Emily – short for Emergency Integrated Lifesaving Lanyard – is a remote-controlled rescue boat used by lifeguards to save people’s life at sea (Photo: Hydrolanix – EMILY robot)

This article was first published on the IEC e-tech website.

Rapid advances in technology are revolutionizing the roles of aerial, terrestrial and maritime robotic systems in disaster relief, search and rescue (SAR) and salvage operations. Robots and drones can be deployed quickly in areas deemed too unsafe for humans and are used to guide rescuers, collect data, deliver essential supplies or provide communication services.

Well-established use

The first reported use of SAR robots was to explore the wreckage beneath the collapsed twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York after the September 2001 terrorist attacks. Drones and robots have been used to survey damage after disasters such as the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident in Japan in 2011 and the earthquakes in Haiti (2010) and Nepal (2015). Up to now, more than 50 deployments of disaster robots have been documented throughout the world, according to the Texas-based Center for Robot‑Assisted Search & Rescue (CRASAR).

Robin Murphy, head of CRASAR and author of the book Disaster Robotics, says:

The impact of earthquakes, hurricanes, flooding […] is increasing, so the need for robots for all phases of a disaster, from prevention to response and recovery, will increase as well.

Eyes in the sky

Drones, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), can be used to detect and enter damaged buildings, assisting rescue robots and responders on the ground by speeding up the search for survivors through prioritizing which areas to search first. The more quickly SAR teams respond, the higher the survival rate is likely to be. Rescue drones create real-time maps by taking aerial surveys and send back photos, videos and sensor data to support damage assessments.

Drones used for SAR and disaster relief are most commonly powered by rechargeable batteries and are operated autonomously through onboard computers or by remote control. Their equipment typically comprises radar and laser scanners, multiple sensors and video and optical cameras as well as infrared cameras that are used to identify heat signatures of human bodies and other objects. This helps rescuers to locate survivors at night and in large, open environments and to identify hot spots from fires. Listening devices can pick up hard-to-hear audio, while Wi-Fi antennas and other attachments detect signals given off by mobile phones and plot a map that outlines the locations of victims.

New technologies in use or development for rescue drones and robots include ways of increasing survivor detection. Sensors scan areas for heartbeats and breathing, multisensor probes respond to odours or sounds and chemical sensors signal the presence of gases.

Standards put safety first

Much of the technology used in drones comes from commodity electronics developed for consumer essentials like mobile phones. Drones also require global positioning satellite (GPS) units, wireless transmitters, signal processors and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). The flight controller also collects data from barometric pressure and airspeed sensors.

IEC International Standards produced by a range of IEC Technical Committees (TCs) and Subcommittees (SCs) cover the components of drones such as batteries, MEMS and other sensors, with an emphasis on safety and interoperability.

IEC TC 47: Semiconductor devices, and its SC 47F: Micro electromechanical systems, are responsible for compiling a wide range of International Standards for the semiconductor devices used in sensors and the MEMS essential to the safe operation of drone flights. These include accelerometers, altimeters, magnetometers (compasses), gyroscopes and pressure sensors. IEC TC 56: Dependability, covers the reliability of electronic components and equipment.

IEC TC 2: Rotating machinery, prepares International Standards covering specifications for rotating electrical machines, while IEC TC 91: Electronics assembly technology, is responsible for standards on electronic assembly technologies including components.

IEC SC 21A: Secondary cells and batteries containing alkaline or other non-acid electrolytes, compiles International Standards for batteries used in mobile applications, as well as for large-capacity lithium cells and batteries.

Ideal for isolated and remote hard-to-access areas

Using drones is useful not only when natural disasters make access by air, land, sea or road difficult, but also in isolated regions that lack accessible infrastructure. Recently, drones have started delivering medical supplies in areas where finding emergency healthcare is extremely difficult. In 2014, Médecins Sans Frontières piloted the use of drones to deliver vaccines and medicine in Papua New Guinea. In 2016, the US robotics company Ziplinelaunched a drone delivery service, in partnership with the government of Rwanda, to supply blood and medical supplies throughout the mountainous East African country. Zipline says its battery-powered drones can fly 120 km on a single charge to deliver medicine speedily, without the need for refrigeration or insulation.

Rwanda launches world’s first drone service to deliver blood to patients in remote areas of the country (Photo: Zipline)

A project by a company in the Netherlands to help refugees who get into difficulty in the Mediterranean Sea offers another example of drones being used for humanitarian purposes. Its search and rescue (SAR) drone is intended to fly over long distances, detect boats and drop life jackets, life buoys, food and medicine if necessary.

Currently only about a quarter of the world’s countries regulate the use of drones. Their deployment in disaster relief operations poses challenges involving regulatory issues, particularly when decisions are made on an ad hoc basis by local and national authorities. Humanitarian relief agencies also warn of the risks of relief drones being mistaken for military aircraft.

Two arms good, four arms better

Japan and the US lead the world in the development of rescue and disaster relief robots. Teams from both countries collaborated in recovery efforts after an earthquake and tsunami hit Japan in March 2011, causing a meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. While a Japanese team operated an eight-meter long snake-like robot fitted with a camera, the US contribution included two remote-controlled robots. The first was a lightweight 22 kg model previously used for bomb disposal and other military tasks before being reconfigured for disaster relief operations. The larger US model, capable of lifting up to 90 kg, was adapted from a device originally used for firefighting and clearing rubble.

