• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.257-261
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• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare plantar foot pressure distribution in adults and elderly according to obstacle height. Methods: Nine healthy adults and nine older adults were recruited and the subjects provided written informed consent consent prior to participation. Both groups walked and crossed obstacles with heights of 0%, 10%, 20%, and 30% of their height. Foot pressure was measured by peak pressure using the Pedar System (Novel Gmbh, Germany) during obstacle walking with barefeet in shoes. Three trails were calculated on eight areas and then averaged for data analysis. Results: A significant difference in great toe, little toes, and lateral metatarsal area was observed between adults and elderly groups, but other areas did not show significant differences. Foot pressure was increased in groups according to obstacle height. Conclusion: These findings showed that change in foot pressure distribution is more lateral in elderly in order to maintain postural control during obstacle crossing.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.75-80
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• 2009

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of an obstacle height on the balance control of older adults while stepping over an obstacle from a position of quiet stance. Methods: Fifteen community-dwelling healthy older adults (mean age, $74.4\pm4.27$ yrs; age range, 67-82 yrs) volunteered to participate in this study. The subjects performed gait initiation (GI) and they stepped over obstacles of two different heights (10 cm and 18 cm) at a self-paced speed from a position of quiet stance. Their performance was assessed by recording the changes in the displacement of the COP in the anteroposterior (A-P) and mediolateral (M-L) directions using a force platform. Results: The M-L displacement of the COP significantly increased for an 18 cm obstacle height condition as compared to the GI and a 10 cm obstacle height condition (p<0.01). Furthermore, the M-L displacement of the COP for a 10 cm high obstacle was significantly greater for that for the GI (p<0.01). However, the mean of the A-P displacement of the COP was similar between the stepping conditions for the A-P displacement of the COP (p>0.05). Conclusion: This study suggests that the M-L COP displacement could be a better parameter to identify the dynamic balance control in older adults when negotiating obstacles.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.1-5
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• 2011

Purpose: This study examined the difference in the center of pressure (COP) displacement time in older adults according to the obstacle height during stance at each sub.phase when crossing obstacles. Methods: Fifteen older adults were enrolled in this study (${\geq}65$ years of age). The F-scan was used to measure the COP displacement time when crossing a 0, 10 and 40cm obstacle, and the stance phase was divided into 4 sub-phases according to the foot contact pattern. Results: During the stance phase, the COP displacement time increased with increasing obstacle height. During the mid-stance, terminal stance and pre-swing except for the loading response, there were significant differences in the COP displacement time according to the obstacle height. Conclusion: This study suggests that older adults show differences in the COP displacement time according to the stance sub-phase while crossing obstacles, and they use different mechanisms according the sub-phases to maintain balance during obstacle crossing.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.55-63
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• 2008

Background : The Purposes of this study were to understand difference between free walking and obstacle over walking through the naked eye and motion analysis device, and to review merits of obstacle walking training as item of functional assessment in clinical situations. Methods : All participants were male and performed 3 types of walking methods: free walking, obstacle over walking with low block(height=10cm, width=8cm), and obstacle over walking with high block(height=20cm, width=8cm). All walking were performed 3 trials respectively. Results : In the naked eye, initial contact with toes occurred more than heel strike in obstacle over walking, and the flexion angle of hip and knee were increased in obstacle over walking. On interpretations though motion analysis device, cadence, gait speed and weight accept were significant statistically(p<.05). Cadence and gait speed were decreased, and weight accept duration was increased in obstacle over walking. Rotation among three pelvic motions was significant statistically(p<.05), flexion among three hip motions was significant statistically(p<.05) and flexion among three ankle motions was significant statistically(p<.05). Rotation and flexion among three ankle motions was significant statistically(p<.05). Conclusion : Both the naked eye and interpretations of the device presented many difference between free walking and obstacle over walking. In overcrossing obstacles, many participants appeared walking strategy by perform initial contact with toes. Knee flexion was most significant statistically(p<.05) in obstacle over walking with 20cm block.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.11-17
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• 2008

Falls associated with tripping over an obstacle can be dangerous, yet little is known about the strategies used for stepping over obstacles by Parkinson's patients. The purpose of this study was to investigate stepping over gait characteristics according to obstacle height in Parkinson's patients. The gait of 7 Parkinson's patients was examined during a 5.0 m approach to, and while stepping over, obstacles of 0, 2.5, 5.2, and 15.2 cm. Only five Parkinson's patients were able to clear all obstacles successfully; as such, only their data were analyzed. A one-way ANOVA for repeated measures was employed for selected kinematic variables to analyze the differences of the height of four obstacles. The results showed significant differences between obstacle height and: approaching speed (AS), foot clearance from the obstacle(FC), and step width (SW). The results showed no significant differences between obstacle height and: crossing speed (CS), toe distance (TD), and heel distance (HD). This strategy tends to reduce the risk of toe contact with the obstacle. Parkinson's patients were stepping over the obstacle slowly, stably and inefficiently.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.141-148
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• 2007

