Cobalt hydroxide nanoflakes and their application as supercapacitors and oxygen evolution catalysts.

Finding alternative routes to access and store energy has become a major issue recently. Transition metal oxides have shown promising behaviour as catalysts and supercapacitors. Recently, liquid exfoliation of bulk metal oxides appears to be an effective route which provides access to two-dimensional (2D) nano-flakes, the size of which can be easily selected. These 2D materials exhibit excellent electrochemical charge storage and catalytic activity for the oxygen evolution reaction. In this study, various sized selected cobalt hydroxide nano-flake materials are fabricated by this time efficient and highly reproducible process. Subsquently, the electrochemical properties of the standard size Co(OH)2 nanoflakes were investigated. The oxide modified electrodes were prepared by spraying the metal oxide flake suspension onto a porous conductive support electrode foam, either glassy carbon or nickel. The cobalt hydroxide/nickel foam system was found to have an overpotential value at 10 mA cm-2 in 1 M NaOH as low as 280 mV and an associated redox capacitance exhibiting numerical values up to 1500 F g-1, thereby making it a viable dual use electrode.

Sensorized waste collection container for content estimation and collection optimization.

The concurrent effects of a fast national growth rate, of a large and dense residential area and a pressing demand for urban environmental protection create a challenging framework for waste management in Pudong New Area, Shanghai. The complexity of context and procedures is indeed a primary concern of local municipal authorities due to problems related to the collection, transportation and processing of residential solid waste. In order to design and implement a suitable urban solid waste system, the first task is to forecast the quantity and variance of solid waste as it relates to residential population, consumer index, season, etc. The system here discussed addresses exactly these issues, by means of an intelligent, sensorized container. The container has been prepared and tested in the Pudong New Area, Shanghai.

[Robotics serving the elderly and the handicapped]. / La robotica in ausilio dell'anziano e del disabile.

Recent data collected by the Japanese government confirm that our society is destined to become a high elderly dominated society. Forecasts show that by 2010 approximately 21% of the population in countries such as France, USA and Japan will be over 65 years old. It is therefore becoming increasingly urgent to solve the problem of integration for the elderly and disable within the socioeconomic structure. The authors tackle the question of how service robots may be applied to resolve this problem. This paper presents a rapid overview of the most recent applications of robotics to the field of services for the elderly and disabled, paying particular attention to research carried out at the Laboratory of Robotics, Department of Mechanics of Milan Politecnico by Prof. S. Rovetta.

VREPAR projects: the use of virtual environments in psycho-neuro-physiological assessment and rehabilitation.

Due, in large part, to the significant advances in PC hardware that have been made over the last 3 years, PC-based virtual environments are approaching reality. Virtual Reality Environments for Psychoneurophysiological Assessment and Rehabilitation (VREPAR) are two European Community funded projects (Telematics for health-HC 1053/HC 1055, http:// www.psicologia.net) that are trying to develop a PC-based virtual reality system (PC-VRS) for the medical market that can be marketed at a price that is accessible to its possible endusers (hospitals, universities, and research centres) and that would have the modular, connectability, and interoperability characteristics that the existing systems lack. In particular, the projects are developing three hardware/software modules for the application of the PCVRS in psycho-neuro-physiological assessment and rehabilitation. The chosen development areas are eating disorders (bulimia, anorexia, and obesity), movement disorders (Parkinson's disease and torsion dystonia) and stroke disorders (unilateral neglect and hemiparesis). This article describes the rationale of the modules and the preliminary results obtained.

The use of PC based VR in clinical medicine: the VREPAR projects.

Virtual reality (VR) is an emerging technology that alters the way individuals interact with computers: a 3D computer-generated environment in which a person can move about and interact as if he actually was inside it. Given to the high computational power required to create virtual environments, these are usually developed on expensive high-end workstations. However, the significant advances in PC hardware that have been made over the last three years, are making PC-based VR a possible solution for clinical assessment and therapy. VREPAR - Virtual Reality Environments for Psychoneurophysiological Assessment and Rehabilitation - are two European Community funded projects (Telematics for health - HC 1053/HC 1055 - http://www.psicologia.net) that are trying to develop a modular PC-based virtual reality system for the medical market. The paper describes the rationale of the developed modules and the preliminary results obtained.

