We investigated small-scale hydraulic power system using a system level analysis, where small-scale refers to systems generating 10 to 100 Watts output power, to determine whether the high power density advantage of hydraulic power system holds at small sizes. Hydraulic system power density was analyzed with simple mathematical models and compared to an equivalent hypothetical electromecha-nical system constructed from high-end off-the-shelf components. Calculation results revealed that high operating pressures are needed for smallscale hydraulic power systems to be lighter than the equivalent electromechanical system.

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Категория: Научные статьи | Нет комментариев »

A sensory apparatus to monitor pressure distribution on the physical human-robot interface of lower-limb exoskeletons is presented. We propose a distributed measure of the interaction pressure over the whole contact area between the user and the machine as an alternative measurement method of human-robot interaction. To obtain this measure, an array of newly-developed soft silicone pressure sensors is inserted between the limb and the mechanical interface that connects the robot to the user, in direct contact with the wearer’s skin. Compared to state-of-the-art measures, the advantage of this approach is that it allows for a distributed measure of the interaction pressure, which could be useful for the assessment of safety and comfort of human-robot interaction. This paper presents the new sensor and its characterization, and the development of an interaction measurement apparatus, which is applied to a lower-limb rehabilitation robot. The system is calibrated, and an example its use during a prototypical gait training task is presented.

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Категория: Научные статьи | Нет комментариев »

Ученым из университета штата Техас удалось собрать искусственные мышцы из углеродных нанотрубок. Они способны сокращаться под нагрузкой, превышающую их собственную массу в 2 тысячи раз. Подробности смотрите в 101-м выпуске передачи «Интересное будущее».

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Категория: Двигатели | 6 комментариев »

В представленном ниже интервью приводится обзор систем управления некоторых экзоскелетов, а также дается информация о реабилитационном потенциале данных устройств. Интервью дано доступным широкой аудитории языком.Доктор Феррис является доцентом кафедры изучения движения и кафедры биомедицинской инженерии в Университете штата Мичиган.Профессор Даниэль Феррис получил мировую известность как эксперт в области экзоскелетов.

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Категория: Продвижение | 1 Комментарий »

In this paper, we present a novel approach for teaching motor skills through the use of vibrotactile stimulation. We propose a kinematic-vibrotactile mapping that targets fundamental movements (basic building blocks of human motion) using saltatory vibration patterns where vibrations are delivered and interpreted as movement through a conceptual mapping. Two conceptual mappings are explored: the «follow me» concept and the push/pull metaphor. A user study, approved by a local ethics committee, was conducted to explore how these conceptual mappings affect learnability, recognition accuracy, response time and naturalness. Results show the approach to work effectively with a combination of vibration patterns under each conceptual mapping providing the most useful design.

Категория: Ищем научные статьи | Нет комментариев »