Motion Control Module Research Articles

Epigenetic silencing by early-life hypoxic stress programmes respiratory motor control.

Epigenetic silencing by early-life hypoxic stress programmes respiratory motor control.

Desarrollo de prototipo de estación de maquinado CNC

In this paper a CNC machining station (Computerized Numerical Control) is developed for its later integration into a manufacturing cell prototype, considered as a mechatronic system. For this, it is assumed the task of carrying out the mechanical and control design of a CNC vertical machining center, with the sole objective of machining parts with specific characteristics from material removal method. The development and design of a CNC machining station began with the manufacture of mechanical structure from rigid and suitable materials for its feasible construction; 3D printing of parts was necessary for fastening stepper motors used and its respective control was achieved by using Arduino software and hardware platform and Universal Gcode Sender, in conjunction with a stepper motor control module. Subsequently, necessary adjustments and programming are made to carry out corresponding functional tests and to ensure adequate machining of required parts, which marks continuity of integration process of this station to a manufacturing cell prototype.

Event-Based Communication and Finite-Time Consensus Control of Mobile Sensor Networks for Environmental Monitoring.

This paper deals with the problem of environmental monitoring by designing a cooperative control scheme for mobile sensor networks. The proposed cooperative control scheme includes three main modules: a wireless communication module, a direction decision module, and a motion control module. In the wireless communication module, an event-based communication rule is proposed, which means that mobile sensor nodes do not send their positions, velocities, and the data of environmental attributes to the other sensor nodes in real-time for the coordination and control of mobile sensor networks. Due to using the event-based communication rule, the communication bandwidth can be saved. In the direction decision module, a radial basis function network is used to model the monitored environment and is updated in terms of the sampled environmental data and the environmental data from the other sensor nodes by the wireless communication module. The updated environment model is used to guide the mobile sensor network to move towards the region of interest in order to efficiently model the distribution map of environmental attributes, such as temperature, salinity, and pH values for the monitored environment. In the motion control module, a finite-time consensus control approach is proposed to enable the sensor nodes to quickly change their movement directions in light of the gradient information from the environment model. As a result of using the event-based communication rule in the wireless communication module, the proposed control approach can also lower the updating times of the control signal. In particular, the proposed cooperative control scheme is still efficient under the directed wireless communication situation. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed cooperative control scheme is illustrated for the problem of environmental monitoring.

Multi-function robots with speech interaction and emotion feedback

Nowadays, the service robots have been applied in many public circumstances; however, most of them still don’t have the function of speech interaction, especially the function of speech-emotion interaction feedback. To make the robot more humanoid, Arduino microcontroller was used in this study for the speech recognition module and servo motor control module to achieve the functions of the robot’s speech interaction and emotion feedback. In addition, W5100 was adopted for network connection to achieve information transmission via Internet, providing broad application prospects for the robot in the area of Internet of Things (IoT).

The modulation of motor control by imitating non-biological motions: a study about motor resonance.

[Purpose] Sensorimotor experience modulates motor resonance, such as motor interference, which occurs when observing others’ movements; however, it is unclear how motor resonance is modulated by intentionally imitating others’ movements. This study examined the effects of imitation experience on subsequent motor resonance. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty-seven healthy participants performed horizontal arm movements while observing non-biological, incongruent (vertical) movements of a visual stimulus (triangle object) in pre- and post-test procedures. Thirteen participants in the imitation group imitated vertical movements (non-biological motion) of the triangle object between pre- and post-test procedures and fourteen participants in the non-imitation group observed that. [Results] Variance in the executed movements was measured as an index of motor resonance. Although there was no significant difference in the non-imitation group, there was a significantly smaller variance for post-test compared to pre-test in the imitation group. [Conclusion] Motor resonance was inhibited by intentionally imitating non-biological motions. Imitating movements different from one’s own motor property might inhibit subsequent motor resonance. This finding might be applied to selectively using motor resonance as a form of rehabilitation.

Dynamic Obstacle Avoidance for Unmanned Underwater Vehicles Based on an Improved Velocity Obstacle Method.

