• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2004.10a
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• pp.935-938
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• 2004

This paper describes the quantitative analysis on the improvement of equilibrium sensory using virtual bicycle system. We have used a virtual bicycle system that combines virtual reality technology with a bicycle. In this experiment, 10 subjects were tested to investigate the influencing factors on equilibrium sensory. Straight road and curved road driving at several factors including cycling time, number of times of path deviation, and center of pressure(COP) were extracted and evaluated to quantify the extent of control. Also, To improve the effect of balance training, we investigated the usefulness of virtual feedback information by weight shift. The result showed that the system could be effective for equilibrium sensory rehabilitation training device. The analysis method might also have wider applicability to the rehabilitation field.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.9-15
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• 2012

In this paper, the feasibility of a wheelchair carrier for the disabled own driver is checked kinematically to fit one of current domestic vans by drawings, design. A van with 9 passengers is selected for the modification to attach the wheelchair carrier and test the operation in real situation. The trajectory and motion process are studied to protect from the interception with outside body of van, and the conceptual design is proceeded kinematically. For the detail design, the stress analysis and driving mechanism with power supply must be studied and selected basically.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.29 no.10
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• pp.1149-1156
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• 2012

In this study, we proposed the most efficient driving posture based on the analysis of quantitative muscular strength and fatigue degree according to posture. Since driving include complicated actions required by a variety of ability and cause by extremes concentration or strain, drivers tend to feel tired easily. However, drivers can't recognize the fatigue degree by themselves. Moreover, the method for measuring the quantitative fatigue degree exactly is quite difficult to be secured. 9 professional bus drivers were participated. We analyzed the quantitative legs' muscular strength when operating each pedal. And then we also analyzed the muscular strength and muscular fatigue degree according to driving pattern during bus driving. Therefore, we suggested the most efficient driving posture.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.586-590
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• 2006

As one of electro active polymers for soft smart materials, the ionic polymer metal composites (IPMC) are easy to produce through chemical reduction processing and show high displacements at low voltage. When the IPMC actuates, the deformation depends on a few factors including the structure of based membrane, species and morphology of the metal electrodes, the nature of cations and the level of hydration. As previously published, we have been studying on improvement of actuation through surface electrode modification of IPMC to grasp the effect of electrode morphology on actuation. This study is comparative experiments through the chemical reaction and deposition by ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD) in order to prepare the very thin and homogeneous surface electrode of IPMC. The IPMCs were prepared with different surface roughness of polymer membrane, and the influence of the surface roughness on the actuation was studied. By investigating the electrical properties and driving displacement, the actuating properties of IPMC with different surface roughness were studied.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.187-196
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• 2014

This paper suggests linearity enhancement algorithm to Ensure safety of Mobile Walker on Slope. Mobile Walker happens to get off track due to external forces from Walker's weight and the degree of the slope while slope driving. In order to compensate this, this research used the controller that estimates the external forces according to the slope of road surface and adjusts it to the motor output. Also, through comparisons between targeted rotational angular velocity which the user inputs and its velocity of the robot, algorithm was applied which applies a weight to each shaft. As a result of applying the proposed correction controller, it diverges in case of non-compensation experiments that deviates when moving, but it case of applying the ramp calibration algorithm, the deviation distance at max was within 10cm that it keeps safe driving, and change rate of deviation distance was also stabilized after 1m where no more changes occurred.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.393-400
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• 2015

This paper describes the development of a chest-wearable robot that can efficiently perform self walking rehabilitation without a helper. The features of the developed robot are divided into three parts. First, as a mechanical characteristic, the conventional elbow crutch is attached at the forearm. However, the proposed robot is attached to the patient's chest, enabling them to feel free to use their hands and eliminate the burden of the arms. Second, as a characteristic of the driving algorithm, pressure sensors attached to the chest automatically perceive the patient's walking intention and move the robot-leg thereafter. Also, for safety, it stops operating when an obstacle is found in front of the patient by using ultrasonic sensors and generates a beeping sound. Finally, by using the scotch yoke mechanism, supporting legs are moved up and down using a rotary servo motor without excessive torque that is generated by large ground reaction forces. We showed that the developed robot can effectively perform self walking rehabilitation through walking experiments, and its performance was verified using Electromyograph (EMG) sensors.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.16 no.10
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• pp.939-947
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• 2010

