Use Of Interface Research Articles

Refining an Asynchronous Telerehabilitation Platform for Speech-Language Pathology: Engaging End-Users in the Process.

Asynchronous telerehabilitation in which computer-based interventions are remotely monitored and adapted offline is an emerging service delivery model in the rehabilitation of communication disorders. The asynchronous nature of this model may hold a benefit over its synchronous counterpart by eliminating scheduling issues and thus improving efficiency in a healthcare landscape of constrained resource allocation. The design of asynchronous telerehabilitation platforms should therefore ensure efficiency and flexibility. The authors have been engaged in a program of research to develop and evaluate an asynchronous telerehabilitation platform for use in speech-language pathology. eSALT is a novel asynchronous telerehabilitation platform in which clinicians design and individualize therapy tasks for transfer to a client's mobile device. An inbuilt telerehabilitation module allows for remote monitoring and updating of tasks. This paper introduces eSALT and reports outcomes from an usability study that considered the needs of two end-user groups, people with aphasia and clinicians, in the on-going refinement of eSALT. In the study participants with aphasia were paired with clinicians who used eSALT to design and customize therapy tasks. After training on the mobile device the participants engaged in therapy at home for a period of 3 weeks, while clinicians remotely monitored and updated tasks. Following the home trial, participants, and clinicians engaged in semi-structured interviews and completed surveys on the usability of eSALT and their satisfaction with the platform. Content analysis of data involving five participants and three clinicians revealed a number of usability themes including ease of use, user support, satisfaction, limitations, and potential improvements. These findings were translated into a number of refinements of the eSALT platform including the development of a client interface for use on the Apple iPad®, greater variety in feedback options to both the participant and clinician, automatic transfer of results to the clinician, and expansion of the task template list. This research highlights the importance of including end-users in the process of technology refinement, in order to ensure effective and efficient use of the technology. Future directions for research are discussed including clinical trials in which the effectiveness of and adherence to intervention protocols using asynchronous telerehabilitation are examined.

NONRESTRAINT MASTER SYSTEM FOR SURGICAL ROBOTS

Purpose: To overcome the anisotropic characteristics caused by nonuniform friction and singularity in mechanical master interfaces in minimally invasive surgical robot systems, we developed a nonrestraint optical master interface. Materials and Methods: The interface was developed using high-resolution infrared cameras and small reflection markers attached on handheld tongs. We derived 7-degrees of freedom (DOF) motion of the tongs from the kinematic solution of three markers. The accuracy of 3-DOF rotational motion was examined to verify the spatial resolution. The manipulability of the developed nonrestraint master system was evaluated by comparing it with a mechanical master interface (Phantom Premium, SensAble Inc.). Results: The rotational discrepancies were less than 1.72[Formula: see text], 0.39[Formula: see text], and 0.87[Formula: see text] for roll, pitch, and yaw, respectively. The motion comparisons, including straight line, circle, and eight-shape motions, indicated that the nonrestraint master could achieve movements that are more natural. Discussion: In vitro tests showed the feasibility of the proposed nonrestraint optical master interface for use with surgical robots. Because the proposed interface allows natural motion capability, more intuitive surgical motions are possible. In addition, the motion range are expected to increase and the problems associated with master–slave coupling are expected to reduce by our nonrestraint master interface.

A human–robot interface using particle filter, Kalman filter, and over-damping method

This paper presents a novel human---manipulator interface which copies the hand motion to control a manipulator. In the proposed interface, an inertial measurement unit is used to measure the orientation of the human hand, and a 3D camera is employed to locate the human hand using the Camshift algorithm. Although the position and the orientation of the human can be obtained from two sensors, the measurement errors increase over time due to the noise of the devices and the tracking errors. Therefore, particle filter and Kalman filter are used to estimate the position and the orientation of the human hand. Due to the limitations of the perceptive and the motor, human operator cannot accomplish the high-precision manipulation without any assistance. An over-damping method is employed to assist the operator to improve the accuracy and reliability in determining the postures of the manipulator. The human---manipulator interface system was experimentally tested in a lab environment, and the results indicate that such an interface can successfully control a robot manipulator even when the operator is not an expert.

