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Artificial life and robotics
Springer Japan KK
Artificial life and robotics

Springer Japan KK

半年刊

1433-5298

Artificial life and robotics/Journal Artificial life and roboticsESCI
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    Artificial life and robotics celebrates its 30th anniversary

    Fumitoshi Matsuno
    1-2页
    查看更多>>摘要：This year marks the 30th anniversary of the publication of the journal Artificial Life and Robotics. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to everyone who has contributed to the journal over the years, whether as authors, reviewers, and members of the editorial board and office. It is with great honor and a deep sense of responsibility that I assume the role of Editor-in-Chief of this historically significant journal in this milestone year. Artificial life research is an interdisciplinary field aimed at understanding the essence of life, imitating it, and creating new forms of life. Living organisms on Earth are thought to have survived due to natural selection, successfully adapting to the Earth's environment. To understand the essence of biological intelligence, there are two main approaches: one involves closely observing and comprehending the ingenuity of living organisms, while the other takes a constructive approach by creating artificial systems that replicate the functions of living organisms. Robotics has developed through the interplay of both approaches.
      原文链接:
    • NETL
    • NSTL
    • Springer Nature

    Design of crowd counting system based on improved CSRNet

    Xiaochuan TianHironori Hiraishi
    3-11页
    查看更多>>摘要：An advanced crowd counting algorithm based on CSRNet has been proposed in this study to improve the long training and convergence times. In this regard, three points were changed from the original CSRNet: (ⅰ) The first 12 layers in VGG19 were adopted in the front-end to enhance the capacity of the extracting features, (ⅱ) The dilated convolutional network in the back-end was replaced with the standard convolutional network to speed up the processing time, (ⅲ) Dense connection was applied in the back-end to reuse the output of the convolutional layer and achieve faster convergence. ShanghaiTech dataset was used to verify the improved CSRNet. In the case of high-density images, the accuracy was observed to be very close to the original CSRNet. Moreover, the average training time per sample was three times faster and average testing time per image was six times faster. In the case of low-density images, the accuracy was not close to that of the original CSRNet. However, the training time was 10 times faster and the testing time was six times faster. However, by dividing the image, the count number came close to the real count. The experimental results obtained from this study show that the improved CSRNet performs well. Although it is slightly less accurate than the original CSRNet, its processing time is much faster since it does not use dilated convolution. This indicates that it is more suitable for the actual needs of real-time detection. A system with improved CSRNet for counting people in real time has also been designed in this study.
      原文链接:
    • NETL
    • NSTL
    • Springer Nature

    Design of human motion detection for non-verbal collaborative robot communication cue

    Wendy Cahya KurniawanYeoh Wen LiangHiroshi OkumuraOsamu Fukuda...
    12-20页
    查看更多>>摘要：The integration of modern manufacturing systems has promised increased flexibility, productivity, and efficiency. In such an environment, collaboration between humans and robots in a shared workspace is essential to effectively accomplish shared tasks. Strong communication among partners is essential for collaborative efficiency. This research investigates an approach to non-verbal communication cues. The system focuses on integrating human motion detection with vision sensors. This method addresses the bias human action detection in frames and enhances the accuracy of perception as information about human activities to the robot. By interpreting spatial and temporal data, the system detects human movements through sequences of human activity frames while working together. The training and validation results confirm that the approach achieves an accuracy of 91%. The sequential testing performance showed an average detection of 83%. This research not only emphasizes the importance of advanced communication in human-robot collaboration, but also effectively promotes future developments in collaborative robotics.
      原文链接:
    • NETL
    • NSTL
    • Springer Nature

