El presente trabajo desarrolla el diseño electrónico de los módulos de potencia para el control de un prototipo de vehículo anfibio. El diseño se divide en etapa de potencia, para el control de giro de los motores; circuito de protección, que monitorea la energía suministrada a cada motor de modo que podamos generar una señal si se presenta un incremento sustancial en la corriente que alimenta a cada motor; circuito de detección de nivel de agua, ya que es un diseño electrónico para un prototipo de vehículo anfibio se consideró implementar una etapa que detecte la transición de tierra a agua; y etapa de control, para comandar a los motores y verificar el correcto funcionamiento de los módulos, así como también para generar las señales necesarias para poder realizar las pruebas y medir los voltajes en las entradas y salidas de cada módulo. La etapa de potencia fue diseñada utilizando puentes H para controlar el sentido de giro de cada motor. Adicionalmente, cada puente H presenta una salida indicadora de exceso de corriente, para ello se implementó una resistencia de un valor muy pequeño en serie con el motor que a medida que aumente la corriente, el nivel de tensión en la resistencia también aumenta y se puede comparar con una referencia. El circuito de protección toma los valores de las resistencias indicadoras de exceso de corriente en los motores para luego compararlos con un voltaje de referencia que en este caso viene dado por un diodo. Para la comparación se usó una configuración con amplificadores operacionales. A su vez, este módulo cuenta con un circuito detector de batería baja que genera un cambio de nivel lógico si se detecta que el voltaje en la batería disminuyó considerablemente. El módulo de detección del nivel de agua aprovecha la conductividad del agua para inducir una corriente pequeña, la cual al ser amplificada y debidamente acondicionada a niveles lógicos puede ser usada por un circuito digital. Finalmente, durante las pruebas finales se utilizó un microcontrolador ATmega 8 para controlar el sentido de giro de los motores mediante los puentes H. / Tesis

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Ocean Engineering, 1982. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ENGINEERING. / Includes bibliographical references. / by James W. Slack. / Ph.D.

Continuous inter-limb coordination is the movement relationship between body limb segments (e.g. an arm and a leg) (Magill & Anderson, 2014) and is organized within the framework of the characteristics of the environmental conditions, the task demands, and the limb dynamics (e.g. the action capabilities of the individual) (Holt et al., 2000). When maximal coordination is achieved, stability, which is the defined as the system’s ability to offset a perturbation (Li et al., 2005), is optimized (Meyns et al., 2012). Individual coordinative relationships provide insights into neuromuscular deficiencies and their corresponding coordination difficulties (Kurz & Stergiou, 2004), such as those affecting children with cerebral palsy (CP) (Meyns et al., 2012). CP describes a group of neurodevelopmental disorders attributed to a non-progressive disturbance in the developing brain (Bax et al., 2005). Children with unilateral spastic CP (USCP), the most common subtype (Odding et al., 2006), are affected on one side of their body, experience problems with bimanual coordination, and indicate lower levels of inter-limb coordination and stability compared to their typically developing peers. This can affect both their functional independence and quality of life (Steenbergen et al., 2008; Meyns et al., 2012). To date, no study has evaluated whether inter-limb coordination of this population during a gross motor task can be improved with treatment. The goals of this study were to evaluate continuous inter-limb coordination and stability in children with USCP compared to typically developing children (TDC) and to determine if coordination and stability of children with USCP could be improved with intensive upper extremity (UE) intervention. Constraint Induced Movement Therapy (CIMT) and Hand Arm Bimanual Intensive Therapy (HABIT) were employed to both improve UE function and determine whether inter-limb coordination and stability are also improved. A total of 33 age-matched children participated, divided evenly into three groups of Treatment (n=6, CIMT; n=5, HABIT), No-Treatment, and Typically Developing. Vicon 3-D motion capture was used to collect movement data. Continuous measures of coordination using relative phase analysis, including Mean Absolute Relative Phase (MARP) and Deviation Phase (DP) were used to quantify coordination (MARP) and stability (DP) during novel, gross motor tasks of standing and in-place marching with symmetric and asymmetric arm swing. Results indicated that children with USCP have a lower level of coordination compared to TDC (p<0.05), but there is no difference in the stability of their patterns (p>0.05). This indicates that all children have difficulty producing consistent cyclical movements with their arms, regardless of pathology. All children also demonstrated greater difficulty coordinating their UE during the in-place marching tasks compared to the standing tasks (p<0.05), which may be due to the inherent increase in degrees of freedom associated with the addition of the lower extremities to the task. Treatment of either CIMT or HABIT improved coordination between the arms (p<0.05), but also decreased stability between the more affected arm and leg during the in-place marching tasks (p<0.05) with symmetric and asymmetric arm swing, respectively. This decrease in stability may represent the children’s inability to consistently execute the same cyclical movements for an extended period of time due to their newly learned patterns resulting from improvements in UE function after treatment. This is the first study to identify similarities in stability between TDC and children with USCP and to demonstrate improvements in continuous, inter-limb coordination after intensive UE intervention in this pathologic population. The finding that TDC do not indicate greater stability in their motor patterns may imply that their patterns are not yet mature. Therefore, it may be efficacious to intervene at a young age to ensure correct coordinative patterns are learned and become stable as the child matures. Evidence that both function and continuous coordination between the arms are improved after intervention also suggests that with increased gross motor practice during the intervention, continuous inter-limb coordination may improve in a greater variety of tasks. Due to the prominence and accessibility of UE interventions, implementation of more gross motor tasks may be an economical way to advance coordination, which can positively impact activities of daily living and increase participation in community activities in children with USCP.