A tablet computer application for conceptual design

In the conceptual design phase, solutions are reached through an iterative, high-paced and often chaotic manner. Conventional advanced structural analysis software is often too advanced and insufficiently agile to follow this high-paced work pattern. Premature use of advanced structural analysis tools can negatively affect conceptual understanding and the quality of the conceptual design. The multi-touch interfaces of today's tablet computers give the user a strong feeling of direct manipulation of objects on the screen. This is interesting for structural mechanics applications, enabling direct manipulation of the structural model on the screen so as to have a better understanding and feeling of the structural behaviour. A tablet computer application for the conceptual design phase, which uses this type of direct manipulation interface, has been developed.

Markerless Human–Manipulator Interface Using Leap Motion With Interval Kalman Filter and Improved Particle Filter

The aim of this paper is to propose a novel markerless human–robot interface, which is derived from the idea that the manipulator copies the movements of human hands. With this method, one operator could control dual robots through both his or her hands in a contactless and markerless environment. In order to obtain the position and orientation of human hands in real time, a sensor called leap motion (LM) is employed in this paper. However, because of the tracking errors and noises of the sensor, the measurement errors increase with time. Therefore, interval Kalman filter (IKF) and improved particle filter (IPF) are used to estimate the position and the orientation of the human hands, respectively. Furthermore, in order to avoid the perceptive limitations and the motor limitations, which prevent the operator from carrying out the high-precision experiment, a modification of adaptive multispace transformation (AMT) method is raised to assist the operator to determine the posture of the manipulator. The greatest strength of our method is that it is totally contactless and could estimate the pose of the human hands accurately and stably without any assistance from markers. A series of experiments have been conducted to verify the human–manipulator interface system, and the results show that the system is indeed of high availability and fault tolerance in teleoperation, which means even a novice can easily and successfully control robots with this human–manipulator interface.

Design, development and qualification of a titanium to SS joint with groove

An improved lap type diffusion-bonded transition joint was developed between titanium (Ti) pipe and stainless steel (SS) pipe with grooves at the interface for use in high pressure-high temperature applications. The groove design was optimised using finite element method (FEM) so as to produce joint strength superior to the strength of the Ti pipe being joined. Elastic-plastic FE analyses were performed simulating large displacement and deformation involved. Further, joints were subjected to a simplified pull-out test to assess its strength. A good matching of joint strength, within 10% of FEM prediction and experimental results has been achieved. Design curves were generated using non dimensional parameters like r/t and a1/t (r-pipe radius, t- pipe thickness and a1-groove depth) to arrive at the groove depth for r/t range of 10, 15 and 20. It was demonstrated experimentally that the joint with groove performs better under thermal cycling loads. [Received 12 March 2016; Accepted 27 October 2016]

Self-Fitting Hearing Aids: Status Quo and Future Predictions.

A self-contained, self-fitting hearing aid (SFHA) is a device that enables the user to perform both threshold measurements leading to a prescribed hearing aid setting and fine-tuning, without the need for audiological support or access to other equipment. The SFHA has been proposed as a potential solution to address unmet hearing health care in developing countries and remote locations in the developed world and is considered a means to lower cost and increase uptake of hearing aids in developed countries. This article reviews the status of the SFHA and the evidence for its feasibility and challenges and predicts where it is heading. Devices that can be considered partly or fully self-fitting without audiological support were identified in the direct-to-consumer market. None of these devices are considered self-contained as they require access to other hardware such as a proprietary interface, computer, smartphone, or tablet for manipulation. While there is evidence that self-administered fitting processes can provide valid and reliable results, their success relies on user-friendly device designs and interfaces and easy-to-interpret instructions. Until these issues have been sufficiently addressed, optional assistance with the self-fitting process and on-going use of SFHAs is recommended. Affordability and a sustainable delivery system remain additional challenges for the SFHA in developing countries. Future predictions include a growth in self-fitting products, with most future SFHAs consisting of earpieces that connect wirelessly with a smartphone and providers offering assistance through a telehealth infrastructure, and the integration of SFHAs into the traditional hearing health-care model.

