• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.486-494
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• 2014

Intelligent homes consist of ubiquitous sensors, home networks, and a context-aware computing system. These homes are expected to offer many services such as intelligent air-conditioning, lighting control, health monitoring, and home security. In order to realize these services, many researchers have worked on various research topics including smart sensors with low power consumption, home network protocols, resident and location detection, context-awareness, and scenario and service control. This paper presents the real-time metabolic rate estimation method that is based on measured heart rate for human adaptive appliance (air-conditioner, lighting etc.). This estimation results can provide valuable information to control smart appliances so that they can adjust themselves according to the status of residents. The heart rate based method has been experimentally compared with the location-based method on a test bed.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.63-82
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• 2005

This paper introduces a technology for robust and low maintenance cost sensor network capable to detect accelerations below a micro-g in a wide frequency bandwidth (above 1,000 Hz). Sensor networks with such performance are critical for navigation, seismology, acoustic sensing, and for the health monitoring of civil structures. The approach is based on the fabrication of an array of high sensitivity accelerometers, each utilizing Fabry-Perot cavity with wavelength-dependent reflectivity to allow embedded optical detection and serialization. The unique feature of the approach is that no local power source is required for each individual sensor. Instead one global light source is used, providing an input optical signal which propagates through an optical fiber network from sensor-to-sensor. The information from each sensor is embedded onto the transmitted light as an intrinsic wavelength division multiplexed signal. This optical "rainbow" of data is then assessed providing real-time sensing information from each sensor node in the network. This paper introduces the Fabry-Perot based accelerometer and examines its critical features, including the effects of imperfections and resolution estimates. It then presents serialization techniques for the creation of systems of arrayed sensors and examines the effects of serialization on sensor response. Finally, a fabrication process is proposed to create test structures for the critical components of the device, which are dynamically characterized.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.38-43
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• 2008

To reduce winging scapula, various exercise protocols have been widely used by clinicians. Selective serratus anterior strengthening, and restoring balanced function, are especially recommended to reduce winging scapula. The purpose of this study was to investigate visual biofeedback using a real time video camera display system for monitoring scapular winging during arm lowering. For this study, 13 males with winging scapular were recruited during arm lowering. Electromyography (EMG) activity was recorded from the serratus anterior (SA) and upper trapezius (UT) of the right side and compared with normal EMG activity using a paired t-test. The study showed, through visual biofeedback, that EMG activity significantly increased in the SA and significantly decreased in the UT (p<.05). These results suggest that visual biofeedback can be recommended as an effective method for scapular eccentric control, to prevent scapular winging during arm lowering.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.86-92
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• 2017

As the elderly population increases, real-time personal health monitoring is gaining new ground with advances in wireless communications. Such an approach is particularly beneficial to elderly and physically challenged people, as well as those who live alone and are not be able to seek help in case of medical emergencies. The aim of this study is to implement a wearable band which monitors personal vital signs, such as the body temperature and heart rate, and assists with healthcare decisions using a fuzzy logic based decision support system. Since the vital sign data measured from sensors are imprecise and their normal variation with age is nonlinear and not crisp, a fuzzy system is employed to deal with this imprecise or uncertain information. The proposed wearable band is designed to continuously capture and transmit vital signs and healthcare decisions to suitable apps developed for smartphones. In this way, health alerts can be sent to the guardian or caregiver who is registered in the apps.

• Journal of Internet Computing and Services
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.135-147
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• 2011

As the number of elderly people living alone has been increasing in the recent years, systems for their safety have been required, and some related services or pilot systems have been operating. These systems provide the monitoring service for the activities of the elderly people living alone with indoor location tracking technology using the various sensors. However, most systems provide services on expensive infrastructure such as attached tags and mobile devices. In this point, this paper attempts to suggest a system based on low cost sensors to collect event data in home environment. And a main characteristic of the system is that people can monitor the results of provided services through web browser in real time and the system can provide related context information to guardians and health care managers through SMS of mobile phone.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.12 no.3_4
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• pp.363-379
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• 2013

Dynamic displacement of structures is an important index for in-service structural condition and behavior assessment, but accurate measurement of structural displacement for large-scale civil structures such as long-span bridges still remains as a challenging task. In this paper, a vision-based dynamic displacement measurement system with the use of digital image processing technology is developed, which is featured by its distinctive characteristics in non-contact, long-distance, and high-precision structural displacement measurement. The hardware of this system is mainly composed of a high-resolution industrial CCD (charge-coupled-device) digital camera and an extended-range zoom lens. Through continuously tracing and identifying a target on the structure, the structural displacement is derived through cross-correlation analysis between the predefined pattern and the captured digital images with the aid of a pattern matching algorithm. To validate the developed system, MTS tests of sinusoidal motions under different vibration frequencies and amplitudes and shaking table tests with different excitations (the El-Centro earthquake wave and a sinusoidal motion) are carried out. Additionally, in-situ verification experiments are performed to measure the mid-span vertical displacement of the suspension Tsing Ma Bridge in the operational condition and the cable-stayed Stonecutters Bridge during loading tests. The obtained results show that the developed system exhibits an excellent capability in real-time measurement of structural displacement and can serve as a good complement to the traditional sensors.

