UNIVERSITY OF HERTFORDSHIRE
             COMPUTER SCIENCE RESEARCH COLLOQUIUM

                            presents


        "Making and Controlling the Physical Contact between
                People, Robots and Haptic Devices"



                      Prof. William Harwin
        (Cybernetics Research Group, University of Reading)

                    27 November 2013 (Wednesday)
                          1 pm -2 pm

                  Hatfield, College Lane Campus
                       Seminar Room C152

                  Everyone is Welcome to Attend

                  Refreshments will be available


Abstract:


In many robotic devices and all haptic interfaces there is a direct
force exchange between the individual and the machine. In many cases this
force needs to be carefully controlled to avoid instabilities. A common
condition that emerges in attempting to increase the performance of the
robot or the haptic interface are limit cycles. Although technically
not unstable limit cycles destroy any illusion of contact with a virtual
world and can make the robotic systems unusable.

This talk will begin by describing some applications in rehabilitation
robotics and haptic interface, considering how limit cycles were
eliminated or reduced in these particular examples. It will then consider
the conditions that allow limit cycles to emerge by considering the
trajectories of a simplified system in the phase plane. Finally we will
discuss the implications for cognitive robotics and advanced haptics.

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Hertfordshire Computer Science Research Colloquium
http://cs-colloq.stca.herts.ac.uk