Tactile Means Research Articles

3D models for mohs micrographic surgery: a review on its use in patient education.

The use of a 3D model for patient education has shown encouraging results in surgical specialties like plastic surgery and neurosurgery, amongst many others; however, there is limited research on the clinical application of 3D models for Mohs Micrographic Surgery. This study delves into the utilization of 3D models for patient education in Mohs Surgery by juxtaposing different 3D modalities, highlighting their differences, and exploring potential avenues for future integration of 3D models into clinical practice. A literature search in the scientific database MEDLINE through PubMed and OVID and on the ProQuest Health & Medical Collection database was performed on the use of a 3D model for patient education. We limited the search to articles available in English and considered those mentioning the educational use of 3D models, especially for patient education, after excluding duplicate titles. We did not exclude articles based on publication year due to limited availability of literature. Utilizing 3D models for patient education within the framework of Mohs Micrographic surgery, including a 3D multicolored clay model and a 3D model accompanied by an educational video intervention, presents substantial advantages. 3D models offer a visual and tactile means to improve patients' comprehension of the Mohs procedure, the affected area, and possible outcomes. They hold the potential to reduce patient anxiety and improve decision-making. Currently, literature on the use of 3D models for patient education in Mohs Micrographic Surgery is limited, warranting further research in this area.

VigilEye: Machine learning-powered driver fatigue recognition for safer roads

In an era where autonomous vehicles are on the horizon, the importance of human vigilance during driving cannot be understated. One of the paramount challenges road safety advocates face is driver fatigue, a silent culprit behind many tragic accidents. Our project seeks to address this issue by merging facial feature recognition with cutting-edge machine learning techniques, harnessing tools such as OpenCV and Dlib. This approach is centred around 68 precise facial feature detectors, adept at capturing specific markers like the status of a driver's eyes. Once data is acquired, our algorithms scrutinize it for fatigue indicators. Offering both cost and user benefits, our non-intrusive system swiftly alerts drivers, through auditory or tactile means, upon detecting drowsiness. Our system achieved a remarkable 94 % efficiency in timely and accurate fatigue detection through exhaustive testing across varied scenarios, underscoring its potential to revolutionize road safety.

A Tool for Converting Text to Braille Script to Empower Readability for Blind People

The utilization of Braille patterns has long been instrumental in facilitating literacy among visually impaired individuals, enabling them to decipher alphabets and numerals through tactile means. In this project, an innovative integration of Braille and servo motor technology is employed to render electronic text accessible to individuals with visual impairments. Each character within an electronic file is systematically translated into its corresponding Braille representation, with servo motors dynamically facilitating the tactile presentation of these patterns. Upon receiving input, the system activates the necessary servo motors, causing them to rotate 90 degrees above the surface, thereby bringing the Braille representations into physical contact with the user. To read the content, individuals simply touch these servo motors, allowing them to sense and interpret the encoded alphabetic or numeric information. This approach not only enhances accessibility but also promotes independent literacy among visually impaired individuals. By combining Braille with servo motor technology, this project offers a promising solution for overcoming barriers to information access, fostering inclusivity, and empowering individuals with visual impairments to engage with electronic text effectively.

Bridging physical and virtual ecologies of action: giving and following instructions in co-located VR-gaming sessions

Using multimodal conversation analysis, this study examines how communicative practices are adapted to the affordances for interaction in co-located encounters where participants are getting acquainted with VR-technology and games. The analysis focuses on instructional activities and investigates how an expert player guides others in learning how to handle VR equipment and getting to know the game mechanics during the initial moments of starting a new game.
 The data comprises video-recordings of informal social gatherings of 3-4 young adults who take turns in trying out different VR games. The gaming situations were organized in a temporary game lab using consumer-grade VR equipment, a large screen that displayed video feed from the game console and loudspeakers for the game sound.
 The analysis demonstrates how the experienced player who has no direct agency over the virtual world uses verbal and carefully placed tactile means to help novice players (who in turn have restricted access to the material world) navigate the initial stages of entering a game. Their complying actions, on the other hand, are characterized by finely tuned bodily adjustments in interplay with affordances of the technology. The instruction sequences, therefore, represent interactional moments in which the participants mutually attend to asymmetries, orienting to bridging physical and virtual ecologies of action.

