Skip to main content

Research Repository

Advanced Search

All Outputs (304)

The case for an intervention scale to design the balance of authority for robotic assistance (2021)
Conference Proceeding
Van Maris, A., Sumpter, L., Ruiz Garate, V., Kumar, P., Harper, C., & Caleb-Solly, P. (2021). The case for an intervention scale to design the balance of authority for robotic assistance. In S. Bringsjord, M. Osman Tokhi, M. Isabel Aldinhas Ferreira, N. Sundar Govindarajulu, & M. F. Silva (Eds.), Life-world for Artificial and Natural Systems - ICRES 2021 Proceedings (21-23)

According to United Nations, by 2050 over 20% of the population will be over 65 years old. Ensuring that our ageing population stays independent and healthy for as long as possible requires higher numbers of health and social care professionals than... Read More about The case for an intervention scale to design the balance of authority for robotic assistance.

Standards and regulations for physically assistive robots**Research supported by Lloyds Register Foundation, under the Assuring Antonomy International Programme (2021)
Conference Proceeding
Caleb-Solly, P., Harper, C., & Dogramadzi, S. (2021). Standards and regulations for physically assistive robots**Research supported by Lloyds Register Foundation, under the Assuring Antonomy International Programme. In 2021 IEEE International Conference on Intelligence and Safety for Robotics (ISR) (259-263). https://doi.org/10.1109/isr50024.2021.9419508

In this paper we consider the regulations that currently exist in relation to supporting people in the home and in different care settings. Using existing standards and guidelines that relate to assistive technology and care in the UK, we consider wh... Read More about Standards and regulations for physically assistive robots**Research supported by Lloyds Register Foundation, under the Assuring Antonomy International Programme.

Pulsed thermography digital motion stabilization for the unmanned vehicle inspection of solar farms and GFRP wind blades through UAVs and UGVs (2021)
Conference Proceeding
Urtasun, B., López De Uralde, P., Velar, K., Gorostegui, E., Neelov, J., Wright, S., …Basiri, M. (2021). Pulsed thermography digital motion stabilization for the unmanned vehicle inspection of solar farms and GFRP wind blades through UAVs and UGVs. In J. N. Zalameda, & A. Mendioroz (Eds.), . https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2585902

The quality control of structures and fuselages in both the wind-turbine and solar sectors is a fundamental part that allows a lifetime assessment of their elements, from its initial assembly to the recurring inspection cycles. Automating the active... Read More about Pulsed thermography digital motion stabilization for the unmanned vehicle inspection of solar farms and GFRP wind blades through UAVs and UGVs.

Twin delayed hierarchical actor-critic (2021)
Conference Proceeding
Anca, M., & Studley, M. (2021). Twin delayed hierarchical actor-critic. In 2021 7th International Conference on Automation, Robotics and Applications (ICARA) (221-225). https://doi.org/10.1109/icara51699.2021.9376459

Hierarchical Reinforcement Learning (HRL) addresses the common problem in sparse rewards environments of having to manually craft a reward function. We present a modified version of the Hierarchical Actor-Critic (HAC) architecture called Twin Delayed... Read More about Twin delayed hierarchical actor-critic.

Assessing and addressing ethical risk from anthropomorphism and deception in socially assistive robots (2021)
Conference Proceeding
Winkle, K., Caleb-Solly, P., Leonards, U., Turton, A., & Bremner, P. (2021). Assessing and addressing ethical risk from anthropomorphism and deception in socially assistive robots. https://doi.org/10.1145/3434073.3444666

In this paper we apply the recent concept of robot Ethical Risk Assessment to an exemplar Socially Assistive Robot (SAR); specifically considering ethical risks posed by anthropomorphism in this context. We draw on two complimentary studies to demons... Read More about Assessing and addressing ethical risk from anthropomorphism and deception in socially assistive robots.

Towards an ontological framework for environmental survey hazard analysis of autonomous systems (2021)
Conference Proceeding
Caleb-Solly, P., & Harper, C. (2021). Towards an ontological framework for environmental survey hazard analysis of autonomous systems.

This paper presents current progress in the development of Environmental Survey Hazard Analysis (ESHA), a method of preliminary hazard identification aimed at autonomous system application problems. In addition to performing their design mission, aut... Read More about Towards an ontological framework for environmental survey hazard analysis of autonomous systems.

