Browse Topic: Body regions
The effect of seat belt misuse and/or misrouting is important to consider because it can influence occupant kinematics, reduce restraint effectiveness, and increase injury risk. As new seatbelt technologies are introduced, it is important to understand the prevalence of seatbelt misuse. This type of information is scarce due to limitations in available field data coding, such as in NASS-CDS and FARS. One explanation may be partially due to assessment complexity in identifying misuse and/or misrouting. An objective of this study was to first identify types of lap-shoulder belt misuse/misrouting and associated injury patterns from a literature review. Nine belt misuse/misrouting scenarios were identified including shoulder belt only, lap belt only, or shoulder belt under the arm, for example, while belt misrouting included lap belt on the abdomen, shoulder belt above the breasts, or shoulder belt on the neck. Next, the literature review identified various methods used to assess misuse
Ongoing research in simulated vehicle crash environments utilizes postmortem human subjects (PMHS) as the closest approximation to live human response. Lumbar spine injuries are common in vehicle crashes, necessitating accurate assessment methods of lumbar loads. This study evaluates the effectiveness of lumbar intervertebral disc (IVD) pressure sensors in detecting various loading conditions on component PMHS lumbar spines, aiming to develop a reliable insertion method and assess sensor performance under different loading scenarios. The pressure sensor insertion method development involved selecting a suitable sensor, using a customized needle-insertion technique, and precisely placing sensors into the center of lumbar IVDs. Computed tomography (CT) scans were utilized to determine insertion depth and location, ensuring minimal tissue disruption during sensor insertion. Tests were conducted on PMHS lumbar spines using a robotic test system for controlled loading in flexion
Rear-end vehicle collisions may lead to whiplash-associated disorders (WADs), comprising a variety of neck and head pain responses. Specifically, increased axial head rotation has been associated with the risk of injuries during rear impacts, while specific tissues, including the capsular ligaments, have been implicated in pain response. Given the limited experimental data for out-of-position rear impact scenarios, computational human body models (HBMs) can inform the potential for tissue-level injury. Previous studies have considered external boundary conditions to reposition the head axially but were limited in reproducing a biofidelic movement. The objectives of this study were to implement a novel head repositioning method to achieve targeted axial rotations and evaluate the tissue-level response for a rear impact condition. The repositioning method used reference geometries to rotate the head to three target positions, showing good correspondence to reported interverbal rotations
Thorax injuries are a significant cause of mortality in automotive crashes, with varying susceptibility across sex and age demographics. Finite element (FE) human body models (HBMs) offer the potential for injury outcome analysis by incorporating anthropometric variations. Recent advancements in material constitutive models, cortical bone fracture and continuum damage mechanics model (CFraC) and an orthotropic trabecular bone model (OrthoT), offer the opportunity to further improve rib models. In this study, the CFraC and OrthoT material modes, coupled with age-specific material properties, were progressively implemented to the Global Human Body Model Consortium small female 6th rib. Four distinct 6th rib models were developed and compared against sex and age-specific experimental data. The updated material models notably refined the predictions of force–displacement responses, aligning them more closely with the experimental averages. The CFraC model significantly improved the
Researchers have succeeded in adding finger straightening or extension to soft rehabilitation gloves through a novel foldable pouch actuator (FPA) without compromising the already existing functionality of finger bending or flexion.
Road safety remains a critical concern globally, with millions of lives lost annually due to road accidents. In India alone, the year 2021 witnessed over 4,12,432 road accidents resulting in 1,53,972 fatalities and 3,84,448 injuries. The age group most affected by these accidents is 18-45 years, constituting approximately 67% of total deaths. Factors such as speeding, distracted driving, and neglect to use safety gear increases the severity of these incidents. This paper presents a novel approach to address these challenges by introducing a driver safety system aimed at promoting good driving etiquette and mitigating distractions and fatigue. Leveraging Raspberry Pi and computer vision techniques, the system monitors driver behavior in real-time, including head position, eye blinks, mouth opening and closing, hand position, and internal audio levels to detect signs of distraction and drowsiness. The system operates in both passive and active modes, providing alerts and alarms to the
A new groundbreaking “smart glove” is capable of tracking the hand and finger movements of stroke victims during rehabilitation exercises. The glove incorporates a sophisticated network of highly sensitive sensor yarns and pressure sensors that are woven into a comfortable stretchy fabric, enabling it to track, capture, and wirelessly transmit even the smallest hand and finger movements.
