Browse Topic: Arm

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A Comprehensive Survey of Foot-Operated Steering Systems for Individuals with Upper Limb Disabilities: A Literature Review2023-01-518702/23/2024
A significant portion of the global population about 13.6% of the world's population faces challenges due to upper limb disabilities caused by accidents, genetics, health issues or aging. These people struggle with everyday mobility tasks and often need help. Hence, the research is focused on creating special vehicle control systems to help them. This study gathers knowledge from various science and technology fields to develop foot-operated steering systems letting those with upper limb differences control vehicles with their feet. The research explores various technologies like modified steering, brain-controlled vehicles, foot-operated steering, steer-by-wire and Ackermann steering. Most of these systems are custom-made for people with upper limb differences. Ensuring safety, security, malfunction prevention, precise steering, user-friendliness and affordability is a significant challenge that demands advanced technology. Furthermore, there is a requirement to develop this system to
Soundararajan, R., Babu, N., Ashoka Vardhanan, P., Shijo Joseph, C.S.
Inside the OEM: StrykerTBMG-4693811/01/2022
Analytical Methods for Aircraft Seat Design and EvaluationARP5765B (Current)03/30/2021
This SAE Aerospace Recommended Practice (ARP) defines a means of assessing the credibility of computer models of aircraft seating systems used to simulate dynamic impact conditions set forth in Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) Parts 23.562, 25.562, 27.562, and 29.562. The ARP is applicable to lumped mass and detailed finite element seat models. This includes specifications and performance criteria for aviation specific virtual anthropomorphic test devices (v-ATDs). This document provides a recommended methodology to evaluate the degree of correlation between a seat model and dynamic impact tests. This ARP also provides best practices for testing and modeling designed to support the implementation of analytical models of aircraft seat systems. Supporting information within this document includes procedures for the quantitative comparison of test and simulation results, as well as test summaries for data generated to support the development of v-ATDs and a sample v-ATD
Aircraft SEAT Committee
Analytical Methods for Aircraft Seat Design and EvaluationARP5765B-TEST-REC (Historical)03/30/2021
This SAE Aerospace Recommended Practice (ARP) defines a means of assessing the credibility of computer models of aircraft seating systems used to simulate dynamic impact conditions set forth in Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) Parts 23.562, 25.562, 27.562, and 29.562. The ARP is applicable to lumped mass and detailed finite element seat models. This includes specifications and performance criteria for aviation specific virtual anthropomorphic test devices (v-ATDs). This document provides a recommended methodology to evaluate the degree of correlation between a seat model and dynamic impact tests. This ARP also provides best practices for testing and modeling designed to support the implementation of analytical models of aircraft seat systems. Supporting information within this document includes procedures for the quantitative comparison of test and simulation results, as well as test summaries for data generated to support the development of v-ATDs and a sample v-ATD
Aircraft SEAT Committee
Felling Head Terminology and NomenclatureJ1272_202103 (Current)03/01/2021
This SAE Standard is intended to describe the basic types of felling heads, including those with bunching capabilities, that are attachments to a self-propelled machine. Only the major components that are necessary to describe the functions of the felling head, and to apply the principles of the standard are included. Illustrations used are not intended to include all existing felling heads or to describe any particular manufacturer’s variation.
MTC4, Forestry and Logging Equipment
Low-Cost, Customized Prosthesis Using 3D PrintingTBMG-3830701/01/2021
Upper limb forequarter amputations that involve the removal of the entire arm and scapula require highly customized prosthetic devices that are expensive but yet usually underutilized due to their high maintenance and low comfort levels. At the same time, while cosmetic prostheses — artificial limbs that provide patients the appearance of a pre-amputated body part — have a higher rate of continuous use, they have limitations in functional use.
Cameras Capture Asteroid Debris RetrievalTBMG-3835401/01/2021
Space Dynamics Laboratory Utah State University Logan, UT
Products of Tomorrow: December 2020TBMG-3818912/01/2020
This column presents technologies that have applications in commercial areas, possibly creating the products of tomorrow. To learn more about each technology, see the contact information provided for that innovation.
Upper Body Robotic ExoskeletonTBMG-3817312/01/2020
A soft, wearable, robotic upper limb exoskeleton garment was designed to actively control the shoulder and elbow, both positioning the limb in specific orientations and commanding the limb through desired motions. The invention was developed to provide effective upper extremity motor rehabilitation for patients with neurological impairments (e.g., traumatic brain injury, stroke).
