Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Kim Jiae, Min Ho Chun, Junekyung Lee, Jun Won Kim, Ji Yeon Lee
Summary: This study compares the effects of robot-assisted gait training with intensity controlled by patients' biometric data or therapist's subjective judgement, finding no significant difference in treatment outcomes between the two methods.
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Dong-Hoon Kim, Tae-Sung In, Kyoung-Sim Jung
Summary: This study demonstrates that robot-assisted trunk control training is beneficial and effective in improving trunk postural control and balance ability in stroke patients.
TECHNOLOGY AND HEALTH CARE
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Min-Cheol Joo, Kyeoung-Man Jung, Ji-Hee Kim, Yu-Jin Jung, Woo-Nam Chang, Hyeon-Jin Shin
Summary: The study showed that robot-assisted therapy combined with trunk restraint can effectively improve upper extremity function and daily activities in patients with acute stroke, suggesting a more beneficial approach compared to robot-assisted therapy alone.
JOURNAL OF STROKE & CEREBROVASCULAR DISEASES
(2022)
Review
Biology
Wei-Cheng Wang, Chia-Yi Yeh, Jian-Jia Huang, Shih-Chieh Chang, Yu-Cheng Pei
Summary: The combination of robot-assisted training and antispasticity therapy can improve lower limb function but does not reduce spasticity in stroke and spinal cord injury patients.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Raffaele Ranzani, Lucas Eicher, Federica Viggiano, Bernadette Engelbrecht, Jeremia P. O. Held, Olivier Lambercy, Roger Gassert
Summary: The study introduced a robot-assisted therapy platform designed for minimal therapist supervision, with preliminary evaluation showing participants were able to independently perform therapy sessions with high usability and within desired workload bands.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Rocco Salvatore Calabro, Giovanni Morone, Antonino Naro, Marialuisa Gandolfi, Vitalma Liotti, Carlo D'aurizio, Sofia Straudi, Antonella Focacci, Sanaz Pournajaf, Irene Aprile, Serena Filoni, Claudia Zanetti, Maria Rosaria Leo, Lucia Tedesco, Vincenzo Spina, Carmelo Chisari, Giovanni Taveggia, Stefano Mazzoleni, Nicola Smania, Stefano Paolucci, Marco Franceschini, Donatella Bonaiuti
Summary: Robot-assisted upper limb training may improve outcomes for stroke patients, with exoskeleton robots shown to be more effective in the subacute phase and end-effector robots more effective in the chronic phase. Additional pragmatic and high methodological studies are needed to confirm the effectiveness of these devices.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Vitor Mendes Pereira, Patrick Nicholson, Nicole M. Cancelliere, Xiao Yu Eileen Liu, Ronit Agid, Ivan Radovanovic, Timo Krings
Summary: Geographic factors hinder equal access to urgent advanced neuroendovascular treatments. Robotic technology shows promise in enabling remote endovascular procedures. The study demonstrated the feasibility of robot-assisted neurointerventional procedures, representing a significant step toward remote neuroendovascular care and geographical equalization of advanced treatments through telestroke intervention.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSURGERY
(2022)
Article
Robotics
Ke Wu, Gang Zheng
Summary: Soft robotics has unique characteristics such as compliance and flexibility, providing promising features for applications such as safe human machine interaction and adaptability to unknown environments. A gain-scheduling closed-loop method is demonstrated to control a soft trunk robot within its workspace, considering its dynamic characteristics. The method is validated through experimental testing with convincing results.
IEEE ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Musong Lin, Hongbo Wang, Jianye Niu, Yu Tian, Xincheng Wang, Guowei Liu, Li Sun
Summary: Muscle weakness is a major obstacle for stroke survivors, leading to mobility difficulties. This paper proposes a robot-assisted active training (RAAT) approach that combines adaptive admittance control and virtual reality interaction to improve lower limb strength training for stroke survivors. The RAAT approach demonstrates promising results in providing high-quality active strength training environment and maintaining users engaged in training.
