Background: Powered robotic exoskeletons for assistance of human locomotion are currently under development for military and medical applications. The energy requirements for such devices are excessive, and this has become a major obstacle for practical ap-plications. Legged locomotion in many animals, however, is very energy efficient. We propose that poly-articular elastic mechanisms are a major contributor to the economy of locomotion in such specialized animals. Consequently, it should be possible to design un-powered assistive devices that make effective use of similar mechanisms.
Methods: A passive assistive technology is presented, based on long elastic cords attached to an exoskeleton and guided by pulleys placed at the joints. A general optimization procedure is described for finding the best geometrical arrangement of such «exoten-dons» for assisting a specific movement. Optimality is defined either as minimal residual joint moment or as minimal residual joint power. Four specific exotendon systems with increasing complexity are considered. Representative human gait data were used to optimize each of these four systems to achieve maximal assistance for normal walking.
Results: The most complex exotendon system, with twelve pulleys per limb, was able to reduce the joint moments required for normal walking by 71% and joint power by 74%. A simpler system, with only three pulleys per limb, could reduce joint moments by 46% and joint power by 47%.
Conclusion: It is concluded that unpowered passive elastic devices can substantially reduce the muscle forces and the metabolic energy needed for walking, without requiring a change in movement. When optimally designed, such devices may allow independent lo-comotion in patients with large deficits in muscle function.

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В монографии исследуются актуальные проблемы формирования осанки детей школьного возраста; приведены данные о двигательной функции позвоночного столба, способах измерения и оценки осанки человека; рассматриваются задачи расширения цнигательных возможностей человека и профилак-тики нарушений осанки за счет более рациональной организации двигательной деятельности. На основе результа-тов собственных исследований процессов формирования биогеометрического профиля осанки школьников автор предлагает оригинальные концепции и стратегии управления этим процессом. Для студентов и преподавателей институтов спортивного и медицинского профилей, гренеров, специалистов спортивной медицины, реабилитации и кинезитерапии.

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In this paper; we introduce a 3-DOF exoskeleton system to assist the human upper-limb motion (shoulder flexion-extension motion, shoulder adduction-abduction motion, and elbow flexion-extension motion) for daily activity and rehabilitation. The electromyogram (EMG) signals of human muscles are important signals to understand how the patient intends to move. The proposed exoskeleton automatically assists the patient ‘s motion for daily activity and rehabilitation mainly based on the skin surface EMG signals. Even though the EMG signals contain very important information, however, it is not very easy to predict the patient upper-limb motion (elbow and shoulder motion) based on the EMG signals in a short time because of the difficulty in using the EMG signals as the controller input signals. In order to cope with this problem, fuzzy-neuro control has been applied to realize the sophisticated real-time control of the exoskeleton system for motion assist of the patient. Experiment has been performed to evaluate the proposed exoskeleton and its control system.

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This paper presents the first results of my PhD thesis, which addresses the problem dominant points detection for motion analysis on programmable retina. The goal of this research is to develop new algorithmical concepts to implement efficient image processing tools over the massively parallel cellular array of processors of the programmable retina, in order to perform effective motion analysis tasks.

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A distal mechanism for providing three degrees of freedom for a rotating handle. Three stages provide a serial mechanical linkage between a handle and a platform, which may itself be moveable in three degrees of freedom. Each stage has an axis of rotation, and the three axes intersect. The first stage is mounted to the platform in such a way as to provide rotation about the first stage axis. The first stage carries the second, allowing the second stage to rotate about its axis. The second stage carries the third stage, allowing the third stage to rotate about its axis. The third stage is fixed to the handle, and the third stage axis passes along the length of the handle. Each stage has a sensor to measure its rotation, and a tendon means of transferring torque from a remote motor to torque about the rotation axis of the respective stage. The sensors have two limited angle ranges of measurement, about 110 degrees wide and on opposite sides of the rotation. The third stage has an auxiliary sensor, mounted in quadrature to the main third stage sensor. It is connected to an idler that carries the third stage tendon. The auxiliary third stage sensor measures angles of rotation that are not measured by the main third stage sensor. The two third stage sensors together provide continuous roll measurement about the third stage axis.

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