Digital holography in production: an overview

Many challenging measurement tasks in production simultaneously have high requirements for accuracy, measurement field size, lateral sampling, and measurement time. In this paper, we provide an overview of the current state of the art in digital holography for surface topography measurements and present three applications from completely different productions with no alternative to digital holography; we describe the HoloTop sensor family, which has been designed specifically for industrial use, and present the most recent results achieved in real-life industrial applications. All applications address measurement tasks that could not be solved until now, either by optical or tactile means. We start with a description of the first-ever inline integration of a digital holographic measurement system that inspects precision turned parts for the automotive industry. We proceed by presenting measurements performed with a compact sensor that can be placed inside a tooling machine and operated fully wirelessly. In this case, the tool holder was used to position the sensor directly. Integration into a tooling machine places high demands on both robustness and reliability. Finally, the quality control of electronic interconnectors such as microbumps with the highest demand for accuracy and repeatability is demonstrated. All of these applications illustrate the major advantages of digital holographic systems: it is possible to measure a relatively large field of view with interferometric precision and very short acquisition times. Additionally, both reflective and matt surfaces can be measured simultaneously. We end this publication with an assessment of the future potential of this technology and the necessary development steps involved.

Eksperimentalno istraživanje robotskog sklapanja preciznih delova

At present, robotization of assembly processes is achieved through the use of industrial robots with high positioning accuracy in conjunction with tactile means of adaptation to the conditions of assembly of precision parts. The cost of such robots is many times higher than the cost of simple robots with low positioning accuracy of the robot arm. The research in this article is aimed at reducing the cost of assembly processes for precision parts by applying the position correction of the connected parts not by the robot hand, but by an additional technological module that is installed on the manipulator of a simple robot and performs high-speed stochastic mismatch scan of assembly objects. The article presents the results of a full factorial experiment of the process of joining precision cylindrical parts with a gap of no more than 3...5 microns. A regression model of this process is proposed, a formula for calculating the quasi-optimal modes of precision assembly and graphanalytical dependences of the assembly time on the scanning modes of the misalignment of assembly objects are given. The proposed high-speed method for compensating for the positioning error of an industrial robot makes it possible to assemble precision parts in a very short time within 1...3(s). The main economic effect of the research results is that the device for scanning the misalignment of assembly objects, which is installed on the arm of an inexpensive robot with a low positioning accuracy, can significantly increase the assembly speed and reduce capital investments in robotic assembly of high-precision parts.

‘Threads of Identity’: Uncovering the benefits and tensions found in the hand-sewn signature as a method of engagement to challenge stereotypes about embroidering with boys

This article describes a stitch-based research project that took place in 2016 in Manchester. It involved the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Race Relations Archive, Burnage Academy for Boys and a professional embroiderer. Central to the enquiry is a signature cloth – a textile made up of hand-sewn autographs – used as a vehicle to explore young male identity and stereotypes about embroidery. The investigation signposts the flexibility of the signature that is utilized in the research to locate accessible activities and processes. In so doing, it formulates new avenues to access historical textile artefacts and illuminates their significance and contemporary relevance. The enquiry also outlines some of the tensions and dilemmas that permeate socially engaged practice(s) and offers new insights into the stitch-based collaborative/participatory process, in which the production of the tactile artefact is but one element; for alongside the stitch workshops a commemorative banner was a second outcome, made to memorialize a pupil killed in the school in a racially motivated crime in 1986. Shedding light on embroidery as a form of social engagement, the investigation also provides evidence of its applicability as an alternative, tactile means of communication. It similarly reveals and elucidates the dynamics inherent in this stitch-based community collaboration and draws attention to some of the planned and unexpected outcomes that emerge. The methodology offers a transparent model for those who may engage in similar practices and highlights its applicability to different audiences.

Enhancing Meaning-Making in Research through Sensory Engagement with Material Objects

There has been increasing awareness and interest in the role of the senses in qualitative research. We build on this work by focusing on the use of material objects in research. Using material objects in qualitative research, particularly those selected by research participants, offers a different kind of engagement that can add richness and complexity to the knowledge generated. Material objects can either be participant-selected or researcher-selected, each having its own benefits and challenges. Using examples, we explore how participants sensorially engage with these objects, using visual, auditory, olfactory, and tactile means. This engagement with material objects, particularly those that are personally meaningful to participants, is useful when examining research topics that may be sensitive or abstract; it offers the potential for participants to identify salient associations and/or express what may be otherwise unsayable. We discuss practical strategies in using material objects as well as the ethical challenges and possible products of such research.

