• International Journal of Knowledge Content Development & Technology
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• 제13권2호
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• pp.35-50
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• 2023

Assistive technologies are necessary for ensuring independent living and equal participation in an information-based society for people living with disabilities (PLWD). This study investigated the assistive technology preference of students with visual disabilities, and the approach academic libraries should adopt in procuring assistive technologies. The study adopted a quantitative research method, with a survey as the research design. The study was conducted among visually disabled students in four public universities in Nigeria. Using the total enumeration method, an online questionnaire was used to obtain information from 151 students who voluntarily agreed to partake in the survey. The study found that access to electronic resources, scanning/conversion of print resources to electronic formats and access to information on the Web were among the technology-based services provided to visually disabled students. COBRA, ZoomText, Supernova and Dragon Naturally Speaking are the most preferred assistive technologies (software). At the same time, handheld scanners ($\bar{x}=4.40$) and braille keyboards ($\bar{x}=4.60$) are the most preferred assistive technologies in the hardware category by visually challenged students. The study further revealed that the library management should consult with students living with a visual disability before procuring assistive technology. Findings from this study thus provide further evidence of the need for librarians to fulfil their moral and legal obligation in advocating the provision of assistive technologies. Library administrators and university stakeholders should expedite actions on meeting the assistive technology needs of people living with visual disabilities. These actions should transcend mere policy formulation on the provision of assistive technologies to restructuring their services and spaces to accommodate assistive technologies as information service delivery tools for people with visual disabilities.

• International Journal of Knowledge Content Development & Technology
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• 제13권1호
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• pp.43-58
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• 2023

This article is a spinoff of a doctoral study that was completed at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa) in 2018 on provision of information services to persons with visual and physical impairments in public university libraries in Kenya. The article examined how ICTs such as internet, e-resources and e-databases, word processing, websites and more were being used in public university libraries to provide access to information by visually and physically impaired persons. Data were collected from the visually and physically impaired students, University Librarians, Systems librarians, staff from disability departments and library staff who provided services to visually and physically impaired persons. The findings revealed that the visually and physically impaired persons in most of the libraries could not access information owing to lack of the necessary assistive and adaptive technologies and weak institutional support and framework. The study recommend that the libraries improve assistive technology infrastructure, embrace new assistive technologies such as telepresence robots, virtual realities and more, and put in place enabling policies and capacity building programmes for library staff to enable them to provide services to persons with impairments.

• 노인간호학회지
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• 제20권sup1호
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• pp.154-159
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• 2018

Purpose: There is a need for artificial intelligence which nurtures human intelligence as the prevalence of dementia and collapse of intelligence of human beings has become a social problem. Purpose of this study is to develop intervention technologies for maintaining cognitive health of older adults. Methods: The method named the Coimagination Method (CM) was proposed and has been developed in order to achieve goal. Conversation assistive technologies have been developed and tested based on the method. Results: The state of the art of the group conversation support system, and regular series of group conversation sessions for full-years with insights for healthy older adults are described in detail. Participatory approach has been applied to the design process for simultaneous research and implementation of the service. Both participants and practitioners have been maintaining their cognitive health for independent living. Conclusion: Findings imply that there exist potentially preventive types of dementia and intervention should be applicable for such types. Ways of thinking and living are gently intervened through understanding of personal values and broadening minds, which lead to improved quality of life.

• 적정기술학회지
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• 제6권2호
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• pp.146-150
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• 2020

4차 산업혁명에 의한 급변하는 기술 발전 과정에서 정보취약계층을 위한 보조공학기술은 종종 간과되고 있다. 본 논문에서는 차세대 보조공학기술로써 전자석 액추에이터를 적용한 촉각 디스플레이를 소개하고자 한다. 다중배열 구조의 촉각 디스플레이는 셀의 크기와 간격을 좁혀 직선과 곡선을 통해 그림, 지도, 그래픽 등을 출력한다. 이는 시각장애인들이 촉각으로 2차원 정보를 확인 할 수 있게 만들고, 기존 정보통신 기술(ICT)와 융합하여 더 많은 정보를 제공한다. STEM교육(과학, 기술, 공학, 수학)에 접근할 수 있는 교육환경을 제공할 뿐만 아니라 대중교통, 공공인프라 등 스마트시티의 다양한 분야에까지도 적용될 수 있다. 본 논문에서는 전자석 액추에이터의 연구 및 제작과정을 설명하고, 그 적용 사례를 중심으로 해당 기술이 함의하는 사회, 경제적 가치와 가능성에 대해 살펴보고자 한다.

• STI Policy Review
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• 제4권1호
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• pp.14-26
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• 2013

The $1^{st}$ National Plan for Aging Society with Low Fertility, which the Korean government announced in 2006, caused the gradual increase of R&D investment in order to prepare for an aging society in Korea. This study explores if the directions and strategies of R&D projects related to aging are suitable to improve the quality of life for elderly people and establish a sustainable aging society by analyzing the features of R&D investment from 2004 to 2010. The results show that most R&D projects conducted by departments focus on the development of assistive devices for the elderly to support everyday lives. The Korean government's R&D policy to prepare for an aging society is based on the narrow interpretation of Quality of Life (QoL) in an aging society that tries to resolve the socioeconomic problems of the elderly; however, the policies have ignored the independence of active elderly individuals and the social integration of the young and elderly generations. The research shows that a paradigm shift is required from a 'Senior' to 'Aging Society' because almost 1/3 of the Korean population is over 65 years old and the expansion of the research embraces from assistive technologies for the elderly to the design of social infrastructure such as transportation, education and work.

