Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose going one step further in the simulation tools related to agriculture by integrating fleets of mobile robots for the execution of precision agriculture techniques. The proposed new simulation environment allows the user to define different...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to introduce the design of a training tool intended to improve deminers' technique during close‐in detection tasks. Design/methodology/approach – Following an introduction that highlights the impact of mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs),...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to introduce a new manipulator structure to configure power‐assist devices in order to protect the operator from suffering musculoskeletal disorders. The mechanical structure and the control system along with their main features are presented....

Building construction is a great area for automation, but the incorporation of robots in the construction industry is a very slow affair because of the intrinsic difficulties. New requirements, however, now call for material‐handling manipulators to be used to help operators move and position...

Explains how the Automatic Control Department of the Instituto de Automatica Industrial (CSIC) in Madrid, Spain has been developing robots for over 15 years. This activity began in the 1980s with the realization of industrial robots and then the department focused its attention on the area of...

Explains how the Tracminer project aimed to provide a robust, low cost device to be mounted as an accessory on the motorized wheels of traction machines, in order to increase grip on loose soils. The main goal was to provide a device increasing by 30‐40 per cent the traction capacity of the...