Endeavor Robotics 510 Packbots are deployed in emergency situations when direct human intervention is dangerous or impossible, such as after industrial or nuclear accidents. These robots were used at the Fukushima nuclear power plant (Photo: Endeavor Robotics)

In 2017, Japanese researchers unveiled a prototype drone-robot combination for use in disaster relief work. It consisted of a vision-guided robot equipped with sensitive measuring systems, including force sensors, and a drone tethered to the robot. Four fish‑eye cameras mounted on the drone capture video of overhead views, allowing the robot’s operator to assess damage in the surrounding area.

Another Japanese rescue robot unveiled in 2017 is a multi-limbed robot that is 1,7 m tall, with four arms capable of independent operation and four caterpillar treads for mobility. Called The Octopus, it is capable of lifting 200 kg with each arm, crossing uneven terrain and lifting itself over obstacles with two arms while the other two clear debris.

Octopus, developed by Japan’s Waseda University a robot designed to clear rubble in disaster areas including nuclear facilities (Photo: Waseda University)

In the US, researchers are exploring ways in which a small and light collapsible, origami‑inspired robot, first produced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), could be adapted for use as a rescue robot. The device, known as PUFFER (Pop‑Up Flat Folding Explorer Robot) is designed to pack nearly flat for transport, and then re‑expand on site to explore tight nooks and crannies which are inaccessible to larger robots.

Over and underwater too

Given that 80% of the world’s population lives near water, maritime robotic vehicles can also play an important role in disaster relief by inspecting critical underwater infrastructure, mapping damage and identifying sources of pollution to harbours and fishing areas. Maritime robots helped to reopen ports and shipping channels in both Japan and Haiti after major earthquakes in 2011 and 2010 respectively.

In the Mediterranean, a battery‑powered robotic device first developed for use by lifeguards to rescue swimmers has been adapted to help rescue refugees crossing the Aegean Sea from Turkey. This maritime robot has a maximum cruising speed of 35 km/h and can function as a flotation device for 4 people.

Easy to find components and technology
Rescue robots use components and technology found in most other robots used for commercial purposes. Actuators and other electric motors, accelerometers, gyroscopes and dozens of sensors and cameras providing 360⁰ views enable these robots to maintain balance while moving over uneven ground covered with rubble or debris, and to get a sense of the environment around them.

A robot operating in a hazardous environment needs independent power and sensors for specific environments. It may be cut off from its human operator when communication signals are patchy. When remote operation guided by sensor data becomes impossible, a rescue robot needs the ability to make decisions on its own, using machine learning or other artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms.

Several IEC TCs and SCs cooperate on the development of International Standards for the broad range of electrotechnical systems, equipment and applications used in rescue robots. In addition to IEC TC 47: Semiconductor devices and IEC SC 47F: Microelectromechanical systems, mentioned above, other IEC TCs involved in standardization work for specific areas affecting rescue and disaster relief robots include IEC TC 44: Safety of machinery – Electrotechnical aspects; IEC TC 2: Rotating machinery; IEC TC 17: Switchgear and controlgear; and IEC TC 22: Power electronic systems and equipment.

Where humans fear to tread
The number of disasters recorded globally has doubled since the 1980s, with damage and losses estimated at an average of USD 100 billion a year since the start of the new millennium, according to the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), a UK think tank. This trend is likely to lead to increased demand for unmanned robotic devices that can assist disaster relief operations on land, in the air and at sea.

Robots of all kinds play a growing role in supporting SAR teams. Increasing autonomy will create more capable ground robots, while a combination of rapid technological advances and regulation should see the market for disaster relief drones soar over the next five years.

MarketsandMarkets, a research company, estimated in October 2016 that the total global market for drones, comprising commercial and military sales, would grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of nearly 20% between 2016 and 2022 to exceed USD 21 billion. Drones designed for humanitarian and disaster relief operations will account for 10% of the future drone market, according to the US‑based Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI).

The Bonirob agribot uses video- and laser-based positioning as well as satellite navigation to find its way around the fields and with cameras and computer-based image analysis, it recognizes and classifies plants (Bosch Deepfield Robotics).

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Many advances in electric self‑driving car technology and robotics are transferring across to industrial and commercial vehicles, which account for some 60% of the value of the overall electric vehicle market.

In agriculture, the widening use over the next decade of autonomous hybrid or fully electric tractors, robotic machinery and drones could increase farm efficiency and revolutionize how food is produced.

Although some of the technology in farming robots is similar to that of autonomous vehicles, it differs in that operations such as planting seeds, picking vegetables or fruits and localized application of pesticides have individual sensing, manipulation and processing requirements.

Factors promoting the take‑up of agricultural robotics include the promise of increased productivity and efficiency, falling costs of self‑driving technology, reduced availability and rising costs of farm labour and the need to produce more food for a growing global population while crop yields fall in many regions as a result of climate change.

Tractors in transition to electric propulsion

Self‑driving kits, allowing tractors with GPS assistance to follow pre‑programmed routes on large farms, became available some 20 years ago. Nowadays most high‑end tractors are equipped with driverless technology, which is also compatible with combine harvesters. Using GPS, operators can guide tractors and combines to within 30 cm of any plotted location, resulting in more rows in fields and increasing productivity per acre/hectare. More than 300 000 tractors equipped with auto‑steer or tractor guidance were sold in 2016, according to market research company IDTechEx.

