scholarly journals Surface Electromyography Study Using a Low-Cost System: Are There Neck Muscles Differences When the Passenger Is Warned during an Emergency Braking Inside an Autonomous Vehicle?

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (16) ◽  
pp. 5378
Author(s):  
Silvia Santos-Cuadros ◽  
Sergio Fuentes del Fuentes del Toro ◽  
Ester Olmeda ◽  
José Luis San San Román
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Accidents ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Autonomous Vehicle ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Spine Injury ◽  
Semg Signal ◽  
Emergency Braking ◽  
Cost System ◽  
Serious Injuries ◽  
The Impact

Deaths and serious injuries caused by traffic accidents is a concerning public health problem. However, the problem can be mitigated by the Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) system, which can avoid the impact. The market penetration of AEB is exponentially growing, and non-impact situations are expected to become more frequent. Thus, new injury patterns must be analysed, and the neck is particularly sensitive to sudden acceleration changes. Abrupt braking would be enough to be a potential risk for cervical spine injury. There is controversy about whether or not there are differences in cervical behaviour depending on whether passengers are relaxed or contract their muscles before the imminent accident. In the present manuscript, 18 volunteers were subjected to two different levels of awareness during an emergency braking test. Cervical muscles (sternocleidomastoid and trapezius) were analysed by the sEMG signal captured by means of a low-cost system. The differences observed in the muscle response according to gender and age were notable when passengers are warned. Gender differences were more significant in the post-braking phase. When passengers were relaxed, subjects older than 35 registered higher sEMG values. Meanwhile, when passengers contract their muscles, subjects who were younger than or equal to 35 years old experienced an increment in the values of the sEMG signals.

scholarly journals Is the Use of a Low-Cost sEMG Sensor Valid to Measure Muscle Fatigue?

Sensors ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (14) ◽  
pp. 3204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergio Fuentes del Toro ◽  
Silvia Santos-Cuadros ◽  
Ester Olmeda ◽  
Carolina Álvarez-Caldas ◽  
Vicente Díaz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Muscle Fatigue ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Mean Square ◽  
Human Computer Interactions ◽  
Semg Signal ◽  
Mean Frequency ◽  
Absolute Value ◽  
Cost System ◽  
Cost Surface

Injuries caused by the overstraining of muscles could be prevented by means of a system which detects muscle fatigue. Most of the equipment used to detect this is usually expensive. The question then arises whether it is possible to use a low-cost surface electromyography (sEMG) system that is able to reliably detect muscle fatigue. With this main goal, the contribution of this work is the design of a low-cost sEMG system that allows assessing when fatigue appears in a muscle. To that aim, low-cost sEMG sensors, an Arduino board and a PC were used and afterwards their validity was checked by means of an experiment with 28 volunteers. This experiment collected information from volunteers, such as their level of physical activity, and invited them to perform an isometric contraction while an sEMG signal of their quadriceps was recorded by the low-cost equipment. After a wavelet filtering of the signal, root mean square (RMS), mean absolute value (MAV) and mean frequency (MNF) were chosen as representative features to evaluate fatigue. Results show how the behaviour of these parameters across time is shown in the literature coincides with past studies (RMS and MAV increase while MNF decreases when fatigue appears). Thus, this work proves the feasibility of a low-cost system to reliably detect muscle fatigue. This system could be implemented in several fields, such as sport, ergonomics, rehabilitation or human-computer interactions.

scholarly journals Time Series Analysis for Assessing and Forecasting of Road Traffic Accidents - Case Studies

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Traffic Accidents ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Road Traffic Accidents ◽  
The Road ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Serious Injuries

Road traffic accident is one of the main causes of injuries and fatalities worldwide, serious injuries and mortality in road collisions being a public health problem. The paper gives a overview of time series modeling and forecasting with application in road traffic injuries monitoring. After presenting of the main models and the methodological issues used in Box-Jenkins approach, the paper discusses two case studies, using a multiplicative SARIMA model and an intervention model, for a time series representing the number of mortal traffic accidents in USA, and the road traffic accidents with death and serious injuries in the UK, before and after the imposition of the Arabian embargo in November 1973.

