Closed Kinematic Chains Research Articles

Harnessing elastic energy to overcome singularity issues in four-bar mechanisms with a crank link

The ability to convert reciprocating, i.e., alternating, actuation into rotary motion using linkages is hindered fundamentally by their poor torque transmission capability around kinematic singularity configurations. Here, we harness the elastic potential energy of a linear spring attached to the coupler link of four-bar mechanisms to manipulate force transmission around the kinematic singularities. We developed a theoretical model to explore the parameter space for proper force transmission in slider-crank and rocker-crank four-bar kinematics. Finally, we verified the proposed model and methodology by building and testing a macro-scale prototype of a slider-crank mechanism. We expect this approach to enable the development of small-scale rotary engines and robotic devices with closed kinematic chains dealing with serial kinematic singularities, such as linkages and parallel manipulators.

Kinematic Modelling and Position Control of A 3-DOF Parallel Stabilizing Robot Manipulator

This paper focuses on investigating a parallel camera stabilizing manipulator with three angular degrees of freedom controlled by three linear actuators. An experimental setup is designed and manufactured to actively isolate the host vehicle's disturbing motions. The kinematic analysis of the manipulator combined with a controller is used to disturbance rejection coming from the base platform. Two inertia measurement units (IMU) are used for real-time feedback from the base and up-per platforms' orientation. A Kalman filter is implemented for handling the noises and drifts of the IMUs data. Inverse kinematics of the manipulator is used for calculating the actuating commands and velocity control of the linear motors. The experimental results of the proposed camera stabilizing system are shown. The results indicate its good capability in following the reference input of the controller. Considering the closed kinematic chain of the system and its stiff parallel architecture, this system can be a good choice for the stabilizing system of ground and aerial vehicles.

Press Up Exercises as an Alternative to Conventional Therapy of Radicular Symptoms in Patients with Low Back Pain

The study examines whether clinical and objective improvement can be achieved in patients with LBP (low back pain) with radicular symptoms using a 6-week exercise program based on press up exercises created from ADL (activities of daily living) movement patterns. This original study involved 10 men with acute L5 / S1 disc hernia. Before starting the exercise program, patients determined the intensity of pain VAS (Visual Analogue Scale), the intensity of paraesthesias (NSIP: numerical scale of paraesthesia intensity) and the location of paraesthesias. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to objectify the extent of the disc hernia, spinal cord compression, and pressure acting on the dural sac. Patients completed -week exercise program consisting only of press up ADL movement patterns in a closed kinematic chain. At the end of the exercise program, patients determined the outcome values of clinical symptoms and underwent control MRI within 2 weeks at the latest. At the end of the study all patients showed a statistically significant reduction in pain intensity (p = 0.005), paraesthesia (p = 0.006). The pressure on the dural sac was reduced in all patients. One of the patients had a partial reduction of intervertebral disc hernia by 35.7 %. None of the patients had a change in spinal root compression. Conventional therapy should focus on influencing clinical symptoms that appear to correlate with dural sac compression. We dare to argue that reduction of hernia disc is not a sign of primary recovery in LBP patients with acute phase radicular symptoms.

Comparative Efficacy of Open-Chain Kinematics and Closed-Chain Kinematics on Walking Proficiency and Societal Integration in Post-Stroke Individuals

Background: Post-stroke hemiplegic gait is a mixture of deviations and compensatory motion dictated by residual function. To improve stroke survivors' walking ability, it is necessary to evaluate different rehabilitation approaches and identify those that have a greater effect on locomotor recovery of stroke patient. This will improve their general wellbeing by promoting better health and greater community participation, for faster societal integration. Aim: This study compared the effect of open-chain kinematics (bicycle ergometry) and closed-chain kinematics (treadmill) on walking proficiency in post-stroke individuals and their societal integration. Methods: This was a pretest-posttest experimental study involving 35 ambulatory hemiplegic stroke survivors (18 males and 17 females) with a mean age of (53.77 ± 10.95) undergoing rehabilitation at Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi Araba and Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja. Patients went through 10-week rehabilitation and were randomly assigned to two intervention groups (treadmill and bicycle ergometry groups). Spatio-temporal gait parameters were measured by the six-metre walkway and community integrated questionnaire was used to examine home integration, social integration and productive activities. Data were subjected to inferential and descriptive statistics. Paired t-test was used to analyse the outcomes within the two groups and independent t-test was used to analyse the data between the groups. The level of significance was set at p ≤ 0.05. Results: Results showed significant difference between baseline and post intervention scores for all the gait parameters; stride length (p = 0.001), step length (p = 0.00), natural gait speed (p = 0.00), maximum gait speed (p = 0.01), cadence (p = 0.00) and community integration (p = 0.00) for the participants in the treadmill group; step length (p = 0.001), natural gait speed (p = 0.01), maximum gait (p = 0.02), cadence (p = 0.03) and community integration (p = 0.00) for the participants in the bicycle ergometer group except for stride length which showed no significance difference (p = 0.078). There was also a significant difference in the mean change in cadence between the treadmill and bicycle ergometer group (p = 0.04). Conclusion: Both open-chain and closed-chain kinematics are effective, but closed- chain is most effective in re-educating ambulation and re-gaining spatio-temporal gait parameters after stroke and should be structured into the patients’ treatment regimen to effectively improve functional capability in post-stroke individuals.

