Adjustable Sleeve Research Articles

Generation of Inverted Locomotion Gait for Multi-Legged Robots Using a Spherical Magnetic Joint and Adjustable Sleeve

In this paper, we propose the design and implementation of spherical magnetic joint (SMJ)-based gait generation for the inverted locomotion of multi-legged robots. A spherical permanent magnet was selected to generate a consistent attractive force, enabling the robot to perform inverted locomotion under steel structures. Additionally, the robot’s foot tip was designed as a balljoint mechanism, providing flexibility in foot placement at any angle between the tip and surface. We also introduced an adjustable sleeve mechanism to detach the foot tip during locomotion by creating a fulcrum during the tilt and pull steps. This mechanism effectively reduced the reaction force based on the sleeve diameter. The experimental results showed a 46% decrease in the present load when using the adjustable sleeve mechanism compared to direct pulling. For inverted locomotion, a quadruped robot and a hexapod robot, which represent the predominant type of multi-legged robots, were constructed. We integrated the SMJ and adjustable sleeve into both robots, enabling them to perform inverted locomotion with various gaits such as crawling, trotting, square, and tripod gaits. Our analysis examined the characteristics of each gait in terms of velocity and stability, thereby confirming the versatility of the proposed SMJ, which can be applied to different types of legged robots.

Mobiderm Autofit: an adjustable sleeve that enables patients to self-manage lymphoedema.

Lymphoedema can result in debilitating physical and psychosocial morbidity and when combined with other chronic comorbidity, often requires holistic, specialist management that encompasses all the complex and compounding problems. Self-care is an integral component of any treatment strategy, however, the patient must be fully prepared and ongoing support should be provided. Self-care consists of managing the symptoms of lymphoedema but should include other fundamental aspects of healthy living, for example, maintaining a healthy weight and activity levels. To improve self-care, compression manufacturers have been instrumental in designing new ways of applying compression. Mobiderm Autofit armsleeves have been designed to improve the donning and wearing of compression sleeves in all patients. This product is especially useful for night-time wear and in the presence of fragile skin, or for those who only require reduced compression. The benefits of this garment are demonstrated in three case studies.

Non-contact wearable single forearm cardiac biopotential acquisition device

In this work the authors propose a novel approach to obtain the electrocardiogram in the forearm using non-contact sensing. This new solution should be at same time portable, ergonomic and robust, enabling its use in different set of applications. A system of four electrodes was used in an adjustable sleeve to be wrapped in the forearm. No additional electrode references were used in other body parts. In order to increase the sensitivity of the system, an harmonium like approach was used in the design of the electrodes. The prototype was then compared with a similar system with a flat conformation. The developed prototype enabled the acquisition of an ECG signal in the forearm and the inclusion of the harmonium like electrode conformation resulted in a considerable increase of the sensitivity of the system. The acquired signal did not enable the identification of all characteristic cardiac waves. However, it was possible to identify clearly a signal pattern, characteristic of the QRS complex. The properties of the acquired signal restrict their use in rigorous electrocardiographic studies, allowing, however, its application in heart rate variability monitoring and biometric identification without the disadvantages usually associated with conventional electrodes. This makes it specially useful for man-machine interfaces and automated identification.