scholarly journals Study of the Emergency Braking Test with an Autonomous Bus and the sEMG Neck Response by Means of a Low-Cost System

Micromachines ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 931
Author(s):  
Sergio Fuentes del Toro ◽  
Silvia Santos-Cuadros ◽  
Ester Olmeda ◽  
José Luis San Román
Keyword(s):  
Surface Electromyography ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Sudden Stop ◽  
Cervical Injury ◽  
Emergency Braking ◽  
Cost System

Nowadays, due to the advances and the increasing implementation of the autonomous braking systems in vehicles, the non-collision accident is expected to become more common than a crash when a sudden stop happens. The most common injury in this kind of accident is whiplash or cervical injury since the neck has high sensitivity to sharp deceleration. To date, biomechanical research has usually been developed inside laboratories and does not entirely represent real conditions (e.g., restraint systems or surroundings of the experiment). With the aim of knowing the possible neck effects and consequences of an automatic emergency braking inside an autonomous bus, a surface electromyography (sEMG) system built by low-cost elements and developed by us, in tandem with other devices, such as accelerometers or cameras, were used. Moreover, thanks to the collaboration of 18 participants, it was possible to study the non-collision effects in two different scenarios (braking test in which the passenger is seated and looking ahead while talking with somebody in front of him (BT1) and, a second braking test where the passenger used a smartphone (BT2) and nobody is seated in front of him talking to him). The aim was to assess the sEMG neck response in the most common situations when somebody uses some kind of transport in order to conclude which environments are riskier regarding a possible cervical injury.

scholarly journals Consumption, risk factors, and the impact of psychoactive substances in road transport by professional drivers: a review

2021 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. e58057
Author(s):  
Aldo Pacheco Ferreira ◽  
Eduardo Dias Wermelinger ◽  
Ellen de Moraes e Silva
Keyword(s):  
Drug Use ◽  
Traffic Accidents ◽  
Motor Vehicle ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Cognitive Capacity ◽  
Psychoactive Drugs ◽  
Psychoactive Substances ◽  
Professional Drivers ◽  
The Impact

Traffic accidents are a serious public health problem, especially in developing countries. Driving under the influence of psychoactive substances, such as illicit drugs, can significantly increase the risk of motor vehicle accidents. This fact potentiates the probability of serious traffic accidents occurring, making it necessary to combat them with seriousness and urgency. Many road traffic crashes are related to sleepiness and/or fatigue. In addition to long driving hours, important contributors to fatigue among professional drivers are insufficient night-time sleep and insufficient rest breaks. Research data on the topic show that several psychoactive drugs alter the motor and cognitive capacity of users, however, most of these studies pointed out such outcomes based on the prevalence of illicit drug use in professional hospitalized drivers. Despite the existence of laws against driving doped, the effectiveness of these laws in controlling the problem is questionable. For this research, the study was conducted to highlight and discuss, by a descriptive review, the consumption of psychoactive substances among professional drivers, and the role of working conditions in the prediction of such use. Data about drug use were obtained in this review aims to contribute for the development of preventive measures, especially public policies on the risks of driving while under the influence of psychoactive drugs.

scholarly journals Assessment of the Influence of Technology-Based Distracted Driving on Drivers’ Infractions and Their Subsequent Impact on Traffic Accidents Severity

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (13) ◽  
pp. 7155
Author(s):  
Susana García-Herrero ◽  
Juan Diego Febres ◽  
Wafa Boulagouas ◽  
José Manuel Gutiérrez ◽  
Miguel Ángel Mariscal Saldaña
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Accidents ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Learning Algorithm ◽  
Distracted Driving ◽  
Road Traffic Accidents ◽  
The Road ◽  
Young Drivers ◽  
Gender And Age ◽  
Serious Injuries ◽  
The Impact

