Publications | Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems

1461 results (View BibTeX file of all listed publications)

2017

Magnetically actuated soft capsule endoscope for fine-needle aspiration biopsy

In Proceedings 2017 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), pages: 1132-1139, IEEE, Piscataway, NJ, USA, IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), May 2017 (inproceedings)

Abstract

This paper presents a magnetically actuated soft capsule endoscope for fine-needle aspiration biopsy (B-MASCE) in the upper gastrointestinal tract. A thin and hollow needle is attached to the capsule, which can penetrate deeply into tissues to obtain subsurface biopsy sample. The design utilizes a soft elastomer body as a compliant mechanism to guide the needle. An internal permanent magnet provides a means for both actuation and tracking. The capsule is designed to roll towards its target and then deploy the biopsy needle in a precise location selected as the target area. B-MASCE is controlled by multiple custom-designed electromagnets while its position and orientation are tracked by a magnetic sensor array. In in vitro trials, B-MASCE demonstrated rolling locomotion and biopsy of a swine tissue model positioned inside an anatomical human stomach model. It was confirmed after the experiment that a tissue sample was retained inside the needle.

DOI Project Page [BibTex]

2017

pi Son, D., Dogan, M. D., Sitti, M. Magnetically actuated soft capsule endoscope for fine-needle aspiration biopsy In Proceedings 2017 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), pages: 1132-1139, IEEE, Piscataway, NJ, USA, IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), May 2017 (inproceedings)

DOI Project Page [BibTex]

Proton 2: Increasing the Sensitivity and Portability of a Visuo-haptic Surface Interaction Recorder

Burka, A., Rajvanshi, A., Allen, S., Kuchenbecker, K. J.

In Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), pages: 439-445, Singapore, May 2017 (inproceedings)

Abstract

The Portable Robotic Optical/Tactile ObservatioN PACKage (PROTONPACK, or Proton for short) is a new handheld visuo-haptic sensing system that records surface interactions. We previously demonstrated system calibration and a classification task using external motion tracking. This paper details improvements in surface classification performance and removal of the dependence on external motion tracking, necessary before embarking on our goal of gathering a vast surface interaction dataset. Two experiments were performed to refine data collection parameters. After adjusting the placement and filtering of the Proton's high-bandwidth accelerometers, we recorded interactions between two differently-sized steel tooling ball end-effectors (diameter 6.35 and 9.525 mm) and five surfaces. Using features based on normal force, tangential force, end-effector speed, and contact vibration, we trained multi-class SVMs to classify the surfaces using 50 ms chunks of data from each end-effector. Classification accuracies of 84.5% and 91.5% respectively were achieved on unseen test data, an improvement over prior results. In parallel, we pursued on-board motion tracking, using the Proton's camera and fiducial markers. Motion tracks from the external and onboard trackers agree within 2 mm and 0.01 rad RMS, and the accuracy decreases only slightly to 87.7% when using onboard tracking for the 9.525 mm end-effector. These experiments indicate that the Proton 2 is ready for portable data collection.

DOI Project Page [BibTex]

hi Burka, A., Rajvanshi, A., Allen, S., Kuchenbecker, K. J. Proton 2: Increasing the Sensitivity and Portability of a Visuo-haptic Surface Interaction Recorder In Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), pages: 439-445, Singapore, May 2017 (inproceedings)

DOI Project Page [BibTex]

Propulsion and Chemotaxis in Bacteria-Driven Microswimmers

Zhuang, J., Park, B., Sitti, M.

Advanced Science, 4(9):1700109, May 2017 (article)

Abstract

Despite the large body of experimental work recently on biohybrid microsystems, few studies have focused on theoretical modeling of such systems, which is essential to understand their underlying functioning mechanisms and hence design them optimally for a given application task. Therefore, this study focuses on developing a mathematical model to describe the 3D motion and chemotaxis of a type of widely studied biohybrid microswimmer, where spherical microbeads are driven by multiple attached bacteria. The model is developed based on the biophysical observations of the experimental system and is validated by comparing the model simulation with experimental 3D swimming trajectories and other motility characteristics, including mean squared displacement, speed, diffusivity, and turn angle. The chemotaxis modeling results of the microswimmers also agree well with the experiments, where a collective chemotactic behavior among multiple bacteria is observed. The simulation result implies that such collective chemotaxis behavior is due to a synchronized signaling pathway across the bacteria attached to the same microswimmer. Furthermore, the dependencies of the motility and chemotaxis of the microswimmers on certain system parameters, such as the chemoattractant concentration gradient, swimmer body size, and number of attached bacteria, toward an optimized design of such biohybrid system are studied. The optimized microswimmers would be used in targeted cargo, e.g., drug, imaging agent, gene, and RNA, transport and delivery inside the stagnant or low-velocity fluids of the human body as one of their potential biomedical applications.

DOI Project Page [BibTex]

pi Zhuang, J., Park, B., Sitti, M. Propulsion and Chemotaxis in Bacteria-Driven Microswimmers Advanced Science, 4(9):1700109, May 2017 (article)

DOI Project Page [BibTex]

Dynamic and programmable self-assembly of micro-rafts at the air-water interface

Wang, W., Giltinan, J., Zakharchenko, S., Sitti, M.

Science Advances, 3(5):e1602522, American Association for the Advancement of Science, May 2017 (article)

Abstract

Dynamic self-assembled material systems constantly consume energy to maintain their spatiotemporal structures and functions. Programmable self-assembly translates information from individual parts to the collective whole. Combining dynamic and programmable self-assembly in a single platform opens up the possibilities to investigate both types of self-assembly simultaneously and to explore their synergy. This task is challenging because of the difficulty in finding suitable interactions that are both dissipative and programmable. We present a dynamic and programmable self-assembling material system consisting of spinning at the air-water interface circular magnetic micro-rafts of radius 50 μm and with cosinusoidal edge-height profiles. The cosinusoidal edge-height profiles not only create a net dissipative capillary repulsion that is sustained by continuous torque input but also enable directional assembly of micro-rafts. We uncover the layered arrangement of micro-rafts in the patterns formed by dynamic self-assembly and offer mechanistic insights through a physical model and geometric analysis. Furthermore, we demonstrate programmable self-assembly and show that a 4-fold rotational symmetry encoded in individual micro-rafts translates into 90° bending angles and square-based tiling in the assembled structures of micro-rafts. We anticipate that our dynamic and programmable material system will serve as a model system for studying nonequilibrium dynamics and statistical mechanics in the future

DOI [BibTex]

pi Wang, W., Giltinan, J., Zakharchenko, S., Sitti, M. Dynamic and programmable self-assembly of micro-rafts at the air-water interface Science Advances, 3(5):e1602522, American Association for the Advancement of Science, May 2017 (article)

DOI [BibTex]

Presentation of functional groups on self-assembled supramolecular peptide nanofibers mimicking glycosaminoglycans for directed mesenchymal stem cell differentiation

Yasa, O., Uysal, O., Ekiz, M. S., Guler, M. O., Tekinay, A. B.

