• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.28 no.10
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• pp.1166-1173
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• 2011

There have been many researches about SUGV (Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle) mechanism regarding off-road mobility and obstacle negotiation. This paper introduces an analysis of geometry parameters to enhance the vertical obstacle negotiation ability for the SUGV. Moreover, this paper proposes an anti-shock structure analysis of wheels to protect the main body of the SUGV when it falls off a vertical obstacle. Major system geometry parameters will be determined under certain constraints. The constraints and optimization problem for maximizing the ability of vertical obstacle negotiation will be presented and discussed. Dynamic simulation results and experiments with manufactured platform will also be presented to validate the analysis. Several types of wheel materials and structures will be compared to determine the best anti-shock wheel design through FEM (Finite Element Method) simulations.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.16-25
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• 2011

This study aimed to evaluate factors related to the ability of ambulatory patients with cerebral palsy (CP) to walk over vertical and horizontal obstacles. Twenty patients with spastic CP who were able to walk independently for at least 10 m with or without walking devices were recruited for the study. Participants were required to walk over small obstacles (1, 4, and 8 cm in height or width; total of 6 conditions). A 'fail' was recorded when either the lower limbs or the walking device contacted the obstacle. Linear regression analyses were used to determine the effects of age, sex, walking devices, eyeglasses, subtype (hemiplegia or diplegia), ankle foot orthoses, functional level, and score of body mass index on the ability of obstacle crossing. Fifteen participants (75%) failed to adequately clear the foot or walking device over obstacles in at least 1 condition. The chance of failure in crossing vertical obstacle was affected by the use of ankle foot orthoses, eyeglasses, gender, and CP subtype (p<.05). The failure rate crossing horizontal obstacle was affected by CP subtype. These findings suggest that rehabilitation procedures should (1) consider the clinical characteristics of patients in order to prepare them to be more independent while performing daily activities, and (2) incorporate environmental conditions that patients encounter at home and in the community.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers
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• v.17 no.7 s.94
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• pp.1864-1873
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• 1993

A biomechanical approach was carried out to analyze foot-floor reaction forces acting on five male subjects performing a walking task. The task analyzed was walking over an obstacle with the right bare foot. The foot-floor reaction data were measured from a force plate, and then processed using a software developed. The source program was coded in the C language for easier on-line data acquisition and graphic displays. High repeatability was found in the reaction data acquired from three trials by each subject. For obstacle height from 0 to 25 cm, the maximum in reaction force reached up to 1.048 BW in the vertical, 0.174 BW in the anterior-posterior, and 0.054 BW in the medio-lateral components, respectively. A quantity was defined by the difference between two vertical reaction values, and this quantity was found to be proportional to the obstacle height. It was also shown that the whole body motion could be predicted the measured foot-floor reaction data.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.129-137
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• 2010

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of a 12-week aquatic exercise on obstacle gait in older women. Originally, 20 healthy female elderly participated this study but 12 of them completed the program. All participants were trained in the aquatic exercise program by an authorized trainer. They had come to the authors' lab three times during training period(0, 6, 12 weeks) and performed obstacle gait with three different height(0, 30, and 50% of leg length). After performed 3-Dimensional motion analysis following results were found. (1) For the CV, MVHC, TC, HC, statistically significances were shown in obstacle height. Although significant training effects were not shown, all variables showed typical patterns and it was considered as efficient motion to overcome the height obstacles. (2) The anterior-posterior and vertical GRF of support leg during support phase were revealed in height effect but in training one. However, differences between Peak 1 and Peak 2 in vertical GRF increased as training period increased. (3) Knee and hip resultant joint moments were affected by training but ankle resultant moments remained unchanged.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Process Engineers
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.114-123
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• 2017

