Wide Range Of Motion Research Articles

Miniature Resonant Ambulatory Robot

This article describes the design, manufacture, and performance of a prototype miniature resonant ambulatory robot that uses piezoelectric actuators to achieve locomotion. Each leg is comprised of two piezoelectric bimorph benders, joined at the tip by a flexure and end effector. Combinations of amplitude and phase can be used to produce a wide range of motions including swinging and lifting. A lumped mass model previously developed is described as a design tool to tune the resonance modes of the end effector. The completed robot was driven with frequencies up to 500 Hz resulting in a maximum forward velocity of approximately 520 mm/s at 350 Hz. A frequency analysis was also performed to determine the effects of ground contact on the performance of the robot. This analysis showed a significant reduction in the resonance gain and frequency.

Automatic design of fiber-reinforced soft actuators for trajectory matching

Soft actuators are the components responsible for producing motion in soft robots. Although soft actuators have allowed for a variety of innovative applications, there is a need for design tools that can help to efficiently and systematically design actuators for particular functions. Mathematical modeling of soft actuators is an area that is still in its infancy but has the potential to provide quantitative insights into the response of the actuators. These insights can be used to guide actuator design, thus accelerating the design process. Here, we study fluid-powered fiber-reinforced actuators, because these have previously been shown to be capable of producing a wide range of motions. We present a design strategy that takes a kinematic trajectory as its input and uses analytical modeling based on nonlinear elasticity and optimization to identify the optimal design parameters for an actuator that will follow this trajectory upon pressurization. We experimentally verify our modeling approach, and finally we demonstrate how the strategy works, by designing actuators that replicate the motion of the index finger and thumb.

Semi-active control of smart building-MR damper systems using novel TSK-Inv and max-min algorithms

Two novel semi-active control methods for a seismically excited nonlinear benchmark building equipped with magnetorheological dampers are presented and evaluated in this paper. While a primary controller is designed to estimate the optimal control force of a magnetorheological (MR) damper, the required voltage input for the damper to produce such desired control force is achieved using two different methods. The first technique uses an optimal compact Takagi-Sugeno-Kang (TSK) fuzzy inverse model of MR damper to predict the required voltage to actuate the MR dampers (TSKFInv). The other voltage regulator introduced here works based on the maximum and minimum capacities of MR damper at each time-step (MaxMin). Both semi-active algorithms developed here, use acceleration feedback only. The results demonstrate that both TSKFInv and MaxMin algorithms are quite effective in seismic response reduction for wide range of motions from moderate to severe seismic events, compared with the passive systems and performs better than original and Modified clipped optimal controller systems, known as COC and MCOC.

Kinematic study with and without ski boots using ski simulator

Summary Objectives We performed a comparative analysis of ski simulators, which remove seasonal and regional constraints, to effectively improve training methods. Equipment and methods We compared the kinematic characteristics with and without ski boots on the ski simulator and found significant differences in lower limb joint angles, run-time, muscle activity, and heart rate. Results Based on these results, we suggest the following exercise guidelines for ski simulators: (i) simulator skiing without boots results in a wider range of motion (ROM) and can be utilized as low-intensity exercise to improve muscle endurance and balance and (ii) simulator skiing with boots enables faster movements within a limited range and can help improve muscle strength. These results are not limited to ski training; they can also be applied to specialized exercise improvement and strengthening programs as well as physical training.

In vivo kinematics of the thumb during flexion and adduction motion: Evidence for a screw-home mechanism.

The thumb plays a crucial role in basic hand function. However, the kinematics of its entire articular chain have not yet been quantified. Such investigation is essential to improve our understanding of thumb function and to develop better strategies to treat thumb joint pathologies. The primary objective of this study is to quantify the in vivo kinematics of the trapeziometacarpal (TMC) and scaphotrapezial (ST) joints during flexion and adduction of the thumb. In addition, we want to evaluate the potential coupling between the TMC and ST joints during these tasks. The hand of 16 asymptomatic women without signs of thumb osteoarthritis were CT scanned in positions of maximal thumb extension, flexion, abduction, and adduction. The CT images were segmented and three-dimensional surface models of the radius, scaphoid, trapezium, and the first metacarpal were created for each thumb motion. The corresponding rotations angles, translations, and helical axes were calculated for each sequence. The analysis shows that flexion and adduction of the thumb result in a three-dimensional rotation and translation of the entire articular chain, including the trapezium and scaphoid. A wider range of motion is observed for the first metacarpal, which displays a clear axial rotation. The coupling of axial rotation of the first metacarpal with flexion and abduction during thumb flexion supports the existence of a screw-home mechanism in the TMC joint. In addition, our results point to a potential motion coupling between the TMC and ST joints and underline the complexity of thumb kinematics. © 2016 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 35:1556-1564, 2017.

