Modeling And Identification Of An Underwater Glider.

Underwater gliders are type of autonomous underwater vehicle that glide by controlling their buoyancy and attitude using internal actuators

Anthropometry dimensions of older Malaysians: comparison of age, gender and ethnicity

Studies have indicated that body dimensions differ for various populations. To determine whether there are differences in the anthropometric data of the elderly population in Malaysia, the anthropometric data collected from a previous project was used. These comparisons can give some indications of the relative sizes between age, gender and ethnicity in Malaysian elderly populations. The results showed that some anthropometric dimensions were influenced by age, gender and ethnicity. Regression analysis showed that age and ethnicity were significant predictors (p< .01) of Malaysians elderly BMI’s. The analysis has provided important information in designing and planning of facilities and products for elderly populations

An ergonomic analysis of Malaysian elderly walking frame user posture

This study was to analyze walking frame user posture among the 15 participants of Malaysian elderly aged 60 and above in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur. This study utilized two postural observations and a computer simulation of the elderly user using Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) and Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) analysis. The results revealed that the majority of respondents show a slightly bent posture, bowed their heads and appears difficulty during the use walking frame, which requires further investigation and appropriate techniques in the way the walking frame is used. Some recommendations were also suggested in this study

Walking patterns

Balance is essential for mobility and performing activities of daily living. The ability to maintain balance during navigation in daily activities is a key component of successful ambulation. Gait and balance impairment have been consistently reported as among the strongest risk factors for falls among community dwelling seniors. Reduced coordination of postural control could lead to poor gait pattern and balance impairment among older people

Product design specification (PDS) development for developing an assistive walking device for elderly

Ageing is an issue occur globally. Malaysia is one of the countries which is slowly stepping into the ageing nation. As the number of elderlies increased, the fall risk prevalence has become as one of the major issues among the elderly. An Elderly tend to experience higher fall risk and more severe injury cause compare to other age group since some of the fall factors are age-related. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to analyze the public perception, behavior on the use of walking aids and to develop product design specification (PDS) for developing an assistive walking device with better user experience and efficiency to reduce fall risk among elderly. Mix-methods were used to carry out this study consist of observation and questionnaire. 100 respondents were involved in this study that was focusing care center in Klang Valley Malaysia. Majority of the respondents agreed that the existing walker causes unpleasant user experience due to improper walker sizing and ergonomic issues. PDS will be proposed in developing an assistive walking device to enhance the effectiveness of the device in reducing elderly fall risk. The outcome of the PDS will contribute to walker users, people with disabilities, senior citizen, elderly caretaker and guidance for product designer

Developing advanced appliances control system in toilet and bathroom for aged generation: FGD preliminary findings

When a person gets old, there are many changes that occur in the aspect of biomechanical features such as bones, joints and muscles which can affect their mobility and strength including reduction in vision and hearing abilities. Thus, this condition will expose them to risk of injuries and accidents. Based on previous studies, toilet and bathroom are identified as the common place where injuries and accidents occur involving older persons. Therefore, in order to create safe and suitable environment for older persons, modifications to products, systems and environments for their daily use should be taken into consideration. Environmental modifications and assistive technology (AT) can compensate for limitations in functional capabilities and thus promoting the well-being and independence of the elderly. In this study, the initial approach is through qualitative methods which was Focus Group Discussion (FGD). Information related to issues and problems, causing factors and suggestions for improvement will be used as an important indicator in the development of relevant systems in this study

Reliability of Zepp baseball on batting velocity / Raja Nurul Jannat Raja Hussain … [et al.]

In baseball and softball sports, one of the important characteristic of a successful hitter is having a fast bat swing velocity. Therefore, it is crucial to measure changes of batting velocity in training and during competitive matches. This paper quantifies the reliability of a small wearable sensor that was designed to be used in baseball and softball sports. An inertial measurement unit (IMU) manufactured by Zepp Lab, USA was used to measure the batting velocity in softball. A single female collegiate softball player completed sixty tee swings of two pre-determined swing velocities. Results from moderate velocity Vm (25.5 ± 3.5 m/s), and fast velocity range Vf (34.5 ± 3.5 m/s) were obtained. Data were collected concurrently with a 3- Dimensional (3D) motion analysis system (Qualisys Motion Capture). The reliability of the IMU was determined based on the Pearson Correlation and Intraclass Correlation (ICC) values between the IMU and the 3D data. Results indicated strong and moderate correlation between the IMU and the 3D data (Vm, r = 0.89; Vf, r = 0.59). The ICC for Vm (0.89) showed strong agreement, while fair agreement showed for Vf (0.37). However, for a total of sixty swings of two different velocities showed almost perfect agreement (ICC = 0.94). These results indicate that the Zepp Baseball device has an acceptable level of reliability in measuring batting velocity during different swing velocity ranges and it is suitable to be use in a softball-related research environment

Issues on occupational safety and health at workplace among older fishermen in Malaysia

The fisheries sector is an important sub-sector in Malaysia and plays a significant role in the national economy development. Fish is largely consumed by the population and the fishery industry is also a source of employment for those living in the coastal areas. However, sea fishing is a dangerous and risky occupation. Previous studies have shown that occupational accidents and injuries among fishermen are prevalent. Thus, this study was conducted to explore occupational safety issues among older fishermen in Malaysia. A total of 397 fishermen age 45 years and above in the states of Terengganu, Kedah and Perak were interviewed by trained enumerator using a questionnaire that focused on the safety problems at work and what are the causes of these problems. Data was analyzed using Statistical Program for Social Science (SPSS). Majority of respondents were male, Malay, married and had primary school education. The finding also showed that almost one-third of the respondents reported that they had experienced boat accidents mostly caused by bad weather. One-fifth of the respondents in this study have experienced accidents/physical injury in their workplace, with animal bites and being stung identified as the main contributor. Falls was reported by almost half of the respondents and slippery floor, strong waves and tripping were identified as the major causes. Few of the identified safety problems among these fishermen such as fall and animal bites are preventable and therefore future improvement can be designed to create a safer and better workplace for the fisheries sectors

The relationship between social support and demographic characteristics among Malaysian university students during the Covid-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the fastest and most widespread epidemics affecting the world today, and its impacts are also experienced in Malaysia. The pandemic has a huge impact on the social, economic, and educational livelihood of the community. Furthermore, the government’s implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO) has resulted in most sectors not operating at full capacity, including higher education institutions. This situation has largely affected the field of education. Thus, this study was conducted to explore the relationship between social support and demographic characteristics among the Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study adopted the quantitative survey research design and involved 468 randomly sampled participants. Data were collected using a digital questionnaire developed using Google Form and distributed through social media applications. The Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) software was used to analyze the data obtained. The study’s findings showed that there was no significant difference between social support and sociodemographic backgrounds. Apart from that, the study also found a significant correlation between the three elements of social support (family, peer, and other close individual). Therefore, continuous social support must be fully utilized in order to avoid the emergence of any issues that can have a negative impact on students, thereby affecting their academic achievement and progress

A conceptual framework to determine usability criteria for family of products for older Malaysians

This study proposes a conceptual framework which has three steps to derive and rank usability criteria for family of products related to Instrumental/Enhanced Activity of Daily Living (I/EADL). The three steps include, measuring level of functional disability by a modified IADL scale to obtain the kind and level of disability and identify related family of products, developing an initial list of recognized usability factors, and conducting Focus Group Discussion (FGD) process to develop and rank a complete list of usability crite-ria for family of products to support I/EADL. The proposed method can be used to evaluate product usability and create a helpful link between level of usability and IADL scale, thereby making better decision in purchasing each family of product for older Malaysians