This paper introduces a novel obstacle-climbing robot that moves on the facade of buildings and its climbing mechanism. A winch system set on the top of the building makes the vertical motion of the robot while it climbs obstacles that protrude from the wall surface. The obstacle-climbing robot suggested in this research is composed of a main platform and three modular climbing units. Various sensors installed on each climbing unit detect the obstacles, and the robot controller coordinates the three units and the winch to climb the obstacles using the obstacle-climbing mechanism. To evaluate the performance of the developed robot prototype, a test bed, which consists of an artificial wall and an obstacle, was manufactured. The obstacle size and the time required to climb the obstacle were selected as the performance indices, and extensive experiments were carried out. As a result, it was confirmed that the obstacle-climbing robot can climb various-sized obstacles with a reasonable speed while it moves on the wall surface.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics and Information Engineers
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.163-173
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• 2013

We present a new computer vision technique which can detect unexpected or static vertical objects in road driving environment. We first obtain temporal and spatial difference images in each frame of a stereo video sequence. Using the difference images, we then generate VO and HO maps by improving the conventional V and H disparity maps. From the VO and HO maps, candidate areas of vertical obstacles on the road are detected. Finally, the candidate areas are merged and refined to detect vertical obstacles.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.193-200
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• 2012

Mobility is one of the most important issues for search and rescue robots. To increase mobility for small size robot we have focused on the mechanism and algorithm inspired from centipede. In spite of small size, using many legs and flexible long body, centipede can overcome high obstacles and move in rough terrains stably. This research focused on those points and imitated their legs and body that are good for obstacle negotiation. Based on similarity of a centipede's legs and tracks, serially connected tracks are used for climbing obstacles higher than the robot's height. And a centipede perceives environments using antennae on its head instead of eyes. Inspired from that, 3 IR sensors are attached on the front, top and bottom of the first module to imitate the antenna. Using the information gotten from the sensors, the robot decides next behavior automatically. In experiments, the robot can climb up to 45 cm height vertical wall and it is 600 % of the robot's height and 58 % of the robot's length.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aviation and Aeronautics
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.9-15
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• 2014

'Visual segment surface' means a surface that extends from the missed approach point of non precision approaches (or the decision altitude location for approaches with vertical guidance and precision approaches) to the threshold to facilitate the identification of and protection from obstacles in this visual segment of the approach. Validation is the necessary final quality assurance step in the procedure design process, prior to publication. The purpose of validation is the verification of all obstacle and navigation data, and assessment of flyability of the procedure. This paper shows how to apply the protection for the visual segment of the approach procedure, and the results of the validation for visual segment surface conducted at an airport.

• IEMEK Journal of Embedded Systems and Applications
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.73-81
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• 2018

This paper describes a device platform which the blind can wear to keep path and to get surrounding information during their independent walking. Compared to the existing technologies, the proposed device could be used indoors and outdoors, and maps need not be provided in advance. It is composed of a glasses type device equipped with image sensors, and a portable device that analyzes sensor data for sighted guiding. RGB images and depth images are extracted to generate a walking map based on feature points. It also can cope with the risk of collision with bollard, color cone by applying vertical obstacle detection technology based on floor detection.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.93-99
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• 2014

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare three dimensional displacement and peak velocity of the center of mass (COM) during obstacle crossing in young and older adults. METHODS: 10 young adults (6 males/4 females, $24.6{\pm}1.9$ years, age range: 22.0-26.9) and 10 older adults (1 male/9 females, $76.9{\pm}5.1$ years, age range: 65.2-81.2) participated in the study. Both groups crossed an obstacle, which is 10% of leg length, and COM was measured using motion analysis system. Independent t-test was used to find significant differences between two groups. RESULTS: The older adults showed significantly greater and faster COM displacement and peak velocity in mediolateral (M-L) direction as compared with young adults (p<.01 and p<.001 respectively). However, the young adults showed significantly greater and faster COM displacement and peak velocity in anteroposterior (A-P) direction as compared with older adults (p<.05 and p<.001 respectively). Furthermore, the young adults showed faster peak velocity of COM in vertical direction as compared with older adults (p<.001). However, no significant difference was found in the COM displacement in vertical direction between two groups. CONCLUSION: Greater and faster COM displacement and peak velocity in M-L direction in older adults were due to compensatory adjustment for appropriate contact on base of support of swing limb. Thus, the motion of the COM in M-L direction may be a crucial factor to identify risk of falls in older adults.