scholarly journals Knee-Assistive Robotic Exoskeleton (KARE-1) Using a Conditionally Singular Mechanism for Industrial Field Applications

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (15) ◽  
pp. 5141
Author(s):  
Hyung Joo Kim ◽  
Jaeho Noh ◽  
Woosung Yang

With the aging demographic of today’s society, the need for robotic exoskeletons is expected to increase as they can compensate for declining physical strength in the physically impaired. In this study, an assistive robotic exoskeleton for the knee joint with fairly low energy consumption is proposed for industrial applications. The knee-assistive robotic exoskeleton (KARE-1) was designed to support a human body during production line tasks. The KARE-1 is based on a four-bar link mechanism with a rotary actuator and gas spring to accommodate a high power-to-weight ratio. By taking advantage of the utilized singular configuration of the four-bar linkage, this novel design is able to efficiently support the weight of the human body. The selected singular configuration allows this device to support the knee joint in the load-bearing stages of static sitting as well as during the motion between standing and sitting. The proposed device is further able to move freely along with the knee during walking movements. The proposed design was verified through a series of numerical simulations and through human subject testing at an industrial workplace.

2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (8) ◽  
pp. 807-809
Author(s):  
Aona Chen ◽  
Shuhua Qu ◽  
Xuejun Ma ◽  
Wenjiang Zhao ◽  
Chenggen Guo

ABSTRACT Introduction: The knee joint is a complex and important joint in the human body. It plays an active role in maintaining posture balance of the human body in sports, allowing one to bear a larger load and complete various complex technical movements. Objective: To investigate the stability and influence of kinemechanics in knee joint rehabilitation training. Methods: A total of 80 patients with anterior cruciate ligament injury who received treatment in Henan Provincial People's Hospital were selected and divided into control group and observation group according to the random number table method, with 40 cases in each group. Results: Six months after surgery, the peak torque (PT), peak torque to body weight ratio (PT/BWT), total work (TWT), Lysholm score and Tegner score, and knee circumference of the two groups were significantly improved compared with those before surgery (P <0.01). The degree of improvement was greater in the observation group:compared with the control group, the difference was highly statistically significant (P<0.01). Conclusions: Professional exercise rehabilitation has a definite effect on patients after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. It can significantly improve the muscle strength of quadriceps and hamstring, improve the function of knee joint and promote its recovery. Level of evidence II; Therapeutic studies - investigation of treatment results.


Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 2136
Author(s):  
Sharizal Ahmad Sobri ◽  
Robert Heinemann ◽  
David Whitehead

Carbon fibre reinforced polymer composites (CFRPs) can be costly to manufacture, but they are typically used anywhere a high strength-to-weight ratio and a high steadiness (rigidity) are needed in many industrial applications, particularly in aerospace. Drilling composites with a laser tends to be a feasible method since one of the composite phases is often in the form of a polymer, and polymers in general have a very high absorption coefficient for infrared radiation. The feasibility of sequential laser–mechanical drilling for a thick CFRP is discussed in this article. A 1 kW fibre laser was chosen as a pre-drilling instrument (or initial stage), and mechanical drilling was the final step. The sequential drilling method dropped the overall thrust and torque by an average of 61%, which greatly increased the productivity and reduced the mechanical stress on the cutting tool while also increasing the lifespan of the bit. The sequential drilling (i.e., laser 8 mm and mechanical 8 mm) for both drill bits (i.e., 2- and 3-flute uncoated tungsten carbide) and the laser pre-drilling techniques has demonstrated the highest delamination factor (SFDSR) ratios. A new laser–mechanical sequence drilling technique is thus established, assessed, and tested when thick CFRP composites are drilled.


2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahesh Mallampati ◽  
Sreekanth Mandalapu ◽  
Govidarajulu C

The composite materials are replacing the traditional materials because oftheir superior properties such as high tensile strength, low thermal expansion, high strength to weight ratio, low cost, lightweight, high specific modulus, renewability and biodegradability which are the most basic & common attractive features of composites that make them useful for industrial applications. The developments of new materials are on the anvil and are growing day by day. The efforts to produce economically attractive composite components have resulted in several innovative manufacturing techniques currently being used in the composites industry. Generally, composites consist of mainly two phases i.e., matrix and fiber. In this study, woven roving mats (E-glass fiber orientation (-45°/45°,0°/90°, - 45°/45°),UD450GSM)were cut in measured dimensions and a mixture of Epoxy Resin (EPOFINE-556, Density-1.15gm/cm3), Hardener (FINE HARDTM 951, Density- 0.94 gm/cm3) and Acetone [(CH3)2CO, M= 38.08 g/mol] was used to manufacture the glass fiber reinforced epoxy composite by hand lay-up method. Mechanical properties such as tensile strength, SEM analysis, hardness test, density tests are evaluated.