Ultrasound assessment of distal femoral cartilage thickness measurements after walking/jogging in subjects with pes planus

BackgroundBecause there is a closed kinematic chain between the lower extremity joints during weight-bearing activities, pes planus can affect knee biomechanics. ObjectiveThis study aimed to measure distal femoral cartilage thickness with ultrasound after 3 different conditions (at rest, during walking and jogging) in subjects with pes planus and compare these conditions with each other and also with controls. MethodSixteen participants with pes planus(5-men, 11-women; aged 18–30 years) and 16 controls(3-men, 13-women; aged 18–30 years) were enrolled. Distal femoral cartilage thickness was evaluated with ultrasound before and after three separate 30-min conditions. Preferred walking speed (PWS) was determined on the ground. Subjects walked on a treadmill for 30-min at their PWS and jogged 30-min at 30% above their PWS. The Foot Function Index and the Foot-Ankle Outcome Survey were used to evaluate the clinical and functional status of the subjects. ResultsNeither PWSs nor jogging speeds were statistically different between groups (p > 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences between groups for absolute and percent change of cartilage thickness for all three conditions (p > 0.05). There were also no statistically significant differences between conditions for each intragroup (p > 0.05). The median Foot Function Index score of the subjects with pes planus was 9.78(0–44.35) for the right foot and 9.52(0–40.87) for the left foot. The median the Foot-Ankle Outcome Survey score of the subjects with pes planus was 88(65–100). ConclusionThere was no difference in knee joint cartilage deformations under different loading conditions, neither in subjects with pes planus nor in controls.

THE NEW IMPLEMENTATION METHODS MANAGEMENT MECHANICAL CUTTING AND VIBRO PROCESS

The problem of ensuring the required quality and operation of the properties of machine parts is becoming increasingly important in mechanical engineering. However, to date, no generalized theoretical relationships between surface quality parameters, machining accuracy, performance properties of parts and parameters of machining processes, which allow to solve the problem of technological support of the specified performance properties of parts. The control of the surface formation process with the required properties is carried out mainly by using partial experimental dependences and tables of processing modes. The complexity of the problem is that when machining parts it is necessary to establish such processing conditions that would provide a set of requirements for tool wear, machining accuracy, surface quality characteristics, productivity and more. Working machines of special and general purpose, their separate knots and mechanisms are constantly improved, thus increase of a technical level of machines is carried out by introduction of new technical decisions, use of modern technologies and scientific developments. The experience of development and operation of mechanisms of parallel kinematics confirms their high efficiency and prospects of this direction of mechanical engineering. Due to the design features of the layout, the mechanisms of parallel kinematics have closed kinematic chains that form spatial structures. As a rule, these structures are based on triangular rod systems. They have high rigidity characteristics, provide high speeds and acceleration of working bodies. Accordingly, these capabilities can significantly increase the static and dynamic accuracy of positioning mechanisms. The lack of theoretical foundations for the development of mechanisms, in particular high-precision mechanisms, hinders the widespread introduction of parallel kinematics mechanisms. Improving accuracy requires a comprehensive study of kinematics and work processes, taking place in their main nodes. Therefore, studies aimed at improving the parameters of static and dynamic accuracy of spatial mechanisms of parallel kinematics are relevant.

