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Volume 41, Issue 2
Displaying 1-7 of 7 articles from this issue
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Norikazu OHNISHI, Shin SAITO, Yuka HIRABAYASHI, Mayumi KATASE, Kaoru K ...2005 Volume 41 Issue 2 Pages 51-56
Published: April 15, 2005
Released on J-STAGE: March 15, 2010
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSThe purpose of this study is to evaluate the physical stress during walking with mule sandals (mules) by electromyogram (EMG) analysis. Eleven young women participated in five sessions of walking for 2-min while wearing no footwear, sports shoes and three types of high-heeled (9cm) mules on a treadmill at the speed of 50m/min. EMG and heart rate (HR) were recorded in the latter 1-min of each walking period. HR and cadence significantly (p<0.05) increased during walking with mules compared with no footwear and sport shoes. Integrated EMG increased in the hip joint flexor, the knee and planter extensor during walking with mules as compared with no footwear and sport shoes. It is considered that these increases in muscular activities might be related to the subject's effort to prevent mules from falling off by the dorsiflexion and to stabilize the walking posture by planting the heel and the toe simultaneously. The increase in the activity of the dorsiflexor during walking with mules tended to diminish with instep straps. It is suggested that the increase in the physical strain could be reduced by improvements in structure of the mules.View full abstractDownload PDF (4978K) -
Adjustment of Robot's Motion Characteristics Using Hand SignMit-suru JINDAI, Satoru SHIBATA, Tomonori YAMAMOTO, Akira SHIMIZU2005 Volume 41 Issue 2 Pages 57-64
Published: April 15, 2005
Released on J-STAGE: March 15, 2010
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSThis study proposes a handing over robot system in which motion characteristic of the robot can be adjusted easily by a cooperator using human hand signs. In this robot system, motion characteristics of the robot, such as maximum velocity, peak of velocity profile and handing position, are ordered with shape of the cooperator's hand. In addition, adjusting values of these characteristics are ordered with the moved distance of the cooperator's hand. In particular, the cooperator can estimate adjusting values with the experientially acquired motion by applying fuzzy inference to determination of adjusting values. Using these human hand signs, the cooperator can easily adjust the motion characteristics of the robot to be the most comfortable for his or her individual preferences.View full abstractDownload PDF (2779K) -
Hirotaka AOKI, Kenji ITOH, John Paulin HANSEN2005 Volume 41 Issue 2 Pages 65-76
Published: April 15, 2005
Released on J-STAGE: March 15, 2010
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSGaze interface, which makes it possible to use computers by users' eye-movements, has been expected to be a powerful tool for severely disabled people. Because it enables them to use computers by just looking at computer displays, even if the users have lost their voices or mobility caused by their diseases. This paper discusses the learnability of gaze interface for disabled people in typing Japanese texts. In this study, we develop a prototype of gaze interface that enables severely disabled users to type Japanese texts by their eye-movement, as well as mouse and head-movement. We carried out a series of experiments with 15 novice subjects, in which we compared typing-speed, errors, and subjective evaluations on typing performance among gaze-, mouse-, and head-typing. Considering the results obtained, we found that the gaze-typing showed the least efficient performance in terms of typing-speed and error frequency. In addition, the subjects gave the worse evaluations to gaze-typing on the subjectively-perceived typing-speed, error frequency, and user-satisfaction. We discuss the factors affecting the observed poor performances in gaze-typing. We also discuss the possibilities for future design improvements of the prototype.View full abstractDownload PDF (6292K) -
Hirokazu IWASE, Masatoshi KITAOKA, Juvy BALINGIT2005 Volume 41 Issue 2 Pages 77-88
Published: April 15, 2005
Released on J-STAGE: March 15, 2010
