Integrating single-cell manipulation techniques in traditional and emerging biological culture systems is challenging. Microfabricated devices for single cell studies in particular often require cells to be spatially positioned at specific culture sites on the device surface. This paper presents a robotic micromanipulation system for pick-and-place positioning of single cells. By integrating co...

A new approach to musical improvisation based on controlled relaxation of imitation parameters by a robotic acoustic musical device, is presented in this paper. The presented RObotic Musical Instrument “ROMI”, is aimed at jointly playing two instruments that belong to two different classes of acoustic instruments and improvises while assisting others in an orchestral performance. ROMI’s intelli...

Self-reconfigurable modular robotics represents a new approach to robotic hardware, in which the “robot” is composed of many simple, identical interacting modules. We propose a novel application of modular robotics: the programmable smart membrane, a device capable of actively filtering objects based on numerous measurable attributes. Creating control software for modular robotic tasks like the...

In this paper a new high-speed vision device and its application to a grasp system is proposed, and we discuss a processing architecture for grasping based on visual and tactile feedback designed with real-time control in mind. First, we describe a high-speed vision chip that serves as a robotic eye that includes a general-purpose parallel processing array along with a photo-detector all on a s...

This article presents positioning results of a stereotactic robotic assistant for percutaneous needle insertions in the abdomen. The robotic system, called the CT-Bot, is succinctly described. This mechanically safe device is compatible with medical requirements and offers a novel approach to robotic needle insertion with computed tomography guidance. Our system does self-registration using onl...

Domotic Robotic Cleaners are autonomous devices that are designed to operate almost entirely unattended. In this paper we propose a system that aims to evaluate the performance of such devices by analysis of their trails. This concept of trails is central to our approach, and it encompasses the traditional notion of a path followed by a robot between arbitrary numbers of points in a physical sp...

Predicting the grasping function during reach-to-grasp motions is essential for controlling a prosthetic hand or a robotic assistive device. An early accurate prediction increases the usability and the comfort of a prosthetic device. This work proposes an electromyographic-based learning approach that decodes the grasping intention at an early stage of reach-to-grasp motion, i.e. before the fin...

Assistive and rehabilitation devices are a promising and challenging field of recent robotics research. Motivated by societal needs such as aging populations, such devices can support motor functionality and subject training. The design, control, sensing, and assessment of the devices become more sophisticated due to a human in the loop. This paper gives a human-robot interaction perspective on...

OBJECTIVE The aim of this pilot study was to examine changes in different aspects of impairment, including spasticity in the upper limbs, of hemiplegic children following botulinum toxin type A intervention. Progress was assessed using standard clinical measurements and a robotic device. DESIGN Pre-post multiple baseline. SUBJECTS Six children with hemiplegia. METHODS Botulinium toxin typ...

A common therapeutic approach for the rehabilitation of patients with hemiparesis involves repetitive voluntary movements with manual assistance from a therapist (“active-assist therapy”). We used a novel robotic device to deliver a controlled form of active-assist therapy in chronic stroke patients (N = 7). To examine the utility of direct mechanical assistance in rehabilitation of voluntary a...