Compact, Long-Reach Robotic ArmTBMG-3814112/01/2020
NASA Langley Research Center developed a hyperdextrous robotic arm with lightweight joints that provide a wide range of motion. The tendon-articulated manipulator joints are actuated by capstans or winches located along the boom. This configuration offers significant mechanical advantage and improved efficiency over existing arms that use weighty gearboxes and motors. The arm joints have very high structural efficiency and significantly reduce manipulator mass while achieving a high level of joint stiffness. To further reduce weight while maintaining strength, stiff truss structures replace tubular links or booms between joints.
5 Ws of the Sign-to-Speech Translation GloveTBMG-3762709/01/2020
People who use sign language could communicate directly with non-signers without needing someone else to translate for them.
Measurement of the Biodynamic Response of the Hand-Arm System and Study of its Influence on the Vibrational Response of the Steering Wheel2020-01-154806/03/2020
Driver’s hands modify the vibrational response of the steering wheel, so that car manufacturers are used to measure vibrations of the free steering wheel to ensure reproducibility. However, levels measured in this condition do not represent those perceived by the driver. The aim of this study is to predict the vibrational response of the hand-wheel coupled system from measurements of the non-held steering wheel, and of the mechanical impedance of the arm. The mechanical impedance of the hand-arm system is measured at three levels of vibration (0.5 2.5 and 5 m/s²) in two directions of excitation (along the arm and in the normal direction of the palm). The position of the arm and the hand grip are controlled to be as close as possible to a driving situation. For each condition, the mechanical impedance is calculated and compared to models of ISO 10068. The differences introduced between the response of the left and right hand are also investigated according to the preferred hand and
laroche, luc, Parizet, Etienne
5 Ws of the Infant Smart JumpsuitTBMG-3685105/01/2020
Those providing care or treatment of infants five months or older.
Improving Prosthetics for Upper Limb AmputeesTBMG-3623903/01/2020
New machine learning algorithms and computational models may provide insight into the mental demand placed on individuals using prosthetics. These models will improve the current interface in prosthetic devices.
Prosthetic Arm Can Move and FeelTBMG-3533310/01/2019
Keven Walgamott had a good “feeling” about picking up the egg without crushing it.
Engineers 3D Print Flexible Mesh for Ankle and Knee BracesTBMG-3498408/01/2019
Hearing aids, dental crowns, and limb prosthetics are some of the medical devices that can now be digitally designed and customized for individual patients, thanks to 3D printing. However, these devices are typically designed to replace or support bones and other rigid parts of the body, and are often printed from solid, relatively inflexible material.
Residual Injury Situation and Accident Characteristics of Severe Motorcycle Accidents2019-01-063804/02/2019
The total number of persons severely and fatally injured in road traffic accidents has reduced considerably in recent decades. However, the number of motorcyclists involved in accidents has not reduced to the same extent, and some countries have even recorded an increase. The aim of this study is to analyse the circumstances of motorcycle accidents in Germany involving vehicles with a cubic capacity of over 125 cm3 with particular reference to severely or fatally injured riders. An analysis is to be made of the characteristics and patterns of injuries suffered by the most severely injured motorcyclists and proposals developed for injury prevention. The study included accident data from 464 motorcycle accidents collected in Hanover and Dresden between 2010 and 2015 by an academic research team in the course of the GIDAS project (German In-Depth Accident Study). This data represents a statistically representative sample from real accidents occurring in Germany. The analysis of the
Otte, Dietmar
Artificial Joint Restores Wrist-Like MovementsTBMG-3371702/01/2019
For patients missing a hand, one of the biggest challenges to regaining a high level of function is the inability to rotate one's wrist (pronate and supinate). These are essential movements involved in everyday tasks such as using a door handle, a screwdriver, a knob, or simply turning over a piece of paper. For those missing their hand, these are much more awkward and uncomfortable tasks, and current prosthetic technologies offer only limited relief to this problem.
Computer Detects and Understands Body LanguageTBMG-3360901/01/2019
Detecting the nuances of nonverbal communication between individuals will allow robots to serve in social spaces, enabling them to perceive what people around them are doing, what moods they are in, and whether they can be interrupted. A self-driving car could get an early warning that a pedestrian is about to step into the street by monitoring body language. Enabling machines to understand human behavior also could enable new approaches to behavioral diagnosis and rehabilitation for conditions such as autism, dyslexia, and depression.