• Atmosphere
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.501-509
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• 2019

Asian Dust is a meteorological phenomenon that sand particles are raised from the arid and semi-arid regions-Taklamakan Desert, Gobi Desert and Inner Mongolia in China-and transported by westerlies and deposited on the surface. Asian dust results in a negative effect on human health as well as environmental, social and economic aspects. For monitoring of Asian Dust, Korea Meteorological Administration operates 29 stations using a continuous ambient particulate monitor. Kim et al. (2016) developed an automatic quality check (AQC) algorithm for objective and systematic quality check of observed PM₁₀ concentration and evaluated AQC with results of a manual quality check (MQC). The results showed the AQC algorithm could detect abnormal observations efficiently but it also presented a large number of false alarms which result from valid error check. To complement the deficiency of AQC and to develop an AQC system which can be applied in real-time, AQC has been modulated. Based on the analysis of instrument status codes, valid error check process was revised and 6 status codes were further considered as normal. Also, time continuity check and spike check were modified so that posterior data was not referred at inspection time. Two-year observed PM₁₀ concentration data and corresponding MQC results were used to evaluate the modulated AQC compared to the original AQC algorithm. The results showed a false alarm ratio decreased from 0.44 to 0.09 and the accuracy and the probability of detection were conserved well in spite of the exclusion of posterior data at inspection time.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.191-197
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• 2013

Upon radiation treatment, it is the important factor to monitor the patient's motion during radiation irradiated, since it can determine whether the treatment is successful. Thus, we have developed the system in which the patient's motion is monitored in real time and moving treatment position can be automatically corrected during radiation irradiation. We have developed the patient's position monitoring system in which the patient's position is three dimensionally identified by using two CCD cameras which are orthogonal located around the isocenter. This system uses the image pattern matching technique using a normalized cross-correlation method. We have developed the system in which trigger signal for beam on and off is generated by quantitatively analyzing the changes in a treatment position through delivery of the images taken from CCD cameras to the computer and the motor of moving couch can be controlled. This system was able to automatically correct a patient's position with the resolution of 0.5 mm or less.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.377-383
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• 2019

Objectives: Exposure to fine particles in urban air has been associated with a number of negative health effects. High levels of fine particles have been detected at underground stations in big cities. We investigated the exposure conditions in four occupational groups in the Stockholm underground train system to identify high-exposed groups and study variations in exposure. Methods: $PM_1$ and $PM_{2.5}$ were measured during three full work shifts on 44 underground workers. Fluctuations in exposure were monitored by a real-time particle monitoring instrument, pDR, DataRAM. Qualitative analysis of particle content was performed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Nitrogen dioxide was measured using passive monitors. Results: For all underground workers, the geometric mean (GM) of $PM_1$ was $18{\mu}g/m^3$ and of $PM_{2.5}$ was $37{\mu}g/m^3$. The particle exposure was highest for cleaners/platform workers, and the GM of $PM_1$ was $31.6{\mu}g/m^3$ [geometric standard deviation (GSD), 1.6] and of $PM_{2.5}$ was $76.5{\mu}g/m^3$ (GSD, 1.3); the particle exposure was lowest for ticket sellers, and the GM of $PM_1$ was $4.9{\mu}g/m^3$ (GSD, 2.1) and of $PM_{2.5}$ was $9.3{\mu}g/m^3$ (GSD, 1.5). The $PM_1$ and $PM_{2.5}$ levels were five times higher in the underground system than at the street level, and the particles in the underground had high iron content. The train driver's nitrogen dioxide exposure level was $64.1{\mu}g/m^3$ (GSD, 1.5). Conclusions: Cleaners and other platform workers were statistically significantly more exposed to particles than train drivers or ticket sellers. Particle concentrations ($PM_{2.5}$) in the Stockholm underground system were within the same range as in the New York underground system but were much lower than in several older underground systems around the world.

• The KIPS Transactions:PartD
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• v.12D no.6 s.102
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• pp.905-914
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• 2005

This paper suggests a healthcare home service system based on the distributed object group framework that can not only provide healthcare application services using the information obtained from the physical healthcare sensors and devices, and but also monitor and control these services remotely. The distributed object group framework supports the object group service, the interaction service between object groups and the real-time service in order to execute the healthcare application. Here object group means the unit of logical grouped objects or healthcare sensors and devices for a service. Our suggested system consists of 3 layers. The first layer presents the physical sensors and devices for healthcare, as a physical layer. The second layer lays the distributed object group framework, and the third layer, the upper's one, implements healthcare applications based on lower layers. With healthcare applications providing for this system, we implemented the location tracking service, the health information service and the titrating environment service. Also the integrated executing results of these services can be monitored and controlled via remote desktop systems or PDAs.