As one of the most important daily motor activities, human locomotion has been investigated intensively in recent decades. The locomotor functions and mechanics of human lower limbs have become relatively well underst...As one of the most important daily motor activities, human locomotion has been investigated intensively in recent decades. The locomotor functions and mechanics of human lower limbs have become relatively well understood. However, so far our understanding of the motions and functional contributions of the human spine during locomotion is still very poor and simultaneous in-vivo limb and spinal column motion data are scarce. The objective of this study is to investigate the delicate in-vivo kinematic coupling between different functional regions of the human spinal column during locomotion as a stepping stone to explore the locomotor function of the human spine complex. A novel infrared reflective marker cluster system was constrncted using stereophotogrammetry techniques to record the 3D in-vivo geometric shape of the spinal column and the segmental position and orientation of each functional spinal region simultaneously. Gait measurements of normal walking were conducted. The preliminary results show that the spinal column shape changes periodically in the frontal plane during locomotion. The segmental motions of different spinal functional regions appear to be strongly coupled, indicating some synergistic strategy may be employed by the human spinal column to facilitate locomotion. In contrast to traditional medical imaging-based methods, the proposed technique can be used to investigate the dynamic characteristics of the spinal column, hence providing more insight into the functional biomechanics of the human spine.展开更多
An analytical model of hydraulic damper was presented in forward flight accounting for pitch/flap/lag kinematic coupling and its nonlinear force-velocity curve. The fourth order Runge-Kutta was applied to calculate th...An analytical model of hydraulic damper was presented in forward flight accounting for pitch/flap/lag kinematic coupling and its nonlinear force-velocity curve. The fourth order Runge-Kutta was applied to calculate the damper axial velocity in time domain. Fourier series based moving block analysis was applied to calculate equivalent linear damping in terms of transient responses of damper axial velocity. Results indicate that equivalent linear damping will be significantly reduced if pitch/flap/lag kinematic coupling introduced for notional model and flight conditions.展开更多
Aiming at the innovative design requirements of rehabilitation robots with multiple kinematically coupled components and the current absence of systematic processes in the design of such mechanisms,this paper presents...Aiming at the innovative design requirements of rehabilitation robots with multiple kinematically coupled components and the current absence of systematic processes in the design of such mechanisms,this paper presents the concept of a multi-output component mechanism(MOCM).A classification methodology for the MOCM is proposed based on the operational coupling between the actuators and the output components within closedloop mechanisms.Building on the classification results,a design methodology for a kinematically coupled MOCM(KCMOCM)is proposed based on the actuation distribution within the closed-loop sub-mechanisms.First,the number and relative kinematic characteristics of the output components are determined based on the application environment of the mechanism.These components are then grouped and classified according to motion similarity principles,followed by the design of closed-loop sub-mechanisms with actuators for each group,ultimately forming a complete KCMOCM.Taking the sit-stand-lie-bed mechanism in a spinal cord injury lower-limb rehabilitation robot as an example,this study comprehensively considers the multi-posture transition task requirements and spatial constraint characteristics of lower-limb rehabilitation training to design the mechanism.By applying the mechanism design methodology,six practical novel configurations are developed with established evaluation criteria,and kinematic analysis and experimental validation are performed on the optimized configuration.The results demonstrate that the optimized configuration satisfies the multi-posture rehabilitation training requirements for lower limbs.This validates the efficacy of the design methodology.Furthermore,the scalability of the design methodology is validated through the development of a robotic finger rehabilitation mechanism.展开更多
