This thesis presents an in-depth investigation to determine the most suitable mobile base design for a powerful and dynamic robotic manipulator. It details the design process of such a mobile platform for use in an indoor human environment that is to carry a two-arm upper-body humanoid manipulator system. Through systematic dynamics analysis, it was determined that a variable footprint holonomic wheeled mobile platform is the design of choice for such an application. Determining functional requirements and evaluating design options is performed for the platform’s general configuration, geometry, locomotion system, suspension, and propulsion, with a particularly in-depth evaluation of the problem of overcoming small steps. Other aspects such as processing, sensing and the power system are dealt with sufficiently to ensure the feasibility of the overall proposed design. The control of the platform is limited to that necessary to determine the appropriate mechanical components. Simulations are performed to investigate design problems and verify performance. A basic CAD model of the system is included for better design visualization. The research carried out in this thesis was performed in cooperation with the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt)’s Robotics and Mechatronics Institute (DLR RM). The DLR RM is currently utilizing the findings of this research to finish the development of the platform with a target completion date of May 2008.

This thesis presents an in-depth investigation to determine the most suitable mobile base design for a powerful and dynamic robotic manipulator. It details the design process of such a mobile platform for use in an indoor human environment that is to carry a two-arm upper-body humanoid manipulator system. Through systematic dynamics analysis, it was determined that a variable footprint holonomic wheeled mobile platform is the design of choice for such an application. Determining functional requirements and evaluating design options is performed for the platform’s general configuration, geometry, locomotion system, suspension, and propulsion, with a particularly in-depth evaluation of the problem of overcoming small steps. Other aspects such as processing, sensing and the power system are dealt with sufficiently to ensure the feasibility of the overall proposed design. The control of the platform is limited to that necessary to determine the appropriate mechanical components. Simulations are performed to investigate design problems and verify performance. A basic CAD model of the system is included for better design visualization. The research carried out in this thesis was performed in cooperation with the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt)’s Robotics and Mechatronics Institute (DLR RM). The DLR RM is currently utilizing the findings of this research to finish the development of the platform with a target completion date of May 2008.

Abstrakt Färdigheter utvecklas gradvis vid träning och fördelarna som erhålls är många. Utförandet går snabbare, blir mer korrekt och den kognitiva belastningen tros minska. Utvecklandet av färdigheter kan dock påverkas av individens personlighet och faktorer som setts kunna bidra till stress och prestation. Denna studie undersökte betydelsen av upplevda krav, kontroll och socialt stöd enligt en teoretisk modell framtagen av Karasek och Theorell som reviderats av Perski samt personlighet (Eysenck, EPQ-R: extraversion, neuroticism) avseende resultaten på teoretisk respektive praktisk prestation efter olika mängd träning. Prestation mättes med svenska klätterförbundets praktiska och teoretiska standardprov som används vid uppklättring för topprepskort. Antalet deltagare var 60 personer (27 kvinnor, 33 män). Deltagarna var uppdelade på två grupper, varav ena gruppen hade tränat i två timmar och den andra hade tränat i fyra timmar. Resultaten visade inte på några signifikanta skillnader mellan de båda grupperna avseende de undersökta variablerna förutom att de som gått den kortare kursen rapporterade ett starkare socialt stöd än de som gått den längre kursen. De undersökta variablerna krav, kontroll och socialt stöd samt de två personlighetsvariablerna visade sig inte ha någon relation till resultatet på det teoretiska provet. Ju högre krav försökspersonerna rapporterade desto bättre resultat uppvisades dock på det praktiska provet. Tidigare forskning har entydigt visat att dessa variabler har signifikanta relationer till prestation. Avseende studiedesign finns dock vissa metodologiska skillnader relativt denna studie. För att utröna vilka relationer som finns mellan träning gällande klättring, prestation, upplevda krav, kontroll, socialt stöd och extraversion respektive neuroticism skulle det vara önskvärt med en mer omfattande studie. Nyckelord: Träning, Stress, Personlighet, Prestation, Topprepsklättring / Abstract While training, skills are developed gradually and the received advantages are numerous. The performance increases, gets more correct, and the cognitive burden is believed to decrease. Development of the skill can be affected by the individual´s personality as well as factors known to be related to stress and performance. This study examines the relation between experienced demand, control and social support according to a theoretical model developed by Karasek and Theorell and revised by Perski and personality (Eysenck, EPQ-R: extraversion, neuroticism) regarding results of theoretical and practical performance, respectively, after various amount of training. Performance was measured by the Swedish climbing society’s practical and theoretical standard test used at examinations for top rope certificate. There where 60 participants in the study (27 women and 33 men). The participants where divided into two groups, of which one group practiced for two hours and the other group practiced for four hours. The results showed no significant differences between the two groups regarding the observed variables, with an exception for reports of a stronger social support among the participants of the shorter course. The observed variables; demands, control, social support, and the two personality variables showed no correlation with the result of the theoretical exam. Although, participants reporting higher demands scored higher on the practical exam. Earlier research has unambiguously shown that these variables have significant correlations with performance. However, there are some methodological differences with respect to the research design relatively to this study. To investigate the relations between training in climbing and the studied variables, it would be desirable to conduct a more extensive study. Key words: Training, Stress, Personality, Performance, Top rope climbing

