsaturated fatty acids. Additionally, the sliding surfaces of ta-C coated discs and cylinders were analyzed by XPS and ToF-SIMS analysis. The results confirmed the formation of a surface layer consisting of C-OH bonds, and a lower friction coefficient was seen as the detected intensity of these bonds increased.
Decellularized tissues are considered superior scaffolds for cell cultures, preserving the microstructure of native tissues and delivering many kinds of cytokines. High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatment could remove cells physically from biological tissues rather than chemical methods. However, there are some risks of inducing destruction or denaturation of extracellular matrices (ECMs) at an ultrahigh level of HHP. Therefore, efficient decellularization using moderate HHP is required to remove almost all cells simultaneously to suppress tissue damage. In this study, we proposed a novel decellularization method using a moderate HHP with supercooling pretreatment. To validate the decellularization method, a supercooling device was developed to incubate human dermal fibroblasts or collagen gels in a supercooled state. The cell suspension and collagen gels were subjected to 100, 150, and 200 MPa of HHP after supercooling pretreatment, respectively. After applying HHP, the viability and morphology of the cells and the collagen network structure of the gels were evaluated. The viability of cells decreased dramatically after HHP application with supercooling pretreatment, whereas the microstructures of collagen gels were preserved and cell adhesivity was retained after HHP application. In conclusion, it was revealed that supercooling pretreatment promoted the denaturation of the cell membrane to improve the efficacy of decellularization using static application of moderate HHP. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that the HHP with supercooling pretreatment did not degenerate and damage the microstructure in collagen gels.