In view of a dynamic obstacle environment with motion uncertainty, we present a dynamic collision avoidance method based on the collision risk assessment and improved velocity obstacle method. First, through the fusion optimization of forward-looking sonar data, the redundancy of the data is reduced and the position, size and velocity information of the obstacles are obtained, which can provide an accurate decision-making basis for next-step collision avoidance. Second, according to minimum meeting time and the minimum distance between the obstacle and unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV), this paper establishes the collision risk assessment model, and screens key obstacles to avoid collision. Finally, the optimization objective function is established based on the improved velocity obstacle method, and a UUV motion characteristic is used to calculate the reachable velocity sets. The optimal collision speed of UUV is searched in velocity space. The corresponding heading and speed commands are calculated, and outputted to the motion control module. The above is the complete dynamic obstacle avoidance process. The simulation results show that the proposed method can obtain a better collision avoidance effect in the dynamic environment, and has good adaptability to the unknown dynamic environment.

WALK‐MAN: A High‐Performance Humanoid Platform for Realistic Environments

In this work, we present WALK‐MAN, a humanoid platform that has been developed to operate in realistic unstructured environment, and demonstrate new skills including powerful manipulation, robust balanced locomotion, high‐strength capabilities, and physical sturdiness. To enable these capabilities, WALK‐MAN design and actuation are based on the most recent advancements of series elastic actuator drives with unique performance features that differentiate the robot from previous state‐of‐the‐art compliant actuated robots. Physical interaction performance is benefited by both active and passive adaptation, thanks to WALK‐MAN actuation that combines customized high‐performance modules with tuned torque/velocity curves and transmission elasticity for high‐speed adaptation response and motion reactions to disturbances. WALK‐MAN design also includes innovative design optimization features that consider the selection of kinematic structure and the placement of the actuators with the body structure to maximize the robot performance. Physical robustness is ensured with the integration of elastic transmission, proprioceptive sensing, and control. The WALK‐MAN hardware was designed and built in 11 months, and the prototype of the robot was ready four months before DARPA Robotics Challenge (DRC) Finals. The motion generation of WALK‐MAN is based on the unified motion‐generation framework of whole‐body locomotion and manipulation (termed loco‐manipulation). WALK‐MAN is able to execute simple loco‐manipulation behaviors synthesized by combining different primitives defining the behavior of the center of gravity, the motion of the hands, legs, and head, the body attitude and posture, and the constrained body parts such as joint limits and contacts. The motion‐generation framework including the specific motion modules and software architecture is discussed in detail. A rich perception system allows the robot to perceive and generate 3D representations of the environment as well as detect contacts and sense physical interaction force and moments. The operator station that pilots use to control the robot provides a rich pilot interface with different control modes and a number of teleoperated or semiautonomous command features. The capability of the robot and the performance of the individual motion control and perception modules were validated during the DRC in which the robot was able to demonstrate exceptional physical resilience and execute some of the tasks during the competition.

Histamine Increases Neuronal Excitability and Sensitivity of the Lateral Vestibular Nucleus and Promotes Motor Behaviors via HCN Channel Coupled to H2 Receptor

Histamine and histamine receptors in the central nervous system actively participate in the modulation of motor control. In clinic, histamine-related agents have traditionally been used to treat vestibular disorders. Immunohistochemical studies have revealed a distribution of histaminergic afferents in the brainstem vestibular nuclei, including the lateral vestibular nucleus (LVN), which is critical for adjustment of muscle tone and vestibular reflexes. However, the mechanisms underlying the effect of histamine on LVN neurons and the role of histamine and histaminergic afferents in the LVN in motor control are still largely unknown. Here, we show that histamine, in cellular and molecular levels, elicits the LVN neurons of rats an excitatory response, which is co-mediated by the hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels and K+ channels linked to H2 receptors. Blockage of HCN channels coupled to H2 receptors decreases LVN neuronal sensitivity and changes their dynamic properties. Furthermore, in behavioral level, microinjection of histamine into bilateral LVNs significantly promotes motor performances of rats on both accelerating rota-rod and balance beam. This promotion is mimicked by selective H2 receptor agonist dimaprit, and blocked by selective H2 receptor antagonist ranitidine. More importantly, blockage of HCN channels to suppress endogenous histaminergic inputs in the LVN considerably attenuates motor balance and coordination, indicating a promotion role of hypothalamo-vestibular histaminergic circuit in motor control. All these results demonstrate that histamine H2 receptors and their coupled HCN channels mediate the histamine-induced increase in excitability and sensitivity of LVN neurons and contribute to the histaminergic improvement of the LVN-related motor behaviors. The findings suggest that histamine and the histaminergic afferents may directly modulate LVN neurons and play a critical role in the central vestibular-mediated motor reflexes and behaviors.