The electrophysiological correlates of the working memory subcomponents: evidence from high-density EEG and coherence analysis.

Synchronization between prefrontal (executive) and posterior (association) cortices seems a plausible mechanism for temporary maintenance of information. However, while EEG studies reported involvement of (pre)frontal midline structures in synchronization, functional neuroimaging elucidated the importance of lateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) in working memory (WM). Verbal and spatial WM rely on lateralized subsystems (phonological loop and visuospatial sketchpad, respectively), yet only trends for hemispheric dissociation of networks supporting rehearsal of verbal and spatial information were identified by EEG. As oscillatory activity is WM load dependent, we applied an individually tailored submaximal load for verbal (V) and spatial (S) task to enhance synchronization in the relevant functional networks. To map these networks, we used high-density EEG and coherence analysis. Our results imply that the synchronized activity is limited to highly specialized areas that correspond well with the areas identified by functional neuroimaging. In both V and S task, two independent networks of theta synchronization involving dorsolateral PFC of each hemisphere were revealed. In V task, left prefrontal and left parietal areas were functionally coupled in gamma frequencies. Theta synchronization thus provides the necessary interface for storage and manipulation of information, while left-lateralized gamma synchronization could represent the EEG correlate of the phonological loop.

Analysis, control and experimental verification of a single‐phase capacitive‐coupling grid‐connected inverter

This study proposes a capacitive-coupling grid-connected inverter (CGCI), which consists of a full-bridge single-phase inverter coupled to a power grid via one capacitor in series with an inductor. The fundamental-frequency impedance of the coupling branch is capacitive. In contrast with the conventional inductive-coupling grid-connected inverter (IGCI), this structure provides an alternative interface for use between a low-voltage DC microgrid and an AC grid. A comparison between the CGCI and the IGCI is performed. It is concluded that the CGCI is able to transfer active power and provide lagging reactive power at an operational voltage much lower than that of the IGCI. This reduces the system's initial cost and operational losses, as well as the energy stored in the DC-link capacitor. The CGCI has been analysed and a DC voltage selection method is proposed. Using this method, the DC-link voltage of the CGCI remains at approximately of 50% of the peak grid voltage. In addition, a P-unit current controller is proposed for use with the CGCI, as a proportional–integral controller is not suitable. Finally, simulation and experiments show the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

A cloud-based MODFLOW service for aquifer management decision support

A framework to publish simplified MODFLOW groundwater modeling capabilities to a web interface for use by water managers and stakeholders is presented. Numerical modeling simulations can assist aquifer management decisions, but the amount of time and professional expertise required to wield modern groundwater models often exceeds the resources of regulating agencies – even for simple modeling tasks that are repetitive in nature. The framework is capable of automating such modeling tasks, accepting user input, executing MODFLOW, and generating specialized results including maps and modeling reports. This framework was used to build a pilot system for an aquifer in central Utah, allowing a user to simulate the effects of proposed well diversions. This prototype system allows a user to input properties for any number of candidate wells, execute an associated MODFLOW model, and view drawdown contours and regions of decreased spring flow on a web map interface. The modeling analysis is cast into a geoprocessing workflow using ArcGIS and Arc Hydro Groundwater tools, and then made accessible from a server. Such automated and accessible modeling systems have promising potential to facilitate efficient groundwater resources management and reduce modeling errors.

Ways of enhancement of operational planning process in the Serbian defence organization

The purpose of this paper is to outline the policies, processes, procedures, and responsibilities governing the preparation, approval, promulgation, activation, implementation, review, and cancellation of operational planning documents necessary to execute the tasks allocated to all levels of command. These procedures and guidelines apply to two categories of operational planning - deliberate (advance) and crisis response planning - that cover and prepare the Serbian defence organization to meet future or developing crisis in the full spectrum of operations from crisis management to major aggression. Consideration must be given to expanding and including the internal Serbian MOD civil-military interface for use in operational planning. In line with contemporary defence policy and trends, military planners should integrate Civil Emergency Planning (CEP) planners, as well as liaison with other defence system relevant agencies and organizations, into the appropriate steps of the operations planning process.

