• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.376-384
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• 2023

In this paper, we introduce an upper extremity rehabilitation robot, NREH (NRC End-effector based Rehabilitation arm at Home). Through NREH, stroke survivors could continuously exercise their upper extremities at home. NREH allows a user to hold the handle of the end-effector of the robot arm. NREH is a end-effector-based robot that moves the arm on a two-dimensional plane, but the tilt angle can be adjusted to mimic a movement similar to that in a three-dimensional space. Depending on the tilting angle, it is possible to perform customized exercises that can adjust the difficulty for each user. The user can sit down facing the robot and perform exercises such as arm reaching. When the user sits 90 degrees sideways, the user can also exercise their arms on a plane parallel to the sagittal plane. NREH was designed to be as simple as possible considering its use at home. By applying error augmentation, the exercise effect can be increased, and assistance force or resistance force can be applied as needed. Using an encoder on two actuators and a force/torque sensor on the end-effector, NREH can continuously collect and analyze the user's movement data.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.2215-2224
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• 2013

This study performed empirical analysis to estimate SMEs needs in terms of business support policy by growth stages(start-up growth expansion). The subject is the SMEs in Cheonan and Asan, ChungNam and the results are as follows. First, In the initial start-up stage, management plays a key role in dealing with money, labor force, markets and technology while running the organization is a key role of the management in the expansion stage. Major policies to help SMEs grow includes money provision needed in the start-up stage, domestic marketing assistance and the provision of human resources in the growth stage, and assistance in foreign marketing and R&D in the expansion stage. Second, To achieve markets businesses aim at entering the existing and niche markets in the initial phase, and creating new markets in the growth phase. Third, Labor force for technology, sales and management planning in the start-up stage, marketing in the growth stage, and labor force for production in the expansion stage are core man- power needed. Fourth, Money for technology development, securing land for factories, organizing man power, securing markets and running the company is needed in the initial and growth stages while fund for facility investment is needed to grow in the expansion stage. Five, Regarding technology, the initial stage needs technology related to new product development, renewing existing products, improving the existing manufacturing process or developing new manufacturing process, while the growth stage needs processing techniques, and the expansion stage needs technology for developing new manufacturing process. Sixth, Making supply contracts with conglomerates, SMEs and public institutions, and sales to foreign markets are ways for SMEs to grow sales. Seventh, What SMEs wish to get includes business incubating support, R&D assistance, information exchanges, practical use of the R&D results, merchandising support, help with the land to build factories and custom-made support for management in the foundation stage while the support they want to get in the growth stage and in the expansion stage is training assistance and trial production respectively.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.48-54
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• 2010

Ankle-foot orthosis with a pneumatic rubber actuator, which is intended for the assistance and the enhancement of ankle muscular activities was developed. In this study, the effectiveness of the system was investigated during plantarflexion motion of ankle joint. To find a effectiveness of the system, the subjects performed maximal voluntary isokinetic plantarflexion contraction on a Biodex-dynamometer. Plantarfexion torque of the ankle joint is assisted by subject's soleus muscle that is generated when ankle joint do plantarflexion motion. We used the muscular stiffness signal of a soleus muscle for feedback control of ankle-foot orthosis as physiological signal. For measurement of this signal, we made the muscular stiffness force sensor. We compared a muscular stiffness force of a soleus muscle between with feedback control and without it and a maximal plantarflexion torque between not wearing a ankle-foot orthosis, without feedback control wearing it and with feedback control wearing it in each ten elderly adults. The experimental result showed that a muscular stiffness force of a soleus muscle with feedback control was reduced and plantarflexion torque of an ankle joint only wearing ankle-foot orthosis was reduced but a plantarflexion torque with feedback control was increased. The amount of a increasing with feedback control is more higher than the amount of a decreasing only wearing it. Therefore, we confirmed the effectiveness of the developed ankle-foot orthosis with feedback control.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2006.05a
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• pp.149-150
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• 2006

We describe a novel method of scanning probe nanofabrication using a AFM(atomic force microscopy) tip with assistance of Femtosecond laser pulses to enhance fabrication capability. Illumination of the AFM tip with ultra-short light pulses induces a strong electric field between the tip and the metal surface, which allows removing metal atoms from the surface by means of field evaporation. Quantum simulation reveals that the field evaporation is triggered even en air when the induced electric field reaches the level of a few volts per angstrom, which is low enough to avoid unwanted thermal damages on most metal surfaces. For experimental validation, a Ti: sapphire Femtosecond pulse laser with 10 fs pulse duration at 800 nm center wavelength was used with a tip coated with gold to fabricate nanostructures on a thin film gold surface. Experimental results demonstrate that fine structures with critical dimensions less than ${\sim}10nm$ can be successfully made with precise control of the repetition rate of Femtosecond laser pulses.

