MLCA-A Machine Learning Framework for INS Coarse Alignment.

Inertial navigation systems provides the platform's position, velocity, and attitude during its operation. As a dead-reckoning system, it requires initial conditions to calculate the navigation solution. While initial position and velocity vectors are provided by external means, the initial attitude can be determined using the system's inertial sensors in a process known as coarse alignment. When considering low-cost inertial sensors, only the initial roll and pitch angles can be determined using the accelerometers measurements. The accuracy, as well as time required for the for the coarse alignment process are critical for the navigation solution accuracy, particularly for pure-inertial scenarios, because of the navigation solution drift. In this paper, a machine learning framework for the stationary coarse alignment stage is proposed. To that end, classical machine learning approaches are used in a two-stage approach to regress the roll and pitch angles. Alignment results obtained both in simulations and field experiments, using a smartphone, shows the benefits of using the proposed approach instead of the commonly used analytical coarse alignment procedure.

Vib-bracelet: a passive absorber for attenuating forearm tremor.

Tremor is a rhythmic, involuntary, oscillatory movement of a limb produced by alternating contractions of reciprocally innervated muscles. More than 4% of the population over 40 years old suffer from tremor. There is no cure for most tremors, and while psychological therapy is sometimes helpful, tremors are usually treated with either medication or invasive surgery including thalamotomy and deep brain stimulation. Both medications and surgery may have adverse effects, and thus, there is a growing interest in developing non-invasive vibration attenuation devices. This paper presents a passive absorber device for attenuating pronation/supination tremor, dubbed Vib-bracelet. It is based on the principles of dynamic vibration absorption and is tuned to the frequency of the tremor. Prototypes were manufactured and tested on a mechanical model of the human forearm. Simulations and experiments demonstrate the efficiency of the device in attenuating vibrations in the range of 4-6 Hz, which is the range of frequency of observed tremor, with maximum amplitude attenuation of 85%.

Development of Technology for Assisting Violent Psychiatric Patients.

Forceful restraint of psychiatric patients is lawful only in cases of violent uncontrolled behavior. The methods used to limit physical freedom are mainly mechanical means of confinement. The study presents a novel "Personal Protective System" designed to limit patients' violent actions but allow them free non- violent normal functioning.

Attenuating Tremor Using Passive Devices.

Limb tremor is treated with either medication or surgery, both of which may have adverse effects. This paper presents two passive devices for tremor attenuation: One for attenuating pronation/supination tremor of the forearm using a dynamic vibration absorber, and the other for attenuating flexion/extension tremor of the hand using a rotational damper.

Inertial Navigation System/Doppler Velocity Log (INS/DVL) Fusion with Partial DVL Measurements.

The Technion autonomous underwater vehicle (TAUV) is an ongoing project aiming to develop and produce a small AUV to carry on research missions, including payload dropping, and to demonstrate acoustic communication. Its navigation system is based on an inertial navigation system (INS) aided by a Doppler velocity log (DVL), magnetometer, and pressure sensor (PS). In many INSs, such as the one used in TAUV, only the velocity vector (provided by the DVL) can be used for aiding the INS, i.e., enabling only a loosely coupled integration approach. In cases of partial DVL measurements, such as failure to maintain bottom lock, the DVL cannot estimate the vehicle velocity. Thus, in partial DVL situations no velocity data can be integrated into the TAUV INS, and as a result its navigation solution will drift in time. To circumvent that problem, we propose a DVL-based vehicle velocity solution using the measured partial raw data of the DVL and additional information, thereby deriving an extended loosely coupled (ELC) approach. The implementation of the ELC approach requires only software modification. In addition, we present the TAUV six degrees of freedom (6DOF) simulation that includes all functional subsystems. Using this simulation, the proposed approach is evaluated and the benefit of using it is shown.

Distinct electroencephalographic responses to disturbances and distractors during continuous reaching movements.

Discrepancies between actual and appropriate motor commands, dubbed low-level errors, have been shown to elicit a P300 like component. P300 has been studied extensively in cognitive tasks using, in particular, the three-stimulus oddball paradigm. This paradigm revealed two sub-components, known as P3a and P3b, whose relative contributions depend on saliency and task-relevance, respectively. However, the existence and roles of these sub-components in response to low-level errors are poorly understood. Here we investigated responses to low level errors generated by disturbances - including target and cursor jumps, versus responses to distractors, i.e., environmental changes that are irrelevant to the reaching task. Additionally, we examined the response to matching cursor and target jumps (dual jumps), which generate estimation errors, and are thus considered task relevant disturbances, but do not generate low level errors. We found that a significant P3a-like component is evoked by both disturbances and distractors, whereas the P3b-like component is significantly stronger in response to disturbances than distractors. The P3b-like component appears also in response to dual jumps, even though there are no low level errors. We conclude that disturbances and distractors elicit distinct responses, and that the P3b-like component reflects estimation errors rather than low-level errors.

Tele-care robot for assisting independent senior citizens who live at home.

In the last twenty years most developed countries face dramatic demographic changes, and predominantly the rapid aging of their population. As the share of elderly people is climbing while the number of care providers is declining, the aging problem is becoming an increasingly important social and economic challenge. The supply of care at home, utilizing affordable tele-care systems and smart home technologies, is one of the promising strategies to cope with challenges posed by these demographic changes. The goal of this paper is to present a tele-care robot (TCR) aimed to assist Senior citizens who live independently at their home, that need assistance in daily life activities. The idea of the proposed system is that a caregiver, operating from a central location, will be able to service between 10 to 20 patients living at their home, by using the tele-care robot. The robot will possess motion control capabilities to move inside the house of each patient and alert in case that emergency events occur. The robot will allow the care provider to communicate remotely with the patient using audio and video equipment installed on the robot. By using the robot, the caregiver will be able to examine several times during the day the well-being of the patient, his medication consumption, and his overall functionality.

Agile Walker.

The goal of the Agile Walker is to improve the outdoor mobility of healthy elderly people with some mobility limitations. It is a newly developed, all-terrain walker, equipped with an electric drive system and speed control that can assists elderly people to walk outdoors or to hike. The walker has a unique product design with an attractive look that will appeal to "active-agers" population. This paper describes product design requirements and the development process of the Agile Walker, its features and some preliminary testing results.