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Ke Wu, Gang Zheng, Junfeng Zhang
Summary: This paper proposes a trajectory tracking control strategy for a soft trunk robot based on Finite Element Method (FEM). Feasible trajectory is planned using a model-prediction-control (MPC)-based optimization problem in a FEM-based simulator. Linearization around the pre-designed trajectory is conducted to develop an associated controller. The feasibility of the proposed method is demonstrated through experimental validation.
ROBOTICS AND AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Marcel Simis, Aurore Thibaut, Marta Imamura, Linamara Rizzo Battistella, Felipe Fregni
Summary: This study compares the effects of Robot-Assisted Therapy (RT) and Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy (CIMT) on neuroplastic changes in chronic stroke patients, finding that both treatments have similar effects on motor improvement in individuals with stroke.
FRONTIERS IN HUMAN NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Jen-Wen Hung, Chu-Ling Yen, Ku-Chou Chang, Wei-Chi Chiang, I-Ching Chuang, Ya-Ping Pong, Wen-Chi Wu, Ching-Yi Wu
Summary: This study investigated the effects of combined task-oriented trainings following BoNT-A injection on motor functions and spasticity in stroke patients, showing positive effects on improving motor functions and reducing spasticity for all 3 types of trainings, with AC having the most significant impact on QOM in MAL at the 3-month follow-up.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Aida Sehle, Jana Stuerner, Thomas Hassa, Stefan Spiteri, Mircea A. Schoenfeld, Joachim Liepert
Summary: The study explored the effects of additional intense robot-assisted upper extremity training on functional outcome and motor excitability in subacute stroke patients. The results showed that at the neurophysiological level, MEP amplitudes were significantly larger in the intervention group, but this effect did not translate into motor performance improvements at the behavioral level.
JOURNAL OF NEUROENGINEERING AND REHABILITATION
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Rudolf Janos, Marek Sukop, Jan Semjon, Peter Tuleja, Peter Marcinko, Martin Kocan, Maksym Grytsiv, Marek Vagas, L'ubica Mikova, Tatiana Kelemenova
Summary: Robotic football with humanoid robots is a multidisciplinary field. This study aims to determine a walking pattern for a humanoid robot with an impact on its dynamic stability and behavior. The design of the proposed technical concept depends on stability management mechanism, walking speed, and chosen stability approaches. The complexity of the walking principle and control of the robot's movement limit the versatility and adaptability of the humanoid robot.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Yen-Wei Chen, Wei-Chi Chiang, Chia-Ling Chang, Shih-Ming Lo, Ching-Yi Wu
Summary: Both robot-assisted hand training and task-oriented training have positive effects in post-stroke rehabilitation, but they have slightly different effects in different domains. EMG-driven robot-assisted therapy is as effective as task-oriented training in improving upper limbs functional performance, and it is more effective in improving movement duration during functional tasks. Task-oriented training shows better improvement in body function and activity and participation domains.
JOURNAL OF NEUROENGINEERING AND REHABILITATION
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Roman P. Kuster, Maria Hagstromer, Daniel Baumgartner, Wilhelmus J. A. Grooten
Summary: This study analyzed the concurrent and discriminant validity of commonly used cut-points to measure sedentary behavior, activity level, and posture in office work. The results showed that the validity was higher for activity level compared to sedentary behavior and posture, and cut-points performed better in detecting task effects than workplace effects.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Philipp M. Schmid, Christoph M. Bauer, Markus J. Ernst, Bettina Sommer, Lars Lunenburger, Martin Weisenhorn
Summary: This study introduces a simple biomechanical model for describing head posture and movement relative to the thorax, which achieves high accuracy in identifying and monitoring incorrect head positions. The model's accuracy relies on prior knowledge of the effective neck length, and incorrectly assuming this parameter to be a linear function of palpable neck length can increase measurement error. Despite this, the resulting accuracy is sufficient for detecting and monitoring protracted malpositions of the head relative to the thorax.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Liselot Thijs, Eline Voets, Evelien Wiskerke, Thomas Nauwelaerts, Yves Arys, Harold Haspeslagh, Jan Kool, Patrick Bischof, Christoph Bauer, Robin Lemmens, Daniel Baumgartner, Geert Verheyden
Summary: The study demonstrates that technology-supported sitting balance training is feasible and safe for chronic stroke patients, leading to improvements in trunk function, maximum gait speed, and functional balance after a four-week intervention alongside usual care.
