Actual Angle Research Articles

A preoperative simulation of medial open-wedge high tibial osteotomy for predicting postoperative realignment.

Three-dimensional preoperative surgical simulation of the medial open-wedge high tibial osteotomy (OWHTO), simplified as the rigid rotation around the hinge axis, has been performed to predict postoperative realignment. However, the practicality of this highly simplified simulation method has not been verified. This study aimed to investigate the validity of realignment simulation simplified as a rotation around a hinge axis compared with a postoperative CT model. A three-dimensional surface model of the tibia and femur was created from preoperative computed tomography (CT) images (preoperative model) of three patients. The simulation of medial OWHTO created sixty computer simulation models in each patient simplified as the rigid rotation of the proximal part of the tibia relative to the distal part from 1° to 20° around three types of hinge axes. The simulation models were compared with the actual postoperative model created from postoperative CT images to assess the reality of the simulation model. The average surface distance between the two models was calculated as an index representing the similarity of the simulation model to the postoperative model. The minimum value of average surface distances between the simulation and postoperative CT models was almost 1mm in each patient. The rotation angles at which the minimum value of average surface distances was represented were almost identical to the actual correction angles. We found that the posterior tibial tilt and the axial rotation of the proximal tibia of the simulation model well represented those of the postoperative CT model, as well as the valgus correction. Therefore, the realignment simulation of medial OWHTO can generate realistic candidates for postoperative realignment that includes the actual postoperative realignment, suggesting the efficacy of the preoperative simulation method.

Gain-Scheduled Model Predictive Control for Cart–Inverted-Pendulum with Friction and Disturbances

The cart–inverted pendulum system (CIPS) is a typical example of underactuated mechanical systems. For the CIPS with friction and disturbances, a gain-scheduled model predictive control method is proposed to achieve the upright stabilization objective of the single inverted pendulum (SIP) while controlling the cart to reach a desired new position. To this end, first, a dynamic equation of the CIPS with friction and disturbances is formulated based on the Newton–Euler equation. On the basis of the dynamic equation of the CIPS, its motion characteristics and control process are analyzed. Next, the given dynamic equation of the CIPS is linearized to obtain a series of linearized models at seven different pendulum angles. Then, seven model predictive controllers (MPCs) are designed based on the above-linearized models, respectively. Introducing the idea of the gain-schedule, a gain-scheduled MPC (GSMPC) is designed to switch one of these seven MPCs to realize the control objective of the CIPS, according to the actual pendulum angle of the SIP during the control process. Finally, multi-group simulations that consider the friction and disturbances of the CIPS are implemented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed gain-scheduled model predictive control method.

Enhancing lithic analysis: Introducing 3D-EdgeAngle as a semi-automated 3D digital method to systematically quantify stone tool edge angle and design.

In stone tool studies, the analysis of different technological and typological features is known to provide distinct but interrelated information on the design and use of artefacts. The selection of these features can potentially influence the understanding and reconstruction of past human technological behaviour across time. One feature frequently part of a standard lithic analysis is the measurement of edge angles. The angle of an edge, unmodified or shaped by retouch and an integral part of the overall tool design, is certainly a parameter that influences the interpretation of an artefact. The acuteness of an edge angle is often linked to aspects such as cutting, carving, or scraping efficiency and durability and thus, tool performance. Knowing the actual edge angle of a stone tool can therefore have important implications for its interpretation. In the case of edge angle analyses, manual measuring techniques have been established for many years in lithic studies. Here, we introduce a new method for accurate and precise edge angle measurements based on 3D data (hereafter 3D-EdgeAngle). 3D-EdgeAngle consists of a script-based, semi-automated edge angle measuring method applicable to 3D models. Unlike other methods, 3D-EdgeAngle illustrates an objective way of measuring the edge angle at cross sections along the entire tool edge in defined steps and, moreover, allows measurements at different distances perpendicular to the edge by controlling three involved parameters. Thus, with this method, the edge angle can be measured at any point in a high resolution and scale of analysis. Compared to measurements taken manually, with this method random and systematic errors can be reduced significantly. Additionally, all data are reproducible and statistically evaluable. We introduce 3D-EdgeAngle as a standard method to calculate edge angles with a highly accurate and systematic approach. With this method, we aim to improve the process of studying lithics and thus to increase the understanding of past human tool design.