A chromium oxide coated nickel/yttria stabilized zirconia electrode with a heterojunction interface for use in electrochemical methane reforming

This work investigated the use of nickel/yttria stabilized zirconia (Ni/YSZ) coated in situ with chromium oxide (Cr2O3) for electrochemical methane (CH4) reforming in solid oxide electrolysers.

Framework Design of Emergency Management Information System for Cloud Computing in Chemical Park

Collaborative emergency management mode provides a new idea for further reducing system safety risk in the chemical park. In this paper, the cloud computing and the expert system were used for the framework design of the emergency management information system to enhance emergency response capability of collaborative emergency managementmechanisms. The use of middleware integrated with multi-source data achieved the unified data manipulation interface. Intelligent delivery of information system was provided. Using agent-middleware technology to build decision layer could make massive data analysis, data mining and decision from the “cloud computing” platform access for every user. It can provide the necessary theoretical and technical support for enterprises in the chemical park, to give full play to the collaborative emergency management capability.

Managing daily surgery schedules in a teaching hospital: a mixed-integer optimization approach.

BackgroundThis study examined the daily surgical scheduling problem in a teaching hospital. This problem relates to the use of multiple operating rooms and different types of surgeons in a typical surgical day with deterministic operation durations (preincision, incision, and postincision times). Teaching hospitals play a key role in the health-care system; however, existing models assume that the duration of surgery is independent of the surgeon’s skills. This problem has not been properly addressed in other studies. We analyze the case of a Spanish public hospital, in which continuous pressures and budgeting reductions entail the more efficient use of resources.MethodsTo obtain an optimal solution for this problem, we developed a mixed-integer programming model and user-friendly interface that facilitate the scheduling of planned operations for the following surgical day. We also implemented a simulation model to assist the evaluation of different dispatching policies for surgeries and surgeons. The typical aspects we took into account were the type of surgeon, potential overtime, idling time of surgeons, and the use of operating rooms.ResultsIt is necessary to consider the expertise of a given surgeon when formulating a schedule: such skill can decrease the probability of delays that could affect subsequent surgeries or cause cancellation of the final surgery. We obtained optimal solutions for a set of given instances, which we obtained through surgical information related to acceptable times collected from a Spanish public hospital.ConclusionsWe developed a computer-aided framework with a user-friendly interface for use by a surgical manager that presents a 3-D simulation of the problem. Additionally, we obtained an efficient formulation for this complex problem. However, the spread of this kind of operation research in Spanish public health hospitals will take a long time since there is a lack of knowledge of the beneficial techniques and possibilities that operational research can offer for the health-care system.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1472-6963-14-464) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Human–Manipulator Interface Based on Multisensory Process via Kalman Filters

This paper presents a human-robot interface, which incorporates Kalman filters (KFs) and adaptive multispace transformation (AMT), to track movements of the human hand and control the robot manipulator. This system employs one inertial measurement unit and a 3-D camera (Kinect) to determine the orientation and translation of the human hand, and uses KFs to estimate these. Although KFs can estimate the translation, the translation error increases in a short period of time when the sensor fails to sense hand movement, including handshaking. Therefore, a method to correct the translation error is required. In this paper, the change rate of the human hand is used to determine the posture of the robot. An overdamping strategy is also employed to eliminate the effect of movement sensing failure. Given that a human operator has difficulty operating with high precision due to perceptive and motor limitations, an AMT method is proposed to assist the operator in improving the accuracy and reliability of determining the movement of the robot. The human-manipulator interface is then experimentally tested in a laboratory environment. The results indicate that the system based on the human-manipulator interface can successfully control the robot manipulator.

A 700mV low power low noise implantable neural recording system design.

