• Transactions of the Society of Information Storage Systems
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.70-75
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• 2009

Most hard disk drives uses load/unload technology because of benefits as like an increased areal density, a reduced power consumption and an improved shock resistance. However, ramp tilt induced by ramp manufacture and assembly causes mechanical problems such as unload fail in case of exceeding ramp tolerance. In this paper, we focus on experimental analysis for unloading characteristics affected by ramp tilt. We repeatedly perform load/unload test as 500,000 cycles for original model and ramp tilt model. This paper shows that it is possible to analyze unload characteristics through measuring scratch and wear of suspension lift-tab, ramp, suspension dimple-flexure and disk. We also identify structural relation between suspension lift-tab and ramp through scratch and wear of suspension lift-tab and ramp. As the result of measurement and analysis, we can investigate decrease of unloading performance in ramp tilt model.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.435-448
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to investigate the kinemaitc gait parameter of lower extremities with different gait conditions(level walking, stairs, ramp) in old adults. Fourteen healthy older adults participated in this study and kinematic data were measured using 3D motion analysis system(Vicon, Oxford Metrics, England). Statistical analysis was used one-way ANOVA to know the difference of lower extremities angle at each gait phase with a different gait conditions. In sagittal plane, pelvic anterior tilt increased in stairs and ramp climbing and hip and knee flexion increased in stairs climbing but ankle dorsiflexion increased in ramp climbing. In frontal plane, pelvic was up in stairs and hip abduction and adduction more changed in stairs climbing than level walking. Knee varus and ankle inversion increased in stair climbing. In horizontal plane, pelvic internal rotation increased in stairs and ramp climbing and knee internal rotation increased in stairs climbing but ankle external rotation increased in stairs climbing. This results was shown that the stairs and ramp climbing changed the kinematic gait parameters of lower extremities in healthy old adults.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.16 no.11
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• pp.1068-1073
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• 2010

When a robot navigates in an outdoor environment, a curb or a sidewalk separated from the road can be used as a robust feature. However, most algorithms could detect the curb only in the straight road, and could not detect highly curved corners, ramps, and so on. This paper proposes an algorithm which enables the robot to detect and follow the curbs in various types of roads. In the proposed method, the robot tilts a laser scanner and computes the error between the predicted and the measured distances to the road in front of the robot. Based on this error, the curbs at corners and curves can be classified. It is also difficult to detect a curb near a ramp because of its low height. In this case, the robot also tilts a laser scanner to detect the curb beyond the ramp. Once the robot classifies the road into the curve, corner, ramp, the robot selects the proper navigation strategies depending on the classified road types and is able to continue to detect and follow the curb. The results of a series of experiments show that the robot can stably detect and follows the curb in curves, corners and ramps as well as the straight road.