• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.41 no.8
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• pp.771-782
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• 2017

This paper describes the development of a wearable robot to assist ankle power for the elderly. Previously developed wearable robots have generally used motors and gears to assist muscle power during walking. However, the combination of motor and reduction gear is heavy and has limitations on the simultaneous control of stiffness and torque due to the friction of the gear reducer unlike human muscles. Therefore, in this study, Mckibben pneumatic muscle, which is lighter, safer, and more powerful than an electric motor with gear, was used to assist ankle joint. Antagonistic actuation using a pair of pneumatic muscles assisted the power of the soleus muscles and tibialis anterior muscles used for the pitching motion of the ankle joint, and the model parameters of the antagonistic actuator were experimentally derived using a muscle test platform. To recognize the wearer's walking intention, foot load and ankle torque were calculated by measuring the pressure and the center of pressure of the foot using force and linear displacement sensors, and the stiffness and the torque of the pneumatic muscle joint were then controlled by the calculated ankle torque and foot load. Finally, the performance of the developed ankle power assistive robot was experimentally verified by measuring EMG signals during walking experiments on a treadmill.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.538-546
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• 2015

This paper describes an intelligent ankle assistive robot which provides assistive power to reduce ankle torque based on an analysis of ankle motion and muscle patterns during walking on level and sloped floors. The developed robot can assist ankle muscle power by driving an electric geared motor at the exact timing through the use of an accelerometer that detects gait phase and period, and a potentiometer to measure floor slope angle. A simple muscle assistive link mechanism is proposed to convert the motor torque into the foot assistive force. In particular, this mechanism doesn't restrain the wearer's ankle joint; hence, there is no danger of injury if the motor malfunctions. During walking, the link mechanism pushes down the top of the foot to assist the ankle torque, and it can also lift the foot by inversely driving the linkage, so this robot is useful for foot drop patients. The developed robot and control algorithm are experimentally verified through walking experiments and EMG (Electromyography) measurements.

• 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2004.08a
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• pp.46-51
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• 2004

This paper presents an adaptive control method based on parameter linearization for incompletely restrained wire-suspended mechanisms. The main purpose of this control method is utilizing it in a walking assist service robot for elderly people. This method is computationally simple and requires neither end-effector acceleration feedback nor inversion of estimated inertia matrix. In the proposed adaptive control law, mass, moment of inertia and external force and torque on the end-effector are considered as components of parameter adaptation vector. Nonlinear simulation for walking an elderly shows the effectiveness of the parameter adaptation law.

• Journal of Magnetics
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.344-351
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• 2017

Wireless magnet pumps are used in medical applications and are particularly useful as artificial heart ventricular assist devices (VADs). To investigate wireless operation of magnetic pumps, we fabricated three types of magnetic impellers using bonded magnets by blending magnetic powders of SmFeN, NdFeB, and Sr-ferrite. We investigated the magnetic properties of the fabricated magnetic impellers, which are driven by the application of magnetic coupling with an external driving magnet or external coil system, without a driving motor, shaft, or mechanical bearings. The use of wireless magnetic pumps is therefore not complicated by critical issues of size, heat, and vibration, which are very important issues for blood pumps. The magnetic properties of the impellers, such as their rotational speed, driving torque and hydrodynamic performance, determine their wireless driving ranges. We conducted performance evaluations of the impeller's magnetic wireless manipulation, heat, and vibration. In addition, we carried out an animal test to confirm the suitability of the wireless magnetic pumps for use as biventricular assist devices (BiVADs).

• Asia-pacific Journal of Multimedia Services Convergent with Art, Humanities, and Sociology
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• v.5 no.6
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• pp.583-591
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• 2015

In order to evaluate the performance of TAS applied to the hybrid vehicle of the soft belt driven, acceleration performance and fuel consumption performance is to be superior to the existing vehicle. The key components of belt driven TAS(Torque Assist System), such as the engine, the motor and the battery, The key components of the driven belt TAS, such as the engine, the motor, and the battery, have a significant impact on fuel consumption performance of the vehicle. Therefore, in order to improve the efficiency at the point of view based on the overall system, the study of the power distribution algorithm for controlling the main source powers is necessary. In this paper, we propose the power distribution algorithm, applied the homogeneous analysis method in terms of fuel equivalent, for minimizing the fuel consumption. We have confirmed that the proposed algorithm is contribute to improving the fuel consumption performance satisfied the constraints considering the vehicle status information and the required power through the control parameters to minimize the fuel consumption of the engine. The optimization process of the proposed driving strategy can reduce the trial and error in the research and development process and monitor the characteristics of the control parameter quickly and accurately. Therefore, it can be utilized as a way to derive the operational strategy to minimize the fuel consumption.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.48-54
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• 2010