THE LEVEL OF DORSIFLEXION IN YOUNG GYMNASTS COMPARED TO YOUNG ATHLETES - PILOT STUDY

Gymnastic training develops strength, flexibility, concentration, balance, precision, and speed. The purpose of the study is to determine if gymnastic preparation leads to an increase in weight-bearing ankle dorsiflexion range of motion in a closed kinematic chain in young artistic gymnasts compared to a different type of sport. The weight-bearing lunge was chosen to measure the dorsiflexion range of motion in the ankle joint in the closed kinematic chain. The first group consists of members of the Slovak national youth team in artistic gymnastics (n-26). The second group consists of members of the Slovak national team in rhythmic gymnastics (n-13). The control group consists of young athletes (n-22). The mean dorsiflexion range of motion in artistic gymnasts was 47.32 ° in the right ankle joint and 44.75 ° in the left ankle joint. The mean dorsiflexion range of motion in rhythmic gymnasts was 44.32 ° in the right ankle joint and 43.41 ° in the left ankle joint. The mean dorsiflexion range of motion in young athletes was 44.27 ° in the right ankle joint and 42.32 ° in the left ankle joint. Results indicate a statistically significant difference in favor of artistic gymnasts compared to rhythmic gymnasts at the right ankle joint (p-0.04). In the left ankle, the two groups did not differ significantly from each other (p-0.38). There was no significant difference between artistic gymnasts and athletes in the right ankle joint (p-0.09) and the left ankle joint (p-0.19). There was no significant difference between rhythmic gymnasts and athletes at the right ankle joint (p-0.38) and the left ankle joint (p-0.24). A greater dorsiflexion range of motion in a closed kinematic chain in the ankle joint was detected in young gymnasts compared to rhythmic gymnasts. There was no significant difference between artistic gymnasts and athletes.

Manipulability Optimization of a Rehabilitative Collaborative Robotic System

The use of collaborative robots (or cobots) in rehabilitation therapies is aimed at assisting and shortening the patient’s recovery after neurological injuries. Cobots are inherently safe when interacting with humans and can be programmed in different working modalities based on the patient’s needs and the level of the injury. This study presents a design optimization of a robotic system for upper limb rehabilitation based on the manipulability ellipsoid method. The human–robot system is modeled as a closed kinematic chain in which the human hand grasps a handle attached to the robot’s end effector. The manipulability ellipsoids are determined for both the human and the robotic arm and compared by calculating an index that quantifies the alignment of the principal axes. The optimal position of the robot base with respect to the patient is identified by a first global optimization and by a further local refinement, seeking the best alignment of the manipulability ellipsoids in a series of points uniformly distributed within the shared workspace.

Synchronization Sliding Mode Control of Closed-Kinematic Chain Robot Manipulators with Time-Delay Estimation

Control of closed-kinematic chain manipulators (CKCM) with uncertain dynamics is a tremendous challenge due to the synchronization among actual joints and end-effectors, limited workspace, and nonexistent closed-form solutions of forward kinematics. This paper proposes a synchronization control scheme based on the concept of sliding mode control (SMC) developed for CKCMs called nonsingular fast terminal sliding mode control (NFTSMC) in conjunction with the time-delay estimation (TDE) method to address the above issues. First, the cross-coupling error is derived by combining position errors and synchronization errors to achieve the synchronization goal and then used to form a sliding mode surface of the NFTSMC. After that, a control law is developed based on the sliding mode surface to ensure faster asymptotic convergence of the errors of both position and synchronization of the CKCMs in a finite and minimal time. Then, the TDE control scheme with no prior knowledge of manipulator dynamics is employed to estimate the unknown dynamics and disturbances and thereby reject the effects of chattering caused by the NFTSMC. Lyapunov stability theorem is employed to show that the overall system controlled by the proposed control scheme achieves asymptotic convergence of errors and system stability. The performance of the proposed control is assessed by computer simulation on a 2 degrees-of-freedom (DOF) planar CKCM manipulator and simulation results are presented and discussed.

On the Configurations of Closed Kinematic Chains in Three-dimensional Space

A kinematic chain in three-dimensional Euclidean space consists of $n$ links that are connected by spherical joints. Such a chain is said to be within a closed configuration when its link lengths form a closed polygonal chain in three dimensions. We investigate the space of configurations, described in terms of joint angles of its spherical joints, that satisfy the the loop closure constraint, meaning that the kinematic chain is closed. In special cases, we can find a new set of parameters that describe the diagonal lengths (the distance of the joints from the origin) of the configuration space by a simple domain, namely a cube of dimension $n-3$. We expect that the new findings can be applied to various problems such as motion planning for closed kinematic chains or singularity analysis of their configuration spaces. To demonstrate the practical feasibility of the new method, we present numerical examples.

