Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tactile Perception Characteristics of Lips Stimulated by Airborne Ultrasound

Tactile presentation to faces is an unexplored field of study with significant potential. Considering the hygiene and the physical burden on users, non-contact tactile stimulation to faces is an effective method. Even though lips have a particularly high tactile sensitivity in the face, the tactile perception characteristics of lips in non-contact tactile presentation have hardly been investigated. This study is the first to investigate the tactile perception characteristics of lips in airborne ultrasound tactile presentation, which is a non-contact haptic technology that generates a force on a remote object by focusing ultrasound waves. From acoustic simulations and two subject experiments, it was confirmed that the lowest tactile thresholds of the lips were achieved at the valley-shaped area of the lips in terms of location, lateral modulation with periodic circular trajectories (LMC) in terms of modulation type, and 40 Hz in terms of modulation frequency. Furthermore, the tactile detection threshold of the lips could be lower by 3 dB than that of the palms with an appropriate presentation method. Although there are some limitations in the current devices, non-contact tactile presentation to lips using airborne ultrasound is potentially applicable to various fields, such as notifications, alerting, and virtual reality.
An Exploration of Accessible Remote Tele-operation for Assistive Mobile Manipulators in the Home

New mobile manipulator platforms, like the Hello Robot Stretch, have made the idea of long-term in-home robotic assistance feasible. However, existing autonomous capabilities for such robots in unstructured, highly-varied environments are still not available. Instead, using robots with human tele-operation can have huge immediate impact. For these robots to serve populations that need them the most, their interfaces need to be accessible to people with mobility limitations. In this paper we explore the utility, usability, and accessibility of a tele-operated Stretch robot in the home. We first describe a browser-based interface for controlling the Stretch robot designed with accessibility in mind. We then present findings from a study (N=18) in which participants used the interface to remotely control the robot to perform realistic tasks in a kitchen, demonstrating the feasibility of tele-operated assistance and revealing challenges and opportunities. Next, we present a study with individuals with mobility limitations (N=3) identifying additional accessibility requirements for the interface. Participants in both studies agree to the utility of the robot despite current limitations.
Factor-Graph-Aided Three-Dimensional Faster Cooperative Positioning Algorithm

With the development of smart cities and 5G applications, there is an increasingly urgent need for cooperative positioning among all kinds of intelligent terminals. Existing cooperative positioning technology is primarily designed for two-dimensional positions, and the computing speed and positioning accuracy cannot meet the needs of smart cities. To solve these problems, this paper proposes a factor-graph-aided three-dimensional faster cooperative positioning algorithm (FG-3DCP) that combines a factor graph and sum product theory to establish a cooperative localization model with many nodes. To reduce computational complexity and describe fast positioning, the parameter independence of the factor graph is used, and the positioning data of each node coordinate axis are calculated independently. Then, the positioning result is obtained by fusion, and the computing speed is markedly improved. The proposed algorithm was simulated and analyzed in terms of ranging error, position ambiguity, network topology and the number of nodes. When the proposed algorithm was compared to the existing non-Bayesian estimation cooperative position methods, the position performance improved more than 20%, and the convergence rate was the fastest in the 3D environment.
Optimal Real-time Digitization of Matrix-Headlights

This contribution discusses and compares different approaches and quality criteria for real-time digitization of automotive matrix-headlights. The digitization method enables hardware-in-the-loop evaluations of high-resolution lighting functions in the lighting laboratory at any time of day in real time to reduce the duration of real night test drives. The transformation of illumination to the virtual environment must be as fast and “accurate” as possible. This contribution presents a physics-based transformation strategy and compares different optimal parameterizations for different quality criteria for the image processing system. The scientific goal of this contribution is to define a numerical quantitative criterion for an “accurate” transformation. From the presented evaluation of the digitization of a real headlamp, an optimal quality criterion is derived, which can be used for the automatic calibration of the test bench and the optimization of the digitization process.
Vibrotactile Metaphor of Physical Interaction Using Body-Penetrating Phantom Sensations: Stepping on a Virtual Object

During locomotion, people perceive rich haptic information from the floor and the object in contact with their feet. Conventional simulation of such physical interaction in virtual reality is mostly limited to expressing the material or texture of the floor by stimulating only the sole of a foot using vibrotactile stimuli. This paper presents a vibrotactile metaphor that mimics the physical interaction of stepping on a virtual object using body-penetrating phantom sensations between the sole and the instep. For both passive and active perception, we compare the effectiveness between the penetrating illusion and the single stimulation on the sole, with and without visual feedback. Experimental results show that our vibrotactile metaphor is effective for passive perception and less effective when there is active user movement. Our discovery enriches virtual tactile experiences that can be felt with the feet.
Optimal Design, Modeling and Force Control of Tension Generator Driven by Parallel Elastic Actuator

