Jesus Gomez-de-Gabriel

University of Malaga | UMA · Department of System Engineering and Automatics

In this paper we address the issue of safety in the use of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) in construction, industrial, or similar sites where power tools are used. We propose a novel solution that can control actively the power of the tool depending on the worker–tool distance. It is based on RSSI information transmitted by BLE devices arrange...

Despite the major interest in the field of Human–Robot Interaction (HRI) in recent years, not much work has been presented on physical HRI (pHRI), especially for robot-initiated contact. Although pHRI is a key skill in areas like assistive or rescue robots, advances are limited by hard constraints in safety and compliance that require specific hard...

Nowadays, the ratio of elderly people per caregiver is increasing, and the statistics confirm that this trend will continue for decades. Healthcare systems need to change to support this unbalance. The have to move to enhanced, value-added and cost-effective services to patients, professionals and caregivers. Industry is already involved in this pr...

There are physical Human–Robot Interaction (pHRI) applications where the robot has to grab the human body, such as rescue or assistive robotics. Being able to precisely estimate the grasping location when grabbing a human limb is crucial to perform a safe manipulation of the human. Computer vision methods provide pre-grasp information with strong c...

In this letter, we present an autonomous method for the placement of a sensorized wristband to victims in a Search-And-Rescue (SAR) scenario. For this purpose, an all-terrain mobile robot includes a mobile manipulator, which End-Effector (EE) is equipped with a detachable sensorized wristband. The wristband consists of two links with a shared shaft...

Rollators are widely used in clinical rehabilitation for gait assessment, but gait analysis usually requires a great deal of expertise and focus from medical staff. Smart rollators can capture gait parameters autonomously while avoiding complex setups. However, commercial smart rollators, as closed systems, can not be modified; plus, they are often...

Fall-from-height accidents are linked to severe and fatal consequences for impacted workers. A better understanding of the related variables is necessary to improve worker safety. This study analyzed all fall-from-height occupational accidents recorded in Spain from 2009 to 2019, selected significant variables, and evaluated the influence concernin...

This paper presents the design, prototype and kinematic model of a new adaptive underactuated finger with an articulated skin/surface that is able to bend and, at the same time, provides active rolling motion along its central axis while keeping the finger configuration. The design is based on a planar chain of overlapping spherical phalanxes that...

This letter presents the design and development of a robotic system to give physical assistance to the elderly or people with neurological disorders such as Ataxia or Parkinson's. In particular, we propose using a mobile collaborative robot with an interaction-assistive whole-body interface to help people unable to maintain balance. The robotic sys...

Background: Supervised machine learning models in artificial intelligence (AI) have been increasingly used to predict different types of events. However, their use in orthopaedic surgery has been limited. Hypothesis: It was hypothesized that supervised learning techniques could be used to build a mathematical model to predict primary anterior cr...

Many occupational accidents in construction sites are caused by the intrusion of a worker into a hazardous area. Technological solutions based on RFID, BIM, or UWB can reduce accidents, but they still have some limitations.The aim of the current paper is to design and evaluate a new system of “virtual fences” based on Bluetooth Low-Energy (BLE) to...

Assistive and rehabilitation robotics have gained momentum over the past decade and are expected to progress significantly in the coming years. Although relevant and promising research advances have contributed to these fields, challenges regarding intentional physical contact with humans remain. Despite being a fundamental component of assistive a...

Recent advances in the field of intelligent robotic manipulation pursue providing robotic hands with touch sensitivity. Haptic perception encompasses the sensing modalities encountered in the sense of touch (e.g., tactile and kinesthetic sensations). This letter focuses on multimodal object recognition and proposes analytical and data-driven method...

Fall from heights are a cause of concern in the construction sector. An appropriate use of the harness can be the difference between an incident or a critical accident. Monitoring the proper use of harness at workplace using Bluetooth Low Energy devices (BLE) is a recent and effective approach. The aim of the paper is to identify typical limitation...

In physical Human-Robot Interaction (pHRI), forces exerted by humans need to be estimated to accommodate robot commands to human constraints, preferences, and needs. This paper presents a method for the estimation of the interaction forces between a human and a robot using a gripper with proprioceptive sensing. Specifically, we measure forces exert...

Collaborative robots (cobots) open up new avenues in the fields of industrial robotics and physical Human-Robot Interaction (pHRI) as they are suitable to work in close approximation and in collaboration with humans. The integration and control of variable stiffness elements allow inherently safe interaction. Apart from notable work on Variable Sti...

In this paper, a method for the estimation of the angle of grasping of a human forearm, when grasped by a robot with an underactuated gripper, using proprioceptive information only, is presented. Knowing the angle around the forearm’s axis (i.e. roll angle) is key for the safe manipulation of the human limb and biomedical sensor placement among oth...

In this paper, a novel method of active tactile perception based on 3D neural networks and a high-resolution tactile sensor installed on a robot gripper is presented. A haptic exploratory procedure based on robotic palpation is performed to get pressure images at different grasping forces that provide information not only about the external shape o...