Multitasking while driving negatively affects driving performance and threatens people’s lives every day. Moreover, technology-based distractions are among the top driving distractions that are proven to divert the driver’s attention away from the road and compromise their safety. This study employs recent data on road traffic accidents that occurred in Spain and uses a machine-learning algorithm to analyze, in the first place, the influence of technology-based distracted driving on drivers’ infractions considering the gender and age of the drivers and the zone and the type of vehicle. It assesses, in the second place, the impact of drivers’ infractions on the severity of traffic accidents. Findings show that (i) technology-based distractions are likely to increase the probability of committing aberrant infractions and speed infractions; (ii) technology-based distracted young drivers are more likely to speed and commit aberrant infractions; (iii) distracted motorcycles and squad riders are found more likely to speed; (iv) the probability of committing infractions by distracted drivers increases on streets and highways; and, finally, (v) drivers’ infractions lead to serious injuries.

Research on characteristics of occupant’s chest responses in oblique impact

2021 ◽  
pp. 095440702110339
Author(s):  
Jindong Wu ◽  
Sen Xiao ◽  
Jingpu Hou ◽  
Zhiyue Liu ◽  
Xuewei Shi
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Accidents ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Impact Angle ◽  
Oblique Impact ◽  
Peak Force ◽  
Chest Injury ◽  
Chest Injuries ◽  
Impact Angles ◽  
Serious Injuries ◽  
The Impact

The oblique impact is the second most common frontal impact, in which both the forward and lateral accelerations are applied to the occupant. It is noticed that the oblique impact is a primary source of serious injuries, in which the chest injuries are mostly fatal through the statistics of traffic accidents. This study aims to investigate the characteristics of the occupant’s chest injury in the frontal oblique impact. First, a model with a sled and a Test Human Occupant Restraint (THOR) dummy is established. Second, an acceleration curve with a peak of 9.0 g is applied to the sled. Then 11 sets of simulations with different impact angles and belt peak loads are conducted to evaluate the occupant’s chest responses. Results indicate that there is a negative correlation between belt peak force and injury outcomes, while there is a weak correlation between chest injury and impact angle. With the increase of the belt force limit, the chest deflection at Lower Left (LL) would increase by 37.9%, and the acceleration at LL would increase by 23.1%. Meanwhile, the Viscous Criterion (VC) at LL would increase by 61.4%. However, the relationship between the impact angle and injury drawn by VC and acceleration is inconsistent. Additionally, in all simulations, the maximum deflections are captured at the LL, while the maximum VCs happens at Upper Right (UR) or LL. It is demonstrated that a seatbelt with a lower peak force is friendly to the occupant’s chest under all the impact angles. This study can provide a reference to the study of chest injury in the oblique impact.

scholarly journals Modernisation of Regional Roads Evaluated Using Ex-Post CBA

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1849
Author(s):  
Petr Halámek ◽  
Radka Matuszková ◽  
Michal Radimský
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Accidents ◽  
Net Present Value ◽  
Project Completion ◽  
Post Evaluation ◽  
Ex Post ◽  
Measurement Results ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Serious Injuries ◽  
The Impact

The aim of this evaluation is to verify the telling value of the Cost and Benefits Analysis (CBA) of regional roads modernisation based on an ex-post evaluation of the investments and their impacts on the incidence of traffic accidents. A set of 144 projects were the subject of evaluation. The analysis of the actual investment costs confirmed the assumption that the majority of projects were planned with a sufficient provision. When compared with the costs foreseen for the entire set of projects, the total reduction of actual costs spent was over 11%. The investigation of project impacts on traffic accidents was based on an analysis done prior to and after construction by using the Czech Police database. The measurement results show only minimum changes in the incidence of traffic accidents in the scenario prior to and after project completion. This however strongly contradicts the project goals declared, because the projects were anticipating almost zero accidents with a fatality and a 50% reduction of accidents with health consequences. However, a slight increase in road fatalities and in light and serious injuries was measured. These facts have a significant impact on the Net Present Value (NPV) and the weighted profitability index for the entire set of projects dropped from 16.7% to −2.8%. The key recommendation is to eliminate the impact on traffic accidents in the case of project evaluations processed ex-ante for projects focused only on a reconstruction or modernisation of existing roads.