An algorithm for trajectory optimization of dual-arm coordination based on arm angle constraints

In this paper, the motion planning of a dual-arm robot with kinematic constraints is studied based on arm-angle constraints. When a dual-arm robot moves a common object, a closed kinematic chain is formed between the dual-arm and the object. The standard sampling-based trajectory planning algorithm solves the problem with closed-chain constraint, but this causes other problems; the running time increases, the success rate decreases, and the motion trajectory of the end effector is not smooth resulting in large output error. Therefore, this paper proposes a dual-arm coordinated trajectory optimization algorithm based on arm-angle constraints. Firstly, the kinematics of the dual-arm robot is modeled and analyzed, and the definition of the arm-angle in a seven-axis robot is proposed, the workspace of the dual-arm coordinated operation is considered to constrain it, the kinematics equation combined with the single/multi-objective optimization algorithm is used to optimize the end output error, and the joint trajectory is parameterized. This paper solves the problems that the slave arm lags behind the main arm, the motion trajectory of the dual-arm is not smooth, and the dual-arm are squeezed due to internal force during the coordinated movement of the dual-arm. The trajectory optimization improves the synchronization of the coordinated operation of the dual-arm, reduces the output error of the velocity and acceleration at the end of the dual-arm. After limiting the arm-angle, dual-arm manipulation is anthropomorphic the robot does not produce distorted arm configurations.

Design, rapid manufacturing and modeling of a reduced-scale forwarder crane with closed kinematic chain

Forestry cranes are of paramount importance in forestry operations, so considerable efforts have been carried out to improve their performance in recent years. However, all these efforts have focused on automation technology, leaving aside other alternatives for improvement. Among these alternatives is model-based design, which has the potential to be game-changing for the forest industry. Because research on model-based design is almost non-existent for forestry cranes, there are many gaps that should be filled before presenting improved designs of forestry cranes. The purpose of this article is to fill two of those gaps: (1) the high cost-benefit ratio and safety concerns when testing new designs, components or algorithms in industrial-scale forestry cranes and (2) the dynamic modeling of forestry cranes as mechanical systems with closed kinematic chain. Under these premises, this article first presents a reduced-scale platform resembling a forwarder crane with closed-kinematic chain, where the components of the mechanical structure are manufactured with 3D printing technology, and second, the modeling and experimental validation of the reduced-scale forwarder, where the closed kinematic chain is considered as a system of multiple constrained open kinematic chains. For the experimental validation, a comparison between both experimental and simulation results is presented. Results presented in this article broaden the options to design and test new concepts and/or technology to improve forestry cranes performance.

Use of closed chain exercises, eccentric exercises, and proprioceptive muscle facilitation to prevent elbow injuries in climbers: a randomized control trial

IntroductionTo determine the influence of exercises in a closed kinematic chain, exercises in eccentric mode in combination with proprioceptive muscle facilitation on the level of injuries and technical skill of amateur climbers.MethodsThe participants in this study were 84 male amateur rock climbers, aged 18–19; 40 athletes were in the Intervention Group and 44 athletes were in the Control Group. In the Intervention Group, a developed injury prevention program was used. The program included the use of neuromuscular training. Exercises for proprioceptive muscle facilitation were also used. We determined the Incidence rate ratio and confidence intervals and the reliability of the influence of the level of mastery of the technique on the number of injuries by the Cochran’s and Mantel-Haenszel methods.ResultsThe use of our program reduces the Incidence rate ratio in climbers for mild, moderate and severe elbow injuries; a significant decrease was found for moderate and severe injuries. There was also a significant improvement in the results of biomechanical analysis of climbing technique in athletes in the Intervention Group (<i>p</i> < 0.001). There was a high reliability of the influence of the level of mastery of the technique on the number of injuries (<i>p</i> < 0,001).ConclusionsThe use of exercises in a closed kinematic chain, exercises in eccentric mode in combination with proprioceptive muscle facilitation reduces the Incidence rate ratio of the shoulders and increases technical skill among amateur climbers.

