Tactile Parameters Research Articles

Retracted: Estimation and Analysis of Sports Energy Consumption Based on Gait Tactile Parameters

Retracted: Estimation and Analysis of Sports Energy Consumption Based on Gait Tactile Parameters

Establishing Natural Tactile Mappings: Mapping Tactile Parameters to Continuous Data Concepts.

There has been limited work developing natural mappings between tactile signals and common data concepts in data rich domains. If these mappings can be established, tactile displays can become more intuitive and readily adopted. The present study aims to identify general natural mappings between perceptual dimensions of vibration and continuous data concepts. Twenty-one participants were tasked to map four different tactile parameters to four different data concepts-pressure, concentration, size, and speed. We found that an increase in intensity was good at conveying increases for all data concepts. We also found that speed, pressure, concentration, and size all have at least one strong natural mapping.

An Investigation of the Effects of Thermal Interference between Adjacent Nitinol Spring Actuators in a Tactile Display

Over the years, there has been increased research interest in the application of Nitinol as an actuator, due to its shape memory behaviour, simplicity, high power-to-weight ratio, compactness, and extreme high fatigue resistance to cyclic motion, and noiseless operation. Nitinol has found application in tactile displays which reproduce tactile parameters such as texture and shape, depending on the application. This paper presents the effects of thermal interference between adjacent Nitinol spring actuators in a tactile display. The tactile display is made of a 3 by 3 pin array whose spatial resolution was varied from 4 mm to 6 mm in steps of 1 mm while a current of 1.5 A was used to actuate 8 of the springs, and the centre spring was left unactivated to observe the thermal effects on it due to the heat gradient formed. A Finite Element (FE) model was developed using COMSOL Multiphysics and the results were further verified through experimentation. In both cases, there was visible thermal interference between actuators. The increase in spatial resolution saw a decrease in thermal interference by 12.7%. Using a fan to introduce forced convection, reduced the thermal interference in the simulation by 20% and during experimentation by 11%. The results of this research indicate a spatial resolution of 6 mm reduced the thermal inference to a negligible rate. However, thermal interference could not be eliminated with these two methods.

INVESTIGAÇÃO SOBRE PARÂMETROS TÁCTEIS DE MARCHA BASEADOS NO APRENDIZADO PROFUNDO DO ALGORITMO DE ESTIMATIVA DE CONSUMO ENERGÉTICO NO ESPORTE

ABSTRACT Introduction In medicine, Deep Learning is a type of machine learning that aims to train computers to perform human tasks by simulating the human brain. Gait recognition and gait motion simulation is one of the most interesting research areas in the field of biometrics and can benefit from this technological feature. Objective To use Deep Learning to format and validate according to the dynamic characteristics of gait. Methods Gait was used for identity recognition, and gait recognition based on kinematics and dynamic gait parameters was performed through pattern recognition, including the position and the intensity value of maximum pressure points, pressure center point, and pressure ratio. Results The investigation shows that the energy consumption of gait as modeled analyzed, and the model of gait energy consumption can be obtained, which is comprehensively affected by motion parameters and individual feature parameters. Conclusion Real-time energy measurement is obtained when most people walk. The research shows that the gait frequency and body parameters obtained from the tactile parameters of gait biomechanics can more accurately estimate the energy metabolism of exercise and obtain the metabolic formula of exercise. There is a good application prospect for assessing energy metabolism through the tactile parameters of gait. Level of evidence II; Therapeutic studies - investigating treatment outcomes.

Influence of Wet Ageing on Beef Quality Traits

Fresh samples of Longissimus thoracis of Charolais (n = 12), Romagnola (n = 15), Limousine (n = 77), and crossbreed (n = 62) animals were evaluated with different storage periods (0, 4, 9, and 14 days). Proximate analysis (i.e., pH, humidity, color, free water content, and physical parameters) was performed for each sample. The data obtained were evaluated with a mixed model, setting 5 fixed effects (breed, storage time, animals age, EUROP conformation, number of animal transports) and the animal as random. The results demonstrated that meat quality was affected mainly by the wet ageing period and that the visual and tactile parameters were also found to be susceptible to the storage time. The conservation entailed a decrease in meat humidity and an increase in L* and b* traits; it also led to a decrease in the hardness of the sample, in turn affecting the other texture profile analysis parameters considered. Fixed effects affected in different ways the traits analyzed i.e., pH and humidity changed with breed, as well as with EUROP classification, animals' age for some TPA parameters, and the number of animal transports for both visual and tactile parameters. Wet ageing influenced the meat quality, often improving it, confirming how important further research would be to identify precise storage times in relation to the parameters studied.

