Robotic Dynamic Manipulation

Robotic Dynamic Manipulation

Credit: Courtesy of Bruno Siciliano and Prisma Lab

RoDyMan, an acronym for Robotic Dynamic Manipulation, is a five-year research project (2013-2018) funded by the European Research Council to the CREATE Consortium and carried out at PRISMA Lab in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology of the University of Naples Federico II.

The goal is the development of a service robot able to manipulate elastic and soft objects, which change continuously density and shape, as well as to manipulate objects in a non-prehensile way, i.e. without grasping them.

These robots will be used not only in manufacturing but also as an aid to elderly or disabled people, for medical and surgical use, and in other manual activities.
Preparing a pizza involves an extraordinary level of manual dexterity: for this reason, a pizzaiolo robot has been conceived and a pizza chef has been involved in the project to learn his keen motions directly through a biokinetic sensor suite he wears while stretching the dough, seasoning, tossing and baking on the pizza peel.

It is also a tribute to Naples, at the forefront of technology, robotics and automation, but especially of culture and gastronomy, of which pizza is a symbol and tradition.
Creating a robot able to manipulate objects like humans is one of the most sought and difficult challenges of robotics. It means to replicate skills that are the result of human biological and cultural evolution.


This goal is arduous, mainly for two issues. First, we do not have a total knowledge of human nature, but this is the condition to be able to replicate the human functions in a machine. Second, there are many technical limits to implement a bio-inspired robot, not the least those making it user-friendly, safe and aesthetically appreciated.
Source: rodyman.eu  PrismaLab rodyman

Source: prisma.dieti.unina.it

Experiments about the nonprehensile 

reconfiguration of a rolling sphere on a plate

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Why don't users read manuals?

Why don't users read manuals?

Why people don't read manuals?

Why don't users read instructions?

Why don’t users read instructions?

User’s Fault
● Most people are lazy.
● They assume most of it can be figured out by using common sense.
● They assume they know how to use things and don’t have time to read complicated instructions.
● Some people learn best when given spoken directions rather than reading.
● Some people learn best by watching and imitating.


Not The User's Fault
● Instructions are often tedious to read and poorly written.
● The manual is written in another language.
● Often written by the engineers who designed the product and by lawyers for the manufacturer, the manuals are usually not written with the consumer in mind, even when the manuals are easy to understand, they may not be entertaining enough for today's consumer, especially younger ones who have grown up with the fast-paced world.

Learning styles

Learning by doing

The Paradox of Active Users

Usability - Principles of design for users

Principles of design for users:

Affordance
Affordances define what actions are possible between an object/service and a person.

Consistency
Design interfaces to have similar operations and use similar elements for similar tasks.
Enable people to transfer prior knowledge to new contexts and learn new things quickly.

Constraint
A method of limiting the actions with restrictions so that the system can never enter into an invalid state.

Feedback
Clearly and immediate confirmation that an action has been performed successfully.

Mapping
A relationship between controls and their movements or effects. A good mapping between controls and their effects results in greater ease of use.

Signifier
Signifiers are signs, perceptible signals of what can be done. These signs tell you about the possible actions; what to do, and where to do it.

Visibility
The usability of a system is improved when its status and methods of use are clearly visible.

How to write usable manuals

How to write usable manuals

Components of well-designed manuals:    

● A separate quick-start booklet.

● Table of contents and index required. 

● Glossaries for clarifying technical terms. 

● Appendices for error messages.

● Divide the document into sections.

● Match the procedures to tasks. Group similar tasks into the same chapter.

● Organize chapters so that frequent tasks come before infrequent tasks.

● If you need both task-based instructions and reference material, divide the document into two sections. The first section is a user guide. The second section is a reference manual. 

Pdf document "People don't read manuals"

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