J. Mater. Chem. B, 5, pages: 4890-4900, The Royal Society of Chemistry, May 2017 (article)

Abstract

Organizational complexity and functional diversity of the extracellular matrix regulate cellular behaviors. The extracellular matrix is composed of various proteins in the form of proteoglycans{,} glycoproteins{,} and nanofibers whose types and combinations change depending on the tissue type. Proteoglycans{,} which are proteins that are covalently attached to glycosaminoglycans{,} contribute to the complexity of the microenvironment of the cells. The sulfation degree of the glycosaminoglycans is an important and distinct feature at specific developmental stages and tissue types. Peptide amphiphile nanofibers can mimic natural glycosaminoglycans and/or proteoglycans{,} and they form a synthetic nanofibrous microenvironment where cells can proliferate and differentiate towards different lineages. In this study{,} peptide nanofibers were used to provide varying degrees of sulfonation mimicking the natural glycosaminoglycans by forming a microenvironment for the survival and differentiation of stem cells. The effects of glucose{,} carboxylate{,} and sulfonate groups on the peptide nanofibers were investigated by considering the changes in the differentiation profiles of rat mesenchymal stem cells in the absence of any specific differentiation inducers in the culture medium. The results showed that a higher sulfonate-to-glucose ratio is associated with adipogenic differentiation and a higher carboxylate-to-glucose ratio is associated with osteochondrogenic differentiation of the rat mesenchymal stem cells. Overall{,} these results demonstrate that supramolecular peptide nanosystems can be used to understand the fine-tunings of the extracellular matrix such as sulfation profile on specific cell types.

link (url) DOI [BibTex]

pi Yasa, O., Uysal, O., Ekiz, M. S., Guler, M. O., Tekinay, A. B. Presentation of functional groups on self-assembled supramolecular peptide nanofibers mimicking glycosaminoglycans for directed mesenchymal stem cell differentiation J. Mater. Chem. B, 5, pages: 4890-4900, The Royal Society of Chemistry, May 2017 (article)

link (url) DOI [BibTex]

Bioinspired Composite Microfibers for Skin Adhesion and Signal Amplification of Wearable Sensors

Drotlef, D., Amjadi, M., Yunusa, M., Sitti, M.

Advanced Materials, 29(28):1701353, May 2017, Back Cover (article)

Abstract

A facile approach is proposed for superior conformation and adhesion of wearable sensors to dry and wet skin. Bioinspired skin-adhesive films are composed of elastomeric microfibers decorated with conformal and mushroom-shaped vinylsiloxane tips. Strong skin adhesion is achieved by crosslinking the viscous vinylsiloxane tips directly on the skin surface. Furthermore, composite microfibrillar adhesive films possess a high adhesion strength of 18 kPa due to the excellent shape adaptation of the vinylsiloxane tips to the multiscale roughness of the skin. As a utility of the skin-adhesive films in wearable-device applications, they are integrated with wearable strain sensors for respiratory and heart-rate monitoring. The signal-to-noise ratio of the strain sensor is significantly improved to 59.7 because of the considerable signal amplification of microfibrillar skin-adhesive films.

DOI [BibTex]

pi Drotlef, D., Amjadi, M., Yunusa, M., Sitti, M. Bioinspired Composite Microfibers for Skin Adhesion and Signal Amplification of Wearable Sensors Advanced Materials, 29(28):1701353, May 2017, Back Cover (article)

DOI [BibTex]

Bioadhesive Bacterial Microswimmers for Targeted Drug Delivery in the Urinary and Gastrointestinal Tracts

Mostaghaci, B., Yasa, O., Zhuang, J., Sitti, M.

Advanced Science, 4(6):1700058, May 2017 (article)

Abstract

Bacteria-driven biohybrid microswimmers (bacteriabots), which integrate motile bacterial cells and functional synthetic cargo parts (e.g., microparticles encapsulating drug), are recently studied for targeted drug delivery. However, adhesion of such bacteriabots to the tissues on the site of a disease (which can increase the drug delivery efficiency) is not studied yet. Here, this paper proposes an approach to attach bacteriabots to certain types of epithelial cells (expressing mannose on the membrane), based on the affinity between lectin molecules on the tip of bacterial type I pili and mannose molecules on the epithelial cells. It is shown that the bacteria can anchor their cargo particles to mannose-functionalized surfaces and mannose-expressing cells (ATCC HTB-9) using the lectin–mannose bond. The attachment mechanism is confirmed by comparing the adhesion of bacteriabots fabricated from bacterial strains with or without type I pili to mannose-covered surfaces and cells. The proposed bioadhesive motile system can be further improved by expressing more specific adhesion moieties on the membrane of the bacteria.

DOI Project Page [BibTex]

pi Mostaghaci, B., Yasa, O., Zhuang, J., Sitti, M. Bioadhesive Bacterial Microswimmers for Targeted Drug Delivery in the Urinary and Gastrointestinal Tracts Advanced Science, 4(6):1700058, May 2017 (article)

DOI Project Page [BibTex]

Six Degree-of-Freedom Localization of Endoscopic Capsule Robots using Recurrent Neural Networks embedded into a Convolutional Neural Network

Turan, M., Abdullah, A., Jamiruddin, R., Araujo, H., Konukoglu, E., Sitti, M.

arXiv preprint arXiv:1705.06196, May 2017 (article)

Abstract

Since its development, ingestible wireless endoscopy is considered to be a painless diagnostic method to detect a number of diseases inside GI tract. Medical related engineering companies have made significant improvements in this technology in last decade; however, some major limitations still residue. Localization of the next generation steerable endoscopic capsule robot in six degreeof-freedom (DoF) and active motion control are some of these limitations. The significance of localization capability concerns with the doctors correct diagnosis of the disease area. This paper presents a very robust 6-DoF localization method based on supervised training of an architecture consisting of recurrent networks (RNN) embedded into a convolutional neural network (CNN) to make use of both just-in-moment information obtained by CNN and correlative information across frames obtained by RNN. To our knowledge, our idea of embedding RNNs into a CNN architecture is for the first time proposed in literature. The experimental results show that the proposed RNN-in-CNN architecture performs very well for endoscopic capsule robot localization in cases vignetting, reflection distortions, noise, sudden camera movements and lack of distinguishable features.