Listening to the voices of children: understanding the human rights priorities of children with disability in Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea

In developing countries, children with disability lack basic services yet their voices are missing in the development agenda. This article reports on research to investigate the human rights needs and priorities of 89 children with disability aged 5–18 years in Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea. An accessible and inclusive research method was developed to enable children with diverse disabilities to communicate their own views via visual, audio and tactile means. Data were analysed in relation to the Articles of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, identifying a wide range of priority areas including recreation, leisure and cultural life; employment; home and family life; and education. It is proposed that policy and programme responses must take a holistic view of children and their needs, affirming but thinking beyond the importance of education, to address the complexity of the systemic disadvantage faced by children with disability.

Perspectives of Elementary School Teachers on Outdoor Education

Outdoor education stands out as one of the methods to deliver the desired educational outcomes taking the needs of the students, teachers and the curricular objectives into consideration. Outdoor education focuses on experimental, hands-on learning in real-life environments through senses, e.g., through visual, auditory, and tactile means, improving students' learning and retention of knowledge as a result. Appropriate sites outside of the classroom and school environment are chosen as the setting for outdoor education. Students are assessed over their performances related to the experiments and applications via observations and reports. Generally speaking, outdoor education is not common in Turkey, whereas in specific, at the elementary level, outdoor education seems to be limited to certain social activities and field trips rendered within the scope of student clubs. As Pedretti (1) et al. concluded in their study, the efficiency of outdoor education depends on the teachers. Based on the said study, teachers should be allowed to collaborate with their colleagues to analyze existing outdoor education programs and develop programs of their own. On the other hand, only teachers that are aware of outdoor education ask for such opportunities from the administrative bodies. Therefore, in this study, Turkish classroom teachers' current awareness and perspectives on outdoor education were assessed via descriptive analysis. The specific study group chosen for the study consisted of the classroom teachers working in Sahinbey County of Gaziantep Province. As for collection of the relevant qualitative data, participants were interviewed using a semi-structured interviewing form.

Assessment of Apical Anatomy with Reference to Accuracy of Working Length Determination Methods in Permanent Mandibular First Molars

The mandibular first molar (MFM) is considered a vital tooth in establishing occlusion in the permanent dentition. As it is a tooth prone to caries its morphology is vital in restorative, endodontic and surgical aspects in dentistry. Accurate working length (WL) determination is considered an essential for the success of root canal therapy. Methods of WL estimation include detecting the apical constriction by tactile means (apical boundness), using a periapical radiograph or by means of an electronic apex locator (EAL). The objective of this study was to assess the accuracy of different WL assessment methods in comparison to the actual length of the tooth assessed by visualising the apical constriction of MFMs. Access cavities were prepared in 188 extracted permanent MFMs, mounted on alginate and suitable K-file was passed though each root canal to determine the apical constriction. WL was determined with a third generation apex locator with a proven accuracy (Root ZX Mini J Moritacorp. Japan). These teeth were assessed both with analog and digital radiography to assess the position of the files on the radiograph. Finally the teeth were assessed with a 2.5X magnification to visually locate the apical constriction (actual length) of each root canal. The mean actual length of mesio-buccal canal was 20.06mm, mesio-lingual canal was 19.97 mm, disto buccal canal was 19.81 mm and disto- lingual canal was 19.40 mm. Accuracy of EAL is 98.5%. There was no significant difference between the accuracies of 1st bound, film based and digital radiography. Thus the most accurate method in WL determination is the EAL.

Intubating Conditions of two Different Doses of Rocuronium At 60 Seconds; by Clinical Assessment; and with T.O.F Response of Adductor Pollicis Muscle.

