At the Forensic Science Service laboratories in Birmingham, U.K., robots are helping to build what is claimed to be the world's first digitised database of DNA samples taken from convicted criminals.

In this paper, we present an experimental evaluation of several link position tracking control algorithms for rigid-link flexible-joint robot manipulators. To study the performance of the controllers, an IMI 2-link direct-drive planar robot manipulator was modified to approximate linear torsional spring couplings from the actuators to the links. Preliminary experimental results seem to indicate that reduced-order, model-based controllers with an actuator feedback loop provide relatively good link position tracking while a full-order, model-based controller offers some further improvement in link position tracking at the expense of increased computation.

A system to control a database is used for modelling of robotic mechanisms. This brings up the modelling process of robotic mechanisms to a higher level of abstraction and reduces the problem of numerical complexity reduction of the robotic mechanism model to database updating. Structural System Analysis was used to describe the functionality of the system for modelling of robotic mechanisms. The database model is presented by Extended Model Object-Connections, and all the object types for representation of mathematical expressions in the form of calculating graph are described in detail. The complete system is implemented and tested on the example of a robotic mechanism with six degrees of freedom and on the example of anthropomorphic locomotion robotic mechanism.

A general method for the computation of the canonical form of three-systems of infinitesimal screws is presented. The method is particularly simple when the three-system has a basis that is simultaneously perpendicular and reciprocal. However, it can also handle the special or degenerate cases. The method and the concurrent results are important from the theoretical point of view because of the obvious connection with the classification of screw-systems. Moreover, the results are also important for applied kinematics after recent applications of the canonical form of screw-systems to the analysis and synthesis of manipulators and manipulator substructures.

An efficient algorithm for generating an optimal plan for part-bringing tasks, using robotic manipulators, is introduced. The task of transporting a micro-part in a partially unstructured environment, that includes obstacles whose locations are not initially known, is introduced with the optimal plan formulated on the basis of the observed environmental conditions. Fuzzy set theory, well-suited to the management of uncertainty, is introduced to address the uncertainty associated with the part-bringing procedure. A part-bringing algorithm for generating the optimal plan related to a part assembly, despite existing obstacles, is presented. It is shown that the machine organizer using a sensor system can intelligently determine an optimal plan, based on explicit performance criteria, to overcome environmental uncertainty. The algorithm utilizes knowledge processing functions such as machine reasoning, planning, memory, and decision-making. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed approach. The proposed algorithm is applicable not only to a wide range of robotic tasks including pick and place operations and maneuvering mobile based robots around obstacles, but also to the control of unmanned aircraft.

In this paper, nine adaptive control algorithms are compared. The best two of them are tested experimentally. It is shown that the Adaptive FeedForward Controller AFFC) is well suited for learning the parameters of the dynamic equation, even in the presence of friction and noise. The resulting control performance is better than with measured parameters for any trajectory in the workspace. When the task consists of repeating the same trajectory, an adaptive look-up-table MEMory, introduced and analyzed in this paper, is simpler to implement and results in even better control performance.

Common geared industrial robots call for force control methods with special properties such as good rejection of frictional disturbances, smoothness of corrective motions, and more. A new method is presented which meets these requirements and provides a high control bandwidth. In the manner of hybrid control, directions of a task frame can be selected to be force, impedance or position controlled. A joint-based inner position loop and a superimposed predictive force controller are used. Practical results include data from a robotic grinding facility. Here, the controller proved robustness and good performance under rough conditions.

By exploiting an important property of the time optimal control law structure, this paper introduces a new dynamic programming approach for X-Y robot minimum time path following problem. Compared with the conventional dynamic programming method, the proposed approach significantly reduces the computational cost. The efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed approach are demonstrated via computer simulations. In addition, via experimental studies, this paper also addresses practical difficulties in implementing the minimum-time control law.

Manipulators with some flexible links are attractive because they avoid the severe control problems associated with the large inertia forces generated when the large-mass, rigid links in conventional robot manipulators move at high speed. In fact only two of the links within a typical six degrees of freedom revolute-geometry industrial robot cause significant inertia forces, and so only these two links need to be flexible. The development of a two-flexible-link system controller is therefore very relevant to larger manipulators, because it can be readily expanded by adding simple controllers for the other rigid links. Two alternative controllers are developed in this paper, a computed-torque controller and a quadratic optimal controller. Simulations confirm the superior performance of the latter.

This paper reports a visual tracking system that can track moving objects in real-time with a modest workstation equipped with a pan-tilt device. The algorithm essentially has three parts: (1) feature detection, (2) tracking and (3) control of the robot head. Corners are viewpoint invariant, hence being utilised as the beacon for tracking. Tracking is performed in two stages of Kalman filtering and affine transformation. A technique of reducing greatly the computational time for the correlaton is also described. The Kalman filter predicts intelligently the fovea window and reduced computation dramatically. The affine transformation deals with the unexpected events when there is partial occlusion.

The WESTEC exhibition, held on March 24–27, 1997, at the Los Angeles Convention Center attracted 683 exhibitors and nearly 30,000 manufacturing professionals, the biggest ever event. A wide selection of manufacturing equipment and technologies was displayed in an area of over 250,000 square feet, including machine tools of every description, plastics and integrated design and manufacturing . . . . Over 1000 international equipment lines were exhibited by leading international machine tool builders, and the technology categories included machining, milling, grinding and deburring, cutting tools, drilling and tapping, CAD/CAM, EDM, machine control finishing, laser systems, etc . . . .

This note briefly summarizes the successful ICAR'97 Conference at Hyatt Regency in Monterey, CA on July 7–9 1997.

The Second International Conference in Genetic Programming (GP-97), like the first, was held on the beautiful Stanford University campus in California under the chairmanship of John Koza. More than 350 people from all over the world gathered together for four days to see presentations, posters, tutorials and trade presentations on a range of topics. In addition to GP and related topics in Genetic Algorithms (GAs) and classifier systems, the up and coming fields of evolvable hardware (EHW) and biocomputing (also called DNA computing) were also represented.