• Journal of the Korean Institute of Telematics and Electronics S
• /
• v.35S no.11
• /
• pp.75-87
• /
• 1998

KARES (KAIST Rehabilitation Engineering System) is the rehabilitation robot system in the type of the 6 degrees of freedom robot arm mounted on the wheelchair, in order to assist the independent livelihood of the disabled and the elderly. The interface device for programming and controlling of the robot arm is essential in the rehabilitation robotic system. Specially, in the case of the manual operation of the robot arm, the user has the burden of cognition and the difficulty for the operation of the robot arm. As a remedy, color vision system for the autonomous performance of jobs is proposed, and four basic desired jobs are specified. By mounting the camera in eye-in-hand type, color vision system for KARES is set up. The desired jobs for picking up the target and moving it to the user's face for drinking are successfully performed in real-time at the indoor environment.

• Journal of Science and Technology Studies
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.169-206
• /
• 2019

This article seeks to explore new relationships and ethics of human and technology by analyzing a cultural imaginary produced by artificial intelligence. Drawing on theoretical reflections of the Feminist Scientific and Technological Studies which understand science and technology as the matter of care(Puig de la Bellacas, 2011), this paper focuses on the fact that artificial intelligence and robots materialize cultural imaginary such as autonomy. This autonomy, defined as the capacity to adapt to a new environment through self-learning, is accepted as a way to conceptualize an authentic human or an ideal subject. However, this article argues that artificial intelligence is mediated by and dependent on invisible human labor and complex material devices, suggesting that such autonomy is close to fiction. The recent growth of the so-called 'assistant technology' shows that it is differentially visualizing the care work of both machines and humans. Technology and its cultural imaginary hide the care work of human workers and actively visualize the one of the machine. And they make autonomy and agency ideal humanness, leaving disabled bodies and dependency as unworthy. Artificial intelligence and its cultural imaginary negate the value of disabled bodies while idealizing abled-bodies, and result in eliminating the real relationship between man and technology as mutually dependent beings. In conclusion, the author argues that the technology we need is not the one to exclude the non-typical bodies and care work of others, but the one to include them as they are. This technology responsibly empathizes marginalized beings and encourages solidarity between fragile beings. Inspired by an art performance of artist Sue Austin, the author finally comes up with and suggests 'artificial intelligence in wheelchair' as an alternative figuration for the currently dominant 'autonomous artificial intelligence'.

• Composites Research
• /
• v.36 no.4
• /
• pp.253-258
• /
• 2023

Although the development of transportation means has realized the right to mobility for the disabled who have difficulty in moving, it can be said that the improvement of the safety of passengers with disabilities that can occur in a car accident is lower than that of ordinary passenger seats. In particular, in the case of a rear-end collision that can occur suddenly, it is a reality that disabled passengers are vulnerable to head and neck injuries. Therefore, in this study, a multi-layer headrest foam that divides the headrest into three parts in the coronal plane was proposed to improve the head and neck injury index of disabled passengers in the vehicle in the event of a rear-end collision of a wheelchair transport vehicle. A range of stress scale factors was selected to give various compressive characteristics of the foam through low-speed rear-end collision analysis through a simple model, and GA optimization was performed by specifying the range as a parameter. Through the optimization result, the phase relationship between HIC and NIC was analyzed according to the compression characteristics of the layers. HIC responded most sensitively to the compression characteristics of the front layer and NIC responded to the compression characteristics of the mid layer, and the compression characteristics of the rear layer showed the lowest. A normal headrest and an optimized multi-layer headrest were placed in the validation model to analyze the low-speed rear-end collision sled test, and HIC and NIC were derived lower in the multi-layer headrest than in the general headrest. The compression behavior of the multi-layer headrest was also clearly shown, and it was verified that the multi-layer headrest was effective in improving the injury index of the head and neck compared to the general headrest.

• Journal of Korean Home Economics Education Association
• /
• v.19 no.1 s.43
• /
• pp.47-64
• /
• 2007

The purpose of this study was to develop, apply and evaluate the teaching learning plan for disabled experimental activity to evaluate the accessibility of middle school experimental facilities. Three main resources such as 2 hours teaching learning plan for disabled activity, recording sheets and evaluation sheets had been developed. The process plan had been applied 214 senior students in 7 middle schools purposely selected by areas, constructed years, number of stories of school during November to December, 2005. General accessible levels of middle school facilities was somewhat inadequate especially exterior slops, toilets, bowls were the most unaccessible ones. Most of all students had accidents and/or injuries in school environments from minor to major ones. Male Students were more likely than female Students to get injuries. Students experience of accidents and injuries and awareness of inconvenience, danger, needed facilities supported. the result of the accessibility levels evaluated by disabled activities. Students were generally satisfied with and positive to the teaching learning process plan developed and applied in this study. Students had improved critical Perspectives as well as awareness of inaccessible chances in the school facilities through the experimental process. The evaluation as differed by school characteristics and students' interests in disability.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
• /
• v.9 no.2
• /
• pp.93-100
• /
• 2006

This paper aims at the development and clinical evaluation of the wireless gyro-mouse system. The wireless gyro-mouse system is a computer interface with gyro-sensor and wireless communication, for the patients with upper-extremity disabled from the traffic accident or stroke to use the computer software i.e. internet browser. In the development, we focused on, firstly, to make the system wireless for the patients to manipulate the mouse easily even on the bed or wheelchair, secondly, to insert the gyro-sensor into a headband for easy don-and-doff and aesthetic appearance, thirdly, to devise a click switch in case of $C5{\sim}C6$ patients and a head nodding detection in case of C4 patients for sending click message to computer operating system. We performed evaluation experiment for patients with upper-extremities disabled from spinal cord injury. The results show that the displacement error of the cursor position against the target position during linear (vertical/horizontal) movement manipulation decreased with trial number. The click rate per minute also increased with trial number. This indicates the developed wireless gyro-mouse system would be more useful to the patients with repetitive use.

