Gurvinder S. Virk

Neuro-fuzzy-based solar cell model

This work describes a hybrid soft-computing modeling technique that facilitates the modeling of newly installed solar cells, or solar cells with few historical measured data, over a range of expected operating conditions. The technique uses neuro-fuzzy models to predict solar cell short-circuit current and open-circuit voltage, followed by coordinate translation of a measured current-voltage response. The model can be extended beyond the bounds of measured data by incorporating a priori knowledge derived from theory and manufacturers data. The solar cell model is developed and validated against measured data. The model requires fewer data than pure neural network models, and matches measured data more accurately than conventional solar cell models.

Soft-Computing Model-Based Controllers for Increased Photovoltaic Plant Efficiencies

Improved solar cell models and control methods using synergies of soft-computing techniques are used to demonstrate increased energy efficiencies of photovoltaic (PV) power plants connected to the electricity grid via space-vector-modulated three-phase inverters. The models and control strategies are combined to form two new model-based controllers that are more accurate and resilient than existing solutions resulting in increased power production. A radial-basis-function-network (RBFN) model with a neuro-fuzzy regulator applied to a plant well characterized by the conventional solar cell model provided an estimated 1.5% increase in power production over an existing conventional model proportional integral (PI)-regulator combination. A neuro-fuzzy model with a neuro-fuzzy controller applied to a plant poorly characterized by the conventional solar cell model gave an 8.6% increase in power. An analysis of the net contributions to the increased efficiencies shows that the improved models had the most effect on power gains.

Design and Characterization of Solar-Assisted Heating Plant in Domestic Houses

This paper deals with the development and characterization of an innovative domestic heating system that is driven by a solar-assisted heat pump to increase system efficiency. A suitable online measurement system of overall observable quantities has been integrated in the plant to give accurate and updated measurements of all the variables that are of interest to the whole system. A more detailed analysis of the quantities that mainly influence system performance has been carried out, and a suitable mathematical model that is able to describe and control the behavior of the interesting phenomena has been developed. The amount of heating energy depends on the local weather conditions. In the thermal plant proposed here, there is a solar energy harvesting device; this kind of plant needs a highly sensitive control system because of the great sensitivity of solar-powered systems to climatic variations. The use of the proposed system allows monitoring and controlling of the heating conditions of domestic houses without high environmental impact and energy costs.

Lower-limb exoskeletons: Research trends and regulatory guidelines in medical and non-medical applications

With the recent progress in personal care robots, interest in wearable exoskeletons has been increasing due to the demand for assistive technologies generally and specifically to meet the concerns in the increasing ageing society. Despite this global trend, research focus has been on load augmentation for soldiers/workers, assisting trauma patients, paraplegics, spinal cord injured persons and for rehabilitation purposes. Barring the military-focused activities, most of the work to date has focused on medical applications. However, there is a need to shift attention towards the growing needs of elderly people, that is, by realizing assistive exoskeletons that can help them to stay independent and maintain a good quality of life. Therefore, the present article covers the rapidly evolving area of wearable exoskeletons in a holistic manner, for both medical and non-medical applications, so that relevant current developments and future issues can be addressed; this includes how the physical assistance/rehabilitation/compensation can be provided to supplement capabilities in a natural manner. Regulatory guidelines, important for realizing new markets for these emerging technologies, are also explored in this work. For these, emerging international safety requirements are presented for non-medical and medical exoskeleton applications, so that the central requirement of close human–robot interactions can be adequately addressed for the intended tasks to be carried out. An example case study on developing and commercializing wearable exoskeletons to help support living activities of healthy elderly persons is presented to highlight the main issues in non-medical mobility exoskeletons. This also paves the way for the potential future trends to use exoskeletons as physical assistant robots, as covered by the recently published safety standard ISO 13482, to help elderly people perform their activities of daily living.

Summary of recent standardization activities in the field of robotics

This paper summarizes the recent standardization activities in the field of robotics by ISO International Organization for Standardization, IEC International Electrotechnical Commission, OMG Object Management Group, and other organizations. While the standards in industrial robots have been mainly developed by ISO, the standards on the emerging service robots are initiated by many organizations. One of the goals of this paper is to coordinate the efforts among these groups so that more effective standardization activity can be executed. Standardization in the emerging service robots will eventually promote the proliferation of service robot markets in the near future.

Emerging directions in lower limb externally wearable robots for gait rehabilitation and augmentation : A review

Wearable Robots, including those connected externally over the Lower Limbs (LLEWRs) is a growing field of research and development that promises robotic systems to support and augment locomotor functions. The current State of the Art of such products can be seen as a first generation of devices that are limited in their applicability and functionality, but nevertheless demonstrated the large potential of a type of robot that can become a mainstream class of technology. This paper reviews the most important challenges and the emerging directions in research and development in relation to the formulated challenges, predominantly based on the European-Commission-funded research environment.The paper presents details of the AAL Call 4 EXO-LEGS project aimed at developing and testing lower body assistive exoskeletons to help elderly persons perform daily living activities independently ...

Exo-legs for elderly persons

The paper presents a research update on the AAL Call 4 EXO-LEGS project aimed at developing lower-body mobility exoskeletons to assist elderly persons to stay independent in their normal daily living activities for as long as possible. The important movement functionalities and key design issues to be included in the process are identified via specifically developed questionnaires and responses from a pan-European end user group set up as part of the project. The user requirements are used together with the recently published ISO safety requirements for personal care robots to perform targeted technical research in the areas of human gait analysis, modelling and simulation, mechanical engineering, embedded system design, and ergonomic user interfacing.

A World with Robots

Preface: The increasing deployment of robotic technology in many domains of human life will have a substantial impact on the economic, social and cultural tissues of our societies. Though one can already anticipate some of its huge benefits, it also urges us to try to reflect on its impact on fundamental instances of everyday life and also envisage to what extent essential societal values on which we have based our cultures and legal systems may be eventually affected.

Legal Issues for Mobile Servant Robots

This paper identifies key legal issues which are emerging for Mobile Servant Robots (MSRs), a sub-type of Personal Care Robots (PCR) defined in ISO 13482. New cases are likely to be introduced in the market soon even though appropriate and specific binding legal regulations regarding MSRs are missing and several questions need to be carefully considered. The main issues of concern are the need for a concrete and holistic definition of MSR, clarification on the confusion among new emerging ISO/IEC robot categories (especially between boundaries and gaps in machinery with medical device regulations), unclear liability scenarios (avoiding harm, prospective liability, butterfly effect), defining and regulating human-robot collaborations and relationships, ethical issues (mass surveillance, post-monitoring personal data), autonomy (from the robot but also from the user perspective), isolation scenarios, etc. Despite the recent technical advances, there is still a long way ahead and further research is needed to overcome a variety of associated legal and ethical issues which are emerging.

Design of EXO-LEGS exoskeletons

The paper describes the design details for realising the EXO-LEGS assistive exoskeletons for Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) applications based on modelling and simulation studies performed for key m ...