Component Nomenclature - Skidder - GrappleJ1111_201809 (Historical)09/02/2018
This SAE Standard characterizes grapple skidders and identifies the major components and parts most commonly associated therewith. Illustrations used herein are not intended to include all existing commercial machines or to be exactly descriptive of any particular machine. They have been included to facilitate application of this document
MTC4, Forestry and Logging Equipment
Rubber-Like Adhesive Film Sticks to Highly Deformable AreasTBMG-3250208/01/2018
Adhesives used for common pain-relieving bandages often do not stick properly when attached to places that encounter large, inhomogenous bending motion, like elbows and knees. To solve this problem, kirigami was considered as a possible solution. Originally an Asian folk art, kirigami is the practice of cutting intricate patterns into paper and folding this paper, much like origami, to create three-dimensional structures. More recently, some scientists have been exploring kirigami as a way to develop new functional materials.
Bringing a Human Touch to Modern ProstheticsTBMG-3245808/01/2018
Amputees often experience the sensation of a “phantom limb”—a feeling that a missing body part is still there. That sensory illusion is closer to becoming a reality thanks to a team of engineers at Johns Hopkins University that have created an electronic skin. When layered on top of prosthetic hands, this e-dermis brings back a real sense of touch through the fingertips.
Plastic Bearings Reduce Weight and Improve DurabilityTBMG-2900206/01/2018
When engineer Mark Doyle started to put together plans for an exoskeleton to support surgeons in 2012, he wanted to develop a lightweight product that they could wear comfortably for extended periods of time. Doyle and his team at Levitate Technologies (San Diego, CA) had to carefully choose the products that would be included in the device because any additional ounces could have made the device uncomfortable and unwieldy, thus ending development before it entered production.
Characteristics and Casualty Analysis of Two- Wheeler Accidents in China, Data Source: The China In-Depth Accident Study (CIDAS)2018-01-105204/03/2018
The two-wheeler is a vehicle that runs on two wheels, which is classified as motorcycle, electric-bicycle, and bicycle in this research. China has the largest number of two-wheelers and relevant accidents in the world. The two-wheeler riders have a high level of vulnerability, creating a significant necessity to better understand the characteristics according to the road-user group. The objective of this paper is to study the characteristics and analyze the causes of two-wheeler accidents in China using the CIDAS (China In-Depth Accident Study) Database. 2012 cases of two-wheeler accidents with riders injured or dead were collected from the CIDAS Database from 5 cities (Changchun, Beijing, Weihai, Ningbo and Foshan) in China over a period of 5 years (2011.07-2016.06). Several key parameters such as accident characteristics, accident scenarios (containing collision point distribution, accident type, clock direction distribution and head WAD distribution) were analyzed using measurement
Chen, Qiang, Dai, Bing
Artificial “Wrist” Enables Design of Wearable Blood Pressure MonitorsTBMG-2721207/01/2017
Unfortunately, blood pressure (BP) measurements currently require the use of a cuff that temporarily stops blood flow. A wearable BP “watch” using today’s technology would squeeze the wrist every few minutes, making it impractical to use. A better method might gauge subtle pressure changes at the surface of the skin above one of the main wrist arteries — the radial artery — without regularly cutting off circulation. But before this new technology can be developed, there is a need to understand what the pressure inside a blood vessel looks like on the surface of the skin. This requires a physical model that can be used to test wearable devices in a laboratory.
Contour Based Repositioning of Specific Joints of the GHBMC Human Body FE Model2017-26-026501/10/2017
The generation of anatomically correct postures of finite element based Human Body Models (HBM) is indispensable for injury prediction in passive safety analysis. HBMs are often underutilized in industrial R&D since these are typically available only in one posture and do not represent the variability in the human postures in an actual vehicle environment. The work presented in the paper is part of a number of tools being developed for this purpose under a European Union project - Piper. It uses a computer graphic based method for positioning an HBM in the desired posture. In the past the technique has been used for repositioning the knee and pelvic joints of the HBM. The technique has been extended to other joints of the HBM. It ensures that the result is anatomically correct while maintaining its mesh quality. Further, the method needs minimal subjective intervention. In the method, a set of contours are first defined on the given model surface. The space between the contours and
Chawla, Anoop, Singh, Sukhraj, Paruchuri, Sachiv, Chhabra, Aditya
DARPA Helps Paralyzed Man Feel Again Using a Brain-Controlled Robotic ArmTBMG-2608012/01/2016
A DARPA-funded research team has demonstrated for the first time in a human a technology that allows an individual to experience the sensation of touch directly in the brain through a neural interface system connected to a robotic arm. By enabling two-way communication between brain and machine — outgoing signals for movement and inbound signals for sensation — the technology could ultimately support new ways for people to engage with each other and with the world.
