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The robot has passed through a development period, and is now entering an era in which robots are being utilised by industry in production. In Japan, about 1500 robots are used on production lines and more than 50 robot makers are supplying their products to the market. Many users have completed trials with industrial robots, and have reached the situation in which repeat orders are being sent to robot manufacturers as a potential way of improving productivity. Many of the robot makers have completed the initial development of their products, and in future will be promoting their sales to reap the benefits of these developments.

Introduces papers from this area of expertise from the ISEF 1999 Proceedings. States the goal herein is one of identifying devices or systems able to provide prescribed performance. Notes that 18 papers from the Symposium are grouped in the area of automated optimal design. Describes the main challenges that condition computational electromagnetism’s future development. Concludes by itemizing the range of applications from small activators to optimization of induction heating systems in this third chapter.

Linear oscillatory actuators have been used in a wide range of applications because they have a lot of advantages. Additionally, multi-degree of freedom resonant actuators have been developed. The purpose of this paper is to propose a novel three-degree-of-freedom resonant actuator resonant actuator that is driven in three directions. The dynamic characteristics are clarified through finite element analysis and measurement.

A novel three-degree-of-freedom resonant actuator resonant actuator consists of a cross-shaped mover, a stator and five excitation coils. The magnetic structure of this actuator is geometrically similar to that of general permanent magnet synchronous motor. Therefore, vector control is applied to this actuator. The dynamic characteristics are analyzed and measured.

Computed results show that the proposed actuator is able to be independently driven in three directions. However, measured result show that mutual interference is severely observed because of the structure of the mover support mechanism. Therefore, the structure needs to be improved.

The proposed actuator has originality in its structure and operating principle.

New approaches for non‐classical neural‐based computing are introduced. The developed approaches utilize new concepts in three‐dimensionality, invertibility and reversibility to perform the required neural computing. The various implementations of the new neural circuits using the introduced paradigms and architectures are presented, several applications are shown, and the extension for the utilization in neural‐systolic computing is also introduced.

The new neural paradigms utilize new findings in computational intelligence and advanced logic synthesis to perform the functionality of the basic neural network (NN). This includes the techniques of three‐dimensionality, invertibility and reversibility. The extension of implementation to neural‐systolic computing using the introduced reversible neural‐systolic architecture is also presented.

Novel NN paradigms are introduced in this paper. New 3D paradigm of NL circuits called three‐dimensional inverted neural logic (3DINL) circuits is introduced. The new 3D architecture inverts the inputs and weights in the standard neural architecture: inputs become bases on internal interconnects, and weights become leaves of the network. New reversible neural network (RevNN) architecture is also introduced, and a RevNN paradigm using supervised learning is presented. The applications of RevNN to multiple‐output feedforward discrete plant control and to reversible neural‐systolic computing are also shown. Reversible neural paradigm that includes reversible neural architecture utilizing the extended mapping technique with an application to the reversible solution of the maze problem using the reversible counterpropagation NN is introduced, and new neural paradigm of reversibility in both architecture and training using reversibility in independent component analysis is also presented.

Since the new 3D NNs can be useful as a possible optimal design choice for compacting a learning (trainable) circuit in 3D space, and because reversibility is essential in the minimal‐power computing as the reduction of power consumption is a main requirement for the circuit synthesis of several emerging technologies, the introduced methods for non‐classical neural computation are new and interesting for the design of several future technologies that require optimal design specifications such as three‐dimensionality, regularity, super‐high speed, minimum power consumption and minimum size such as in low‐power control, adiabatic signal processing, quantum computing, and nanotechnology.

Cooperative work with Keio University has resulted in the development of a machine for exercising the hip and knee joints of stroke patients to recover their walking function. The Therapeutic Exercise Machine (TEM) has two mechanical arms to move the lower extremity of a stroke patient. The arms of the exercise machine are driven by electric motors and are controlled by a computer by means of load sensor information. The sensing and feedback control of force information is a problem for conventional machines and ultimately the therapist using the machine. TEM has the ability to be used as a training machine with embedded therapist techniques as well as the ability to monitor the patient’s condition during an exercise session. The machine has the following new features: wide range of motion, compliant motion, direct teaching, and measurement functions. The effects of TEM have been evaluated on its compliant motion against impulsive load and the short‐term effects of a continuous passive range of motion exercise in spastic patients.