No description available.

The aim of the present thesis was to investigate the relationship between individuals' allocation of overt visual attention during action observation and their consequent pickup of information. Four interrelated studies were conducted to achieve this. In Study 1 we examined the effects of visual guidance - colour highlighting of relevant aspects of the action - on observational learning of the golf swing. The results showed that the visual guides facilitated novices' intake of information pertaining to the model's posture, which was reflected in faster learning. In the remaining studies, transcranial magnetic stimulation and eye tracking data were acquired concurrently to measure the interaction between gaze behaviour and motor resonance - a neurophysiological index of the motor system's engagement with a viewed action, and thus a correlate of information extraction. In Study 2, we directed observers' gaze to distinct locations of the display while they viewed thumb adduction/abduction movements. The results showed that, by directing gaze to a location that maximised the amount of thumb motion across the fovea, motor resonance was maximised relative to a free viewing condition. In Study 3 we examined the link between gaze and motor resonance during the observation of transitive actions. Participants viewed reach-to-grasp actions with natural gaze, or while looking at a target- or an effector- based visual guide. The results showed that the effector-based guide disrupted natural gaze behaviour, and this was associated with a reversal of the motor resonance response. In Study 4 we showed novice and skilled golfers videos of the golf swing and of a reach-grasp-lift action. The results revealed that, for both actions, the extent of motor resonance was related to the location of participants' fixations. The present work provides the first evidence of a relationship between gaze and motor resonance and highlights the importance of appropriate gaze behaviour for observational learning.

