Advanced Intelligent Robotics and Autonomous Control Systems—Celebrating the 75th Birthday of Professor Imre J. Rudas

Dear Colleagues,

This special issue serves as a testament to Professor Rudas’s enduring influence and serves as a platform for scholars to reflect on his contributions, present cutting-edge research inspired by his work, and envision the future directions of the fields he has helped shape. The articles assembled here represent a diverse array of topics spanning intelligent systems, control theory, artificial intelligence, and more, reflecting the breadth and depth of Professor Rudas’s research interests.

As editors of this special issue, we are deeply grateful to the contributors who generously share their insights and expertise in Sensors. Their contributions not only celebrate Professor Rudas’s achievements but also demonstrate the vibrancy and relevance of the research areas he has excelled.

In the meanwhile, we extend our warmest congratulations to Professor Rudas on this milestone occasion. May this special issue stand as a fitting tribute to his exceptional career, inspiring future generations of researchers to continue pushing the boundaries of knowledge and innovation.

Dr. Tamás Haidegger
Prof. Dr. Levente Kovács
Prof. Dr. Péter Galambos
Guest Editors

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• intelligent systems and control
• sensor networks and applications
• advanced control systems
• soft computing and fuzzy systems
• applied artificial intelligence and machine learning
• cybernetics and systems theory
• applied information technology in robotics
• multidisciplinary applications of IoT
• future perspectives and challenges of sensor technologies

Title: A Robust Method for Validating Orientation Sensors Using a Robot Arm as a High-Precision Reference
Authors: Jozsef Kuti; Tamás Piricz; Peter Galambos
Affiliation: Óbuda University
Abstract: This paper presents a novel method for evaluating the accuracy of orientation sensors commonly used in practical applications, utilizing measurements obtained from a commercial robotic manipulator as the reference instrumentation. The core concept of the method involves determining the rotational transformations between the robot's base frame and the sensor frame, as well as between the TCP (Tool Center Point) frame and the sensor frame, without requiring precise alignment. These transformations are assumed to be arbitrarily chosen, allowing the computation to rely solely on the logged TCP orientations and synchronized sensor measurements. The proposed approach enables systematic testing and evaluation of orientation sensing devices without necessitating exact measurement of the rotations between the sensor frame and the reference instrumentation. The method's effectiveness is demonstrated through the evaluation of an Inertial Navigation System module and the SLAM-IMU fusion capabilities of the HTC VIVE headset.

Title: Power efficient design of a Self-Balancing two-wheels robot
Authors: Gerardo Castañón, Ana Maria Sarmiento, Alejandro Aragón-Zavala
Affiliation: School of Engineering and Science, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Ave. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501, Monterrey 64849, Mexico
Abstract: While many Self-balancing robots have been developed, this model stands out for its distinctive features that contribute to low energy consumption and good stability. Although stepper motors offer high accuracy, they are less energy-efficient compared to brushless DC (BLDC) motors often preferred. One of the primary goals of this study was to reduce power consumption by using stepper motors in conjunction with cost-effective DR8825 drivers. This self-balancing robot employs key components such as the MPU6050 IMU gyroscope/accelerometer sensor, power sensor INA219, ESP32 micro-controller, and two DRV8825 drivers alongside two Nema17 stepper motors. We demonstrate that by dynamically adjusting the reference voltage (Vref) parameter of the DR8825 drivers via control signals from a microcontroller, power consumption can be reduced by up to 70\% when the robot is stationary compared to the standard way of using the drivers.

Title: Cloud/VPN Based Remote Control of a Modular Production System Assisted by a Mobile Cyber-Physical Robotic System-Digital Twin Approach
Authors: Georgian Simion1,2, Adrian Filipescu1,2,*, Dan Ionescu1,2, Adriana Filipescu 1
Affiliation: 1 Department of Automation and Electrical Engineering, “Dunărea de Jos” University of Galați, Galați, Romania; 2 Doctoral school of Fundamental Sciences and Engineering, “Dunărea de Jos” University of Galați * Correspondence: [email protected],
Abstract: This paper deals a digital twin (DT) approach for a processing tech3ology running on a modular processing system (MPS) assisted by a mobile cyber-physical robotic system (MCPRS). The hardware architecture consists of the MPS, four-workstation (WS), line-shaped, and MCPRS having in its structure a two driving wheels and one free wheel (2DW/1FW)-wheeled mobile robot (WMR) equipped with a 7-DOF robotic manipulator (RM) with a mobile visual servoing system (MVSS) mounted on the end effector. The work-piece visits stations successively as it is moved along the line for processing. If the processed piece does not pass the quality test, it is taken from the last stations of the MPS and it is transported, by MCPRS to the first station where it will be considered for reprocessing. The virtual world that serves as the digital counterpart consists of tasks assignment, planning and synchronization of MPS with all subsystems of MCPRS. Additionally, the virtual world includes hybrid modeling with synchronized hybrid Petri nets (SHPN), simulation of the SHPN models, modeling of the MVSS, and simulation of the discrete-time trajectory-tracking sliding-mode control (DT-TTSMC) of MCPRS. The real world, as counterpart of the digital twin, consists of communication, synchronization, and control of MPS and MCPRS. In addition, the real world includes control of the MVSS, the inverse kinematic control (IKC) of the RM and graphic user interface (GUI) of a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system, implemented of a Remote PC for monitoring and real-time control of the whole system.

Title: Design and Evaluation of Augmented Reality Enhanced Robotic System for Epidural Interventions
Authors: Amir Sayadi; Renzo Cecere; Jake Barralet; Liane S. Feldman; Amir Hooshiar
Affiliation: Surgical Performance Enhancement and Robotics (SuPER) Centre, Department of Surgery, McGill University
Abstract: The epidural injection is a medical intervention to inject therapeutics directly into the vicinity of the spinal cord for pain management. Because of its proximity to the spinal cord, imprecise insertion of the needle may result in irreversible damage to the nerves or spinal cord. This study explores enhancing procedural accuracy by integrating a telerobotic system and augmented reality (AR) assistance. Tele-kinesthesia was achieved using a leader-follower integrated system, and stable force feedback was performed using a novel impedance matching force rendering approach. In this domain, augmented reality employs a magnetic tracker-based approach for real-time 3D model projection onto the patient’s body, aiming to augment the physician’s visual field and improve needle insertion accuracy. Preliminary results indicate that our AR-enhanced robotic system may reduce the cognitive load and improve the accuracy of ENI, highlighting the promise of AR technologies in complex medical procedures. However, further studies with a larger sample size and more diverse clinical settings must validate these findings comprehensively. This work lays the groundwork for future research into integrating AR into medical robotics, potentially transforming clinical practices by enhancing procedural safety and efficiency.