Nowadays tunnel structural inspections are executed based on visual (human) inspections. This is ... more Nowadays tunnel structural inspections are executed based on visual (human) inspections. This is a slow process, labor expensive and subjective, while requiring lane/rail shutdown during the inspection. ROBO-SPECT is an EC co-funded research project (FP7 - ICT – 611145) that, driven by the tunnel inspection industry, adapts and integrates recent research results in intelligent control in robotics, computer vision and active learning and sensing, in an integrated, robotic system that automatically scans the intrados of tunnels for potential structural defects. The system additionally inspects and measures radial deformation in the cross-sections, distance between cracks, joints that may impact tunnel stability, with mm accuracies. This publication focuses on ROBO-SPECT EC project first year activities presenting the overall system architecture, as well as the technologies that will be integrated, and overall technological solution. The current status of implementations and the follow...
This paper presents the concept and the architecture of the I-SUPPORT service robotics system. Th... more This paper presents the concept and the architecture of the I-SUPPORT service robotics system. The goal of the I-SUPPORT system is to support and enhance older adults mobility, manipulation and force exertion abilities and assist them in successfully, safely and independently completing the entire sequence of showering tasks, such as properly washing their back, their upper parts, their lower limbs, their buttocks and groin, and to effectively use the towel for drying purposes. Adaptation and integration of state-of-the-art, cost-effective, softrobotic arms will provide the hardware constituents, which, together with advanced human-robot force/compliance control will form the basis for a safe physical human-robot interaction that complies with the most up-to-date safety standards. Human behavioural, sociological, safety, ethical and acceptability aspects, as well as financial factors related to the proposed service robotics system will be thoroughly investigated and evaluated so tha...
Ambient Intelligence-Software and Applications, Mar 8, 2012
Robotic ecologies are networks of heterogeneous robotic devices pervasively embedded in everyday ... more Robotic ecologies are networks of heterogeneous robotic devices pervasively embedded in everyday environments, where they cooperate to perform complex tasks. While their potential makes them increasingly popular, one fundamental problem is how to make them self-adaptive, so as to reduce the amount of preparation, pre-programming and human supervision that they require in real world applications. The EU FP7 project RUBICON develops self-sustaining learning solutions yielding cheaper, adaptive and efficient ...
Concept and design of a new indoor service robot locomotion technology are described in the paper... more Concept and design of a new indoor service robot locomotion technology are described in the paper. The proposed solution extends the workspace of existing indoor ground based service robots in the vertical direction, while ensuring higher payload capability than aerial robots and less environment invasive than industrial gantry robots. The concept under development is highly innovative in the sense that it will combine the planar stepping motion of an arm on the ceiling in 2D, and the thrusted-hoisted pendulum like ...
Nowadays tunnel structural inspections are executed based on visual (human) inspections. This is ... more Nowadays tunnel structural inspections are executed based on visual (human) inspections. This is a slow process, labor expensive and subjective, while requiring lane/rail shutdown during the inspection. ROBO-SPECT is an EC co-funded research project (FP7 - ICT – 611145) that, driven by the tunnel inspection industry, adapts and integrates recent research results in intelligent control in robotics, computer vision and active learning and sensing, in an integrated, robotic system that automatically scans the intrados of tunnels for potential structural defects. The system additionally inspects and measures radial deformation in the cross-sections, distance between cracks, joints that may impact tunnel stability, with mm accuracies. This publication focuses on ROBO-SPECT EC project first year activities presenting the overall system architecture, as well as the technologies that will be integrated, and overall technological solution. The current status of implementations and the follow...
This paper presents the concept and the architecture of the I-SUPPORT service robotics system. Th... more This paper presents the concept and the architecture of the I-SUPPORT service robotics system. The goal of the I-SUPPORT system is to support and enhance older adults mobility, manipulation and force exertion abilities and assist them in successfully, safely and independently completing the entire sequence of showering tasks, such as properly washing their back, their upper parts, their lower limbs, their buttocks and groin, and to effectively use the towel for drying purposes. Adaptation and integration of state-of-the-art, cost-effective, softrobotic arms will provide the hardware constituents, which, together with advanced human-robot force/compliance control will form the basis for a safe physical human-robot interaction that complies with the most up-to-date safety standards. Human behavioural, sociological, safety, ethical and acceptability aspects, as well as financial factors related to the proposed service robotics system will be thoroughly investigated and evaluated so tha...
Ambient Intelligence-Software and Applications, Mar 8, 2012
Robotic ecologies are networks of heterogeneous robotic devices pervasively embedded in everyday ... more Robotic ecologies are networks of heterogeneous robotic devices pervasively embedded in everyday environments, where they cooperate to perform complex tasks. While their potential makes them increasingly popular, one fundamental problem is how to make them self-adaptive, so as to reduce the amount of preparation, pre-programming and human supervision that they require in real world applications. The EU FP7 project RUBICON develops self-sustaining learning solutions yielding cheaper, adaptive and efficient ...
Concept and design of a new indoor service robot locomotion technology are described in the paper... more Concept and design of a new indoor service robot locomotion technology are described in the paper. The proposed solution extends the workspace of existing indoor ground based service robots in the vertical direction, while ensuring higher payload capability than aerial robots and less environment invasive than industrial gantry robots. The concept under development is highly innovative in the sense that it will combine the planar stepping motion of an arm on the ceiling in 2D, and the thrusted-hoisted pendulum like ...
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Papers by Rafa Lopez