Leading European and US agricultural machinery companies have launched prototypes of fully autonomous cabless and driverless tractors fitted with GPS‑guided steering and sensors including radar, laser and Light Imaging, Detection and Ranging (Lidar). The raw sensor data can be used to create an accurate terrain map of both indoor and outdoor environments, while onboard video cameras enhance safety by detecting and avoiding stationary or moving obstacles. Autonomous tractors can also work with other manned machinery.

The standardization work of numerous IEC Technical Committee (TCs) and Subcommittees (SCs) contributes significantly to the performance of cameras and sensing technology used in driverless tractors and other autonomous agricultural machinery. International Standards prepared by IEC TC 47: Semiconductor devices, IEC SC 47E: Discrete semiconductor devices, and IEC SC 47F: Microelectromechanical systems, enable manufacturers to build more reliable and efficient sensors and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). IEC TC 56: Dependability, covers the reliability of electronic components and equipment.

John Deere has unveiled its new project, the first fully-electric tractor SESAM, or Sustainable Energy Supply for Agricultural Machinery, at the Paris International Agribusiness Show in early 2017 (Photo: John Deere).

The technology for driverless agricultural machinery will allow 24‑hour autonomous operations such as seeding, planting and tillage to take place. It can enable farmers to address concerns about shortages of agricultural labour, while also increasing productivity and efficiency. IDTechEx notes that delays in the large‑scale market introduction of unmanned autonomous tractors are attributable primarily to regulation, high sensor costs and a lack of trust on the part of farmers, not too technical issues.

Tractors are also making the transition to electric propulsion. A prototype fully‑electric tractor unveiled by a leading US manufacturer earlier this year is equipped with two independent 150 kW electric motors for a total power output of up to 300 kW (402 hp). It is powered by a 130 kWh battery pack and can run for four hours on a three-hour charge.

In the transitional stage to fully‑electric tractors, kits are available to transform diesel‑engine machines into diesel‑electric tractors fitted with generators. In addition, a drivetrain that replaces the transmission, differential and axles with four electric wheel motors provides precise control of the drive tyres.

The range of commercially-available electrically‑powered agricultural vehicles extends beyond tractors to self‑propelled feed mixers and wheeled loaders, all with zero emissions, minimal noise and smooth driving characteristics.

Several IEC TCs and SCs draw up International Standards for the electronic systems, sensors, motors and batteries used in the driverless technology found in electric‑powered autonomous vehicles.

IEC TC 69: Electric road vehicles and electric industrial trucks, prepares Standards for motors and motor controllers, onboard electrical energy storage systems, power supplies and chargers.

Kramer launched the first all-wheel-steered fully electric wheel loader in January 2017 (Photo: Kramer).

Since energy for many smaller agricultural robotic vehicles is often supplied by batteries, TC 69 liaises closely with IEC TC 21: Secondary cells and batteries, and its SCs, which prepare International Standards for all secondary cells and batteries. They cover the safety installation principles, performance, dimensions and labelling of the batteries used in electric vehicles. These batteries can be of a number of different technology types including lead-acid, lithium-ion, nickel metal hydride and lithium iron phosphate.

Although electric tractors require far more power than electric cars, by the time they come into commercial production – in about five years – the size, lasting power and cost of tractor batteries should all have improved.

Diesel‑electric hybrid and battery‑electric tractors could be available on British farms as early as 2020, according to a February 2017 report by the UK National Farmers’ Union. The report envisages that, in the near future, autonomous and traditional machines will be used in partnership with one another, and electric agricultural vehicles – some autonomous, some conventional – will be charged using solar power as well as from mains connections.

Small agribots enable precision farming

While large tractors are efficient on larger farms, small electric‑powered mobile robots offer better opportunities for improving productivity on small and medium‑sized farms, says Professor Simon Blackmore, Director of the National Centre for Precision Farming (NCPF) and Head of Engineering at Harper Adams University in the UK. “In 20 years, robotics will have revolutionized agriculture”, he predicts.

Source: vinbot.eu

Automatic and robotic vehicles and mobile devices are already used for seeding, planting and tillage, picking and harvesting, weeding, sorting and packaging and even for pruning vines. A few strawberry harvesters are being trialled commercially, while robotic harvesting of apples is in the late stages of prototyping.

These lightweight agricultural robots (agribots) are capable of working day and night and in poor weather. They can also collect and transmit real-time data on the state of fields and crops, find diseases or parasites and spray pesticides.

Typically, agribots are based on some form of robotic tractor implement platform, wheeled or belt‑driven, and many are powered by electric batteries, motors and drivetrains.

Depending on the robot’s function, on‑board sensors may include biological (including chemical and gas analyzers), water, meteorological, soil respiration or moisture, photosynthesis or Leaf Area Index (LAI) sensors, as well as weed detectors, dendrometers and hygrometers. Other components range from cameras and wireless communications to robotic arms, lights for night‑time operation and solar panels to recharge batteries.

The rise in the use of robotics, together with the growth of precision agriculture, means that many farming practices will change radically. In precision agriculture, “farm data maps together with GPS‑enabled equipment have enabled variable‑rate farming technology, allowing farmers to vary the rate of input application based on the needs of specific sites/patches as opposed to the entire farm”, according to a 2016 report by IDTechEx.

