Papers by Michael A Saliba
Typically, a manufacturing company will only consider the implementation of a robot to a producti... more Typically, a manufacturing company will only consider the implementation of a robot to a production process if the annual product volume is high enough to ensure a high utilization of the robot and therefore an acceptable return on the investment. In particular, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) often lack the production volumes, for each individual product or product family that they manufacture, that would justify the procurement of a robot using this traditional criterion. In this work we address the situation where a company, typically a SME, manufactures manually a number of substantially different products in batch and/or flow mode, where none of the individual annual volumes are high enough to justify the implementation of a dedicated robot to any part of the production, and we study the feasibility of employing a robot to several substantially different production processes within the company over a specified production period (e.g. one year). We show that this appro...
Commercial laundries typically are required to address significant variability and complexity in ... more Commercial laundries typically are required to address significant variability and complexity in process inputs, such as size, material, and colour of the items of fabric to be washed; the identification of pre-existing defects in the items; complex and variable routing of the items during the laundry process; variable drying times; sorting issues due to different wash cycle requirements; item storage; and the organisation of item despatch to different geographical areas. Due to these problems, operations in commercial laundries are rarely optimized, and generally do not apply automation. In this work, we study the operations in a commercial laundry, with the aim of optimizing the process and the factory layout to achieve a five day (i.e. one week) turnaround time of items being processed by the company. We focus on one class of items (quilts) during the peak laundry period for this item (Summer). We have developed a detailed simulation of the laundry operations, and use this progra...
2021 43rd Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine & Biology Society (EMBC), 2021
The isometric contraction is the most investigated muscle contraction, however most tasks in dail... more The isometric contraction is the most investigated muscle contraction, however most tasks in daily life involve anisometric contractions. Most hand prostheses studies [1] use sEMG features to directly relate the exerted force as a means of intuitive control. It may thus be expected that similar sEMGvelocity relationships characterizing anisometric contractions may also contribute towards intuitive prosthetic hand control. While different contraction type relationships have been studied separately, in this work anisometric and isometric contraction experiments on the biceps brachii muscle were carried out using the same sEMG electrode system and the motor unit activity was then related to limb velocities and limb forces, to respectively characterize the isometric and anisometric contractions. This muscle was chosen as a simpler alternative to the synergistic hand muscles as an initial test of the general concept. Clinical Relevance-These contraction characterizations with sEMG may be used to afford prosthetic intuitive control and to assist in motor impairment diagnosis and rehabilitation.
In this work we report on the improvements to the actuation system, as well as on the detailed po... more In this work we report on the improvements to the actuation system, as well as on the detailed position and force sensor calibration, for an anthropomorphic robot hand with remotely located actuators and sensors. The preliminary development of a computer-based control system is also described. We show that the concept of sensing the force and position of the robot fingers remotely, through actuating cable tension and position measurement, is achievable for teleoperator applications.
Analysis, Simulation and Improvement of Tool Crib Operations in an Aircraft Maintenance Hangar
2018 9th International Conference on Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (ICMAE)
– In this work, a new systematic approach towards the classification of the attributes of anthrop... more – In this work, a new systematic approach towards the classification of the attributes of anthropomorphic hands with respect to their influence on manual dexterity is proposed. This approach involves the application of standard manual dexterity tests, normally applied in medically related fields and in industry, on healthy human subjects who have specific attributes of their hands selectively constrained or blocked for the duration of the tests. The contribution of the constrained attributes towards manual dexterity can then be assessed from the test results. To demonstrate this method, we have investigated the contribution of different degrees-of-freedom of the human hand to its performance rating in the dexterity tests, with the objective of using the results to help us design a new robot hand that maximizes dexterity through optimal use of resources. Further applications of this approach are also discussed.
A common problem in large manufacturing companies in the plastics industry is the need to handle ... more A common problem in large manufacturing companies in the plastics industry is the need to handle mass produced injection-moulded items in the presence of a high degree of variety between batches. In this work, we address a problem being faced by such a company, where different batches of freshly-produced units need to be unloaded from the injection moulding machines. The products need to be grasped and relocated, and the runners disposed of. The number of identical units produced simultaneously by each single mould varies between two and sixteen, and the company makes use of around four hundred different moulds. We have developed a single modular end effector that can be easily reconfigured for the different moulds used by the company, and that also caters for future product designs. We present the detailed design of the new solution, including a function analysis derived from the existing process, a new product design specification, and a quality function deployment exercise. This ...