A análise do chute através de técnicas biomecânicas pode auxiliar na compreensão do comportamento e organização do sistema motor. Ao identificar a predominância, emergência ou variabilidade de um padrão de movimento, deve-se considerar a interação de elementos internos e externos ao indivíduo, seja o ambiente onde está sendo executada a ação, as características que envolvem a tarefa ou as particularidades do organismo do executante. O objetivo deste trabalho foi analisar e comparar o padrão de movimento e o desempenho da habilidade motora chutar, a um alvo, em duas condições: bola parada e bola em movimento. Com o propósito de detectar a influência da faixa etária na execução desta tarefa, participaram deste estudo 10 crianças divididas em dois grupos: G1 (8 a 9 anos) e o G2 (12 a 13 anos). Cada criança realizou 10 chutes a um alvo em ambas as condições. As tentativas foram capturadas por duas câmeras de alta velocidade e foram obtidos dados referentes ao desempenho, variabilidade, coordenação e amplitude do movimento. A análise estatística detectou ajustes na coordenação e amplitude do movimento além de um aumento da variabilidade na condição da bola em movimento. Em relação à idade, foram encontradas diferenças estatisticamente significantes na velocidade do pé. Os resultados demonstraram que os grupos etários estudados apresentaram ajustes similares na coodenação do movimento. A condição da bola provocou adaptações no padrão de movimento, entretanto, apesar do aumento nos níveis de variabilidade, não exerceu influência no desempenho do chutar / The analysis of kicking through biomechanics techniques can help the comprehension of behavior and motor system organization. In order to identify the predominance, emergence, or variability of a moving pattern, is imperative to consider the interactions between internal and external elements to the individual, such as the environment where the action is executed, characteristics that are intrinsic to the task or any individual particularity. The aim of the present work was to analyze and compare the performance and movement pattern of the kick realized by children to a target, in two different conditions: stationary and moving ball. To enable us to detect the age influence on the execution of the given task, the experimental group comprised 10 children from different ages: group 1 (G1) children from 8 to 9 years old and group 2 (G2) children from 12 to 13 years old. Each participant performed 10 kicks to the target in both conditions. Attempts were captured by two high speed cameras and were obtained data to analyze performance, variability, coordination and range of motion. Statistical analysis showed adjustments in coordination and range of motion, besides an increase of variability in the condition of moving ball in relation to the stationary ball condition. Regarding the age, it was found differences statistically significant only in the foot velocity. The results showed that the age groups studied had similar adjustments in movement coordination. The moving ball condition led to adjustments in the movement pattern, however, despite the increase in the variability, the performance was not different in relation to the stationary ball condition

The primary motor cortex (M1) is a key brain area for the generation and control of motor behaviour. Output from M1 can be driven in part by long-range inputs from a collection of thalamic nuclei termed the motor thalamus (MTh), but how MTh input shapes activity in M1 and forelimb motor behaviour remains largely unresolved. To address this issue, we first defined the 3D anatomical coordinates of mouse forelimb motor thalamus (MThFL) by employing conventional retrograde and virus-based tracing methods targeted to the forelimb region of M1 (M1FL). These complimentary approaches defined MThFL as a ~0.8 mm wide cluster of neurons with anatomical coordinates 1.1 mm caudal, 0.9 mm lateral to bregma and 3.2 mm below the pial surface. Thus, MThFL incorporates defined areas of the ventrolateral, ventral anterior and anteromedial thalamic nuclei. To investigate the importance of M1FL and MThFL during skilled motor behaviour, we developed and optimised a quantitative behavioural paradigm in which head-restrained mice execute forelimb lever pushes in response to an auditory cue to receive a water reward. Forelimb movement trajectories were mapped using high-speed digital imaging and multi-point kinematic analysis. We inactivated both M1FL and MThFL of mice performing this motor behaviour using a pharmacological strategy, which in both cases resulted in a significant reduction in task performance. Inactivating M1FL significantly affected forelimb coordination and dexterity, resulting in erratic motion and posture. In contrast, mice with MThFL inactivated displayed a reduction in total motor output, although correct posture was maintained. We performed extracellular recordings in MThFL of expert-level mice, demonstrating that motor thalamic output during execution of task was dominated by a robust response to the onset of the auditory cue. Cue-evoked responses were also observed in motor thalamic neurons of naive mice. We have developed a novel solution to the stability problem encountered when performing whole-cell patch-clamp recordings from the motor cortex of head-restrained mice performing forelimb motor behaviour, and present preliminary recordings maintained through the execution of forelimb behaviour.

