This thesis presents the development and experimental testing of a lower-limb exoskeleton system. The device supplies assistive torque at the knee joint to alleviate the loading at the knee, and thus reduce the muscular effort required to perform activities of daily living. The hypothesis is that the added torque would facilitate the execution of these movements by people who previously had limited mobility. Only four specific movements were studied: level-waking, gradient-walking, sit-to-stand-to-sit and ascending stairs. All three major components of the exoskeleton system, i.e. the exoskeleton actuators and actuator control system, the user intention estimation algorithm, and the mechanical construction of the exoskeleton, were investigated in this work. A leg brace was fabricated in accordance with the biomechanics of the human lower-limb. A single rotational degree of freedom at the knee and ankle joints was placed to ensure that the exoskeleton had a high kinematic compliance with the human leg. The position of the pneumatic actuators and sensors were also determined after significant deliberation. The construction of the device allowed the real-world testing of the actuator control algorithm and the user intention estimation algorithms. Pneumatic artificial muscle actuators, that have high power to weight ratio, were utilized on the exoskeleton. An adaptive fuzzy control algorithm was developed to compensate for the inherent nonlinearities in the pneumatic actuators. Experimental results confirmed the effectiveness of the adaptive controller. The user intention estimation algorithm is responsible for interpreting the user's intended movements by estimating the magnitude of the torque exerted at the knee joint. To accomplish this, the algorithm utilizes biological signals that emanate from the knee extensor and flexor muscles when they are activated. These signals combined with the knee angle data are used as inputs to the estimation algorithm. The output is the magnitude and direction of the estimated torque. This value is then scaled by an assistance ratio, which determines the intensity of the assistive torque provided to the user. The experiments conducted verify the robustness and predictability of the proposed algorithms. Finally, experimental results from the four activities of daily living, affirm that the desired movements could be performed successfully in cooperation with the exoskeleton. Furthermore, muscle activity recorded during the movements show a reduction in effort when assisted by the exoskeleton.

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Percentile reinforcement schedules have been used to systematically alter inter-response times, behavioral variability, breath carbon monoxide levels, duration of social behaviors, and various other properties of behavior. However, none of the previous studies have examined the effectiveness of percentile schedules in relation to the magnitude of muscular contractions. This control over magnitude of muscular responding has important implications relating to the strengthening of muscles and correct movements for patients receiving physical rehabilitation. There would be great utility in percentile schedules that can be implemented in rehabilitation situations by physical therapists and patients themselves to improve treatment outcomes – all of which could be possible without any behavioral training if the procedure is implemented via body sensors and smartphone applications. Using healthy adults and the aforementioned technology, this thesis focused on the design and testing of three percentile reinforcement schedule procedures to increase the strength of the vastus medialis muscle. Results indicate that the magnitude of muscular responses can be shaped using body sensors and contingent feedback, and the percentile schedule procedures have promising applications in the domain of physical therapy.

Mechanical and neural factors have been suggested to limit finger independence. Fingers producing involuntary movement or force production during intended actions of another finger are considered “enslaved” to that finger. The purpose of this thesis was to quantify the contribution of passive mechanical factors to this enslaving effect, in particular, the contributions of the intertendinous connections between extensor tendons. Twenty participants (10 men, 10 women) performed Master and Slave Tasks in three wrist (30° extension, neutral, 30° flexion) and two metacarpophalangeal (MCP) (straight and 90° flexion) postures. During the Master Task, the ring finger was the intended or “master” finger. Three 10 s isometric ring finger extensions were performed at 25% of maximum voluntary contraction. Finger force and surface electromyography of the 4 extensor digitorum (ED) bellies were recorded. In the Slave Tasks, the middle and little fingers (“slave” fingers during the Master Task) each performed three 10 s isometric finger extensions at their mean activation levels during the Master Task. Hypothetical mechanical contribution (HMC) was determined for the middle and little fingers. The HMC was defined as the difference between the involuntary force (from the Master Task) and the voluntary force (from the Slave Task) relative to the involuntary force. A small proportion of the HMC values (Middle: 39%; Little: 15%) were within the expected range of 0 to 100%, suggesting that the equation developed in this study provided a limited representation of the contribution of passive intertendinous structures. Index finger forces increased with MCP flexion, suggesting the importance of juncturae tendineii in finger independence. Higher ED activity during wrist extension, than neutral or flexed postures, with straight MCP supports previous evidence in the literature. The complex phenomenon of enslaving in different wrist and MCP positions warrants further research for quantifying the mechanical contribution in finger independence. / Thesis / Master of Science in Kinesiology

Title: Kinesiology analysis of the horizontal jump in bike trial Cíle práce: The aim of this thesis is to verify the use of non-specific strength-training funds for the development of horizontal jump in bike trial. Methods: Content analysis of documents Method interview with assistant work Mgr. Marek Jelinek Ph.D. Method interview with the technician when recording data Case Study riders The method of data collection using surface electromyography Data Analysis Data processing software MS Excel - evaluation of differences of values sized muscle action potential in the different types of exercise Synthesis - making inferences and discussions Results: The list of exercises for developing strength abilities of the lower limbs, which are part of non-specific resources and influence the development of the horizontal jump in cyklotrial. Ranking exercises, which are in accordance with the measured values for effective development of horizontal jump in bike trial. The exercises are sorted from highest values aktivity of all muscles: 1st Squat with free weights 2nd Jump from second place 3rd Deadlift 4th Plyometrie 5th High Jump 6th Legpress Key words: Cycling trails, biking, surface electromyography.

