• Transactions of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.10-18
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• 2003

This paper presented a design and control of a biped walking RGO(robotic gait orthosis) and its simulation. The biped walking RGO was distinguished from the other one by which had a very light-weight and a new RGO system will be made of 12-servo motors and 12-controllers. The vibration evaluation of the dynamic PLS(posterior leaf splint) on the biped walking RGO was used to access by the 3-axis accelerometer with a low frequency vibration of less than 30 Hz. The galt of the biped walking RGO depends on the constrains of mechanical kinematics and the initial posture. The stability of dynamic walking was investigated by analyzing the ZMP (zero moment point) of the biped walking RGO. It was designed according to the human wear type and was able to accomodate itself to the environments of S.C.I. Patients. The Joints of each leg were adopted with a good kinematic characteristics. To analyse joint kinematic properties. we made the strain stress analysis of the dynamic PLS and the analysis study of FEM with a dynamic PLS.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2023

Purpose: This systematic review aims to determine whether robot-assisted training is more effective in gait training for persons with subacute hemiparetic stroke. Methods: This study adopted a systematic review study design focused on subacute hemiparetic stroke, and four core academic databases were searched until June 11, 2021, for relevant studies, including PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and ProQuest Central. The review included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the effects of robotic-assisted training on gait performance in persons with a diagnosis of subacute hemiparetic stroke. The selected RCT studies were qualitatively synthesized based on the population, intervention, comparison, outcome, settings, and study design (PICOS-SD). Results: The study selected five RCTs involving 253 subacute hemiparetic stroke patients and performing robotic-assisted gait training using the following devices: the Lokomat, Morning Walk, Walkbot, ProStep Plus, or Gait Trainer II. Five RCTs were eligible for the meta-analysis after quantitative synthesis, and the results showed that the robot-assisted gait training group had a greater gait performance than the control group based on the 10-meter walk test, Berg balance scale, Rivermed mobility index, functional ambulation category, and modified Barthel index. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the gait performance of subacute hemiparetic stroke patients changes throughout robot-assisted gait training, but there were no indications that any of the clinically relevant effects of robot-assisted training are greater than those of conventional gait training. Further, the small sample size and different therapeutic intensities indicate that definitive conclusions could not be made.

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

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.93-98
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• 2019

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of robot arm reach training on upper extremity functional movement in chronic stroke survivors. Design: One group pretest-posttest design. Methods: Thirteen chronic stroke survivors participated in this study. Robot arm reach training was performed with a Whole Arm Manipulator (WAM) and a 120-inch projective display to provide visual and auditory feedback. During the robotic arm reach training, WAM provided gravity compensation and assist-as-needed (AAN) force according to the robot control mode. When a participant could not move the arm toward the target for more than 2 seconds, WAM provided AAN force to reach the desired targets. All patients participated in the training for 40 minutes per day, 3 times a week, for 4 weeks. Main outcome measures were the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA), Action Research Arm Test (ARAT) and Box and Block Test (BBT) to assess upper extremity functional movement. Results: After 4 weeks, significant improvement was observed in upper extremity functional movement (FMA: 42.15 to 46.23, BBT: 12.23 to 14.00, p<0.05). In the subscore analysis of the FMA upper extremity motor function domains, significant improvement was observed in upper extremity and coordination/speed units (p<0.05). However, there were no significant differences in the ARAT. Conclusions: This study showed the positive effects of robot arm reach training on upper extremity functional movement in chronic stroke survivors. In particular, we confirmed that robot arm reach training could have a positive influence by leading to improvement of motor recovery of the proximal upper extremity.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.312-327
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• 2024

In this study, a rehabilitation 3D printed wearable device was developed by combining an assembly-type robot hand and an integral-type robot hand through fused deposition 3D printing manufacturing with various hardness TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane) filaments. The hardware configuration of the robot hand includes a controller designed with four motors, one small servo motor, and a circuit board. In the case of the assembly-type robot hand model, a 3D printed robot hand was assembled using samples printed with TPU of hardness 87A and 95A. It was observed that TPU with a hardness of 95A was suitable for use due to shape stability. For the integrated-type robot hand model, the external sample using TPU of hardness 95A could be modified through a cutting method, and the hardware configuration is the same as the assembly-type. The system structure of the 3D printed robot hand was improved from an individual control method to a simultaneous transmission method.Furthermore, the system architecture of an integrated 3D printed robotic hand rehabilitation device and the application of the rehabilitation device were developed.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.270-277
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• 2021