DOI Project Page [BibTex]

pi Turan, M., Abdullah, A., Jamiruddin, R., Araujo, H., Konukoglu, E., Sitti, M. Six Degree-of-Freedom Localization of Endoscopic Capsule Robots using Recurrent Neural Networks embedded into a Convolutional Neural Network arXiv preprint arXiv:1705.06196, May 2017 (article)

DOI Project Page [BibTex]

Controllable load sharing for soft adhesive interfaces on three-dimensional surfaces

Song, S., Drotlef, D., Majidi, C., Sitti, M.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114(22):E4344–E4353, National Acad Sciences, May 2017 (article)

Abstract

For adhering to three-dimensional (3D) surfaces or objects, current adhesion systems are limited by a fundamental trade-off between 3D surface conformability and high adhesion strength. This limitation arises from the need for a soft, mechanically compliant interface, which enables conformability to nonflat and irregularly shaped surfaces but significantly reduces the interfacial fracture strength. In this work, we overcome this trade-off with an adhesion-based soft-gripping system that exhibits enhanced fracture strength without sacrificing conformability to nonplanar 3D surfaces. Composed of a gecko-inspired elastomeric microfibrillar adhesive membrane supported by a pressure-controlled deformable gripper body, the proposed soft-gripping system controls the bonding strength by changing its internal pressure and exploiting the mechanics of interfacial equal load sharing. The soft adhesion system can use up to ∼26% of the maximum adhesion of the fibrillar membrane, which is 14× higher than the adhering membrane without load sharing. Our proposed load-sharing method suggests a paradigm for soft adhesion-based gripping and transfer-printing systems that achieves area scaling similar to that of a natural gecko footpad.

DOI Project Page [BibTex]

pi Song, S., Drotlef, D., Majidi, C., Sitti, M. Controllable load sharing for soft adhesive interfaces on three-dimensional surfaces Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114(22):E4344–E4353, National Acad Sciences, May 2017 (article)

DOI Project Page [BibTex]

A Non-Rigid Map Fusion-Based RGB-Depth SLAM Method for Endoscopic Capsule Robots

Turan, M., Almalioglu, Y., Araujo, H., Konukoglu, E., Sitti, M.

arXiv preprint arXiv:1705.05444, May 2017 (article)

Abstract

In the gastrointestinal (GI) tract endoscopy field, ingestible wireless capsule endoscopy is considered as a minimally invasive novel diagnostic technology to inspect the entire GI tract and to diagnose various diseases and pathologies. Since the development of this technology, medical device companies and many groups have made significant progress to turn such passive capsule endoscopes into robotic active capsule endoscopes to achieve almost all functions of current active flexible endoscopes. However, the use of robotic capsule endoscopy still has some challenges. One such challenge is the precise localization of such active devices in 3D world, which is essential for a precise three-dimensional (3D) mapping of the inner organ. A reliable 3D map of the explored inner organ could assist the doctors to make more intuitive and correct diagnosis. In this paper, we propose to our knowledge for the first time in literature a visual simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) method specifically developed for endoscopic capsule robots. The proposed RGB-Depth SLAM method is capable of capturing comprehensive dense globally consistent surfel-based maps of the inner organs explored by an endoscopic capsule robot in real time. This is achieved by using dense frame-to-model camera tracking and windowed surfelbased fusion coupled with frequent model refinement through non-rigid surface deformations.

link (url) Project Page [BibTex]

pi Turan, M., Almalioglu, Y., Araujo, H., Konukoglu, E., Sitti, M. A Non-Rigid Map Fusion-Based RGB-Depth SLAM Method for Endoscopic Capsule Robots arXiv preprint arXiv:1705.05444, May 2017 (article)

link (url) Project Page [BibTex]

Context-Driven Movement Primitive Adaptation

Wilbers, D., Lioutikov, R., Peters, J.

IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), pages: 3469-3475, IEEE, May 2017 (conference)

DOI Project Page [BibTex]

ei Wilbers, D., Lioutikov, R., Peters, J. Context-Driven Movement Primitive Adaptation IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), pages: 3469-3475, IEEE, May 2017 (conference)

DOI Project Page [BibTex]

A Learning-based Shared Control Architecture for Interactive Task Execution

Farraj, F. B., Osa, T., Pedemonte, N., Peters, J., Neumann, G., Giordano, P.

IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), pages: 329-335, IEEE, May 2017 (conference)

DOI Project Page Project Page [BibTex]

ei Farraj, F. B., Osa, T., Pedemonte, N., Peters, J., Neumann, G., Giordano, P. A Learning-based Shared Control Architecture for Interactive Task Execution IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), pages: 329-335, IEEE, May 2017 (conference)

DOI Project Page Project Page [BibTex]

Frequency Peak Features for Low-Channel Classification in Motor Imagery Paradigms

Jayaram, V., Schölkopf, B., Grosse-Wentrup, M.

Proceedings of the 8th International IEEE/EMBS Conference on Neural Engineering (NER), pages: 321-324, May 2017 (conference)

DOI [BibTex]

ei Jayaram, V., Schölkopf, B., Grosse-Wentrup, M. Frequency Peak Features for Low-Channel Classification in Motor Imagery Paradigms Proceedings of the 8th International IEEE/EMBS Conference on Neural Engineering (NER), pages: 321-324, May 2017 (conference)

DOI [BibTex]

Empowered skills

Gabriel, A., Akrour, R., Peters, J., Neumann, G.

IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), pages: 6435-6441, IEEE, May 2017 (conference)

DOI Project Page [BibTex]

ei Gabriel, A., Akrour, R., Peters, J., Neumann, G. Empowered skills IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), pages: 6435-6441, IEEE, May 2017 (conference)

DOI Project Page [BibTex]

An Interactive Augmented-Reality Video Training Platform for the da Vinci Surgical System

Carlson, J., Kuchenbecker, K. J.

Workshop paper (3 pages) presented at the ICRA Workshop on C4 Surgical Robots, Singapore, May 2017 (misc)

Abstract

Teleoperated surgical robots such as the Intuitive da Vinci Surgical System facilitate minimally invasive surgeries, which decrease risk to patients. However, these systems can be difficult to learn, and existing training curricula on surgical simulators do not offer students the realistic experience of a full operation. This paper presents an augmented-reality video training platform for the da Vinci that will allow trainees to rehearse any surgery recorded by an expert. While the trainee operates a da Vinci in free space, they see their own instruments overlaid on the expert video. Tools are identified in the source videos via color segmentation and kernelized correlation filter tracking, and their depth is calculated from the da Vinci’s stereoscopic video feed. The user tries to follow the expert’s movements, and if any of their tools venture too far away, the system provides instantaneous visual feedback and pauses to allow the user to correct their motion. The trainee can also rewind the expert video by bringing either da Vinci tool very close to the camera. This combined and augmented video provides the user with an immersive and interactive training experience.

[BibTex]

hi Carlson, J., Kuchenbecker, K. J. An Interactive Augmented-Reality Video Training Platform for the da Vinci Surgical System Workshop paper (3 pages) presented at the ICRA Workshop on C4 Surgical Robots, Singapore, May 2017 (misc)

[BibTex]

Human Shape Estimation using Statistical Body Models

Loper, M. M.