Falls associated with tripping over an obstacle can be dangerous, yet little is known about the strategies used for stepping over obstacles in older Parkinson disease. The purpose of this study was to investigate the lower extremity muscle activity on the obstacle gait according to obstacle height in older Parkinson diseases. The obstacle gait of 7 older Parkinson disease was examined during a 5.0 m approach to, and while stepping over, obstacles of 0, 25, 52, and 152mm. Seven pairs of surface electrodes(Noraxon MyoResearch, USA) were attached to the right-hand side of the body to monitor the adductor longus(AL), gluteus medius(GME), gluteus maximus(GMA), biceps femoris(BF), rectus femoris(RF), gastrocnemius(GA), tibialis anterior(TA). Electromyography data were filtered using a 10Hz to 350 Hz Butterworth band-pass digital filter and normalized to the maximum value in the analyzed phases. A one-way ANOVA for repeated measures was employed for selected electromyography variables to analyze the differences of the height of four obstacles. The results showed significant differences between 0.0mm and 25, 52, and 152mm obstacle height in TA and GA activities during the second phase(swing phase). But the more increase obstacle height, the more not increase the muscle activities. This means that the Parkinson disease stepping over obstacle inefficiency. To prevent and reduce the frequency of falls, elderly Parkinson disease maintained and improved their balance, muscular strength, neuromuscular control and mobility.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.129-137
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• 2010

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of a 12-week aquatic exercise on obstacle gait in older women. Originally, 20 healthy female elderly participated this study but 12 of them completed the program. All participants were trained in the aquatic exercise program by an authorized trainer. They had come to the authors' lab three times during training period(0, 6, 12 weeks) and performed obstacle gait with three different height(0, 30, and 50% of leg length). After performed 3-Dimensional motion analysis following results were found. (1) For the CV, MVHC, TC, HC, statistically significances were shown in obstacle height. Although significant training effects were not shown, all variables showed typical patterns and it was considered as efficient motion to overcome the height obstacles. (2) The anterior-posterior and vertical GRF of support leg during support phase were revealed in height effect but in training one. However, differences between Peak 1 and Peak 2 in vertical GRF increased as training period increased. (3) Knee and hip resultant joint moments were affected by training but ankle resultant moments remained unchanged.

• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.211-221
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• 2022

The wave runup height is one of the most important parameters for affecting the design of coastal structures such as dikes, revetments, and breakwaters. In this study, SWASH (Zijlema et al., 2011), a non-hydrostatic pressure numerical model, was used to analyze the effect of reducing The wave runup height of solitary waves by submerged and floating rectangular obstacles. It was confirmed that the SWASH model reproduces the propagation, breaking, and runup of solitary waves quite well. In addition, it was confirmed that the wave deformation of the solitary wave by submerged and floating rectangular obstacles was well reproduced. Finally, we conducted an examination of the effect of reducing the runup height of submerged and floating rectangular obstacles. Reduced runup heights are calculated and the characteristics of runup height reduction according to the dimensions of the obstacle were analyzed. The energy attenuation effect of the floating obstacle is greater than the submerged obstacle, and it is shown to be more effective in reducing the runup height.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers
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• v.17 no.7 s.94
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• pp.1864-1873
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• 1993

A biomechanical approach was carried out to analyze foot-floor reaction forces acting on five male subjects performing a walking task. The task analyzed was walking over an obstacle with the right bare foot. The foot-floor reaction data were measured from a force plate, and then processed using a software developed. The source program was coded in the C language for easier on-line data acquisition and graphic displays. High repeatability was found in the reaction data acquired from three trials by each subject. For obstacle height from 0 to 25 cm, the maximum in reaction force reached up to 1.048 BW in the vertical, 0.174 BW in the anterior-posterior, and 0.054 BW in the medio-lateral components, respectively. A quantity was defined by the difference between two vertical reaction values, and this quantity was found to be proportional to the obstacle height. It was also shown that the whole body motion could be predicted the measured foot-floor reaction data.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.383-389
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• 2013

Demand for high-rising building has arisen. However, its maintenance is usually executed by labour. It could have a severe problem. We proposed a gondola robot to solve it. In this paper, we designed a height estimation sensor for this gondola. It is consist of pan-tilt unit, ARS sensor, and laser sensor. The pan-tilt unit keeps the laser sensor to indicate the gravity direction by referencing the ARS. The laser sensor's range is vertical distance from gondola to ground. However, if there is an obstacle under the gondola, the distance includes its height. To filter it out, we apply a Kalman filter for the height estimation. If the estimated height is changed extremely, the filter decides that there is an obstacle. Then, it remembers the height of obstacle. Other extreme changes of height estimations are reflected. The experimental results using the proposed sensor system show detail flow of the height estimation.