Pathogenic Roles of Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase 65 Autoantibodies in Cerebellar Ataxias

Reports suggesting a pathogenic role of autoantibodies directed against glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 (GAD65Abs) in cerebellar ataxias (CAs) are reviewed, and debatable issues such as internalization of antibodies by neurons and roles of epitopes are discussed. GAD65 is one of two enzymes that catalyze the conversion of glutamate to the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). A pathogenic role of GAD65Ab in CAs is suggested by in vivo and in vitro studies. (1) Intracerebellar administration of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) immunoglobulins (IgGs) obtained from GAD65Ab-positive CA patients impairs cerebellar modulation of motor control in rats. (2) CSF IgGs act on terminals of GABAergic neurons and decrease the release of GABA in cerebellar slices from rats and mice. (3) Absorption of GAD65Ab by recombinant GAD65 diminishes the above effects, and monoclonal human GAD65Ab (b78) mimic the effects of CSF IgGs in vivo and in vitro. Studies using GAD65-KO mice confirm that the target molecule is GAD65. (4) Notably, the effects of GAD65Ab depend on the epitope specificity of the monoclonal GAD65Ab. Taken together, these results indicate that epitope-specific GAD65Ab-induced impairment of GABA release is involved in the pathogenesis of GAD65Ab-positive CA and support the early detection of GAD65Ab-associated CA to initiate immunotherapy before irreversible neuronal death in the cerebellum.

The Role of the Pediatric Cerebellum in Motor Functions, Cognition, and Behavior: A Clinical Perspective.

This article discusses the contribution of the pediatric cerebellum to locomotion, ocular motor control, speech articulation, cognitive function, and behavior modulation. Hypotheses on cerebellar function are discussed. Clinical features in patients with cerebellar disorders are outlined. Cerebellar abnormalities in cognitive and behavioral disorders are detailed.

Cortical Modulation of Motor Control Biofeedback among the Elderly with High Fall Risk during a Posture Perturbation Task with Augmented Reality.

The cerebral cortex provides sensorimotor integration and coordination during motor control of daily functional activities. Power spectrum density based on electroencephalography (EEG) has been employed as an approach that allows an investigation of the spatial–temporal characteristics of neuromuscular modulation; however, the biofeedback mechanism associated with cortical activation during motor control remains unclear among elderly individuals. Thirty one community-dwelling elderly participants were divided into low fall-risk potential (LF) and high fall-risk potential (HF) groups based upon the results obtained from a receiver operating characteristic analysis of the ellipse area of the center of pressure. Electroencephalography (EEG) was performed while the participants stood on a 6-degree-of-freedom Stewart platform, which generated continuous perturbations and done either with or without the virtual reality scene. The present study showed that when there was visual stimulation and poor somatosensory coordination, a higher level of cortical response was activated in order to keep postural balance. The elderly participants in the LF group demonstrated a significant and strong correlation between postural-related cortical regions; however, the elderly individuals in the HF group did not show such a relationship. Moreover, we were able to clarify the roles of various brainwave bands functioning in motor control. Specifically, the gamma and beta bands in the parietal–occipital region facilitate the high-level cortical modulation and sensorimotor integration, whereas the theta band in the frontal–central region is responsible for mediating error detection during perceptual motor tasks. Finally, the alpha band is associated with processing visual challenges in the occipital lobe.With a variety of motor control demands, increment in brainwave band coordination is required to maintain postural stability. These investigations shed light on the cortical modulation of motor control among elderly participants with varying fall-risk potentials. The results suggest that, although elderly adults may be without neurological deficits, inefficient central modulation during challenging postural conditions could be an internal factor that contributes to the risk of fall. Furthermore, training that helps to improve coordinated sensorimotor integration may be a useful approach to reduce the risk of fall among elderly populations or when patients suffer from neurological deficits.