COMPARISON OF ANKLE DORSIFLEXION IN CLOSED KINEMATIC CHAIN OF FOOTBALL PLAYERS AND ICE HOCKEY PLAYERS

Limitation in ankle dorsiflexion is associated with the development of injury to the musculoskeletal system. However, little is known about the impact of different sports disciplines on the dorsiflexion range of motion in the ankle joint. Therefore, the aim of the study is to compare the dorsiflexion range of motion of ice hockey players and football players. The sample included 26 professional football players with an average age of 22.46 (± 3.75). The control group included 37 professional ice hockey players with an average age of 24.62 (± 4.34). The range of motion of ankle dorsiflexion in closed kinematic chain was tested using a mobile phone application. The mean ankle dorsiflexion range of motion in football players was 41.40° (± 5.36) at the right ankle joint and 45° (± 5.91) at the left ankle joint. The mean ankle dorsiflexion range of motion in football players was 42.49° (± 6.92) in the right ankle joint and 45.92° (± 5.45) in the left ankle joint. The ranges of motion of the dorsiflexion of the right ankle (p<0.016) and the dorsiflexion of the left ankle (p – 0.031) ranges of motion in ice hockey players were significantly higher compared to football players. The average ankle dorsiflexion range of motion in the closed kinematic chain of ice hockey players was significantly higher compared to football players.

Injury prevention of student rock climbers based on the formation of rational technique of movements: a randomized control trial

Background and Study Aim. Students are often injured while playing sports. The main condition for preventing injuries is the correct technique of movements. In the literature, rock climbing has not been analyzed in terms of prevention of student injuries. Therefore, the development of programs to prevent injuries of students-rock climbers is relevant. Aim: to determine the impact of the use of exercises in a closed kinematic chain on the technical skill and the number of injuries to the elbows of student-rock climbers based on the analysis of the one-arm hang technique.
 Material and methods. First, to substantiate the correct technique in rock climbing, the technique of performing one-arm hang was analyzed by 20 leading male climbers of Ukraine and 20 students - novice male climbers. Then a randomized control study was conducted. The participants in the randomized control study were 40 male students-climbers in the intervention group and 44 male students-climbers in the control group aged 18-19 years. The one-arm hang technique was determined based on the angles between the shoulder and the collarbone during the movement. The experiment lasted 1 year. At the beginning and at the end of the experiment, the analysis of the one-arm hang technique was carried out. The number of elbow injuries in both groups was also recorded.
 Results. The main parameters of the one-arm hang technique for qualified and unskilled climbers have been substantiated. For qualified climbers, one-arm hang involves the muscles of the shoulder girdle, torso, and legs. In unskilled climbers, one-arm hang is provided only by the muscles of the arm. In a control randomized study, there was a significant improvement in the results of biomechanical analysis of the hang technique in athletes in the intervention group (p <0.001). The use of exercises in a closed kinematic chain significantly reduces the incidence rate of elbow injuries in student-climbers (p <0.05). The odds rate of mild elbow injuries in the control group was 4.625 times higher than the intervention one (95% CI: 1.198; 17.854), the odds rate of moderate injuries in the control group was 5.588 times higher than in the control group than the intervention one (95% CI: 1.143; 27.324).
 Conclusions. Exercises in closed kinematic chains are an effective means of improving climbing technique and injury preventing to university students during rock climbing.

OPTIMAL GRASPING STRATEGY OF SPACE TUMBLING TARGET BASED ON MANIPULABILITY

Due to the tumbling motion of the target, the dual-arm space robot to grasp a dynamic target is more challenging compared to a static target. Besides, optimization of the grasping strategy can improve the manipulability of the space robot to operate on the tumbling targets to ensure the success of the grasping mission. In this paper, a method for grasping strategy optimization is proposed based on the manipulability evaluation. When the dual-arm space robot cooperatively grasping a target, the dual-arm end-effectors contact the target simultaneously and a closed kinematics chain is formed. As a result, the formation of the closed-chain constraint complicates the evaluation of the manipulability of the space robot. First, the kinematics and dynamics of a dual-arm space robot manipulating a target are analyzed in this paper. Following this, a cooperative workspace considering the closed-chain constraint is established, and a task compatibility based detumbling manipulability metric is analyzed. The established cooperative workspace contains both the position and the attitude information of the manipulated target in the task space, which can be used for the calculation of dexterity. Then, the optimal grasping points of the end-effectors to grasping a target are determined based on the global dexterity metric, as well as the optimal grasping configuration of the space robot to grasp a tumbling target is found based on the force task compatibility metric considering the field-of-view constraint of the camera and the velocity tracking constraint of the end-effectors to the tumbling motion of the target. Using the manipulability metrics to determine the grasping strategy can make full use of the coordination of both arms to increase the manipulability of the space robot to manipulate dynamic targets, and simulations are conducted using a 7 degree of freedom dual-arm space robot to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed grasping strategy.

