User's Hand Research Articles

A General Purpose Robotic Hand Exoskeleton With Series Elastic Actuation.

This paper describes the design and control of a novel hand exoskeleton. A subcategory of upper extremity exoskeletons, hand exoskeletons have promising applications in healthcare services, industrial workplaces, virtual reality, and military. Although much progress has been made in this field, most of the existing systems are position controlled and face several design challenges, including achieving minimal size and weight, difficulty enforcing natural grasping motions, exerting sufficient grip strength, ensuring the safety of the users hand, and maintaining overall user friendliness. To address these issues, this paper proposes a novel, slim, lightweight linkage mechanism design for a hand exoskeleton with a force control paradigm enabled via a compact series elastic actuator. A detailed design overview of the proposed mechanism is provided, along with kinematic and static analyses. To validate the overall proposed hand exoskeleton system, a fully integrated prototype is developed and tested in a series of experimental trials.

Design and Performance Research of Slotted-Π Microstrip Patch Antenna for LTE Applications

This paper propose the design of microstrip antenna which is used in cellular communication application especially at LTE network. The antenna was printed using FR-4 substrate material with dielectric constant of εr =4.4 and thickness of h = 1.6 mm. The overall dimension of the antenna is 135mm x 32 mm x 1.6 mm with 50 Ω impedance. This antenna operates between 400 MHz to 900 MHz for return loss of less than -10 dB. The simulation results suggest that the antenna gain is 4.725 dB with omni-directional radiation pattern. The antenna is designed to operate in the 2800 MHz, 4100-6200 MHz, and 8.85 GHz 10.00GHz, frequency bands. The characterization of the antenna in free-space as well as in the proximity of the user hand is presented. The results confirm the excellent performance of the proposed diversity antenna.

Emails and death: Legal issues surrounding post-mortem transmission of emails

The paper is a first thorough examination of what happens to one’s emails on death. The paper demonstrates that some content of emails can be protected by copyright and transmitted on death accordingly. The paper then analyzes the contractual provisions of the main email providers, Google and Microsoft, in order to determine how these contracts, regulate the transmission of emails on death. The author finds that these provisions complicate the issues of property and transmission of digital assets and do not offer a meaningful control over the assets for their users. The paper adopts a novel focus introduced in the author’s earlier research, the idea of post-mortem privacy that is the right to privacy after death. This concept serves as an argument against the default transmission of emails on death without the deceased’s consent, whether through the laws of intestacy or by requiring the service providers to provide access to the deceased’s emails. Finally, the paper canvasses a solution which combines law and technology. It is argued that much more control should be placed in the hands of emails users. Post-mortem privacy, a potentially contested phenomenon, only accentuates the need to better account for the interests of the deceased, having in mind the volume of personal data and personal nature of emails. Therefore, an in-service solution is promoted, backed up by policy and legislation.

Handheld probe for quantitative micro-elastography.

Optical coherence elastography (OCE) has been proposed for a range of clinical applications. However, the majority of these studies have been performed using bulky, lab-based imaging systems. A compact, handheld imaging probe would accelerate clinical translation, however, to date, this had been inhibited by the slow scan rates of compact devices and the motion artifact induced by the user's hand. In this paper, we present a proof-of-concept, handheld quantitative micro-elastography (QME) probe capable of scanning a 6 × 6 × 1 mm volume of tissue in 3.4 seconds. This handheld probe is enabled by a novel QME acquisition protocol that incorporates a custom bidirectional scan pattern driving a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) scanner, synchronized with the sample deformation induced by an annular PZT actuator. The custom scan pattern reduces the total acquisition time and the time difference between B-scans used to generate displacement maps, minimizing the impact of motion artifact. We test the feasibility of the handheld QME probe on a tissue-mimicking silicone phantom, demonstrating comparable image quality to a bench-mounted setup. In addition, we present the first handheld QME scans performed on human breast tissue specimens. For each specimen, quantitative micro-elastograms are co-registered with, and validated by, histology, demonstrating the ability to distinguish stiff cancerous tissue from surrounding soft benign tissue.