For example, sensors can detect weeds and other forms of stress, enabling a robot to spray only the area affected by the parasite rather than the entire crop.

Before the end of 2017, a Japanese company in Kyoto prefecture plans to open what it describes as the world’s first farm run almost entirely by robots, producing 30 000 heads of lettuce a day. Robots will be involved in every stage of growth from delivering lettuce seedlings, trimming and watering to harvesting and delivering the fully grown produce to the packaging line. The company estimates that using robots will reduce its running costs by around 30%.

In the future, smaller tractors and robots could work together in “swarms” through a cloud‑based approach and provide multiple services, ranging from weeding, planting and applying fertilizer to harvesting and packaging food.

The Mobile Agricultural Robot Swarms (MARS) project, sponsored by the European Union (EU), is developing swarms of small, autonomous robots that can seed fields on their own. The robots are battery‑powered with electric drive mechanisms and are controlled through cloud-based digital technology. The exact placement of each individual seed can be documented and saved in the cloud, with the data used later to carry out cultivation or herbicide application with great precision.

The use of small, mobile agribots also helps to reduce the heavy soil compaction and high energy consumption usually associated with heavy machinery.

IEC standards support multi-billion dollar industry

IDTechEx reported in September 2016 that agricultural robotics already represent a USD 3 billion industry, which will grow to USD 12 billion in 2026. “Tractor‑pulled robotic implements and autonomous robotic de‑weeders will play a substantial part in that growth”, the report adds.

Earlier this year, the Dublin‑based firm Research and Markets predicted there would be even bigger sales of agricultural robots over the next decade, saying that the global market would grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of around 11,9% over the next decade to reach approximately USD 28,6 billion by 2025.

IEC standardization work from many IEC TCs and SCs supports this fast‑growing multi-billion dollar industry, with Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand among the biggest adopters of these technologies.

The Hyundai Medical Exoskeleton (H-MEX), composed of a high-tech back/leg brace combination device and forearm crutches, is meant to help paraplegics walk again (Photo: Hyundai)

This article was first published on the IEC e-tech website.

Advances in sensors have increased the ability of assistive robots to perform domestic handling and mobility assistance tasks as well as to analyze the environment and individuals around them so that they can carry out monitoring functions. About 4 700 elderly assistance robots were sold globally in 2015, according to the International Federation of Robotics in Frankfurt, which forecasts that sales will increase to 37 500 units between 2016 and 2019.

Robots assisting with healthcare delivery in the home not only increase their users’ autonomy but also have the potential to relieve the burgeoning demands that elderly populations place on health and care services and informal caregivers.

Meanwhile, increasingly sophisticated “companion robots” are being developed to interact with users, make social connections with them and even provide companionship and emotional support, subject to personal choice.

Several IEC Technical Committees (TCs) and Subcommittees (SCs) cooperate on the development of International Standards for the broad range of electrotechnical systems, equipment and applications used in care robots, with an emphasis on safety and interoperability.

Care robots and other assistive robotic devices form part of the wider category of Active Assisted Living (AAL) technologies. All are designed to enhance the quality of life of users and enable them to lead independent lives through the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

The IEC Systems Committee on AAL (SyC AAL), which started work in 2015, has the role of promoting safety, security, privacy and cross-vendor interoperability in the use of AAL systems and services, and of fostering standardization that enables their usability and accessibility.

Human-robot interaction

Assistive robots with sensory and monitoring functions have been in use in healthcare for over a decade.

Paro, modelled on a baby seal, is a companion robot that responds to touch and can make eye contact (photo: UCI UC Irvine)

In 2004, Japanese inventor Dr Takanori Shibata created a 3 kg robot called Paro. The robot is modelled on a baby seal and makes a similar plaintive crying sound. Paro, one of the most widely studied care robots, responds to touch and can make eye contact by detecting the direction from which voices come. It also has a degree of artificial intelligence, including the ability to “learn” behaviour that elicits a positive and empathetic response in the “user” (for instance, being stroked) rather than one that evokes anger, and then to repeat the behaviour that causes the positive response. Some 5 000 Paro robots have been used in more than 30 countries, in therapeutic settings ranging from dementia care to helping earthquake survivors.

Tasks include helping carers as well as patients

Today’s assistive robots can navigate autonomously and carry out a wide range of tasks such as handling, providing assistance with mobility, lifting and bathing in order to reduce the workload of care providers. Their capabilities may include human-robot interaction skills such as face recognition, speech and gestures. These robots are equipped with multiple digital cameras for reading facial expressions and recording the near environment, and stereo microphones and speakers for monitoring and communicating with users. Some models have databases containing photo galleries, music and brain exercises for the elderly.

IEC TC 62: Electrical equipment in medical practice, and its SCs develop International Standards for the electrical equipment and systems and the software used in healthcare. Their work focuses on safety and performance, including data security and confidentiality. There is a joint working group concerned specifically with the safety of the surgical robots and assistive robots used in healthcare.

IEC TC 100: Audio, video and multimedia systems and equipment, has set up a Technical Area, TA 16: Active Assisted Living (AAL), accessibility and user interfaces, to address AAL‑specific issues related to audio, video and multimedia systems and equipment (see article Improving access to multimedia content for those with disabilities in October 2016 e-tech).