At 60 seconds, 2xED95 dose (0.6mg/kg) of rocuronium is frequently used for intubation. Some studies suggest 3XED95 (0.9mg/kg body weight) dose in achieving excellent intubating conditions. In this context, present study aimed at comparing intubating conditions with these two doses of rocuronium, using clinical criteria by cooper's score; assisted with adductor pollicis T.O.F response. Present prospective randomized comparative clinical study was conducted on 60 patients subjected for general anaesthesia. Induction was done with fentanyl (1mcg/kg body weight) and propofol (2mg/kg body weight) and relaxation achieved with Rocuronium 0.6 mg/kg (Group A-30 cases); 0.9mg/kg (Group B- 30 cases). (n=30) intubation was done at 60 seconds. Intubating conditions were assessed clinically by cooper's score.T.O.F responses of AP by visual and tactile means. Intubating conditions clinically were excellent in 16 cases (53%), good in 12 cases (40%), and fair in 2 cases (7%) respectively in Group-A. In group-B excellent in 29 cases (97%) and good in 1case (3%). In group A in no case TOF-0 achieved. TOF 1, 2, 3, and 4 were observed in 1 case (3%), 7 cases (23%) 16 cases (54%) and 6 cases (20%) respectively. Whereas in group B, TOF 0, 1, 2, 3 were observed in 18 cases (61%), 4 cases (13%), 7 cases (23%) and 1 case (3%). In no case TOF-4 observed. Chi square test (p<0.0001) confirmed a highly significant statistical difference with respect to elicited TOFcounts, and intubating conditions achieved. 3xED95 dose of Rocuronium achieves more intense NMB and better conditions for intubation at 60 seconds than 2ED 95 dose.

Insect Magnetism

The Rhinoceros beetle fighting scene in northern Thailand exposes a puzzling technique of bringing together human and animal action. We intend to show through the study of this game that some cases invite us to specify our understanding of the notion of communication. What can the breeder-players share with their beetles? The answer to this question is far from being self-evident because the partners of the game do not share at all the same perceptive and cognitive abilities. Amateurs agree on the fact that the beetles cannot be really tamed, but since they are sensitive to vibration one can, however, try to enhance their fighting potentialities and to guide them by tactile means during the fight. Drawing on radical questionings of the notions of signal and noise, we shall try to determine to what extent beetle fighting can help us to reconsider the debate on the possibility of presignaletic forms of communication.

Comparison of coordinate measurement precision of different landmark types on human crania using a 3D laser scanner and a 3D digitiser: Implications for applications of digital morphometrics

AbstractA total of 11 340 Cartesian coordinates of 42 homologous landmarks on five excavated human crania were recorded by three observers using a three‐dimensional (3D) digitiser and computer models created with a 3D laser scanner. The aim was to compare the errors of the coordinate data of landmarks of different types recorded with these two techniques. The results showed that digitiser‐based and 3D model‐based coordinate measurements had overall standard deviations of, respectively, ±0.79 and ±1.05 mm. However, the 3D digitiser yielded the most precise coordinate data for landmarks defined primarily by biological criteria (Type I landmarks), while the 3D laser scanner models yielded the most precise coordinate data for landmarks defined primarily by geometric criteria (Type III landmarks). These findings are likely to influence the research design of future craniometric studies, as they indicate that the suitability of certain landmark types as reference points for geometric operations, such as partial Procrustes analysis, depends on the method by which they are measured. This information is particularly important for retrospective research or for combined databases such as FORDISC or CRANID, which may integrate different types of landmarks recorded by different researchers and/or instruments. Crania displaying poor preservation and surface discoloration yielded larger measurement errors, especially for the 3D model measurements. This is not surprising given that landmarks on 3D models cannot be located using tactile means, but have to be located solely on a visual basis. Nonetheless, even though the digitiser measurements exhibit an overall precision slightly greater than the 3D model measurements, both techniques yield coordinate data with a precision sufficient for most craniometric research. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Quantification of the capability of micro-CT to detect defects in castings using a new test piece and a voxel-based comparison method

We present a modified aluminium casting which is especially suited as test piece for measuring casting defects and the geometry by means of cone-beam micro-focus X-ray systems, and which may become a reference standard for dimensional measurements and defect detection. To obtain a test piece with inner geometries measured by tactile means, we divided a small aluminium cylinder head into four pieces in such a way that most inner surfaces can be reached with a tactile probe. Reference geometries (spheres and cylinders) were applied to define a coordinate system for aligning the measurements in the disassembled and re-assembled state. The four pieces were re-assembled after the tactile measurement. The test piece also contains casting defects. In order to be able to use the assembled cylinder head as reference sample for defect detection, measurements with higher spatial resolution and better signal-to-noise ratio were performed on the single parts. For improving the reliability of the reference measurements, CT measurements of each part were carried out in three different orientations, and the individual defect detections were combined to obtain a reference data set with a high probability of defect detection and a low rate of erroneous detections. A new method for comparing the defect detection in a CT measurement to a reference data set is demonstrated, which provides individual information on every detected flaw. We discuss the results of measurements in the assembled state with respect to the reference data for flaw detection.