Bar‐tacking is a specialized sewing stitch designed to provide immense tensile strength to the garment which requires a high‐speed precision bar‐tacking sewing machine. This paper aims to present an event‐driven multi‐axis cooperative control method for a bar‐tacking sewing machine.

The control method consists of two parts: the multi‐axis cooperative control and the needle stop positioning control. The challenges include the high speed and the precision. For example, the needle must stop at a set position in milliseconds.

The presented multi‐axis cooperative control can ensure the high speed response and the precision of the cooperative control. The needle stop positioning control is based on a combination of the velocity control and the position control with velocity feed‐forward and limitation.

The bar‐tacking sewing machine requires high‐speed start and stop response and coordination of displacement and velocity only at some given points. Therefore, the conventional multi‐axis cooperative control methods are not suitable. In addition, it requires high‐speed precision control under varying loading conditions.

While there are a number of commercial textile machines available in the market, designing a smart bar‐tacking sewing machine with good speed and precision performance remains a challenge.

The bar‐tacking sewing machine requires highly accurate multi‐axes cooperative control. The presented event‐driven multi‐axis control method is effective. It has not only the required high accuracy but also the fast time response.

Agricultural workers represent an important part of the population exposed to high heat-related health and productivity risks. This study aims to estimate the heat-related productivity loss (PL) for moderate work activities in sun and shady areas and evaluating the economic cost locally in an Italian farm and generally in the whole province of Florence. Benefits deriving by working in the shade or work-time shifting were provided. Comparisons between PL estimated in Mediterranean (Florence, Italy) and subtropical (Guangzhou, China) areas were also carried out.

Meteorological data were collected during summers 2017–2018 through a station installed in a farm in the province of Florence and by two World Meteorological Organization (WMO)‐certified meteorological stations located at the Florence and Guangzhou airports. These data were used to calculate the wet-bulb globe temperature and to estimate the hourly PL and the economic cost during the typical working time (from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and by advancing of 1 h and 2 h the working time. Significant differences were calculated through nonparametric tests.

The hourly PL and the related economic cost significantly decreased (p < 0.05) by working in the shade and by work-time shifting. Higher PL values were observed in Guangzhou than in Florence. The decrease of PL observed by work-time shifting was greater in Florence than in Guangzhou.

Useful information to plan suitable heat-related prevention strategies to counteract the effects of heat in the workplace are provided. These findings are essential to quantify the beneficial effects due to the implementation of specific heat-related adaptation measures to counter the impending effects of climate change.

Purpose – This chapter contributes to comparative biopolitics and reviews primatological literature, especially about our nearest relatives, the Great Apes.

Design/methodology/approach – Biopolitics in this chapter means evolutionarily informed political science, with emphasis on power relations. I review the literature on intrasexual and intersexual dominance interactions among individuals and competitive and/or agonistic interactions among groups in the Great Apes (Hominidae, formerly Pongidae): orangutan (Pongo with two species and three subspecies), gorilla (Gorilla with four subspecies), bonobo (Pan paniscus), and common chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes with four subspecies). In the final section I present some (speculative) thoughts on Pan prior or the modern human ancestor.

Findings – Not only Man is a political animal.

Originality/value – Impartial, objective, and as complete as possible review of the literature for the students of (comparative) politics, ethology, and psychology.

Gives a bibliographical review of the finite element methods (FEMs) applied in biomedicine from the theoretical as well as practical points of view. The bibliography at the end of the paper contains 748 references to papers, conference proceedings and theses/dissertations dealing with the finite element analyses and simulations in biomedicine that were published between 1985 and 1999.

The authors will review the main concepts of graphs, present the implemented algorithm, as well as explain the different techniques applied to the graph, to achieve an efficient execution of the algorithm, both in terms of the use of multiple cores that the authors have available today, and the use of massive data parallelism through the parallelization of the algorithm, bringing the graph closer to the execution through CUDA on GPUs.

In this work, the authors approach the graphs isomorphism problem, approaching this problem from a point of view very little worked during all this time, the application of parallelism and the high-performance computing (HPC) techniques to the detection of isomorphism between graphs.

Results obtained give compelling reasons to ensure that more in-depth studies on the HPC techniques should be applied in these fields, since gains of up to 722x speedup are achieved in the most favorable scenarios, maintaining an average performance speedup of 454x.

The paper is new and original.