    Development and evaluation of a portable crowd-estimation system using Wi-Fi

    Ryoma ToyomiAtsuo Ozaki
    21-31页
    查看更多>>摘要：The real-time monitoring of crowd size is essential for accurate and efficient evacuation guidance and other disaster response efforts in large-scale events. Hence, we developed a portable and cost-effective crowd monitoring system with environmentally friendly features, including waterproofing and dustproofing, using Wi-Fi technology. This system can cope with media access control (MAC) address randomization in detected Wi-Fi devices to enhance headcount detection accuracy. To assess the precision of this method in crowd size estimation, we conducted comparative experiments at the large-scale event "Gorokuichi" in 2021 and 2022. The mean absolute percentage error was 5.86% in 2021 and 8.56% in 2022, demonstrating high consistency, with correlations exceeding 80% between the estimated numbers and human observer counts (true values), thus confirming the effectiveness of our system.
      原文链接:
    • NETL
    • NSTL
    • Springer Nature

    Proposal of SSVEP ratio for efficient ear-EEG SSVEP-BCI development and evaluation

    Sodai KondoHideyuki HarafujiHisaya Tanaka
    32-41页
    查看更多>>摘要：Ear electroencephalogram (ear-EEG) records electrical signals around the ear, offering a more casual and user-friendly approach to EEG measurement. Steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP) are brain responses elicited by gazing at flickering stimuli. Ear-EEG can enhance comfort in SSVEP-based brain-computer interface (SSVEP-BCI), but its performance is typically low behind traditional SSVEP-BCI. Additionally, predicting the performance of ear-EEG SSVEP-BCIs before experimentation is challenging, often increasing design costs. This study proposes the SSVEP ratio as a supplementary index to traditional metrics such as information transfer rate (ITR) and BCI accuracy. Using the SSVEP ratio and the KNN algorithm, we predicted BCI accuracy and ITR, aiming to lower design costs. The developed four-inputs ear-EEG SSVEP-BCI achieved a maximum BCI accuracy of 89.17 ±3.62% and an ITR of 10.60±0.36 bits/min. Predicted BCI accuracy was 90.21 ±3.25% and an ITR was 9.43 ±0.96 bits/min in ear-EEG SSVEP-BCI. Predicted values matched the actual results, demonstrating that the SSVEP ratio can effectively predict BCI accuracy, thereby streamlining the design process for ear-EEG SSVEP-BCI.
      原文链接:
    • NETL
    • NSTL
    • Springer Nature

    Robust pig extraction using ground base depth images for automatic weight estimation

    Khin Dagon WinKikuhito KawasueTadaaki Tokunaga
    42-50页
    查看更多>>摘要：Dark colored pigs (Berkshire, Duroc, etc.) are widely recognized nationwide in Japan for their exceptional taste, with the southern Kyushu region being a renowned production area for these esteemed breeds. However, estimating the weight of these pigs using a camera presents a unique challenge. The key process in a camera-based weight estimation system is the precise extraction of the target pig from the background. Typically, cameras capture images from above, as the top-view images provide the most specific growth indicators. However, the image from above contains a ground image. Since Berkshire and Duroc pigs are black and red, respectively, they blend into the ground, making it difficult to accurately segment the pigs in the images. Thus, it is crucial to perfectly distinguish between the ground and the pigs. Therefore, a new extraction method is proposed to distinguish between the ground and pigs by converting depth data based on the pig's position. To enhance the efficiency of pig farming and alleviate the burden on workers, our goal is to develop a system that automatically measures the weight of Berkshire pigs for shipment without background interference. In this study, we installed the system at a Berkshire pig farm and demonstrated the effectiveness of this innovative extraction method for camera-based weight estimation.
      原文链接:
    • NETL
    • NSTL
    • Springer Nature

    Development of an artificial spinal cord circuit for a musculoskeletal humanoid robot mimicking the neural network involved in human gait control

