A Data Requisition Treatment Instrument For Clinical Quantifiable Soft Tissue Manipulation

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)Soft tissue manipulation is a widely used practice by manual therapists from a variety of healthcare disciplines to evaluate and treat neuromusculoskeletal impairments using mechanical stimulation either by hand massage or specially-designed tools. The practice of a specific approach of targeted pressure application using distinguished rigid mechanical tools to breakdown adhesions, scar tissues and improve range of motion for affected joints is called Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Manipulation (IASTM). The efficacy of IASTM has been demonstrated as a means to improve mobility of joints, reduce pain, enhance flexibility and restore function. However, unlike the techniques of ultrasound, traction, electrical stimulation, etc. the practice of IASTM doesn't involve any standard to objectively characterize massage with physical parameters. Thus, most IASTM treatments are subjective to practitioner or patient subjective feedback, which essentially addresses a need to quantify therapeutic massage or IASTM treatment with adequate treatment parameters to document, better analyze, compare and validate STM treatment as an established, state-of-the-art practice. This thesis focuses on the development and implementation of Quantifiable Soft Tissue Manipulation (QSTM™) Technology by designing an ergonomic, portable and miniaturized wired localized pressure applicator medical device (Q1), for characterizing soft tissue manipulation. Dose-load response in terms of forces in Newtons; pitch angle of the device ; stroke frequency of massage measured within stipulated time of treatment; all in real-time has been captured to characterize a QSTM session. A QSTM PC software (Q-WARE©) featuring a Treatment Record System subjective to individual patients to save and retrieve treatment diagnostics and a real-time graphical visual monitoring system has been developed from scratch on WINDOWS platform to successfully implement the technology. This quantitative analysis of STM treatment without visual monitoring has demonstrated inter-reliability and intra-reliability inconsistencies by clinicians in STM force application. While improved consistency of treatment application has been found when using visual monitoring from the QSTM feedback system. This system has also discriminated variabilities in application of high, medium and low dose-loads and stroke frequency analysis during targeted treatment sessions.2023-04-2

Design of piezo-based AVC system for machine tool applications

The goal of machine tools for Ultra High Precision Machining is to guarantee high specified performances and to maintain them over life cycle time. In this paper the design of an innovative mechatronic subsystem (platform) for Active Vibration Control (AVC) of Ultra High Precision micromilling Machines is presented. The platform integrates piezoelectric stack actuators and a novel sensor concept. During the machining process (e.g. milling), the contact between the cutting tool and the workpiece surface at the tool tip point generates chattering vibrations. Any vibration is recorded on the workpiece surface, directly affecting its roughness. Consequently, uncontrolled vibrations lead to poor surface finishing, unacceptable in high precision milling. The proposed Smart Platform aims to improve the surface finishing of the workpiece exploiting a broadband AVC strategy. The paper describes the steps throughout the design phase of the platform, beginning from the actuator/sensor criteria selection taking into account both performance and durability. The novel actuation principle and mechanism and the related FE analysis are also presented. Finally, an integrated mechatronic model able to predict in closed-loop the active damping and vibration-suppression capability of the integrated system is presented and simulation results are discussed

How can Data Analytics Results be Exploited in the Early Phase of Product Development? 13 Design Principles for Data-Driven Product Planning

The megatrend digitalization turns mechatronic products into continuous collectors and generators of use phase data. By analyzing this data, manufacturers can uncover valuable insights about the products and the users. Especially in product planning, these insights could be used to plan promising future product generations. The systematic exploitation of data analytics results, however, represents a serious challenge, as research on the topic is still scarce. In this paper, we present 13 design principles for exploiting data analytics results in product planning. The results are based on a systematic literature review and a workshop with a research consortium. The evaluation of the design principles is demonstrated with a real case of a manufacturing company. The identified design principles represent a first contribution to a still scarcely explored research field

Safety Stroller

ME450 Capstone Design and Manufacturing Experience: Winter 2010Kids in Danger desires to guide a team of engineers towards building a redesigned child stroller to address certain safety hazards. Common accidents from current strollers include rolling into traffic, invisibility at night, entrapment of the child, difficult setup, and pinching points. Nancy Cowles of Kids in Danger provided us with basic information regarding stroller malfunctions and what needs to be addressed. Our redesigned stroller targets these safety concerns and reduces the possibility of stroller accidents. In addition, this prototype introduces new technology that addresses safety concerns not currently covered by the ASTM F833 standards. The new features target safety hazards that are responsible for numerous child injuries each year, using an engineering approach to provide solutions.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/109379/1/me450w10project21_report.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/109379/2/me450w10project21_photo.jp

Proceedings of the 5th Baltic Mechatronics Symposium - Espoo April 17, 2020

The Baltic Mechatronics Symposium is annual symposium with the objective to provide a forum for young scientists from Baltic countries to exchange knowledge, experience, results and information in large variety of fields in mechatronics. The symposium was organized in co-operation with Taltech and Aalto University. Due to Coronavirus COVID-19 the symposium was organized as a virtual conference. The content of the proceedings1. Monitoring Cleanliness of Public Transportation with Computer Vision2. Device for Bending and Cutting Coaxial Wires for Cryostat in Quantum Computing3. Inertial Measurement Method and Application for Bowling Performance Metrics4. Mechatronics Escape Room5. Hardware-In-the-Loop Test Setup for Tuning Semi-Active Hydraulic Suspension Systems6. Newtonian Telescope Design for Stand-off Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy7. Simulation and Testing of Temperature Behavior in Flat Type Linear Motor Carrier8. Powder Removal Device for Metal Additive Manufacturing9. Self-Leveling Spreader Beam for Adjusting the Orientation of an Overhead Crane Loa