A new approach for the rapid manufacturing of end-of-arm robot tooling (EOAT) based on Venturi vacuum grippers is presented in this paper. It consists in designing and printing a monolithic tool that integrates the functionality of the components of a classic tool, into a single printable part, including vacuum ejectors, pneumatic connectors, air c...

The emergence of new robotic technologies such as compliant control and soft robotics, has contributed to safe physical Human-Robot Interaction (pHRI) mainly for assistive applications. However, a robot capable of directly manipulating the human body, which is key for the implementation of autonomous rescue robots, has not been developed so far. In...

Novel high-resolution pressure-sensor arrays allow treating pressure readings as standard images. Computer vision algorithms and methods such as Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) can be used to identify contact objects. In this paper, a high-resolution tactile sensor has been attached to a robotic endeffector to identify contacted objects. Two CN...

A new robotic system for Search And Rescue (SAR) operations based on the automatic wristband placement on the victims’ arm, which may provide identification, beaconing and remote sensor readings for continuous health monitoring. This paper focuses on the development of the automatic target localization and the device placement using an unmanned aer...

In this paper, the first device for monitoring casualties including automatic placement with aerial robotic manipulators is presented. The distributed system allows the continuous evaluation of the health status of victims in massive disaster scenarios. The design of the sensor and the communication system is described. The continuous monitoring sy...

This paper introduces a novel approach to measure and evaluate the proper use of harnesses at construction sites: we deploy Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons for delimiting areas where the use of a harness is mandatory and to detect whether the harness is attached to the corresponding lifeline when the worker enter these areas. Our method is based...

The use of tactile perception can help first response robotic teams in disaster scenarios, where visibility conditions are often reduced due to the presence of dust, mud, or smoke, distinguishing human limbs from other objects with similar shapes. Here, the integration of the tactile sensor in adaptive grippers is evaluated, measuring the performan...

This paper presents the application of machine learning to tactile sensing for rescue robotics. Disaster situations often exhibit low-visibility scenarios where haptic feedback provides a valuable information for the search of potential victims. To extract haptic information from the environment, a tactile sensor attached to a lightweight robotic a...

This paper describes the use of two artificial intelligence methods for object recognition via pressure images from a high-resolution tactile sensor. Both meth- ods follow the same procedure of feature extraction and posterior classification based on a supervised Supported Vector Machine (SVM). The two approaches differ on how features are extracte...

Este artículo presenta el diseño de un efector final táctil y la aplicación de técnicas de inteligencia artificial para la detección de personas mediante un brazo manipulador ligero de 6 grados de libertad. Este efector está compuesto por un sensor táctil de alta resolución que permite obtener imágenes de presión. El sistema extrae información hápt...

En este artículo se presenta el modelo cinemático de un robot paralelo y la construcción de un prototipo de dos grados de libertad, cuyo objeto es servir como posicionador de instrumentos de cirugía laparoscópica. El robot tiene una configuración en paralelo, con estructura de mecanismo de cinco barras con ejes no paralelos, con dos articulaciones...

En este trabajo se presenta la experiencia de la utilización docente de un dispositivos háptico desarrollado como una nueva versión del Haptic Paddle , creado en la Universidad de Stanford a mediados de los 90. Se trata de un dispositivo educativo de bajo coste y simple que puede ser ensamblado y programado por los estudiantes, y que se usó para en...

En este artículo se presenta el uso de dispositivos de realimentación de fuerzas de un grado de libertad como herramienta para el desarrollo de aplicaciones docentes en asignaturas de teleoperación y telerrobótica, con el objetivo de disponer de una interfaz física que pueda ser utilizada como equipo de prácticas. Estos dispositivos, conocidos como...

Designing surgical instruments for robotic-assisted minimally-invasive surgery (RAMIS) is challenging due to constraints on the number and type of sensors imposed by considerations such as space or the need for sterilization. A new method for evaluating the usability of virtual teleoperated surgical instruments based on virtual sensors is presented...

This paper proposes lab work for learning fault detection and diagnosis (FDD) in mechatronic systems. These skills are important for engineering education because FDD is a key capability of competitive processes and products. The intended outcome of the lab work is that students become aware of the importance of faulty conditions and learn to desig...

Este artículo presenta un sistema robótico diseñado con el objetivo de solventar los problemas que aparecen en las técnicas de cirugía laparoscópica de incisión única. El sistema está compuesto por un mini-robot cámara, un mini-robot iluminación, y un robot pinza. Todos estos dispositivos son introducidos en el interior de la cavidad abdominal a tr...

The paper proposes lab work and student competitions based on the LEGO NXT Mindstorms kits and standard LabVIEW. The goal of this combination is to stimulate design and experimentation with real hardware and representative software in courses where mobile robotics is adopted as a motivating platform to introduce mechatronics competencies. Basic Lab...