Wong, Sheung Man. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2010. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 63-64). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / 摘要 --- p.iii / Acknowledgements --- p.iv / List of figures --- p.V / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1. --- Segway Personal Transporter (PT) --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2. --- Existing research using Segway Robotic Mobility Platform´ёØ (RMP) --- p.3 / Chapter 1.3. --- The ICSL Segway Rider --- p.9 / Chapter 1.4. --- Thesis outlines --- p.10 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- ICSL Segway Rider --- p.11 / Chapter 2.1. --- Design concept --- p.11 / Chapter 2.2. --- Design overview --- p.12 / Chapter 2.3. --- Actuating components --- p.14 / Chapter 2.4. --- Electronic and sensing components --- p.24 / Chapter 2.5. --- Software development of Segway Rider --- p.28 / Chapter 2.6. --- Chapter summary --- p.31 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- The grand challenge --- p.32 / Chapter 3.1. --- Objective --- p.32 / Chapter 3.2. --- Experiment --- p.33 / Chapter 3.3. --- Running lane tracking by computer vision --- p.34 / Chapter 3.3.1. --- Color space conversion --- p.36 / Chapter 3.3.2. --- Apply binary threshold --- p.37 / Chapter 3.3.3. --- Edge detection --- p.41 / Chapter 3.3.4. --- Hough transform --- p.46 / Chapter 3.3.5. --- Line analysis --- p.49 / Chapter 3.4. --- Chapter summary --- p.51 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Stand and stay --- p.52 / Chapter 4.1. --- Introduction --- p.52 / Chapter 4.2. --- Box matching method --- p.53 / Chapter 4.3. --- Image processing steps --- p.55 / Chapter 4.4. --- Experiment --- p.58 / Chapter 4.5. --- Chapter summary --- p.60 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- Conclusion and future works --- p.61 / Chapter 5.1. --- Contributions --- p.61 / Chapter 5.2. --- Future works --- p.62 / Bibliography --- p.63

A condição ótima de funcionamento de uma tubeira em um motor foguete com escoamento isentrópico, implica que a velocidade na garganta (seção de menor área) seja equivalente à velocidade do som local, condição de Mach 1 e bocal engasgado. Pode-se alcançar essa condição reduzindo a área da seção do escoamento até a área crítica, velocidade sônica. Após a garganta acontece a expansão e se alcança velocidades supersônicas no divergente. Para manter a condição de Mach 1 na garganta em motores foguetes, trabalha-se com pressões superiores à necessária para se engasgar o bocal. Isto ocorre porque tenta-se compensar instabilidades ou variações de volumes produzidos na combustão ou queima. Usando uma pressão de trabalho maior, impõe-se que a condição de Mach 1 fique mantida durante toda a queima do combustível, isso implica em usar tubos mais resistentes à pressão e maior massa do tubo-motor. Observou-se experimentalmente que em algumas situações construtivas se podem modificar a pressão e temperatura necessárias para engasgar o bocal aumentando o comprimento da garganta. O comprimento do estrangulamento pode estabelecer uma condição para formação e evolução da camada limite e esta condição restringir a área nominal, modificando o regime do escoamento. Um equipamento especialmente desenvolvido para esse ensaio compara resultados de cinco modelos de motores, divididos em dois grupos, cada grupo com áreas de entrada, garganta e saída iguais, porém com comprimentos diferentes de garganta. Em análise experimental, observou-se que a pressão de trabalho e a temperatura são influenciadas pelo comprimento da garganta, interferindo na relação entre as pressões internas e de garganta e apresentando condições de engasgamento mensuráveis. Essas medidas foram conduzidas no presente estudo de doutorado. / The optimum operational condition of a rocket motor nozzle with isentropic flow implies that the velocity at the throat (the section with smallest area) is equivalent to the speed of the local sound. This speed is also called Mach 1 and it is said that at this condition the nozzle is choking. One can achieve this condition by reducing the cross-sectional area of the flow to the critical area resulting in a sonic speed. Beyond the nozzle throat, in the divergent section of the motor, flow expansion occurs and reaches supersonic speeds. To maintain the condition of Mach 1 at the throat, higher pressures than the one necessary to choke the nozzle are applied. This practice is done in order to compensate for jitter or variations of volumes produced in the combustion process. Using a higher operating pressure guarantees that a Mach 1 speed is maintained throughout the combustion process. Consequently, due to this higher operating pressure, more resistant tubes are needed to withstand this higher pressure and an increase in the motor weight is inevitable. It was observed experimentally that some constructional modifications of the motor can alter the pressure and temperature required for choking. This was noted with increasing the bottleneck length of the nozzle throat which was able to establish a condition for the formation and evolution of the boundary layer, restricting the nominal area and thus modifying the flow regime. In this study, the results of five engine models are compared using a specially designed equipment. The rockets were divided into two groups, each with equal inlet, throat, and exit areas, but having different throat lengths. In experimental analysis, it was observed that the working pressure and temperature are influenced by the length of the throat, interfering in the relationship between the internal pressures and throat presenting measurable choking conditions which were conducted in this doctorate thesis study.

