• Journal of the Korean Society of Industry Convergence
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.231-240
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• 2015

In this paper, it was presented to design and analyze the kinematics of grasping a rigid object by means of multi-degrees-of-freedom hand fingers. It is shown firstly that a set of kinematic equation describing dynamics system of the arm and object together with geometric constraint of tight area-contacts is formulated by Lagrange's equation. It has been presented secondly that the problems of controlling both the forces of pressing object and the rotation angle of the object under the geometric constraints are discussed. In this research, the control method for static stable grasping and enhancing dexterity in manipulating things is proposed. It is illustrated by computer simulation that the control system gives the performance improvement in the kinematic grasping of the hand fingers of robot.

• Journal of Music and Human Behavior
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.81-103
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• 2022

The effects of therapeutic instrumental music performance (TIMP) using a ukulele were examined in adults with central nervous system damage and impaired hand functions. The participants were three adults with neurological damage who participated in 30-min sessions twice a week over 6 weeks. Changes in hand function was measured by the Box and Block Test (BBT), the 9-Hole Peg Test (9-HPT), and the Jebsen-Taylor Hand Function Test (JTHFT). Following the intervention, all three participants showed increases in the BBT and 9-HPT scores, indicating positive changes in fine motor coordination and dexterity. In terms of the JTHFT, all three participants showed increases in the "writing" and "card flipping" subtask scores, indicating that the intervention was effective in improving more coordinated finger movements. All participants reported the satisfaction with the intervention. They also pointed out that they were motivated to play the ukulele and that following the intervention used their affected hand more frequently in daily activities. These findings suggest that TIMP with a ukulele for patients with central nervous system damage can have positive effects on their functional hand movements and motivate these patients to practice their rehabilitation exercises.

• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.279-287
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• 2019

This study carried out a horticultural program for people with mental disabilities to determine suitability of the horticultural activity program and to actually apply to vocational rehabilitation. The program was carried out in 16 sessions from April 12 to June 7, 2018 with nine people with a strong will to participate in vocational rehabilitation at a health center for persons with mental disabilities. The tools used were the Horticultural Activity Performance Assessment (psychological behavior) and Purdue Pegboard Test that examines functions of hands and arms. The subjects sold the products they made during class time and obtained the profits. After the program, the scores increased with a significant difference (p = .000) in the psychological behavior area of the Horticultural Activity Performance Assessment. Hand and arm movement also showed continuous improvement along the program with a significant difference (p = .000), as well as finger dexterity also with a significant difference (p = .018). The net profit was 314,000 KRW (subtracting cost of goods 314,000 KRW from total sales 628,000 KRW). The profit was shared equally among the nine subjects, each receiving 34,900 KRW. Therefore this study proved horticultural activity class is suitable for vocational rehabilitation of people with mental disabilities proved by the positive effects. We also expect that the subjects will be able to make more profits if they learn more skills, since they are interested the process of making such profits.

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.23-33
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• 2016

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between cognitive function and upper extremity function in the elderly. The articles were analyzed based on patient, intervention, comparison, and outcome using the P.I.C.O. principle. Methods: We systematically examined papers from January, 2000 to November, 2015 published papers through the foreign journals which were Medline & Pubmed for three months. mainly used key words were elderly, dementia, Alzheimer's disease, Mild cognitive impairment, age-related, aging, cognitive, upper extremity function, hand function, hand-grip strength, grip force, complex motor function, bimanual, dexterity, UE performance, and coordination. Results: The number of discovered outcomes for association between cognitive function and upper extremity function in the elderly was 7; grip strength & sex are impact on manipulation object, 1. The results show that cognitive function is associated with upper extremity function in the elderly. Conclusion: This study is expected to help selecting intervention, assessment tools according to the individual's degree of cognitive level and upper extremity function. In future domestic research, variety assessment tools need to be used and more qualitative level experiment will be carried out.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.15 no.12
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• pp.142-147
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• 1998

Developing robot hands with multi-degree-of-freedom is one of the topics that researchers have recently begun to improve the limitation by adding flexibility and dexterity. In this study, an articulated servo-pneumatic robot hand system with direct-drive joints has been developed whose main feature is the minimization of the dimension. The servo-pneumatic system is advantageous to fabricate a dexterous robot hand system due to the high torque-to-weight and torque-to-volume ratio. This enables the design of a finger joint with an integrated rotary vane type actuator which produces high output torque without reduction gears, being very robust. In order to control the servo-pneumatic finger joints, a miniature proportional valve that can be attached to the robot hand is required. In this paper, a flapper nozzle type 4/3-way proportional directional valve has been designed and tested. The experimental results show that the developed valve can control a finger joint satisfactorily without much vibratory joint movements and acoustic noises.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.371-381
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• 2015

Object : The purpose of this study was to investigate aging-related changes of intrinsic and extrinsic hand muscles in their strength, cross-sectional area and volume, force control, and multi-digit synergies. It was hypothesized that aging would negatively affect distal muscles (intrinsic muscles) more than proximal muscles (extrinsic muscles). Method : Nine young and eleven older right-handed participants underwent MRI scans of the hand and forearm. Muscle cross-sectional areas and volumes of the intrinsic and extrinsic hand muscles were determined. Result : Muscle volume of the intrinsic muscles were larger in the younger group than the older group while muscle volume of the extrinsic muscles did not differ. For the cross-sectional area, both the intrinsic and extrinsic muscles of the younger group were larger than the older group. The maximum strength of the intrinsic muscles of the young group was 31% greater than the older group ($399.1{\pm}26.4$ vs $270.2{\pm}22.9Ncm$, p < 0.05) while the extrinsic muscles showed no significant difference. Although the elderly group showed a trend of decreased force control and multi-digit synergies, no statistical differences were found. These findings indicate aging-related decreases in hand muscle size and strength affect intrinsic muscles more than extrinsic muscles, thus supporting the hypothesis that sarcopenia affects the muscle size and strength of distal muscles more than proximal muscles. Conclusion : The aging-related decreases in hand muscle size and function were more apparent in intrinsic hand muscles, located more distally, than extrinsic muscles, located more proximally.