With the rising numbers of elderly and disabled people, the demand for welfare services using a robotic system and not involving human effort is likewise increasing. This study deals with a mobile-robot system combined with a BWS (Body Weight Support) system for gait rehabilitation. The BWS system is designed via the kinematic analysis of the robot's body-lifting characteristics and of the walking guide system that controls the total rehabilitation system integrated in the mobile robot. This mobile platform is operated by utilizing the AGV (Autonomous Guided Vehicle) driving algorithm. Especially, the method that integrates geometric path tracking and obstacle avoidance for a nonholonomic mobile robot is applied so that the system can be operated in an area where the elderly users are expected to be situated, such as in a public hospital or a rehabilitation center. The mobile robot follows the path by moving through the turning radius supplied by the pure-pursuit method which is one of the existing geometric path-tracking methods. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified through the real experiments those are conducted for path tracking with static- and dynamic-obstacle avoidance. Finally, through the EMG (Electromyography) signal measurement of the subject, the performance of the proposed system in a real operation condition is evaluated.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.163-168
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• 2009

In this study, we would be developed the fuzzy controlled PGO that controlled the flexion and the extension of each PGO's hip joint using the bio-signal and FSR sensor. The PGO driving system is to couple the right and left sides of the orthosis by specially designed hip joints and pelvic section. This driving system consists of the orthosis, sensor, control system. An air supply system of muscle is composed of an air compressor, 2-way solenoid valve (MAC, USA), accumulator, pressure sensor. Role of this system provide air muscle with the compressed air at hip joint constantly. According to output signal of EMG sensor and foot sensor, air muscles and assists the flexion of hip joint during PGO gait. As a results, the maximum hip flexion angles of RGO's gait and PGO's gait were about $16^{\circ}\;and\;57^{\circ}$ respectively. The maximum angle of flexion/extention in hip joint of the patients during RGO's gait are smaller than normal gait, because of the step length of them shoes a little bit. But maximum angle of flexion/extention in hip joint of the patients during PGO's gait are larger than normal gait.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.103-110
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• 2011

In this paper, we propose a gaze recognition interface for smart wheelchair. The gaze recognition interface is a user interface which recognize the commands using the gaze recognition and avoid the detected obstacles by sensing the distance through range sensors on the way to driving. Smart wheelchair is composed of gaze recognition and tracking module, user interface module, obstacle detector, motor control module, and range sensor module. The interface in this paper uses a camera with built-in infra red filter and 2 LED light sources to see what direction the pupils turn to and can send command codes to control the system, thus it doesn't need any correction process per each person. The results of the experiment showed that the proposed interface can control the system exactly by recognizing user's gaze direction.

• Journal of Dental Rehabilitation and Applied Science
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.157-168
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• 2010

Many athletes have been using occlusal stabilization appliances to improve their performance. Few studies have examined the benefits of such an appliance in golf. We determined the effect of such appliances on the masticatory muscle activities and driving distances of professional golf players. The appliances were customized for each player and adjusted using a computerized device. The electromyographic muscle activities and driving distances with and without the appliance were measured and compared using the K7 Analyzer and the GolfAchiever II assembly. A paired t-test was used for statistical analysis. The muscle activities of the temporo-frontal and masseter muscles with the appliance were significantly more stable than those without the appliance, and the driving distances with the appliance were significantly different from those without it. Although there were intra-individual differences, professional golf players with temporomandibular disorders showed a greater improvement in performance.