• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.82-89
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• 2010

Ankle-foot orthosis with an artificial pneumatic muscle which is intended for the assistance of plantarfelxion torque was developed. In this study, power pattern of the device in the various pneumatics and the effectiveness of the system were investigated. The pneumatic power was provided by ankle-foot orthosis controlled by user‘s physiological signal, that is, muscular stiffness in soleus muscle. This pneumatic power can assist plantarflexion torque of ankle joint. The subjects performed maximal voluntary isokinetic plantarflexion motion on a biodexdynamometer in different pneumatics, and they completed three conditions: 1) without wearing the orthosis, 2) wearing the orthosis with artificial muscles turned off, 3) wearing the orthosis activated under muscular stiffness control. Through these experiments, we confirmed the effectiveness of the orthosis and muscular stiffness control using the analyzing isokinetic plantarflexion torque. The experimental results showed that isokinetic torques of plantarflexion motion of the ankle joints gradually increased in incremental pneumatic. The effectiveness of the orthosis was -7.26% and the effectiveness of the muscular stiffness control was 17.83% in normalized isokinetic plantarflexion torque. Subjects generated the less isokinetic torques of the ankle joints in wearing the orthosis with artificial muscles turned off, but isokinetic torques were appropriately reinforced in condition of wearing the orthosis activated under muscular stiffness control(17.83%) compared to wearing the orthosis(-7.26%). Therefore, we respect that developed powered orthosis is applied in the elderly that has weak muscular power as the rehabilitation equipment.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.186-193
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• 2021

Background: While the formal test has been used to provide a quantitative measurement of core stability, studies have reported inconsistent results regarding its test-retest and intraobserver reliabilities. Furthermore, the validity of the formal test has never been established. Objects: This study aimed to establish the concurrent validity and test-retest reliability of the formal test. Methods: Twenty-two young adults with and without core instability (23.1 ± 2.0 years) were recruited. Concurrent validity was determined by comparing the muscle thickness changes of the external oblique, internal oblique, and transverse abdominal muscle to changes in core stability pressure during the formal test using ultrasound (US) imaging and pressure biofeedback, respectively. For the test-retest reliability, muscle thickness and pressure changes were repeatedly measured approximately 24 hours apart. Electromyography (EMG) was used to monitor trunk muscle activity during the formal test. Results: The Pearson's correlation analysis showed an excellent correlation between transverse abdominal thickness and pressure biofeedback unit (PBU) pressure as well as internal oblique thickness and PBU pressure, ranging from r = 0.856-0.980, p < 0.05. The test-retest reliability was good, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC1,2) = 0.876 for the core stability pressure measure and ICC1,2 = 0.939 to 0.989 for the abdominal muscle thickness measure. Conclusion: Our results provide clinical evidence that the formal test is valid and reliable, when concurrently incorporated into EMG and US measurements.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.1-9
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• 2019

Background: Cervical dysfunction is a common pathomechanical marker in individuals with forward head posture (FHP). To overcome the limitations of the isometric chin-tuck (ICT) exercise, dynamic neuromuscular stabilization (DNS), which emphasizes an entire spinal chain exercise, has recently shown promising clinical results. Objects: Purpose of this study was to compare the immediate effects between ICT and DNS techniques. Methods: 43 young subjects (mean age, $24.0{\pm}5.0$ years) were recruited. Group of subjects with FHP were measured under baseline, ICT, and DNS conditions. Outcome measures included sitting height, longus colli (LC) and sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle thickness and LC/SCM thickness ratio. One-way repeated measures ANOVA was used to compare the continuous dependent variables among FHP, ICT, and DNS conditions at p<.016. Results: Both ICT and DNS exercise conditions yielded significantly increased LC muscle thickness, LC/SCM thickness ratio and sitting height than did FHP condition (p<.0001, respectively). Sitting height was significantly greater in DNS exercise than in the ICT exercise (p<.0001). Conclusion: The present results demonstrated that sitting height was greater in the DNS exercise than in the ICT exercise, as well as both corrective postural training exercises were effective on LC/SCM muscle balance ratio when compared with the baseline FHP condition. Therefore, it is considered that DNS exercise can be the recommended exercise for people with FHP.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2005.05a
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• pp.572-575
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• 2005

A novel pneumatic artificial muscle actuator (PAM actuator), which has achieved increased popularity to provide the advantages such as high strength and high power/weight ratio, low cost, compactness, ease of maintenance, cleanliness, readily available and cheap power source, inherent safety and mobility assistance to humans performing tasks, has been regarded during the recent decades as an interesting alternative to hydraulic and electric actuators. In order to realize satisfactory control performance, a variable damper Magneto Rheological Brake (MRB), Is equipped to the Joint of the manipulator. Superb mixture of conventional PID controller and a phase plane switching control method brings us a novel controller. This proposed controller is appropriate for a kind of plants with nonlinearity, uncertainties and disturbances. The experiments were carried out in practical PAM manipulator and the effectiveness of the proposed control algorithm was demonstrated through experiments, which had proved that the stability of the manipulator can be improved greatly in a high gain control by using MRB with phase plane switching control method and without regard for the changes of external inertia loads.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.28 no.11
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• pp.1234-1241
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• 2011

