Many everyday human skills can be framed in terms of performing some task subject to constraints imposed by the task or the environment. Constraints are usually unobservable and frequently change between contexts. In this thesis, we explore the problem of learning control policies from data containing variable, dynamic and non-linear constraints on motion. We show that an effective approach for doing this is to learn the unconstrained policy in a way that is consistent with the constraints. We propose several novel algorithms for extracting these policies from movement data, where observations are recorded under different constraints. Furthermore, we show that, by doing so, we are able to learn representations of movement that generalise over constraints and can predict behaviour under new constraints. In our experiments, we test the algorithms on systems of varying size and complexity, and show that the novel approaches give significant improvements in performance compared with standard policy learning approaches that are naive to the effect of constraints. Finally, we illustrate the utility of the approaches for learning from human motion capture data and transferring behaviour to several robotic platforms.

No description available.

There are many amputees around the world who have lost a limb through conflict, disease or an accident. Upper-limb prostheses controlled using surface Electromyography (sEMG) offer a solution to help the amputees; however, their functionality is limited by the small number of movements they can perform and their slow reaction times. Pattern recognition (PR)-based EMG control has been proposed to improve the functional performance of prostheses. It is a very promising approach, offering intuitive control, fast reaction times and the ability to control a large number of degrees of freedom (DOF). However, prostheses controlled with PR systems are not available for everyday use by amputees, because there are many major challenges and practical problems that need to be addressed before clinical implementation is possible. These include lack of individual finger control, an impractically large number of EMG electrodes, and the lack of deployment protocols for EMG electrodes site selection and movement optimisation. Moreover, the inability of PR systems to handle multiple forces is a further practical problem that needs to be addressed. The main aim of this project is to investigate the research challenges mentioned above via non-invasive EMG signal acquisition, and to propose practical solutions to help amputees. In a series of experiments, the PR systems presented here were tested with EMG signals acquired from seven transradial amputees, which is unique to this project. Previous studies have been conducted using non-amputees. In this work, the challenges described are addressed and a new protocol is proposed that delivers a fast clinical deployment of multi-functional upper limb prostheses controlled by PR systems. Controlling finger movement is a step towards the restoration of lost human capabilities, and is psychologically important, as well as physically. A central thread running through this work is the assertion that no two amputees are the same, each suffering different injuries and retaining differing nerve and muscle structures. This work is very much about individualised healthcare, and aims to provide the best possible solution for each affected individual on a case-by-case basis. Therefore, the approach has been to optimise the solution (in terms of function and reliability) for each individual, as opposed to developing a generic solution, where performance is optimised against a test population. This work is unique, in that it contributes to improving the quality of life for each individual amputee by optimising function and reliability. The main four contributions of the thesis are as follows: 1- Individual finger control was achieved with high accuracy for a large number of finger movements, using six optimally placed sEMG channels. This was validated on EMG signals for ten non-amputee and six amputee subjects. Thumb movements were classified successfully with high accuracy for the first time. The outcome of this investigation will help to add more movements to the prosthesis, and reduce hardware and computational complexity. 2- A new subject-specific protocol for sEMG site selection and reliable movement subset optimisation, based on the amputee’s needs, has been proposed and validated on seven amputees. This protocol will help clinicians to perform an efficient and fast deployment of prostheses, by finding the optimal number and locations of EMG channels. It will also find a reliable subset of movements that can be achieved with high performance. 3- The relationship between the force of contraction and the statistics of EMG signals has been investigated, utilising an experimental design where visual feedback from a Myoelectric Control Interface (MCI) helped the participants to produce the correct level of force. Kurtosis values were found to decrease monotonically when the contraction level increased, thus indicating that kurtosis can be used to distinguish different forces of contractions. 4- The real practical problem of the degradation of classification performance as a result of the variation of force levels during daily use of the prosthesis has been investigated, and solved by proposing a training approach and the use of a robust feature extraction method, based on the spectrum. The recommendations of this investigation improve the practical robustness of prostheses controlled with PR systems and progress a step further towards clinical implementation and improving the quality of life of amputees. The project showed that PR systems achieved a reliable performance for a large number of amputees, taking into account real life issues such as individual finger control for high dexterity, the effect of force level variation, and optimisation of the movements and EMG channels for each individual amputee. The findings of this thesis showed that the PR systems need to be appropriately tuned before usage, such as training with multiple forces to help to reduce the effect of force variation, aiming to improve practical robustness, and also finding the optimal EMG channel for each amputee, to improve the PR system’s performance. The outcome of this research enables the implementation of PR systems in real prostheses that can be used by amputees.

Thesis (M.A.)--Brandeis University, 2008. / Title from IR (viewed on May 29, 2009). Includes bibliographical references.