Real-time pose and shape reconstruction of two interacting hands with a single depth camera

We present a novel method for real-time pose and shape reconstruction of two strongly interacting hands. Our approach is the first two-hand tracking solution that combines an extensive list of favorable properties, namely it is marker-less, uses a single consumer-level depth camera, runs in real time, handles inter- and intra-hand collisions, and automatically adjusts to the user's hand shape. In order to achieve this, we embed a recent parametric hand pose and shape model and a dense correspondence predictor based on a deep neural network into a suitable energy minimization framework. For training the correspondence prediction network, we synthesize a two-hand dataset based on physical simulations that includes both hand pose and shape annotations while at the same time avoiding inter-hand penetrations. To achieve real-time rates, we phrase the model fitting in terms of a nonlinear least-squares problem so that the energy can be optimized based on a highly efficient GPU-based Gauss-Newton optimizer. We show state-of-the-art results in scenes that exceed the complexity level demonstrated by previous work, including tight two-hand grasps, significant inter-hand occlusions, and gesture interaction. 1

FinalFilter: Asserting Security Properties of a Processor at Runtime

In an ideal world, it would be possible to build a provably correct and secure processor. However, the complexity of today's processors puts this ideal out of reach. The complete verification of a modern processor remains intractable. Statically verifying even a simple security property -for example, privilege escalation never occurs -remains beyond the state of the art in formal verification. Testing can complement formal verification methods, yet testing is incomplete and bugs in the hardware that leave it vulnerable continue to elude test suites. Further, a crafty malicious actor can evade typical testing coverage metrics. Recent efforts, including that of three of the authors, have explored the use of static analysis on the design files (e.g., hardware description level source code or gate-level netlists) to find suspicious circuitry. These techniques rely on heuristics to define patterns that indicate a likely trojan and then search for instances in the design that match the pattern. However, malicious circuitry that does not match the pattern will be missed, as will inadvertent bugs that open vulnerabilities. By the time the weakness is uncovered, the hardware is already in the end user's hands and vulnerable to attack. In the absence of a full proof of correctness, what is needed is a final filter: a runtime verification technique that works-postdeployment-to detect and respond to security property violations as they occur during execution. In this article, we make the case for final filters using our tool, FinalFilter, as a case study.

Assisted Music Score Reading Using Fixed-Gaze Head Movement

Eye-tracking has a very strong potential in human computer interaction (HCI) as an input modality, particularly in mobile situations. However, it lacks convenient action triggering methods. In our research, we investigate the combination of eye-tracking and fixed-gaze head movement, which allows us to trigger various commands without using our hands or changing gaze direction. In this instance, we have proposed a new algorithm for fixed-gaze head movement detection using only scene images captured by the scene camera equipped in front of the head-mounted eye-tracker, for the purpose of saving computation time. To test the performance of our fixed-gaze head movement detection algorithm and the acceptance of triggering commands by these movements when the user's hands are occupied by another task, we have designed and developed an experimental application known as EyeMusic. The EyeMusic system is a music reading system, which can play the notes of a measure in a music score that the user does not understand. By making a voluntary head movement when fixing his/her gaze on the same point of a music score, the user can obtain the desired audio feedback. The design, development and usability testing of the first prototype for this application are presented in this paper. The usability of our application is confirmed by the experimental results, as 85% of participants were able to use all the head movements we implemented in the prototype. The average success rate of this application is 70%, which is partly influenced by the performance of the eye-tracker we use. The performance of our fixed-gaze head movement detection algorithm is 85%, and there were no significant differences between the performance of each head movement.

A Robot with an Augmented-Reality Display for Functional Capacity Evaluation and Rehabilitation of Injured Workers.