Estimation and Analysis of Sports Energy Consumption Based on Gait Tactile Parameters

The morbidity of obesity and related metabolic syndrome is on the rise, which may be related to the decrease of physical activity. Therefore, keeping energy balance is the basic premise to prevent multiple metabolic syndromes, and the research on the composition and application of energy consumption has become a hot spot. The combination of expectation-maximization algorithm and MapReduce computing model realizes the migration of traditional algorithm to “cloud computing” platform. The physical fitness evaluation algorithm based on collaborative filtering is constructed, and a gait tactile recognition algorithm is proposed by feature selection based on the MEMS sensor. Finally, the algorithm is tested, and a conclusion is drawn. This algorithm is effective in monitoring and recognizing human gait. With the increase of weightlessness characteristics, the sensitivity of detection remains unchanged, and the specificity will increase. In a word, it is scientific and effective. Thus, the reference for establishing the index system of tactile biomechanical parameters of adolescent gait and studying the low-cost and portable energy measurement method of multiparameter indexes is provided.

Recognition system of acupuncture manipulations based on an array PVDF tactile sensor and machine learning

In learning and evaluation of acupuncture manipulations, there are lack of quantitative physical parameters on exertion strength, duration and direction of acupuncture technique at present. Based on the tactile parameters collected during "twirling" and "lifting-thrusting" of needling, a kind of array polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) tactile sensor was designed. Followed by, a window segmentation method for tactile signal was proposed and the time domain features of the window were extracted. Finally, an identification method of acupuncture manipulation based on FCM (Fuzzy C-Means) was constructed. Through the experiment, it was proved that this sensor can effectively identify the four kinds of basic acupuncture manipulations, i.e. reinforcing by twirling and rotating, reducing by twirling and rotating, reinforcing by lifting and thrusting and reducing by lifting and thrusting and it was conductive to the quantification and dissemination of acupuncture manipulations.

The Evaluation of Tactile Parameters and Display Prototype to Support Physiological Monitoring and Multitasking for Anesthesia Providers in the Operating Room.

Communicating physiological information via the tactile modality is shown as a promising means to address data overload faced by anesthesia providers. However, it is important to ensure that the tactile parameters which represent information are intuitive. There is currently no consensus on which tactile parameters should be used to present information within anesthesia. The two studies presented here evaluate: (a) a set of 24 tactile cues manipulating intensity, temporal, and spatial tactile parameters in a usability study and (b) a prototype tactile display based on the usability study's findings in a single and dual-task scenario. Findings of the usability study show intensity and temporal were rated most urgent and had the most potential to represent changes in physiological measures. This was confirmed in the follow up study as increases/decreases in intensity were shown to represent increases/decreases in a physiological measure and using different spatial locations to represent physiological measures resulted in greater than 95% response accuracy. Response times and accuracy were not adversely affected while performing a secondary task. The findings contribute to a better understanding of how to map tactile parameters to physiological information and demonstrate the effectiveness of end-user feedback in tactile display design to develop intuitive alerts.

Carious lesion activity assessment in clinical practice: a systematic review.

The objective of the manuscript is to systematically review the different techniques developed for activity assessment of coronal carious lesions (AACCL) in clinical settings. A search of PubMed identified original articles in English reporting on the different concepts/tools for AACCL in clinical settings and, when available, data related to their in vivo/in situ validation in terms of sensitivity, specificity, inter- and intra-examiner reproducibilities, area under the receiving operating curve, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and relative risk of lesion progression. The present review included 25 articles. Four groups of techniques are available (1) systems based on combinations of visual and tactile criteria; devices based on (2) pH assessment, (3) fluorescence, or (4) bioluminescence. The most studied systems are those based on combinations of visual and tactile parameters when bioluminescence suffers from the lack of in vivo evaluation. Validation studies showed a wide disparity among protocols in terms of populations, dentitions, teeth surfaces, study design, the gold standard, and validation criteria. There is a need for definition and harmonization of standards for activity assessment-related concepts/tools, as well as further investigations for in vivo validation of newly developed tools. Carious lesion activity is an important component to be taken into account when making decisions as to appropriate clinical caries management. The development and use of validated techniques which are easy to use in everyday dental practice are important.