Hearing protection warning device

An apparatus for hearing protection comprising: a body having coupling means, said coupling means configured to attach to a body part; a sound sensor disposed in said body, said sound sensor configured to sense ambient sound; a sound processor coupled to said sound sensor, said sound processor configured to receive a sound signal from said sound sensor and generate a sound indicator signal; an indicator coupled to said sound processor and disposed in said body, said indicator configured to indicate sound levels, said indicator including at least one of a visual display and a tactile indicator, wherein said visual display visually indicates levels of sound and said tactile indicator indicates levels of sound through tactile means.

Neuromuscular monitoring

Neuromuscular monitoring is central to the rational use of neuromuscular blocking agents. Stimulation of a peripheral nerve by electrical or magnetic means is followed by contraction of a voluntary muscle. Single impulses may be used but more commonly impulses are given in groups. The train of four, double burst and post-tetanic count are those trains usually employed clinically. Almost any skeletal muscle can be used but those of the hand, face and leg are most commonly employed as they are the easiest to both stimulate and record from. The responses of muscles may be measured by direct visual or tactile means. More accurate methods include mechanomyography, electromyography and accelerometry.

Intraoperative measurement of distraction for ligament tensioning in total ankle arthroplasty.

Intraoperative measurement of distraction for ligament tensioning in total ankle arthroplasty.

Machine Vision Monitoring for Automated Surface Finishing

A considerable amount of research has recently been performed on automated die and mold finishing systems. The research has tended to focus on the development of the finishing tool, the means of positioning and controlling the tool or efficient algorithms for moving the tool to achieve desired degrees of surface roughness. However, there has been relatively less effort to develop sensors suitable for providing the critical surface finish data necessary for any closed loop system. This paper presents two algorithms that, when coupled with machine vision hardware, are capable of providing surface texture information. The algorithms are developed and the results calibrated against a stylus profilometer. Tests have been conducted on mold cavity surfaces and the results evaluated against standard tactile means. The hardware has been incorporated with a computer controlled coordinate machine.

Water depth selection, daily feeding routines and diets of waterbirds in coastal lagoons in Ghana

Water depth requirements, diet, feeding styles and diurnal activity patterns are described for waterbirds using two brackish water lagoon systems in coastal Ghana, the Songor and Keta Lagoons. We project the habitat and activity data on a guild structure defined on the basis of individual feeding style and the sensory mechanism used to detect food. A total of 3199 flocks containing 118,648 individuals of 36 different waterbird species were examined during October‐November 1994. Feeding habitats varied from dry mudflats to wet mud and shallow water of not more than 20 cm. The depth of water selected by waterbirds for foraging (but not for roosting) was correlated with tarsus length. Foraging birds exhibited a wide range of feeding styles using visual and/or tactile means for detecting prey: pecking, probing, stabbing, sweeping and ploughing, sometimes feeding singly, communally or socially in loose or dense flocks. Prey items taken ranged from seeds of Widgeongrass Ruppia maritima to invertebrates (mainly polychaetes, molluscs and crabs) and fish, mainly juvenile Tilapia. The daytime was spent on two main activities, feeding and roosting, with a small fraction of the time (average of 10% for 25 species) spent on comfort activities. The waterbirds exhibited either a circadian (most waders, except Common Sandpipers Actitis hypoleucos and Turnstones Arenaria interpres) or a diurnal foraging activity pattern (herons and terns), with no purely nocturnal species. Some species fed throughout the day, others showed peak foraging at various times of the day. The proportion of time spent foraging was related to guild (highest in visual and tactile surfaceforaging waders) and was negatively correlated with the size of the species. We conclude that the observed patterns in the use of the 24‐h day by waterbirds for foraging are not species specific but vary depending on conditions on the feeding grounds. Nocturnal foraging is a normal and a regular strategy used by waterbirds to obtain enough food to fulfill their energetic requirements, so that irrespective of the sensory mechanism used to detect prey and the conditions prevailing on the feeding grounds, waterbirds forage day and night as dictated by their energetic needs. Water depth appears to be the key environmental factor controlling the availability of food for the waterbirds in the Ghanaian lagoons.