• Journal of Music and Human Behavior
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.1-16
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• 2011

This study was to investigate the influence of using Therapeutic Instrumental Music Performance (TIMP) in uninvolved hand function for children with spastic cerebral palsy. Participants were recruited from a welfare center for people with cerebral palsy(CP). Ages ranged from 11 to 12, and a total of 15 TIMP sessions were provided for 3 weeks. Hand function tests were used including Jebsen Hand Function Test for hand function, Box and Block Test for dexterity of uninvolved hand, and MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) evaluation for velocity of fingers. The TIMP program consisted of hand percussion playing and keyboard playing with changes of timbre and tempo. While the scores of Jebsen test and Box and Block test were improved for all participants, outcomes of MIDI analysis showed differences among participants. Overall, hand function improvements were observed after the completion of using the TIMP program, and the results implies that the TIMP program can be applied in upper extremity rehabilitation for children with CP.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.156-167
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• 2010

To evaluate the effect of lead biomarkers including bone lead on neurobehavioral test in retired lead workers, 131 retired lead workers without any occupational exposure to organic solvent, mercury and arsenic were agreed to participate this study. For the control subjects 56 non-occupationally lead exposed subjects were recruited from same area of retired lead workers with consideration of demographic characteristics. The mean levels of blood and bone lead of retired lead workers were significantly higher than control group and there were significant correlation among other lead biomarkers. Compared with controls without occupational lead exposure, lead exposured subjects had worse performance on 10 tests out of 12 neurobehavioral tests, but only two tests(Purdue pegboard nondominant and both hand) showed statistical significance of differences. In multiple linear regression analysis of neurobehavioral tests with lead biomarkers and demographic and lifestyle variables, age was associated negatively with 11 neurobehavioral tests, whereas log-transformed ZPP was associated with Purdue pegboard(both hand) and Santa Ana manual dexterity(non-dominant hand). On the other hand, tibia lead was associated Pursuit aiming test(correct) and Purdue pegboard(dominant hand) and calcaneal lead was associated with Purdue pegboard(dominant hand). This study confirmed that among all relevant variables age was most significantly associated with the poor performance of neurobehavioral tests. The blood lead did not have any significant association with neurobehavioral tests, but tibia and calcaneal bone lead and blood ZPP showed significant association with a few tests even after more than mean 9 years from their retirements.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.53-71
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• 1997

Across sectional study was performed to evaluate the chronic effects on central nerve system(CNS) of cumulative exposure of complex organic solvents, using neurobehavioral test. Subjects were 66 (male) dock yard painters of some large ship industry which is located in Ulsan. The neurobehavioral test battery used in this study was NCTB (Neurabehavioral Core Test Battery recommended by WHO(World Health Organization), which consisted of 7 items-Profile of mood states (POMS), Simple reaction time, Santa Ana dexterity test. Digit span, Digit symbol, Benton visual retention test and Pursuit aiming. The subjects were classified by 3 groups according to duration of employment(group 1 ; less than 9 years, group 2 ; 10-14 years, group 3 ; more than 15 years). The results of performance were analyzed considering of work duration, age, educational level, alcohol drinking, smoking and testing time as confounding factors. Benton visual retention test, pursuit aiming correct dot and sum of dot showed significant differences among the groups, and decreased with increasing work duration. It indicated that the mean scores of performance ability were lowering according to work duration. Besides, the tests that didn't show statistical significances but showed linear trends were depression-dejection, vigor, fatigue of POMS, slowest time of simple reaction time and digit span forward. Most of the neurobehavioral test items were correlated with age and educational level. After controlling of confounding factors-age and educational level, the results followed ; digit span backward was different significantly. Tension-anxiety, depression-dejection, anger-hostility of POMS, SD and slowest time of simple reaction time, Santa Ana dexterity test non-preferred hand, digit span forward, Benton visual retention test and pursuit aiming correct dot decreased with increasing of work duration. The correlation analysis was done in order to find out the relationship between subjective symptom and the scores of neurobehavioral core test battery. According to the results of analysis there were no items that had statistical significant relationship(p<0.05).

• 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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• 1990.10a
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• pp.508-513
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• 1990

오늘날, 생산성 증대와 품질 향상을 목적으로 산업용 로봇의 사용이 증대되면서 다양한 생산현장에서의 유연성과 적응성이 크게 요구되고 있는 실정이다. 그러나, 현재의 산업용 로봇은 end-effector의 dexterity의 부족으로 그 사용에 제한을 받고 있다. 이를 해결하기 위해 다지(multi-fingered), 다관절(articulated) 로봇손(robotic hands)의 도입이 필요하게 되었는데 이는 전체 로봇시스템의 능력과 유연성을 증가시킬 수 있을 것이다. 현재의 Flexible Manufacturing Workcell은 보통 한 대의 로봇팔과 많은 특수 용도의 고가의 tool로 구성되어 있으나 일반적인 모든 작업에 제한없이 모두 적용하기는 매우 어렵다. 그러므로, 다지, 다관절 로봇손의 개발 및 그 지능 제어의 실현은 작업에 따르는 불필요한 tool의 교환을 방지하여 비용과 시간을 절약함으로써 생산성을 극대화시킬 수 있다. 따라서, 본 연구에서는 Flexible Automation을 위한 다지, 다관절 로봇손의 설계 및 제작에 관한 방법을 제시하고자 한다.