A systematic approach is presented to achieve the stable grasping of objects through a two-finger robotic hand, in which each finger cavity was filled with granular media. The compaction of the latter, controlled by vacuum pressure, was used to adjust the structural and contact stiffness of the finger. The grasping stability was studied under the concurrent effect of an external torque and applied vacuum pressure. Stable grasping was defined as the no slippage condition between the grasped object and the two fingers. Three control schemes were adopted and applied experimentally to ensure the effectiveness of the grasping process. The results showed that stable and unstable grasping regions exist for each combination of applied torque and vacuum pressure. The two-finger robotic hands can be further improved for applications that require high load-carrying capabilities.

Fire incidences are classed as catastrophic events, which mean that persons may experience mental distress and trauma. The development of a robotic vehicle specifically designed for fire extinguishing purposes has significant implications, as it not only addresses the issue of fire but also aims to safeguard human lives and minimize the extent of damage caused by indoor fire occurrences. The primary goal of the AFRC is to undergo a metamorphosis, allowing it to operate autonomously as a specialized support vehicle designed exclusively for the task of identifying and extinguishing fires. Researchers have undertaken the tasks of constructing an autonomous vehicle with robotic capabilities, devising a universal algorithm to be employed in the robotic firefighting process, and designing a fuzzy controller algorithm that can be used in all expected scenarios. The use of a fuzzy logic algorithm in this design demonstrates the usefulness of this system, all factors are involved in which cases are previously identified and taught, as well as the overall map of the premises have been uploaded so that the system can identify the exact place of the fire source, and two types of fire have also been examined. When the performance of the foam pump, water pump, and robotic car motors is compared to the data from the flam sensor, temperature sensor and GPS data, it demonstrates a high responsiveness in terms of applying the appropriate approach based on the type of fire due to the probable action for which the system has been trained. This will have the benefit of shortening the required process for fire extinguishment and using the appropriate fire extinguishing tools. This technology may be used to put out flames, deploy in different areas, and handle a variety of fire scenarios inside buildings

In this paper, fundamental theories in developing piezoresistive pressure sensor will be discussed and our work on designing a foot plantar measurement system as the application will be explained. The mathematical equations and design procedures will be elaborate while the practical application will be investigate, experimented and analyzed. Simulation results from design theory will also be included and finally the conclusion of the proposed piezoresistive pressure sensor will be discussed.

Doctors and clinicians rely on accurate underfoot pressure data to perform diagnosis of foot diseases. In sole pressure measurement systems are designed to provide such data but its implementation suffers from certain constraints such as the need for a spacer to be placed on the sensor when taking measurements and the need for multiple calibrations due to the fact that the sensor parameters tend to change without it. In this work, we proposed an optimization technique to address these limitations. The results obtained from testing indicate that the proposed device performed measurement of plantar pressure effectively. Also, the calculation of body weight using the proposed optimization technique is improved from 5.07% to 9.06%. For validation, the results are compared with the measurements from a commercial plantar pressure device (EMED system) as benchmark.

Despite a sufficient energy supply, harvesting energy from rainfall is essential for intelligent water management. A significant part is still untapped or little exploited, which is the renewable energy produced from rainwater. This paper proposes a portable gutter of the rainwater energy harvesting system to provide electricity that may be sufficient for powering lights and charging cell phones in rainy locations with limited electricity. A prototype is designed and tested to determine the feasibility of rainwater as a source of renewable energy. The aim is to minimize and respectively suspend the use of fossil energy sources, as well as decrease the percentage of pollution as it is a cause of global warming. The system prototype consisted of a gutter assembly that collected and funneled water from the roof to a downspout. The turbine was connected through a gearbox to a DC motor serving as the generator. The device is optimal during high rainfall intensities that produce larger flow rates. A smart algorithm has been applied, which is salutary to keep the system working and has the ability to control the flow of collected rainfall water. Also, this system is useful to install and use in the rural area where the national grids are not common and the level of rainfall is high. The applied system utilized and installed in more than one hundred premises can produce more than 4 kWh for one rain. In some countries such as Malaysia, the average number of rainy days is 250 days a year, so the use of this system in 100 premises can help to provide 80 MWh to the national grid yearly. The system is characterized by simplicity of design and lack of complexity in addition to ease of installation and cheapness, which is the basis for the availability of this system for use by everyone