The “up-side” and “down-side” of tactile parameters: An evaluation of increases and decreases in tactile cue magnitude to support anesthesia monitoring

There is a need to find alternative ways to present information to alleviate data overload in the complex environment of anesthesia monitoring in the operating room. The tactile modality has been shown as a promising means in supporting this effort; however, to develop effective tactile displays, it is important to ensure that the tactile parameters convey information that is both meaningful and easy to learn. This work aimed to address this gap by evaluating how increasing and decreasing tactile parameter magnitude could map to physiological variables to support anesthesia monitoring. It was found that increases in magnitude for the intensity and temporal parameters mapped to urgent changes in physiological variables whereas decreases in magnitude for these parameters mapped to less urgent changes (e.g., a physiological variable is normalizing). This work provides preliminary support towards a better understanding of which tactile parameters should be used to represent information in the operating room to support anesthesia monitoring. Furthermore, it demonstrates how increases and decreases in tactile parameters can be interpreted differently, emphasizing the importance of carefully considering how to utilize changes in tactile parameters to convey information in complex domains.

PapillArray: An incipient slip sensor for dexterous robotic or prosthetic manipulation – design and prototype validation

The major failing of robotic and prosthetic grippers in mimicking the dexterity of the human hand is thought to be a lack of adequate tactile sensing which provides feedback for grip control. The majority of existing tactile sensors focus on determining the contact forces; however, other tactile parameters, such as friction and the occurrence of incipient slip, are equally important for dexterous manipulation, particularly in unstructured environments. In this work, a design is presented for a grip security sensor – the PapillArray – which consists of an array of silicone pillars with different uncompressed heights. When the sensor is compressed, the tallest pillars in the centre are under greater normal stress and thus able to generate a greater friction force; this encourages the shorter outer pillars to slip first when a tangential force is applied. The incipient slip (as pillars slip independently) can be detected by measuring the deflection of the individual pillars, and continuous force/torque measurement is not strictly required. Each incipient slip event acts as a warning that the grip/normal force should be increased. A simple mathematical description of the principle of operation of one embodiment of the PapillArray with a single taller central pillar surrounded by eight shorter outer pillars (of equal height) is offered. A prototype of this embodiment is also presented and tested under different normal forces and frictional conditions. The deflection of the central pillar and a single outer pillar are determined by video recording and subsequent point-tracking methods. The outer pillar was observed to slip at a lower tangential force than the central pillar. From the simplified model, a prediction of the tangential-to-normal force ratio at the moment of slip of the central pillar was made. The R2 value for a line of best fit for the predicted and measured ratio was 0.986 indicating an excellent fit, and the gradient of the line was 0.935, indicating that the predicted value is a slight underestimate of the coefficient of friction; this could be due to the assumption of unbending pillars. Both with and without continuous force monitoring, the PapillArray sensor can be used to improve dexterous manipulation in robotic and prosthetic grippers. This paper provides a proof-of-concept for this sensing approach; future papers will deal with the problem of instrumenting the pillar deflection by other means.

Tactile stimuli affect long-range correlations of stride interval and stride length differently during walking.

Sensory feedback below the sole of the foot using sub-threshold mechanical noise significantly reduced postural sway in patients with diabetes and stroke. However, the effects of tactile parameters on walking are still elusive. Specifically, the effects of such parameters on human gait variability need to be studied because of possible rehabilitation outcomes in terms of bringing improvement in temporal and spatial gait parameters. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether different frequency and amplitude combinations of vibro-tactile stimulation of feet would affect stride-to-stride variability in healthy young adults. Ten healthy subjects walked on a treadmill at self-selected pace while wearing customized insoles fitted with tactors that vibrated at selected frequencies and amplitudes. The results show that the frequency manipulations of tactile stimulation altered the long-range correlations (LRCs) in stride length while amplitude manipulations affected the LRCs in stride interval without having any effect on the amount of gait variability. Our findings suggest that independent neural mechanisms may be responsible for coordinating LRCs of gait parameters in the spatial and temporal domains.

Multimodal urgency coding: auditory, visual, and tactile parameters and their impact on perceived urgency

Through a series of investigations involving different levels of contextual fidelity we developed scales of perceived urgency for several dimensions of the auditory, visual, and tactile modalities. Psychophysical ratings of perceived urgency, annoyance, and acceptability as well as behavioral responses to signals in each modality were obtained and analyzed using Steven's Power Law to allow comparison across modalities. Obtained results and their implications for use as in-vehicle alerts and warnings are discussed.