Resumo: O objetivo principal desta tese foi investigar a causa e a conseqüência da fadiga em countermovement jumps realizados em diferentes razões de esforço e pausa. Esses objetivos foram testados utilizando dois estudos experimentais. O primeiro estudo comparou as causas da fadiga em protocolos de fadiga de curta (=10 min) e longa duração (=20 min), manipulando as durações da pausa entre countermovement jumps. Os resultados indicaram que, após a realização do protocolo de fadiga de curta duração, houve redução da contração isométrica voluntária máxima para extensão do joelho acompanhada por fadiga central e periférica. Por outro lado, após a realização do protocolo de fadiga de longa duração, a redução da contração isométrica voluntária máxima para extensão do joelho foi associada apenas à fadiga periférica. No segundo estudo foi utilizado um protocolo de fadiga para o sistema neuromuscular similar ao primeiro estudo, tendo como objetivo investigar o padrão de movimento sob fadiga. O tempo e a seqüência da relação inter-segmental do movimento e da ativação muscular permaneceram inalteradas sob a condição de fadiga. Entretanto, alguns ajustes no controle de countermovement jumps realizados sob a condição de fadiga foram observados, provavelmente na tentativa de manter a altura do salto vertical. Entre alguns ajustes, é possível destacar um aumento na flexão das articulações e na duração do salto vertical. Esses resultados foram similares independentemente da razão de esforço e pausa utilizada para induzir fadiga em countermovement jumps. Considerando ambos os estudos experimentais, os resultados da presente tese sugerem que a causa da fadiga em countermovement jumps é tarefa-dependente. Isso significa que dependendo do protocolo de indução de fadiga utilizado, a causa da fadiga pode ser alterada de central para periférica, por exemplo... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: This thesis explored the cause of fatigue in countermovement jump performed under different intensities and its influence upon movement pattern. These aims were tested using two experimental studies. The first one aimed to compare the causes of fatigue development during a short- (=10 min) and a long-term (=20 min) countermovement jump protocols through the manipulation of resting interval. The results indicated that after short-term fatigue protocol, maximal voluntary isometric contraction reduction was accompanied by central and peripheral fatigue. On the other hand, after long-term fatigue protocol, maximal voluntary isometric contraction reduction was accompanied by peripheral fatigue. The second study used similar exercise protocol to induce fatigue on neuromuscular system. It was aimed to investigate the movement pattern of countermovement jump throughout fatigue exercise protocols. The timing and sequencing of inter-segmental movement and of muscle activation remained relatively unaltered under fatigue. However, in order to sustain required jump height, few adjustments were performed on control and on coordination of fatigued jumps, such as increased joint flexion and earlier initiation of joint extension. This result was quite similar irrespective of fatigue-induced exercise intensities. Considering both experimental studies, the results of present thesis suggest that the cause of fatigue in countermovement jump is task-dependent in which depends on what fatigue protocol is used, thereby the cause of fatigue can move from one site to another. Even with the neuromuscular system impaired, there was not change on the movement pattern of countermovement jump, irrespective of exercise duration and cause of fatigue. However, adjustments on control and coordination of countermovement jump were performed in order to compensate the force loss and to maintain the targeted jump height. / Orientador: Eduardo Kokubun / Coorientador: José Angelo Barela / Banca: André Luiz Félix Rodacki / Banca: Ana Maria Forti Barela / Banca: Carlos Ugrinowistch / Doutor

abstract: The development of advanced, anthropomorphic artificial hands aims to provide upper extremity amputees with improved functionality for activities of daily living. However, many state-of-the-art hands have a large number of degrees of freedom that can be challenging to control in an intuitive manner. Automated grip responses could be built into artificial hands in order to enhance grasp stability and reduce the cognitive burden on the user. To this end, three studies were conducted to understand how human hands respond, passively and actively, to unexpected perturbations of a grasped object along and about different axes relative to the hand. The first study investigated the effect of magnitude, direction, and axis of rotation on precision grip responses to unexpected rotational perturbations of a grasped object. A robust "catch-up response" (a rapid, pulse-like increase in grip force rate previously reported only for translational perturbations) was observed whose strength scaled with the axis of rotation. Using two haptic robots, we then investigated the effects of grip surface friction, axis, and direction of perturbation on precision grip responses for unexpected translational and rotational perturbations for three different hand-centric axes. A robust catch-up response was observed for all axes and directions for both translational and rotational perturbations. Grip surface friction had no effect on the stereotypical catch-up response. Finally, we characterized the passive properties of the precision grip-object system via robot-imposed impulse perturbations. The hand-centric axis associated with the greatest translational stiffness was different than that for rotational stiffness. This work expands our understanding of the passive and active features of precision grip, a hallmark of human dexterous manipulation. Biological insights such as these could be used to enhance the functionality of artificial hands and the quality of life for upper extremity amputees. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering 2013

