Elaboration of a Low-Cost Aquatic Ergometric Bicycle

After a visit to a hydrotherapy laboratory, limited resources for use in lower limbs were noted. For this reason, the goal is to design a water bike from low-cost material. The process took place in three phases: (1) project carried out, (2) prototype construction and (3) bicycle construction. The confection was divided into six parts; the materials used were polyvinyl chloride (PVC) tubes for the construction of sewer system. In addition to PVC materials, other products were used: two plastic pedals; a gel saddle, a seat post, two cranksets, a pipe clamp, a central shaft, two industrial bearings, three 40-millimeter aluminum cylinders and four suction cups. The final product was measured 69 centimeters (cm) in width, 59.05 cm in length; as the seat can be adjusted, the height varies. The prototype ranges from 73 to 102 cm in height and supports up to 85 kilograms (kg). It is concluded that although there is a limitation as to the design of the final product due to the limited formats of the PVC connections and as to the adaptations that must be made so that the final product can support a considerable weight, it is feasible to make a low-cost water exercise bike using PVC as the main material that can be used in the pool. It is noteworthy, however, that this product will still be tested to ascertain functionality as for equipment for clinical practice. Keywords: Hydrotherapy. Low-Cost Technology. PVC Pipes. ResumoApós a visita em um laboratório de hidroterapia denotou-se a limitação de recursos para membros inferiores. Devido a isso, o objetivo é elaborar uma bicicleta aquática de material de baixo custo. O processo se deu em três fases: (1) design realizado, (2) produção do protótipo e a (3) construção da bicicleta. A confecção foi dividida em seis partes; os materiais utilizados foram tubos de Policloreto de vinila (PVC) para esgoto predial. Além de materiais de PVC foram utilizados outros produtos: dois pedais de plástico; um selim de gel, um canote, dois pedivelas, uma braçadeira de tubo, um eixo central, dois rolamentos industriais, três cilindros de alumínios 40 milímetros e quatro ventosas. O produto final teve como medida 69 centímetros (cm) de largura, 59,05 cm de comprimento; como o banco pode ser regulado, a altura varia. o protótipo varia entre 73 a 102 cm de altura e suporta até 85 quilogramas. Conclui-se então que embora haja limitação quanto ao design do produto final por conta dos limitados formatos das conexões de PVC e quanto à adaptações que devem ser feitas para que o produto final consiga suportar um peso considerável, é viável a confecção de uma bicicleta ergométrica aquática de baixo custo utilizando o PVC como material principal e que pode ser utilizada na piscina. Destaca-se, entretanto, que este produto ainda será testado para averiguar a funcionalidade quanto equipamento para a prática clínica. Palavras-chave: Hidroterapia. Tecnologia de Baixo Custo. Tubulações de PVC.

Evaluation of stain release based on image histogram analysis

In our daily life, subjective and objective method were used to evaluate the washing condition of the stain. But they have some disadvantages, such as subjectivity, special operation in laboratory, limited area, and so on. With the development of technology, the image analysis was widely used in industry. In this article, the pictures of stains before and after being washed were got through image acquisition system. And then histogram based on distance were draw and similarity of stain before and after was calculated. The similarity described the degree of washing. The higher the similarity, the more similar the image, the less stain was washed out. Two different results got from washing efficiency and image analysis were analyzed through SPSS software, the results showed that in less than 0.05 level, two groups of data had a significant correlation. This means that the image analysis could be used to evaluate the stain release well.