This paper proposes a novel actuator that can generate desired tension by torque control to provide the necessary load for physical exercise. In order to reduce the required torque level of the motor, a spring is incorporated in this actuator design such that the torque (and thus tension) can be generated not only by the motor but also from the spring. The proposed mechanism is a type of Parallel Elastic Actuator (PEA), which consists of the motor, the spring, and the reduction gear. Dynamic model and analysis of PEA are developed in this paper to properly understand the working principle of PEA. The precise analysis of the proposed mechanism is conducted based on the developed model. The optimal characteristic of the spring and the gear ratio are determined to generate large torque while utilizing motor torque efficiently. In addition to this optimal design, the force controller is developed for the proposed actuator module, considering the dynamic characteristic of PEA. Finally, the performance of the proposed PEA and controller is verified through experiments.
Social robotic application to support active and healthy ageing

With the world population ageing and with the number of healthcare users needing assistance and support increasing, healthcare is becoming more costly and, as such, the need to optimise and support independent living for older people is of paramount importance. This paper reviews the user requirements and challenges that are relevant to older adults who prefer to age healthily at home, and how socially assistive robots (SAR) can be used to help them. The main focus is placed on the social robotic application developed for the H2020 SHAPES project to promote Smart Living Environment for healthy ageing. The solution is based on the newest PAL Robotics’ robot ARI, a high-performance social robot and companion designed for a wide range of multi-modal expressive gestures, gaze and personalised behaviour, which is integrated via several Digital Solutions developed within the SHAPES project to improve human-robot interaction and user acceptability for independent living support tasks. The validation process will take place over the coming months at Clinica Humana (Mallorca, Spain), which is a private clinic that provides hospital care to retirement homes, communities and home-bound patients. A description of the scenario definition is presented in the paper, together with the validation plan that will be executed during the pilot assessments and the measures that will be taken to improve user engagement.
Comparison of Collision Detection Techniques for High–Speed Industrial Robot Actuators with Overload Clutch

High-speed industrial robots can cause severe damage in the event of a collision. In order to deploy them in unstructured environments, they require overload protection and sensitive collision detection. A qualitative and quantitative comparison of different detection techniques is presented based on high-speed collision experiments. A high-speed industrial robot actuator with overload clutch was instrumented with various sensors for this purpose. Limit switches and secondary encoders required the clutch to decouple prior to detection. Proprioceptive techniques were successfully implemented but showed lower sensitivity compared to accelerometer based collision detection.
Human Cooperation Control of Two-Wheeled Robot for Stairs Riding Up*

In recent years, population aging has progressed worldwide. It is predicted that labor shortage due to population aging will become more serious. Therefore, it is expected that luggage transport robots be introduced into human living environments. However, stairs is an issue that must be addressed when using robots in the human environment. Typically, robots are large and mechanical, and their movement speed tends to decrease. Therefore, in this study, we propose a stair-ride-up method using a two-wheeled robot. The proposed method achieves the ride-up of stairs via a pushing force through cooperation with humans. Robots that use the proposed method can be manufactured in a small size, incurs a low cost, and offers a relatively high climbing speed. Experiments are conducted for cases of ride-up with and without control. Results show that only half of the work is required by the control. Furthermore, it is confirmed that the proposed method can achieve a ride-up stair speed of 0.3 step/s.
Identification and Information Transfer of Multidimensional Tactons Presented by a Single Vibrotactile Actuator

Techniques designed to deliver information to users via the haptic channel often make use of multiple actuators spread over different body locations, sometimes employing multiple haptic modalities (e.g., vibration, skin stretch, temperature) in parallel. Instead, we sought to determine the information transfer capacity of a single vibrotactile actuator. To do so, we designed 90 multidimensional tactons using four parameters: the number of pulses, tempo, frequency, and amplitude, based on prior literature and results of pilot studies. We conducted a two-day experiment with 12 participants, which evaluated their accuracy in identifying each parameter and estimated the information transfer (IT) under continuously repeating and one-shot tacton presentation schemes. Participants achieved identification accuracy of individual parameters of approximately 70% for tempo, frequency, and amplitude, while their identification accuracy for number of pulses reached 90%. Although the overall tacton identification accuracy was only 34.12% and 38.66% for continuous and one-shot presentations, respectively, the high dimensionality of these tactons resulted in an estimated information transfer of 3.06 bits (for one-shot presentation), the highest IT achieved to date using only a single actuator. We provide a detailed analysis of these results, and drawing from the experiment, present guidelines for multidimensional tacton design.
Ketamine therapy for chronic pain in The Netherlands: a nationwide survey

