Mechatronics and Machine Vision in Practice '97

Conference Programme

8.30 Registration, early coffee

10.00 Opening and Welcome - Peter Swannell, Vice Chancellor USQ.

10.15 Mechatronic Education - chair Derek Wilson

Mechatronics - motion control for teaching and research, G R Dunlop, University of Canterbury, New Zealand
A novel experimental set up for Atlas II robot using Visual Basic, M H Korayem, A K Omoumi, Iran University of Science and Technology, Iran
Implementation of a PC based controller for a Puma robot, R Radajewski, J Katupitiya, M J Tordon, C J Sanderson, University of New South Wales, NSW Australia
An introductory course in mechatronics: robo-cricket, G Wyeth, University of Queensland, QLD Australia

11.30 - 11.50 Morning Coffee

A four year mechatronics degree programme, G G Rogers, Curtin University of Technology, W Australia

12.10 Control Theory - chair Thanh Tran-Cong

Computer control of machines with friction for precise motion, Z Li, C Cook, University of Wollongong, NSW Australia
An active vibration damping of a driver's seat for off-road vehicles, K Nevala, VTT Automation, Machine Automation, Finland

12.50 Lunch

2.00 Biological and Medical Applications - chair Chris Snook

A prototype skeleture mapper for automated abattoir application, D G Roberts, N H Hancock, J W Leis, University of Southern Queensland, QLD Australia
Research towards positional control and touch sense in endoscopy, R S W Stone, P N Brett, J Tritto, University of Bristol, UK
Research on innovative mechatronic tools amd systems for surgical procedures involving soft tissues, P N Brett, B Allotta, J Wahrburg, V Petridis, University of Bristol, UK
Automated micro-propagation of plant material, P J Sobey, B Harter, A Hinsch, I Shirmer, ForBio Robotics Pty Ltd, QLD Australia

3.15 Afternoon tea

3.35 Mechatronic sensor design - chair Peter Brett

Analysis of electric-fluid analogy of pressure transmission through an electro- rheological fluid in annuli, Y Tanaka, A Gofuku, K Nakmura, Okayama University, Japan
Sharpening directivity of ultrasonic range sensor using multiple transmitters by different amplitude and pulse width method, M Hiyama, T Emura, M Kumagai, Tohoku University, Japan
Carbon dioxide sensing - a mechatronic approach, A D Maxwell, N H Hancock, J Billingsley, University of Southern Queensland, QLD Australia
Intelligent compliance control to locate buried anti-personnel mine, A M Shahri, F Naghdy, University of Wollongong, NSW Australia
Development of a laser tracking system, C J Leigh-Lancaster, B Shrinzadeh, Y Koh MonashUniversity, VIC Australia

5.05 Close of session

7.00 Dinner - the Railway Station

9.00 Legged mobile robots - chair John Billingsley

Robbie the running robot: A distributed learning system, K Eng, A P Robertson, Monash University, VIC Australia
Obstacle avoidance by changing running path for an autonomous running vehicle applying visual servoing, A Gofuku, Y Tanaka, H Soda, I Nagai, Okayama University, Japan
Sensor-based walking of human type biped robot that has 14 degrees of freedom, M Kumagai, T Emura, Tohoku University, Japan
A tele-operated semi-intelligent climbing robot for nuclear applications, S Galt, B L Luk, D Cooke, A A Collie, University of Portsmouth, UK
Force, compliance and position control for a space frame manipulator, S N Cubero, J Billingsley, University of Southern Queensland, QLD Australia

10.30 Morning Coffee

11.00 Robots and applications - chair Nigel Hancock

Improv and Eyebot: real-time vision on-board mobile robots, T Braunl, University of Western Australia, WA Australia
Mechatronic wrist unit with fine positioning capabilities, B Shirinzadeh, W Lee, Monash University, VIC Australia
An underwater robot for pipe inspection, R Bradbeer, S Harrold, L F Yeung, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
An ultrasonically controlled autonomous model submarine operating in a pipe environment, F Nickols, R Bradbeer, S Harrold, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
An autonomous underwater platform, S O Harrold, D Z Liao, L F Yeung, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