Distribution of Tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity in the CNS of the common carp Cyprinus carpio

Catecholamines, including dopamine, are the principal neurotransmitters mediating a variety of functions in the CNS, such as motor control, cognition, emotion, memory processing, and endocrine modulation. Dysfunctional catecholamine neurotransmission is also implicated in neurologic and neuropsychiatric disorders. Human brain diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease (1), have been recently approached by using fish models, especially cyprinid teleosts, given basic similarities of the fish brain to that of mammals. The distribution of the catecholaminergic system has been studied in the forebrain of several teleosts, but relevant information are not available for the common carp, Cyprinus carpio, which is a model species in several studies. In this study, we have analyzed the distribution of catecholaminergic neurons in the carp brain by immunohistochemistry using a specific antibody to tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) on transverse serial frozen sections of the whole brain. In the carp brain, TH-immunoreactive (ir) neurons were present in several nuclei. In particular, positive neurons were detected in the ventral nucleus of the ventral telencephalic area. In addition, neuronal bodies and varicose fibers were stained for TH in the preoptic region, from the anterior to the posterior nuclei, in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, in the ventrolateral and ventromedial talamic nuclei. Moreover TH-ir neurons were also distributed in the periventricular pretectum and locus coeruleus. TH-ir structures were localized not only in recognizable catecholaminergic nuclei, corresponding to those of mammalian brain, but also in regions that are uniquely organized in teleosts, including the ventral telencephalon, the anterior and posterior preoptic region, the ventromedial thalamus, suggesting that they may be useful in elucidating homologies between fish and mammal brain. The present study partially confirmed TH distribution in other CNS of cyprinids (2), and provided more detailed information to a better understanding of the evolution of catecholaminergic system in vertebrates.

智能灭火车的设计

本文设计实现了具有自主避障、火焰检测及灭火功能的智能灭火车，该智能灭火车以单片机的控制为核心，由电机驱动、超声波避障、火焰检测等模块组成。本文首先介绍了该智能灭火车的工作原理，其次对各个模块进行了设计与实现，最后对该智能灭火车的功能进行了测试与分析。测试结果表明该智能灭火车能稳定运行，具有很好的实用性和推广前景。 This paper designs and realizes an intelligent fire-fighting car with the function of automatic ob-stacle avoidance, flame detecting and fire suppression. As core with the control of the single chip microcomputer, this intelligent fire-fighting car is composed of drive motor control module, ul-trasonic obstacle-avoiding module, flame detecting module, and so on. Firstly, this paper intro-duces the working principle of this intelligent fire-fighting car; then, each module is designed and implemented; finally, its function is tested and analyzed. The result indicates that this intelligent fire-fighting car can run steady, and has good practicability and promotion prospects.

Trunk stabilization during sagittal pelvic tilt: from trunk-on-pelvis to trunk-in-space due to vestibular and visual feedback.

The goal of this study was to investigate the human ability to stabilize the trunk in space during pelvic tilt. Upper body sway was evoked in kneeling-seated healthy subjects by angular platform perturbations with a rotation around a virtual low-back pivot point between the L4 and L5 vertebrae. To investigate motor control modulation, variations in task instruction (balance naturally or minimize trunk sway), vision (eyes open or closed), and perturbation bandwidth (from 0.2 up to 1, 3, or 10 Hz) were applied. Cocontraction and proprioceptive muscle spindle feedback were associated with minimizing low-back flexion/extension (trunk-on-pelvis stabilization), while vestibular and visual feedback were supposed to contribute to trunk-in-space stabilization. Trunk-in-space stabilization was only observed with the minimize trunk sway task instruction, while the task instruction to balance naturally led to trunk-on-pelvis stabilization with trunk rotations even exceeding the perturbations. This indicates that vestibular feedback is used when minimizing trunk sway but has only a minor contribution during natural trunk stabilization in the sagittal plane. The eyes open condition resulted in reduced global trunk rotations and increased global trunk reflexive responses, demonstrating effective visual contributions to trunk-in-space stabilization. On the other hand, increasing perturbation bandwidth caused a decreased feedback contribution leading to deteriorated trunk-in-space stabilization.