Flexible and Low-Cost Robotic System for Drilling Material Stacks2016-01-209109/27/2016
The aim of this paper is to present a robust and low-cost automatic system for drilling aluminum stacks, as well as an integral methodology for the design of tool trajectories and the control of the drilling process itself. The proposed system employs a high accuracy robotic arm, a commercial spindle head and a specially developed SCADA, which enables it to load tool trajectories designed by using any software application. Furthermore, this SCADA is useful to monitor the main parameters of the drilling process for anticipating problems related to the unexpected tool wear or for a quick response in case of tool collision. A special jig for positioning the stack to be drilled is designed to increase the robot accessibility. In this work, tests are performed for optimizing the cutting parameters of the robotic system in order to maximize the accuracy and the surface finishing of the holes. This analysis is carried out for different tool diameters and taking into account several machining
Cano, Raul, Ibanez de Garayo, Oscar, Castillo, Miguel Angel, Marin, Ricardo, Ascorbe, Hector, de los Santos, Jose Ramon
Human Grasp Assist Device with ExoskeletonTBMG-2532209/01/2016
Researchers at the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC), in collaboration with General Motors (GM), have designed and developed Robo-Glove, a wearable human grasp assist device, to help reduce the grasping force needed by an individual to operate tools for an extended time or when performing tasks having repetitive mo tion. Robo-Glove has the potential to help workers, such as construction workers, hazardous material workers, or assembly line operators, whose job requires continuous grasping and ungrasping motion. The Robo-Glove also has potential applications in prosthetic devices, rehabilitation aids, and helping people with impaired or limited arm and hand muscle strength.
In-Situ Load System for Calibrating and Validating Aerodynamic Properties of Scaled Aircraft in Ground-Based Aerospace Testing ApplicationsTBMG-2495207/01/2016
NASA’s Langley Research Center has developed three techniques and systems to calibrate and validate wind-tunnel force balances and other multi-component force transducers. The first is the Single Vector Calibration System (SVS), which uses a single deadweight for calibration and has been in active use at NASA for over 15 years. The second system is the In-Situ Load System (ILS). The ILS is based on the same fundamental concept as the SVS, but is designed for in-situ verification just prior to testing. Building off of the SVS and ILS, the third system is the Variable Acceleration Force Calibration System (VACS), which shares the single-vector force application concept, but generates those forces differently by keeping the mass constant and varying the acceleration. These techniques and systems provide for less complex and less labor-intensive calibration and verification of multi-component force transducers.
Vibration Sensors Add New Touch to ProstheticsTBMG-2490806/01/2016
The sense of touch is complex, and an instructor at the University of California – Santa Barbara (UCSB) has the technology to prove it. Yon Visell, assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and his students designed an apparatus that captures the unique vibration patterns associated with touch-specific actions, from gripping a coffee mug to tapping on a flat surface. The findings could support new applications in prosthetics, robotics, and virtual reality.