Mobile Assistive Robot in an Inclusive Space: An Introduction to the MARIS Project
Elderly or infirm persons who live alone may encounter difficulties in carrying out the instrumen... more Elderly or infirm persons who live alone may encounter difficulties in carrying out the instrumental activities of daily living. Often such persons who would prefer to live independently are forced to rely on outside assistance from family, friends, or social workers, or possibly even to leave their homes. A potential approach to address this social issue involves the use of an assistive robot to provide help within the home. However the challenges involved in achieving a satisfactory robot design for reliable operation within the typically unstructured domestic environment remain difficult to meet. To date, attempts reported in the literature to mitigate this problem by developing a more amenable home environment – a robot-inclusive space – remain sparse and preliminary. In this work, a new systematic engineering approach is taken to address this problem. A structured data collection exercise has been carried out with samples of older adults and of associated allied healthcare prof...
In this work, we present the latest results in the development of a generic manufacturing automat... more In this work, we present the latest results in the development of a generic manufacturing automation testbed, that is being carried out in our laboratory. The testbed is highly reconfigurable in nature, and, unlike other reconfigurable automation systems found in the literature, is able to cater for the development of automation solutions for a wide variety of parts that do not belong to the same part family, or even to the same manufacturing sector. The testbed is intended to be used as a shared resource by a geographically-close cluster of diverse manufacturing companies. We present new detailed results on the design, selection, construction and/or procurement of specific off-the-shelf, reconfigurable and/or flexible components that form part of the system. We then focus on the application of our testbed to provide an automation solution in a real industrial test case, with an emphasis on how the generic resources of the testbed can be applied to the development of a very specific...
Reconfigurable manufacturing systems (RMS) and more specifically reconfigurable manufacturing aut... more Reconfigurable manufacturing systems (RMS) and more specifically reconfigurable manufacturing automation systems (RMAS) represent a relatively recently evolved paradigm in industrial production, providing a low cost solution in the presence of product variety. In spite of the potential impact of this approach to industrial competitiveness, the literature still lacks a set of structured guidelines, derived not only from the theory but also from field studies, to promote its practical implementation in industry. In this paper some early results that contribute towards addressing this research gap are presented. A provisional set of practical guidelines is derived and compiled from four sources: a literature review; a structured questionnaire survey on the attitude of industry to RMAS based on 55 respondents from various sectors of the manufacturing industry; unstructured interviews with the survey respondents on the barriers to the implementation of RMAS; and lessons learned from thre...
2018 9th International Conference on Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (ICMAE), 2018
Mishandling of luggage while it is being loaded into the aircraft cargo compartments, as well as ... more Mishandling of luggage while it is being loaded into the aircraft cargo compartments, as well as wear and tear of the various panels in the cabin and cargo compartments can result in the aircraft being grounded, with serious loss of revenue to the operator. Delays can be considerable, since ready-made replacement panels from the supplier can take days to arrive at their final destination, and due to the very high prices of these panels and the very large variety which exist it is not economically feasible to stock the panels. This work explores the feasibility of manufacturing replacement cargo liner panels, and cabin and cargo floor panels, in-house and on demand in the aircraft maintenance facility. The panels are grouped into part families, and reconfigurable specialized jigs are designed for the manufacture of panels within each family. A feasibility study shows that in addition to avoiding delays, this strategy can result in cost savings of up to 30% for panel replacement.
In this work, a vision-based robotic system for the automated sorting and relocation of different... more In this work, a vision-based robotic system for the automated sorting and relocation of different parts has been developed. In the application under consideration, pre-defined but differently-shaped objects arrive on a moving conveyor belt in random order and in an unstructured manner. The objects are recognized and have their position and orientation measured by a vision sensor, and an industrial robot fitted with a highly versatile gripper picks up the objects from the moving conveyor and transfers them to different locations in a structured manner. The work demonstrates the development and integration of a number of different sub-systems to carry out an important industrial process in an automated and highly flexible manner.