Occupational rehabilitation is an integral part of the recovery process for workers who have sustained injuries at the workplace. It often requires the injured worker to engage in functional tasks that simulate the workplace environment to help regain their functional capabilities and allow for a return to employment. We present a system comprised of a robotic arm for recreating the physical dynamics of functional tasks and a 3D Augmented Reality (AR) display for immersive visualization of the tasks. While this system can be used to simulate a multitude of occupational tasks, we focus on one specific functional task. Participants perform a virtual version of the task using the robot-AR system, and a physical version of the same task without the system. This study shows the results for two able-bodied users to determine if the robot-AR system produces upper-limb movements similar to the real-life equivalent task. The similarity between relative joint positions, i.e., hand-to-elbow (H2E) and elbow-to-shoulder (E2S) displacements, is evaluated within clusters based on the spatial position of the user's hand. The H2E displacements for approximately 50% of hand position clusters were consistent between the robot-AR and real-world conditions and approximately 30% for E2S displacements. The similar clusters are distributed across the entire task space however, indicating the robot-AR system has the potential to properly simulate real-world equivalent tasks.

Experimental Assessment of a Novel Touchless Interface for Intraprocedural Imaging Review.

To examine the feasibility of a novel technology platform that enables real-time touchless interaction with radiology images in both a simulated and an actual clinical setting. This platform offers three different modes for image interaction. The gesture recognition mode uses a depth camera to detect the user's hand gestures which are translated to image manipulation commands. The light projection mode uses the same camera to detect finger point-and-tap movements above the icons which are projected on a surface to activate the commands. The capacitive sensing mode is enabled by a handheld, portable device, over which finger movements are detected by capacitive sensors to control the image review. Following initial feedback, light projection and capacitive sensing modes were selected for further testing by comparing with the conventional mode of image interaction in time trials for performing a series of standardized image manipulation tasks. Finally, the usability of the technology platform was examined in actual clinical procedures. The light projection and the capacitive sensing modes were evaluated in the time trials and exhibited 60% and 71% reduction in time, respectively, relative to the control mode (p < 0.001). Clinical feasibility for this platform was demonstrated in three actual interventional radiology cases. Accessing, navigating, and extracting relevant information from patient images intraprocedurally are cumbersome and time-consuming tasks that affect safety, efficiency, and decision-making during image-guided procedures. This study demonstrated that the novel technology addressed this issue by allowing touchless interaction with these images in the sterile field.

Multiband multiple‐input multiple‐output antenna with high isolation for future 5G smartphone applications

A multiband high-isolation multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna using balanced mode and coupled neutralization line (NL) is presented in this article. The balanced modes of dipole and loop antennas, which leads to good isolation intrinsically are used for the 8 × 8 MIMO in the LTE bands 42 (3400-3600 MHz)/Chinese 5G band (3300-3400 and 3400-3600 MHz). The unbalanced mode of loop antennas, which optimized by decoupling structure are designed for the 4 × 4 MIMO in the LTE band 40 (2300-2400 MHz). Therefore, the eight-antenna array is formed by four dipole elements and four loop elements. The simulated and measured results show that the proposed antenna can cover 2300 to 2400 and 3300 to 3600 MHz, with reflection coefficient better than −6 dB and isolation higher than 15 dB. Good radiation performance and low envelope correlation coefficient can also be obtained. Specific absorption rate of user's hand is also discussed in this article.

Effects of Different Hand-Grounding Locations on Haptic Performance With a Wearable Kinesthetic Haptic Device

Grounding of kinesthetic feedback against a user's hand can increase the portability and wearability of a haptic device. However, the effects of different hand-grounding locations on haptic perception of a user are unknown. In this letter, we investigate the effects of three different hand-grounding locations-back of the hand, proximal phalanx of the index finger, and middle phalanx of the index finger-on haptic perception using a newly designed wearable haptic device. The novel device can provide kinesthetic feedback to the user's index finger in two directions: along the finger-axis and in the finger's flexion-extension movement direction. We measure users' haptic perception for each grounding location through a psychophysical experiment for each of the two feedback directions. Results show that among the studied locations, grounding at proximal phalanx has a smaller average just noticeable difference for both feedback directions, indicating a more sensitive haptic perception. The realism of the haptic feedback, based on user ratings, was the highest with grounding at the middle phalanx for feedback along the finger axis, and at the proximal phalanx for feedback in the flexion-extension direction. Users identified the haptic feedback as most comfortable with grounding at the back of the hand for feedback along the finger axis and at the proximal phalanx for feedback in the flexion-extension direction. These findings show that the choice of grounding location has a significant impact on the user's haptic perception and qualitative experience. The results provide insights for designing next-generation wearable hand-grounded kinesthetic devices to achieve better haptic performance and user experience in virtual reality and teleoperated robotic applications.