12.30 Lunch

1.40 Sensor applications - chair Peter Brett

Experimental study on ultrasonic signal transmission within water-filled pipes, Y H Li, S O Harrold, L F Yeung, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Non-contact extrudate profilometer - introductory paper, R K Taylor, N H Hancock, T Tran-Cong, University of Southern Queensland, QLD Australia
Inertial navigation aided with GPS information, E M Nebot, University of Sydney, NSW Australia Initial calibration and alignment of an inertial navigation, E M Nebot, University of Sydney, NSW Australia
*Rotating ultrasonic sensors for obstacle classification applied to mobile robots, H Roth, K Schilling, Technology Transfer Center for Applied Computer and Software Engineering, Germany

3.10 Afternoon Tea

3.30 Control with self-learning - John Billingsley

Robot positioning of a flexible hydraulic manipulator utilising genetic algorithm and neural networks, A Rouvinen, H Handroos, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Finland
Experiments on a time-optimal trajectory planning method based on neural networks, G Fang, M W M G Dissanayake, University of Western Sydney, NSW Australia
Neural mechanisms for training autonomous robots, G Wyeth, University of Queensland, QLD Australia
Translation of Cognition Models in Mechatronic Systems, S K Halgamuge, University of Melbourne, VIC Australia

4.45 Close of session

7.00 Banquet, the Downs Club.

9.00 Mechatronics and manufacturing - chair Thanh Tran-Cong

Design methodologies of shop-floor communications protocols based on FDL tools, P Marino, F Poza, M A Dominguez, J B Nogueira, Universidad de Vigo, Spain
Characteristic patterns of air flow around lathe chuck - flow visualisation by means of tuft and smoke wire methods, Y Konda, S Warisawa, Y Kadowaki, Y Ito, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan

9.40 Tour of USQ Mechatronics Research Laboratories

10.40 Morning Coffee

11.00 Vision systems and applications - chair Nigel Hancock

Autonomous LHD loading, M K Petty, J Billingsley, T Tran-Cong, University of Southern Queensland, QLD Australia
Parallel implementation of machine vision for aircraft navigation, K A Pupkov, E S Lobusov, I A Vinogradov, Moscow State Technical University, Russia
Vision supported operation of a concrete spraying robot for tunnelling work, M Honegger, G Schweitzer, O Tschumi, F Amberg, Institute of Robotics, Switzerland
Implementing active vision in embedded systems, G Wyeth, University of Queensland, QLD Australia
Development of a computer vision system for a special purpose mobile robot, A Erden, E Cokal, Middle East Technical University, Turkey

1.00 Lunch

2.00 Mechatronics in sport - chair Bob Fulcher

System for measurement of in-scrummage rugby forces., P Strickland, G Ried, A Edmeads, University of Portsmouth, UK
Global, fine and hidden sports data; applications of 3-D vision analysis and specialised data glove for an athlete biomechanic analysis system., F Iredale, M Jaques, T Farrington, the Waikato Polytechnic, New Zealand
The dynamic flexing of golf-club shafts during a typical swing, S Newman, S Clay, P Strickland, University of Southampton, UK
Thermal profiles in footware design; A novel in-sole measurement system., P Strickland, B Burrows, University of Portsmouth, UK

3.15 Closing announcements

3.30 Afternoon Tea

3.30 - 5 p.m. (approx) Micromouse contest - held in the foyer of the Allison Dickson lecture theatre.

6.30p.m. for 7 p.m. Spit-roast, farewell, 8 Glencoe Court (Time may be brought forward to 4.30 if the Micromouse contest is short).

* This manuscript was not received in time for printing. It was presented, nevertheless. The text may be included in next year's proceedings.