JOURNAL OF NEUROENGINEERING AND REHABILITATION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Roman P. Kuster, Wilhelmus J. A. Grooten, Victoria Blom, Daniel Baumgartner, Maria Hagstromer, Orjan Ekblom
Summary: This study found that combining proprietary data with algorithms using sensors can improve the accuracy and precision of sedentary time estimates, reducing the overestimation of sedentary time.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2021)
Review
Orthopedics
Esther Franov, Matthias Straub, Christoph M. Bauer, Markus J. Ernst
Summary: Neck pain is a common musculoskeletal disorder, and evaluating the kinematics and movement accuracy characteristics can help tailor exercise programs. This systematic review examined the sensorimotor control in patients with neck pain during head aiming, functional, and unconstrained movement tasks. The findings suggest that patients with neck pain differ from healthy controls in certain characteristics related to sensorimotor control.
BMC MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Roman P. Kuster, Philip von Rosen, Wilhelmus J. A. Grooten, Ing-Mari Dohrn, Maria Hagstromer
Summary: This study analyzed the association between self-reported and device-measured physical activity and cardiovascular events, finding that MVPA is beneficial for cardiovascular health regardless of the domain in which it occurs.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Rehabilitation
Moana Heussler, Jasmin Winter, Sabina Hotz-Boendermaker, Christoph Michael Bauer
Summary: A video-supported system for visual feedback was developed and tested on a person with persistent unspecific lumbar back pain. The system achieved good usability according to the subject's evaluation and the system usability scale (SUS).
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Michelle C. Haas, Bettina B. Sommer, Samuel Karrer, Matthias Joerger, Eveline S. Graf, Martin Huber, Daniel Baumgartner, Jens Bansi, Jan Kool, Christoph M. Bauer
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the differences in trunk muscle activity between people after stroke and healthy participants on stable and mobile seats. Results showed that stroke survivors had higher muscle activity in thorax-initiated exercises on a mobile seat, while healthy participants had higher muscle activity in pelvis-initiated exercises. The findings suggest tailored trunk control exercises for different populations on mobile seats to optimize muscle activation.
Review
Orthopedics
Wilhelmus Johannes Andreas Grooten, Carina Bostrom, Asa Dedering, Marie Halvorsen, Roman P. Kuster, Lena Nilsson-Wikmar, Christina B. Olsson, Graciela Rovner, Elena Tseli, Eva Rasmussen-Barr
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different types of common exercise used in chronic low back pain (CLBP) on pain and disability. The study found that the effects of various exercise types on pain and disability varied, but there were no major differences between exercise types. Many of the included systematic reviews had low-to-moderate quality and were based on randomized controlled trials with high risk of bias. The conflicting results undermine the certainty of the findings, leading to very low-to-moderate quality of evidence for the results. Future systematic reviews should focus on improving quality to minimize resource waste.
BMC MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Munkh-Erdene Bayartai, Annika Taulaniemi, Kari Tokola, Henri Vaha-Ypya, Jari Parkkari, Pauliina Husu, Markku Kankaanpaa, Tommi Vasankari, Christoph Michael Bauer, Hannu Luomajoki
Summary: The aim of this study was to examine the associations of spinal kinematics and physical activity (PA) with bodily pain, physical functioning, and work ability among health care workers with low back pain (LBP). The results showed that greater lumbar movement variability/less deterministic lumbar movement was associated with higher amounts of step counts and moderate PA. Higher amounts of PA, as well as less movement control impairment and movement variability, were associated with greater work ability, while greater vigorous PA was the only parameter to explain higher physical functioning. PA and movement variability were relative to each other to explain bodily pain. These findings highlight the importance of considering the interaction between lumbar kinematics and physical activity for improving bodily pain, physical functioning, and work ability among health care workers with LBP.
