Title: Neuro Biomechanical principles in robot-assisted gait training for pediatric patients Background: There is a lack of data on how robot-assisted gait training (RAGT) contributes to gait changes in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Methods: This research study investigated efficacy of a 4-week RAGT intervention in twelve ambulatory spastic diparesis children with CP (10.8±2.6 years old; 2 girls and 10 boys; Gross Motor Function Classification System I-III) by using computerized gait analysis (CGA); passive joint range of motion (PROM); selective control assessment of lower limbs evaluation (SCALE), and the six-minute walk test (6MWT). Pre-post RAGT intervention data of children with CP was compared with the normative data curves of typically developing children by cross-correlation, and further statistically evaluated by a Wilcoxon test. Results: Significant pre-post RAGT intervention differences (p<0.05) that indicate more physiological gait comparing to the normative data curves were found. Biceps femoris, rectus femoris, and tibialis anterior decreased activity almost across all gait cycle phases. Medial gastrocnemius decreased activity mainly in terminal stance, mid-swing, and terminal swing phases. Internal hip rotations and foot progress angles decreased almost across all gait cycle...

Aim of this thesis is a verification of possibility to measure displacement in small range using sensor based on the principle of strain gauge. For testing purspose, an evaluating unit was designed, made and assembled. This unit contains analog/digital converter, LCD and it has an abbility to move measuring plane using stepper motor. Next part of this thesis is about testing new prototype of strain gauge sensor, including evaluation of results of measuring. The performed measurements were measuring linearity, time stability and repeatability. Based on the results of the measurements, the possibility of using this type of length measuring device was confirmed for further development.

Les études neurophysiologiques de la prise de décision, traditionnellement ancrées dans des principes neuro-économiques, ont évoluées pour inclure une variété d’aires du cerveau. Partant d’abord du lobe frontal associé aux jugements de valeur, le champ s’est élargi pour inclure d’autres types de décisions incluant les décisions perceptuelles et les décisions incarnées qui impliquent notamment les aires sensorimotrices du cerveau. La théorie moderne de la prise de décision modèle l’activité neurale dans ces régions comme une compétition entre les différents stimuli et actions considérés par un individu. Cette compétition est résolue lorsque l’activité neurale associée à un stimulus ou une action choisie atteint un seuil critique. Toutefois, il reste à éclaircir comment ce modèle s’applique aux décisions effectuées alors que l’individu est déjà engagé dans une activité. Dans ce mémoire nous examinons ce type de décision chez des sujets humains dans une tâche de suivi continu. Des cibles « choix » apparaissaient sur un écran pendant que le sujet suivait de la main une cible qui se déplaçait doucement en continu. Le sujet pouvait ignorer ces cibles choix, ou abandonner la cible suivie pour toucher une cible choix, dans quel cas la cible sélectionnée devenait la nouvelle cible à suivre du doigt. Tel qu’attendu, nous avons observé que les sujets favorisaient les cibles plus proches, plus grandes, et les cibles alignées avec l’axe du mouvement. Toutefois nous avons été surpris de constater que les sujets ignoraient les coûts énergétiques du mouvement, tel que modélisés. Un biais pour minimiser les coûts du mouvement fut réintroduis lorsque la tâche fut divisée en séries de mouvements point-à-point, plutôt qu’un mouvement continu. Même si nous ne pouvons expliquer ce résultat surprenant, nous espérons qu’il inspire de futures études utilisant le paradigme expérimental de décision durant l’action. / Neurophysiological studies of decision-making have expanded over decades to involve many brain areas. The field broadened from neuroeconomics, mainly concerned with frontal regions, to perceptual or embodied decision-making involving several sensorimotor areas where neural activity is linked to the stimuli and actions necessary for the decision process. Current models of decision-making envision this neural activity as a competition between different actions that is resolved when enough activity favors one over the other. However, it is unclear how such models can explain decisions often present in natural behavior, where deliberation takes place while already engaged in an action. In this thesis, we examined the choices human subjects made as they were engaged in a continuous tracking task. While they were manually tracking a target on a flat screen, subjects were occasionally presented with a new target to which they could freely choose to switch, whereupon it became the new tracked target. As expected, we found that subjects were more likely to move to closer targets, bigger targets, or targets that were aligned to the direction of movement. However, we were surprised that subjects did not choose targets that minimized energetic cost, as calculated by a biomechanical model of the arm. A biomechanical bias was restored when the continuous movement was broken up into a series of point to point movements. While we cannot yet explain these findings with certainty, we hope they will inspire further studies using decide-while-acting paradigms.