Sensors used in care robots include heart rate and blood pressure monitors; sensors to detect changes in motion, audio and scent which could indicate potentially dangerous scenarios for people living alone; range sensors for fall detection; force/torque sensors; light detection and ranging (Lidar) navigation sensors; and red, green and blue image plus depth (RGB-D) sensors for additional navigation data, enabling the robot to perceive objects and people with which it can interact. IEC SC 47E: Discrete semiconductor devices, prepares International Standards for the design, manufacture and use of sensors.

Other IEC TCs involved in standardization work for assistive robots include IEC TC 110: Electronic display devices, and IEC TC 21: Secondary cells and batteries.

As well as care robots, motorized wheelchair robots and exoskeletons offer autonomous motion assistance for the elderly and disabled. Some “robot walkers” are equipped with GPS and wireless Internet connectivity to summon help in an emergency – for instance, a fall – and to enable users’ families to monitor them remotely.

Companion robots

Companion robots are emerging as a specific category. They are designed to act as interfaces that will make it easier for the elderly to enrich their social lives and connect with their families and friends. Typically, they are powered by small electric motors and equipped with high‑definition cameras, voice and facial recognition capabilities, wireless internet connectivity, video‑calling apps, music libraries, memory games and colour-changing LEDs to indicate a device’s “mood”.

An “advanced social companion robot” undergoing trials in California this year is designed to “convey emotion” through different speech tones, sounds, lights and body language. As well as reminding users to take their medication, this robot proactively suggests activities such as reading, going for a walk, playing games or phoning friends. The device uses machine learning to tailor these suggestions to individual preferences.

The European Union and the Japanese government are jointly funding an international research project that will run from 2017 to 2020 to develop “culturally aware robots” to assist with elderly care. Dr Chris Papadopoulos of the University of Bedfordshire in the UK says that elderly users are more likely to accept robots which can “autonomously reconfigure their interactions to match the culture, customs and etiquette of the person they’re caring for”.

Designers of companion robots face issues related to privacy and care‑giving ethics, as well as many technical challenges, not least that robots are currently unable to detect the subtleties of human interactions and therefore to assess people’s moods and feelings.

Analysts see rapid adoption

Healthcare accounts for a substantial sector of the robotics market, primarily in the form of surgical robots. However, the availability of assistive robots for elderly care offering greater functionality and at cheaper prices will see this nascent market segment grow too, particularly in Japan, South Korea, Western Europe and North America.

The consultancy firm Frost & Sullivan predicted in December 2016 that the global market for care assistance and automation robots is expected to achieve rapid adoption, with a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 36% until 2021.

According to Japanese government data, the country’s “care‑bot” market is expected to increase 25‑fold to USD 3,7 billion by 2035.

In the EU, the market for robots and devices assisting elderly people is estimated to reach EUR 13 billion by 2016, according to the Robohub website.

The high cost of assistive robots (currently thousands of dollars each) and the challenges of building safe and certified robotic devices are among the factors restraining market growth.

Access all areas

Japan, a world leader in “eldercare robotics”, has pioneered the development of robots to lift and carry elderly patients and so alleviate the physical strain on care workers.

In addition to talking, understanding speech and navigating autonomously, the Kompaï care robot can keep track of shopping lists, plays music, and work as a videoconference system for users to talk with their doctors, for example (Photo: Robosoft)

At a February 2017 “hackathon” in Singapore on the social use of robotics for elderly healthcare, the winning team proposed an autonomous system using the Segway Robotics platform, Loomo, for transporting wheelchair‑dependent elderly residents in nursing homes and extended-care facilities. The system uses facial recognition algorithms to identify patients, then connects with their wheelchair using a custom-designed electromagnetic coupling, allowing a robot to move patients to and from activities such as meals and medical appointments. This frees up manpower, enabling caregivers to focus on more critical care and medical tasks.

The EU is funding various projects to design robots that can help with specific mobility‑related tasks. They include an intelligent robotic walker that can help someone sit in a chair or assist them as they move around the house.

In the UK, a project known as CHIRON (Care at Home using Intelligent Robotic Omni‑functional Nodes) is developing a system of modular robotic components located in multiple positions around the home which users can adapt to perform different assistive tasks. A key component is a flexible wall‑ or ceiling‑mounted robotic arm-like structure that can provide varying degrees of assistive support, depending on particular needs. The hardware of the robotic arm forms part of an integrated system designed to be connected to other devices and sensors and capable of responding to voice, visual and touch inputs.

Personal care and other assistive robots are becoming increasingly viable ways to complement healthcare technology trends such as smart monitoring systems and mobile applications, thus easing the reliance on human caregivers. The role of the IEC in developing International Standards for the sensors, motors, cameras and other components used in these devices is vital to promote the safety of new products and stimulate market growth.

Integrated navigation and obstacle avoidance software enables the robots to drive autonomously (Photo: Starship Technologies)

This article was first published on the IEC e‑tech website.

From robots delivering small packages in cities, to driverless trucks transporting bulk loads over long distances, advances in robotic delivery in the next decade will lead to significant changes in retail markets, the freight haulage industry and transport in general.