• Journal of Industrial Technology
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• v.28 no.A
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• pp.75-80
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• 2008

This paper describes the mechanical and control design of a robotic device for providing therapeutic assistance to arm movement following stroke. This is a new robot for arm therapy applicable to the training of activities of daily living in homes and clinics. This instrument has one degrees of freedom, and is equipped with position and force sensors. Repetitive movement can improve movement performance in patients with neurological or orthopaedic lesions. The application of robotics can serve to assist, enhance, evaluate, and document neurological and orthopaedic rehabilitation of movements. The new robot, the mechanical structure, the control circuit, the sensors and actuators and some safety aspects.

• Journal of Magnetics
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.399-404
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• 2016

This paper presents a new permanent magnet (PM) assisted topology for a recently introduced brushless wound rotor synchronous machine (BL-WRSM) [1]. The BL-WRSM had a dual-inverter configuration for generating a composite magneto motive force (MMF) with a fundamental component and a subharmonic component. The subharmonic component of the MMF is used for brushless excitation of the rotor. In this paper, additional PMs were introduced on the rotor of the BL-WRSM, making it a hybrid BL-WRSM. We also discussed the flux weakening operation for the hybrid BL-WRSM. The hybrid BL-WRSM offered advantages for starting the machine and provided better performance under full-load conditions. The finite element method (FEM) was used to analyze the performance of the hybrid BL-WRSM, and we compared its performance with BL-WRSM. Finally, prototypes were built with and without the PM-assistance, and experiments were conducted to demonstrate their performance.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.20 no.11
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• pp.171-179
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• 2003

This paper presents a rehabilitation exercise system which utilizes a 6 DOF robot as a motion generator. This system was proposed for a stroke patient or a patient who has hemiplegia. A master-slave system was designed to exercise either paralysis or abnormal limb by using normal limb motion. The study on the human body was applied to calculate the motion range of elbows and shoulders. In addition, a force-torque sensor was applied to the slave robot to estimate the rehabilitation extent of the patient. Therefore, the stability of the rehabilitation robot could be improved. By using the rehabilitation robot. the patients could exercise by themselves without assistance. In conclusion, the proposed system was verified by computer simulations and system experiment.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.533-536
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• 2016

A 26-year-old male member of the Australian Defense Force presented with a history of central abdominal pain of 4 weeks duration and peripheral eosinophilia consistent with eosinophilic enteritis. Acute hookworm disease was diagnosed as the cause. Adult worms recovered from feces after therapy with albendazole were morphologically consistent with Ancylostoma ceylanicum. As the patient had been deployed with the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands for 6 months prior to this presentation, it is very likely that the A. ceylanicum was acquired in Solomon Islands. Until now, it has been assumed that any Ancylostoma spp. recovered from humans in Solomon Islands is A. duodenale. However, this case demonstrates that human hookworm infection acquired in the Solomon Islands could be caused by A. ceylanicum.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.13-21
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• 1999

Active movement is able to actively contract his muscles and move a segment either with or without assistance. This movement maintain physiologic elasticity and contractility of the participating muscles, provide sensory feedback from the contracting muscles and stimulus for bone integrity as well as increase circulation and prevent thrombus formation, in addition to develop coordination and moor skills for functional activities. Passive movement is the motion to the external force; gravity, machine, another individuals. Active movement is more activated rather than passived on the central nervous system. Therefore, we think that active movement is more effected facilitating through specific inhibitory mobilization of muscle.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2001.06b
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• pp.271-276
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• 2001

Conventional clonoscope is semiflexible tube that should be manipulated by operator for inspection and treatment. Therefore, it sometimes causes pain for the patient and even perforation to the wall of colon if a surgeon is not well trained. For safe colonoscopy, self-propelling robots with inchworm locomotion are studied. But, inchworm locomotion has some problems in adaptiveness to the variation of colon diameter. In this paper, we propose novel locomotive mechanism which can move in the colon without any external assistance. It has several cams that have constant phase difference each other and located along the centerline of the mechanism. This mechanism could realize the robotic endoscope which has continuous and smooth thrust force.