Observation of the Second-Order Quadrupolar Interaction as a Dominating NMR Relaxation Mechanism in Liquids: The Ultraslow Regime of Motion.

We report variable-temperature (VT) (17)O NMR spectra of [5-(17)O]-d-glucose in an aqueous solution and in glycerol at 14.1 and 21.1 T. The VT (17)O NMR data cover a wide range of motion for which the molecular rotational correlation time (τc) of glucose changes more than 5 orders of magnitude. The observed line width of the (17)O NMR signal for [5-(17)O]-d-glucose displays a maximum at ω0τc ≈ 1 and a minimum at ω0τc ≈ 150, where ω0 is the angular Larmor frequency of (17)O. Under the ultraslow motion condition (i.e., ω0τc > 150), the line width of the observed (17)O NMR signal increases drastically with τc, suggesting that the second-order quadrupolar interaction becomes the predominant relaxation mechanism. While this relaxation mechanism has long been predicted by theory, the current study reports the first experimental observation of such a phenomenon. The implications of this new relaxation mechanism on the spectral resolution limit in liquid-state NMR spectroscopy for half-integer spins are discussed.

Accuracy evaluation of the Kinect v2 sensor during dynamic movements in a rehabilitation scenario.

In this paper, the accuracy evaluation of the Kinect v2 sensor is investigated in a rehabilitation scenario. The accuracy analysis is provided in terms of joint positions and angles during dynamic postures used in low-back pain rehabilitation. Although other studies have focused on the validation of the accuracy in terms of joint angles and positions, they present results only considering static postures whereas the rehabilitation exercise monitoring involves to consider dynamic movements with a wide range of motion and issues related to the joints tracking. In this work, joint positions and angles represent clinical features, chosen by medical staff, used to evaluate the subject's movements. The spatial and temporal accuracy is investigated with respect to the gold standard, represented by a stereophotogrammetric system, characterized by 6 infrared cameras. The results provide salient information for evaluating the reliability of Kinect v2 sensor for dynamic postures.

Mechanoreceptors of the ligaments and tendons around the knee.

Proprioceptive inputs from the joints and limbs arise from mechanoreceptors in the muscles, ligaments and tendons. The knee joint has a wide range of movements, and proper neuroanatomical organization is critical for knee stability. Four ligaments (the anterior (ACL) and posterior (PCL) cruciate ligaments and the medial (MCL) and lateral (LCL) collateral ligaments) and four tendons (the semitendinosus (STT), gracilis (GT), popliteal (PoT), and patellar (PaT) tendons) from eight fresh frozen cadavers were harvested. Each harvested tissue was divided into its bone insertion side and its tendinous part for immunohistochemical examination using S100 staining. Freeman-Wyke's classification was used to identify the mechanoreceptors. The mechanoreceptors were usually located close to the bone insertion. Free nerve endings followed by Ruffini endings were the most common mechanoreceptors overall. No Pacini corpuscles were observed; free nerve endings and Golgi-like endings were most frequent in the PCL (PCL-PaT: P = 0.0.1, PCL-STT: P = 0.00), and Ruffini endings in the popliteal tendon (PoT-PaT: P = 0.00, Pot-STT: P = 0.00, PoT-LCL: P = 0.00, PoT-GT: P = 0.00, PoT-ACL: P = 0.09). The cruciate ligaments had more mechanoreceptors than the medial structures (MS) or the patellar tendon (CR-Pat: P = 0.000, CR-MS: P = 0.01). The differences in mechanoreceptor distributions between the ligaments and tendons could reflect the different roles of these structures in the dynamic coordination of knee motion. Clin. Anat. 29:789-795, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Ordinary and Extraordinary Movement Behaviour of Small Resident Fish within a Mediterranean Marine Protected Area.

It is important to account for the movement behaviour of fishes when designing effective marine protected areas (MPAs). Fish movements occur across different spatial and temporal scales and understanding the variety of movements is essential to make correct management decisions. This study describes in detail the movement patterns of an economically and commercially important species, Diplodus sargus, within a well-enforced Mediterranean MPA. We monitored horizontal and vertical movements of 41 adult individuals using passive acoustic telemetry for up to one year. We applied novel analysis and visualization techniques to get a comprehensive view of a wide range of movements. D. sargus individuals were highly territorial, moving within small home ranges (< 1 km2), inside which they displayed repetitive diel activity patterns. Extraordinary movements beyond the ordinary home range were observed under two specific conditions. First, during stormy events D. sargus presented a sheltering behaviour, moving to more protected places to avoid the disturbance. Second, during the spawning season they made excursions to deep areas (> 50 m), where they aggregated to spawn. This study advances our understanding about the functioning of an established MPA and provides important insights into the biology and management of a small sedentary species, suggesting the relevance of rare but important fish behaviours.