Ankle-foot orthosis with a pneumatic rubber actuator, which is intended for the assistance and the enhancement of ankle muscular activities was developed. In this study, the effectiveness of the system was investigated during plantarflexion motion of ankle joint. To find a effectiveness of the system, the subjects performed maximal voluntary isokinetic plantarflexion contraction on a Biodex-dynamometer. Plantarfexion torque of the ankle joint is assisted by subject's soleus muscle that is generated when ankle joint do plantarflexion motion. We used the muscular stiffness signal of a soleus muscle for feedback control of ankle-foot orthosis as physiological signal. For measurement of this signal, we made the muscular stiffness force sensor. We compared a muscular stiffness force of a soleus muscle between with feedback control and without it and a maximal plantarflexion torque between not wearing a ankle-foot orthosis, without feedback control wearing it and with feedback control wearing it in each ten elderly adults. The experimental result showed that a muscular stiffness force of a soleus muscle with feedback control was reduced and plantarflexion torque of an ankle joint only wearing ankle-foot orthosis was reduced but a plantarflexion torque with feedback control was increased. The amount of a increasing with feedback control is more higher than the amount of a decreasing only wearing it. Therefore, we confirmed the effectiveness of the developed ankle-foot orthosis with feedback control.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2006.11a
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• pp.97-100
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• 2006

Accelerating ability is one of the most important performance of the vehicle. Unlike conventional internal combustion vehicles and power-assist hybrid vehicles, the maximized acceleration of dual mode hybrid vehicles is not simply. achieved by maximizing engine or motor torque Because of the dynamic stability of planetary gear, speeds and torques control of engine, motor 1 and motor 2 is essential and according to control value, acceleration performance is changed There are two control values which are velocity and torque for each component totalling six. These six values can be variables for an objective function. However, because three velocity variables can be regarded as only one variable speed ratio and the remaining three torque variables can be solved analytically, without complicated numerical algorithm the solution for the objective function can be obtained. This optimized solution shows the best performance possible to the specified dual mode system.

• Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.304-315
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• 2013

In this paper, analysis of cascaded H-bridge multilevel inverter in DTC-SVM (Direct Torque Control-Space Vector Modulation) based induction motor drive for FCEV (Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle) is presented. Cascaded H-bridge multilevel inverter uses multiple series units of H-bridge power cells to achieve medium-voltage operation and low harmonic distortion. In FCEV, a fuel cell stack is used as the major source of electric power moreover the battery and/or ultra-capacitor is used to assist the fuel cell. These sources are suitable for utilizing in cascaded H-bridge multilevel inverter. The drive control strategy is based on DTC-SVM technique. In this scheme, first, stator voltage vector is calculated and then realized by SVM method. Contribution of multilevel inverter to the DTC-SVM scheme is led to achieve high performance motor drive. Simulations are carried out in Matlab-Simulink. Five-level and nine-level inverters are applied in 3hp FCEV induction motor drive for analysis the multilevel inverter. Each H-bridge is implemented using one fuel cell and battery. Good dynamic control and low ripple in the torque and the flux as well as distortion decrease in voltage and current profiles, demonstrate the great performance of multilevel inverter in DTC-SVM induction motor drive for vehicle application.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.318-325
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• 2019

NREX, an upper limb exoskeleton robot, was developed at the National Rehabilitation Center to assist in the upper limb movements of subjects with weak muscular strength and control ability of the upper limbs, such as those with hemiplegia. For the free movement of the shoulder of the existing NREX, three passive joints were added, which improved its wearability. For the flexion/extension movement and internal/external rotation movement of the shoulder of the robot, the ball lock pin is used to fix or rotate the passive joint. The force and torque between a human and a robot were measured and analyzed in a reaching movement for four targets using a six-axis force/torque sensor for 20 able-bodied subjects. The addition of two passive joints to allow the user to rotate the shoulder can confirm that the average force of the upper limb must be 31.6% less and the torque must be 48.9% less to perform the movement related to the axis of rotation.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.177-185
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• 2014

In this study, the exoskeleton orthosis for the assistance of dorsiflexion torque in ankle joint to prevent foot-drop was developed. It was consist of three part; 1) the power part using artificial pneumatic actuator, 2) wearing part of ankle and knee joints to fix the orthosis, and 3) control part to detect the gait phase using physiological signal. The dorsiflexion torque was generated by the artificial pneumatic actuator connected with wearing part between ankle and knee joint. The accurate timing to assist dorsiflexion torque is made up of physiological signal in foot sole part that detect the gait phase, that is, stance and swing phase in each foot. We conduct the experiment to investigate the effect of exoskeleton orthosis to the 7 elderly people and 10 healthy people. The result showed that the muscular activities in tibialis anterior muscle were reduced because of the assistance of dorsiflexion torque in ankle joint using the exoskeleton orthosis.