scholarly journals Hubungan Penggunaan Helm dengan Derajat Cedera Kepala Akibat Kecelakaan Lalu Lintas pada Pengendara Sepeda Motor di RSUP Dr. M. Djamil Padang Tahun 2016-2017

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 352-357
Author(s):  
Sharon Serafim Bosawer ◽  
Rizki Rahmadian ◽  
Zelly Dia Rofinda
Keyword(s):  
Head Injury ◽  
Traffic Accidents ◽  
Head Injuries ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Chi Square Test ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Background. Traffic accidents are a public health problem in the world, and the main cause of head injury cases with the main contributor is motorcycle riders. The use of helmets on motorcycle riders can reduce the risk of head injury, by reducing the impact force on the head. Objective. The objective of this study is to determine the relationship between the use of helmet and the degree of head injury due to a traffic accidents on motorcyclists at RSUP Dr. M. Djamil Padang in 2016-2017. Methods. This study was an analytic study with cross sectional design.The sample was conducted by probability sampling technique using random sampling with 93 samples. Data were obtained from medical records of head injury patients who suffered traffic accidents using motorcycle and treated at RSUP Dr. M. Djamil Padang in 2016-2017. Data were analyzed using chi square test. Results. The results showed man (67,7%), did not use helmet (72%), and most types of head injuries are severe head injuries (50,5%. There was a significant relationship between the use of helmets with the degree of head injury due to traffic accidents on motorcycle riders (p=0,002). Conclusion. There was a relationship between the use of helmets on motorcycle riders with the degree of head injury due to traffic accidents. Keyword : Traffic acidents, head injury, helmet

Low-Cost System Handles Patient Phone Calls

2007 ◽  
Vol 40 (11) ◽  
pp. 53
Author(s):  
BRUCE K. DIXON
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Cost System ◽  
Phone Calls

Computer simulation study about the dependence of amorphous silicon photonic waveguides efficiency on the material quality

2020 ◽  
Vol 90 (3) ◽  
pp. 30502
Author(s):  
Alessandro Fantoni ◽  
João Costa ◽  
Paulo Lourenço ◽  
Manuela Vieira
Keyword(s):  
Amorphous Silicon ◽  
High Throughput Screening ◽  
Simulation Analysis ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Deposition Process ◽  
Large Area ◽  
Sidewall Roughness ◽  
Sensing Applications ◽  
Fabrication Defects ◽  
The Impact

Amorphous silicon PECVD photonic integrated devices are promising candidates for low cost sensing applications. This manuscript reports a simulation analysis about the impact on the overall efficiency caused by the lithography imperfections in the deposition process. The tolerance to the fabrication defects of a photonic sensor based on surface plasmonic resonance is analysed. The simulations are performed with FDTD and BPM algorithms. The device is a plasmonic interferometer composed by an a-Si:H waveguide covered by a thin gold layer. The sensing analysis is performed by equally splitting the input light into two arms, allowing the sensor to be calibrated by its reference arm. Two different 1 × 2 power splitter configurations are presented: a directional coupler and a multimode interference splitter. The waveguide sidewall roughness is considered as the major negative effect caused by deposition imperfections. The simulation results show that plasmonic effects can be excited in the interferometric waveguide structure, allowing a sensing device with enough sensitivity to support the functioning of a bio sensor for high throughput screening. In addition, the good tolerance to the waveguide wall roughness, points out the PECVD deposition technique as reliable method for the overall sensor system to be produced in a low-cost system. The large area deposition of photonics structures, allowed by the PECVD method, can be explored to design a multiplexed system for analysis of multiple biomarkers to further increase the tolerance to fabrication defects.

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