Morphometric Study on Bicipital Groove among South Indian Population.

The Bicipital Groove (BG) is an indentation between the lesser and greater tubercles of the proximal part of the humerus. It conveys biceps tendon, its synovial sheath and ascending branch of anterior circumflex humeral artery. The knowledge of the morphometry is important for the understanding of the functional aspect of the shoulder region. To study the morphometry of bicipital groove of humerus in south Indian population. In the present study, 100 adult humeri (50 right and 50 left) were examined. The length of the medial wall, lateral wall, width and depth were measured by using vernier calliper. The humeri were examined for the presence of supratubercular ridge. All the parameters were accurately measured and the data were analysed. The mean length of BG on right side was 84.79±5.84 mm and 87.33±6.40mm on the left side. The mean width of BG on right side was 6.84±1.01mm and 7.74±1.96mm on the left side. The mean depth of BG on right side was 4.21±0.58 mm and 5.01±1.05mm on the left side. The mean length of the medial and lateral walls on the right side was 24.22±1.02mm and 32.05±2.21mm respectively and that on the left side was 23.31±2.21mm and 31.12±0.24mm respectively. 17% of humeri on the right side and 14% on the left side showed the presence of supratubercular ridge of Meyer in the present study. Bicipital groove is present in the shoulder region where wide range of movements occurs. Osseous spurs and supratubercular ridge may predispose dislocation of tendon of biceps brachii. Hence morphometric knowledge is obligatory and is significant functionally and clinically for better understanding of this region.

Subcutaneous pedicle V–Y flap for release of incomplete congenital syndactyly

Various procedures for correction of congenital syndactyly of hand or foot have been described. For incomplete syndactyly, some of the reported techniques use only local flaps from surrounding tissues. A novel technique for the correction of incomplete syndactyly, using a dorsal triangular flap and two palmar small flaps, is described in this article. A triangular flap is first marked on the affected web space. The size of the flap should be the same as the unaffected side or other web space. Then a straight line is marked from the proximal apex of the triangle to the level of the metacarpophalangeal (MP) joint. After full skin incision, minimal peripheral undermining is done, and the triangular flap is transposed proximally, as in the Y-V advancement procedure, and sutured. Then two incisions are made from the distal part of the flap, transposing small flaps as in the five-flap method, and closed primarily. We treated ten cases of congenital syndactyly of the hand or foot. We were able to correct a good web space without skin grafting in all cases. The design for our technique is simple, and the technique can be performed easily. The operation can be performed in a short time, the blood supply of the flap is preserved, the flap has a wide range of motion, and a deep and smooth dorsal slope is produced. This technique is an attractive alternative to previously reported methods for syndactyly correction.

형상기억합금 구동기를 이용한 로봇 손 개발

Abstract Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) undergo changes in shape and hardness when heated or cooled, and do so with great force. Since wire-type SMAs contract in length when heated and pull with a surprisingly large force and move silently, they can be used as actuactors which replace motors. These SMA actuators can be heated directly with electricity and can be used to create a wide range of motions. This paper presents the mechanical design and control for a three fingered, six degree-of-freedom robotic hand actuated by SMA actuators. Each finger has two joints and each joint is actuated with two tendons in the antagonistic manner. In order to create the sufficient force to make the smooth motion, the tendon is composed of two SMA actuators in parallel. For controlling the current to heat the SMA actuators, PWM drivers are used. In experiments, the antagonistic interaction of fingers are evaluated.Key Words : Shape Memory Alloy, Muscle Wire, Robotic Hand, PWM Driver, Antagonistic Motion본 논문은 경기도의 경기도지역협력연구센터 (GRRC) 사업의 일환으로 수행하였음. (GRRC한경2013-B02, 스마트물류기술연구센터)This is an Open-Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

