Walking on Powered VR Shoes to Virtual Reality Motion: a User Experience Evaluation

Moving through immersive virtual reality (VR) is commonly achieved by physically walking in the real room or using other techniques like an omnidirectional treadmill or walk-in-place. Roomscale walking is most similar to normal walking but is limited by physical space. However, other techniques can cause user experience issues such as VR...

Kinematics analysis of an end-effector-based orthosis for the lower limb allowing for adduction and flexion

Rehabilitation robotics is a rapidly growing field in the engineering industry. Due to the high repeatability of motion, high therapy costs, and lack of proper quantitative assessment of patient status and progress, rehabilitation centers could benefit from the introduction of robotics. One such device already commercially available is the...

Estimating ankle torque and dynamics of the stabilizing mechanism: No need for horizontal ground reaction forces

Changes in human balance control can objectively be assessed using system identification techniques in combination with support surface translations. However, large, expensive and complex motion platforms are required, which are not suitable for the clinic. A treadmill could be a simple alternative to apply support surface translations. In...

Inertia compensation for perturbations on instrumented treadmills: Optimization and validation

Instrumented treadmills and perturbations of the treadmill are commonly used for gait analysis and can provide real time biomechanical information and feedback of gait patterns and abnormalities. Force plates in the treadmill are combined with motion capture data and fed into a musculoskeletal model. High accuracy of the force plates is needed...

Movement dynamics of divisome proteins and PBP2x: FtsW in cells of Streptococcus pneumoniae

Bacterial cell division and peptidoglycan (PG) synthesis are orchestrated by the coordinated dynamic movement of essential protein complexes. Recent studies show that bidirectional treadmilling of FtsZ filaments/bundles is tightly coupled to and limiting for both septal PG synthesis and septum closure in some bacteria, but not in others. Here...

Dynamic in situ calibration of an instrumented treadmill for systems identification and parameter estimation

Existing re-calibration methods for instrumented treadmills have mainly been performed when the instrumented treadmill has been in static operation i.e. the belts are not running. The effect re-calibrating during experimental operation, i.e. while the belts are running, on the ground reaction force (GRF) and the center of pressure (CoP) accuracy...

Handbike simulator

This report presents the design research, concept development, user test and final design for the handbike simulator. The handbike simulator is an addition for treadmills developed by ForceLink which allows handbikers to exercise on the treadmills with realistic opposing forces. Next to that it enhances the treadmill experience by offering...