STUDY THE PERFORMANCE OF TWO-WHEELED BALANCING MOBILE ROBOT USING FUZZY PD CONTROLLER

Nowadays, the research on a two-wheeled self-balancing robot is an active area of research especially in terms of design as well as control to continue the innovation applications of robots in the future. Most of the two-wheeled self-balancing robots are designed based on an inverted pendulum system for stability and maneuverability. The aim of this paper is to propose the fuzzy PD controller to control and maintain its balance on the two wheels. A sensor of the Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) was used as an input to evaluate and obtain the position and orientation of the robot. The control algorithms for the robot also are designed to keep the pendulum upright. Then, the fuzzy PD concept was applied to correct the error between the desired set point and the actual tilt angle position to adjust the speed of the motor accordingly. The results obtained from this controller were capable of maintaining the balancing of the robot by using an experimental method of PID tuning. The prototype of the two-wheeled self-balancing robot was implemented with Arduino Uno and a fuzzy PD controller. However, the limitation of the project is the longer size and heavier weight of the robot are less stable, then a better controller is needed to balance the robot.

Anti-Swing Control for Quadrotor-Slung Load Transportation System with Underactuated State Constraints

Quadrotors play a crucial role in the national economy. The control technology for quadrotor-slung load transportation systems has become a research hotspot. However, the underactuated load’s swing poses significant challenges to the stability of the system. In this paper, we propose a Lyapunov-based control strategy, to ensure the stability of the quadrotor-slung load transportation system while satisfying the constraints of the load’s swing angles. Firstly, a position controller without swing angle constraints is proposed, to ensure the stability of the system. Then, a barrier Lyapunov function based on the load’s swing angle constraints is constructed, and an anti-swing controller is designed to guarantee the states’ asymptotic stability. Finally, a PD controller is designed, to drive the actual angles to the virtual ones, which are extracted from the position controller. The effectiveness of the control method is verified by comparing it to the results of the LQR algorithm. The proposed control method not only guarantees the payload’s swing angle constraints but also reduces energy consumption.

SEMG-Based End-to-End Continues Prediction of Human Knee Joint Angles Using the Tightly Coupled Convolutional Transformer Model.

Wearable exoskeleton robots can promote the rehabilitation of patients with physical dysfunction. And improving human-computer interaction performance is a significant challenge for exoskeleton robots. The traditional feature extraction process based on surface Electromyography(sEMG) is complex and requires manual intervention, making real-time performance difficult to guarantee. In this study, we propose an end-to-end method to predict human knee joint angles based on sEMG signals using a tightly coupled convolutional transformer (TCCT) model. We first collected sEMG signals from 5 healthy subjects. Then, the envelope was extracted from the noise-removed sEMG signal and used as the input to the model. Finally, we developed the TCCT model to predict the knee joint angle after 100 ms. For the prediction performance, we used the Root Mean Square Error(RMSE), Pearson Correlation Coefficient(CC), and Adjustment R2 as metrics to evaluate the error between the actual knee angle and the predicted knee angle. The results show that the model can predict the human knee angle quickly and accurately. The mean RMSE, Adjustment R2, and (CC) values of the model are 3.79°, 0.96, and 0.98, respectively, which are better than traditional deep learning models such as Informer (4.14, 0.95, 0.98), CNN (5.56, 0.89, 0.96) and CNN-BiLSTM (3.97, 0.95, 0.98). In addition, the prediction time of our proposed model is only 11.67±0.67 ms, which is less than 100 ms. Therefore, the real-time and accuracy of the model can meet the continuous prediction of human knee joint angle in practice.

Design and Analysis of an Upper Limb Rehabilitation Robot Based on Multimodal Control

To address the rehabilitation needs of upper limb hemiplegic patients in various stages of recovery, streamline the workload of rehabilitation professionals, and provide data visualization, our research team designed a six-degree-of-freedom upper limb exoskeleton rehabilitation robot inspired by the human upper limb’s structure. We also developed an eight-channel synchronized signal acquisition system for capturing surface electromyography (sEMG) signals and elbow joint angle data. Utilizing Solidworks, we modeled the robot with a focus on modularity, and conducted structural and kinematic analyses. To predict the elbow joint angles, we employed a back propagation neural network (BPNN). We introduced three training modes: a PID control, bilateral control, and active control, each tailored to different phases of the rehabilitation process. Our experimental results demonstrated a strong linear regression relationship between the predicted reference values and the actual elbow joint angles, with an R-squared value of 94.41% and an average error of four degrees. Furthermore, these results validated the increased stability of our model and addressed issues related to the size and single-mode limitations of upper limb rehabilitation robots. This work lays the theoretical foundation for future model enhancements and further research in the field of rehabilitation.