A Multibody System Approach for the Systematic Development of a Closed-Chain Kinematic Model for Two-Wheeled Vehicles

In this investigation, a closed-chain kinematic model for two-wheeled vehicles is devised. The kinematic model developed in this work is general and, therefore, it is suitable for describing the complex geometry of the motion of both bicycles and motorcycles. Since the proposed kinematic model is systematically developed in the paper by employing a sound multibody system approach, which is grounded on the use of a straightforward closed-chain kinematic description, it allows for readily evaluating the effectiveness of two alternative methods to formulate the wheel-road contact constraints. The methods employed for this purpose are a technique based on the geometry of the vector cross-product and a strategy based on a simple surface parameterization of the front wheel. To this end, considering a kinematically driven vehicle system, a comparative analysis is performed to analyze the geometry of the contact between the front wheel of the vehicle and the ground, which represents a fundamental problem in the study of the motion of two-wheeled vehicles in general. Subsequently, an exhaustive and extensive numerical analysis, based on the systematic multibody approach mentioned before, is carried out in this work to study the system kinematics in detail. Furthermore, the orientation of the front assembly, which includes the frontal fork, the handlebars, and the front wheel in a seamless subsystem, is implicitly formulated through the definition of three successive rotations, and this approach is used to propose an explicit formulation of its inherent set of Euler angles. In general, the numerical results developed in the present work compare favorably with those found in the literature about vehicle kinematics and contact geometry.

Kinematic Synthesis and Analysis of the RoboMech Class Parallel Manipulator with Two Grippers

In this paper, methods of kinematic synthesis and analysis of the RoboMech class parallel manipulator (PM) with two grippers (end effectors) are presented. This PM is formed by connecting two output objects (grippers) with a base using two passive and one negative closing kinematic chains (CKCs). A PM with two end effectors can be used for reloading operations of stamped products between two adjacent main technologies in a cold stamping line. Passive CKCs represent two serial manipulators with two degrees of freedom, and negative CKC is a three-joined link with three negative degrees of freedom. A negative CKC imposes three geometric constraints on the movements of the two output objects. Geometric parameters of the negative CKC are determined on the basis of the problems of the Chebyshev and least-square approximations. Problems of positions and analogues of velocities and accelerations of the PM with two end effectors have been solved.

Modeling and Controlling the Motion of a Manipulator with a Closed Kinematic Chain and a Linear Actuator

Modeling and Controlling the Motion of a Manipulator with a Closed Kinematic Chain and a Linear Actuator

Deployable Telescopic Tubular Mechanisms With a Steerable Tongue Depressor Towards Self-Administered Oral Swab.

Swabbing tests have proved to be an effective method of diagnosis for a wide range of diseases. Potential occupational health hazards and reliance on healthcare workers during traditional swabbing procedures can be mitigated by self-administered swabs. Hence, we report possible methods to apply closed kinematic chain theory to develop a self-administered viral swab to collect respiratory specimens. The proposed sensorized swab models utilizing hollow polypropylene tubes possess mechanical compliance, simple construction, and inexpensive components. In detail, the adaptation of the slider-crank mechanism combined with concepts of a deployable telescopic tubular mechanical system is explored through four different oral swab designs. A closed kinematic chain on suitable material to create a developable surface allows the translation of simple two-dimensional motion into more complex multi-dimensional motion. These foldable telescopic straws with multiple kirigami cuts minimize components involved in the system as the characteristics are built directly into the material. Further, it offers a possibility to include soft stretchable sensors for realtime performance monitoring. A variety of features were constructed and tested using the concepts above, including 1) tongue depressor and cough/gag reflex deflector; 2) changing the position and orientation of the oral swab when sample collection is in the process; 3) protective cover for the swabbing bud; 4) a combination of the features mentioned above.