Protocols for clinical tests on Parkinson disease affected persons and comparison with healthy people with a quantitative method of a new system Daphne.

This paper deals with Daphne, a portable equipment for the evaluation of the state of health in Parkinson disease. The protocols have been developed, according to the design, to the characteristics, to the performances of the system. Tests on patients and healthy persons are presented, as application of protocols.

Computer assisted surgery with 3D robot models and visualisation of the telesurgical action.

This paper deals with the support of virtual reality computer action in the procedures of surgical robotics. Computer support gives a direct representation of the surgical theatre. The modelization of the procedure in course and in development gives a psychological reaction towards safety and reliability. Robots similar to the ones used by the manufacturing industry can be used with little modification as very effective surgical tools. They have high precision, repeatability and are versatile in integrating with the medical instrumentation. Now integrated surgical rooms, with computer and robot-assisted intervention, are operating. The computer is the element for a decision taking aid, and the robot works as a very effective tool.

Tests on reliability of a prostate biopsy telerobotic system.

This paper deals with the development of a robotic (mechanical-electronic) system that operates in the field of surgery, with new sensors and equipment ("Biopsy Program"). The system permits a rapid analysis of the mechanical needle + needle-holder + mechanism system for penetration and aspiration for surgery, for prostate biopsies. These operations benefit from the use of a SR 8438 Sankyo Scara robot; they are also remote-controlled, i.e. via telerobotics. They require accurate positioning in known points of three-dimensional space with a high degree of precision. The safety of the surgical operations is guaranteed by the most complete observance of regulations under European Union Directives and Decrees 626 and 242 of Italian laws. The system proposed represents a big step for the application of industrial solutions, precisely for industrial companies in the medical and surgical field.

A new project for rehabilitation and psychomotor disease analysis with virtual reality support.

This paper deals with the project DD1-97, developed inside European Project VREPAR, for the application of a new equipment for psychomotor disease analysis and rehabilitation. The small equipment presents a glove for one finger, with sensors, which detect the movement of the phalanges and the force of the finger tip on a button. Electromyographs are measuring the nervous signals from flexion and extension muscles of the finger. In a portable computer a program examines the signals and elaborates them. The commands for the patient are of 4 kinds: -dynamic motion of the finger; -motion with vision of the finger; -motion without vision of the finger; -control by the images from virtual reality which reproduces the "virtual finger". The results with healthy persons show a distribution in the foreseen range; with disabled person (with Parkinson's disease) show that virtual reality may support rehabilitation for neuromotor problems. The equipment is designed with reference to the most modern ergonomic concepts.

A new portable equipment for detection of psychophysical conditions.

This paper deals with the Disease Detector (DDX) that is a virtual reality control system for detection of Parkinson disease. The control system consists of a small board with an internal fuzzy micro controller capable of acquiring, through the joystick, the well known three basic parameters (reaction, speed and force) in order to detect the state of health and perform them by fuzzy rules. The resulting output can be visualized through a display or transmitted by a communication interface.

Virtual reality in the assessment of neuromotor diseases: measurement of time response in real and virtual environments.

This paper deals with the design and the development of an equipment, called DDI, as acronym for Disease Detector, developed for the quantitative analysis of neuromotor diseases. It measures the reaction of a person evaluating in the motion of one finger of the hand the time response, the velocity of phalanxes, the force exerted from the finger against a button. The condition of motion are ballistic motion, controlled motion guided by vision, controlled motion without vision, motion with a virtual reality modelization on the computer screen. The system performs also the requirements for medical applications and with its portability and accordance to European normative for safety and quality, represents a new step towards the possibility of quantitative analysis of the performances of the human hand both of mechanical phenomenon and electromyographic of neuromotor diseases, which provoke a decrease in upper and lower limbs action.

Telerobotic surgery: applications on human patients and training with virtual reality.