The eye movement desensitization and reprocessing approach in pain management – A case report of a patient with paraparesis

Abstract Introduction Somatic symptoms such as pain from psychiatric cause may result from abnormalities in information processing mechanisms in the central nervous system. Bilateral stimulation of the brain by using alternating eye movements assists to unlock and reprocess experiences. Aim The aim of this article is the presentation of the eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) method in pain treatment. Case study A 23-year-old patient with paraparesis due to traffic accident three years earlier resulting in incomplete transverse spinal cord damage reported severe pain in paralyzed lower limbs from about one year. Thorough physical and imaging examination had ruled out organic causes of the pain and the patient was diagnosed with psychogenic pain. The standard EMDR protocol was used. In order to determine the mental state of the patient, the following tests were applied: (1) beck depression inventory, (2) the pain disability index, (3) subjective units of distress, and (4) validity of cognition. Therapy was completed when the patient declared resolution of leg pain and returned to rehabilitation. Measurements were performed three times: before treatment, immediately after treatment completion and four months after treatment completion. Results and discussion During a six-week EMDR therapy, the patient achieved a significant improvement. The importance of eye movements in planning rehabilitation strategies in other approach, i.e. modulation of motor control, indicates new research directions of the contemporary comprehensive rehabilitation approach. This study is a single case report, and thus further larger scale studies are required. Conclusions The EMDR method could be helpful in psychogenic pain treatment.

ENERGY EFFICIENT TERMINAL CONTROL BY THE SOLAR SERVO MODULES

The new formula that allows to compute the optimal duration of rotation of the solar module. The dependence of optimal con-sumption duration of rotation of the solar module on the magnitude of angular displacement and servo parameters. The increase in the angular displacement increases, the optimal duration of the rotation. Presents a new structural scheme of an automated servo module with the terminal control unit. To rotate the solar module used a servo with a DC motor, worm gear and a sensor of angular position. Plots of power consumption at terminal servo motor control module on the duration of rotation of the module. The optimal duration of rotation of the module corresponds to the minimum energy consumption for the turning process.

Real-Time Simulation of Passage-of-Time Encoding in Cerebellum Using a Scalable FPGA-Based System.

The cerebellum plays a critical role for sensorimotor control and learning. However, dysmetria or delays in movements' onsets consequent to damages in cerebellum cannot be cured completely at the moment. Neuroprosthesis is an emerging technology that can potentially substitute such motor control module in the brain. A pre-requisite for this to become practical is the capability to simulate the cerebellum model in real-time, with low timing distortion for proper interfacing with the biological system. In this paper, we present a frame-based network-on-chip (NoC) hardware architecture for implementing a bio-realistic cerebellum model with ∼100 000 neurons, which has been used for studying timing control or passage-of-time (POT) encoding mediated by the cerebellum. The simulation results verify that our implementation reproduces the POT representation by the cerebellum properly. Furthermore, our field-programmable gate array (FPGA)-based system demonstrates excellent computational speed that it can complete 1sec real world activities within 25.6 ms. It is also highly scalable such that it can maintain approximately the same computational speed even if the neuron number increases by one order of magnitude. Our design is shown to outperform three alternative approaches previously used for implementing spiking neural network model. Finally, we show a hardware electronic setup and illustrate how the silicon cerebellum can be adapted as a potential neuroprosthetic platform for future biological or clinical application.