• IEMEK Journal of Embedded Systems and Applications
• /
• v.8 no.1
• /
• pp.61-67
• /
• 2013

Wheelchair users have a difficulty in managing their weight because there is lack of measure systems and even though the users have the system, it costs too much. Thus, purpose of this study is for developing the portable weight scale automatic device to help wheelchair users by monitoring their weight on the wheelchairs in real time. Portable weight scale automatic device composed by four strain gauges, and the device was connected with mobile phone so that wheelchair users were able to check their weight in real time. In order to evaluate the device performance, 10 normal subjects and 10 disabled subjects participated in this study. The subjects' truth weight and measured weight by the device are compared. The weigh difference within normal subjects was $0.75{\pm}0.80kg$, and the weigh difference within disabled subjects was $1.02{\pm}0.74kg$. Difference between the truth weigh and the measured weigh were not statistically different. The reason for this error occurred is inaccuracy of the loadcell installation and calibration. If this problems get solved, the measured indicator is expected to help wheelchair users to manage their weight.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
• /
• v.38 no.2
• /
• pp.235-241
• /
• 2011

Recently, as people have become more interested in health issues, their demand on forest trails for bush walking exercise has increased. The purpose of the study is to select barrier factors into forest trail for disabled using wheelchairs. As a result this, it has selected 31 barrier factors through the Delphi method. Of all the these factors, the information board of forest trails, showing the location of the trails, has indicated the highest score of importance at 4.50. Next, securing hiker' walking safety space has indicated an importance level of 4.44; both the slope of forest trails and the height of obstacles have indicated an importance level of 4.38; and the effective width of forest trails has indicated the highest score of importance level of 4.33. From these indicated levels of importance, the respondents of the Delphi method consider the safety of users of forest trail' as the most important factor while the physically disables are hiking. That is why these factors have resulted in acquiring relatively higher values.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.41-49
• /
• 2005

Electromyogram (EMG) signal generated by voluntary contraction of muscles is often used in rehabilitation devices because of its distinct output characteristics compared to other bio-signals. This paper proposes a novel EMG-based human-computer interface for electric-powered wheelchair users with motor disabilities by C4 or C5 spine cord injury. User's commands to control the electric-powered wheelchair are represented by shoulder elevation motions, which are recognized by comparing EMG signals acquired from the levator scapulae muscles with a preset double threshold value. The interface commands for controlling the electric-powered wheelchair consist of combinations of left-, right- and both-shoulders elevation motions. To achieve a real-time interface, we implement an EMG processing hardware composed of analog amplifiers, filters, a mean absolute value circuit and a high-speed microprocessor. The experimental results using an implemented real-time hardware and an electric-powered wheelchair showed that the EMG-based human-computer interface is feasible for the users with severe motor disabilities.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
• /
• v.10 no.4
• /
• pp.455-463
• /
• 2008

The purpose of this study is to investigate the actual conditions of clothing of disabled adult men using wheelchair, to understand dissatisfactions and problems in wearing garment, and to construct basic data to development of the formal wear for wheelchair user. This study conducted survey of 162 men using wheelchair who regularly enjoy the sports for disabled people or who work in society. The results of this study are follows. The majority of wheelchair user tend to wear garment lying or seating. Therefore, they prefer garments that can be easily put on and off. They were dissatisfied mostly with the size of ready-made garment. More than 75% of the subjects tend to repair the purchased formal wear. Shoulder width and bust circumference are too small, jacket length, sleeve length, and slacks length are too big for disabled men using wheelchair. More than 93% subjects tend to prefer T-shirts, because of comfort and easiness to move. The men using wheelchair consider the function and the hygiene of fabric material for T-shirts as the important end.

• The Journal of Korean society of community based occupational therapy
• /
• v.3 no.1
• /
• pp.21-31
• /
• 2013

Objective : This study was aimed to survey the present situation and satisfaction in assistive technology of the physically disabled person. Method : 110 patients, being diagnosed with spinal cord injury and stroke, were chosen and structured interview was carried out using by a questionnaire. Result : The followings are the results of this study. First, spinal cord injury(76.2%) and stroke(72.5%) patients used the most wheelchair and mobility devices in assistive technology device. Second, they were satisfied in effectiveness of assistive technology device. Third, spinal cord injury(39.4%) patients used the most repair service in assistive technology service. Fourth, stroke(28.2%) patients used the most application and training service. Fifth, they were satisfied in professionality while were dissatisfied in service delivery program. Conclusion : The results of this study would contribute to better assistive technology for the physically disabled person.