University of Tübingen, May 2017 (thesis)

Abstract

Human body estimation methods transform real-world observations into predictions about human body state. These estimation methods benefit a variety of health, entertainment, clothing, and ergonomics applications. State may include pose, overall body shape, and appearance. Body state estimation is underconstrained by observations; ambiguity presents itself both in the form of missing data within observations, and also in the form of unknown correspondences between observations. We address this challenge with the use of a statistical body model: a data-driven virtual human. This helps resolve ambiguity in two ways. First, it fills in missing data, meaning that incomplete observations still result in complete shape estimates. Second, the model provides a statistically-motivated penalty for unlikely states, which enables more plausible body shape estimates. Body state inference requires more than a body model; we therefore build obser- vation models whose output is compared with real observations. In this thesis, body state is estimated from three types of observations: 3D motion capture markers, depth and color images, and high-resolution 3D scans. In each case, a forward process is proposed which simulates observations. By comparing observations to the results of the forward process, state can be adjusted to minimize the difference between simulated and observed data. We use gradient-based methods because they are critical to the precise estimation of state with a large number of parameters. The contributions of this work include three parts. First, we propose a method for the estimation of body shape, nonrigid deformation, and pose from 3D markers. Second, we present a concise approach to differentiating through the rendering process, with application to body shape estimation. And finally, we present a statistical body model trained from human body scans, with state-of-the-art fidelity, good runtime performance, and compatibility with existing animation packages.

Official Version [BibTex]

ps Loper, M. M. Human Shape Estimation using Statistical Body Models University of Tübingen, May 2017 (thesis)

Official Version [BibTex]

Layered direct policy search for learning hierarchical skills

End, F., Akrour, R., Peters, J., Neumann, G.

IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), pages: 6442-6448, IEEE, May 2017 (conference)

DOI Project Page [BibTex]

ei End, F., Akrour, R., Peters, J., Neumann, G. Layered direct policy search for learning hierarchical skills IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), pages: 6442-6448, IEEE, May 2017 (conference)

DOI Project Page [BibTex]

Q-Prop: Sample-Efficient Policy Gradient with An Off-Policy Critic

Gu, S., Lillicrap, T., Ghahramani, Z., Turner, R. E., Levine, S.

Proceedings International Conference on Learning Representations (ICLR), OpenReviews.net, International Conference on Learning Representations, April 2017 (conference)

PDF link (url) Project Page [BibTex]

ei Gu, S., Lillicrap, T., Ghahramani, Z., Turner, R. E., Levine, S. Q-Prop: Sample-Efficient Policy Gradient with An Off-Policy Critic Proceedings International Conference on Learning Representations (ICLR), OpenReviews.net, International Conference on Learning Representations, April 2017 (conference)

PDF link (url) Project Page [BibTex]

Categorical Reparametrization with Gumbel-Softmax

Jang, E., Gu, S., Poole, B.

Proceedings International Conference on Learning Representations 2017, OpenReviews.net, International Conference on Learning Representations, April 2017 (conference)

link (url) [BibTex]

ei Jang, E., Gu, S., Poole, B. Categorical Reparametrization with Gumbel-Softmax Proceedings International Conference on Learning Representations 2017, OpenReviews.net, International Conference on Learning Representations, April 2017 (conference)

link (url) [BibTex]

DeepCoder: Learning to Write Programs

Balog, M., Gaunt, A. L., Brockschmidt, M., Nowozin, S., Tarlow, D.

Proceedings International Conference on Learning Representations 2017, OpenReviews.net, International Conference on Learning Representations, April 2017 (conference)

Arxiv link (url) Project Page [BibTex]

ei Balog, M., Gaunt, A. L., Brockschmidt, M., Nowozin, S., Tarlow, D. DeepCoder: Learning to Write Programs Proceedings International Conference on Learning Representations 2017, OpenReviews.net, International Conference on Learning Representations, April 2017 (conference)

Arxiv link (url) Project Page [BibTex]

Hydrophobic pinning with copper nanowhiskers leads to bactericidal properties

Singh, A. V., Baylan, S., Park, B., Richter, G., Sitti, M.

PloS One, 12(4):e0175428, Public Library of Science, April 2017 (article)

Abstract

The considerable morbidity associated with hospitalized patients and clinics in developed countries due to biofilm formation on biomedical implants and surgical instruments is a heavy economic burden. An alternative to chemically treated surfaces for bactericidal activity started emerging from micro/nanoscale topographical cues in the last decade. Here, we demonstrate a putative antibacterial surface using copper nanowhiskers deposited by molecular beam epitaxy. Furthermore, the control of biological response is based on hydrophobic pinning of water droplets in the Wenzel regime, causing mechanical injury and cell death. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed the details of the surface morphology and non-contact mode laser scanning of the surface revealed the microtopography-associated quantitative parameters. Introducing the bacterial culture over nanowhiskers produces mechanical injury to cells, leading to a reduction in cell density over time due to local pinning of culture medium to whisker surfaces. Extended culture to 72 hours to observe biofilm formation revealed biofilm inhibition with scattered microcolonies and significantly reduced biovolume on nanowhiskers. Therefore, surfaces patterned with copper nanowhiskers can serve as potential antibiofilm surfaces. The topography-based antibacterial surfaces introduce a novel prospect in developing mechanoresponsive nanobiomaterials to reduce the risk of medical device biofilm-associated infections, contrary to chemical leaching of copper as a traditional bactericidal agent.

link (url) [BibTex]

pi Singh, A. V., Baylan, S., Park, B., Richter, G., Sitti, M. Hydrophobic pinning with copper nanowhiskers leads to bactericidal properties PloS One, 12(4):e0175428, Public Library of Science, April 2017 (article)

link (url) [BibTex]

Estimating B0 inhomogeneities with projection FID navigator readouts

Loktyushin, A., Ehses, P., Schölkopf, B., Scheffler, K.

25th Annual Meeting and Exhibition of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM), April 2017 (poster)

link (url) [BibTex]

ei Loktyushin, A., Ehses, P., Schölkopf, B., Scheffler, K. Estimating B0 inhomogeneities with projection FID navigator readouts 25th Annual Meeting and Exhibition of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM), April 2017 (poster)

link (url) [BibTex]

Probabilistic Articulated Real-Time Tracking for Robot Manipulation

(Best Paper of RA-L 2017, Finalist of Best Robotic Vision Paper Award of ICRA 2017)

Garcia Cifuentes, C., Issac, J., Wüthrich, M., Schaal, S., Bohg, J.

IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RA-L), 2(2):577-584, April 2017 (article)

Abstract

We propose a probabilistic filtering method which fuses joint measurements with depth images to yield a precise, real-time estimate of the end-effector pose in the camera frame. This avoids the need for frame transformations when using it in combination with visual object tracking methods. Precision is achieved by modeling and correcting biases in the joint measurements as well as inaccuracies in the robot model, such as poor extrinsic camera calibration. We make our method computationally efficient through a principled combination of Kalman filtering of the joint measurements and asynchronous depth-image updates based on the Coordinate Particle Filter. We quantitatively evaluate our approach on a dataset recorded from a real robotic platform, annotated with ground truth from a motion capture system. We show that our approach is robust and accurate even under challenging conditions such as fast motion, significant and long-term occlusions, and time-varying biases. We release the dataset along with open-source code of our approach to allow for quantitative comparison with alternative approaches.

arXiv video code and dataset video PDF DOI Project Page [BibTex]

am Garcia Cifuentes, C., Issac, J., Wüthrich, M., Schaal, S., Bohg, J. Probabilistic Articulated Real-Time Tracking for Robot Manipulation IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RA-L), 2(2):577-584, April 2017 (article)

arXiv video code and dataset video PDF DOI Project Page [BibTex]

Distilling Information Reliability and Source Trustworthiness from Digital Traces

Tabibian, B., Valera, I., Farajtabar, M., Song, L., Schölkopf, B., Gomez Rodriguez, M.

