s part of a larger project, a multidisciplinary group convened by The Hastings Center, Garrison, NY, met to consider medical, psychosocial, and ethical issues associated with the care of children born with atypical genitalia or later found to have other conditions now commonly grouped together as "intersex." These children may have congenital adrenal hyperplasia, gonadal dysgenesis, hypospadias, partial or complete androgen insensitivity syndrome, etc. This commentary reflects the deliberations of the group, which concluded that none of the appearance-altering surgeries need to be performed quickly; families with children with intersex conditions require multidisciplinary care; children with intersex conditions deserve to know the truth about their bodies; families and health care professionals will benefit from rigorous longitudinal studies; and health care professionals need additional training about intersex conditions and sexual health generally.
One central element in the focus on research into human-machine interfaces is the capabilify to interactphysically with the computer model. The sense of touch and feel is vital for realistic manipulation and control of virtual objects, The research described here is the development and implementation of a new dynamic control strategy using a standard six-degme-oq-freedom robot manipulator as a force interface to virtual reality systems. The haptic element of VR interjbcing is currenth the subject of abundant research, some addressing the stabiliQ and control of interactive systems, but with much of the focus on the development of new hardware systems to support stable interaction between humans and ?% graphics displays. However, general six-degree-of-fi.eedom manipulators are well understood today and are known to have the capability for generating the general force and motion constraints necessary for the design interaction described in the story. This approach to haptic feedback capabilil? is based on the concept of describing a virtual manipulator model that mimics the motion constraints imposed by a virtual surface, This virtual manipulator is conceptually linked to an actual manipulator to form a closed kinematic chain system. The closed chain gwtem equations axe used to define a set of constraints that control the actual robot manipulator so as to allow motion only in the free directions of the virtual munipulator. These p e e directions are also the free motion direc(tion.7 allowed by the virtual surfaces. One tremendous advantage of the approach is that the control algorithm is formulated using local error feedback schemes at the robot level, providing effective, stable, and simple control of the robotic hardware. Using the proposed conpol scheme will allow any six-degree-oj-7reedom manipulator to be used as a haptic interface device.
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