A Methodology Towards Comprehensive Evaluation of Shape Memory Alloy Actuators for Prosthetic Finger Design

Presently, DC motors are the actuator of choice within intelligent upper limb prostheses. However, the weight and dimensions associated with suitable DC motors are not always compatible with the geometric restrictions of a prosthetic hand; reducing available degrees of freedom and ultimately rendering the prosthesis uncomfortable for the end-user. As a result, the search is on-going to find a more appropriate actuation solution that is lightweight, noiseless, strong and cheap. Shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators offer the potential to meet these requirements. To date, no viable upper limb prosthesis using SMA actuators has been developed. The primary reasons lie in low force generation as a result of unsuitable actuator designs, and significant difficulties in control owing to the highly nonlinear response of SMAs when subjected to joule heating. This work presents a novel and comprehensive methodology to facilitate evaluation of SMA bundle actuators for prosthetic finger design. SMA bundle actuators feature multiple SMA wires in parallel. This allows for increased force generation without compromising on dynamic performance. The SMA bundle actuator is tasked with reproducing the typical forces and contractions associated with the human finger in a prosthetic finger design, whilst maintaining a high degree of energy efficiency. A novel approach to SMA control is employed, whereby an adaptive controller is developed and tuned using the underlying thermo-mechanical principles of operation of SMA wires. A mathematical simulation of the kinematics and dynamics of motion provides a platform for designing, optimizing and evaluating suitable SMA bundle actuators offline. This significantly reduces the time and cost involved in implementing an appropriate actuation solution. Experimental results show iii that the performance of SMA bundle actuators is favourable for prosthesis applications. Phalangeal tip forces are shown to improve significantly through bundling of SMA wire actuators, while dynamic performance is maintained owing to the design and implementation of the selected control strategy. The work is intended to serve as a roadmap for fellow researchers seeking to design, implement and control SMA bundle actuators in a prosthesis design. Furthermore, the methodology can also be adopted to serve as a guide in the evaluation of other non-conventional actuation technologies in alternative applications

Assessment in experiential learning : the case of a public policy internship

Assessment is a significant issue for learning in the workplace. In some professions there are key indicators of success shared by workplace and academic supervisors alike. Beyond specific professions, however, assessment becomes more diffuse in workplaces that do not have explicit criteria established to judge performance of students in experiential learning. Assessing learning in these workplaces may be associated with methods that rely more upon student self appraisal and workplace supervisor reports. This article reports on the approach used for assessment in a public policy internship program in one Australian university - Deakin University in Victoria. The article argues that assessment, rather than being an add-on or a test of pre-ordained information, is central to the process of learning itself. This means that before students embark upon a policy internship they need to build their critical thinking abilities; i.e. a process of purposeful, self- regulatory judgment. Secondly they need to discuss how to negotiate their tasks in different workplaces and how to produce the criteria to be used in their evaluation.<br /

Separate spheres and public policy : the role of women in the development of children\u27s services in Victorian local government, 1840-1992

The thesis is an explanation of the development of pre-school children\u27s services (infant welfare, kindergartens and child care) at local government level in Victoria. The critical framework of analysis focuses on three dimensions of public policy: 1) the socio-historical environment; 2) the political processes involved in the development of the specific children\u27s service; and 3) the major individuals and groups that exerted pressure for children\u27s service, The argument is threefold. Firstly it is argued that the political environment of children\u27s services has been dominated by the practice of separate spheres of public and private, in which the care of children is primarily the role of women. Secondly, it is argued that the political processes surrounding the development of local children\u27s services have involved all levels of government in what is termed a local state. Thirdly, it is argued that the development of these children\u27s services in local government has resulted mainly from the work of women both individually and collectively. Since the three services of infant welfare, kindergartens and child care all became a normal function of children\u27s services at different times, the circumstances that surrounded each development exhibited different aspects of the three major arguments. The periodisation is broken into four phases: 1) the establishment of local government with no children\u27s services in the nineteenth century; 2) the establishment of infant welfare services in local government in the early part of the twentieth century; 3) the incorporation of kindergartens into local government after the second world war; and 4) the incorporation of child care into local government in the 1970s and 1980s. The thesis concludes by arguing that the existence of children\u27s services in local government in Victoria is testimony to the remarkable work of those women who have pursued the issue both individually and collectively. It has been the identification of children\u27s services as a women\u27s issue in Australian politics that has enabled women\u27s groups at different times to influence the policy makers in diverse ways. However, while the establishment of children\u27s services as a legitimate political concern brings the matter onto the public agenda, the separate spheres still remains a contested issue in the public policies of children\u27s services

Towards an improved understanding of knowledge dynamics in integrated coastal zone management: a knowledge systems framework

Integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) is a complex undertaking that draws on a range of biophysical and social science disciplines, and involves a wide range of&nbsp;stakeholders operating through multiple processes, and crossing various levels&nbsp; Conceptually, this means that ICZM represents a significant challenge in terms of improving the way in which different disciplinary &lsquo;knowledges&rsquo; and different forms of&nbsp;knowledge (scientific, managerial, lay, and indigenous) inform decision making. Depending upon the circumstances, ICZM may be constrained by different knowledge&nbsp;deficits, including: uncertainty; science - policy gaps; and the &lsquo;filtering&rsquo; of particular forms of knowledge relative to others. As a means for making sense of these knowledge dynamics, this paper considers the concept of knowledge systems&nbsp;and its potential for improving understanding of coastal management processes. The potential insights that can be gained from four analytical approaches&nbsp;(stakeholder, institutional, network, and discourse analysis) are then discussed, and used to develop an analytical framework for investigating coastal knowledge dynamics, which is based upon a generic coastal knowledge system and&nbsp;associated research questions. Finally, the utility of this framework is illustrated using a case study that examines the knowledge dynamics associated with debates about the establishment of marine protected areas in Victoria, Australia