Application of a Navigated Drill for Cervical Pedicle Screw Insertion at C3-6.

Background Perforation of the cervical pedicle screw, especially lateral perforation, may lead to critical complications, such as vertebral artery injury. Sub-axial cervical spines (C3-6) are at risk of complications because these levels have limited area and angle. This study aimed to compare a navigated drill and a navigated probe for the insertion of cervical pedicle screws at C3-6. Methodology This retrospective study included 106 patients treated with cervical pedicle screws at C3-6. In total, 52 patients with 200 cervical pedicle screws using a navigated drill (group D) and 54 patients with 170 cervical pedicle screws using a navigated probe (group P) were compared. The perforation rate, anatomical medial angle of the pedicle, and actual angle of the screw were investigated using computed tomography. The planning error was defined as when the pedicle screw was applied for a small pedicle width of <3.5 mm. All perforations except for planning errors were defined as technical perforations. Results Grade 1 screw perforations were identified in 16 and 17 screws in groups D and P, respectively. Overall, 88% of the perforations were medial in group D, and 82% of perforations were lateral in group P. Technical perforations were found in 7/191 (3.7%, group D) and 15/168 (8.9%, group P) screws. There were no significant differences in the anatomical angle of the pedicle between the groups. The mean medial angle of the pedicle screws was 24.7° (group D) and 30.9° (group P) (p < 0.05). Conclusions The perforation rate of group D was less than half of that of group P. This was because a navigated drill was able to create a bony pilot hole at the hard medial cortical wall of the pedicle with a small medial angle, which was difficult to do with a navigated probe. A navigated drill can be useful for cervical pedicle screw insertion at C3-6 because of its easiness and safety.

A Novel Angle Segmentation Method for Magnetic Encoders Based on Filtering Window Adaptive Adjustment Using Improved Particle Swarm Optimization.

In this paper we outline newly-developed control algorithms, designed to achieve high-precision feedback for a motor control system using a magnetic encoder. The magnetic encoder, combing single-pole and multi-pole magnetic steels, was adopted to extend the resolution of the magnetic encoder. First, with a view to settling the issue of the jump points of the multi-pole angle value at the convergence of two adjacent magnetic poles, the angle segmentation method, which uses the window filter discrimination method, is employed to determine the actual angle value. The appropriate filter window width is selected via the improved particle swarm optimization (IPSO) algorithm, and an expanded resolution is achieved. Second, a compensation table is completed via a linear compensation algorithm based on virtual cutting to enhance the accuracy of the combined magnetic encoder. On this basis, a linear difference algorithm is used to achieve deviation correction of the angle. Finally, the jump points can be restrained effectively via the angle segmentation method. The resolution reaches 0.05°, and the accuracy is 0.045°.

Improved path following for autonomous marine vehicles with low-cost heading/course sensors: comparative experiments

By overcoming constraints of low-cost sensors equipped on the autonomous marine vehicle (AMV), the classic path following approaches based on heading autopilot and course autopilot are improved to enhance the following accuracy of AMV, respectively. For the heading autopilot, adaptive line-of-sight (ALOS) is proposed to compensate for the generalized sideslip including the actual sideslip angle and the magnetic compass bias. For the course autopilot, extended Kalman filter (EKF) is employed to fusion the position and yaw angular rate to obtain the more precise and stable course, so as to substitute the unreliable course feedback from the satellite navigation receiver in cases of low speed and non ideal positioning. The performance and characteristics of both improved schemes are summarized through comparative experiments conducted on a low-cost AMV. Compared with the classic path following method, the straight line path following accuracy of the heading autopilot with generalized sideslip compensation and the course autopilot with EKF feedback are improved by 78.3% and 85.8% respectively. The circular path following accuracy are improved by 61.8% and 66.7% respectively. Engineers can choose the path following methods flexibly based on the hardware configuration, working environment and path type of the AMV to improve the following accuracy.

