• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.427-433
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• 2015

Hot forging industry workers are prone to encounter several health risks due to lack of automation and poor working environment conditions. These workers particularly suffer from muscle fatigue owing to the constant handling of heavy products during the forging process. Thus we developed an assistant robot for workers who carry out hot forging tasks. The purpose of a robot is to compensate gravity-loads for heavy products. To verify the functionality of a robot, we performed a muscle fatigue analysis using Electromyography (EMG) signals. Four muscles of the upper extremity were chosen to measure muscle activity. And experiment conditions were setup to imitate the hot forging process. Post experimental analysis of the captured muscle activity revealed a reduction in the median frequency of the EMG signals, which means clear fatigue reduction due to a robot's assistance. The developed assist robot with compact and economical components can be efficiently utilized at forging work sites to create better working conditions for operators.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.487-497
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• 2002

The fatigue process of the triceps surae was evaluated during a standing heel-rise test, comparising of pre-fatigue and post-fatigue. Sixteen healthy subjects with a mean age of 22.88 years participated. The heel-rise test was performed until exhaustion, and electromyographic activity expressed as mean value and root mean square of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles were calculated. The average number of heel-rise performed was 63.69$\pm$26.10. The result of this present study indicate that the EMG signal is sensitive to the different muscle fatigue. Mean value and RMS decreased significantly in after fatigue. Significant difference were found between the pre-fatigue and post-fatigue in the total subjects. But there were no significant changes in mean and RMS between the male and female during standing heel-rise test. The present results, showing decreased EMG signal in the triceps surae, could be used as reference when testing the fatigue process in different clinical conditions. Recommendations for standardization of a heel-rise test are given.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.17-23
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to assess activation and contribution of muscles of the elderly according to increased loading during the arm flexion extension resistance exercise. Surface electromyographic signals were acquired from biceps brachii, triceps brachii, deltoid posterior, pectoralis major and latissimmus dorsi to determine the difference of the activation of specific muscles between the elderly and young. Five elderly and five young males with no musculoskeletal disease volunteered for the study. Electromyographic activities in the muscles were measured during resistance exercise and normalized to the maximum EMG activity recorded in the maximal voluntary static contraction (MVC). Against the increased loading during arm flexion/extension resistance exercises, the young uses muscles evenly but the elderly uses one specific muscle frequently. Contribution of triceps brachii during extension and deltoid posterior during flexion was principal in the elderly.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.577-589
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• 2002

There are several variations in normal mastication. In them, unilateral mastication is chewing, predominantly on a preferred side of the dentition and hardly on e non-preferred side. Continual unilateral mastication may alter the coordination of masticatory muscles. Although they studied about these EMG of masticatory muscles, there were no information about characteristics of masticatory muscle activity in unilateral mastication. Therefore, In this study, we investigated the activity of the masseter and anterior temporal muscles during rest, clenching in maximum intercuspation and gum chewing in habitually unilateral mastication group compared with normal group and tried to know effects of continual unilateral mastication on activity of masticatory muscles. The results of this study were as follows 1. In electromyographic activity during rest, in bilateral mastication group pattern of muscle activity of right and left side was symmetrical. But, in unilateral mastication group, records of anterior part of temporal muscle was higher than that of bilateral mastication group (p<.01) and patterns of muscle activity of right and left side in both muscle were asymmetrical.(p<.05) 2. In electromyographic activity during clenching in maximum intercuspation, records of superficial part of masseter muscle were higher than anterior part of temporal muscle in both group. Muscle activity of temporal muscle in unilateral mastication group was a little higher han bilateral mastication group and asymmetry of activity pattern in temporal and masseter muscle was shown but these differences were not statistically significant. (p<.05) 3. In electromyographic activity during gum chewing, temporal muscle was activated earlier than masseter muscle and maximum bite force is derived from masseter muscle in both group. In unilateral mastication group, electromyographic activity of masseter and temporal muscle of preferred chewing side, regardless of right or left side chewing, was higher than that of bilateral mastication group and especially, difference in masseter muscle was statistically significant. (p<.01) Based on the above results, our study suggested that recording of masticatory muscle activity will be helpful in the effective diagnosis and treatment of some types of the parafunctional habits.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.16-23
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• 2019