Server-Focused Security Assessment of Mobile Health Apps for Popular Mobile Platforms.

BackgroundThe importance of mobile health (mHealth) apps is growing. Independent of the technologies used, mHealth apps bring more functionality into the hands of users. In the health context, mHealth apps play an important role in providing information and services to patients, offering health care professionals ways to monitor vital parameters or consult patients remotely. The importance of confidentiality in health care and the opaqueness of transport security in apps make the latter an important research subject.ObjectiveThis study aimed to (1) identify relevant security concerns on the server side of mHealth apps, (2) test a subset of mHealth apps regarding their vulnerability to those concerns, and (3) compare the servers used by mHealth apps with servers used in all domains.MethodsServer security characteristics relevant to the security of mHealth apps were assessed, presented, and discussed. To evaluate servers, appropriate tools were selected. Apps from the Android and iOS app stores were selected and tested, and the results for functional and other backend servers were evaluated.ResultsThe 60 apps tested communicate with 823 servers. Of these, 291 were categorized as functional backend servers, and 44 (44/291, 15.1%) of these received a rating below the A range (A+, A, and A−) by Qualys SSL Labs. A chi-square test was conducted against the number of servers receiving such ratings from SSL Pulse by Qualys SSL Labs. It was found that the tested servers from mHealth apps received significantly fewer ratings below the A range (P<.001). The internationally available apps from the test set performed significantly better than those only available in the German stores (alpha=.05; P=.03). Of the 60 apps, 28 (28/60, 47%) were found using at least one functional backend server that received a rating below the A range from Qualys SSL Labs, endangering confidentiality, authenticity, and integrity of the data displayed. The number of apps that used at least one entirely unsecured connection was 20 (20/60, 33%) when communicating with functional backend servers. It was also found that a majority of apps used advertising, tracking, or external content provider servers. When looking at all nonfunctional backend servers, 48 (48/60, 80%) apps used at least one server that received a rating below the A range.ConclusionsThe results show that although servers in the mHealth domain perform significantly better regarding their security, there are still problems with the configuration of some. The most severe problems observed can expose patient communication with health care professionals, be exploited to display false or harmful information, or used to send data to an app facilitating further damage on the device. Following the recommendations for mHealth app developers, the most regularly observed security issues can be avoided or mitigated.

Kajian Rantai Pasok Dan Pemasaran Daging Sapi Di Kabupaten Mempawah

Beef is one of the food products that have no nutritional value in other to meet protein needs for the community. Beef supply chain is a concept that has a regulatory system relating to product flow, financial flow and information flow which jointly working to create and deliver a product into the hands of end users in the process of distribution of beef cattle live into beef. This study aims not only to determine the flow of products, financial flows and the flow of information in the beef supply chain, but also to analysis the efficiency of the level marketing. The study used description and analysc whith proportional random sampling and snowball sampling methods. The data is this study have been analysis by using marketing efficiency analysis, marketing margin, analysis and farmers share as well as profitability index. The results of this study as follow : (1) there streams in the beef supply chain in Mempawah Regency such as product flow, financial flows and information flow are not working well optimally; (2) the distribution channel of beef supply chain in Mempawah Regency is efficient based on efficiency of marketing value, marketing margins are profitable, the value of FS &gt; MP and PI values that show the value of profits earned.Keywords : Supply Chain, Beef, Marketing

Dual-Functional MIMO Antenna Array With High Isolation for 5G/WLAN Applications in Smartphones

