Assistive Robotic Systems for Abrasive Blasting
Australian industries such as manufacturing, construction and infrastructure maintenance have been facing significant challenges in retaining skilled workers, increasing workplace productivity, and improving workers’ OH&S caused by physically intensive tasks, hazardous working environments and high injury rates. A typical example is abrasive blasting operation used in many industry sectors for surface preparation/cleaning. A promising solution is assistive robotic system, but developing such a system for assisting abrasive blasting workers requires many challenges to be overcome.
This project focuses on scoping study and addressing the engineering challenges in developing an assistive robotic exoskeleton for abrasive blasting. A scaled-down prototype for proof-of-concept has been developed (figure below).
Chief Investigators
Funding
- Researcher in Business (RiB)
- Burwell Technologies
Year
- 2013-2014
Relevant publications
- Marc G. Carmichael, Dikai Liu (2013), “Estimating physical assistance need using a musculoskeletal model”, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, Vol.60, No.7, July 2013, pp.1912-1919
- M. G. Carmichael, D.K. Liu (2013), “Human Biomechanical Model Based Optimal Design of Assistive Shoulder Exoskeleton”, Proceedings of the 9th Conferences on Filed and Service Robotics, December 9-11, 2013, Brisbane, Australia (14 pages)
- M. Carmichael and D.K Liu (2013), “Experimental Evaluation of a Model‐Based Assistance‐As‐Needed Paradigm Using an Assistive Robot”, Proceedings of the 35th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC'13), Osaka, Japan, July 3-7, 2013, pp866-869
- M. Carmichael and D.K Liu (2013), “Admittance Control Scheme for Implementing Model-Based Assistance-As-Needed on a Robot”, Proceedings of the 35th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC'13), Osaka, Japan, July 3-7, 2013, pp870-873
- M. Carmichael and D.K Liu (2012), “A task description model for robotic rehabilitation”, Proceedings of the 34th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC2012), Hilton Bayfront Hotel, San Diego, California, USA, August 28‐September 1, 2012, pp3086-3089
- M. Carmichael and D.K. Liu (2011), “Towards using musculoskeletal models for intelligent control of physically assistive robots”, Proceedings of the 33rd Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC'11), Boston Marriott Copley Place, Boston, MA, USA, August 30 -September 3, 2011, pp8162-8165
- M. G. Carmichael, D.K. Liu and K. J. Waldron (2010), “Investigation of reducing fatigue and musculoskeletal disorder with passive actuators”, Proceedings of the IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS’2010), pp2481-2486, October 18-22, 2010, Taiwan