This work deals with a proposal and construction of a DC/DC converter for a control of a DC motor Heinzmann. The DC/DC converter will be used in an electric drive for a bicycle. The proposal of the DC/DC converter is designed for such engine power to avoid fully any human force to drive - pedaling. The work includes informations about the used motor, progress of proposal and dimensioning of the converter - power circuit and control electronics.

This master's thesis deals with design electronics for an antenna rotator in two axis. There are designed and implemented drivers for two stepper motors. Was also designed and implemented control panel that allows manual control the rotator and remote control by PC via USB. At the same time created software for control panel and PC application for easy operation.

The analysis for the extension of the control system and proposal of controlling program for surveillance cameras and related theoretical analysis necessary for understanding problems. Proposal communication protocol to access all functions via TCP/IP communication. Subsequent protocol implementation into control program and a programmable controller. Programming application with a user interface for camera control and basic image processing. The program also represents the server for TCP/IP communication with clients over the proposed protocol. The proposed application has to fulfill high pretensions of data streaming from cameras. Extension of the existing control system of the telescope, dome and other systems. The addition of analog measurement and control of digital inputs and outputs. Furthermore, control of stepper motors to control focusers. The embedded communication protocol will be expanded of the new instruction.

The diploma thesis is a part of the project Intelligent double arm juggling machine. The project is divided into two diploma thesis. This thesis deals with the motion control of juggling arms. Information about hardware and software resources used in this project is in the first part of thesis. There is explanation of the control loop, explanation of used communication protocols and implementation of program proceeding in the second part of thesis.

Cette thèse propose une approche interdisciplinaire originale du traitement du mouvement humain corps-complet grâce à l'utilisation couplée d'approches issues de la biomécanique, du contrôle moteur et de la robotique. Les méthodes biomécaniques sont utilisées pour l'enregistrement, le traitement et l'analyse du mouvement humain. L'approche << Uncontrolled Manifold >> du contrôle moteur est étendue à l'étude des mouvements hautement dynamiques. Ceci permet de déterminer si d'éventuelles tâches dynamiques sont contrôlées et stabilisées par le cerveau, puis d'inférer une organisation hiérarchique des tâches motrices. Le formalisme de l'espace des tâches utilisé en robotique pour la génération de mouvement corps-complet ainsi que la hiérarchie des tâches extraites dans l'étude du contrôle moteur sont utilisés pour simuler des mouvements humains hautement dynamiques. Cette approche permet de mieux comprendre le mouvement humain et de générer des mouvements inspirés de l'humain pour d'autres systèmes anthropomorphes tel que des robots ou avatars. La discipline du Parkour, impliquant des actions hautement dynamiques tels que des sauts et des techniques d'atterisage, est choisie pour illustrer l'approche proposée. / This thesis proposes an original and interdisciplinary approach to the treatment of whole-body human movements through the synergistic utilization of biomechanics, motor control and robotics. Robust methods of biomechanics are used to record, process and analyze whole-body human motions. The Uncontrolled Manifold approach (UCM) of motor control is extended to study highly dynamic movements processed in the biomechanical study, in order to determine if hypothesized dynamic tasks are being controlled stably by the central nervous system. This extension permits also to infer a hierarchical organization of the controlled dynamic tasks. The task space formalism of motion generation in robotics is used to generate whole-body motion by taking into account the hierarchy of tasks extracted in the motor control study. This approach permits to better understand the organization of human dynamic motions and provide a new methodology to generate whole-body human motions with anthropomorphic systems. A case study of highly dynamic and complex movements of Parkour, including jumps and landings, is utilized to illustrate the proposed approach.

Master thesis deals with solutions of BLDC motors (brushless DC motors) control. It analyses microcontrollers and electronic components suitable for BLDC motor controllers under conditions of serial production. It mentions some common problems in practical aplication like dynamic motor braking, synchronization, recuperation and constant revolutions.

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