A variabilidade da força muscular, geralmente em uma tarefa de força constante e isométrica, tem sido estudada tanto de forma experimental quanto com o uso de ferramentas computacionais. No entanto, a maioria dos estudos utilizando simulações computacionais tem sido feita em tarefas que utilizam apenas um músculo, geralmente da mão. Até onde se tem conhecimento, não foi feito um estudo, nem experimental nem teórico, abrangendo o comportamento da variabilidade do torque durante a flexão plantar de uma forma geral. Considerando isso, esse trabalho tem como objetivo estudar a variabilidade do torque de flexão plantar por meio de simulações e de modelos matemáticos, comparando os resultados com os obtidos em experimentos realizados localmente. Uma primeira tentativa foi feita utilizando um modelo de contração muscular do tipo Hill ativado pela envoltória dos sinais de eletromiograma captados de cada um dos três músculos do tríceps sural. Essa abordagem não foi bem sucedida em termos da reprodução dos resultados experimentais obtidos de variabilidade do torque em humanos, embora tenha reproduzido bem o valor médio do torque da flexão plantar. Essa impossibilidade em reproduzir os dados experimentais de variabilidade do torque com um modelo ativado por envoltória do eletromiograma provavelmente deveu-se à perda de informação no eletromiograma sobre os disparos dos motoneurônios. Em uma segunda tentativa, os disparos individuais dos motoneurônios foram obtidos de um simulador desenvolvido localmente, chamado de ReMoto, capaz de fornecer os instantes de disparos de todos os modelos de motoneurônios que ativam cada músculo, além de ser capaz de fornecer a força produzida por esse músculo, calculada a partir da força produzida pelas unidades motoras individualmente. No entanto, a versão original do ReMoto foi parametrizada quase que totalmente utilizando dados de gatos e, por isso, foi necessário modificar diversos parâmetros (como amplitude dos abalos e amplitude do potencial de ação da unidade motora) e modelos (como limiar de recrutamento e saturação da força) antes de utilizar o simulador para o estudo da variabilidade do torque. Também foi adicionado um segundo modelo de gerador de força, que consegue reproduzir melhor as características temporais dos abalos das unidades motoras. Adicionalmente, um modelo do tipo Hill também foi modificado para ser ativado pelo conjunto de motoneurônios do simulador ReMoto. Novas simulações foram feitas com a nova versão do simulador (adaptada a dados de humanos) e os resultados foram condizentes com os dados experimentais (variabilidade do torque e do eletromiograma), indicando que os modelos no simulador são uma representação razoável do que acontece no ser humano. / The muscle force variability, usually in a constant and isometric force task, has been studied both experimentally and using computational tools. However, most studies using computer simulations have been made on tasks that use only one muscle, usually in the hand. As far as is known, no study has analyzed, either theoretically or experimentally, the overall behavior of the torque variability during plantar flexion. Therefore, this work aims to study the plantar flexion torque variability by means of mathematical models and simulations, comparing the results with those obtained in human experiments carried out locally. A first attempt was made using a Hill-type muscle contraction model activated by the electromyogram obtained from each of the three triceps surae muscles. This approach was not successful in terms of reproducing the torque variability results obtained from humans, although it estimated well the average value of plantar flexion torque. This inability to reproduce the torque variability found in experimental data was probably due to the information loss in the electromyogram of the spike times of motoneurons. In a second approach, the firing of individual motoneuron were obtained from a neuromuscular simulator developed locally, called ReMoto, capable of providing the spike times of all motoneuron models that activate each muscle and the respective muscle force. The latter is generated in the simulator from the forces generated by each motor unit that composes the muscle. However, the ReMoto original version was almost completely parameterized using data from cats and, hence, it was necessary to modify various parameter values (such as motor unit twitchs and action potential amplitudes) and models (such as the recruitment threshold and force saturation) before using the simulator to study torque variability in humans. Besides the second order twitch model already implemented in the original version of the simulator, two other models were implemented in this work. One was a more refined twitch model and the second was a Hill-type model modified to be activated by the ReMoto simulator motoneuron pool. New simulations were run with the new version of the simulator (adapted to human data) and the fittings to the experimental data (torque and electomyogram envelope variability) were good, suggesting that the models in the simulator are a reasonable representation of what occurs in the living human being.