• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
• /
• v.29 no.11 s.242
• /
• pp.1534-1541
• /
• 2005

Unlike industrial manipulators, the manipulators mounted on service robots are interacting with humans in various aspects. Therefore, safety has been one of the most important design issues. Many compliant robot arms have been introduced for safety. It is known that passive compliance method has faster response and higher reliability than active ones. In this paper, a new safety mechanism based on passive compliance is proposed. Passive mechanical elements, specifically transmission angle of the 4-bar linkage, springs and shock absorbing modules are incorporated into this safety mechanism. This mechanism works only when the robot arm exerts contact force much more than the human pain tolerance. Validity of this mechanism is verified by simulations and experiments. It is shown that the manipulator using this mechanism provides higher performance and safety than those using other passive compliance mechanisms or active methods.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
• /
• 2004.10a
• /
• pp.180-185
• /
• 2004

Unlike industrial manipulators, the manipulators mounted on the service robots are interacting with humans in various aspects. Therefore, safety has been the important design issue. Many compliant robot arm designs have been introduced for safety. It is known that passive compliance method has faster response and higher reliability than active ones. In this paper, a new safe mechanism based on passive compliance has been proposed. Passive mechanical elements, specifically transmission angle of the 4-bar linkage, springs and shock absorbing modules are incorporated into this safe mechanism. This mechanism works only when the robot arm exerts contact force much more than the human pain tolerance. Validity of the safe mechanism is verified by simulations and experiments. In this research, it is shown that the manipulator using this mechanism provides higher performance and safety than those using other passive compliance mechanisms.

• Advances in robotics research
• /
• v.1 no.1
• /
• pp.21-39
• /
• 2014

Due to the rapid progress in the field of robotics, it is a high time to concentrate on the development of a robot that can manoeuvre in all type of landscapes, ascend and descend stairs and sloping surfaces autonomously. This paper presents details of a prototype robot which can navigate in very rough terrain, ascend and descend staircase as well as sloping surface and cross ditches. The robot is made up of six differentially steered wheels and some passive mechanism, making it suitable to cross long ditches and landscape undulation. Static stability of the developed robot have been carried out analytically and navigation capability of the robot is observed through simulation in different environment, separately. Description of embedded system of the robot has also been presented and experimental validation has been made along with some details on obstacle avoidance. Finally the limitations of the robot have been explored with their possible reasons.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
• /
• 2003.04a
• /
• pp.1065-1068
• /
• 2003

The nano imprint process is one of the next generation lithography has been mentioned as one of major nanoreplication techniques because it is simple process, low cost, high replication fidelity and relatively high throughput. This process requires a surface contact between a template with patterns and a wafer on a stage. After contact, the vertical moving the template to the wafer causes some directional motions of the stage. Thus the stage must move according to the motions of the template to avoid the damage of the transferred patterns on the wafer. This study is to develop the wafer stage with a passive compliance to overcome the damage. This stage is designed with the concept like that it has a monolithic, symmetry and planar 6-DOF mechanism.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
• /
• v.43 no.2
• /
• pp.134-144
• /
• 2016

In adults, mallet finger is a traumatic zone I lesion of the extensor tendon with either tendon rupture or bony avulsion at the base of the distal phalanx. High-energy mechanisms of injury generally occur in young men, whereas lower energy mechanisms are observed in elderly women. The mechanism of injury is an axial load applied to a straight digit tip, which is then followed by passive extreme distal interphalangeal joint (DIPJ) hyperextension or hyperflexion. Mallet finger is diagnosed clinically, but an X-ray should always be performed. Tubiana's classification takes into account the size of the bony articular fragment and DIPJ subluxation. We propose to stage subluxated fractures as stage III if the subluxation is reducible with a splint and as stage IV if not. Left untreated, mallet finger becomes chronic and leads to a swan-neck deformity and DIPJ osteoarthritis. The goal of treatment is to restore active DIPJ extension. The results of a six- to eight-week conservative course of treatment with a DIPJ splint in slight hyperextension for tendon lesions or straight for bony avulsions depends on patient compliance. Surgical treatments vary in terms of the approach, the reduction technique, and the means of fixation. The risks involved are stiffness, septic arthritis, and osteoarthritis. Given the lack of consensus regarding indications for treatment, we propose to treat all cases of mallet finger with a dorsal glued splint except for stage IV mallet finger, which we treat with extra-articular pinning.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.32 no.2
• /
• pp.175-188
• /
• 2022

Relaxin has been demonstrated to have regulatory functions on both the smooth muscle and extracellular matrix (ECM) of blood vessels and fibrotic organs. The diverse mechanisms by which relaxin acts on small resistance arteries and fibrotic organs, including the bladder, are reviewed here. Relaxin induces vasodilation by inhibiting the contractility of vascular smooth muscles and by increasing the passive compliance of vessel walls through the reduction of ECM components, such as collagen. The primary cellular mechanism whereby relaxin induces arterial vasodilation is mediated by the endothelium-dependent production of nitric oxide (NO) through the activation of RXFP1/PI3K, Akt phosphorylation, and eNOS. In addition, relaxin triggers different alternative pathways to enhance the vasodilation of renal and mesenteric arteries. In small renal arteries, relaxin stimulates the activation of the endothelial MMPs and EtB receptors and the production of VEGF and PlGF to inhibit myogenic contractility and collagen deposition, thereby bringing about vasodilation. Conversely, in small mesenteric arteries, relaxin augments bradykinin (BK)-evoked relaxation in a time-dependent manner. Whereas the rapid enhancement of the BK-mediated relaxation is dependent on IK_Ca channels and subsequent EDH induction, the sustained relaxation due to BK depends on COX activation and PGI₂. The anti-fibrotic effects of relaxin are mediated by inhibiting the invasion of inflammatory immune cells, the endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT), and the differentiation and activation of myofibroblasts. Relaxin also activates the NOS/NO/cGMP/PKG-1 pathways in myofibroblasts to suppress the TGF-β1-induced activation of ERK1/2 and Smad2/3 signaling and deposition of ECM collagen.