Lateral trochlear inclination measured by the transepicondylar axis holds potential for evaluating trochlear dysplasia in patients with lateral patellar dislocation.

To verify that lateral trochlear inclination (LTI) measured by the transepicondylar axis can reliably be used to evaluate trochlear dysplasia (TD) on MRI and can serve as an objective indication of trochleoplasty for patients with lateral patellar dislocation (LPD). Eighty patients with recurrent LPD and eighty healthy subjects were included. TD, posterior condylar angle (PCA), and LTI measured by the posterior condylar reference line (LTIp), surgical transepicondylar axis (LTIs), and anatomical transepicondylar axis (LTIa) were assessed on MRI. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland-Altman analysis were performed, the correlations and differences amongst the parameters were identified, and a binary logistic regression model was established. Each measurement had excellent inter- and intra-observer agreement. The LTIp, LTIs and LTIa were smaller in the study group than in the control group, with mean differences of 9.0°, 7.2° and 7.0°, respectively (P < 0.001). The PCA was larger in patients with LPD than in the control group (P < 0.001). LTIp was associated with PCA in the study group (r = -0.41, P < 0.001). The pathological values of LTIp, LTIs and LTIa were 11.7°, 15.3° and 17.4°, respectively. LTIs and LTIa were independent risk factors for LPD, with ORs of 7.33 (95% CI [1.06-52.90], P = 0.048) and 10.29 (95% CI [1.38-76.96], P = 0.023), respectively. The LTI can be reliably measured by MRI, but LTIp could potentially decrease the recorded value from the actual inclination angle. LTIs and LTIa are more appropriate to serve as trochleoplasty indications for patients with LPD, which could help orthopedists with surgical decision-making. Level III.

Discrete element contact model and parameter calibration for clayey soil particles in the Southwest hill and mountain region

Distinct physical properties of red clay soil in hilly and mountainous regions of southwest China, including high adhesiveness and density, challenge the operation of agricultural machinery. A scarcity of accurate discrete element simulation parameters for this soil type restricts computational modeling. The study was focused on red clay soil with a moisture content of 12.50% ± 1% and a measured repose angle of 35.54°. The soil's inherent physical properties were identified through experimental assessments. Soil contact mechanical parameters were obtained from the GEMM database, and optimal contact parameter ranges were determined using Steepest Ascent Experiments, with the simulated soil particle repose angle serving as the response value. A second-order regression model was developed using a quadratic regression rotation orthogonal combination test. By taking the actual repose angle as the optimization criterion, parameters were optimized. The optimal contact mechanical parameters in EDEM simulations were identified as: JKR surface energy at 8.981 J/m2, recovery coefficient at 0.474, dynamic friction coefficient at 0.196, and static friction coefficient at 0.45. The model yielded a repose angle of 36.21°, closely corresponding with the observed value, with a relative error of 1.80%. The parameters calibrated in this study offer a valuable reference for future soil-tool interaction studies and tillage implement optimization in these regions.

Inverse kinematic analysis and agile control of a magnetically actuated catheter

In recent years, there has been a growing application of robotic-assisted magnetic actuation systems in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases because of the fast response and the miniaturization of medical tools. However, inverse kinematic (IK) modeling in permanent magnet systems is still a challenging task due to the complexity of the magneto-solid strong coupling field. In this paper, we present a magnetic actuation system that uses the rotation of a single permanent magnet to steer the intravascular catheter. The main contribution is the proposal of an IK modeling method that establishes a relationship between the catheter's deflection angle and the rotation angle of the driving magnet (DM). Our proposed method uses the constant curvature model (CCM) to decouple the catheter's deformation and the magnetic loads, thus enabling the efficient estimation of the position of the catheter's tip based on the desired deflection angle. After establishing the equilibrium equation, we employ a numerical computation method to optimize the rotation angle of the DM. To facilitate fast convergence, we propose an analytical solution to determine the optimal initial value. Our proposed IK modeling method has been proven to be effective in the model validation experiment, which achieves a good balance between accuracy and efficiency. The difference between the planned and actual deflection angle is 4.55±3.44° and the distal position error is 1.26±0.74 mm. The completion time of our IK method is 1–4 ms. The performance of our magnetic actuation system has been evaluated in the phantom experiment, in which the catheter can pass sequentially through the planned bifurcations and finally reach all the goals under the magnetic guidance.