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:30:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2007-07-26Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:19:34Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 pereira_g_dr_rcla.pdf: 601547 bytes, checksum: 78fe39c887efbb78c46303cff6e30a46 (MD5) / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / O objetivo principal desta tese foi investigar a causa e a conseqüência da fadiga em countermovement jumps realizados em diferentes razões de esforço e pausa. Esses objetivos foram testados utilizando dois estudos experimentais. O primeiro estudo comparou as causas da fadiga em protocolos de fadiga de curta (=10 min) e longa duração (=20 min), manipulando as durações da pausa entre countermovement jumps. Os resultados indicaram que, após a realização do protocolo de fadiga de curta duração, houve redução da contração isométrica voluntária máxima para extensão do joelho acompanhada por fadiga central e periférica. Por outro lado, após a realização do protocolo de fadiga de longa duração, a redução da contração isométrica voluntária máxima para extensão do joelho foi associada apenas à fadiga periférica. No segundo estudo foi utilizado um protocolo de fadiga para o sistema neuromuscular similar ao primeiro estudo, tendo como objetivo investigar o padrão de movimento sob fadiga. O tempo e a seqüência da relação inter-segmental do movimento e da ativação muscular permaneceram inalteradas sob a condição de fadiga. Entretanto, alguns ajustes no controle de countermovement jumps realizados sob a condição de fadiga foram observados, provavelmente na tentativa de manter a altura do salto vertical. Entre alguns ajustes, é possível destacar um aumento na flexão das articulações e na duração do salto vertical. Esses resultados foram similares independentemente da razão de esforço e pausa utilizada para induzir fadiga em countermovement jumps. Considerando ambos os estudos experimentais, os resultados da presente tese sugerem que a causa da fadiga em countermovement jumps é tarefa-dependente. Isso significa que dependendo do protocolo de indução de fadiga utilizado, a causa da fadiga pode ser alterada de central para periférica, por exemplo... / This thesis explored the cause of fatigue in countermovement jump performed under different intensities and its influence upon movement pattern. These aims were tested using two experimental studies. The first one aimed to compare the causes of fatigue development during a short- (=10 min) and a long-term (=20 min) countermovement jump protocols through the manipulation of resting interval. The results indicated that after short-term fatigue protocol, maximal voluntary isometric contraction reduction was accompanied by central and peripheral fatigue. On the other hand, after long-term fatigue protocol, maximal voluntary isometric contraction reduction was accompanied by peripheral fatigue. The second study used similar exercise protocol to induce fatigue on neuromuscular system. It was aimed to investigate the movement pattern of countermovement jump throughout fatigue exercise protocols. The timing and sequencing of inter-segmental movement and of muscle activation remained relatively unaltered under fatigue. However, in order to sustain required jump height, few adjustments were performed on control and on coordination of fatigued jumps, such as increased joint flexion and earlier initiation of joint extension. This result was quite similar irrespective of fatigue-induced exercise intensities. Considering both experimental studies, the results of present thesis suggest that the cause of fatigue in countermovement jump is task-dependent in which depends on what fatigue protocol is used, thereby the cause of fatigue can move from one site to another. Even with the neuromuscular system impaired, there was not change on the movement pattern of countermovement jump, irrespective of exercise duration and cause of fatigue. However, adjustments on control and coordination of countermovement jump were performed in order to compensate the force loss and to maintain the targeted jump height.