Magnetorheological Fluid (MRF) is a smart fluid which reversibly changes viscosity proportionally... more Magnetorheological Fluid (MRF) is a smart fluid which reversibly changes viscosity proportionally to an applied magnetic field. In an MRF actuator, this change in fluid properties results in a resistive force/torque, which can be used to provide passive force feedback in a haptic glove. In this work, the development of a force feedback glove based on MRF linear dampers is described. The paper also describes the development of the position sensing system for the glove as well as the development of simulation software for the glove. A first prototype of the glove, with force feedback and position sensing on the middle finger, has been constructed. This work reports on the testing and evaluation of this prototype. Finally a number of proposed improvements directed towards the identified drawbacks are presented.
Measurement of γ rays from μ^- capture on ^14N
Nowadays many commercial products have a certain degree of deformability which brings a set of ch... more Nowadays many commercial products have a certain degree of deformability which brings a set of challenges to the industrial automation scenario. An industry that is affected significantly by this is the medical product sector. In the case study presented here, a manufacturing company that operates in this sector produces a high quantity of flexible intravenous sets. The automatic assembly line used for the production was originally designed for a single product, however in response to market demands the company has modified the line to manufacture a number of product variants. This has resulted in a drop in operational efficiency of the line. This work presents a thorough investigation of this problem as a case study in the application of formal evaluation, optimization and design tools to a complex automation problem. After an analysis involving engineering tools such as operational equipment efficiency metrics and 5-why analysis, the transfer and holding of coiled tubes were ident...
Fingerprint Identification - New Directions
In most of the algorithms that have been suggested in this report, the fingerprint image is reduc... more In most of the algorithms that have been suggested in this report, the fingerprint image is reduced to a relatively short sequence of integers. This reduces the memory size required by the database. Each algorithm is intended to exploit specific properties and features of the fingerprint that vary from finger to finger, and that can be localized relatively fast using digital techniques, thus also reducing the computational time requirements to a minimum. In each case, the sensitivity of the algorithm to small variations in the image was also discussed, with the aim of reducing the False Rejection Rate, and of increasing the general robustness of the algorithm.
In this work, we are developing an anthropomorphic robot hand and wrist to be teleoperated by a h... more In this work, we are developing an anthropomorphic robot hand and wrist to be teleoperated by a human using a glove input device. The present model of the hand is intended for use in grasping operations, and consists of a palm, two fingers, an opposed thumb, and two wrist joints that provide pitch and roll movements. Each of the three digits of the robot hand has two pitch joints to enable flexion and extension, and incorporates a new passive switching mechanism that allows a single actuator to drive the two joints successively. The hand/wrist system has a total of five independent degrees-of-freedom. It is driven by five remotely located DC motors through servo control, and the drive from the motors is transmitted to the hand and wrist joints through flexible sheathed cables acting as tendons. The work focuses on replicating as closely as possible the shape, size, natural motions and applied forces of the human appendage, while keeping the complexity of the robot hand and wrist to ...
Kinematic, force and dexterity analyses of planar robotic grasping
Development of an anthropomorphic robot finger : mechanical and kinematic aspects
International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Robotics Research
Large commercial aircraft maintenance facilities are characterized by the simultaneous layovers o... more Large commercial aircraft maintenance facilities are characterized by the simultaneous layovers of multiple aircraft undergoing a wide variety of maintenance checks and modifications. The organizational layout of a maintenance hangar normally includes a tool dispensing store, or tool crib, from which aircraft technicians sign out special tools to carry out specific tasks. Efficient operation of the tool crib ensures that the non-value-adding time spent by technical personnel queuing to be served, and while being served, is kept as low as possible, therefore increasing productivity and minimizing the risk of delay. In this work, a detailed study of the operation of a tool crib in an aircraft maintenance facility is carried out. A detailed and versatile simulation of the operations is developed, based on real data collected at the facility with the aid of a new software tool to facilitate event synchronization. The empirical analysis is augmented by and compared to a theoretical study of the queuing behavior of the environment. The simulation is then used to investigate quantitatively the effects on the overall waiting time of varying the stock levels of critical tools, of reorganizing the tool storage locations, and of changing the number of human servers. In the context of the case study, it is found that relatively minor changes in tool crib organization can result in substantial savings both in the overall waiting time and in unsatisfied tool requests.
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Papers by Michael A Saliba