Reinforcement learning for a perched landing in the presence of wind (2021)
Conference Proceeding
Fletcher, L. J., Clarke, R. J., Richardson, T. S., & Hansen, M. (2021). Reinforcement learning for a perched landing in the presence of wind. . https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2021-1282

Previous research by the University of Bristol's Flight Lab demonstrated the feasibility of using reinforcement learning to generate a controller to perform an agile perched landing flight manoeuvre. However, flight testing demonstrated the limits of... Read More about Reinforcement learning for a perched landing in the presence of wind.

Visualising Compliance of Composite Shell Mechanisms (2020)
Conference Proceeding
Stacey, J., O'Donnell, M. P., Schenk, M., & Kim, C. J. (2020). Visualising Compliance of Composite Shell Mechanisms. In Proceedings of the ASME 2020 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences \& Computers and Information in Engineering Conference (IDETC/CIE 2020)

ShearTouch - Towards a wearable tactile feedback device to provide continuous shear force sensation in real time (2020)
Conference Proceeding
Wells, O., Pipe, T., Dogramadzi, S., & Studley, M. (2020). ShearTouch - Towards a wearable tactile feedback device to provide continuous shear force sensation in real time. In Towards Autonomous Robotic Systems (287-298). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-63486-5_30

Force feedback in current teleoperation systems typically only provides haptic/kinaesthetic feedback to operators in the form of normal forces. However, it is proposed in this paper that the introduction of shear (or lateral) force feedback to operat... Read More about ShearTouch - Towards a wearable tactile feedback device to provide continuous shear force sensation in real time.

One-shot 3D printed underactuated gripper (2020)
Conference Proceeding
Cormack, J., Fotouhi, M., Adams, G., & Pipe, A. (2020). One-shot 3D printed underactuated gripper. In A. Mohammad, X. Dong, & M. Russo (Eds.), Towards Autonomous Robotic Systems (400-404). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-63486-5_41

Underactuated gripping mechanisms allow a wide range of objects to be grasped, with relatively simple control and input. Current 3D printed underactuated grippers are often composed of multiple parts that need assembly before use. Consolidating many... Read More about One-shot 3D printed underactuated gripper.

Hardware design for autonomous robot evolution (2020)
Conference Proceeding
Hale, M. F., Angus, M., Buchanan, E., Li, W., Woolley, R., Goff, L. K. L., …Tyrrell, A. M. (2020). Hardware design for autonomous robot evolution. In 2020 IEEE Symposium Series on Computational Intelligence (SSCI) (2140-2147). https://doi.org/10.1109/ssci47803.2020.9308204

The long term goal of the Autonomous Robot Evolution (ARE) project is to create populations of physical robots, in which both the controllers and body plans are evolved. The transition of evolutionary designs from purely simulation environments into... Read More about Hardware design for autonomous robot evolution.

Evolution of diverse, manufacturable robot body plans (2020)
Conference Proceeding
Buchanan, E., Goff, L. K. L., Hart, E., Eiben, A. E., Carlo, M. D., Li, W., …Tyrrell, A. M. (2020). Evolution of diverse, manufacturable robot body plans. In 2020 IEEE Symposium Series on Computational Intelligence (SSCI) (2132-2139). https://doi.org/10.1109/ssci47803.2020.9308434

Advances in rapid prototyping have opened up new avenues of research within Evolutionary Robotics in which not only controllers but also the body plans (morphologies) of robots can evolve in real-time and real-space. However, this also introduces new... Read More about Evolution of diverse, manufacturable robot body plans.

Application of machine learning towards design optimisation of bio-inspired transfemoral prosthetic socket for robotic leg test rig (2020)
Conference Proceeding
Sabau, P., Chong, J. J., Jafari, A., Agrawal, S., Semasinghe, C., & Etoundi, A. (2020). Application of machine learning towards design optimisation of bio-inspired transfemoral prosthetic socket for robotic leg test rig. https://doi.org/10.23919/iccas50221.2020.9268404

In the past century many medical advancements in prosthetics have been achieved, however, discomfort in prosthetic socket remains one of the toughest challenges faced by both amputees and prosthetists. Wearing an uncomfortable socket can lead to user... Read More about Application of machine learning towards design optimisation of bio-inspired transfemoral prosthetic socket for robotic leg test rig.

A probabilistic shared-control framework for mobile robots (2020)
Conference Proceeding
Gholami, S., Garate, V. R., De Momi, E., & Ajoudani, A. (2020). A probabilistic shared-control framework for mobile robots. In 2020 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS) (11473-11480). https://doi.org/10.1109/IROS45743.2020.9341064

Full teleoperation of mobile robots during the execution of complex tasks not only demands high cognitive and physical effort but also generates less optimal trajectories compared to autonomous controllers. However, the use of the latter in cluttered... Read More about A probabilistic shared-control framework for mobile robots.