Trans-activation of TRPV1 by D1R in mouse dorsal root ganglion neurons

TRPV1, a ligand-gated ion channel expressed in nociceptive sensory neurons is modulated by a variety of intracellular signaling pathways. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays important roles in motor control, cognition, and pain modulation in the CNS, and acts via a variety of dopamine receptors (D1R–D5R), a class of GPCRs. Although nociceptive sensory neurons express D1-like receptors, very little is known about the effect of dopamine on TRPV1 in the peripheral nervous system. Therefore, in this study, we examined the effects of D1R activation on TRPV1 in mouse DRG neurons using Ca2+ imaging and immunohistochemical analysis. The D1R agonist SKF-38393 induced reproducible Ca2+ responses via Ca2+ influx through TRPV1 rather than Ca2+ mobilization from intracellular Ca2+ stores. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed co-expression of D1R and TRPV1 in mouse DRG neurons. The PLC-specific inhibitor blocked the SKF-38393-induced Ca2+ response, whereas the PKC, DAG lipase, AC, and PKA inhibitors had no effect on the SKF-38393-induced Ca2+ response. Taken together, our results suggest that the SKF-38393-induced Ca2+ response results from the direct activation of TRPV1 by a PLC/DAG-mediated membrane-delimited pathway. These results provide evidence that the trans-activation of TRPV1 following D1R activation may contribute to the modulation of pain signaling in nociceptive sensory neurons.

Application of Laser Videographic Cryoscopic Micro Osmometry in Measurements of Temperature Depression in Petroleum Products

This paper describes using the familiar MT-2 platform to build an instrument capable of supporting dynamic observations and recording of the kinetics of physicochemical processes during cryoscopic osmometry of crude oil media and refined petroleum products in automatic mode. Modifications of the MT-2 design generally include introduction of a laser source, a videographic speckle recording system, a digitizing board for the speckle recording signal, a stepper motor control module and redesigned micromechanics controllable by it, which via signals supplied by the computer (the nature of which is controlled by specially written software) alters the movement of the analytical head. As a result of the modification, the MT-2 with digital speckle recording, laser module, and microcamera allows us: to determine the transition to irreversible aggregation of the asphaltenes, characterized by their deposition on the walls of the measuring bath (after desorption of the resins); to do realtime classification of crude oil by speckle morphometry methods; to observe and identify the emulsion properties of the crude oil, including formation of “carpenter’s level” bubble inclusions and coacervate droplets; to carry out a rheological falling-drop experiment with thermographic monitoring; to make rheogoniometric observations while rotating the measuring instrument or thin cuvet; to observe wavy perturbations on the surface of the medium while the drop is falling, with delayed relaxation (dissipation) due to viscoelastic properties.

Physiological modules for generating discrete and rhythmic movements: component analysis of EMG signals.

A central question in Neuroscience is that of how the nervous system generates the spatiotemporal commands needed to realize complex gestures, such as handwriting. A key postulate is that the central nervous system (CNS) builds up complex movements from a set of simpler motor primitives or control modules. In this study we examined the control modules underlying the generation of muscle activations when performing different types of movement: discrete, point-to-point movements in eight different directions and continuous figure-eight movements in both the normal, upright orientation and rotated 90°. To test for the effects of biomechanical constraints, movements were performed in the frontal-parallel or sagittal planes, corresponding to two different nominal flexion/abduction postures of the shoulder. In all cases we measured limb kinematics and surface electromyographic activity (EMG) signals for seven different muscles acting around the shoulder. We first performed principal component analysis (PCA) of the EMG signals on a movement-by-movement basis. We found a surprisingly consistent pattern of muscle groupings across movement types and movement planes, although we could detect systematic differences between the PCs derived from movements performed in each shoulder posture and between the principal components associated with the different orientations of the figure. Unexpectedly we found no systematic differences between the figure eights and the point-to-point movements. The first three principal components could be associated with a general co-contraction of all seven muscles plus two patterns of reciprocal activation. From these results, we surmise that both “discrete-rhythmic movements” such as the figure eight, and discrete point-to-point movement may be constructed from three different fundamental modules, one regulating the impedance of the limb over the time span of the movement and two others operating to generate movement, one aligned with the vertical and the other aligned with the horizontal.