Author(s):  
Arnaud Hamon ◽  
Yannick Aoustin

The design of a knee joint is a key issue in robotics and biomechanics to improve the compatibility between prosthesis and human movements and to improve the bipedal robot performances. We propose a novel design for the knee joint of a planar bipedal robot, based on a four-bar linkage. The dynamic model of the planar bipedal robot is calculated. We design walking reference trajectories with double support phases, single supports with a flat contact of the foot in the ground and single support phases with rotation of the foot around the toe. During the double support phase, both feet rotate. This phase is ended by an impact on the ground of the toe of one foot, the other foot taking off. The single support phase is ended by an impact of the swing foot heel, the other foot keeping contact with the ground through its toe. For both gaits, the reference trajectories of the rotational joints are prescribed by polynomial functions in time. A parametric optimization problem is presented for the determination of the parameters corresponding to the optimal cyclic walking gaits. The main contribution of this paper is the design of a dynamical stable walking gait with double support phases with feet rotation, impacts and single support phases for this novel bipedal robot.


2021 ◽  
Vol 889 ◽  
pp. 27-31
Author(s):  
Norie A. Akeel ◽  
Vinod Kumar ◽  
Omar S. Zaroog

This research Investigates the new composite materials are fabricated of two or more materials raised. The fibers material from the sources of natural recycled materials provides certain benefits above synthetic strengthening material given that very less cost, equivalent strength, less density, and the slightest discarded difficulties. In the current experiments, silk and fiber-reinforced epoxy composite material is fabricated and the mechanical properties for the composite materials are assessed. New composite materials samples with the dissimilar fiber weight ratio were made utilizing the compression Molding processes with the pressure of 150 pa at a temperature of 80 °C. All samples were exposed to the mechanical test like a tensile test, impact loading, flexural hardness, and microscopy. The performing results are the maximum stress is 33.4MPa, elastic modulus for the new composite material is 1380 MPa, and hardness value is 20.64 Hv for the material resistance to scratch, SEM analysis of the microstructure of new composite materials with different angles of layers that are more strength use in industrial applications.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (04) ◽  
pp. 1950018 ◽  
Author(s):  
XUHUI LIU ◽  
TIANTIAN GUO ◽  
JIAHAO ZHANG ◽  
GUANG YANG ◽  
LUCHAN SUN ◽  
...  

In this paper, a mathematical model of four-bar linkage mechanism is built to investigate the prosthetic knee joint, by means of the bar group method, and the motion of the prosthetic knee joint is simulated by motion analysis software. In the state of motion of the four linkage mechanism, to the moving component of the mechanism, the relationship between the moving displacement, velocity and acceleration are obtained. On the basis of the above investigation, dynamic statics analysis for the moving component of four-bar linkage mechanism are completed by the ‘D’Alembert principle. The research results show that, with the change of the rotating angle of the active part, the counter-force of rotating pair and the balance torque on active component are all changeable, which will provide a theoretical basis for the design of prosthetic knee joint mechanism with longer life and better damping effect.


Author(s):  
Amir Hussain Idrisi ◽  
Abdel-Hamid Ismail Mourad ◽  
Beckry Abdel-Magid ◽  
Mohammad Mozumder ◽  
Yaser Afifi

Abstract Composite materials are being used in many industrial applications such as automobile, aerospace, marine, oil and gas industries due to their high strength to weight ratio. The long-term effect of sustained loads and environmental factors that include exposure to UV light, temperature, and moisture have been under investigation by many researchers. The major objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of harsh environment (e.g. seawater and high temperature) on the structural properties of E-glass epoxy composite materials. These effects were studied in terms of seawater absorption, permeation of salt and contaminants, chemical and physical bonds at the interface and degradation in mechanical properties. Samples were immersed in seawater at room temperature (23°C), 65°C and 90°C for the duration of 6 months. Results show that seawater absorption increased with immersion time at 23°C and 65°C, whereas the weight of the specimens decreased at 90°C. The moisture causes swelling at 23°C and 65°C and breakdown of chemical bonds between fiber and matrix at 90°C. It is observed that high temperature accelerates the degradation of the E-glass epoxy composite. At 90°C, the tensile strength of E-glass epoxy sharply decreased by 72.92% but no significant change was observed in modulus of elasticity of the composite.


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