The Usage of The Ucla Scale in the Life Quality of the Impingement: Case Study

The shoulder frequently has complaints in orthopedic practice, due to its wide range of motion and mechanical stresses of daily activities, one of the most common injuries is the impingement. The work aims to use the UCLA scale evaluation of impingement syndrome and then relate to the ICF. The scale analyzes five parameters: pain, function, ADM, manual strength and patient’s satisfaction, and so we will relate their usefulness in the analysis of the codes, relating to ICF. This is a case study, descriptive and quantitative, performed at the Clinical School Fisioclinica from Universidade da Amazonia (UNAMA) in Belem / PA. A female patient participated in the study, a 62 years old housewife, diagnosed with the impingement syndrome on her left shoulder. A standard traumatology and orthopedics form from the clinic was used, containing anamnesis, physical exams and specific tests. The combination of results obtained from the patient, with the functional scale and the ICF, analyzes that since the patient presented, besides functional alterations – that prevents her from doing her daily-live activities, pain, resulting in a 10 points score, in the UCLA scale, considered bad, being related to the codes b2801, b289, b789 b7100, b7200 and b7300, which present pain, loss of function, mobility and muscular strength. So, we can conclude that the UCLA scale allows to perform the evaluation of the SIO and its correlation with the ICF scale may be done through the levels that the ICF generates, which are the codes that link with the symptoms evaluated by the scale and that the patient with SIO shows.

Prototyping Force-Controlled 3-DOF Hydraulic Arms for Humanoid Robots

[abstFig src='/00280001/11.jpg' width=""230"" text='Hydraulic dual arm robot prototype' ]This paper reports on a hydraulic dual arm robot developed as a rapid prototype for our hydraulic humanoid robot. The lightweight arms (4 kg each) have three joints driven by hydraulic linear servo actuators that can achieve higher torque and speed than human arms. A double four-bar linkage provides a wide range of motion (210°) to the shoulder joint. Each joint has torque controllability that is fully utilized for compliant whole-body motion control tasks. Based on singular perturbation analysis, we discuss how damping on the joints is actively modulated by hydraulic force feedback control, which is then utilized in our passivity-based task-space force control scheme. The effectiveness of the proposed system is experimentally evaluated through zero-force tracking gravity compensation with a 10 kg payload and object manipulation tasks.

Motion Analysis of the Trapeziometacarpal Joint Using Three-dimensional Computed Tomography.

Zancolli theorized that the first metacarpal bone axially rotates on the semispheroidal part of the trapezium, which is controlled by ligaments. This study used three-dimensional computed tomography (3D-CT) to describe the motion of the first metacarpal bone on the trapezium. 3D-CT images were taken of the left hand of 30 healthy volunteers (mean age [Formula: see text] years, 15 men and 15 women). They were divided into five groups: radial abduction, retroposition, adduction, palmar abduction, and opposition. The range of motion of radial abduction and palmar abduction of the trapeziometacarpal joint was measured from the first metacarpal bone to the second metacarpal bone. The range of motion of pronation was measured following Cheema's method. The main contacts of the joint surface of trapezium and the first metacarpal bone were determined on the 3D-CT images. Pronation of the trapeziometacarpal joint was [Formula: see text] in radial abduction, [Formula: see text] in retroposition, [Formula: see text] in adduction, [Formula: see text] in palmar abduction, and [Formula: see text] in opposition. Radial abduction was [Formula: see text] in radial abduction, [Formula: see text] in retroposition, [Formula: see text] in adduction, [Formula: see text] in palmar abduction, and [Formula: see text] in opposition. Palmar abduction was [Formula: see text] in radial abduction, [Formula: see text] in retroposition, [Formula: see text] in adduction, [Formula: see text] in palmar abduction, and [Formula: see text] in opposition. The contact surfaces of the trapezium and the first metacarpal bone were dorsal and ulnar in radial abduction, radial and ulnar in retroposition, and volar-ulnar and volarradial in opposition, respectively, while they were both central in adduction and both radial in palmar abduction. The range of motion of the trapeziometacarpal joint was 44° for radial abduction/adduction, 48° for palmar abduction/adduction, and 57° for pronation/supination. The varying contact surfaces of the trapezium and the first metacarpal bone enabled a wide range of motion.

Comment on "Comparison of Electroacupuncture in Restrained and Unrestrained Rat Models".

Comment on "Comparison of Electroacupuncture in Restrained and Unrestrained Rat Models".

DRIVER HEAD MOVEMENT ESTIMATOR ON ARM BIG.LITTLE PROCESSOR

A driving environment that is changing constantly and rapidly, demands a driver to make large head turns. Drivers head movements are strong indicators of drivers focus on the road. In this paper a vision based algorithm is presented to estimate the driver head pose. Determining the head pose using vision based algorithms is a non-invasive method in intelligent driver assistance systems. Many existing state of the art vision based head pose algorithms have difficulties in monitoring the driver head movements. This is because in single camera perspective spatially large head turns disturb the facial features which are necessary to determine the head pose. A distributed camera framework and the use of Constrained Local Model algorithm for head pose tracking is presented. The proposed approach monitors the driver head over wide range of movements.