Efficiency Improvement of Boost Converter for Fuel Cell Bus by Silicon Carbide Diodes2016-01-123404/05/2016
The adoption of silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductors is regarded as a promising means of improving the fuel efficiency of all types of electrically powered vehicles, including plug-in, electric, fuel cell, and hybrid vehicles (PHVs, EVs, FCVs, and HVs). For this reason, adoption in a wide variety of vehicles is currently being studied, including in the fuel cell (FC) boost converter of an FC bus. The FC boost converter controls the output voltage of the FC up to 650 V. In this research, SiC Schottky barrier diodes (SiC-SBDs) were adopted in the upper arm of an FC boost converter. Since the forward voltage (Vf) of SiC-SBDs is smaller than conventional Si-PiN diodes (Si-PiNDs), the conduction loss of SiC-SBDs is correspondingly smaller. Recovery loss can also be reduced by at least 90% compared to Si-PiNDs since the recovery current of SiC-SBDs is substantially smaller. Lowering the recovery current of the upper arm has the effect of reducing the superimposed current when the
Sugiura, Toshikazu, Tanida, Atsushi, Tamura, Kazutaka
Ride Comfort Analysis Considering Suspension Friction with Series Rigidity2016-01-167904/05/2016
A dynamics model considering series rigidity was constructed to examine suspension friction, which has a major effect on ride comfort on paved roads. The friction characteristics of the bushings, ball joints, and shock absorbers are expressed with series elastic elements such as arm rigidity and the spring constant of the oil seals. It was confirmed that the calculated values for the overall spring constant and damping coefficient of the suspension virtually matched values measured in a 4-post shaker test. In addition, the results of analysis using this dynamics model confirmed that the degree of friction affects both the damping coefficient and the spring constant of the suspension, especially when the series rigidity is high. Also highly rigid friction has an adverse effect on sprung motion in frequency ranges above 15 Hz. After suspension enhancements were adopted based on these findings, 4-post shaker tests confirmed that sprung motion above 2 Hz improved..
Koumura, Shingo, Shionoya, Takahiro
Preliminary study of uniform restraint concept for protection of rear-seat occupant under mid and high crash severities2016-01-152804/05/2016
As the restraint technologies for front-seat occupant protection advance, such as seatbelt pre-tensioner, seatbelt load limiter and airbag, relative effectiveness of rear-seat occupant protection decreases, especially for the elderly. Some occupant protection systems for front-seat have been proved to be effective for rear-seat occupant protection as well, but they also have some drawbacks. Seatbelt could generate unwanted local penetrations to the chest and abdomen. And for rear-seat occupants, it might be difficult to install airbag and set deployment time. For crash protection, it is desirable that the restraint loads are spread to the sturdy parts of human body such as head, shoulders, rib cage, pelvis and femurs, as uniformly as possible. This paper explores a uniform restraint concept aiming at providing protection in wide range of impact severity for rear-seat occupants. In this study, we use THUMS 50th percentile occupant model to simulate response under sled test frontal
Ji, Peijun, Zhou, Qing
Tendon-Driven Finger, Wrist, and Thumb Actuation SystemTBMG-2366601/01/2016
The Robonaut 2 (R2) Dexterous Robot is the result of an effort to build a two-armed, ten-fingered humanoid robot torso capable of assembly work. This invention concerns a multi-fingered hand, and is composed of several parts. One is a tendon-driven, four-link, four-degree-of-freedom robotic thumb. Another is an extrinsic actuation system for tendon-driven fingers. The final part is a wrist mechanism with a large range of motion capable of high strength and speed while maintaining human wrist range of motion. The wrist provides pass-through capability for extrinsic hand actuation.
Robotic Surgical Devices, Systems, and Related MethodsTBMG-2366801/01/2016
Various advancements have been made in the development of miniature in vivo surgical robots. These robots are designed to perform Laparoendo scopic Single-Site Surgery (LESS). After being inserted through a single incision, these robots can perform surgical procedures in a dexterous workspace. Each robot consists of two halves, and each half is inserted individually through a single incision. Each half can be stepped through preset orientations as it is inserted to overcome the obstacle of limited space. Once both halves are inside the abdominal cavity, control rods protruding through the single incision allow for proper alignment. A central mounting rod is then used to mate the halves together and support the robot. The central mounting rod allows for an endoscope to be inserted through the central mounting rod, between each robot half, to provide visual feedback for surgery. The system allows for three-degree-of-freedom motion of the endoscope. Additionally, an onboard camera can be
Solar Doppler Shift-Based Solar TrackerTBMG-2349912/01/2015
This solar tracker integrates a camera with a field of view (FOV) large enough to easily image the entire solar disc — co-boresited with a narrow-band spectrometer that measures the frequency of a Doppler shifted line — with an algorithm designed to drive zero Doppler shift rotation axis of the Sun.