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSThe objective of this study was to identify differences in some basic kinematic parameters among task conditions during asymmetric load lifting tasks. The lifting motions were filmed by two high-speed video cameras. Three independent variables were manipulated in this study: the horizontal distance from the subject to the lifted box at the start of the lift (initial distance: 30cm and 60cm), the height of the lift (65cm and 105cm), and the weight of the box (4kg and 12kg). All factors were within-subject variables. The motion characteristics of wrist, elbow, shoulder, hip, knee, and ankle joints on both the right and left sides were obtained based on the reconstructed data by Direct Linear Transformation (DLT). At the same time, kinematic parameters such as the abduction/adduction angles of both shoulders; the flexion/extension angles of shoulders, elbows, hips, knees, and ankles; and the backward/forward tilt of the upper torso were calculated. Three characteristics of the asymmetric lifting task were revealed regardless of task conditions: (a) the load was lifted from the floor at 20% of the normalized time; (b) the load was rotated around the subject's upper torso at 30% of the normalized time; and (c) the load was put on the platform at 70% of the normalized time. Moreover, it was clarified that the kinematic parameters were greatly affected by the task conditions of initial distance, height, and weight: (a) the initial distance affected the angles of the upper limbs and hip flexion/extension; (b) the height affected the angle of the left upper limb and the upper torso; and (c) the weight affected the angles of the upper torso and lower limbs.View full abstractDownload PDF (9918K) -
Nobutoshi YAMAZAKI, Akiyuki TERANISHI, Shohei NANBA, Tomotaka IGARASHI2005 Volume 41 Issue 2 Pages 89-96
Published: April 15, 2005
Released on J-STAGE: March 15, 2010
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSThere are many electrical equipments operated with push switches in daily life. To improve the operability of these equipments, a suitable arrangement of switches is necessary. In this study, the biomechanical determinant for push posture was analyzed through measurement of push operations and use of a 3 dimensional upper limb model. As a result of measurement, it was found that arm posture is determined by the decrease in joint moment, and the increase of force manipulability in the direction of the switch manipulation. Accordingly, a 3-dimensional operability map of position and direction was made from force manipulability and joint moment. In the operation from a standing position of an ATM, joint moment was relatively small at a height of 850 to 1, 150mm. In the upper region of this area, it was easier to push switches which were tilted 60 degrees, and 30 degrees in the lower region. As for automobile switches which are operated from a sitting position, it was found that switches located on the center console, the A-Pillar, or the roof, as well as instrument panel, were easy to push.View full abstractDownload PDF (7606K) -
Toichi SAWADA, Toshiya HIROSE, Kanta TSUJI, Yasuhei OGUCHI2005 Volume 41 Issue 2 Pages 97-105
Published: April 15, 2005
Released on J-STAGE: March 15, 2010
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSThis study examines the effects of the level of driver's involvement in driving (the concerned level) on manual steering that starts after the Lane Keeping Assistance System stops when a driver is operating a car using this system. In the experiment that uses a driving simulator, a task is given to a driver to change the lane. The driver's concerned levels are established by combining actions of remaining front gazing, not-remaining front gazing, holding a steering-wheel and not-holding a steering-wheel. The following results are obtained from subjective and objective analyses of driver's steering control action: When a driver is remaining front gazing and holding a steering-wheel, driver performs the same control as that of manual steering. When a driver is not-remaining front gazing and not-holding a steering wheel, both the quantity of steering angle and the frequency of corrected steering show an increase. It takes 5 seconds for a driver to adapt the sense of driving to vehicle characteristics after steering is changed to manual steering. The results of subjective rating show that steering ease drops as the concerned level decreases, and the effect of the action of not-remaining front gazing is greater than that of not-holding a steering wheel.View full abstractDownload PDF (6950K) -
correlation between Stroop effect and the number of stimulus colors and the severity of dementiaHisashi UCHIYAMA, Ichiro FUKUMOTO2005 Volume 41 Issue 2 Pages 106-111
Published: April 15, 2005
Released on J-STAGE: March 15, 2010
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSDownload PDF (2422K)
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