• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2013.05a
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• pp.1227-1228
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• 2013

• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.57 no.9
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• pp.1669-1673
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• 2008

A new cycle ergometer using a Magneto-Rheological (MR) rotary brake system has been developed for rehabilitation of hemiplegia patients to reduce uneven pedaling characteristics. For this purpose, a control method to adjust the resistance of the MR rotary brake in real time based on the magnitude of the muscular force exerted by the subject has been devised so that the mechanical resistance to the pedaling can be minimized when the affected leg was engaged for pedaling. A series of experiments were carried out with and without the engagement of this real-time control mode of MR rotary brake at different pedaling rate to find out the effect of the real-time control mode. The characteristics of the pedaling for these specific conditions were analyzed based on the variations in angular velocities of the pedal unit. The results showed that the variations in the angular velocities were decreased by 42.9% with the control mode. The asymmetry of pedaling between dominant and non-dominant leg was 19.63% in non-control mode and 1.97% in the control mode. The characteristics of electromyography(EMG) in the lower limbs were also measured. The observation showed that Integrated EMG(IEMG) reduced with the control mode. Therefore, the new bicycle system using MR brake with the real time control of mechanical resistance was found to be effective in recovering the normal pedaling pattern by reducing unbalanced pedaling characteristics caused by disparity of muscular strength between affected and unaffected leg.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2010.05a
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• pp.1417-1418
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• 2010

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.357-363
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of different saddle heights on lower-limb joint angle and muscle activity. Six elite cyclists(age: $32.2{\pm}5.2years$, height: $171.0{\pm}3.5cm$, weight: $79.7{\pm}5.6kg$, cycle career: $13{\pm}6.2years$) participated in three min. submaximal(90 rpm) pedaling tests with the same load and cadence based on saddle heights where subject's saddle height was determined by his knee flexion angle when the pedal crank was at the 6 o'clock position. Joint angles(hip, knee, ankle joints) and the activity of lower limb muscles(biceps femoris(BF), vastus lateralis(VL), tibialis anterior(TA) and gastrocnemius medial(GM)) were compared by measuring 3D motion and electromyography(EMG) data. Results showed that there were significant differences in minimum hip & knee joint angle and range of motion of hip and knee joint between saddle heights. Onset timing and integrated EMG of only BF among 4 muscles were significantly different between saddle heights. Especially there was a negative relationship between minimum hip joint angle and onset timing of BF in most subject, which means that onset timing of BF became fast as the degree of bending of the hip joint became larger by saddle height. Optimal pedaling will be possible through increased amount of muscle activation due to the appropriate burst onset timing by proper pedaling posture with adjusted saddle height.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.417-423
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to compare two saddle height determination methods by the effectiveness of pedal reaction force. Ten male subjects (age: $24.0{\pm}2.4years$, height: $175.1{\pm}5.4cm$, weight: $69.3{\pm}11.1kg$, inseam: $77.8{\pm}4.5cm$) participated in three minutes, 60 rpm cycle pedaling tests with the same load and cadence. Subject's saddle height was determined by $25^{\circ}$ knee flexion angle (K25) when the pedal crank was at the 6 o'clock position (knee angle method) and 97% (T97), 100% (T100), 103% (T103) of trochanter height (trochanteric method). The RF (resultant force), EF (effective force), and IE (index of effectiveness) were compared by measuring 3D motion and 3-axis pedal reaction force data during 4 pedaling phases (phase1: $330^{\circ}-30^{\circ}$, phase2: $30^{\circ}-150^{\circ}$, phase3: $150^{\circ}-210$, phase4: $210^{\circ}-330^{\circ}$). Results showed that there were significant differences in EF at phase1 between T97 and K25, in EF at phase4 between T100 and T103, in IE at total phase between T97 and K25, between T100 and T103, in IE at phase1 & phase2 between T97 and K25. There was higher IE in the K25 than any other saddle heights, which means that K25 was better pedaling effectiveness than the trochanteric method. Therefore it was suggested the saddle height as 103.7% of trochanter height that converted from K25.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.303-308
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• 2016

Objective: This study evaluated the vertical and horizontal forces in the frontal plane acting on a pedal due to the vertical alignment of the lower limbs. Method: Seven male subjects (age: $25.3{\pm} 0.8years$, height: $175.4{\pm}4.7cm$, weight: $74.7{\pm}14.2kg$, foot size: $262.9{\pm}7.6mm$) participated in two 2-minute cycle pedaling tests, with the same load and cadence (60 revolutions per minute) across all subjects. The subject's saddle height was determined by the height when the knee was at $25^{\circ}$ flexion when the pedal crank was at the 6 o'clock position (knee angle method). The horizontal force acting on the pedal, vertical force acting on the pedal in the frontal plane, ratio of the two forces, and knee range of motion in the frontal plane were calculated for four pedaling phases (phase 1: $330{\sim}30^{\circ}$, phase 2: $30{\sim}150^{\circ}$, phase 3: $150{\sim}210^{\circ}$, phase 4: $210{\sim}330^{\circ}$) and the complete pedaling cycle. Results: The range of motion of the knee in the frontal plane was decreased, and the ratio of vertical force to horizontal force and overall pedal force in the complete cycle were increased after vertical alignment. Conclusion: The ratio of vertical force to horizontal force in the frontal plane may be used as an injury prevention index of the lower limb.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.237-242
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• 2016

