Limb dominance changes in walking evolution explored by asymmetric correlations in gait dynamics

Fluctuations in the stride interval time series of unconstrained walking are not random but seem to exhibit long-range correlations that decay as a power law (Hausdorff et al. (1995) [35]). Here, we examine whether asymmetries are present in the long-range correlations of different gait parameters (stride, swing and stance intervals) for the left and right limbs. Gait dynamics corresponding to 16 healthy subjects were obtained from the Physionet database, which contains stride, stance and swing intervals for both left and right limbs. Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (DFA) revealed the presence of asymmetric long-range correlations in all gait cycle variables investigated. A rich variety of scaling exponent dynamics was found, with the presence of synchronicity, decreased correlations and dominant correlations. The results are discussed in terms of the hypothesis that reduced strength of long-range correlations reflect both enhanced stability and adaptability.     

下肢负重外骨骼机器人的初步设计

研究设计了一种能够增强人体负重的下肢外骨骼机器人,该负重外骨骼机器人具有8个自由度,可实现髋关节的外展与内收、屈/伸运动;膝关节的屈/伸运动以及踝关节的弯曲运动。根据人体步态分析研究出各个关节的运动角度范围,结合目标负重进行结构优化设计。对机器人的结构进行简化,建立了外骨骼机器人的连杆模型,根据其几何关系,采用D-H准则对外骨骼机器人进行了数学建模。以计算机、六轴运动控制卡和STM32为核心构建了控制系统,结合ZMP(Zero Moment Point)零力矩点稳定性判据及三次样条插值进行了步态规划,并将此步态规划应用于样机上。样机实验结果表明,此结构能够满足不同体型的人进行穿戴,并能够根据规划的步态轻松行走,验证了其结构和控制系统的合理性。     

生物特征识别综述

对生物特征识别技术作了综述.着重介绍了几种主要的个人身份认证的方法,并对各种方法进行了分析和比较.单一模式的生物特征识别系统有其固有的局限性,难以满足实际应用的需求.融合多种生物特征的多模式识别系统可以提高身份认证的准确率、鲁棒性和普适性,是生物特征识别技术的发展方向.     

Fluctuation and synchronization of gait intervals and gait force profiles distinguish stages of Parkinson's disease

We study the effects of Parkinson's disease (PD) on the long-term fluctuation and phase synchronization properties of gait timing (series of interstride intervals) as well as gait force profiles (series characterizing the morphological changes between the steps). We find that the fluctuations in the gait timing are significantly larger for PD patients and early PD patients, who were not treated yet with medication, compared to age-matched healthy controls. Simultaneously, the long-term correlations and the phase synchronization of right and left leg are significantly reduced in both types of PD patients. Surprisingly, long-term correlations of the gait force profiles are relatively weak for treated PD patients and healthy controls, while they are significantly larger for early PD patients. The results support the idea that timing and morphology of recordings obtained from a complex system can contain complementary information.     

The Design of Structural Design Norms

Abstract

This paper deals with the analysis of prismatic and nonprismatic members with axial restraints, where their material is permitted to be stressed well beyond its elastic limit. This loading on the members causes the modulus of elasticity of the material to vary along their length. The mathematical formulation of this problem, as well as its analysis, is based on the method of equivalent systems that was developed by the first author. This method permits replacement of the original nonlinear member of variable stiffness E^xI^x, with one of uniform stiffness E¹I^l, that has the same length, boundary conditions, and elastic line as the original variable stiffness member. It is proven mathematically that this equivalency exists and that the solution of the equivalent system using linear analysis yields the same results as the solution of the original nonlinear variable stiffness member. Deflections and rotations may be easily obtained using equivalent systems, and the member can be analyzed in both elastic and inelastic ranges, all the way to failure, thus permitting observation of progressive deterioration of the ability of the member to resist load, stress, and de-formation. In this manner, practical critical limits regarding these modes of behavior can be established.     

Instrumented shoes for pathological gait assessment

After analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of each existing system, we propose a homemade shoe with an “instrumented sole”. This sole contains several holes designed to receive force transducers. Each homemade transducer is composed of one dynamometric ring and one strain gauge. When defined forces are exerted on each transducer separately, the responses are very linear and the absolute error is less than 2%. This instrumented shoe is a robust tool to assess the instantaneous vertical forces and plantar pressures exerted during gait over a great number of steps.     

Omnidirectional walking of legged robots with a failed leg

This paper studies omnidirectional walking of a hexapod robot with a locked joint failure by proposing crab gaits and turning gaits. Due to the reduced workspace of a failed leg, fault-tolerant gaits have limitations in their mobility. As for crab gaits, an accessible range of the crab angle is derived for a given configuration of the failed leg. As for turning gaits, the conditions on turning trajectories guaranteeing fault tolerance are derived for spinning gaits and circling gaits. Based on the principles of fault-tolerant gait planning, periodic crab gaits and turning gaits are proposed in which a hexapod robot realizes tripod walking after a locked joint failure, having a reasonable stride length and stability margin. The proposed fault-tolerant gaits are then applied to an obstacle avoidance problem of a hexapod robot with a locked joint failure. The kinematic constraints of fault-tolerant gaits should be considered in planning the robot trajectory.     

基于下肢动静态特征融合的步态识别

针对目前步态识别研究中基于单一特征算法识别率低,多特征融合算法又过于复杂的问题,提出一种简单有效的步态识别算法。提取下肢肢体角度为动态特征,肢体长度为静态特征,另外引入动静态兼顾的可变区域面积特征,最后融合得到联合特征向量并引入一种最近邻模糊分类器进行分类。在CASIA步态数据库上进行大量的实验。实验结果表明,在降低融合算法计算复杂度的同时,识别率相对于单个特征有了很大提高。     

Gait-related Self-efficacy is Low in Older Adults with Knee Osteoarthritis: A Preliminary Study

Objective: To investigate the differences in self-efficacy (SE) for walking tasks between older patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) and older adults without knee OA. Methods: A cross-sectional design was employed. Older patients with radiographic knee OA and community-dwelling older adults without knee OA as controls were enrolled in the study. SE for the walking task was assessed using the modified gait efficacy scale (mGES). A Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to compare the mGES between the groups of participants. A Tobit regression model was used to estimate the difference in mGES. The presence of radiographic knee OA was used as an independent variable. Sex (women), age, and body mass index were used as potential confounding variables in the model. Results: After exclusion, 78 participants (n=40 with knee OA, n=38 controls) were included. The mGES was lower in patients with knee OA than in controls. In the Tobit regression model adjusted for confounding factors, mGES in patients with knee OA was estimated to be 26.8 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 15.8-37.8) points lower than in controls. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that mGES was lower in older patients with knee OA than in older adults without knee OA.     

基于复合摆线的下肢假肢步态规划及运动仿真

摘 要 针对现有假肢产品步态质量不佳的问题,结合四连杆机构和磁流变阻尼器设计了一种磁流变阻尼下肢假肢。基于复合摆线理论对下肢假肢进行了步态规划,并对所得轨迹曲线进行了优化。通过对轨迹曲线的逆运动学求解,得到了下肢假肢的膝关节和髋关节曲线。为验证关节曲线和下肢假肢结构设计的合理性,采用SolidWorks Motion对下肢假肢进行了运动仿真吧,并且利用关节电机进行轨迹跟随实验。结果表明,在关节曲线的驱动下,下肢假肢能够实现连续稳定的行走,具有良好的步态特性。