Shoulder complex linkage mechanism for humanlike musculoskeletal robot arms

The shoulder complex in the human body consists of the scapula, clavicle, humerus, and thorax and bears the load imposed by arm movements while at the same time realizing a wide range of motions. To mimic and exploit its role, several musculoskeletal robot arms with shoulder complex mechanisms have been developed. However, although many research groups have tried to design the structures using links and joints that faithfully correspond to the bones and joints in the human shoulder complex, its function has not been successfully reproduced because biologically plausible designs seriously compromise engineering plausibility. In this paper, we propose a linkage mechanism that can reproduce complex three-dimensional scapulo movements and considers the trade-off between biological and engineering plausibilities. Subsequently, the design was validated by driving the mechanism using pneumatic artificial muscles (PAMs) placed similarly to muscles in humans. Further, we present experiments in which the robot was controlled by surface electromyographic signals from a human. We show that the proposed design, due to its kinematic similarity with human musculoskeletal systems, eases the conversion between the surface electromyogram signals and the PAMs control inputs.

‘Old Mobilities’? Transatlantic Women from the West of Ireland 1880s–1920s

The ‘new mobilities paradigm’ set out by Sheller and Urry (2006) and others urges social scientists to centre many interlocking mobilities in their analyses of contemporary social change, challenging taken-for-granted sedentarism. Drawing on the example of Irish women's chain migration from small farms in the West of Ireland to the East coast of the USA in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, this paper explores a longer history of high levels of mobility. Whilst migration lay at the heart of the movement, it encompassed a much wider range of movements of people, information and material goods. The ‘moorings’ of women in the their workplace-homes on rural farms and in urban domestic service constituted a gendered immobility, but migration also opened up new opportunities for intra-urban moves, circulatory Transatlantic journeys and upward social mobility. The materiality of such ‘old’ mobility provides an early baseline against which to assess the huge scale of rapidly-changing hyper-mobility and instantaneous communication in the twenty-first century.

Nanohystricidae n. fam., an unusual, plesiomorphic enarthronote mite family endemic to New Zealand (Acari, Oribatida).

Nanohystrix hammerae n. gen., n. sp.--proposed on the basis of numerous adults and a few juveniles--is a new oribatid mite of the infraorder Enarthronota that appears to be phylogenetically relictual and endemic to northern New Zealand, in habitats ranging from native shrublands to native and semi-native forests. With an adult body length of 1-1.2 mm, the species is the largest known enarthronote mite outside Lohmanniidae, and it has an unusual combination of plesiomorphic and apomorphic traits. Plesiomorphies include: a well-formed median (naso) eye and pigmented lateral eyes; a bothridial seta with a simple, straight base; a vertically-oriented gnathosoma; a peranal segment; adanal sclerites partially incorporated in notogaster (uncertain polarity); three genu I solenidia and a famulus on tarsus II. Autapomorphies include: five pairs of pale cuticular disks on the notogaster, with unknown function; six pairs of long, erectile notogastral setae, including pair h2 incorporated in the second transverse scissure along with the f-row, and pair h1 in a third scissure; chelicerae that are unusually broad, creating a flat-faced appearance; legs I that are inferred to have an unusually wide range of motion. Further, it is the only enarthronote species known to have an elongated ovipositor, and one of few to have glassy, luminous notogastral setae. The gastronotum of juveniles lacks transverse scissures, but has isolated sclerites supporting setae, including erectile setae. The large character gaps between N. hammerae and other enarthronote taxa justifies proposal of a monotypic new family--Nanohystricidae n. fam.--which is tentatively grouped with several other relictual families in the paraphyletic Heterochthonioidea. Small muscles appear to be involved in the operation of all erectile setae, but seem to be only depressors, with erection effected by hysterosomal distension. Based on gut contents, its food is primarily fungal hyphae and spores, though ingestion of small arthropods also occurs (perhaps by necrophagy). Collections were made by Berlese-funnel samples of litter, by sweeping low vegetation, and (mainly) by pitfall traps; the latter two suggest that adults are surface-active. Tritonymphs were collected by pitfall traps, but earlier juveniles were collected only by Berlese-funnels. Adults are frequently infected with a eugregarine parasite, which can entirely fill the digestive caeca; immature trophozoites were also seen in tritonymphs. Adults also can serve as hosts for dispersal of secondary capilliconidia of the fungal genus Basidiobolus.