Comparison of ATD to PMHS Response in the Under-Body Blast Environment2015-22-001711/09/2015
A blast buck (Accelerative Loading Fixture, or ALF) was developed for studying underbody blast events in a laboratory-like setting. It was designed to provide a high-magnitude, high-rate, vertical loading environment for cadaver and dummy testing. It consists of a platform with a reinforcing cage that supports adjustable-height rigid seats for two crew positions. The platform has a heavy frame with a deformable floor insert. Fourteen tests were conducted using fourteen PMHS (post mortem human surrogates) and the Hybrid III ATD (Anthropomorphic Test Device). Tests were conducted at two charge levels: enhanced and mild. The surrogates were tested with and without PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), and in two different postures: nominal (knee angle of 90°) and obtuse (knee angle of 120°). The ALF reproduces damage in the PMHS commensurate with injuries experienced in theater, with the most common damage being to the pelvis and ankle. Load is transmitted through the surrogates in a
Danelson, Kerry A., Kemper, Andrew R., Mason, Matthew J., Tegtmeyer, Michael, Swiatkowski, Sean A., Bolte IV, John H., Hardy, Warren N.
Service Robots Use Flat Motors to Provide Reliable, Safe MotionTBMG-2311410/01/2015
Unlike industrial robots for manufacturing, service robots come with their own specification requirements aimed specifically at the end user, and the most discriminating user at that — a human being. That’s why designing and manufacturing service robots takes a particular set of skills and engineering expertise.
Field Excavator with Embedded Force MeasurementTBMG-2253208/01/2015
The Centaur 2 (C2) platform is a compact vehicle with four independently steered and actuated wheel pods, allowing the vehicle to pivot in place and tilt in two directions. It is designed to interface with and carry the anthropomorphic robot torso of Robonaut 2. There are two nearly identical interface mounting locations on opposite sides of the vehicle body; each provides both power and data channel access. To explore soil-moving capabilities of this versatile platform, an articulated excavator was required for transporting raw material (soil) to an analog volatile extraction processor.
Tiny Mechanical Wrist Supports Needlescopic SurgeriesTBMG-2261407/27/2015
A tiny mechanical wrist from a team of engineers and doctors at Vanderbilt University’s Medical Engineering and Discovery Laboratory will be used on needle-sized surgical robots. The wrist is less than 1/16th of an inch (2 mm) thick.
Scuffing Test Rig for Piston Wrist Pin and Pin Bore2015-01-068004/14/2015
In practice, the piston wrist pin is either fixed to the connecting rod or floats between the connecting rod and the piston. The tribological behavior of fixed wrist pins have been studied by several researchers, however there have been few studies done on the floating wrist pin. A new bench rig has been designed and constructed to investigate the tribological behavior between floating pins and pin bore bearings. The experiments were run using both fixed pins and floating pins under the same working conditions. It was found that for fixed pins there was severe damage on the pin bore in a very short time (5 minutes) and material transfer occurs between the wrist pin and pin bore; however, for the floating pin, even after a long testing time (60 minutes) there was minimal surface damage on either the pin bore or wrist pin.
Zhang, Rong, Zou, Qian, Barber, Gary, Zhou, Ben, Wang, Yucong
Kinematic Analysis of a 6DOF Gantry Machine2015-01-049704/14/2015
Gantry robots are mainly employed for applications requiring large workspace, with limited higher manipulability in one direction than the others. The Gantries offer very good mechanical stiffness and constant positioning accuracy, but low dexterity. Common gantries are CNC machines with three translational joints XYZ (3DOF) and usually with an attached wrist (+3DOF). The translational joints are used to move the tool in any position in the 3D workspace. The wrist is used to orient the tool by rotation about X, Y and Z axis. This standard kinematic structure (3T3R) produces a rectangular workspace. In this paper a full kinematic model for a 6DOF general CNC (gantry) machine is presented, along with the Jacobian matrix and singularity analysis. Using Denavit-Hartenberg convention, firstly, the general kinematic structure is presented, in order to assign frames at each link. The forward kinematic problem is solved using Maple 17 software. Differential kinematics describes the analytical
Filiposka, Monika, Djuric, Ana M., ElMaraghy, Waguih
Elastokinematic Characteristics of Torsion Beam Suspensions2015-01-149704/14/2015
