• International journal of advanced smart convergence
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.26-33
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• 2020

This study measured the downward stepping movement relative to weight change (no load, and 10%, 20%, 30% of body weight respectively of adult male (n=10) from standardized stair (rise of 0.3 m, tread of 0.29 m, width of 1 m). The 3-dimensional cinematography and ground reaction force were also utilized for analysis of leg stiffness: Peak vertical force, change in stance phase leg length, Torque of whole body, kinematic variables. The strategy heightened the leg stiffness and standardized vertical ground reaction force relative to the added weights (p<.01). Torque showed rather larger rotational force in case of no load, but less in 10% of body weight (p<.05). Similarly angle of hip joint showed most extended in no-load, but most flexed in 10% of body weight (p<.05). Inclined angle of body trunk showed largest range in posterior direction in no-load, but in vertical line nearly relative to added weights (p<.001). Thus the result of the study proved that downward stepping strategy altered from height of 30 cm, regardless of added weight, did not affect velocity and length of lower leg. But added weight contributed to more vertical impulse force and increase of rigidity of whole body than forward rotational torque under condition of altered stepping strategy. In future study, the experimental on effect of weight change and alteration of downward stepping strategy using ankle joint may provide helpful information for development of enhanced program of prevention and rehabilitation on motor performance and injury.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.151-160
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to investigate the GRF(ground reaction force) parameters according to the shoes's heel heights and ground landing distances during downward stairs on bus. Participants selected as subject were consisted of young and healthy women(n=9, mean age: $21.30{\pm}0.48$ yrs, mean height: $164.00{\pm}3.05cm$, mean body mass: $55.04{\pm}4.41kg$, mean BMI: $20.47{\pm}1.76kg/m^2$, mean foot length: $238.00{\pm}5.37mm$). They were divided into 2-types of shoe's heel heights(0 cm/bare foot, 9 cm) and also were divides into downward stairs with 3 types of landing distance(20 cm, 35 cm, 50 cm). A one force-plate was used to collect the GRF(AMTI, USA) data from the sampling rate of 1000 Hz. The GRF parameters analyzed were consisted of the medial-lateral GRF, anterior-posterior GRF, vertical GRF, loading rate, Center of Pressure(${\Delta}COPx$, ${\Delta}COPy$, COP area) and Dynamic Postural Stability Index(MLSI, APSI, VSI, DPSI) during downward stairs on bus. Medial-lateral GRF and vertical GRF didn't show significant differences statistically according to the shoe's heel heights and landing distance, but 9 cm shoes heel showed higher vertical GRF than that of 0 cm bare foot in landing distance of 50 cm. Also anterior-posterior GRF didn't show significant difference statistically according to the shoe's heel heights, but landing distance of 20 cm showed higher than that of landing distances of 35 cm and 50 cm in anterior-posterior GRF. Loading rate didn't show significant difference statistically according to the landing distance, but 9 cm shoe's heel showed higher than that of 0 cm bare foot during downward stairs. The ${\Delta}COPy$ and COP area didn't show significant differences statistically according to the shoe's heel heights and landing distance, but 0 cm bare foot showed higher than that of 9 cm shoe's heel in ${\Delta}COPx$. Dynamic Postural Stability Index(MLSI, APSI, VSI, DPSI) didn't show significant differences statistically according to the landing distance, but 9 cm shoe's heel showed decreased value than that of 0 cm bare foot in dynamics balance. Considering the above, parameters of GRF showed different characteristics according to the shoe's heel heights and ground landing distances during downward stairs on bus.

• Journal of Platform Technology
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.10-19
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• 2022

Moving assistant devices for people who are difficult to move are becoming electric-powered and automated. These moving assistant devices are not suitable for moving stairs at which the height between floor surfaces is different because these devices are designed and manufactured for flatland moving. An electric-powered and automated moving assistant device should change direction or stop when it approaches stairs in a movement direction. If the user or automatic control system does not change direction or stop in time, a moving assistant device can roll over or collide with stairs. In this paper, we propose a stairs detection method by using oblique distance measured by one sensor tilted to flatland. The method proposed in this paper can detect upward or downward stairs by using a difference between a predicted and measured oblique distance in considering a tilted angle of a sensor for measuring an oblique distance and installation height of the sensor on a moving object. Before the device enters a stairs region, if our proposed method provides information about detected stairs to a device's controller, the controller can do adequate action to avoid the accident.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.769-785
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• 2015

Although timber structures have been extensively used in underground temporary supporting system, their actual performance is poorly understood, resulting in potentially conservative and over-engineered design. In this paper, a novel wireless sensor technology, SmartPlank, is introduced to monitor the field performance of timber structures during underground construction. It consists of a wooden beam equipped with a streamlined wireless sensor node, two thin foil strain gauges and two temperature sensors, which enables to measure the strain and temperature at two sides of the beam, and to transmit this information in real-time over an IPv6 (6LowPan) multi-hop wireless mesh network and Internet. Four SmartPlanks were deployed at the London Underground's Tottenham Court Road (TCR) station redevelopment site during the Stair 14 excavation, together with seven relay nodes and a gateway. The monitoring started from August 2013, and will last for one and a half years until the Central Line possession in 2015. This paper reports both the short-term and long-term performances of the monitored timber structures. The grouting effect on the short-term performance of timber structures is highlighted; the grout injection process creates a large downward pressure on the top surface of the SmartPlank. The short and long term earth pressures applied to the monitored structures are estimated from the measured strains, and the estimated values are compared to the design loads.