Single-pixel detecting of rotating object using Zernike illumination

In this paper, a single-pixel imaging technique based on Zernike illumination is firstly introduced to detect rotating object. By measuring the specific Zernike moments through a single-pixel detector, the rotation angle of rotating object can be obtained. This method requires only four differential Zernike patterns to illuminate a rotating object in one frame. And the Zernike moments can be calculated from the corresponding reflected intensities collected by the single-pixel detector. Then the rotation angle can be calculated from the phase change of Zernike moments due to the rotation invariant. By theoretical simulation and experimental demonstration, the Zernike moments of the targets are successfully obtained through single-pixel imaging system. The rotation angles are calculated from the measured Zernike moments and agree well with the actual rotation angles. The errors of simulated rotation angle are below 1°. And the RMSEs of the experimental results are below 3° for binary images and below 4° for gray images. The proposed scheme provides a new method for applications on detecting rotating object.

Mechanical characterization of intermittent weak interlayer based on DIC and acoustic emission technique

Current research on intermittent structural surfaces tends to concentrate on intermittent joints, often neglecting the abundance of intermittent weak interlayers present in rock structures. To analyze the effect of intermittent weak interlayer on the mechanical properties of rock mass, specimens with varied interlayer thickness and dip angles were prepared and subjected to uniaxial compression tests using an acoustic emission system and Digital Image Correlation (DIC) technique. The results revealed an inverse relationship between the interlayer thickness (t) and dip angle (θ), and the uniaxial compressive strength. Through a nonlinear fitting method, an empirical strength equation for these interlayers was established. Acoustic emission (AE) counts and cumulative acoustic emission counts increased with loading, and the RA-AF values indicated that the specimens were dominated by shear damage, and the larger the thickness and dip angle of the interlayer, the higher the proportion of shear damage. In terms of failure mode, the greater the thickness of the interlayer, the lower the level of development of cracks other than the main crack, and the greater the dip angle of the interlayer, the fewer the number of wing cracks required for specimen failure and the lower the degree of wing crack development. The increase in interlayer thickness and dip angle resulted in a specimen structure that was more susceptible to damage. The actual crack initiation angles agree with the theoretically calculated angles based on the maximum tensile stress theory. These findings emphasize the critical role of these parameters in influencing the failure mode of rocks.

Limit Equilibrium Analysis of Landfill Instability Based on Actual Failure Surface

Slope stability is one of the key engineering problems in the whole lifetime of landfills. In this paper, combined with the wedge limit equilibrium analysis, a landfill stability analysis method based on the actual failure surface is proposed, and the model is verified according to the data of centrifuge model tests. It is found that this method can more accurately calculate the factor of safety (FS) of the slope of the landfill and evaluate the stability of the slope. Finally, sensitivity analysis was conducted to evaluate the effects of the actual failure surface angle, water level, soil parameters, and the presence or absence of a dam on the factor of safety.

Calibration of discrete element parameters for simulating wheat crushing.

The mechanical properties of wheat grains were measured and analyzed using discrete element software, which provided crucial data for their processing in a mill. The foundational Hertz-Mindlin model was used as a theoretical framework to evaluate the accumulation angle of wheat grains. The Plackett-Burman, steepest ascent, and Box-Behnken methods were utilized in a series of experiments, with the accumulation angle serving as the dependent variable. Targeting the actual angle of repose in the response surface, the optimal parameters were derived using the regression equations. These included a static-friction coefficient of 0.3 between individual wheat grains, rolling-friction coefficient of 0.04 for wheat-wheat interactions, static-friction coefficient of 0.554 for wheat-tooth roller interactions, collision recovery coefficient of 0.5 for wheat-wheat collisions, collision recovery coefficient of 0.45 for wheat-tooth roller collisions, and rolling-friction coefficient of 0.05 for wheat-roller interactions. Relying on the bonding contact model of Hertz-Mindlin, virtual uniaxial compression tests were conducted to calibrate the wheat grain bonding parameters. A regression equation for the critical load was subsequently generated using the critical load of the wheat grain bonding model as the response variable. The optimal parameters were calculated and incorporated into the EDEM model for computation, which resulted in a relative error of 1.6% between the calculated and observed values, confirming the accuracy and feasibility of the calibration method, suggesting that the calibrated parameters were accurate.

