This study examines the antecedents of customers' willingness and objection to use artificially intelligent robotic devices in hospitality services (full-service and limited-service hotels). Drawing ...on the Artificially Intelligent Device Use Acceptance (AIDUA) theory, this study validates and extends the AIDUA framework in the hospitality service setting. The results point to the applicability of the AIDUA framework, suggesting that hospitality customers' intention to the use of artificially intelligent devices are influenced by social influence, hedonic motivation, anthropomorphism, performance and effort expectancy, and emotions toward the artificially intelligent devices. Findings further suggest that compared to limited-service hotel customers, full-service hotel customers rely less on their social groups when evaluating artificially intelligent robotic devices; their emotions toward the use of artificially intelligent devices are less likely to be influenced by effort expectancy; and their emotions cause less impact on their objection to the use. Theoretical contributions and managerial implications of this study are discussed. Limitations and future study recommendations are provided.
The basic routine movements for elderly people are not easily accessible due to the weak muscles and impaired nerves in their lower extremity. In the last few years, many robotic-based rehabilitation ...devices, like orthosis and exoskeletons, have been designed and developed by researchers to provide locomotion assistance to support gait behavior and to perform daily activities for elderly people. However, there is still a need for improvement in the design, actuation and control of these devices for making them cost-effective in the worldwide market. In this work, a systematic review is presented on available lower limb orthosis and exoskeleton devices, to date. The devices are broadly reviewed according to joint types, actuation modes and control strategies. Furthermore, tabular comparisons have also been presented with the types and applications of these devices. Finally, the needful improvements for realizing the efficacy of lower limb rehabilitation devices are discussed along with the development stage. This review will help the designers and researchers to develop an efficient robotic device for the rehabilitation of the lower limb.
Increase in the adoption of liquid handling devices (LHD) can facilitate experimental activities. Initially adopted by businesses and industry-based laboratories, the practice has also moved to ...academic environments, where a wide range of non-standard/non-typical experiments can be performed. Current protocols or laboratory analyses require researchers to transfer liquids for the purpose of dilution, mixing, or inoculation, among other operations. LHD can render laboratories more efficient by performing more experiments per unit of time, by making operations robust and resilient against external factors and unforeseen events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and by remote operation. The present work reviews literature that reported the adoption and utilisation of LHD available in the market and presents examples of their practical use. Applications demonstrate the critical role of automation in research development and its ability to reduce human intervention in the experimental workflow. Ultimately, this work will provide guidance to academic researchers to determine which LHD can fulfil their needs and how to exploit their use in both conventional and non-conventional applications. Furthermore, the breadth of applications and the scarcity of academic institutions involved in research and development that utilise these devices highlights an important area of opportunity for shift in technology to maximize research outcomes.
•Wide range of liquid handling devices (LHD) with ranging abilities are available in the market.•Main applications of LHD are high-throughput screening, clinical analysis and delicate sampling.•Modular and multi-device platforms are great as an entry point to automation.•Industry and academic collaborations enable the widespread use of automation.•Reduction of entry barriers is critical to maximize the benefits of automation.
Our access to computer-generated worlds changes the way we feel, how we think, and how we solve problems. In this review, we explore the utility of different types of virtual reality, immersive or ...non-immersive, for providing controllable, safe environments that enable individual training, neurorehabilitation, or even replacement of lost functions. The neurobiological effects of virtual reality on neuronal plasticity have been shown to result in increased cortical gray matter volumes, higher concentration of electroencephalographic beta-waves, and enhanced cognitive performance. Clinical application of virtual reality is aided by innovative brain-computer interfaces, which allow direct tapping into the electric activity generated by different brain cortical areas for precise voluntary control of connected robotic devices. Virtual reality is also valuable to healthy individuals as a narrative medium for redesigning their individual stories in an integrative process of self-improvement and personal development. Future upgrades of virtual reality-based technologies promise to help humans transcend the limitations of their biological bodies and augment their capacity to mold physical reality to better meet the needs of a globalized world.
Currently, mobile robotic devices are widely used in various fields of human activity, which imposes high requirements on the reliability of their operation. Improving the reliability and quality of ...control of mobile robotic devices is possible through the use of multi-channel control systems. Signals coming from different control channels are subject to various interference, which can lead to wrong decisions. In this regard, the problem of minimizing the risk of making an incorrect control decision is urgent. This paper gives a theoretical justification for the algorithm for choosing a control command for a multi-channel control system of a mobile robotic device. The algorithm is based on minimizing the Bayesian risk of choosing an erroneous command. To implement the algorithm, it is necessary to have statistical information about the quality of functioning of each control channel.
Medical soft robotics constitutes a rapidly developing field in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, with a promising future for millions of patients suffering from heart failure worldwide. ...Herein, the present state and future direction of artificial muscle‐based soft robotic biomedical devices in supporting the inotropic function of the heart are reviewed, focusing on the emerging electrothermally artificial heart muscles (AHMs). Artificial muscle powered soft robotic devices can mimic the action of complex biological systems such as heart compression and twisting. These artificial muscles possess the ability to undergo complex deformations, aiding cardiac function while maintaining a limited weight and use of space. Two very promising candidates for artificial muscles are electrothermally actuated AHMs and biohybrid actuators using living cells or tissue embedded with artificial structures. Electrothermally actuated AHMs have demonstrated superior force generation while creating the prospect for fully soft robotic actuated ventricular assist devices. This review will critically analyze the limitations of currently available devices and discuss opportunities and directions for future research. Last, the properties of the cardiac muscle are reviewed and compared with those of different materials suitable for mechanical cardiac compression.