In this work the potential, and the perspectives of the dielectric elastomer actuator are overviewed briefly. As an exemplary work, we introduce a novel contractile artificial muscle actuator based on Synthetic Elastomer(SE). SE is the name of new dielectric elastomer material we have developed and its synthesis procedures and evaluations are described in the first. The contractile artificial muscle actuator is made by stacking the actuator unit one by one along the in thickness direction and finished up by bonding the multi-stacked actuator. Its possibility for the robotic actuator is discussed and demonstrated via experiments.

• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.578-588
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• 2005

Face robots capable of expressing their emotional status, can be adopted as an efficient tool for friendly communication between the human and the machine. In this paper, we present a face robot actuated with artificial muscle based on dielectric elastomer. By exploiting the properties of dielectric elastomer, it is possible to actuate the covering skin, eyes as well as provide human-like expressivity without employing complicated mechanisms. The robot is driven by seven actuator modules such eye, eyebrow, eyelid, brow, cheek, jaw and neck module corresponding to movements of facial muscles. Although they are only part of the whole set of facial motions, our approach is sufficient to generate six fundamental facial expressions such as surprise, fear, angry, disgust, sadness, and happiness. In the robot, each module communicates with the others via CAN communication protocol and according to the desired emotional expressions, the facial motions are generated by combining the motions of each actuator module. A prototype of the robot has been developed and several experiments have been conducted to validate its feasibility.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.67-73
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• 2012

In this paper, Artificial Neural Network(ANN) based motion classification algorithm is proposed to classify wrist motions using surface electromyograms(sEMG). surface EMGs are obtained from two electrodes placed on the flexor carpi ulnaris muscle and extensor carpi ulnaris muscle of 26 subjects under no strain condition during wrist motions and used to recognize wrist motions such as up, down, left, right, and rest. Feature is extracted from obtained EMG signals in time domain for fast processing and used to classify wrist motions using ANN. DAMV, DASDV, MAV, and RMS were used as features and accuracies of motion classification based on ANN were 98.03% for DAMV, 97.97% for DASDV, 96.95% for MAV, 96.82% for RMS.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.10 no.11
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• pp.991-999
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• 2004

Face robots capable of expressing their emotional status, can be adopted as an efficient tool for friendly communication between the human and the machine. In this paper, we present a face robot actuated with artificial muscle based on dielectric elastomer. By exploiting the properties of polymers, it is possible to actuate the covering skin, eyes as well as provide human-like expressivity without employing complicated mechanisms. The robot is driven by seven types of actuator modules such as eye, eyebrow, eyelid, brow, cheek, jaw and neck module corresponding to movements of facial muscles. Although they are only part of the whole set of facial motions, our approach is sufficient to generate six fundamental facial expressions such as surprise, fear, anger, disgust, sadness, and happiness. Each module communicates with the others via CAN communication protocol fur the desired emotional expressions, the facial motions are generated by combining the motions of each actuator module. A prototype of the robot has been developed and several experiments have been conducted to validate its feasibility.

• 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.36.2-36
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• 2002

.Developing a skeletal framework artificial hand similar to real human hand. .Developing a micro artificial muscle actuated by pneumatic power. .Building a micro pneumatic system including micro atuators and its control devices. .Building a soft driving system for Service robots. .Designning and Fabricating a multi-channel micro pneumatic valve using MEMS technology.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.217-222
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• 2021

Background: The reaction of nurses to the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) during the fourth industrial revolution era remains questionable. Understanding Florence Nightingale's achievements may provide valuable lessons that will be helpful to contemporary nurses. Aims: To understand Nightingale's nursing philosophy and methods and provide suggestions for future nursing practice, education, research, and health policy. Source of evidence: Literature. Discussion/Conclusion: Just as Nightingale captured the situation of her time and introduced latest scientific methods, modern nurses need to learn from Nightingale's drastic actions to meet social needs. Nursing can regain a solid humanistic foundation by returning to core values of nursing and humanities, while simultaneously adopting state-of-the-art technologies. Implications for Nursing Policy: AI-driven technologies will advance nursing services and provide greater human-centered and personalized care by eliminating iterative and labor-intensive tasks. Nursing educational policy should support the advancement of nursing curricula to develop AI competencies and specialists within the nursing field.