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the joint movements and muscle activities of novices according to pedal type (flat, clip, and cleat pedal). Method: Nine novice male subjects (age: $24.4{\pm}1.9years$, height: $1.77{\pm}0.05m$, weight: $72.4{\pm}7.6kg$, shoe size: $267.20{\pm}7.50mm$) participated in 3-minute, 60-rpm cycle pedaling tests with the same load and cadence. Each of the subject's saddle height was determined by the $155^{\circ}$ knee flexion angle when the pedal crank was at the 6 o'clock position ($25^{\circ}$ knee angle method). The muscle activities of the vastus lateralis, tibialis anterior, biceps femoris, and gastrocnemius medialis were compared by using electromyography during 4 pedaling phases (phase 1: $330{\sim}30^{\circ}$, phase 2: $30{\sim}150^{\circ}$, phase 3: $150{\sim}210^{\circ}$, and phase 4: $210{\sim}330^{\circ}$). Results: The knee joint movement (range of motion) and maximum dorsiflexion angle of the ankle joint with the flat pedal were larger than those of the clip and cleat pedals. The maximum plantarflexion timing with the flat and clip pedals was faster than that of the flat pedal. Electromyography revealed that the vastus lateralis muscle activity with the flat pedal was greater than that with the clip and cleat pedals. Conclusion: With the clip and cleat pedals, the joint movements were limited but the muscle activities were more effective than that with the flat pedal. The novice cannot benefit from the clip and cleat pedals regardless of their pull-up pedaling advantage. Therefore, the novice should perform the skilled pulling-up pedaling exercise in order to benefit from the clip and cleat pedals in terms of pedaling performance.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.8-12
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• 2017

Bicycles are very popular sporting goods in these days. Thus, the durability of bicycles is very important for the safety of bicyclists. It is well known that a bicycle frame is a major component which is essential to the safety and performance of a complete bicycle. In this study, the durability of bicycle frames were experimentally investigated under the fatigue load. Eighty bicycle frames with different types and materials were prepared and tested according to EN standards. Three kinds of fatigue loads, that is, pedalling, vertical and horizontal fatigue load, which occur constantly during riding a bicycle, were applied to the bicycle frames. The experimental results show that the horizontal fatigue load was the severest mode to pass EN standard. The pass ratio of horizontal fatigue load test was 45.2%, while the pass ratio of vertical fatigue load test was 100%. Most of cracks were found at the right side of bottom bracket shell and at the intersection area between head tube and down tube. It seems that the experimental results can be applied to improve the safety and performance of a bicycle frame.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.331-337
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• 2015

This research was to develop the cycling system of lower limbs for rehabilitation during cycle exercise in supine position. Also we analyzed the muscular activity of lower-limbs at various exercise conditions according to exercise mode, load, velocity. 42 healthy subjects(ages 20-60 years) were participated. We measured the muscular activities of right lower limb muscle in rectus femoris, biceps femoris, tibialis anterior, medial gastrocnemius, soleus. Results, medial gastrocnemius shows high value on load 10 stage than load 1 and 5 stage. And all muscular activity except medial gastrocnemius was decreased as increase of velocity. We have found that there is a difference of lower limbs activity depending on exercise mode and method. This study could be applied to reference data to develop cycle system of lower limbs for rehabilitation.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.23-30
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• 1982

The regimen of physical activity of the patient with coronary artery disease requires that he should not overshoot the prescribed heart rate based on his age, health and fuctional status of the heart during his exercise. The step input of work load, however, involves a great danger of overshooting. The purpose of this study was to desigil a system that makes it passible for a subject to check the overshooting. This system shows on tile H.R-meter, the amplified and filtered heart-rate signal of the subject received by the photosensor on his earlobe, puts it in the lead coinpensational circuit where it is conpared with the reference input signal(=the presfribed heart rate). The output of the lead compensational circuit works the aull meter. By means of this null meter, the subject knows whether he is overshooting the prescribed heart rate or not. He can continue the natl meter needle at the'Zero'position through the control of the speed of pedaling of the bicycle ergometer, An experimental test, made on eight men and four women in healthy condition, showed that 91. 7% of them vlaintained the stable heart rate and that the overshooting of the desired heart rate did not exceed $\pm$2BPM. According to the result of this experiment, since the heart rate feedback controller makes it possible for the subject to take the prescribed exercise based not on the work load but on the heart rate which incidentally is inexpensive, it can be made use of as the instrument for the regimen of pflysical activity by the patient with coronary artery disease.