Proceedings of the 26th International Conference on World Wide Web (WWW), pages: 847-855, (Editors: Barrett, R., Cummings, R., Agichtein, E. and Gabrilovich, E. ), ACM, April 2017 (conference)

Project DOI Project Page Project Page [BibTex]

ei Tabibian, B., Valera, I., Farajtabar, M., Song, L., Schölkopf, B., Gomez Rodriguez, M. Distilling Information Reliability and Source Trustworthiness from Digital Traces Proceedings of the 26th International Conference on World Wide Web (WWW), pages: 847-855, (Editors: Barrett, R., Cummings, R., Agichtein, E. and Gabrilovich, E. ), ACM, April 2017 (conference)

Project DOI Project Page Project Page [BibTex]

Soft 3D-Printed Phantom of the Human Kidney with Collecting System

Adams, F., Qiu, T., Mark, A., Fritz, B., Kramer, L., Schlager, D., Wetterauer, U., Miernik, A., Fischer, P.

Ann. of Biomed. Eng., 45(4):963-972, April 2017 (article)

Abstract

Organ models are used for planning and simulation of operations, developing new surgical instruments, and training purposes. There is a substantial demand for in vitro organ phantoms, especially in urological surgery. Animal models and existing simulator systems poorly mimic the detailed morphology and the physical properties of human organs. In this paper, we report a novel fabrication process to make a human kidney phantom with realistic anatomical structures and physical properties. The detailed anatomical structure was directly acquired from high resolution CT data sets of human cadaveric kidneys. The soft phantoms were constructed using a novel technique that combines 3D wax printing and polymer molding. Anatomical details and material properties of the phantoms were validated in detail by CT scan, ultrasound, and endoscopy. CT reconstruction, ultrasound examination, and endoscopy showed that the designed phantom mimics a real kidney's detailed anatomy and correctly corresponds to the targeted human cadaver's upper urinary tract. Soft materials with a tensile modulus of 0.8-1.5 MPa as well as biocompatible hydrogels were used to mimic human kidney tissues. We developed a method of constructing 3D organ models from medical imaging data using a 3D wax printing and molding process. This method is cost-effective means for obtaining a reproducible and robust model suitable for surgical simulation and training purposes.

DOI Project Page [BibTex]

pf Adams, F., Qiu, T., Mark, A., Fritz, B., Kramer, L., Schlager, D., Wetterauer, U., Miernik, A., Fischer, P. Soft 3D-Printed Phantom of the Human Kidney with Collecting System Ann. of Biomed. Eng., 45(4):963-972, April 2017 (article)

DOI Project Page [BibTex]

Image Quality Improvement by Applying Retrospective Motion Correction on Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping and R2*

Feng, X., Loktyushin, A., Deistung, A., Reichenbach, J.

25th Annual Meeting and Exhibition of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM), April 2017 (poster)

link (url) [BibTex]

ei Feng, X., Loktyushin, A., Deistung, A., Reichenbach, J. Image Quality Improvement by Applying Retrospective Motion Correction on Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping and R2* 25th Annual Meeting and Exhibition of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM), April 2017 (poster)

link (url) [BibTex]

Guiding Trajectory Optimization by Demonstrated Distributions

Osa, T., Ghalamzan E., A. M., Stolkin, R., Lioutikov, R., Peters, J., Neumann, G.

IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, 2(2):819-826, April 2017 (article)

DOI [BibTex]

ei Osa, T., Ghalamzan E., A. M., Stolkin, R., Lioutikov, R., Peters, J., Neumann, G. Guiding Trajectory Optimization by Demonstrated Distributions IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, 2(2):819-826, April 2017 (article)

DOI [BibTex]

Local Group Invariant Representations via Orbit Embeddings

Raj, A., Kumar, A., Mroueh, Y., Fletcher, T., Schölkopf, B.

Proceedings of the 20th International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Statistics (AISTATS), 54, pages: 1225-1235, Proceedings of Machine Learning Research, (Editors: Aarti Singh and Jerry Zhu), April 2017 (conference)

link (url) Project Page [BibTex]

ei Raj, A., Kumar, A., Mroueh, Y., Fletcher, T., Schölkopf, B. Local Group Invariant Representations via Orbit Embeddings Proceedings of the 20th International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Statistics (AISTATS), 54, pages: 1225-1235, Proceedings of Machine Learning Research, (Editors: Aarti Singh and Jerry Zhu), April 2017 (conference)

link (url) Project Page [BibTex]

Whole-body multi-contact motion in humans and humanoids: Advances of the CoDyCo European project

Padois, V., Ivaldi, S., Babic, J., Mistry, M., Peters, J., Nori, F.

Robotics and Autonomous Systems, 90, pages: 97-117, April 2017, Special Issue on New Research Frontiers for Intelligent Autonomous Systems (article)

DOI Project Page [BibTex]

ei Padois, V., Ivaldi, S., Babic, J., Mistry, M., Peters, J., Nori, F. Whole-body multi-contact motion in humans and humanoids: Advances of the CoDyCo European project Robotics and Autonomous Systems, 90, pages: 97-117, April 2017, Special Issue on New Research Frontiers for Intelligent Autonomous Systems (article)

DOI Project Page [BibTex]

Fast Bayesian Optimization of Machine Learning Hyperparameters on Large Datasets

Klein, A., Falkner, S., Bartels, S., Hennig, P., Hutter, F.

Proceedings of the 20th International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Statistics (AISTATS 2017), 54, pages: 528-536, Proceedings of Machine Learning Research, (Editors: Sign, Aarti and Zhu, Jerry), PMLR, April 2017 (conference)

pdf link (url) Project Page [BibTex]

pn Klein, A., Falkner, S., Bartels, S., Hennig, P., Hutter, F. Fast Bayesian Optimization of Machine Learning Hyperparameters on Large Datasets Proceedings of the 20th International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Statistics (AISTATS 2017), 54, pages: 528-536, Proceedings of Machine Learning Research, (Editors: Sign, Aarti and Zhu, Jerry), PMLR, April 2017 (conference)

pdf link (url) Project Page [BibTex]

Chapter 8 - Micro- and nanorobots in Newtonian and biological viscoelastic fluids

Palagi, S., (Walker) Schamel, D., Qiu, T., Fischer, P.