Commercial Vehicle Research Buggy For Active Driver Assistance Systems

This is the Final Design Report for Daimtronics, a senior project team sponsored by Professor Charles Birdsong of Cal Poly and by Daimler Trucks North America. This team integrated mechatronic systems into a scale semi-truck chassis using existing mechanical and software systems from three separate Cal Poly senior projects over the recent years: Daimscale, MicroLaren, and ProgreSSIV. The goal was to have a user-friendly platform capable of executing autonomous driving algorithms that are programmable at a high level in Simulink and Robotic Operating System (ROS). Advanced driver assistance and autonomous vehicle algorithms were not within the scope of this project, but the capability to upload the platform with such software was. Through research on existing products and technologies in the field today, as well as through communication with the sponsors, Daimtronics has compiled a list of customer needs and resulting engineering specifications that will verify whether the needs are met or not. Included is both the preliminary design direction, encompassing the selection of a motor, a computing platform and a middleware framework, as well as the final design direction as the project evolved. The sensor suite for object detection and detailed plans for the integration of the electronic, computing, and mechanical components are described. The proposed and final design of the motherboard integrating the electronic and computing platforms of the system is detailed. A description of the current state of the project is included, as well as suggested next steps for future teams who will be working on this platform. A timeline of key deliverables and their due dates throughout the 2018-2019 academic school year is included

Developing tools and methods for object-oriented mechatronics

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning, Program in Media Arts and Sciences, 2011.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. [161]-166).The digital revolution has fundamentally changed our lives by giving us new ways to express ourselves through digital media. For example, accessible multimedia content creation tools allow people to instantiate their ideas and share them easily. However, most of these outcomes only exist on-screen and online. Despite the growing accessibility of digital design and fabrication tools the physical world and everyday objects surrounding us have been largely excluded from a parallel explosion of possibilities to express ourselves. Increasingly, webbased services allow professional and non-professional audiences to access computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) tools like 3D-printing and laser-cutting. Nonetheless, there are few (if any) design tools and methods for creating complex mechanical assemblies that take full advantage of CAM systems. Creating unique mechatronic artifacts or "originalMachines" requires more specific and sophisticated design tools than exist today. "Object-Oriented Mechatronics" is a parametric design approach that connects knowledge about mechanical assemblies and electronics with the requirements of digital manufacturing processes. Parametric instances like gears, bearing and servos are made available as objects within a CAD environment which can then be implemented into specific projects. The approach addresses the missing link between accessible rapid-manufacturing services and currently available design tools thereby creating new opportunities for self-expression through mechatronic objects and machines. The dissertation matches mechanical components and assemblies with rapid manufacturing methods by exploring transferability of conventional manufacturing techniques to appropriate rapid manufacturing tools. I rebuild various gearing and bearing principles like four-contact point bearings, cross roller bearings, spur and helical gears, planetary gears, cycloidal and harmonic gear reducers using the laser cutter, the CNC-mill and the 3D-printer. These explorations lead to more complex assemblies such as the PlywoodServo, 3DprintedClock and 3-DoF (Degree of Freedom) Head. The lessons from these explorations are summarized in a detailed "cook book" of novel mechatronic assemblies enabled by new fabrication tools. Furthermore, I use the results to develop a CAD tool that brings together several existing software packages and plug-ins including Rhino, Grasshopper and the Firefly experiments for Arduino, which will allow animation, fabrication and control of original machines. The tool is an example of an object-oriented design approach to mechatronic assemblies. A user calls a DoF (Degree of Freedom) object (parametric servo) with specific parameters like gearing and bearing types, motor options and control and communication capabilities. The DoF object then creates the corresponding geometry which can be connected and integrated with other actuators and forms. A group of roboticists and designers participated in a workshop to test the tool and make proposals for original machines using the tool. The dissertation has contributions on multiple levels. First, the actuator assembly examples and parametric design tool present a body of novel work that illustrates the benefits of going beyond off-the-shelf actuator assemblies and kit-of-parts for robotic objects. Second, this tool and the accompanying examples enable the design of more original machines with custom actuator assemblies using the latest digital fabrication tools. Finally, these explorations illustrate how new CAD/ CAM tools can facilitate an exchange between more design-oriented users and more engineering-oriented users.by Peter Schmitt.Ph.D

Development of an anomaly alert system triggered by unusual behaviors at home

In many countries, the number of elderly people has grown due to the increase in the life expectancy of the population, many of whom currently live alone and are prone to having accidents that they cannot report, especially if they are immobilized. For this reason, we have developed a non-intrusive IoT device, which, through multiple integrated sensors, collects information on habitual user behavior patterns and uses it to generate unusual behavior rules. These rules are used by our SecurHome system to send alert messages to the dependent person's family members or caregivers if their behavior changes abruptly over the course of their daily life. This document describes in detail the design and development of the SecurHome system.SecurHome is a multidisciplinary research project on ageing in the framework of the International Centre on Ageing (CENIE). It is a project evaluated by the Spanish State Agency for Research and co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund in the framework of the Interreg V-A Spain–Portugal Cooperation Programme (POCTEP) 2014–2020