This thesis presents a prototype of Unmanned Cooperative Fire-Seeking and -Fighting Robots (UCSFRs) which have a new way to climb up the stairs or traverse over obstacles with a ball screw. There are three unmanned vehicles (one Mother Vehicle (MV) and two Daughter Vehicles (DVs)) presented in this research. The MV can carry two DVs to climb stairs. They can communicate with each other using Bluetooth communication modules. The core system of the UCSFRs is a PIC 16F877 microcontroller on a 2840 development board. The software is written in C language and the interface is established through Hyper Terminal built in Windows XP. UCSFRs are low cost unmanned vehicles compared with other commercial ones. The double-deck structure is applied on the DVs. The body of the MV can be extended for special purposes. In this research, there are three tests used to verify the functionality of the UCSFRs: (1) MV?s finding and stopping fire, (2) Communication between the MV and the DVs, and (3) the MV?s climbing stairs. In the second test, the DVs run in the opposite direction to assist MV detect fire. By cooperative work, they can save time finding the fire. The MV will go to the hightemperature area according to the data sent by the DVs. Because of the features mentioned above, UCSFRs can be used to perform dangerous tasks instead of fire-fighters.

<p>Abstrakt</p><p>Färdigheter utvecklas gradvis vid träning och fördelarna som erhålls är många. Utförandet går snabbare, blir mer korrekt och den kognitiva belastningen tros minska. Utvecklandet av färdigheter kan dock påverkas av individens personlighet och faktorer som setts kunna bidra till stress och prestation. Denna studie undersökte betydelsen av upplevda krav, kontroll och socialt stöd enligt en teoretisk modell framtagen av Karasek och Theorell som reviderats av Perski samt personlighet (Eysenck, EPQ-R: extraversion, neuroticism) avseende resultaten på teoretisk respektive praktisk prestation efter olika mängd träning. Prestation mättes med svenska klätterförbundets praktiska och teoretiska standardprov som används vid uppklättring för topprepskort. Antalet deltagare var 60 personer (27 kvinnor, 33 män). Deltagarna var uppdelade på två grupper, varav ena gruppen hade tränat i två timmar och den andra hade tränat i fyra timmar. Resultaten visade inte på några signifikanta skillnader mellan de båda grupperna avseende de undersökta variablerna förutom att de som gått den kortare kursen rapporterade ett starkare socialt stöd än de som gått den längre kursen. De undersökta variablerna krav, kontroll och socialt stöd samt de två personlighetsvariablerna visade sig inte ha någon relation till resultatet på det teoretiska provet. Ju högre krav försökspersonerna rapporterade desto bättre resultat uppvisades dock på det praktiska provet. Tidigare forskning har entydigt visat att dessa variabler har signifikanta relationer till prestation. Avseende studiedesign finns dock vissa metodologiska skillnader relativt denna studie. För att utröna vilka relationer som finns mellan träning gällande klättring, prestation, upplevda krav, kontroll, socialt stöd och extraversion respektive neuroticism skulle det vara önskvärt med en mer omfattande studie.</p><p>Nyckelord: Träning, Stress, Personlighet, Prestation, Topprepsklättring</p> / <p>Abstract</p><p>While training, skills are developed gradually and the received advantages are numerous. The performance increases, gets more correct, and the cognitive burden is believed to decrease. Development of the skill can be affected by the individual´s personality as well as factors known to be related to stress and performance. This study examines the relation between experienced demand, control and social support according to a theoretical model developed by Karasek and Theorell and revised by Perski and personality (Eysenck, EPQ-R: extraversion, neuroticism) regarding results of theoretical and practical performance, respectively, after various amount of training. Performance was measured by the Swedish climbing society’s practical and theoretical standard test used at examinations for top rope certificate. There where 60 participants in the study (27 women and 33 men). The participants where divided into two groups, of which one group practiced for two hours and the other group practiced for four hours. The results showed no significant differences between the two groups regarding the observed variables, with an exception for reports of a stronger social support among the participants of the shorter course. The observed variables; demands, control, social support, and the two personality variables showed no correlation with the result of the theoretical exam. Although, participants reporting higher demands scored higher on the practical exam. Earlier research has unambiguously shown that these variables have significant correlations with performance. However, there are some methodological differences with respect to the research design relatively to this study. To investigate the relations between training in climbing and the studied variables, it would be desirable to conduct a more extensive study.</p><p>Key words: Training, Stress, Personality, Performance, Top rope climbing</p>

