Biomechanical Platform Research Articles

A Metamaterial Computational Multi-Sensor of Grip-Strength Properties with Point-of-Care Human-Computer Interaction.

Grip strength is a biomarker of frailty and an evaluation indicator of brain health, cardiovascular morbidity, and psychological health. Yet, the development of a reliable, interactive, and point-of-care device for comprehensive multi-sensing of hand grip status is challenging. Here, a relation between soft buckling metamaterial deformations and built piezoelectric voltage signals is uncovered to achieve multiple sensing of maximal grip force, grip speed, grip impulse, and endurance indicators. A metamaterial computational sensor design is established by hyperelastic model that governs the mechanical characterization, machine learning models for computational sensing, and graphical user interface to provide visual cues. A exemplify grip measurement for left and right hands of seven elderly campus workers is conducted. By taking indicators of grip status as input parameters, human-computer interactive games are incorporated into the computational sensor to improve the user compliance with measurement protocols. Two elderly female schizophrenic patients are participated in the real-time interactive point-of-care grip assessment and training for potentially sarcopenia screening. The attractive features of this advanced intelligent metamaterial computational sensing system are crucial to establish a point-of-care biomechanical platform and advancing the human-computer interactive healthcare, ultimately contributing to a global health ecosystem.

A perioral dynamic model for investigating human speech articulation

A multibody system called the perioral dynamic model for investigating dynamic behavior of human speech articulator is presented. The model is based on the biomechanical architecture of human speech articulators, consisting of the soft tissue around the lips, the related muscles, and the jaw bone structure. The dynamic consequence of human speech articulation is revealed as a sequential perioral motion induced by the selectively activated muscle actions. As an anatomically consistent biomechanical platform, the perioral dynamic model is designed to represent the rigid jaw motion as well as the perioral soft tissue deformation interacting with each other. The perioral soft tissue in the model is approximated as a discrete particle system consisting of lumped point masses interconnecting with adjacent ones via viscoelastic elements. To ensure continuum-compatible static deformation in the discrete particle system, we introduce a method of adjusting element stiffness. We also present a new method for determining the effective forces acting on the jaw-bone-attached nodes that transforms jaw dynamics in the rigid body system into the one defined in the discrete particle system, keeping dynamic equivalency and equipollency between two systems. To derive muscle activations which let the developed dynamic model produce a simulated perioral motion mimicking an actual human speech behavior, we present an inverse dynamics technique driven by visual observation-based feedback of an actual lip motion.

Ecce techno, or, suiting the biomechanical platform: immersion and contemporary embodiment

This article examines what happens in the experience of embodiment when a person is immersed or clad in technologies designed to redefine the edges and to extend the communicative capabilities of each individual body. The article also analyses how multisensory communications technology is currently challenging contemporary definitions of gender, community and technology.