• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2014

In this study, the effect of the automotive haptic-seat technology which can transmit the driving information by the vibro-stimulus from the seat was investigated to overcome previous system's limitation relied on the visual and audial method and to help handicap driving. A prototype haptic seat covers with 30 coin-type motors and driver module were developed for this sake. A driving simulator on the 6-DOF motion-base was used for driving situation and we executed the seat vibro-stimulus test with 10 young participants who have normal tactile sense. The haptic recognition ratio by 30 locations was measured and analyzed in the result. The intensity of vibro-stimulus was adjusted by input voltage of motors (1.5V,2.5V,3.5V). All vibro-stimulus locations at 2.5V and 3.5V could be recognized by all participants and even in the lowest recognition ratio of 1.5V. The results showed that the seat vibration stimulus could be useful to transfer the drivers' information while driving.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2010

The combination of medical devices and IT convergence technology has made it possible to check health whenever and wherever people want. The recent development of various Ubiqutous Healthcare medical devices ensures the convenient measurements of health variations in daily lives and at home. However, considering that there is a growing prevalence of the devices and a great interest in the development of Ubiqutous Healthcare device, it is urgent to secure the stability and to establish performance evaluation. Therefore, it is needed to develop standard testing methods for the stability and the performance evaluation on before and after selling products. In this paper, I studied the standard testing method of both compulsory tests and performance evaluation which are for the electric stability evaluation on Ubiqutous Healthcare devices.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to investigate the analysis on exercise effect of basic physical fitness, flexibility and muscle function using electric horseback riding machine. Subjects were ten males and ten females who were 20th aged young adults. They exercised every 45-min a day. Horse riding exercise has progressed 3-days a week till 4-weeks. We measured contents of basic physical fitness, flexibility and joint torque in lumbar. The results showed that contents of human body effect were higher than before exercise. We thought that stimulated by 3-D movement in horseback riding exercise instrument could be activated joints and muscles with the unused generally This continuous movement could reduce tonus of muscle and relax stiff muscles. horseback riding have significant effect with whole body exercise, also it could provide efficient exercise for the elder and disabled person.

• International Journal of Precision Engineering and Manufacturing
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.66-71
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• 2006

Some wheelchair users with neuromuscular disorders experience involuntary extensor thrusts, which may cause injuries via impact with the wheelchair, cause the user to slide out of the wheelchair seat, and damage the wheelchair. Knowledge of the human-generated forces during an extensor thrust is of great importance in devising safer, more comfortable wheelchairs. This paper presents an efficient method for identifying human-generated forces during an extensor thrust. We used an inverse dynamic approach with a three-link human body model and a system for measuring human body motion. We developed an experimental system that determines the angular motion of each human body segment and the force at the footrest, which was used to overcome the mathematical indeterminacy of the problem. The proposed method was validated experimentally, illustrating the force-identification process during an extensor thrust.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.21-25
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• 2009

Generally, fully implantable middle ear hearing device (F-IMEHD) is implanted under the skin nearby human temporal bone with all components including implantable microphone and vibration transducer. The microphone and transducer have different characteristic before and after implant. Fitting process is performed for this characteristic change of them and proper performance of hearing aids for each patient. Conventional hearing aids and partially implantable hearing aids, they have wired connector for fitting process. However in case of F-IMEHD, it is difficult this wired connection, because all components of F-IMEHD is implanted. In this paper, fitting software that can be apply wireless fitting hardware for F-IMEHD has been designed and implemented. It can find out proper fitting parameter reflecting characteristics of the microphone and transducer for patients who has difficulty in hearing.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.1-8
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• 2012

In previous studies, the dynamic exercise equipment just focused on the trunk stabilization exercise. However, our study is targeted at evaluation for the impact on the postural balance of those researches. Twelve male and twelve female subjects were volunteered for the balance training using this system. They had no medical history of backpain for the past six months. Trunk Stability and postural balance training was performed for 15 minutes a day, three times a week duing four weeks. To evaluate characterization of the postural balance using Balance System SD, Evaluation consist of the postural stability test and the postural limit test. As a result, this training with 3D dynamic exercise equipment help subjects improve the postural balance. These results are expected for using basic materials to the elderly with a high risk of falling and trained athletes needed to be a postural control.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.15-22
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• 2012

The mechanical system of wearable walking assist robot needs to be optimized for adapting with human body structure and the planned control algorithm should have a secure procedure when a incongruity situation which can cause musculoskeletal injury occurs because a wearable robot is attached to a body. The understanding of walking or musculoskeletal motions characteristics must be preceeded and analyzed for developing novel wearable walking assist robot. In this study we tried to find out the capacities of powers and torques of joint actuators to design optimized performances of system and to obtain the analysis data to figure out the characteristics of joint movements during some types of walk. The major types of walk and motion are stair climbing and descending, sit-to-stand motion, and slope walking. In this study all these motions were analyzed experimentally except slope walking.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.23-30
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• 2012

In this study, we developed a wireless rehabilitation auditory feedback gait training system for symmetrical weight-bearing in patient with CVA. The device consists of an instantaneous shoe equipped with two load-cell sensors. Auditory feedback can be applied according to the weight-bearing. For gait patterns analysis, cadence, walking velocity, stance/swing phase ratio and gait cycle were examined. The clinical test with six healthy volunteers and two hemiplegic patients was performed applying the auditory feedback system. Both normal subjects and hemiplegic patients were increased strength on weight-bearing in affected limb, walking velocity, and cadence after biofeedback device. Also, the stance time with weight-bearing was increased while the swing time was decreased in gait phase. It can be expected that by using the feedback system, the patient with lower limb disorder will be able to reach a better quality of weight-bearing during gait.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.31-41
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• 2012

The combination of developed medical devices and the convergence of IT fusion technologies, health variables became to can be measured without discomfort in everyday life regardless of wherever and whenever. because various types of u-Health medical devices have been developed. Also, by considering the users, biological signals can be measured without difference with wearing general clothing, that conductive fabric is being used as smart clothing. However, considering that there is a growing prevalence of the devices and a great interest in the development of u-Health devices, it is urgent to establish performance evaluation. Accordingly, writing guidelines by force to raise checking before marketed or collecting checks after at the market for standard test methods for evaluating the performance. In this paper, it was studied that the possibility of using conductive fabric as electrodes for Wearable u-Health Devices through the material test of the ffabric.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.43-48
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• 2012

In this paper, we present the method of gait phases detection using multi biomedical signals during normal gait. Electromyogram(EMG) signals, muscle of thigh angle measurement device and resistive sensors are used for experiments. We implemented a test targeting five adult male and identified the pattern of EMG signal of normal gait. For acquiring the EMG signal, subjects attached surface Ag/AgCl electrodes to quadriceps femoris, biceps femoris, tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius medialis. Resistance sensors are attached to the heel toe and soles of the each feet for measuring attachment state of between feet and ground. Infrared sensors are attached on the thigh and thigh angle measurement device has the range from flection 25 degrees to extension 20 degrees. The results of this paper, The stance and swing phase could be confirmed during the normal gait and be classified in detail the eight steps.