This research focuses on documenting and analyzing the factors that affect mountain climbing in the state of Colorado and assessing the potential environmental impacts caused by the growing number of climbers visiting the Fourteeners—the 58 mountain peaks located within the Rocky Mountains exceeding an elevation of 14,000 feet. Key objectives were to: 1. identify factors that have a significant effect on mountain climbing frequency; 2. collect information from physical trail and route evaluation to develop an interim classification index; 3. combine relevant variables to formulate a composite Fourteeners Environmental Degradation Index (FEDI) and use it to evaluate, rank, and compare the 58 fourteeners within the six major mountain ranges; and 4. examine sensitivity of this composite index based on changing relative importance of the input variables. Results from the first phase, based on statistical tests, indicated that annual climbing frequency has a significant positive association with (a) distance from Denver; (b) direct distance from the summit to the nearest paved road; (c) length of the trail/route; and (d) climbing route difficulty. Elevation of a peak’s trailhead, however, is the only variable with a significantly negative relationship with climbing frequency of the fourteeners. The second phase of the study involved the assessment of adverse impacts (trail erosion and trail status) through extensive fieldwork. The data was used to develop an interim FEDI. Peaks in the Front Range (e.g., Mount Evans, Longs Peak, and Pikes Peak) indicate the most adverse human-environmental impacts. Variables from both previous phases were combined to develop the final FEDI. Analyses indicated that Mount Evans (Front Range) was ranked highest (highest level of adverse impacts), while Culebra (Sangre de Cristo Range) ranked lowest. The mountain ranges closest to Denver (Front Range and Tenmile/Mosquito) yielded the highest average ranks, while ranges farthest from Denver showed lowest ranks. Sensitivity analyses of the FEDI suggested that rankings were not drastically altered by adjusting relative importance of input factors. The findings provide important insights on identifying preservation needs within heavily visited mountain environments and can be used to guide future protection efforts, trail construction, and maintenance for existing trails and routes.

As wearable computers become more ubiquitous in society and work environments, there are concerns that their use could be negatively impactful in some settings. Previous research indicates that mobile phone and wearable computer use can impair walking and driving performance, but as these technologies are adopted into hazardous work environments it is less clear what the impact will be. The current research investigated the effects that head mounted display use has on high angle climbing, a task representative of the extreme physical demands of some hazardous occupations (such as firefighting or search and rescue work). We explored the effect that introducing a secondary word reading and later recall task has on both climbing performance (holds per meter climbed and distance covered), and word reading and recall (dual-task effects). We found a decrease in both climbing performance and word recall under dual task conditions. Further, we examined participant climbing motion around word presentation and non-word presentation times during the climbing traverse. We found that participants slowed around word presentations, relative to periods without word presentation. Finally, we compared our results to those found in previous research using similar dual-tasking paradigms. These comparisons indicated that physical tasks may be more detrimental to word recall than seated tasks, and that visual stimuli might hinder climbing performance more than audible stimuli. This research has important theoretical implications for the dual-tasking paradigm, as well at important practical implications for emergency response operations and other hazardous working environments.