New capabilities and functions for transportation

Most trials of autonomous delivery services have involved aerial drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Meanwhile, the latest “connected car” technologies are being tested in hundreds of semi‑autonomous cars on public roads around the world. In the words of a report by the US‑based market research and consulting firm Navigant Research in April 2016, “electrification, sensing and actuation technology, wireless connectivity and mobile apps built on the internet have each spawned fascinating new capabilities and functions for transportation.”

As these trends converge, several companies are trialling the use of driverless wheeled vehicles in urban environments for “last mile” deliveries of food orders and small packages, regarded as the most problematic and least efficient step in the e‑commerce delivery chain. These terrestrial drones are battery‑powered and drive themselves along city pavements and cycle lanes without the active intervention of a human operator. They are equipped with sensors and location technology to avoid collisions with pedestrians or street furniture, and microphones for two‑way communication.

Robots, electric trucks and trolleys with a degree of automation have been used for decades in factories and warehouses to transport products and packages or deliver mail to offices. In hospitals, fleets of autonomous robots travel for miles along corridors delivering medical supplies, patients’ meals and other goods. Warehouse and logistics sectors are increasingly automating the supply chain process to meet the growing need for accuracy and faster delivery time. Recently BMW Group has tested suitcase‑size self‑driving robotic trolleys on its factory floors in Germany, as part of an automation drive to help cut costs by 5% per car annually.

Minimizing risks with IEC standards

Autonomous delivery vehicles and self-driving cars have many safety requirements and standards in common. The primary aim is to ensure that automated systems operate efficiently and to minimize the risks to pedestrians and road users as well as goods.

Several IEC Technical Committee (TCs) and Subcommittees (SCs) draw up International Standards for the electronic systems, sensors, motors and batteries used in the driverless technology found in electric-powered autonomous vehicles.

IEC TC 69: Electric road vehicles and electric industrial trucks, prepares Standards for motors and motor controllers, on-board electrical energy storage systems, power supplies and chargers.

Since energy for smaller robot delivery vehicles is supplied mainly by batteries, TC 69 liaises closely with TC 21: Secondary cells and batteries, and its SCs, which prepare International Standards for all secondary cells and batteries. This covers the performance, dimensions, safety installation principles and labelling of batteries used for the propulsion of electric road vehicles. These batteries can be of the lead-acid, lithium‑ion, nickel-metal-hydrid or lithium iron phosphate types, for instance.

TC 105: Fuel cell technologies, prepares International Standards for fuel cell technologies which are already widely deployed in the industrial and commercial electric vehicle sector.

Now you see me

Many road-going trucks already include semi-autonomous safety features such as lane change sensors and cruise control. In Europe, all new trucks sold since November 2015 must by law be fitted with autonomous emergency braking.

The next generation of autonomous delivery vehicles is likely to incorporate even more technology already being tested in driverless cars to detect obstacles and hazards. This typically comprises GPS receivers and detailed maps to navigate roads, and a range of 3D vision guidance systems and electronic sensors including laser‑surveying systems known as Lidars (light detection and ranging). Lidar sensors fire lasers ahead and analyse the signal reflected back, scanning the road as far as 200 m ahead of the vehicle.

Other autonomous driving technology common to cars and delivery vehicles includes electronic stability control, rear‑ and forward‑view camera systems, sensor arrays to transmit data between those systems and a vehicle’s engine, transmission and brakes, and wireless communication subsystems to communicate with a controller and other vehicles.

IEC work in standardization contributes significantly to the sensors that make driverless technology possible. International Standards prepared by IEC TC 47: Semiconductor devices, and IEC SC 47F: Microelectromechanical systems, enable manufacturers to build more reliable and efficient sensors and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). TC 56: Dependability, covers the reliability of electronic components and equipment.

Robot at your door

Battery-powered delivery robots that interact with customers via a smartphone app are being tested on streets – or rather, pavements – in at least three continents.

Estonia-based Starship Technologies, launched by two co-founders of Skype, has built a fleet of small battery-powered six-wheeled delivery robots with a payload of 9 kg. The robots can operate continuously for more than two hours between charges and are intended for short-range deliveries from local businesses in residential areas, travelling on pavements rather than roads. Tests have been carried out in Estonia, Germany, Belgium and the US, and further trials are under way in the London suburb of Greenwich. Each robot has built‑in 3G and GPS as well as an array of cameras, sensors and obstacle-avoidance software to help it detect pedestrians and travel safely up to its maximum speed of 6.5 kph. Although the robots are overseen by human operators to ensure safety, their creators say door‑to‑door delivery costs could be reduced by 10-15% compared with conventional vehicles like vans or mopeds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEWfsVPqKi4

Another autonomous delivery start‑up, Dispatch, is piloting the delivery of mail and packages on college and university campuses in California. Its four-wheeled autonomous vehicle can carry a load of 45 kg and is powered by a lithium-ion battery that allows 12 hours of use. Equipped with cameras and Lidar technology, this delivery robot absorbs data as it navigates along pavements and cycle paths at a walking pace, becoming “smarter” with each trip.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PKyKluMcNM

Australian start‑up Marathon Robotics has developed a four-wheeled autonomous vehicle that a global pizza chain is testing in Brisbane to make short‑range home deliveries. This electric vehicle can travel on both roads and footpaths and has a range of 20 km. It uses GPS to navigate and sensors including Lidar detection to avoid collisions.