• 대한인간공학회지
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• 제30권4호
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• pp.437-441
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• 2011

Objective: The objective this paper is to introduce the agricultural ergonomics and to show the importance of it in improving the agricultural works. Background: Despite of rapid advancement of technologies and adoption of modern mechanical equipments at farms in Korea, most of agricultural works have still remained manual and thus have regarded as one of the hardest works. With aging and feminization in rural areas, the need to improve agricultural works has grown quite much. Agricultural ergonomics have been known as a good tool in improving agricultural works around the world. Recently Korean government initiated a national program of providing assistive equipments to help farmers and a few ergonomists started to apply agricultural ergonomics in our rural villages as a part of this program. Method: This study reviewed how Ergonomics was used for the agricultural work. Results: Methods of Ergonomics which are used for the agricultural ergonomics and the simple procedure of the agricultural ergonomics were presented. Conclusion: It was found that agricultural works can be improved quite much using the agricultural ergonomics principle and the musculoskeletal stress of farmers can be reduced significantly.

• 한국기계가공학회지
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• 제18권12호
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• pp.111-116
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• 2019

With the recent acceleration of industrial technologies and active research, wearable robot technologies have been applied to various fields. To study the utility of wearable robots, basic research on kinetic mechanisms of the human body, bio-signal analysis, and system control are essential. In this study, we investigated the basic structure of a wearable system and the operating principles of a driving mechanism. The control system and supporting structure, which comprise the driving mechanism, were designed and manufactured. Motion and load analyses were performed simultaneously for the design of the kinematic drive, and the driving mechanism was constructed by analyzing walking motion. The operating conditions of the cylinder were verified by stride via driving experiments. Further, the accuracy and responsiveness of the system were confirmed by comparison with actual motion, and the system safety was validated by applying loads.

• Journal of Computing Science and Engineering
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• 제5권3호
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• pp.237-245
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• 2011

The use of technology within the home has gained wide spread acceptance as one possible approach to be used in addressing the challenges of an ageing society. A number of rudimentary assistive solutions are now being deployed in real settings but with the introduction of these technology-orientated services come a number of challenges, which to date are still largely unsolved. At a fundamental level, the management and processing of the large quantities of data generated from multiple sensors is recognised as one of the most significant challenges. This paper aims to present an overview of the types of sensor technologies used within Ambient Assisted Living. Subsequently, through presentation of a series of case studies, the paper will demonstrate how the practical integration of multiple sources of sensor data can be used to improve the overall concept and applications of Ambient Assisted Living.

• 재활복지공학회논문지
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• 제11권4호
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• pp.299-306
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• 2017

국산 의료기기 산업에 대한 다양한 투자와 신기술 도입에 따라 국내의료기기 산업은 비약적인 증가를 하고 있으나 국내 대형의료기관의 국산의료기기 사용률은 여전히 저조한 것으로 조사되고 있다. 본 논문에서는 국내 대형병원에서의 국산 의료기기 사용률과 사용자 및 관리자의 인식조사를 수행하여 국산의료기기의 개선점을 제시하였다. 이를 위해 국내 4곳의 국립대학교병원을 대상으로 전체 의료기기의 종류와 국산 의료기기 사용률에 대한 조사를 진행하고 이를 바탕으로 의료기기 중 중점조사 대상 의료기기를 선정하였다. 중점조사대상 의료기를 대상으로 고장통계와 사용자 인식조사를 수행하였으며 이를 통해 중점조사대상 의료기기의 개선사항을 제시하였다.

• 재활복지공학회논문지
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• 제6권2호
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• pp.31-41
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• 2012

의료기기의 발전과 IT융합기술의 접목으로 때와 장소에 관계없이 생체신호의 측정이 가능하게 되었으며, 다양한 형태의 u-헬스케어 기기가 개발되어 일상생활과 가정에서 불편함이 없이 건강변수 측정이 가능하게 되었다. 또한 사용자를 고려해 의복처럼 착용하고 생활하며 생체 신호를 측정할 수 있는 스마트 의류에 전도성 섬유의 활용이 이루어지고 있다. 하지만 이러한 u-헬스케어 기기에 대한 연구 및 개발이 우선되고 있는 반면 성능평가 기준 마련은 미흡한 실정이다. 이에 시판전의 시험검사나 시판후의 수거 검사 시에 성능평가를 위한 표준시험방법 개발 등에 따른 가이드라인 마련에 힘을 쓰고 있는 실정이다. 본 논문에서는 섬유적 특성 시험을 통해 전도성 섬유의 착용형 u-헬스케어 기기에 전극으로 접목 가능성 여부를 연구하였다.