The issue of fixed anchors in wilderness challenges modern interpretations of the Wilderness Act. The Wilderness Act can be interpreted to allow or preclude the placement of fixed anchors in designated wilderness areas depending on whether the interpreter chooses a literal or general interpretation of the law's meaning. Place-based management options, supported by descriptive and evaluative study results, may be more closely aligned to Wilderness Act directives than nationwide, blanket policy. This research is focused on understanding the role of fixed anchors in designated wilderness in order to develop management options that protect wilderness values without hindering wilderness users. The unique nature of each wilderness area and climbing resource, in combination with distinct preferences and motivations of different climber populations, lends itself to managing fixed anchors through place-based policy that considers the landscape and the preferences of individual visitors.Joshua Tree National Park [JTNP] was chosen as the location for this case study because it has committed to establishing fixed anchor management that accommodates rock climbing and protects wilderness resources. JTNP has prohibited the placement of fixed anchors in wilderness since February 1993. By combining resource inventories, spatial modeling, and wilderness climber profiles, study results reveal that wilderness visitor destination choice is not dependent on the location of fixed anchors, but the quality, difficulty, and distance to destinations. These results can be used as the basis for a wilderness fixed anchor permit system and demonstrate that fixed anchors can fit within the confines of the Wilderness Act. Place-based management options, relative to national policies, can minimize administrative burdens and limit the geographic extent of unintended regulatory effects. The Wilderness Act's minimum administrative requirement mandate promotes this type of management style. This study of the benign fixed anchor at JTNP illustrates the power of the scientific method to neutralize wilderness recreation conflict and support streamlined wilderness management, while at the same time highlighting the shortcomings, and strengths, of the Wilderness Act as it is applied to a new era of wilderness recreation management.

Two experiments were conducted to investigate how performance on a primary rock climbing task is affected by the inclusion of a secondary word memory task. In Experiment 1, twelve experienced rock climbers completed a dual traverse climb and word memory task, with participants’ performance analysed relative to their single task performance (climbing alone and word memory alone). Participants’ climbing efficiency and word recall were significantly lower in the dual-task condition. Experiment 2 examined the effects of emotional content on climbing performance. Fifteen experienced rock climbers completed two dual-tasks, in which they were asked to recall negatively valenced or neutral words. Climbing efficiency, climbing distance, and word recall were all significantly lower in the dual-task conditions, relative to the single-task conditions. Climbing efficiency and climbing distance were also significantly lower in the negative word dual-task, relative to the neutral word dual-task. The findings from these two experiments have important human factors implications for occupational settings that require climbing-like operations, including search and rescue and fire-fighting.