A CFD-based Numerical Virtual Flight(NVF)simulator is presented,which integrates an unsteady flow solver on moving hybrid grids,a Rigid-Body Dynamics(RBD)solver and a module of the Flight Control System(FCS).A techni...A CFD-based Numerical Virtual Flight(NVF)simulator is presented,which integrates an unsteady flow solver on moving hybrid grids,a Rigid-Body Dynamics(RBD)solver and a module of the Flight Control System(FCS).A technique of dynamic hybrid grids is developed to control the active control surfaces with body morphing,with a technique of parallel unstructured dynamic overlapping grids generating proper moving grids over the deflecting control surfaces(e.g.the afterbody rudders of a missile).For the flow/kinematic coupled problems,the 6 Degree-Of-Freedom(DOF)equations are solved by an explicit or implicit method coupled with the URANS CFD solver.The module of the control law is explicitly coupled into the NVF simulator and then improved by the simulation of the pitching maneuver process of a maneuverable missile model.A nonlinear dynamic inversion method is then implemented to design the control law for the pitching process of the maneuverable missile model.Simulations and analysis of the pitching maneuver process are carried out by the NVF simulator to improve the flight control law.Higher control response performance is obtained by adjusting the gain factors and adding an integrator into the control loop.展开更多
The study of three-dimensional human kinematics has significant impacts on medical and healthcare technology innovations. As a non-invasive technology, optoelectronic stereophotogrammetry is widely used for in-vivo lo...The study of three-dimensional human kinematics has significant impacts on medical and healthcare technology innovations. As a non-invasive technology, optoelectronic stereophotogrammetry is widely used for in-vivo locomotor evaluations. However, relatively high testing difficulties, poor testing accuracies, and high analysis complexities prohibit its further employment. The objective of this study is to explore an improved modeling technique for quantitative measurement and analysis of human locomotion. Firstly, a 3D whole body model of 17 rigid segments was developed to describe human locomotion. Subsequently, a novel infrared reflective marker cluster for 17 body segments was constructed to calibrate and record the 3D segmental position and orientation of each functional body region simultaneously with high spatial accuracy. In addition, the novel calibration procedure and the conception of kinematic coupling of human locomotion were proposed to investigate the segmental functional characteristics of human motion. Eight healthy male subjects were evaluated with walking and running experiments using the Qualisys motion capture system. The experimental results demonstrated the followings: (i) The kinematic coupling of the upper limbs and the lower limbs both showed the significant characteristics of joint motion, while the torso motion of human possessed remarkable features of segmental motion; (ii) flexion/extension was the main motion feature in sagittal plane, while the lateral bending in coronal plane and the axial rotation in transverse plane were subsidiary motions during an entire walking cycle regarding to all the segments of the human body; (iii) compared with conventional methods, the improved techniques have a competitive advantage in the convenient measurement and accurate analysis of the segmental dynamic functional characteristics during human locomotion. The modeling technique proposed in this paper has great potentials in rehabilitation engineering as well as ergonomics and biomimetic engineering.展开更多
Nanomeasuring machines developed at the Technische Universitat Ilmenau enable three-dimensional measurements and manufacturing processes with the lowest uncertainties.Due to the requirements for these processes,a high...Nanomeasuring machines developed at the Technische Universitat Ilmenau enable three-dimensional measurements and manufacturing processes with the lowest uncertainties.Due to the requirements for these processes,a highly reproducible and long-term stable tool changing system is needed.For this purpose,kinematically determined couplings are widely used.The state-of-the-art investigations on those are not sufficient for the highest demands on the reproducibility required for this application.A theoretical determination of the reproducibility based on analytical or numerical methods is possible,however not in the desired nanometer range.Due to this,a measurement setup for the determination of the reproducibility in five degrees of freedom with nanometer uncertainty was developed.First,potential measuring devices are systematically examined and measurement principles were developed out of this.A three-dimensional vector-based uncertainty analysis is performed to prove the feasibility of the measurement principle and provides a basis for further design.As a result,a transla-tory measurement uncertainty of 10 nm and a rotatory uncertainty of 11 nrad can be reached.Afterwards,the measurement setup is designed,focusing on the metrological frame and the lift-off device.The developed setup exceeds the uncertainties of the measurement setups presented in the state-of-the-art by an order of magnitude,allowing new in-depth investigations of the reproducibility of kinematic couplings.展开更多
基金supported by the Key Project of National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 50635030)the National Basic Research Program ("973" Program) of China (No. 2007CB616913)+2 种基金was also supported by the China Scholarship Council (CSC)We also would like to thank Karin Jespers and Sharon Warner of the Structure and Motion Laboratory for their support of the experimental workJRH’s con-tributions were supported by research grants BB/C516844/1 and BB/F01169/1 from the BBSRC, whom we thank.