This paper deals with the developed researches and applications on telerobotic surgery, devoted to human patients and with training by virtual reality. The researches have been developed in cooperation between Telerobotics Laboratory, Department of Mechanics, Politecnico di Milano, Italy, and Automation and Control Section, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, USA. The researches carried to a telesurgery robotic operation on a dummy on 7th July 1993, by means of satellites communications, to a prostatic biopsy on a human patient on 1st September 1995 with optical fibers, to results on time delay effects, to results on virtual reality applications for training on laparoscopy and surgery. The search implied time delay when the control input originated in Politecnico di Milano, Italy. The results were satisfactory, but also pointed out the need for specific new control transformations to ease the operator's or surgeon's visual/mental workload for hand-eye coordination. In the same research, dummy force commands from JPL to Milan were sent, and were echoed immediately back to JPL, measuring the round-trip time of the command signal. This, to some degree, simulates a contact force feedback situation. The results were very surprising; despite the fact that the ISDN calls are closed and "private" calls, the round-trip time exhibited great variations not only between calls but also within the same call. The results proved that telerobotics and telecontrol may be applied to surgery. Time latency variations are caused by features of communication network, of sending and receiving end computer software. The problem and its solution is also an architectural issue, and considerable improvements are possible. Virtual reality in the application of the research is a strong support to training on virtual objects and not on living beings.

First clinical trials for neuromotor analysis.

This paper deals with a first test model of DAPHNE system, called DDX, which may measure the reaction time, the velocity of a finger, the force exerted on a button, the tremor of the person, and also the time delay on pronouncing a word which appears in the screen of the display. The system is made by a button and a spring, with sensors which detect all the parameters. Tests on healthy and unhealthy people have been performed to check the validity of the instrument and the possibility to use the results in diagnosis and in therapy.

Telehealth in Africa.

This paper deals with the developments of the project "Telehealth in Africa", to establish a link between more European reference Hospital Centers and some African Hospital Centers, connected with Peripheral Units of Assistance, to transmit and receive health diagnostic images, etc. The project has been developed by the European Collaboration Group for Telemedicine in developing countries which was created in collaboration with ITU (International Telecommunication Union). A demonstration of telehealth from Milan (Italy), Toulouse (France), to Abidjan (Ivory Coast, Africa) and Midrand (South Africa) proves that it is possible for a diverse group of intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations and the private sector to work together for the benefit of all participants and, most of all, for developing countries.

Demonstration of surgical telerobotics and virtual telepresence by Internet + ISDN from Monterey (USA) to Milan (Italy).

This paper deals with the connection which has been held on 8th July 1997 in collaboration with the JPL of the NASA, Pasadena, California, between the Eighth International Conference on the Advanced Robotics (ICAR '97) in course at Monterey, California and the Telerobotics Laboratory of Politecnico di Milano connected in a multipoint teleconference through the MCU of Rome with the Aula Magna of the same Politecnico and the Palace Business of the Giureconsulti of the Chamber of Commerce of Milan. The demonstration has allowed to telecontrol a scara robot of the Sankyo and an ABB robot, which have affected simulations of operations of biopsy to the prostate, to the liver and to the breast, a mechanical hand and a model of a car, disposed in a space destined to reproduce the Martian ground, from Monterey to Milan by means of the INTERNET+ISDN connection from. In fact the event has taken place four days after the landing on Mars happily successful of the spatial probe Pathfinder from which it has gone out the "Sojourner" robot, telecontrolled from the JPL of the NASA, which has begun to take photos of the Martian ground and also some of these images have been transmitted in the course of the connection.

Virtual reality environments for psycho-neuro-physiological assessment and rehabilitation.

Virtual Reality Environments for Psychoneurophysiological Assessment and Rehabilitation-is an European Community funded project (Telematics for health-HC 1053 http:/(/)www.etho.be/ht_projects/vrepar/) whose aim is: to develop a PC based virtual reality system (PC-VRS) for the medical market that can be marketed at a price which is accessible to its possible end-users (hospitals, universities and research centres) and which would have the modular, connectability and interoperability characteristics that the existing systems lack; to develop three hardware/software modules for the application of the PC VRS in psychoneurophysiological assessment and rehabilitation. The chosen development areas are eating disorders (bulimia, anorexia and obesity), movement disorders (Parkinson's disease and torsion dystonia) and stroke disorders (unilateral neglect and hemiparesis). This paper presents the rationale of the different approaches and the methodology used.