Objective: The purpose of this study is to compare the effect of static balance, lower extremity function, and gait ability between a lower extremity restrain robot gait training and a general robot gait training in subacute stroke subjects. Design: Two-group pretest-posttest design. Methods: A total of 12 subacute stroke patients were randomly divided into an Experimental group (n=6) and a control group (n=6). Both groups were performed for four weeks, three times a week, for 20 minutes. To compare the Static balance function, the center of pressure (COP) path-length and COP velocity were measured. The Fugl-Meyer assessment lower extremity (FMA-LE) were evaluated to compare the Lower Extremity function. 2D Dartfish Program and 10 Meter Walking Test (10 MWT) on Gait ability were evaluated to compare the gait function. Results: In the intra-group comparison, Experimental groups showed significant improvement in COP path-length, velocity, Lower Extremity Function, 10 MWT, Cadence, by comparing the parameters before and after the intervention (p<0.05). Comparison of the amount of change between groups revealed significant improvement for parameters in the COP path-length, velocity, Lower extremity function, 10 MWT by comparing the parameters before and after the intervention (p<0.01). Conclusions: The Experimental group showed enhanced efficacy for variables such as COP path-length, velocity, Lower extremity function, 10 MWT as compared to the control group.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.891-899
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• 2014

Over the past several decades, substantial amounts of sensors and sensing systems have been developed for civil infrastructure systems. This special issue focuses on state-of-the-art robotics and automation technologies, including construction automation, robotics, instrumentation, monitoring, inspection, control, and rehabilitation for civil infrastructure. The issue also covers construction informatics supporting sensing, analysis and design activities needed to operate smart and sustainable civil infrastructure. Examples include robotic systems applied to civil infrastructure and equipped with various sensing technologies, such as optical sensors, laser sensors, wireless sensors, multi-sensor fusion, etc. This special issue is published in an effort to disseminate current advances of various robotics and automation technologies for civil infrastructure and built environment.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.205-211
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• 2007

In this paper, the prototype of surface EMG (ElectroMyoGram) sensor is developed for the robotic rehabilitation applications, and the developed sensor is composed of the electrodes, analog signal amplifiers, analog filters, ADC (analog to digital converter), and DSP (digital signal processor) for coding the application example. Since the raw EMG signal is very low voltage, it is amplified by about one thousand times. The artifacts of amplified EMG signal are removed by using the band-pass filter. Also, the processed analog EMG signal is converted into the digital form by using ADC embedded in DSP. The developed sensor shows approximately the linear characteristics between the amplitude values of the sensor signals measured from the biceps brachii of human upper arm and the joint angles of human elbow. Finally, to show the performance of the developed EMG sensor, we suggest the application example about the real-time human elbow motion acquisition by using the developed sensor.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.26 no.7
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• pp.134-141
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• 2009

Recently, many researchers have tried to develop wearable robots for various fields such as medical and military purposes. We have been studying robotic exoskeletons to assist the motion of persons who have problems with their muscle function in daily activities and rehabilitation. The upper-limb motions (shoulder, elbow and wrist motion) are especially important for such persons to perform daily activities. Generally for shoulder motion 300F is needed to describe its motion(extension/flexion, abduction/adduction, internal/external rotation) but we have used a redundant actuator thus making a 4 DOF system. In this paper, we proposed the mechanism design of the exoskeleton which consists of 4-DOF for shoulder and 1-DOF for elbow robotic exoskeleton to assist upper-limb motion. Then we compared the new mechanism design and prototype mechanism design. Here we also analyze the proposed system kinematically to find out and to avoid the singular point. This research will ensure that the proposed wearable robot system make human's motion more powerfully and more easily.