文摘As one of the most important daily motor activities, human locomotion has been investigated intensively in recent decades. The locomotor functions and mechanics of human lower limbs have become relatively well understood. However, so far our understanding of the motions and functional contributions of the human spine during locomotion is still very poor and simultaneous in-vivo limb and spinal column motion data are scarce. The objective of this study is to investigate the delicate in-vivo kinematic coupling between different functional regions of the human spinal column during locomotion as a stepping stone to explore the locomotor function of the human spine complex. A novel infrared reflective marker cluster system was constrncted using stereophotogrammetry techniques to record the 3D in-vivo geometric shape of the spinal column and the segmental position and orientation of each functional spinal region simultaneously. Gait measurements of normal walking were conducted. The preliminary results show that the spinal column shape changes periodically in the frontal plane during locomotion. The segmental motions of different spinal functional regions appear to be strongly coupled, indicating some synergistic strategy may be employed by the human spinal column to facilitate locomotion. In contrast to traditional medical imaging-based methods, the proposed technique can be used to investigate the dynamic characteristics of the spinal column, hence providing more insight into the functional biomechanics of the human spine.
文摘An analytical model of hydraulic damper was presented in forward flight accounting for pitch/flap/lag kinematic coupling and its nonlinear force-velocity curve. The fourth order Runge-Kutta was applied to calculate the damper axial velocity in time domain. Fourier series based moving block analysis was applied to calculate equivalent linear damping in terms of transient responses of damper axial velocity. Results indicate that equivalent linear damping will be significantly reduced if pitch/flap/lag kinematic coupling introduced for notional model and flight conditions.
基金Supported by National Key Research and Development Program of China(Grant No.2019YFB1312500)。
文摘Aiming at the innovative design requirements of rehabilitation robots with multiple kinematically coupled components and the current absence of systematic processes in the design of such mechanisms,this paper presents the concept of a multi-output component mechanism(MOCM).A classification methodology for the MOCM is proposed based on the operational coupling between the actuators and the output components within closedloop mechanisms.Building on the classification results,a design methodology for a kinematically coupled MOCM(KCMOCM)is proposed based on the actuation distribution within the closed-loop sub-mechanisms.First,the number and relative kinematic characteristics of the output components are determined based on the application environment of the mechanism.These components are then grouped and classified according to motion similarity principles,followed by the design of closed-loop sub-mechanisms with actuators for each group,ultimately forming a complete KCMOCM.Taking the sit-stand-lie-bed mechanism in a spinal cord injury lower-limb rehabilitation robot as an example,this study comprehensively considers the multi-posture transition task requirements and spatial constraint characteristics of lower-limb rehabilitation training to design the mechanism.By applying the mechanism design methodology,six practical novel configurations are developed with established evaluation criteria,and kinematic analysis and experimental validation are performed on the optimized configuration.The results demonstrate that the optimized configuration satisfies the multi-posture rehabilitation training requirements for lower limbs.This validates the efficacy of the design methodology.Furthermore,the scalability of the design methodology is validated through the development of a robotic finger rehabilitation mechanism.