This paper reports on the experience of the 2008 international summer school on mechatronics, jointly organized by the University of M'alaga (Spain) and the Technical University of Dresden (Germany). An important part of the hands-on practice and two student competitions have been based on the LEGO Mindstorms NXT Set. To stimulate lab work with rep...

The paper presents ALACRANE, a new mobile robot assistant for exploration and rescue missions with dexterous load manipulation capability. ALACRANE consists of a tracked vehicle with a 4-DOF articulated arm, whose end-effector is an independent pair of 3-DOF manipulators (LR-Arms) plus a common rotation on the main arm wrist. All actuators are hydr...

This chapter describes the telerobotic surgery developments and technologies involved in the implementation of a telesurgery research laboratory. These developments cover from communications software, with real-time audio and video transmission, to the use of a dual bilateral master-slave teleoperation system, with force-feedback, considering also...

A positioning system and photometer as a whole are termed 'goniophotometer', which is defined as a specialized instrument for measuring the angular variation of a given photometric level. This paper explains the design and calibration of a new automated goniophotometer based on double reflection in order to reduce the size of the system. This gonio...

This paper presents a compliant motion control method for the robotic assistant ERM (Endoscopic Robotic Manipulator), designed and developed by the authors for handling the camera in laparoscopic surgery. Since the robot has a passive wrist and it is not fixed to the operating table, the relative position between the robot camera holder and the ins...

This work presents an approach to the evaluation of two interfaces for the control of a robotic surgical assistant. Each interface is associated to a different mode of controlling the system: by the surgeon (voice commands) or by the assistant (tactile interface). This two modes are allowed by the design of the manipulator, developed to occupy a sm...

This paper presents the architecture of a telerobotic system for minimally invasive surgery. The goal is to offer a tool able of making possible different schemes of tele-collaboration, and using standard TCP/IP communication networks to provide a wider range of possible remote locations. Its design comprises a several modules, including a manipula...

This paper describes the design and implementation of a motion control architecture for the robotic assistant ERM (endoscopic robotic manipulator), developed by the authors for handling the camera in laparoscopic surgery. The system provides the direct control of the camera positioning inside the abdominal cavity, by means of surgeon voice commands...

This paper presents a robotic assistant for helping surgeons in minimally invasive surgery. The system provides the direct control of the camera positioning inside the abdominal cavity, including teleoperation capabilities. This prototype does not require any modification of a standard operating room for its installation and its application in surg...

In 1998, we designed a robot for transurethral resection that consisted of a master arm and a slave arm that reproduced the movements of the master. We describe the innovative master arm developed in two university departments that supersedes the mere "joystick" concept to become a true, operative surgical instrument. The new master arm was develop...

We report our learning experience in simulated and real surgical tasks with a new voice-controlled robotic endoscope manipulator: an industrial robot with the tool-holder arm modified to support the optic and camera. The manipulator control-card programs have been rewritten to meet the needs of endoscopic surgeons. For this preliminary work, system...

We report our learning experience in simulated and real surgical tasks with a new voice-controlled robotic endoscope manipulator: an industrial robot with the tool-holder arm modified to support the optic and camera. The manipulator control-card programs have been rewritten to meet the needs of endoscopic surgeons. For this preliminary work, system...

This paper presents a robotic assistant for helping surgeons in minimally invasive surgery. The system pro- vides the direct control of the camera positioning inside the abdominal cavity, by both surgeon voice commands and remote teleoperation. This work is based on a previous experience with a system designed around an industrial robot arm. The ne...

This paper presents a methodfor avoiding the effects ofcommunication delays in the teleoperated guidance of a mobile robot. The method is based on a mixed telerobotic architecture and the Hteleoperated task" concept. In this architecture the task controller coordinates a set of behaviors such as collision avoidance, sensorial navigation schemes, an...

In line with our previous studies in the field of robotics, a new application of our robotic arm is presented: voice-directed cystoscopy. Cystoscopy was performed in a sow using a voice-directed robotic arm to which a cystoscope had been attached. The computer executes all the processes that enable interaction with the surgeon and communication wit...

Telepresence allows working in distant environments by means of telemanipulators, which consist of two main modules: a master arm handled by the human operator and a slave arm that reproduces its movements. We have found in TUR unique conditions for telemanipulation and our aim is to perform this operation by remote control; in other words, to crea...

This paper presents and analyzes experimental results from the teleoperated guidance of a mobile robot. Different modes have been tested, from mono to stereo viewing and from static to automatically oriented cameras, in order to determine the best configuration for teleoperated guidance by means of elemental curvature and speed commands. This syste...

AURORA has been conceived in order to substitute hard and unhealthy human work inside greenhouses by means of an autonomous mobile robot outfitted with appropriate sensors and operation devices. Emphasis has been put in the development of a new robotic platform specifically designed for greenhouse tasks, governed by a control architecture that supp...