This review discusses the present state and future direction of soft robotic biomedical devices in supporting the inotropic function of the heart, focusing on electrothermally artificial heart muscles. The current state of the ventricular assist devices and the key factors for the development of a full soft robotic ventricular assist device were discussed.
•Stroke represents the leading cause of disability in the industrialized world.•Post-stroke impairment interferes with the QoL of the patient and caregiver.•Robot-assisted hand training allow to ...perform practical tasks with a VR setting.•Hand robotic plus VR-based training may amplify the functional outcome achievement.
Robot-assisted hand training adopting end-effector devices results in an additional reduction of motor impairment in comparison to usual care alone in different stages of stroke recovery. These devices often allow the patient to perform practical, attentive, and visual-spatial tasks in a semi-virtual reality (VR) setting. We aimed to investigate whether the hand end-effector robotic device AmadeoTM could improve cognitive performance, beyond the motor deficit, as compared to the same amount of occupational treatment focused on the hand. Forty-eight patients (aged 54.3 ± 10.5 years, 62.5% female) affected by either ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke in the chronic phase were enrolled in the study. The experimental group (EG) underwent AmadeoTM robotic training, while the control group (CG) performed occupational therapy involving the upper limb. Patients were assessed at the beginning and at the end of the rehabilitation protocol using a specific neuropsychological battery, as well as motor function tests. The EG showed greater improvements in different cognitive domains, including attentive abilities and executive functions, as well as in hand motor function, as compared to CG. Our study showed that task-oriented VR-based robotic rehabilitation enhanced not only motor function in the paretic arm but also global and specific cognitive abilities in post-stroke patients. We may argue that the hand robotic plus VR-based training may provide patients with an integration of cognitive and motor skill rehabilitation, thus amplifying the functional outcome achievement.
Through the integration of AI and IoT, the digital twin transforms industrial sectors by virtually portraying physical systems. Simulation and the application of lifecycle management improve ...decision-making. In this paper, a virtual prototype system a digital twin framework that integrates robotic devices is proposed. Created using debugging platforms, they track every robotic activity, supported by real-time microcontroller structural design systems. Machine learning methods are the fundamental engine of the digital twin system. Because of this connection, robotic actions may be seamlessly controlled and monitored, guaranteeing effectiveness and adaptability in changing contexts. Robotics has advanced significantly with the combination of digital twin technology, machine learning, and microcontroller systems, offering improved performance and versatility in a range of applications.
To assess safety and mobility outcomes utilizing the Indego powered exoskeleton in indoor and outdoor walking conditions with individuals previously diagnosed with a spinal cord injury (SCI).
We ...conducted a multicenter prospective observational cohort study in outpatient clinics associated with 5 rehabilitation hospitals. A convenience sample of nonambulatory individuals with SCI (
= 32) completed an 8-week training protocol consisting of walking training 3 times per week utilizing the Indego powered exoskeleton in indoor and outdoor conditions. Participants were also trained in donning/doffing the exoskeleton during each session. Safety measures such as adverse events (AEs) were monitored and reported. Time and independence with donning/doffing the exoskeleton as well as walking outcomes to include the 10-meter walk test (10MWT), 6-minute walk test (6MWT), Timed Up & Go test (TUG), and 600-meter walk test were evaluated from midpoint to final evaluations.
All 32 participants completed the training protocol with limited device-related AEs, which resulted in no interruption in training. The majority of participants in this trial were able to don and doff the Indego independently. Final walking speed ranged from 0.19 to 0.55 m/s. Final average indoor and outdoor walking speeds among all participants were 0.37 m/s (
= 0.08, 0.09, respectively), after 8 weeks of training. Significant (
< .05) improvements were noted between midpoint and final gait speeds in both indoor and outdoor conditions. Average walking endurance also improved among participants after training.
The Indego was shown to be safe for providing upright mobility to 32 individuals with SCIs who were nonambulatory. Improvements in speed and independence were noted with walking in indoor and outdoor conditions as well as with donning/doffing the exoskeleton.
Drug delivery systems which rely on diffusion for mass transport, such as hydrogels and nanoparticles, have enhanced drug targeting and extended delivery profiles to improve health outcomes for ...patients suffering from diseases including cancer and diabetes. However, diffusion-dependent systems often fail to provide >0.01–1% drug bioavailability when transporting macromolecules across poorly permeable physiological tissues such as the skin, solid tumors, the blood-brain barrier, and the gastrointestinal walls. Convection-enabling robotic ingestibles, wearables, and implantables physically interact with tissue walls to improve bioavailability in these settings by multiple orders of magnitude through convective mass transfer, the process of moving drug molecules via bulk fluid flow. In this Review, we compare diffusive and convective drug delivery systems, highlight engineering techniques that enhance the efficacy of convective devices, and provide examples of synergies between the two methods of drug transport.
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•Quantitative analysis of how physiological diffusion barriers inhibit drug delivery.•Fabrication methods for convection-enabling robotic devices.•Strategies for tuning injection parameters in convection-enabling devices.
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