In Microbiorobotics, pages: 133 - 162, 8, Micro and Nano Technologies, Second edition, Elsevier, Boston, March 2017 (incollection)

Abstract

Swimming microorganisms are a source of inspiration for small scale robots that are intended to operate in fluidic environments including complex biomedical fluids. Nature has devised swimming strategies that are effective at small scales and at low Reynolds number. These include the rotary corkscrew motion that, for instance, propels a flagellated bacterial cell, as well as the asymmetric beat of appendages that sperm cells or ciliated protozoa use to move through fluids. These mechanisms can overcome the reciprocity that governs the hydrodynamics at small scale. The complex molecular structure of biologically important fluids presents an additional challenge for the effective propulsion of microrobots. In this chapter it is shown how physical and chemical approaches are essential in realizing engineered abiotic micro- and nanorobots that can move in biomedically important environments. Interestingly, we also describe a microswimmer that is effective in biological viscoelastic fluids that does not have a natural analogue.

link (url) DOI [BibTex]

pf Palagi, S., (Walker) Schamel, D., Qiu, T., Fischer, P. Chapter 8 - Micro- and nanorobots in Newtonian and biological viscoelastic fluids In Microbiorobotics, pages: 133 - 162, 8, Micro and Nano Technologies, Second edition, Elsevier, Boston, March 2017 (incollection)

link (url) DOI [BibTex]

Biohybrid microtube swimmers driven by single captured bacteria

Stanton, M. M., Park, B., Miguel-López, A., Ma, X., Sitti, M., Sánchez, S.

Small, 13(19), March 2017 (article)

Abstract

Bacteria biohybrids employ the motility and power of swimming bacteria to carry and maneuver microscale particles. They have the potential to perform microdrug and cargo delivery in vivo, but have been limited by poor design, reduced swimming capabilities, and impeded functionality. To address these challenge, motile Escherichia coli are captured inside electropolymerized microtubes, exhibiting the first report of a bacteria microswimmer that does not utilize a spherical particle chassis. Single bacterium becomes partially trapped within the tube and becomes a bioengine to push the microtube though biological media. Microtubes are modified with “smart” material properties for motion control, including a bacteria-attractant polydopamine inner layer, addition of magnetic components for external guidance, and a biochemical kill trigger to cease bacterium swimming on demand. Swimming dynamics of the bacteria biohybrid are quantified by comparing “length of protrusion” of bacteria from the microtubes with respect to changes in angular autocorrelation and swimmer mean squared displacement. The multifunctional microtubular swimmers present a new generation of biocompatible micromotors toward future microbiorobots and minimally invasive medical applications.

DOI Project Page [BibTex]

pi Stanton, M. M., Park, B., Miguel-López, A., Ma, X., Sitti, M., Sánchez, S. Biohybrid microtube swimmers driven by single captured bacteria Small, 13(19), March 2017 (article)

DOI Project Page [BibTex]

Pre-Movement Contralateral EEG Low Beta Power Is Modulated with Motor Adaptation Learning

Ozdenizci, O., Yalcin, M., Erdogan, A., Patoglu, V., Grosse-Wentrup, M., Cetin, M.

International Conference on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing (ICASSP), pages: 934-938, March 2017 (conference)

DOI [BibTex]

ei Ozdenizci, O., Yalcin, M., Erdogan, A., Patoglu, V., Grosse-Wentrup, M., Cetin, M. Pre-Movement Contralateral EEG Low Beta Power Is Modulated with Motor Adaptation Learning International Conference on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing (ICASSP), pages: 934-938, March 2017 (conference)

DOI [BibTex]

Probabilistic Movement Primitives for Coordination of Multiple Human-Robot Collaborative Tasks

Maeda, G., Neumann, G., Ewerton, M., Lioutikov, R., Kroemer, O., Peters, J.

Autonomous Robots, 41(3):593-612, March 2017 (article)

DOI Project Page [BibTex]

ei Maeda, G., Neumann, G., Ewerton, M., Lioutikov, R., Kroemer, O., Peters, J. Probabilistic Movement Primitives for Coordination of Multiple Human-Robot Collaborative Tasks Autonomous Robots, 41(3):593-612, March 2017 (article)

DOI Project Page [BibTex]

Hand-Clapping Games with a Baxter Robot

Fitter, N. T., Kuchenbecker, K. J.

Hands-on demonstration presented at ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI), Vienna, Austria, March 2017 (misc)

Abstract

Robots that work alongside humans might be more effective if they could forge a strong social bond with their human partners. Hand-clapping games and other forms of rhythmic social-physical interaction may foster human-robot teamwork, but the design of such interactions has scarcely been explored. At the HRI 2017 conference, we will showcase several such interactions taken from our recent work with the Rethink Robotics Baxter Research Robot, including tempo-matching, Simon says, and Pat-a-cake-like games. We believe conference attendees will be both entertained and intrigued by this novel demonstration of social-physical HRI.

Project Page [BibTex]

hi Fitter, N. T., Kuchenbecker, K. J. Hand-Clapping Games with a Baxter Robot Hands-on demonstration presented at ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI), Vienna, Austria, March 2017 (misc)

Project Page [BibTex]

Automatic OSATS Rating of Trainee Skill at a Pediatric Laparoscopic Suturing Task

Oquendo, Y. A., Riddle, E. W., Hiller, D., Blinman, T. A., Kuchenbecker, K. J.

Surgical Endoscopy, 31(Supplement 1):S28, Extended abstract presented as a podium presentation at the Annual Meeting of the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES), Springer, Houston, USA, March 2017 (misc)

Abstract

Introduction: Minimally invasive surgery has revolutionized surgical practice, but challenges remain. Trainees must acquire complex technical skills while minimizing patient risk, and surgeons must maintain their skills for rare procedures. These challenges are magnified in pediatric surgery due to the smaller spaces, finer tissue, and relative dearth of both inanimate and virtual simulators. To build technical expertise, trainees need opportunities for deliberate practice with specific performance feedback, which is typically provided via tedious human grading. This study aimed to validate a novel motion-tracking system and machine learning algorithm for automatically evaluating trainee performance on a pediatric laparoscopic suturing task using a 1–5 OSATS Overall Skill rating. Methods: Subjects (n=14) ranging from medical students to fellows per- formed one or two trials of an intracorporeal suturing task in a custom pediatric laparoscopy training box (Fig. 1) after watching a video of ideal performance by an expert. The position and orientation of the tools and endoscope were recorded over time using Ascension trakSTAR magnetic motion-tracking sensors, and both instrument grasp angles were recorded over time using flex sensors on the handles. The 27 trials were video-recorded and scored on the OSATS scale by a senior fellow; ratings ranged from 1 to 4. The raw motion data from each trial was processed to calculate over 200 preliminary motion parameters. Regularized least-squares regression (LASSO) was used to identify the most predictive parameters for inclusion in a regression tree. Model performance was evaluated by leave-one-subject-out cross validation, wherein the automatic scores given to each subject’s trials (by a model trained on all other data) are compared to the corresponding human rater scores. Results: The best-performing LASSO algorithm identified 14 predictive parameters for inclusion in the regression tree, including completion time, linear path length, angular path length, angular acceleration, grasp velocity, and grasp acceleration. The final model’s raw output showed a strong positive correlation of 0.87 with the reviewer-generated scores, and rounding the output to the nearest integer yielded a leave-one-subject-out cross-validation accuracy of 77.8%. Results are summarized in the confusion matrix (Table 1). Conclusions: Our novel motion-tracking system and regression model automatically gave previously unseen trials overall skill scores that closely match scores from an expert human rater. With additional data and further development, this system may enable creation of a motion-based training platform for pediatric laparoscopic surgery and could yield insights into the fundamental components of surgical skill.