A nascent market

The US technology research company Technavio predicts the overall market for mail‑sorting robots, unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) and drones that deliver products to customers from warehouses or manufacturing locations will grow from USD 15,32 million in 2015 to USD 54,07 million by 2020.

“The evolution of autonomous UGVs is in the nascent stage as most of the vendors are testing these robots for end-user delivery solutions… If these equipment pass the testing phase, then we expect them to hit the UK and the US markets by early 2017,” Technavio analyst Bharath Kanniappan told e-tech.

This represents only a tiny share of the overall worldwide market for logistics robots. According to Technavio, the global logistics robots market is expected to reach USD 2,15 billion in the five years from 2016 to 2020, growing at a CAGR of over 32% during the projected period. This market is dominated by mobile factory logistics robots, with a share of 81,9%.

The costs of the sensors and computing power required by autonomous vehicles continue to fall. The price of semiconductor lasers used in 3D Lidar sensors, now USD 1 300, is predicted to fall to USD 150 by 2025. Hardware and computing power costs are likely to reduce further once the adoption of robotic technology in delivery services gains momentum.

Nevertheless, business research and consulting firm Frost & Sullivan does not expect to see fully autonomous trucks deployed on US roads for at least another two decades. From a global perspective, the firm predicts that some 8 000 autonomous‑enabled trucks will be sold worldwide by 2025 for on-road applications, rising to more than 180 000 units by 2035.

Gonna roll this truckin’ convoy

Meanwhile, April 2016 brought the prospect of fleets of larger self‑driving delivery vehicles sharing public roads a step nearer. Six European truck companies each drove their vehicles in connected convoys on motorways in the continent’s first major test of autonomous “truck platooning” technology.

Platooning is seen as the first step in the autonomous vehicle process, leading to greater road safety as well as cost savings. Trucks travel in convoy at very close distances behind one another and communicate with wireless technology, which allows them to brake and accelerate together, cutting down wind resistance and potentially saving as much as 20% on fuel costs. On‑board collision mitigation and cruise control systems enable the driverless heavy goods vehicles to adapt to road conditions and enhance their ability to avoid accidents.

Drones and robots in tandem

Autonomous delivery trucks and robots will transform retail and home delivery, once issues like uneven delivery paths and the possibility of theft are resolved. There is potentially a big home delivery market for supermarkets, using driverless vehicles which are smaller than the current vans used to drop off groceries. New commercial services that combine driverless vehicles and aerial drones working in tandem to deliver to “the last mile” could also significantly reduce the time and costs of transporting packages direct to customers’ doors, provided they clear regulatory hurdles.

Deploying a fully autonomous vehicle, whether a passenger car or a delivery truck, will require further advances in software as well as sensor technology. Other conditions to be met before widespread adoption can occur include legislation on liability, standardization of rules across national borders and more public debate.

The consensus among most fleet operators in the US and Europe is that large-scale full automation of trucks is still some years away. Frost & Sullivan believes that while autonomous highway driving in passenger cars could become mainstream by 2020, platoons of driverless trucks will not appear until closer to 2022.

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Maj. (Dr.) George Kallingal showcases a robotic surgical system while Lt. Col. (Dr.) Thomas Novak, Brooke Army Medical Center’s chief of pediatric urology, looks on at San Antonio Military Medical Center in San Antonio. Photo by Robert Shields

This article was first published on IEC e-tech.

Robotic‑assisted surgery involves a surgeon using a computer‑assisted electro‑mechanical device to carry out complex and technically demanding medical procedures on a patient. The value of surgical robotic tools lies in their role as machines that extend the capabilities and precision of the surgeon, rather than replacing human skills.

Typically, a robotic surgical system includes a camera arm and multiple mechanical arms with surgical instruments attached to them. The surgeon controls the arms while seated at a computer console which is located close to the operating table and provides a high‑definition, magnified, 3‑D image of the surgical site. The surgical robot’s computer software also filters out the surgeon’s hand tremors. For robotic radiosurgery, non‑invasive technology can deliver high‑precision radiation therapy using continual image guidance technology and computer‑controlled robotic mobility.

Robotic surgical technology enables a surgeon to perform surgical movements that exceed the natural range of motion of the human hand with greater precision, combined with high definition 3‑D visualization and magnification. Smaller incisions mean smaller scars, less blood loss and reduced trauma to the tissue that is a feature of regular surgery.

The smooth operation of a surgical robot relies on its electrical and mechanical components, sensors and computer software working together in harmony combined with the skill and experience of the surgeon in charge.

IEC Standards vital as market expands

Growth in the worldwide robotic surgical systems market is being fuelled as emerging competitors challenge the dominance of established players by offering greater affordability and technological innovation.

Global sales of surgical robotic systems are projected to reach $28.8 billion by 2020, according to a 2016 report by US research consultancy Allied Market Research (AMR). According to AMR, the increased adoption of advanced robotic surgery over conventional open surgery, a growing number of surgical procedures and the rise in gynaecological, neurological and urological disorders are the major factors that will boost market growth. As a result, the surgical robotic procedures market is estimated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.9% during 2015‑2020, fostering the growth of the surgical robotics market, the report adds.

