• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.14 no.7
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• pp.656-662
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• 2008

A cost-function based on manipulability and compatibility is designed to determine assembly motions of two cooperating manipulators. Assembly motions are planned along the direction maximizing performance indices to improve control performance of the two manipulators. This paper proposes bimanual task compatibility by defining cost functions. The proposed cost functions are applied and compared to the bimanual assembly task. The problem is formulated as a constrained optimization considering assembly constraints, position of the workpieces, and kinematics and redundancy of the bimanual robot. The proposed approach is evaluated with simulation of a peg-in-hole assembly with an L-shaped peg and two 3-dof manipulators.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.21 no.10
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• pp.972-976
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• 2015

The objective of this research is to verify the quantitative efficiency of a bimanual robotic task. Bimanual robots can realize dexterous and complicated motions using two cooperating arms. However, its motion planning and control method are not simple for implementing flexible tasks such as assembly. In this paper, the proposed motion planning method is used to find an optimal solution satisfying a designed cost function and constraints with regard to the kinematics and redundancy of the bimanual robot. The simulation results show that the lifetime of the manipulator can be changed by the proposed cost function consisting of angular velocity and angular acceleration of each joint in the same assembly task.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.259-269
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• 2021

Objective: The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to investigate age-related bimanual coordination functions in older adults. Method: Thirteen studies that compared bimanual coordination functions in older adults with those in healthy young adults qualified for this meta-analysis. We additionally categorized 21 total comparisons from the 13 qualified studies into two types of task-related moderator variables: (1) kinematic versus kinetic movements and (2) symmetry versus asymmetry movements. Results: Random effects model meta-analysis found that older adults revealed significant bimanual coordination impairments as compared with young adults (Hedges's g = -0.771; p < .0001; I² = 74.437%). We additionally confirmed specific bimanual coordination deficits using two moderator variables: 1) kinematic (Hedges's g = -0.884; p < .0001; I² = 0.000%) and kinetic (Hedges's g = -0.666; p = .023; I² = 86.170%). 2) symmetry (Hedges's g = -0.712; p = .001; I² = 74.291%) and asymmetry (Hedges's g = -0.817; p < .0001; I² = 76.322%). The moderator variable analysis indicated older adults indicated bimanual coordination deficits in the upper extremities than healthy young adults while performing kinematic bimanual coordination tasks and asymmetry coordination tasks. Conclusion: These findings suggest that developing motor rehabilitation programs based on asymmetric bimanual movement task for enhancing interlimb coordination functions of older adults may be crucial for increasing their independence in everyday activities. Given that elderly revealed the deficits in lower extremities coordination when older adults perform gait, posture, and balance, future studies should estimate lower limb coordination functions in elderly people.

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.119-135
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• 2020

Objective : The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of bimanual intensive training on Upper Extremity Function and activities of daily living in stroke patients. Methods : The subjects were 18 patients who were diagnosed with hemiplegic stroke. They were randomly assigned to bimanual intensive training group (n=9) and unilateral intensive group (n=9). Bimanual training group performed bimanual task and unilateral training group performed one hand task for 1 hour per session, 5 times a week, for 4 weeks. Chi-square test, Wilcoxon signed rank test, and Mann-Whitney U test were used for analysis. Results : The results showed that, upper extremity motor function and bimanual coordination were significantly improved in patients in the bimanual training group (p<.05). Additionally, the ratio of affected hand use and amount of use/quality of movement in the hemiplegic upper extremity in activities of daily living for patients in the bimanual training group were significantly improved (p<.05). Although the unilateral group improved motor upper extremity function and activities of daily living in the upper extremity (p<.05), it was not significantly different from that in the bimanual training group. In between-group comparison, bimanual coordination and ratio of the affected hand use in a day were significantly different (p<.05). Conclusion : It is reasonable to conclude that bimanual intensive training therapy is an effective intervention method to improve upper extremity motor function, and activities of daily living in stroke patients.

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.129-140
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• 2021