Predicting compression and surfaces properties of knits using fuzzy logic and neural networks techniques

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to model the relationship between manufacturing parameters, especially finishing treatments and instrumental tactile properties measured by Kawabata evaluation system.Design/methodology/approachTwo soft computing approaches, namely artificial neural network (ANN) and fuzzy inference system (FIS), have been applied to predict the compression and surface properties of knitted fabrics from finishing process. The prediction accuracy of these models was evaluated using both the root mean square error and mean relative percent error.FindingsThe results revealed the model's ability to predict instrumental tactile parameters based on the finishing treatments. The comparison of the prediction performances of both techniques showed that fuzzy models are slightly more powerful than neural models.Originality/valueThis study provides contribution in industrial products engineering, with minimal number of experiments and short cycles of product design. In fact, models based on intelligent techniques, namely FIS and ANNs, were developed for predicting instrumental tactile characteristics in reference to finishing treatments.

Stimulus reconstruction based on postsynaptic potentials of leech interneurons

Most studies on the neuronal encoding of sensory stimuli have been performed based on spike responses. The classically considered neuronal response features like spike count, spike timing or ISIs rely on the all-or-nothing characteristic of spike responses. However, little is known about stimulus encoding on the level of integrated postsynaptic responses. In particular, no standard methods exist to analyze stimulus encoding with graded potentials. Moreover, the huge amount of stimulus-independent fluctuations present in intracellularly recorded membrane potentials complicates the analysis of graded responses. In this study, we use interneurons of the medical leech to analyze stimulus encoding based on graded membrane potential fluctuations. The local bend network controls the reflex behavior of the leech bending away when the skin is touched lightly [1]. It consists of four sensory P (‘pressure’) cells, approximately 20 interneurons and four groups of motorneurons, all of which can be identified individually. EPSPs induced by P cell spikes can be recorded intracellularly from the soma of interneurons, where spike amplitudes are small (<7mV) [2]. In a related study (see Pirschel & Kretzberg, this issue) we investigated the encoding of tactile stimulus parameters by P cell spike responses. We found that the intensity of pressure applied to the skin influences the spike count as well as the length of the 1st interspike interval (ISI) and both response parameters yielded similar stimulus reconstruction performances. In this sense, we have analyzed the influence of presynaptic P cell spike count and 1st ISI on postsynaptic interneuron responses. Precisely timed P cell spikes were elicited in intracellular double recordings in five cell pairs with short pulses of current injection. We simulated tactile skin stimulation with three pressure intensities (≥6 presentations each) by inducing previously determined typical P cell spike responses, differing in spike count and ISI lengths. For comparison, we used protocols in which only the spike count or only the 1st ISI of P cell spikes were varied. Stimulus reconstruction based on interneuron recordings was performed with a maximum likelihood approach, using the area under the EPSP, the EPSP slope, or the EPSP maximum amplitude. When using the EPSP area and an optimal time window of ~100-300ms for stimulus reconstruction, the three tactile stimuli simulated by realistic P cell spike patterns were reconstructed correctly in ~70% of the trials (chance level 33.3%). Interestingly, P cell responses differing only in their 1st ISI could be discriminated faster (optimal time window 90-155ms) and more reliably (up to 90% correct). However, P cell responses differing only in spike count required long time windows (>350ms) and reached lower reconstruction performance (~50% correct). Using the EPSP slope yielded similar reconstruction performances and optimal time scales, but turned out to be more vulnerable to noisy data. Estimation based on maximum EPSP amplitude led to considerably lower performances.

A Multiparameter Tactile Display System for Teleoperation

Tactile feedback promises to improve the dexterity of telemanipulation by providing information about the contact between the remote robot’s fingers and the grasped object. This paper reports the development of a system for relaying two tactile parameters, vibration and small-scale object shape. The appropriate sensors are mounted in the gripping surface of the remote slave robot’s hand, while the tactile display devices are mounted at the operator’s finger tips on the master manipulator. For vibrations, the sensor is a miniature accelerometer, and the display is a voice coil actuator. This system is capable of relaying small vibrations from 50 to 1000 Hz. For small-scale shape, the sensor is a 16x16 mm 64 element tactile array sensor which measures the pressure distribution across the contact area. The tactile shape display raises and lowers a grid of pins to recreate this pressure distribution on the operator’s finger tips. Experimental tests with a force-reflecting teleoperated hand show that the system improves task performance and aids in object localization.