Background: High-heeled shoes can change spinal alignment and feet movement, which leads to muscle fatigue and discomfort in lumbopelvic region, legs, and feet while walking. Objects: This study aimed to identify the effects of different shoe heel heights on the walking velocity and electromyographic (EMG) activities of the lower leg muscles during short- and long-distance walking in young females. Methods: Fifteen young females were recruited in this study. The experiments were performed with the following two different shoe heel heights: 0 cm and 7 cm. All participants underwent an electromyographic procedure to measure the activities and fatigue levels of the tibialis anterior (TA), medial gastrocnemius (MG), rectus femoris (RF), and hamstring muscles with each heel height during both short- and long-distance walking. The walking velocities were measured using the short-distance (10-m walk) and long-distance (6-min walk) walking tests. Results: Significant interaction effects were found between heel height and walking distance conditions for the EMG activities and fatigue levels of TA and MG muscles, and walking velocity (p<.05). The walking velocity and activities of the TA, MG, and RF muscles appeared to be significantly different between the 0 cm and 7 cm heel heights during both short- and long-distance walking (p<.05). Significant difference in the fatigue level of the MG muscle were found between the 0 cm and 7 cm heel heights during long-distance walking. In addition, walking velocity and the fatigue level of the MG muscle at the 7 cm heel height revealed significant differences in the comparison of short- and long-distance walking (p<.05). Conclusion: These findings indicate that higher shoe heel height leads to a decrease in the walking velocity and an increase in the activity and fatigue level of the lower leg muscles, particularly during long-distance walking.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.11-17
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• 2011

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) leg flexion patterns according to the hip joint angle on electromyographic activity of the trunk. Methods : Thirty healthy adults volunteered to participate in this study. Subjects were required to complete following the PNF leg flexion patterns on three different hip joint flexion $30^{\circ}$, $60^{\circ}$ and $90^{\circ}$. An surface electromyogram (SEMG) was used to record the electromyographic activities of the trunk muscle in rectus abdominis, internal oblique abdominal, external oblique abdominal, erector spinae. The data were analyzed using the a repeated measures of one-way ANOVA with post-hoc Bonferroni's correction. Result : The results of this study are summarized as follows: The EMG activities of internal abdominal oblique and elector spinae muscle showed a statistically significant difference (p<.05). Conclusion : The result show that electromyographic activity of the trunk muscles significantly changed on PNF leg flexion patterns with difference hip joint angle. Therefore, this study used to basis for the intervention of the trunk muscle strength and stabilization.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers D
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.55-64
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• 2004

Conventional bipolar surface electromyography(EMG) technique detects only the superimposed electromyographic activity of a large number of motor units due to its low spatial resolution. For the diagnosis of neuromuscular disorder, the information of single MU is required. In this paper, 9 channel array surface electrode system was as designed and MLoG filter was proposed. Also the MCPT(modified convolution processing technique)method was proposed for the improvement of MUAP resolution. For performance evaluation, power spectrum analysis of random data and raw EMG signal comparison of MUAP shape and quantitative estimation of SNR were executed. As a result, the MUAP resolution improvement of 32％ was obtained from the standpoint of the signal-to-noise ratio(SNR).

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.103-108
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• 1995

This study was performed to investigate a relationship between a biomechanical analysis of compressive force at L5/S1 and electromyographic analysis of erector spinae muscle during lifting task. In the experiment, isometric contractions at 25, 50, 75, 100%MVC for short duration and sustained isometric contractions at 50%MVC were performed. For muscle recruitment patten and compressive force analysis, rectified EMG amplitudes analysis and computerized biomechanical analysis were used. To achieve data, angles of neck, shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee, ankle and length of body segments were measured. Results shows that trends of initial EMG rectified amplitude were similar to those of biomechanical calculation value and for sustained isometric contraction at 50%MVC EMG rectified amplitude of erector spinae muscle after 40seconds was increased up to level of 75%MVC. Based on the results of this study, biomechanical analysis should be supplemented considering muscle fatigue, and it is also suggested that work-rest cycle critera and the evaluation of back-pain injuries should include muscle fatigue.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.201-208
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• 1996

We have been studying an implant type EMG-controlled electrolarynx. First of all, we propose the sternohyoid muscle(SH) as a control source of the electrolarynx. The purpose of this study is to investigate the possibility that subjects control voluntarily the constriction of their SH, and produce the control signals of electrolarynx. For this pwnan, we carried out four experiments regarding the control of the electrolarynx. At the results, we found that subjects can control the start/stop of constriction and the amplitude of EMG of their SH. Also, we ascertained the possibility that the start/stop of contraction of SH controls OW/OFF of sound source of the electrolarynx and the amplitude of UG of SH controls the pitch frequency of the electrolarynx.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.191-197
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• 2011

Lifting chair is a typical assistive product to aid for standing up and sitting down for persons with disability. It is particularly useful for the elderly persons whose muscular system is weakened by degenerative joint disease. This paper describes biomechanical assessments of lifting chair with hip-up function. In experiments we measured 3D motion and electromyographic(EMG) signal on the femoral muscle when subject performs the standing motion on the predetermined seat height. Based on assessment of the standing motion, we select the hip-up angle as 15 degrees to cover the relative femoral angle when EMG peak value is appeared. Using an implemented prototype lifting chair with hip-up function we perform standing experiments with five subjects. The experimental results show that the lifting and hip-up functions are effective to assist for standing up motion with less muscle force.