Abstract Objectives Ketamine is used to treat chronic refractory pain. However, there are no scientific guidelines for ketamine use in the Netherlands. The aim of this survey was to provide an overview of the use of ketamine for chronic pain in the Netherlands. Methods All pain clinics in the Netherlands were contacted. A digital survey, available from June 2019 to January 2020, was sent to 68 pain clinics. The survey was completed by one pain physician as a representative of the entire pain department. The survey included questions about ketamine treatment indications, administration, dose, duration, treatment repetition and the inpatient or outpatient setting. Results The survey was completed by 51 pain clinics (75.0%). Thirty-one clinics used ketamine for chronic pain treatment. The most common indication was Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (83.9%). Pain clinics administered ketamine via intravenous infusions (96.8%), iontophoresis (61.3%), subcutaneous (3.2%) or oral administration (3.2%). Intravenous ketamine treatment was offered in an inpatient setting in 14 pain clinics, in both an inpatient and outpatient setting in 11 pain clinics and in six pain clinics in an outpatient setting. In the outpatient setting, the median starting dose was 5 mg/h (IQR=17.5–5). The median maximum dose was 27.5 mg/h (IQR=100–11.9). The median infusion duration was 6 h (IQR=8–4). In the inpatient setting, the median starting dose was 5 mg/h (IQR=5–1.5) and the median maximum dose was 25 mg/h (IQR=25–14). Patients were admitted to hospital for a median of 4 days (IQR=5–1). Conclusions The results of this Dutch nationwide survey study show that there are heterogeneous treatment protocols with different indications, treatment setting and dosing regimen for the treatment of chronic pain with ketamine. This study encourages the formulation of a broader consensus and the development of evidence based guidelines for ketamine treatment.
Biochemistry laboratory errors and patient safety: Turkey data

Abstract Objectives Our aim in this study is to provide information about the rate of errors in the process of the biochemistry laboratories in the hospitals in Turkey with the “Indicators”. Methods The hospitals calculate their own data according to the indicator cards defined by the Ministry of Health of Turkey and enter into the system once in a year. In this study we examined the quality indicators related to the disruptions in the biochemistry laboratory of hospitals for the year of 2018. Results All indicators except “Non-timely reported result rate in biochemistry laboratory” are found to be significantly higher in university hospitals. This indicator is found to be significantly higher in private hospitals(p:0.030) “Lost sample rate in biochemistry laboratory” is found to be significantly higher in Eastern Anatolia Region (p:0.000) and “Non-timely reported result rate in biochemistry laboratory” is found to be significantly higher in Aegean Region (p:0.008). Conclusions The ratio of non-timely reported result rate is the most seen disruption in biochemistry laboratories. It may be due to lots of reasons; lack of biochemistry equipment, lack of staff, problems in transportation, etc. The management of hospitals and the staff should take measures and regulations about problems.
The rate of convergence on fractional power dissipative operator on compact manifolds

Abstract On a compact connected manifold M $\mathbb{M}$, we concern the fractional power dissipative operator e−tLα $e^{-t\left\vert \mathcal{L}\right\vert ^{\alpha}}$, and obtain the almost-everywhere convergence rate (as t → 0+) of e−tLαf $e^{-t\left\vert \mathcal{L}\right\vert ^{\alpha}}\left( f\right)$ when f is in some Sobolev type Hardy spaces. The main result is a non-trivial extension of a recent result on ℝn by Cao and Wang in 2.
Post-translational lysine ac(et)ylation in health, ageing and disease

Abstract The acetylation/acylation (ac(et)ylation) of lysine side chains is a dynamic post-translational modification (PTM) regulating fundamental cellular processes with implications on the organisms’ ageing process: metabolism, transcription, translation, cell proliferation, regulation of the cytoskeleton and DNA damage repair. First identified to occur on histones, later studies revealed the presence of lysine ac(et)ylation in organisms of all kingdoms of life, in proteins covering all essential cellular processes. A remarkable finding showed that the NAD+-dependent sirtuin deacetylase Sir2 has an impact on replicative lifespan in Saccharomyces cerevisiae suggesting that lysine acetylation has a direct role in the ageing process. Later studies identified sirtuins as mediators for beneficial effects of caloric/dietary restriction on the organisms’ health- or lifespan. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects are only incompletely understood. Progress in mass-spectrometry, structural biology, synthetic and semi-synthetic biology deepened our understanding of this PTM. This review summarizes recent developments in the research field. It shows how lysine ac(et)ylation regulates protein function, how it is regulated enzymatically and non-enzymatically, how a dysfunction in this post-translational machinery contributes to disease development. A focus is set on sirtuins and lysine acyltransferases as these are direct sensors and mediators of the cellular metabolic state. Finally, this review highlights technological advances to study lysine ac(et)ylation.
Influence of disordered cover on cascade mechanism of medium response spectrum broadening at THz-TDS of substance