[BibTex]

hi Oquendo, Y. A., Riddle, E. W., Hiller, D., Blinman, T. A., Kuchenbecker, K. J. Automatic OSATS Rating of Trainee Skill at a Pediatric Laparoscopic Suturing Task Surgical Endoscopy, 31(Supplement 1):S28, Extended abstract presented as a podium presentation at the Annual Meeting of the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES), Springer, Houston, USA, March 2017 (misc)

[BibTex]

Automatic detection of motion artifacts in MR images using CNNs

Meding, K., Loktyushin, A., Hirsch, M.

42nd IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing (ICASSP), pages: 811-815, March 2017 (conference)

DOI [BibTex]

ei Meding, K., Loktyushin, A., Hirsch, M. Automatic detection of motion artifacts in MR images using CNNs 42nd IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing (ICASSP), pages: 811-815, March 2017 (conference)

DOI [BibTex]

Wireless micro-robots for endoscopic applications in urology

Adams, F., Qiu, T., Mark, A. G., Melde, K., Palagi, S., Miernik, A., Fischer, P.

In Eur Urol Suppl, 16(3):e1914, March 2017 (inproceedings)

Abstract

Endoscopy is an essential and common method for both diagnostics and therapy in Urology. Current flexible endoscope is normally cable-driven, thus it is hard to be miniaturized and its reachability is restricted as only one bending section near the tip with one degree of freedom (DoF) is allowed. Recent progresses in micro-robotics offer a unique opportunity for medical inspections in minimally invasive surgery. Micro-robots are active devices that has a feature size smaller than one millimeter and can normally be actuated and controlled wirelessly. Magnetically actuated micro-robots have been demonstrated to propel through biological fluids.Here, we report a novel micro robotic arm, which is actuated wirelessly by ultrasound. It works as a miniaturized endoscope with a side length of ~1 mm, which fits through the 3 Fr. tool channel of a cystoscope, and successfully performs an active cystoscopy in a rabbit bladder.

link (url) DOI [BibTex]

pf Adams, F., Qiu, T., Mark, A. G., Melde, K., Palagi, S., Miernik, A., Fischer, P. Wireless micro-robots for endoscopic applications in urology In Eur Urol Suppl, 16(3):e1914, March 2017 (inproceedings)

link (url) DOI [BibTex]

How Much Haptic Surface Data is Enough?

Burka, A., Kuchenbecker, K. J.

Workshop paper (5 pages) presented at the AAAI Spring Symposium on Interactive Multi-Sensory Object Perception for Embodied Agents, Stanford, USA, March 2017 (misc)

Abstract

The Proton Pack is a portable visuo-haptic surface interaction recording device that will be used to collect a vast multimodal dataset, intended for robots to use as part of an approach to understanding the world around them. In order to collect a useful dataset, we want to pick a suitable interaction duration for each surface, noting the tradeoff between data collection resources and completeness of data. One interesting approach frames the data collection process as an online learning problem, building an incremental surface model and using that model to decide when there is enough data. Here we examine how to do such online surface modeling and when to stop collecting data, using kinetic friction as a first domain in which to apply online modeling.

link (url) Project Page [BibTex]

hi Burka, A., Kuchenbecker, K. J. How Much Haptic Surface Data is Enough? Workshop paper (5 pages) presented at the AAAI Spring Symposium on Interactive Multi-Sensory Object Perception for Embodied Agents, Stanford, USA, March 2017 (misc)

link (url) Project Page [BibTex]

Bioinspired tactile sensor for surface roughness discrimination

Yi, Z., Zhang, Y., Peters, J.

Sensors and Actuators A: Physical, 255, pages: 46-53, March 2017 (article)

DOI Project Page [BibTex]

ei Yi, Z., Zhang, Y., Peters, J. Bioinspired tactile sensor for surface roughness discrimination Sensors and Actuators A: Physical, 255, pages: 46-53, March 2017 (article)

DOI Project Page [BibTex]

Catching heuristics are optimal control policies

Belousov, B., Neumann, G., Rothkopf, C., Peters, J.

Proceedings of the Thirteenth Karniel Computational Motor Control Workshop, March 2017 (conference)

link (url) [BibTex]

ei Belousov, B., Neumann, G., Rothkopf, C., Peters, J. Catching heuristics are optimal control policies Proceedings of the Thirteenth Karniel Computational Motor Control Workshop, March 2017 (conference)

link (url) [BibTex]

Sticky Solution Provides Grip for the First Robotic Pollinator

Amador, G. J., Hu, D. L.

Chem, 2(2):162 - 164, Febuary 2017 (article)

Abstract

Bees, move over. A lily has been pollinated by a remote-controlled flying robot. The robot is hairy, just like a real bee, and sticks to pollen by virtue of an ionic liquid gel, whose fabrication is discussed by Svetlana Chechetka et al. in this issue of Chem.

link (url) DOI [BibTex]

pi Amador, G. J., Hu, D. L. Sticky Solution Provides Grip for the First Robotic Pollinator Chem, 2(2):162 - 164, Febuary 2017 (article)

link (url) DOI [BibTex]

The use of clamping grips and friction pads by tree frogs for climbing curved surfaces

Endlein, T., Ji, A., Yuan, S., Hill, I., Wang, H., Barnes, W. J. P., Dai, Z., Sitti, M.

In Proc. R. Soc. B, 284(1849):20162867, Febuary 2017 (inproceedings)

Abstract

Most studies on the adhesive mechanisms of climbing animals have addressed attachment against flat surfaces, yet many animals can climb highly curved surfaces, like twigs and small branches. Here we investigated whether tree frogs use a clamping grip by recording the ground reaction forces on a cylindrical object with either a smooth or anti-adhesive, rough surface. Furthermore, we measured the contact area of fore and hindlimbs against differently sized transparent cylinders and the forces of individual pads and subarticular tubercles in restrained animals. Our study revealed that frogs use friction and normal forces of roughly a similar magnitude for holding on to cylindrical objects. When challenged with climbing a non-adhesive surface, the compressive forces between opposite legs nearly doubled, indicating a stronger clamping grip. In contrast to climbing flat surfaces, frogs increased the contact area on all limbs by engaging not just adhesive pads but also subarticular tubercles on curved surfaces. Our force measurements showed that tubercles can withstand larger shear stresses than pads. SEM images of tubercles revealed a similar structure to that of toe pads including the presence of nanopillars, though channels surrounding epithelial cells were less pronounced. The tubercles' smaller size, proximal location on the toes and shallow cells make them probably less prone to buckling and thus ideal for gripping curved surfaces.