Rock climbing is thought to rely upon the interaction of various performance components, and has previously been described as a complex multi-faceted sport. It has been suggested that psychological aspects of performance, such as task perception and the interaction of resulting pre-climb anxieties, contribute greatly to the physiological responses and the overall performance during ascent. However, research which seeks to investigate both psychological and physiological responses during specific bouts of rock climbing are few in number. This thesis attempts to contribute to the novel yet limited body of field based psychophysological research relating to rock climbing. To this end, the studies contained within this thesis investigated psychological and physiological responses as a result of difficult on-sight rock climbing. Elaborating upon previous research, additonal factors which are thought to influence these responses were explored. More specifically, differences in responses between ability groups, style of ascent, and route type were investigated. In study one, differences in psychological and physiological responses with respect to ability level and ascent style were investigated, during a single on-sight ascent. Seventy-two climbers were split into ability groups defined as lower-grade, intermediate, advanced and elite based on self-reported on-sight grades (Ewbank) of ≤17, 18-20, 21-24 and ≥ 25 respectively. Each climber attempted an on-sight ascent of a designated test route set on an indoor artificial climbing wall. A separate test route was set for each ability group which targeted their self-reported ability with respect to best on-sight. Participants were randomly assigned to either a lead or top-rope ascent and climbers were not informed of their style of ascent until 15 min prior to climbing. Responses to the climbing task were measured pre, during, and post-climb using a number of psychological and physiological markers. In total fifty-two participants successfully completed their on-sight ascents, and data for successful ascents were analysed and compared. Pre-climb variables were considered together in order to investigate pre-climb state, more specifically levels of anxiety, prior to ascent. Results indicated that there were no significant differences for grouped pre-climb variables with respect to ascent style. These results suggest that irrespective of ascent style, successful climbers exhibited similar psychophysiological responses prior to attempting an on-sight ascent. Furthermore, this trend was replicated across all ability groups. These findings were thought to be indicative of the high demand and level of uncerainty imposed by the on-sight condition of ascent, lending support to previous suggestion that an on-sight ascent induces the highest anxiety response. During the climb, HR and were measured and averaged across the entirety of the ascent. When expressed as a percentage of and the average HR and responses during ascent were found to be comparable across ability groups. As such, all ability groups appeared to utilise similar fractions of maximal capacity, with elite climbers successfully ascending a route up to eight difficulty grades harder than those of lower ability, whilst still performing at the same workload intensity. It would appear that oxygen uptake during rock climbing may not be directly related to difficulty or personal ability. A technical advantage, personal climbing style, and possible physiological adaptations may be contributors to more strategic and efficient ascents resulting in the capacity to climb at higher grades of difficulty. The second study presented within this thesis was comprised of two phases of investigation; (1) to investigate whether psychological and physiological responses to competition-style climbing differed with respect to ability level, and (2) to investigate potential psychological and physiological differences based on route type and outcome (success and failure). In phase 1 of study two, intermediate, advanced and elite climbers attempted an lead on-sight ascent of a competition-style route which increased in difficulty as the climber progressed. The route was set with the intention of being just beyond the upper limits of the elite climbers self-reported best on-sight ability (~26 Ewbank). This was done in order to ensure that a fall from the route was highly likely, even for the elite climbers. All climbers failed to successfuly ascend the test route and as such all climbed to the point of failure resulting in a fall. The results obtained both prior to, and during ascent suggest that the intermediate and advanced climbers in the current study may have been limited by technical ability as opposed to physical exhaustion, or increased levels of anxiety. Elite climbers were to be able to maintain a more sustained physical effort during the more difficult phases of the climb. This appeared to be reflected in post-climb blood lactate concentration and ratings of task demand with respect to both physical demand and effort. As such it may be that elite climbers are more accustomed to maximal effort and demonstrate an increased tolerance to the higher exercise intensity required during more difficult ascents. In the second phase of study two the psychological and physiological responses of climbers in a competitive setting obtained in phase 1, were compared with those exhibited by participants during both successful and unsuccessful lead on-sight ascents in study one. The aim of study two phase 2 was to determine whether the responses of successful climbers differed from those who succeeded by reaching the top of a route, and performances in a competitive context where success is denoted by the distance achieved by a climbers on their ascent. The main findings in this instance were that although there were no significant differences observed between categories of ascent (successful, unsuccessful and competition) for grouped pre-climb variables, trends in CSAI-2R responses indicated high cognitive anxiety coupled with lower self-confidence prior to unsuccessful ascents. As such it may be that self-confidence acts as a buffer in moderating success in rock climbing, demonstrating the role of positive emotions and their impact upon performance as opposed to the detrimental effect of the negative. A second finding of this study was that there appeared to be a differing HR- relationship based on ascent category. Modest increases in were shown for all ascents, irrespective of ability level. A plateau in response was accompanied by a similar plateau in HR response during successful ascents, yet HR was shown to increase in a linear fashion until point of failure during unsuccessful ascents. It is possible that these findings highlight the presence of a climbing specific limitation.