A low power, low noise implantable neural recording interface for use in a Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) is presented in this paper. A two stage neural amplifier and 8 bit Pipelined Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) are integrated in this system. The optimized number of amplifier stages demonstrates the minimum power and area consumption; The ADC utilizes a novel offset cancellation technique robust to device leakage to reduce the input offset voltage. The neural amplifier and ADC both utilize 700mV power supply. The midband gain of neural amplifier is 58.4dB with a 3dB bandwidth from 0.71 to 8.26 kHz. Measured input-referred noise and total power consumption are 20.7μVrms and 1.90 respectively. The ADC achieves 8 bit accuracy at 16Ksps with an input voltage of ±400mV. Combined simulation and measurement results demonstrate the neural recording interface's suitability for in situ neutral activity recording.

Spin current formation at the graphene/Pt interface for magnetization manipulation in magnetic nanodots

Spin electronic structure of the Graphene/Pt interface has been investigated. A large induced spin-orbit splitting (∼80 meV) of graphene π states with formation of non-degenerated Dirac-cone spin states at the K¯-point of the Brillouin zone crossed with spin-polarized Pt 5d states at Fermi level was found. We show that this spin structure can be used as a spin current source in spintronic devices. By theoretical estimations and micromagnetic modeling based on the experimentally observed spin-orbit splitting, we demonstarte that the induced intrinsic magnetic field in such structure might be effectively used for induced remagnetization of the (Ni-Fe)-nanodots arranged atop the interface.

Dashboard systems: implementing pharmacometrics from bench to bedside.

In recent years, there has been increasing interest in the development of medical decision-support tools, including dashboard systems. Dashboard systems are software packages that integrate information and calculations about therapeutics from multiple components into a single interface for use in the clinical environment. Given the high cost of medical care, and the increasing need to demonstrate positive clinical outcomes for reimbursement, dashboard systems may become an important tool for improving patient outcome, improving clinical efficiency and containing healthcare costs. Similarly the costs associated with drug development are also rising. The use of model-based drug development (MBDD) has been proposed as a tool to streamline this process, facilitating the selection of appropriate doses and making informed go/no-go decisions. However, complete implementation of MBDD has not always been successful owing to a variety of factors, including the resources required to provide timely modeling and simulation updates. The application of dashboard systems in drug development reduces the resource requirement and may expedite updating models as new data are collected, allowing modeling results to be available in a timely fashion. In this paper, we present some background information on dashboard systems and propose the use of these systems both in the clinic and during drug development.

Human–manipulator interface using hybrid sensors with Kalman filters and adaptive multi-space transformation

This paper utilizes a human–robot interface system which incorporates Kalman filter (KF) and Adaptive Multi-space Transformation (AMT) to track the pose of the human hand for controlling the robot manipulator. This system employs a 3D camera (Kinect) to determine the orientation and the translation of the human hand. We use Camshift algorithm to track the hand. KF is used to estimate the translation of the human hand. Although a KF is used for estimating the translation, the translation error increases in a short period of time when the sensors fail to detect the hand motion. Therefore, a methodology to correct the translation error is required. What is more, to be subject to the perceptive limitations and the motor limitations, human operator is hard to carry out the high precision operation. This paper proposes an Adaptive Multi-space Transformation (AMT) method to assist the operator to improve the accuracy and reliability in determining the pose of the robot. The human–robot interface system was experimentally tested in a lab environment, and the results indicate that such a system can successfully control a robot manipulator.

New method for face gaze detection in smart television

Recently, gaze detection-based interfaces have been regarded as the most natural user interface for use with smart televisions (TVs). Past research conducted on gaze detection primarily used near-infrared (NIR) cameras with NIR illuminators. However, these devices are difficult to use with smart TVs; therefore, there is an increasing need for gaze-detection technology that utilizes conventional (visible light) web cameras. Consequently, we propose a new gaze-detection method using a conventional (visible light) web camera. The proposed approach is innovative in the following three ways. First, using user-dependent facial information obtained in an initial calibration stage, an accurate head pose is calculated. Second, using theoretical and generalized models of changes in facial feature positions, horizontal and vertical head poses are calculated. Third, accurate gaze positions on a smart TV can be obtained based on the user-dependent calibration information and the calculated head poses by using a low-cost conventional web camera without an additional device for measuring the distance from the camera to the user. Experimental results indicate that the gaze-detection accuracy of our method on a 60-in. smart TV is 90.5%.