DOI [BibTex]

pi Endlein, T., Ji, A., Yuan, S., Hill, I., Wang, H., Barnes, W. J. P., Dai, Z., Sitti, M. The use of clamping grips and friction pads by tree frogs for climbing curved surfaces In Proc. R. Soc. B, 284(1849):20162867, Febuary 2017 (inproceedings)

DOI [BibTex]

Pattern formation and collective effects in populations of magnetic microswimmers

Vach, P. J., (Walker) Schamel, D., Fischer, P., Fratzl, P., Faivre, D.

J. of Phys. D: Appl. Phys., 50(11):11LT03, Febuary 2017 (article)

Abstract

Self-propelled particles are one prototype of synthetic active matter used to understand complex biological processes, such as the coordination of movement in bacterial colonies or schools of fishes. Collective patterns such as clusters were observed for such systems, reproducing features of biological organization. However, one limitation of this model is that the synthetic assemblies are made of identical individuals. Here we introduce an active system based on magnetic particles at colloidal scales. We use identical but also randomly-shaped magnetic micropropellers and show that they exhibit dynamic and reversible pattern formation.

DOI [BibTex]

pf Vach, P. J., (Walker) Schamel, D., Fischer, P., Fratzl, P., Faivre, D. Pattern formation and collective effects in populations of magnetic microswimmers J. of Phys. D: Appl. Phys., 50(11):11LT03, Febuary 2017 (article)

DOI [BibTex]

Spinal joint compliance and actuation in a simulated bounding quadruped robot

Pouya, S., Khodabakhsh, M., Sproewitz, A., Ijspeert, A.

{Autonomous Robots}, pages: 437–452, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Springer, Dordrecht, New York, NY, Febuary 2017 (article)

dlg

link (url) DOI Project Page [BibTex]

dlg Pouya, S., Khodabakhsh, M., Sproewitz, A., Ijspeert, A. Spinal joint compliance and actuation in a simulated bounding quadruped robot {Autonomous Robots}, pages: 437–452, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Springer, Dordrecht, New York, NY, Febuary 2017 (article)

link (url) DOI Project Page [BibTex]

On-chip enzymatic microbiofuel cell-powered integrated circuits

Mark, A. G., Suraniti, E., Roche, J., Richter, H., Kuhn, A., Mano, N., Fischer, P.

Lab on a Chip, 17(10):1761-1768, Febuary 2017, Recent HOT Article (article)

Abstract

A variety of diagnostic and therapeutic medical technologies rely on long term implantation of an electronic device to monitor or regulate a patient's condition. One proposed approach to powering these devices is to use a biofuel cell to convert the chemical energy from blood nutrients into electrical current to supply the electronics. We present here an enzymatic microbiofuel cell whose electrodes are directly integrated into a digital electronic circuit. Glucose oxidizing and oxygen reducing enzymes are immobilized on microelectrodes of an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) using redox hydrogels to produce an enzymatic biofuel cell, capable of harvesting electrical power from just a single droplet of 5 mM glucose solution. Optimisation of the fuel cell voltage and power to match the requirements of the electronics allow self-powered operation of the on-board digital circuitry. This study represents a step towards implantable self-powered electronic devices that gather their energy from physiological fluids.

Recent HOT Article.

DOI [BibTex]

pf Mark, A. G., Suraniti, E., Roche, J., Richter, H., Kuhn, A., Mano, N., Fischer, P. On-chip enzymatic microbiofuel cell-powered integrated circuits Lab on a Chip, 17(10):1761-1768, Febuary 2017, Recent HOT Article (article)

DOI [BibTex]

DiSMEC – Distributed Sparse Machines for Extreme Multi-label Classification

Babbar, R., Schölkopf, B.

Proceedings of the Tenth ACM International Conference on Web Search and Data Mining (WSDM), pages: 721-729, Febuary 2017 (conference)

DOI Project Page [BibTex]

ei Babbar, R., Schölkopf, B. DiSMEC – Distributed Sparse Machines for Extreme Multi-label Classification Proceedings of the Tenth ACM International Conference on Web Search and Data Mining (WSDM), pages: 721-729, Febuary 2017 (conference)

DOI Project Page [BibTex]

Policy Search with High-Dimensional Context Variables

Tangkaratt, V., van Hoof, H., Parisi, S., Neumann, G., Peters, J., Sugiyama, M.

Proceedings of the Thirty-First AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence (AAAI), pages: 2632-2638, (Editors: Satinder P. Singh and Shaul Markovitch), AAAI Press, Febuary 2017 (conference)

link (url) Project Page [BibTex]

ei Tangkaratt, V., van Hoof, H., Parisi, S., Neumann, G., Peters, J., Sugiyama, M. Policy Search with High-Dimensional Context Variables Proceedings of the Thirty-First AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence (AAAI), pages: 2632-2638, (Editors: Satinder P. Singh and Shaul Markovitch), AAAI Press, Febuary 2017 (conference)

link (url) Project Page [BibTex]

Strong Rotational Anisotropies Affect Nonlinear Chiral Metamaterials

Hooper, D. C., Mark, A. G., Kuppe, C., Collins, J. T., Fischer, P., Valev, V. K.

Advanced Materials, 29(13):1605110, January 2017 (article)

Abstract

Masked by rotational anisotropies, the nonlinear chiroptical response of a metamaterial is initially completely inaccessible. Upon rotating the sample the chiral information emerges. These results highlight the need for a general method to extract the true chiral contributions to the nonlinear optical signal, which would be hugely valuable in the present context of increasingly complex chiral meta/nanomaterials.

DOI [BibTex]

pf Hooper, D. C., Mark, A. G., Kuppe, C., Collins, J. T., Fischer, P., Valev, V. K. Strong Rotational Anisotropies Affect Nonlinear Chiral Metamaterials Advanced Materials, 29(13):1605110, January 2017 (article)

DOI [BibTex]

Rubbing Against Blood Clots Using Helical Robots: Modeling and In Vitro Experimental Validation

Khalil, I. S., Tabak, A. F., Sadek, K., Mahdy, D., Hamdi, N., Sitti, M.

IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, 2(2):927-934, IEEE, January 2017 (article)

Abstract

The risk of side effects from thrombolytic agents can be minimized by using smaller doses, assisted by mechanical rubbing against blood clots using helical robots. Quantifying this observation, we study the influence of rubbing against clots on their removal rate in vitro. First, we present a hydrodynamic model of the helical robot based on the resistive-force theory to investigate the rubbing behavior of the clots using robot driven by two rotating dipole fields. Second, we experimentally evaluate the influence of the rubbing on the removal rate of the blood clots. Not only do we find that the removal rate of mechanical rubbing (-0.56 ± 0.27 mm3 /min) is approximately three times greater than the dissolution rate of chemical lysis using streptokinase (-0.17 ± 0.032 mm3/min), but we also show that this removal rate can be controlled via the rubbing speed of the robot.

DOI [BibTex]

pi Khalil, I. S., Tabak, A. F., Sadek, K., Mahdy, D., Hamdi, N., Sitti, M. Rubbing Against Blood Clots Using Helical Robots: Modeling and In Vitro Experimental Validation IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, 2(2):927-934, IEEE, January 2017 (article)

DOI [BibTex]

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