Objective : This study evaluated the differences between the upper and lower arm activities of the affected and non-affected sides in stroke patients performing activities of daily living. It was intended to gather basic data for the measurement of daily activities. Methods : The participants in the study consisted of 20 patients, 10 had left hemiplegia and 10 had right hemiplegia. Between September and November 2017, they performed drinking and dressing as unimanual and bimanual tasks. The 3-axes accelerometers were placed 2cm below the lateral epicondyle on the upper arm and 2cm below the radial styloid on the lower arm. The data were collected at intervals of 1/32 Hz and analyzed. Results : In patients with right hemiplegia, the tendon activity was significantly higher in the lower arm when performing a bimanual activity (p<.05), for all the other activities, those of the lower arm were significantly higher than those of the upper arm (p<.01, p<.05). There was no significant difference between the unimanual and bimanual activities of the affected and tendon sides in patients with left hemiplegia (p>.05). In both hands, the activity of the lower arm was significantly higher than that of the activities of the upper and lower arms, except on the affected side (p<.05). In all patients, the activities of the upper and lower arms were significantly higher (p<.05), and the activity of the lower arm was significantly higher than that of the upper (p<.001, p<.05). Conclusion : The activity was higher on the non-affected side than the affected side during the dressing task, and the overall activity was higher in the lower arm than the upper arm.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.44-52
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of different objects and target location of dominant hand on the non-dominant hand movement kinematics in a bimanual reaching task. Fifteen right-handed volunteers were asked to reach from same starting point to the different target point of right and left hand with grasping the objects of different size. Independent variables were 1) three different object types (small mug cup, name pen, and PET bottle), and 2) three different target locations (shorter distance, same distance, and longer distance than the non-dominant hand) of the dominant hand. Dependent variables were movement time (MT), movement distance (MD), movement mean velocity ($MV_{mean}$), and movement peak velocity ($MV_{peak}$) of the non-dominant hand. Repeated measures two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test for differences in the non-dominant hand movement kinematics during bimanual reaching. The results of this study were as follows: 1) MT of the non-dominant hand was increased significantly when traveling with grasping the mug cup and reaching the far target location, and was decreased significantly when traveling with grasping the PET bottle and reaching the near target location of the dominant hand. 2) MD of the non-dominant hand was significantly increased during reaching the far target location, and significantly decreased during reaching the near target location with dominant hand. 3) $MV_{mean}$ of the non-dominant hand was increased significantly when traveling with grasping the PET bottle, and was decreased significantly when traveling with grasping the mug cup of the dominant hand. Therefore, it can be concluded that the changes of the ipsilateral hand movement have influence on coupling of the contralateral hand movement in bimanual reaching.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.22 no.8
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• pp.656-664
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• 2016

While anthropomorphic robots are gaining interest, dual-arm robots are widely used in the industrial environment. Many methods exist in order to implement bimanual tasks by dual-arm robot. However, kinesthetic teaching is used in this paper. This paper suggests three different kinesthetic teaching methods that can implement most of the human task by the robot. The three kinesthetic teaching methods are joint level, task level, and contact level teaching. The task introduced in this paper is box packing, which is a popular and complex task in industrial environment. The task is programmed into the dual-arm robot by utilizing the suggested kinesthetic teaching method, and this paper claims that most tasks can be implemented by using the suggesting kinesthetic teaching methods.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.279-286
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to compare the electromyographic(EMG) activities of trunk and hip muscles between right and left sides while subjects performed prolonged manual task in asymmetric and symmetric weight-bearing posture. Fifteen healthy male college students were recruited for this study. The subjects were asked to perform bimanual upper extremity task for 6 minutes in two different standing postures. In the symmetric weight-bearing posture, the subjects were standing with evenly distributed body weights to both legs. In the asymmetric weight-bearing posture, the subjects distributed about 90% of their body weight onto their preferred(supporting) leg and 10% of their body weight onto the opposite leg while they were standing. EMG activities of the right and left internal oblique, erector spinae, gluteus maximus, and gluteus medius were measured and normalized as % MVIC. Then the EMG data were statistically analyzed using paired t-tests. The EMG activities of all measured muscles were not significantly different between the right and left side in the symmetrical weight-bearing posture(p>0.05). However, the EMG of the supporting side internal oblique was significantly lower than the opposite side(p<0.05), and the EMG of the erector spinae, gluteus maximus, and gluteus medius were significantly greater on the supporting side(p<0.05). The results of this study support that unbalanced use of right and left muscle possibly causes the changes in muscle length which results in asymmetry of trunk and hip muscles. Furthermore, the uneven weight support onto right and left legs will cause a distortion of viscoelastic ligaments around hip and sacroiliac joints in the long run. Further studies to determine the effect of various manual tasks on the trunk and hip muscles as well as the effect of asymmetrical weight-bearing standing posture on hip and back muscle fatigue may be required.

• Journal of Music and Human Behavior
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.47-72
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• 2019

This study reviewed and analyzed English-written studies using a rhythmic tapping task for motor control of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Inclusion criteria for the participants were children with ASD and typically developing (TD) children. The keywords used for the outcome variables included rhythmic tapping, timed movement, and synchronization. Ten studies were included in the final analysis. The included studies were analyzed in terms of target variables, auditory stimuli, and measurements. A meta-analysis was also conducted to examine how children with ASD performed rhythmic tapping tasks compared to children with TD. In the identified studies, five variables were used: timed movement control, timing reproduction, bimanual coordination, synchronization, and interpersonal synchronization. It was found that rhythmic tapping performance was analyzed in terms of accuracy and precision of the movement and reported as significantly correlated to social skills measures. The meta-analysis results showed that there were no significant differences between the ASD and TD groups in continuing rhythmic movements when the presented auditory stimuli ended, whereas there were significant group differences in their ability to maintain their motor performance consistently and to synchronize with auditory cue or with others. These results support the rhythmic tapping task as an effective measure for not only motor control but also social skills development in children with ASD.