A shared-autonomy approach to goal detection and navigation control of mobile collaborative robots (2020)
Conference Proceeding
Gholami, S., Ruiz Garate, V., De Momi, E., & Ajoudani, A. (in press). A shared-autonomy approach to goal detection and navigation control of mobile collaborative robots. In 2020 29th IEEE International Conference on Robot and Human Interactive Communication (RO-MAN) (1026-1032). https://doi.org/10.1109/ro-man47096.2020.9223583

Autonomous goal detection and navigation control of mobile robots in remote environments can help to unload human operators from simple, monotonous tasks allowing them to focus on more cognitively stimulating actions. This can result in better task p... Read More about A shared-autonomy approach to goal detection and navigation control of mobile collaborative robots.

Optimal integration of renewable distributed generation using the whale optimization algorithm for techno-economic analysis (2020)
Conference Proceeding
Settoul, S., Chenni, R., Zellagui, M., & Nouri, H. (2021). Optimal integration of renewable distributed generation using the whale optimization algorithm for techno-economic analysis. In S. Bououden, M. Chadli, S. Ziani, & I. Zelinka (Eds.), https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6403-1_35

A new method for optimal integration of renewable energy sources based on photovoltaic solar panels and wind turbines in the distribution network is presented with the objective of reducing the Active Power Loss (APL) index, to improve the Total Volt... Read More about Optimal integration of renewable distributed generation using the whale optimization algorithm for techno-economic analysis.

Design of a virtual testing platform for assessing prosthetic knee joints (2020)
Conference Proceeding
Hoh, S., Chong, J., & Etoundi, A. C. (2020). Design of a virtual testing platform for assessing prosthetic knee joints. In 2020 5th International Conference on Advanced Robotics and Mechatronics (ICARM). , (576-581). https://doi.org/10.1109/icarm49381.2020.9195275

This paper presents a mathematical and dynamic model for a testing platform designed to assess the performances of a wide range of artificial knee joints (prosthetic and robotic devices) based on the analysis of motion of lower limbs. Fundamental equ... Read More about Design of a virtual testing platform for assessing prosthetic knee joints.

Using FFF and topology optimisation to increase crushing strength in equestrian helmets (2020)
Conference Proceeding
Soe, S., Robinson, M., Gaisin, K., Adams, R., Palkowski, T., & Theobald, P. (2021). Using FFF and topology optimisation to increase crushing strength in equestrian helmets. In S. Scholz, R. Howlett, & R. Setchi (Eds.), Sustainable Design and Manufacturing 2020. , (369-377). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-8131-1_33

International standards ensure that equestrian helmets achieve high performance. Recently, one such standard (PAS 015) was revised to include a lateral deformation requirement, ensuring helmets can withstand the potential crushing forces associated w... Read More about Using FFF and topology optimisation to increase crushing strength in equestrian helmets.

The effect of heat treatment of AlSi10Mg on the energy absorption performance of surface-based structures (2020)
Conference Proceeding
Robinson, M., Han, Q., Gu, H., Soe, S., & Setchi, R. (2021). The effect of heat treatment of AlSi10Mg on the energy absorption performance of surface-based structures. In S. Scholz, R. Howlett, & R. Setchi (Eds.), Sustainable Design and Manufacturing 2020. , (395-402). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-8131-1_35

Additive Manufacturing of cellular lattice structures offers opportunities to fine-tune the mechanical response by altering geometric variables. It is known that heat treatment cycles provide an effective way of altering mechanical properties while r... Read More about The effect of heat treatment of AlSi10Mg on the energy absorption performance of surface-based structures.

Application of machine learning towards design optimisation of bio-inspired transfemoral prosthetic socket for robotic leg test rig (2020)
Conference Proceeding
Sabau, P., Jie Chong, J., Jafari, A., Agrawal, S., Semasinghe, C., & Etoundi, A. (in press). Application of machine learning towards design optimisation of bio-inspired transfemoral prosthetic socket for robotic leg test rig

In the past century many medical advancements in prosthetics have been achieved, however, discomfort in prosthetic socket remains one of the toughest challenges faced by both amputees and prosthetists. Wearing an uncomfortable socket can lead to user... Read More about Application of machine learning towards design optimisation of bio-inspired transfemoral prosthetic socket for robotic leg test rig.