78 research outputs found
Testing Safety of Lower Limbs Exoskeletons: Current Regulatory Gaps
No full textExoskeletons are a growing technology that is increasingly being studied and researched in various application domains. However, new technologies must fit into current regulations, which update more slowly than market needs. This paper analyses the main regulations and standards in which exoskeletons can fit, underlining the gaps and barriers that still exist and may hinder the smooth introduction of exoskeleton technology in the market
Review of exoskeletons for medical and service applications: ongoing Research in Europe on Wearable Robots, with focus on lower extremity exoskeletons
No full textPublisher Copyright: © The Institution of Engineering and Technology 2018.This chapter presents an overview of European research projects that are involved with research and development of wearable robots, with an emphasis on exoskeletons for the legs. The structure and goals of public European Research funding are explained, the general directions of the recent research in wearable robots are summarized, and a more detailed overview of a selection of the larger European R&D projects in this field is provided. It covers exoskeletons for assistive use as well as for training, for medical as well as for service applications.Peer reviewe
Groundwater use for irrigation - a global inventory
No full textIrrigation is the most important water use sector accounting for about 70% of the global freshwater withdrawals and 90% of consumptive water uses. While the extent of irrigation and related water uses are reported in statistical databases or estimated by model simulations, information on the source of irrigation water is scarce and very scattered. Here we present a new global inventory on the extent of areas irrigated with groundwater, surface water or non-conventional sources, and we determine the related consumptive water uses. The inventory provides data for 15 038 national and sub-national administrative units. Irrigated area was provided by census-based statistics from international and national organizations. A global model was then applied to simulate consumptive water uses for irrigation by water source. Globally, area equipped for irrigation is currently about 301 million ha of which 38% are equipped for irrigation with groundwater. Total consumptive groundwater use for irrigation is estimated as 545 km3 yr−1, or 43% of the total consumptive irrigation water use of 1 277 km3 yr−1. The countries with the largest extent of areas equipped for irrigation with groundwater, in absolute terms, are India (39 million ha), China (19 million ha) and the United States of America (17 million ha). Groundwater use in irrigation is increasing both in absolute terms and in percentage of total irrigation, leading in places to concentrations of users exploiting groundwater storage at rates above groundwater recharge. Despite the uncertainties associated with statistical data available to track patterns and growth of groundwater use for irrigation, the inventory presented here is a major step towards a more informed assessment of agricultural water use and its consequences for the global water cycle
Clinical Gait Assessment in Relation to Benchmarking Robot Locomotion
No full textThe objective of this paper is to identify clinical assessments that are potentially useful for benchmarking of bipedal locomotion. Results: Several clinical measures for static conditions and clinical measures for motion are suggested. Conclusions: Potentially useful clinical measures are identified. New metrics coming from new ambulant measurement techniques may be a good alternative for the qualitative clinical measures.</p
Unveiling the warm and dense ISM in
No full textWater vapor (H2O) is one of the brightest molecular emitters after carbon monoxide (CO) in galaxies with high infrared (IR) luminosity, allowing us to investigate the warm and dense phase of the interstellar medium (ISM) where star formation occurs. However, due to the complexity of its radiative spectrum, H2O is not frequently exploited as an ISM tracer in distant galaxies. Therefore, H2O studies of the warm and dense gas at high-z remain largely unexplored. In this work, we present observations conducted with the Northern Extended Millimeter Array (NOEMA) toward three z > 6 IR-bright quasars J2310+185
Challenges and solutions for application and wider adoption of wearable robots
No full textThe science and technology of wearable robots are steadily advancing, and the use of such robots in our everyday life appears to be within reach. Nevertheless, widespread adoption of wearable robots should not be taken for granted, especially since many recent attempts to bring them to real-life applications resulted in mixed outcomes. The aim of this article is to address the current challenges that are limiting the application and wider adoption of wearable robots that are typically worn over the human body. We categorized the challenges into mechanical layout, actuation, sensing, body interface, control, human–robot interfacing and coadaptation, and benchmarking. For each category, we discuss specific challenges and the rationale for why solving them is important, followed by an overview of relevant recent works. We conclude with an opinion that summarizes possible solutions that could contribute to the wider adoption of wearable robots.Human-Robot Interactio
Limitations of the Instantaneous Profile Method for Field Measurement of Unsaturated Hydraulic Conductivity
No full textEight new T4.5-T7.5 dwarfs discovered in the UKIDSS Large Area Survey Data Release 1
No full textContains fulltext :
34817.pdf ( ) (Open Access)We present eight new T4.5-T7.5 dwarfs identified in the UKIRT (United Kingdom Infrared Telescope) Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS) Large Area Survey (LAS) Data Release 1 (DR1). In addition we have recovered the T4.5 dwarf SDSSJ020742.91+000056.2 and the T8.5 dwarf ULASJ003402.77-005206.7. Photometric candidates were picked up in two-colour diagrams over 190deg2 (DR1) and selected in at least two filters. All candidates exhibit near-infrared spectra with strong methane and water absorption bands characteristic of T dwarfs and the derived spectral types follow the unified scheme of Burgasser et al.. We have found six new T4.5-T5.5 dwarfs, one T7 dwarf, one T7.5 dwarf and recovered a T4.5 dwarf and a T8.5 dwarf. We provide distance estimates which lie in the 15-85pc range; the T7.5 and T8.5 dwarfs are probably within 25pc of the Sun. We conclude with a discussion of the number of T dwarfs expected after completion of the LAS, comparing these initial results to theoretical simulations. Based on observations made with the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope, operated by the Joint Astronomy Centre on behalf of the UK Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council. E-mail: [email protected] ‡ Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow
National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference statement on celiac disease
No full textVariable Stiffness Structure for limb attachment
No full textIn robotic rehabilitation, the way of attaching the robotic device to the users' limb constitutes a crucial element of product quality, particularly for assuring good fitting, comfort, accuracy, usability, and safety. In this article, we present a new technological concept - 'Variable Stiffness Structure' - allowing for an improvement of these aspects in the 'robotic device to limb' - connection by offering a compound of materials that are together able to switch from a flexible textile-like state to a more rigid state by applying negative pressure. The paper describes the concept and the basic behaviour of the material, based on experiments.Peer reviewe
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