Gynaecology applications comprised the largest share of the surgical robotic systems market in 2014 (28%), and orthopaedic surgery, currently at 22%, is projected to be the fastest growing application segment during the forecast period. North America and Europe collectively account for around four-fifths of worldwide surgical robotic systems market revenue, but Asia-Pacific’s share is expected to grow rapidly owing to a growing awareness of robotic surgeries and increasing healthcare expenditure, AMR concluded.

Medical robotics is a relatively new domain and relies on IEC International Standards to help ensure that the design and manufacture of parts meet the strictest requirements. The SCs (Subcommittees) and WGs (Working Groups) of IEC TC 62: Electrical equipment in medical practice, have been responsible for carrying out the bulk of the medical equipment standardization work required to produce the IEC 60601 family of standards. These cover the safety requirements for ME (medical electrical) equipment and MES (medical electrical systems) in current use.

IEC SC 62A: Common aspects of electrical equipment used in medical practice, formed Joint Working Group (JWG) 9 with ISO TC 184/SC 2 in June 2011. JWG 9’s remit is to “develop general requirements and guidance related to the safety of medical electrical equipment and systems that utilize robotic technology. The work encompasses medical applications (including aids for the disabled) covering invasive and non‑invasive procedures such as surgery, rehabilitation therapy, imaging and other robots for medical diagnosis and treatment”.

More than 80 experts are currently active in SC 62A/JWG 9, reflecting the importance of standardization for the sector. The IEC is also examining the still new and rapidly evolving issue of the incorporation of higher levels of autonomy in ME equipment and MES.

Touch me, heal me

Surgical robots incorporate sensors, for example, to relay information or allow the precise application of force. Manufacturers can build more reliable, efficient and safe sensors and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) thanks to International Standards prepared by IEC Technical Committee (TC) 47: Semiconductor devices and IEC Subcommittee (SC) 47F: Microelectromechanical systems.

New types of motors for surgical robots use ceramics and plastics rather than metal components, so robots using these materials would not be affected by machines that emit magnetic waves, such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanners.

As robots become cheaper and more capable and the costs of sensors and software that heighten their capability continue to fall, new medical applications are expanding.

The SRI-led Trauma Pod, developed for DARPA as a next-generation mobile robotic surgery platform for the military. Credit: SRI International via Wikimedia Commons

Minimally invasive robot instruments can both look and feel for cancer deep within the body, using a combined ultrasound probe and pressure sensor array. The latest radiation oncology robotic surgery devices, systems and instruments manage cancer surgery through radiation excision that eliminates open cutting in the body. Meanwhile, advances in robot‑assisted hip replacement surgery assist surgeons in ensuring optimal alignment of artificial hip joints.

The next generation of robotic-assisted tools for surgeons includes advanced imaging and sensors to help doctors during operations. Researchers at Harvard are developing low‑cost, millimetre‑scale force sensors for robotic surgical tools, where size is the biggest challenge, with the aim of eventually providing surgical robots with a sense of “touch”.

Other innovations include robotic suturing, a robot‑guided laser bone‑cutting device which offers more precise cutting geometries, and miniature snake‑like robots only a few millimetres in diameter.

A team led by the Hong Kong Polytechnic University is developing what it describes as the world’s first internally motorized minimally invasive surgical robotic system, and successfully carried out trials on animals using the prototype in December 2015.

The system, called the Novel Surgical Robotic System (NSRS), can be inserted through a single, small incision or even a natural orifice (incision‑less) and expanded inside the human body to perform various surgical operations. The small arms and micro‑motors that control them are then able to work on the body without requiring a large external machine to drive the tools.

The system is capable of haptic (tactile) feedback, allowing the surgeon operating it to feel the stiffness of tissues manipulated by the instruments, a feature not available on current major robotic surgical systems.

Dr Louis Phee of Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University foresees a time when customizable micro/nano self‑configurable robots will be used for screening, surgery and biopsies. Nano‑robots are robots the size of a cell that could be introduced in blood flow to eliminate cancer cells or for tissue repair, among other uses.

Nanotechnology, the manipulation of matter on atomic and molecular scales, is a rapidly growing technology, but one that is still, to a great extent, in a developmental phase. However, it is seen as having great potential in medical applications. IEC TC 113 prepares International Standards for nanotechnology.

Dr Phee argues that “the real challenge for the future of robotics in surgery (and perhaps for surgery in general) is to go beyond the mere imitation and substitution by a robot of conventional procedures and surgical gestures, and rather to explore completely novel procedures that are possible only by means of robotic/mechatronic tools together with human surgeons.”

Robot love

Medical robots have wider applications beyond just surgery. For instance, robotic arms provide rehabilitation therapy for patients recovering from strokes and other neurological disorders. Autonomous mobile robot fleets can serve as medical workhorses, travelling for miles along hospital corridors carrying medical supplies, patients’ meals and other goods.

With people around the world living longer, and rising healthcare costs for the elderly overtaking tax revenues in many developed countries, one solution being mooted is that “cyberconscious” robots could replace human caregivers. In this scenario, care‑giving robots would assist their elderly charges with everyday tasks and remind them to take their medication.

The latest research extends to whether robots could make stronger social and emotional connections with people. The next generation of home‑care robots, for instance, could use visual cues such as tears, audio signals such as extended silence or barely audible speech, and physiological signs such as lowered temperature and raised blood pressure to assess moods among the elderly and cheer them up during periods of unhappiness.