• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.299-308
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• 2011

In this study, we develop a pressure observer to measure the cylinder length of a harbor-construction robot. For the robot control, sensors are required to measure the length of a hydraulic cylinder. The cylinder-position sensor is relatively expensive when the operating environment prohibits external approaches for the measurement of the cylinder position. LVDT or linear scales are usually mounted on the outside of the cylinder, which causes poor durability on a construction site. We use a pressure sensor to indirectly estimate the length of the cylinder. The pressure sensor is mounted inside a hydraulic valve box so that it is protected by the box and easy to waterproof for an underwater robot. By treating oil as a compressible fluid, we derive the nonlinear pressure dynamics as a function of the cylinder position, velocity, and pressure. The recursive least squares (RLS) algorithm is applied to identify the dynamic parameters, and the pressure observer estimates the cylinder position through the pressure acting on the head and the rod of the hydraulic cylinder. The position accuracy is relatively low, but it is acceptable for a construction robot that handles large armor stones.

• The Journal of the Institute of Internet, Broadcasting and Communication
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.161-166
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• 2014

Recently, indoor sports simulator equipped with virtual reality devices, like screen golf system, are riding high. There have been many attempts to develop the indoor simulator systems which can make people enjoy exercises in various sports area. A real horseback riding could not have been popularized, because of the cost involved, difficulty to learn and its dangerousness. In this research, a robotic horseback riding platform based on parallel mechanism and virtual reality device is proposed. The proposed platform provides realistic riding feels and various levels of riding difficulty. The equipped motion capture system with a vision sensor enables riders to correct their riding posture based on expert's one. The developed horseback riding platform make it possible to enjoy a horseback riding in all weather, and also can be used for systematic horseback riding training.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.505-510
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• 2004

In this article, we present an automated system for adjusting the 6 degree of freedom (D.O.F.) circular fixator. The system includes a scheduling software to adjust the Hexapod Circular Fixator (HCF) and an automated strut with the ability of the multiple synchronized motion and independent motion. The HCF was designed to control a 6 D.O.F. Ilizarov fixator and it's mechanism. The HCF adjustment software evaluates each value of altered length of the HCF struts to correct the complex skeletal deformity by using the X-ray data of the patient. The data of HCF adjustment software feed into the automated strut system which provides the scheduled adjustment. Then, the automated strut is synchronized by input data. Also the data of HCF adjustment software can be used to adjust HCF without automated struts. The proposed HCF system was verified by experiments.