A dual-functional antenna array operating in the long term evolution (LTE) band 42 (3.4-3.6 GHz) and 5.8-GHz wireless wide area network (WLAN) band (5.725-5.875 GHz) for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) applications in 5G smartphones is proposed. The proposed 8-antenna array is composed of two different antenna elements, namely, the folded L-shaped antenna and couple-fed U-shaped antenna. It can be applied in the 8 × 8 (by using 8 antenna elements) and 4 × 4 (by using 4 antenna elements) MIMO system across the LTE band 42 and 5.8-GHz WLAN band, respectively. The quasi-orthogonal polarization, balanced mode excitation and pattern diversity are properly used to achieve high isolation within the operation bands. A prototype of the proposed antenna array was fabricated and measured. The measured isolations in the LTE band 42 (6-dB impedance matching) and 5.8-GHz WLAN band (10-dB impedance matching) are better than 17.1 dB and 34.6 dB, respectively. The total efficiencies are 45%-62% and 52%-59% in the two operation bands, respectively. Besides, the measured envelope correlation coefficients (ECCs) are less than 0.045 and 0.0001, the calculated peak ergodic channel capacities are 37.9 bps/Hz and 19.3 bps/Hz in the 8 × 8 or 4 × 4 MIMO system across the operation bands. Furthermore, user's hand and head effects are investigated and desirable results are obtained. The above results show that this proposed antenna array is a good candidate for MIMO applications in smartphones.

ENVELOPE CORRELATION COEFFICIENT OF A TWO-PORT MIMO TERMINAL ANTENNA UNDER UNIFORM AND GAUSSIAN ANGULAR POWER SPECTRUM WITH USER'S HAND EFFECT

ENVELOPE CORRELATION COEFFICIENT OF A TWO-PORT MIMO TERMINAL ANTENNA UNDER UNIFORM AND GAUSSIAN ANGULAR POWER SPECTRUM WITH USER'S HAND EFFECT

Artifacts and landmarks: pearls and pitfalls for in vivo reflectance confocal microscopy of the skin using the tissue-coupled device

Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) is a non-invasive imaging tool for cellular-level examination of skin lesions, typically from the epidermis to the superficial dermis. Clinical studies show RCM imaging is highly sensitive and specific in the diagnosis of skin diseases. RCM is disseminating from academic tertiary care centers with early adopter "experts" into diverse clinical settings, with image acquisition performed by technicians and image interpretation by physicians. In the hands of trained users, RCM serves an aid to accurately diagnose and monitor skin tumors and inflammatory processes. However, exogenous and endogenous artifacts introduced during imaging can obscure RCM images, limiting or prohibiting interpretation. Herein we review the types of artifacts that may occur and techniques for mitigating them during image acquisition, to assist technicians with qualitative image assessment and provide physicians guidance on identifying artifacts that may confound interpretation. Finally, we discuss normal skin "landmarks" and how they can (i) obscure images, (ii) be exploited for additional diagnostic information, and (iii) simulate pathological structures. A deeper understanding of the principles and methods behind RCM imaging and the varying appearance of normal skin structures in the acquired images aids technicians in capturing higher quality image sets and enables physicians to increase interpretation accuracy.

Emails and Death: Legal Issues Surrounding Post-Mortem Transmission of Emails

The paper is a first thorough examination of what happens to one’s emails on death. The paper demonstrates that some content of emails can be protected by copyright and transmitted on death accordingly. The paper then analyses the contractual provisions of the main email providers, Google and Microsoft, in order to determine how these contracts regulate the transmission of emails on death. The author finds that these provisions complicate the issues of property and transmission of digital assets and do not offer a meaningful control over the assets for their users. The paper adopts a novel focus introduced in the author’s earlier research, the idea of post-mortem privacy, i.e. the right to privacy after death. This concept serves as an argument against the default transmission of emails on death without the deceased’s consent, whether through the laws of intestacy or by requiring the service providers to provide access to the deceased’s emails. Finally, the paper canvasses a solution which combines law and technology. It is argued that much more control should be placed in the hands of emails users. Post-mortem privacy, a potentially contested phenomenon, only accentuates the need to better account for the interests of the deceased, having in mind the volume of personal data and personal nature of emails. Therefore, an in-service solution is promoted, backed up by policy and legislation.