Apparent contact angle of curved and structured surfaces

The apparent contact angle is typically used to quantify the wettability on rough or structured surfaces. In particular, the prediction of the apparent contact angle is essential to design and control the surface wettability on structured surfaces. Researchers have questioned the validity of Wenzel and Cassie–Baxter equations regarding utilizing solid material of interfacial contact area instead of that at the triple contact line to calculate the apparent contact angle. In this study, we devised a new method to predict the apparent contact angle on a structured surface by utilizing the properties of actual contact angle derived from the “transversality condition.” The transversality condition shows that when a liquid is in equilibrium on a smooth curved solid surface, the actual contact angle equals the Young’s contact angle (disregarding influence of line tension). By treating the structured surface as a curved surface, the equilibrium condition was applied to calculate the apparent contact angle on both smooth and non-smooth structured surfaces. Experiments were conducted on surfaces with both concentric and parallel V-shaped grooves, which served to verify our conclusion. The proposed model demonstrates that the apparent contact angle is only influenced by the material at the triple contact line and remains independent of the contact area, a principle that is, however, violated by the Wenzel and Cassie equations. Furthermore, the model facilitates exploration of the manner in which different shapes of micro–nano structures with the same roughness factor impact the apparent contact angle, a phenomenon that the Wenzel equation fails to explain. According to various authors and the experimental results in this study, the Wenzel equation was deemed inadequate for calculating the apparent contact angle on most structured surfaces. The proposed method for accurately predicting the apparent contact angle holds potential to offer scientific guidance in the development of structured surfaces with precisely controlled wettability. This has a broad range of applications in fields such as microfluidics, biography, engineering.

An accurate measurement method of gear transmission error based on a double-angle measurement device

In this paper, a geometric model of a grating and reading head was established, where the relationship between the angle deviation, which was compensated for by double reading heads, and the actual angle is deduced. A new measurement method was proposed by applying the clock pulse counting method to the measurement of the transmission error of the gear pair input-and-output angle encoder while taking into account the gear pair’s transmission error. To demonstrate the feasibility of this measurement method, a transmission error test bench of involute gear pairs was built. Based on the output gear, the counted pulses were divided into integer pulses and non-integer pulses, and a transmission error curve was obtained by processing the pulses. The transmission errors of a helical gear with untrimmed angles and a gear pair with trimmed angles were also measured. Compared with the untrimmed gear pair, the first-order amplitude of the trimmed gear pair was reduced by 25.25%, 0.79%, and 16.9%, but other whole-order full-harmonic amplitudes were excited. However, the peak value of the single tooth surface of the trimmed gear pair was generally less than that of the untrimmed gear pair. The peak transmission error and the amplitude of the tooth harmonic frequency had good repeatability, within 16%, which verified the feasibility of the transmission error test method. The measurement precision reached 1 arcsecond in the tooth frequency.

A preparation pulse for fast steady state approach in Actual Flip angle Imaging.

Actual Flip angle Imaging (AFI) is a sequence used for B1 mapping, also embedded in the Variable flip angle with AFI for simultaneous estimation of T1 , B1 and equilibrium magnetization. To investigate the design of a preparation module for AFI to allow a fast approach to steady state (SS) without requiring the use of dummyacquisitions. The features of a preparation module with a B1 insensitive adiabatic pulse, spoiler gradients, and a recovery time were studied with simulations and validated via experiments and acquired with different k-space traveling strategies. The robustness of the flip angle of the preparation pulse on the acquired signal isstudied. When a 90° adiabatic pulse is used, the forthcoming can be expressed as a function of repetition times and AFI flip angle only as , where n represents the ratio between the two repetition times of AFI. The robustness of the method is demonstrated by showing that using the values further away from 90° still allows for a faster approach to SS than the use of dummypulses. The preparation module is particularly advantageous for low flip angles, as well as for AFI sequences that sample the center of the k-space early in the sequence, such as centric ordering acquisitions, and for ultrafast EPI-based AFI methods, thus allowing to reduce scanner overheadtime.