Remote sensing using the pulsed THz-TDS is of great interest because of its possible practical applications. Many ordinary materials (paper, for example) are transparent to THz radiation while the hazardous substances, which have to detect, possess fingerprints in this frequency range. However, covers of ordinary material can distort its spectrum in such a way that the spectrum of reflected THz pulse or transmitted THz pulse will contain absorption frequencies, which are inherent to dangerous substance (explosives, illistic drugs.), despite their absence in the material under consideration. On the other hand, it is well-known that the spectrum of medium response under the action of THz pulse is broader than the incident THz pulse spectrum. This is a result of a possibility of high energy level excitation due to cascade mechanism of their excitation. For practical point of view, it is very important to know about features of a covering substance influence on the medium response spectrum broadening. This problem is investigated in our report using the computer simulation. We carry out computer simulation of a few-cycle electromagnetic pulse interaction with a substance exhibiting nonlinear non-instantaneous response. An influence of the pulse duration and polarization relaxation rate on the pulse interaction with an uncovered medium and with a medium, which is covered by a linear disordered structure, is investigated. We demonstrate that the spectra of reflected or transmitted pulses may comprise multiple additional spectral lines, caused by various transitions between energy levels of molecules. The spectral intensity of these energy level transitions is affected by the pulse duration and the effective time of interaction which depends on polarization relaxation rate as well as the medium layer thickness.
Hybrid sequence‐based Android malware detection using natural language processing

Android platform has been the target of attackers due to its openness and increasing popularity. Android malware has explosively increased in recent years, which poses serious threats to Android security. Thus proposing efficient Android malware detection methods is curial in defeating malware. Various features extracted from static or dynamic analysis using machine learning have played an important role in malware detection recently. However, existing code obfuscation, code encryption, and dynamic code loading techniques can be employed to hinder systems that single based on static analysis, purely dynamic analysis systems cannot detect all potential code execution paths. To address these issues, we propose CoDroid, a sequence‐based hybrid Android malware detection method, which utilizes the sequences of static opcode and dynamic system call. We treat one sequence as a sentence in the natural language processing and construct a CNN–BiLSTM–Attention classifier which consists of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), the Bidirectional Long Short‐Term Memory (BiLSTM) with an attention language model. We extensively evaluate CoDroid under a real‐world data set and perform comprehensive analysis against other existing related detection methods. The evaluations show the effectiveness and flexibility of CoDroid across a variety of experimental settings.
A Dual Arm Haptic Exoskeleton for Dynamical Coupled Manipulation

Most activities of daily living require bimanual motor coordination during interactions with the external environment. Recent advancements in haptics and virtual reality provide researchers with new instruments to study human-robot interaction and implement experimental paradigms to involve multiple degrees of freedom in the simulation of complex interactive environments. We developed a pick and place task on a bimanual 6 DoFs exoskeleton to explore, for the first time, dynamical coupled motor strategies in a 3D workspace. The robot rendered the force feedback resulting from the interaction with a variety of virtual objects. We tested healthy subjects during several experimental conditions corresponding to multiple simulated dynamics. Results highlighted the system ability in reproducing virtual materials of different stiffness. The dependency of subjects’ performance on the virtual objects’ properties and targets’ direction has also been detected, suggesting that providing haptic rendering on a wearable bimanual exoskeleton could represent a starting point for the development of a fully customized and measurable haptic environment.
Finite-Element Modeling and Characterization of Iron Losses in 12 mm Thick Steel Laminations Including the Effect of Cutting

Iron losses in laser-cut toroidal samples of 12 mm thick steel laminations used in large synchronous motors are studied. Eddy currents in the lamination cross-section are solved with the 2-D finite element method while applying a constitutive law based on the Jiles-Atherton hysteresis model. The effect of cutting on the material properties is included by a continuous local material model approach, which enables to express the material properties as a function of distance from the cutting edge. The accuracy of the model is validated by comparing the simulations and experimental measurements of five toroidal samples assembled from concentric rings with different widths. Highly accurate results are obtained in terms of both the matching of B-H loops and the total loss values with an average relative error less than 2.9%. The results show that the hysteresis loss under quasi-static excitation increases up to 20.4% due to the effect of cutting. It is observed that the eddy-current loss becomes dominant over the hysteresis loss even at 5 Hz, and this eddy-current loss decreases up to 72.5% as the number of concentric rings increases. The presented model and the results accurately show how iron losses occur in thick materials and how they are affected by the cutting process.