TRUS applications in anal and rectal diseases

Transrectal ultrasound (TRUS), sometimes named endoanal ultrasound, is performed with dedicated endoprobes and in the hands of an experienced user, can represent an indispensable tool in evaluation of anal fistulae and abscesses in the perianal and – rectal region plus staging of anal and rectal cancer. The spatial resolution of TRUS is unsurpassed, however, MRI or CT should be used to provide a complementary overview of the entire region. The anal canal constitutes the distal approximately 4 cm of the bowel system and represents the transition between mucosal lining in the rectum and squamous cell lining of the skin. The ultrasound appearance is dominated by the change in anatomy of the muscular layers of the wall which in this small segment is made up solely of the circular, concentric muscles representing the internal and external anal sphincter. The anal canal is divided into 3 levels relating to the sphincter muscles. In rectum 5 distinctive layers corresponding to the underlying anatomy can be identified with TRUS and correlated to disease. TRUS guided intervention by means of biopsy or drainage can be performed with a rigid US probe as well as with flexible echoendoscopes. The rigid US probe with an end-fire design is optimal for endo-rectal interventions and in most cases can visualize the entire rectum including perirectal structures. With use of a dedicated needle guide mounted on the probe this technique enables precise puncture of most rectal or perirectal target seen on TRUS. TRUS guided biopsy of rectal masses is an important supplement to the conventional endoscopic biopsy if the latter technique does not provide the final diagnosis. Indications are staging of rectal cancer or suspicions of local recurrence. In these cases, a TRUS guided biopsy of the rectal masse with a 1.2 mm needle (18 gauge automatic or semi-automatic biopsy systems) can provide a deep tissue sample that often results in a final histologic diagnosis. In addition, TRUS guided biopsy is an obvious technique to provide histologic or cytologic information about enlarged lymph nodes or other suspicious perirectal masses. TRUS guided drainage of perianal and deep pelvis abscesses or other fluid collections is a safe approach and effective treatment in cases where the transabdominal percutaneous access cannot be utilized because of overlying structures. This technique provides an alternative to other access routes such as transvaginal, transgluteal or transperineal technique Smaller abscesses can often be treated with needle aspiration followed by saline irrigation, whereas larger abscesses may require continuous drainage through a catheter, which can be inserted with Seldinger technique. A preprocedure CT examination of the lower abdomen is recommended to visualize the exact location and size of the abscess in order to optimize drainage strategy.

Investigations on collaborative remote control of virtual robotic manipulators by using a Kinect v2 sensor

The present work deals with design aspects and testing results of a novel solution regarding the remote control of two virtual robotic manipulators by using hands motion tracking and palms gesture recognition. The spatial position and orientation of the user's left and right hands' wrists are interpreted by a custom built software application and then forwarded as positioning data and gripper status to a V-Rep server running the simulation scene. The goal of the presented setup is for the user to be able to manipulate objects in the scene in a collaborative way, i.e. pick one object with the first robot and give it to the second one for elsewhere depositing. The real-life applications for this approach are to provide a framework for simplified operator training and programming of robots used in pick-and-place or assembly operations, and also in healthcare for assisting patients in hand -coordination and mobility recovery.

Hand Grip Impact on 5G mmWave Mobile Devices

This paper contributes a comprehensive study on the effect of the user hand grip on the design of 5G millimeter-wave (mmWave) mobile handsets, specifically in terms of the antenna module placement and the beamforming codebook. The high-frequency structure simulator (HFSS) is used to characterize the radiation fields for different antenna placements and 14 possible handgrip profiles based on the experiments that we conducted. The loss from hand blockage on the antenna gains can be up to 20-25 dB, which implies that the possible hand grip profiles need to be taken into account while designing the antenna module placement and beamforming codebook. Specifically, we consider three different codebook adaption schemes: a grip-aware scheme, where perfect knowledge of the hand grip is available; a semi-aware scheme, where just the application (voice call, messaging, and so on) and the orientation of the mobile handset is known; and a grip-agnostic scheme, where the codebook ignores the hand blockage. Our results show that the ideal grip-aware scheme can provide more than 50% gain in terms of the spherical coverage over the agnostic scheme, depending on the grip and orientation. Encouragingly, the more practical semi-aware scheme that we propose provides performance approaching the fully grip-aware scheme. Overall, we demonstrate that the 5G mmWave handsets are different from pre-5G handsets: the user grip needs to be explicitly factored into the antenna placement and the codebook design.