A team led by University of Maryland computer scientists invented a camera mechanism that improves how robots see and react to the world around them. Inspired by how the human eye works, their innovative camera system mimics the tiny involuntary movements used by the eye to maintain clear and stable vision over time. The team’s prototyping and testing of the camera — called the Artificial Microsaccade-Enhanced Event Camera (AMI-EV) — was detailed in a paper published in the journal Science Robotics in May 2024.
Most humans rely heavily on our visual abilities to function in the world—we are optically oriented. In the broadest sense, “optics” refers to the study of sight and light. At its foundation, Radiant’s business is all about optics: measuring light and the properties of light in relation to the human eye. Photometry is the science of light according to our visual perception. Colorimetry is the science of color: how our eyes interpret different wavelengths of light.
A research paper by scientists at the University of Coimbra proposed a soft robotic hand comprising soft actuator cores and an exoskeleton, featuring a multimaterial design aided by finite element analysis to define the hand geometry and promote finger’s bendability. The new research paper, published on August 8 in the journal Cyborg and Bionic Systems, presented the development, fabrication, and control of a bioinspired soft robotic hand and demonstrated finite element analysis can serve as a valuable tool to support the design and control of the hand’s fingers.
Ergonomics plays an important role in automobile design to achieve optimal compatibility between occupants and vehicle components. The overall goal is to ensure that the vehicle design accommodates the target customer group, who come in varied sizes, preferences and tastes. Headroom is one such metric that not only influences accommodation rate but also conveys a visual perception on how spacious the vehicle is. An adequate headroom is necessary for a good seating comfort and a relaxed driving experience. Headroom is intensely discussed in magazine tests and one of the key deciding factors in purchasing a car. SAE J1100 defines a set of measurements and standard procedures for motor vehicle dimensions. H61, W27, W35, H35 and W38 are some of the standard dimensions that relate to headroom and head clearances. While developing the vehicle architecture in the early design phase, it is customary to specify targets for various ergonomic attributes and arrive at the above-mentioned
The history of construction materials and methods has evolved over time, with Portland cement concrete being the most widely used material on Earth. Constructing habitats and infrastructure on the Moon and Mars, however, requires a different approach given the lack of such conventional construction resources and materials. Recognizing the need for in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) to support long-duration human missions to the Moon and Mars, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and Sidus Space have developed a novel three-dimensional print head apparatus using regolith-polymer mixtures as a building material.
Innovators at NASA Johnson Space Center have developed a programmable steering wheel called the Tri-Rotor, which allows an astronaut the ability to easily operate a vehicle on the surface of a planet or Moon despite the limited dexterity of their spacesuit. This technology was originally conceived for the operation of a lunar terrain vehicle (LTV) to improve upon previous Apolloera hand controllers. In re-evaluating the kinematics of the spacesuit, such as the rotatable wrist joint and the constant volume shoulder joint, engineers developed an enhanced and programmable hand controller that became the Tri-Rotor.
In numerous industries such as aerospace and energy, components must perform under significant extreme environments. This imposes stringent requirements on the accuracy with which these components are manufactured and assembled. One such example is the positional tolerance of drilled holes for close clearance applications, as seen in the “EN3201:2008 Aerospace Series – Holes for metric fasteners” standard. In such applications, the drilled holes must be accurate to within ±0.1 mm. Traditionally, this required the use of Computerised Numerical Control (CNC) systems to achieve such tight tolerances. However, with the increasing popularity of robotic arms in machining applications, as well as their relatively lower cost compared to CNC systems, it becomes necessary to assess the ability of robotic arms to achieve such tolerances. This review paper discusses the sources of errors in robotic arm drilling and reviews the current techniques for improving its accuracy. The main sources of
An assistive planar robot includes a cutting-edge closed-loop feedback system to monitor the muscle and brain activity of the user in order to trigger the execution of reach and grab in an adaptive way.
For people who have suffered neurotrauma such as a stroke, everyday tasks can be extremely challenging because of decreased coordination and strength in one or both upper limbs. These problems have spurred the development of robotic devices to help enhance their abilities. However, the rigid nature of these assistive devices can be problematic, especially for more complex tasks like playing a musical instrument.
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
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