    Tatsumi GotoKentaro YamazakiYugo KokubunOntatsu Haku...
    51-62页
    查看更多>>摘要：Artificial neural networks, which mimic the neural networks of living organisms, are being applied as advanced information processing systems in various fields such as robotics. Conventional artificial neural networks use CPUs and software programs, but huge numerical computations are required to imitate a large-scale neural network. On the other hand, hardware artificial neural networks have been proposed. Hardware models neurons and synapses using analog electronic circuits, and thus can mimic the neural signals generated by neural networks without the need for numerical calculations. We have been developing a hardware artificial neural network mimicking the neural network in the human brainstem and spinal cord that is involved in gait control, and applying it to a musculoskeletal humanoid robot that mimics the human musculature and skeletal structure. In this paper, we propose an artificial spinal cord circuit for gait control of a musculoskeletal humanoid robot. Focusing on the movement of stepping over an obstacle, we confirmed through circuit simulations that the artificial spinal cord circuit can generate stepping-over patterns arbitrarily while walking and running.
      原文链接:
    • NETL
    • NSTL
    • Springer Nature

    Actuator for endoscope-connected microrobot driven by compressed gas

    Takamichi FunakoshiYuya NikiKoki TakasumiChise Takeshita...
    63-71页
    查看更多>>摘要：With the aim of reducing the mental and physical burden on physicians and patients in endoscopic treatment, an endoscope-connected microrobot actuator and a self-propelled wheeled microrobot that uses Reuleaux triangle as the wheel shape is described for the use of medical carbon dioxide gas. A turbine-type actuator measuring 5.17 mm (long) × 5.13 mm (wide)× 1.96 mm (thick) with a mass of 0.15 g showed rotational speeds of 26,784 rpm, 56,250 rpm, and 57,690 rpm at pressures of 0.1 MPa, 0.2 MPa, and 0.3 MPa and a flow rate of 1.0 L/min, respectively. The dimensions of the traveling microrobot with wheels attached to the actuator were 7.59 mm (length) × 6.49 mm (width) × 7.59 mm (height) (excluding the brass tube) with a mass of 0.25 g. The robot ran at 73 mm/s at a flow rate of 1.0 L/min at 0.3 MPa and at 56 mm/s at a flow rate of 0.9 L/min. The results confirmed that the flow rate of the material was 0.9 L/min at a pressure of 0.3 MPa.
      原文链接:
    • NETL
    • NSTL
    • Springer Nature

    Modeling task immersion based on goal activation mechanism

    Kazuma NagashimaJumpei NishikawaJunya Morita
    72-87页
    查看更多>>摘要：Immersion in a task is a pre-requisite for creativity. However, excessive arousal in a single task has drawbacks, such as overlooking events outside of the task. To examine such a negative aspect, this study constructs a computational model of arousal dynamics where the excessively increased arousal makes the task transition difficult. The model was developed using functions integrated into the cognitive architecture Adaptive Control of Thought-Rational (ACT-R). Under the framework, arousal is treated as a coefficient affecting the overall activation level in the model. In our simulations, we set up two conditions demanding low and high arousal, trying to replicate corresponding human experiments. In each simulation condition, two sets of ACT-R parameters were assumed from different interpretations of the human experimental settings. The results showed consistency of behavior between humans and models both in the two different simulation settings. This result suggests the validity of our assumptions and has implications of controlling arousal in our daily life.
      原文链接:
    • NETL
    • NSTL
    • Springer Nature

    Muscle displacement and force related to walking by dynamics studies of musculoskeletal humanoid robot

    Kentaro YamazakiTatsumi GotoYugo KokubunMinami Kaneko...
    88-97页
    查看更多>>摘要：Conventional bipedal robots are mainly controlled by motors using central processing units (CPUs) and software, and they are being developed with control methods and mechanisms that are different from those used by humans. Humans generate basic movement patterns using a central pattern generator (CPG) localized in the spinal cord and create complex and efficient movements through muscle synergies that coordinate multiple muscles. For a robot to mimic the human musculoskeletal structure and reproduce walking movements, muscle parameters are required. In this paper, inverse dynamics analysis is used to determine the muscle displacements and forces required for walking in a musculoskeletal humanoid model, and forward dynamics analysis is used to investigate these values.
      原文链接:
    • NETL
    • NSTL
    • Springer Nature