基金supported partially by National Key Research and Development Program (No. 2016YFB0200701)National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 11532016 and 11672324)
文摘A CFD-based Numerical Virtual Flight(NVF)simulator is presented,which integrates an unsteady flow solver on moving hybrid grids,a Rigid-Body Dynamics(RBD)solver and a module of the Flight Control System(FCS).A technique of dynamic hybrid grids is developed to control the active control surfaces with body morphing,with a technique of parallel unstructured dynamic overlapping grids generating proper moving grids over the deflecting control surfaces(e.g.the afterbody rudders of a missile).For the flow/kinematic coupled problems,the 6 Degree-Of-Freedom(DOF)equations are solved by an explicit or implicit method coupled with the URANS CFD solver.The module of the control law is explicitly coupled into the NVF simulator and then improved by the simulation of the pitching maneuver process of a maneuverable missile model.A nonlinear dynamic inversion method is then implemented to design the control law for the pitching process of the maneuverable missile model.Simulations and analysis of the pitching maneuver process are carried out by the NVF simulator to improve the flight control law.Higher control response performance is obtained by adjusting the gain factors and adding an integrator into the control loop.
基金supported partially by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos 50635030, 60932001 and 61072031)the National Basic Research Program of China ("973" Program) (Grant No 2010CB732606)+1 种基金the Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciencessupported by the China Scholarship Council (CSC) and China Postdoctoral Project
文摘The study of three-dimensional human kinematics has significant impacts on medical and healthcare technology innovations. As a non-invasive technology, optoelectronic stereophotogrammetry is widely used for in-vivo locomotor evaluations. However, relatively high testing difficulties, poor testing accuracies, and high analysis complexities prohibit its further employment. The objective of this study is to explore an improved modeling technique for quantitative measurement and analysis of human locomotion. Firstly, a 3D whole body model of 17 rigid segments was developed to describe human locomotion. Subsequently, a novel infrared reflective marker cluster for 17 body segments was constructed to calibrate and record the 3D segmental position and orientation of each functional body region simultaneously with high spatial accuracy. In addition, the novel calibration procedure and the conception of kinematic coupling of human locomotion were proposed to investigate the segmental functional characteristics of human motion. Eight healthy male subjects were evaluated with walking and running experiments using the Qualisys motion capture system. The experimental results demonstrated the followings: (i) The kinematic coupling of the upper limbs and the lower limbs both showed the significant characteristics of joint motion, while the torso motion of human possessed remarkable features of segmental motion; (ii) flexion/extension was the main motion feature in sagittal plane, while the lateral bending in coronal plane and the axial rotation in transverse plane were subsidiary motions during an entire walking cycle regarding to all the segments of the human body; (iii) compared with conventional methods, the improved techniques have a competitive advantage in the convenient measurement and accurate analysis of the segmental dynamic functional characteristics during human locomotion. The modeling technique proposed in this paper has great potentials in rehabilitation engineering as well as ergonomics and biomimetic engineering.
基金the support by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft(DFG)in the framework of Research Training Group"Tip-and laser-based 3D-Nanofabrication inextended macroscopic working areas"(GRK 2182)at the Technische Universiat Ilmenau,Germany.
文摘Nanomeasuring machines developed at the Technische Universitat Ilmenau enable three-dimensional measurements and manufacturing processes with the lowest uncertainties.Due to the requirements for these processes,a highly reproducible and long-term stable tool changing system is needed.For this purpose,kinematically determined couplings are widely used.The state-of-the-art investigations on those are not sufficient for the highest demands on the reproducibility required for this application.A theoretical determination of the reproducibility based on analytical or numerical methods is possible,however not in the desired nanometer range.Due to this,a measurement setup for the determination of the reproducibility in five degrees of freedom with nanometer uncertainty was developed.First,potential measuring devices are systematically examined and measurement principles were developed out of this.A three-dimensional vector-based uncertainty analysis is performed to prove the feasibility of the measurement principle and provides a basis for further design.As a result,a transla-tory measurement uncertainty of 10 nm and a rotatory uncertainty of 11 nrad can be reached.Afterwards,the measurement setup is designed,focusing on the metrological frame and the lift-off device.The developed setup exceeds the uncertainties of the measurement setups presented in the state-of-the-art by an order of magnitude,allowing new in-depth investigations of the reproducibility of kinematic couplings.
