Optimal Skateboard Geometry for Maximizing Ollie Height: a Multi-Phase Direct Collocation Optimization Study

Skateboarding involves a human controlling a four wheeled vehicle that is steered by tilting the standing surface. The riding mechanics of skateboarding have been well reported [2, 3]. The sport also includes aerial maneuvers such as jumping of stairs, flying off ramps and flipping and rotating the skateboard. The most basic aerial trick is...

Controlling grip force by maintaining a constant frictional safety margin to improve robotic grasping

Manipulating soft and fragile objects is a challenging task in robotic grasping. The key challenge for robotic grasping is to exert enough grip force to prevent slipping while being gentle enough to prevent damage to an object. Existing grippers used for processes like automatic harvesting of fruits, either apply excessive grip force leading to...

Quantification of the development of trunk control in healthy infants using inertial measurement units

Trunk motor control is essential for the proper functioning of the upper extremities and is an important predictor of gait capacity in children with delayed development. Early diagnosis and intervention can potentially increase the trunk motor capabilities in later life. However, current tools used to assess the level of trunk motor control are...

The Effect of Rocker on Ice Friction in Short-Track Speed Skating

Short-track speed skates are prepared with rocker to improve cornering behavior. However, rocker also has a negative impact on ice friction. As there is currently no scientific theory for selecting optimal rocker profiles, skaters have to rely on personal experience. There is a lack of experimental data available in literature to validate...

Pitch type classification based on pelvis and trunk IMU data

Classification of pitch types outside the laboratory or game environment provide benefits in designing and outlining training routines to reduce injury and improve performance. Current classification approaches are based on vision-based optical data, however these optical data is often not available in training sessions. The aim of the current...

A MATE for post-stroke gait rehabilitation; design optimization of a minimally actuated tendon-based gait rehabilitation device

Robots can be powerful tools in post-stroke gait rehabilitation. However, state-of-the-art robots are often expensive machines containing rigid links with high inertia. Their expensiveness could limit their availability, and their high inertia reduces transparency, which could hinder rehabilitation progress. These factors raise the need for a...

Development and evaluation of the Hybrid Hand, a prosthetic hand with force assist

Active hand prostheses aid people, who suffer from an upper limb deficiency, in performing activities of daily living. The two types of active hand prostheses available are the myo-electric prosthesis and body-powered prosthesis. Even though both allow a user to grasp objects, the downsides are major. The high actuation...