Torsion beam suspensions are lightweight and low in cost, and they are therefore frequently used as the rear suspensions of small front-wheel drive vehicles. However, it is difficult to predict their characteristics and to satisfy performance targets in the early stages of development in particular, because the various aspects of performance required of a suspension must be achieved by a single structure. A great deal of research has been conducted into the cross-sectional shape of the beam section; however, this paper focuses on the effect of the properties of the trailing arms on suspension characteristics. Two similar test torsion beam suspensions differing only in the rigidity of the trailing arms were fabricated, and kinematics and compliance (K&C) tests were conducted using a 3D measurement system. The lateral compliance test showed the anticipated result that change in toe and camber is greater in the suspension with lower rigidity trailing arms. On the other hand, the roll
Shibue, Hideaki, Srivastava, Devesh
Analysis and optimization of All Terrain Wheelchair2015-01-136804/14/2015
An all-terrain wheelchair is a lever propelled wheelchair which enables an individual to drive on all terrains easily as the driving mechanism is efficient, ergonomic and fast. It also increases the reach capabilities and social boundaries of disabled. The paper is divided into two parts. In the first part, a comparative study of push rim wheelchair and All-terrain Wheelchair (lever propelled) has been done. In the second part, Optimization of this All-terrain Wheelchair has been done. The comparison is done on various parameters such as peak velocity, average velocity, acceleration, retardation, stroke frequency, reduction in effort, mechanical efficiency, obstacle climbing ability, turning radius, the distance travelled per stroke, Pressure cuts and burns caused during propelling the chair. Biomechanical testing is also done considering the heart rate and oxygen consumption level. This information was used to determine the energy demand, which is intrinsically connected to a
Agarwal, Shikhar, Gautam, Saumya
Injury Distributions of Belted Drivers in Various Types of Frontal Impact2015-01-149004/14/2015
Injury distributions of belted drivers in 1998-2013 model-year light passenger cars/trucks in various types of real-world frontal crashes were studied. The basis of the analysis was field data from the National Automotive Sampling System (NASS). The studied variables were injury severity (n=2), occupant body region (n=8), and crash type (n=8). The two levels of injury were moderate-to-fatal (AIS2+) and serious-to-fatal (AIS3+). The eight body regions ranged from head/face to foot/ankle. The eight crash types were based on a previously-published Frontal Impact Taxonomy (FIT). The results of the study provided insights into the field data. For example, for the AIS2+ upper-body-injured drivers, (a) head and chest injury yield similar contributions, and (b) about 60% of all the upper-body injured drivers were from the combination of the Full-Engagement and Offset crashes. For the AIS2+ lower-body-injured drivers, (a) knee/thigh/hip and foot/ankle injury yield similar contributions, and (b
Laituri, Tony R., Henry, Scott, Sullivan, Kaye
Brain-Machine Interface Controls Prosthetic HandTBMG-2193104/08/2015
A new algorithm allows a person to use his or her thoughts to grasp a bottle or other object. The non-invasive brain monitoring technique, developed by University of Houston researchers, will help the team understand the neuroscience behind the action of grasping.
Microprocessor-Controlled Prostheses Are a Step in the Right DirectionTBMG-2182904/01/2015
It’s not always easy to walk in someone else’s shoes. It’s even more difficult if those shoes belong to a person with an artificial leg. However, that’s exactly what a group of scientists, engineers, and clinicians at Orthocare Innovations are doing to help engineer prostheses that respond better to the physical needs of amputees.
Ergonomic Guidelines for Carts and DolliesUSCAR41 (Current)03/13/2015
This document describes the assessment methods and physical requirements associated with the manual handling of carts and dollies, specific to material handling systems. All possible designs and applications could not be anticipated in creating these guidelines. Where there are questions of adherence to this document, such as use of an “off-the shelf” design, always consult the responsible Ergonomics Department. Force guidelines were primarily developed referencing the push/pull psychophysical Snook data contained in A Guide to Manual Materials Handling (second edition) by Mital, Nicholson and Ayoub (NY: Taylor & Francis, 1997). The force guidelines accommodate 75% of female capabilities and 99% of male capabilities. Factors that were included in the established guideline include: push / pull distances, vertical hand height, horizontal hand height, frequency and wheel / castor alignment and load rating. These factors were used to develop a conservative force guideline. The guidelines
USCAR
Felling Head Terminology and NomenclatureJ1272_201502 (Historical)02/26/2015
This SAE Standard is intended to describe the basic types of felling heads, including those with bunching capabilities, that are attachments to a self-propelled machine. Only the major components that are necessary to describe the functions of the felling head, and to apply the principles of the standard are included. Illustrations used are not intended to include all existing felling heads or to describe any particular manufacturer’s variation.
MTC4, Forestry and Logging Equipment
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