Tyrimo objektas: kojų judesių reakcijos laiko bei judesių atlikimo greičio vertinimas. Tyrimo problema: daugumai žmonių po insulto stebimas kojų judesių valdymo sutrikimas. Sutrikęs kojų judesių valdymas padidina griuvimų riziką, sutrikdo eiseną, apsunkina kasdieninę veiklą, riboja fizinį aktyvumą. Žmogaus rankų bei kojų dinaminių parametrų analizatoriaus DPA-1 pagalba galima tirti psichomotorinę reakciją, judesių dinamines bei kinematines charakteristikas, o tai suteikia didesnes galimybes įvertinti insulto liekamųjų reiškinių poveikį kojų judesių valdymui. Tyrimo tikslas: nustatyti kojų judesių valdymo atsigavimą persirgus galvos smegenų insultu. Tyrimo metodai ir organizavimas: tyrimas buvo atliekamas Lietuvos kūno kultūros akademijoje (LKKA) Žmogaus motorikos laboratorijoje 2009 – 2010 metais. Tiriamųjų kontingentą sudarė dvi grupės: tiriamoji ir kontrolinė. Tiriamąją grupę sudarė 10 žmonių patyrusių galvos smegenų insultą, amžiaus vidurkis: 70,1 ± 1,3 metai. Kontrolinę grupę sudarė 10 vyresnio amžiaus, neurologinių sutrikimų neturinčių žmonių, amžiaus vidurkis: 66,6 ± 1,8 metai. Kojų dinaminių judesių tyrimui buvo naudojamas LKKA mokslininkų ir UAB „Katra“ specialistų sukurtas originalus prietaisas - žmogaus rankų ir kojų judesių dinaminių parametrų analizatorius DPA-1. Tyrimo metu buvo registruojamas dešinės ir kairės kojos judesių reakcijos laikas (RT) bei dešinės ir kairės kojos maksimalus judesių greitis (V ) atliekant reakcijos, greitumo ir tikslumo užduotis... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Problem of study: lots of people feel disorder of controlling legs dynamic movement after stroke. Disordered control of legs movement rise the risk of fallings, unbalances gait, prejudice casual activity, limits physical activity. With help of human hands and legs dynamic parameter analyzer (DPA-1) it is possible to feel psychomotorical reaction, movements dynamic and kinematic characteristics, and this gives better opportunities to value remanant stroke influence for control of legs dynamic movement. Object of study: evaluation of legs movement reaction time and speed of movement performance. Aim of study: to determine recovery of legs motor control after stroke. Methods and organization of sudy: this research was carried out in the Laboratory of Human motor control at the Lithuanian Academy of physical Education (LAPE) during 2009 - 2010. Investigative contingent included two groups: trial and control. In trial group there were included 10 people, who had a stroke of head brains. Average of age - 70±3 years. In control group there were included 10 older people without neurological disorder. Average of age - 60±3 years. For legs dynamic movement research was used new original gear made by LAPE scientists and company “Katra” – human hands and legs dynamic parameter analyser DPA-1. During research there was registering the reaction time (RT) of right and left leg and the maximal movement speed (V ) of right and left leg performing tasks of reaction, speed and accuracy. Goals... [to full text]

The main goal of the dissertation was to determine task-dependent modulation of corticospinal descending output. From this main goal, I conducted three different studies to determine how corticospinal output to muscles of the upper arm and hand changed as a function of the task demands. In study 1, I examined how a somatosensory-motor circuit changes when a muscle needs to be active in a task and found that this circuit may be dependent on the movement phase, type of afferent input, and the task demands. In study 2, I examined how this same somatosensory-motor circuit acts to both allow and prevent muscle activity before movement. I revealed that this somatosensory-motor circuit may function to prevent muscle activity when a muscle is not needed in a task and creates facilitation of corticospinal output when it needs to be active in a task. These effects, however, are dependent on the movement phase and the digit the muscle is controlling. Study 3 determined how corticospinal output is modulated to upper arm muscles when performing movements that required different combinations of segmental interactions to achieve the task successfully. Corticospinal output was increased when inertia and the BBC moment at a joint resisted the intended joint rotation and these effects were dependent on the muscle and movement phase. I propose a model of the connectivity between the primary motor and somatosensory cortices that would increase, modulate, or decrease corticospinal output to a muscle depending on its role in the task. The findings from this work provides information to guide future neural rehabilitative interventions for individuals who have movement disorders arising from altered somatosensory-motor processing such as Cerebellar Ataxia, Developmental Coordination Disorder, Focal Hand Dystonia, Parkinson’s disease, and stroke. / Dissertation / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / On a day to day basis, we perform a variety of movements without giving much thought to how complicated it is for our nervous system to perform said movements. There are many different areas of the brain that are responsible for controlling movement. This dissertation focuses on two key areas that are critical for movement performance, namely the primary motor and somatosensory cortices. The primary motor cortex is largely responsible for sending signals to the muscles to control movement, while the primary somatosensory cortex plays a crucial role in receiving and understanding sensory input from our body. The studies in this dissertation describe how these two areas of the brain communicate during finger and arm movements to produce or prevent muscle activity. This work has implications for individuals with disorders that impact their everyday movements.

Title: The impact of the exclusion of the visual analyzer on the swimmer's ability to swim straight while doing the crawl Goals: The goal of this work is to determine the impact of the exclusion of the visual analyzer on one's ability to swim straight while doing the crawl; to find and analyze the angle of the deviation from the set central line, if any, using measurable variables; to find the critical spots in the fulfillment of a set movement assignment where the swimmer deviated from his straight swimming direction, to make a qualitative analysis of these spots in relation to the individually optimal technique, and to propose potential corrections of the time and space of movements of the upper limbs work and the body. Methods: A qualitative analysis with a manual measurement of the deviation from the straight direction of swimming per constant distance. Analysis of a video- recording to find the critical points in the crawl technique. Questionnaire to deal with participants' upper limbs laterality. Results: We managed to determine some causes of the deviation from the straight swimming direction without visual control. The achieved results proved that breathing was an important aspect when doing the crawl having influence on the ability to swim straight: The impact of laterality on the...