Rapid and customized part realization in all industrial sectors imposes stringent demands on part attributes, e.g., mechanical properties, microstructure, surface finish, geometry, etc. However, part attributes can very rarely be directly measured and/or controlled in the production process. Instead, measurements are taken of accessible and measurable primary process responses that are known to influence the part's attributes. These primary process responses are then controlled through the manipulation of a set of controllable process parameters.

Assistive machines such as robotic arms and powered wheelchairs promote independence and ability in those with severe motor impairments. As the field of assistive robotics progresses rapidly, these devices are becoming more capable and dextrous and as a result, higher dimensional and harder to control. The dimensionality mismatch between high-dimensional robots and low-dimensional control interfaces requires the control space to be partitioned into control modes. For full control of the robot the user switches between these partitions and this is known as mode switching.

Abstract: People with upper extremity disabilities are gaining increased independence through the use of assistive robotic arms, but performing tasks that require many small precise movements remains difficult. In fact, a confounding factor is that the more severe a person’s motor impairment, the more limited are the control interfaces available to them to operate the system.

Abstract: Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is a promising technology for activating muscles in spinal cord injured (SCI) patients. The objective of our project was to develop an intuitive user interface and control system that allows high-level tetraplegic patients to regain the use of their own arm.