Title: Skicross start analysis Objectives: The aim of this diploma thesis is to describe and evaluate the activity of muscles of upper body during skicross start and afterwards compare sides to find out, how is that movement symmetric or asymmetric. Methods: The diploma thesis is empiric-theoretic about case study. We used method of analysis and a method of comparison. For analysing the muscles activity, we used method of electromyography. We used comparison when comparing the activity of muscles on right and left sides. Results: After analysis of result we can declare the skicross start analysis is sym-metrical movement. Keywords: skicross start analysis electromyography Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)

Title: An electromyographical analysis of the influence of water environment on the rehabilitation of patients with Parkinson's disease Aims: The main aim of this Master's thesis was to compare electrical activity of selected muscles of patients with Parkinson's disease via electromyography during gate aground and in water environment. Furhter aim was to determine co-contraction level of leg muscles of patients with Parkinson's disease during gait aground and in water environment. Methods: This thesis is a case study, which was conducted on five probands, two of which were men and three women of age 67,4±7,1. With the use of surface electromyography, an activity was evaluated of m.tibialis anterior, m.gastrocnemius, m. rectus femoris, m. biceps femoris and mm. erectores spinae in place of Th -L junction. Acquired EMG signal was analized and then a standarized level of muscle activity during gait in different environments was evaluated, aground and in water, and afterward a dynamic co-contraction level was evaluated. Results: The results show consistent standardized activity of monitored muscles in water environment, which describes a chronic influence of pathological central program accompanying Parkinson's disease, where a change in coordination pattern is not observed, typical for movement in...

Objectives: We evaluate the movement patterns of left-sided radicular syndrome patients on the basis of intervertebral disc herniation L4/L5 or L5/S1 and test group to verify expected verge asymmetry between selected muscles and changes in their timing. Participants: 10 patients with left-sided radicular syndrome caused by intervertebral disc herniation were objects of the reserarch L4/L5 or L5/S1 (7 men, 3 women, average age 37,4 ± 10,67 years old). 6 healthy individuals without vertebrogenic problems were part of the reserarch (2 men, 4 women, average age 27,4 ± 2,6 years old) Methods: During specific tests focused on stabilizing function of musculosceletal system, selected muscles activity was recorded for both groups by SEMG Data analysis: The variation significance between experimental and test group was evaluated by two-tailed t-test. Significance level of p=0.05 was selected for statistical hypothesis testing. Results: We have proved statistically significant asymmetry between right and left side for patients with radicular syndrom. Significant variations were found for muscles timing between group with herniation and test group. Conclusion: Selected muscles activity and involvement sequence changes (timing) were found for patients with intervertebral disc herniation during postural tests,...

Title: Effects of PNF to change the motoric stereotype of the abduction in the shoulder joint Objectives: The aim of this thesis, which is conceived as a pilot experimental study is to verify the changes in the timing of selected muscles during stereotype abduction of the shoulder after performing repetitive cyclic motion by therapeutic method PNF if a specific number of repetitions of the movement is performed. Methods: This is a pilot experimental study, which was done on seven probands, 4 men and 3 women with an average age of 26.6 years. The surface EMG muscle activity was scanned on selected muscles during the motoric testing of stereotype of the abduction of the shoulder joint before and after the PNF techniques. The EMG signal was then analyzed and we evaluated the timing of muscles before and after the PNF techniques. The results were then compared in terms of both intra-individually and inter-individually comparison. Results: Results provided contradictory answers to the fundamental questions relating to changes in the timing of selected muscles after PNF techniques. In terms of the change in intra-individually timing after PNF hypothesis was proved. But from the perspective of inter-individually comparison the hypothesis was not proved. Keywords: PNF, surface electromyography, motion...

Title: Discrimination of EMG signals from individual forearm muscles from surface EMG Abstract: Location of electrodes for sensing the forearm muscles using surface electromyography is not accurately described. It is based only on recommendations by various authors in making researches. The aim of this study was to determine the optimal placement of electrodes on the forearm and describe it to another repeatable measurements. By analyzing the amplitude of EMG recording is confirmed not only the optimal location of electrodes, but either suggested muscle synergies that are possible to analyze more deeply in other studies because a detailed examination of muscle synergies are considerable application in upper limb prosthetics Keywords: Surface electromyography, forearm muscles, amplitude analysis