JOURNAL OF ELECTROMYOGRAPHY AND KINESIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Orthopedics
Eva Rasmussen-Barr, Marie Halvorsen, Tony Bohman, Carina Bostroem, Asa Dedering, Roman P. Kuster, Christina B. Olsson, Graciela Rovner, Elena Tseli, Lena Nilsson-Wikmar, Wilhelmus Johannes Andreas Grooten
Summary: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to summarize the literature on the effect of various exercise types used in chronic neck pain and to assess the certainty of the evidence. The study found that motor control exercise, Pilates exercises, resistance training, traditional Chinese exercise, and yoga have short-term positive effects on pain. All exercise types, except resistance training, show positive effects on disability compared to non-exercise controls.
BMC MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS
(2023)
Article
Rehabilitation
Sofi Sonesson, Roman Peter Kuster, Joanna Kvist
Summary: Physical activity patterns increased from acute phase to 3 months after non-surgically treated ACL injury, but a significant number of patients did not reach recommended levels. Physical activity did not correlate with knee function or quality of life.
PHYSICAL THERAPY IN SPORT
(2023)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
A. M. Aegerter, S. N. Latif, M. A. Weishaupt, B. E. Gubler, F. M. Rast, A. Klose, C. A. Pauli, A. Meichtry, C. M. Bauer
COMPARATIVE EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Engineering, Industrial
Itay Coifman, Rodger Kram, Raziel Riemer
Summary: This study aimed to quantify the metabolic cost of running with additional leg mass. The results showed that for every 1000 g of added mass per leg, gross metabolic power increased by approximately 16% (foot) and 11% (shank) for females, which was slightly greater than the 11% and 8% increases for males, respectively. For thigh loading, metabolic power only increased by 4% per 1000 g in both sexes.
APPLIED ERGONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Industrial
Itay Coifman, Rodger Kram, Raziel Riemer
Summary: The study analyzed the biomechanical response to running with added leg mass, finding that joint moments and powers were dramatically affected, particularly during the swing phase. However, kinematic changes were only moderate. These findings have implications for shoe designs, individuals using added leg mass for running or strength training, and the design of wearable devices.
APPLIED ERGONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Industrial
Wenxiu Yang, Tingshu Chen, Renke He, Richard Goossens, Toon Huysmans
Summary: This study collected autonomic response data (heart rate and skin conductance) from 30 landmarks in the head, neck, and face of 31 participants experiencing pressure discomfort and pain. The results showed that pressure stimulation can change heart rate and skin conductance, with skin conductance being more useful in assessing pressure discomfort and possessing a faster arousal rate. There were gender differences in subjective pressure thresholds and autonomic responses, but no linear correlation between them. This study has significant implications for resolving ergonomic issues associated with head-related products.
APPLIED ERGONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Industrial
Kai Huang, Guozhu Jia, Qun Wang, Yingjie Cai, Zhenyu Zhong, Zeyu Jiao
Summary: In the era of Industry 5.0, human-centered smart manufacturing (HSM) has emphasized the role of humans in collaboration with machines. This study proposes a method that combines deep learning-based 3D pose reconstruction with rapid entire body assessment (REBA) to assess the risk of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) in HSM. The proposed method improves the accuracy of risk assessment by introducing weights between different risk levels, leading to a precision rate of 99.31% in experiments conducted on an automobile production line.
APPLIED ERGONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Industrial
Jan Healey, Sue Hignett, Diane Gyi
Summary: This study explores the delivery of home care in England and examines the barriers that impact worker performance and whether these barriers affect the quality and safety of care. The findings highlight the importance of an Human Factors and Ergonomics (HFE) systems perspective in understanding and improving home care.
APPLIED ERGONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Industrial
Jule Bessler-Etten, Leendert Schaake, Jaap H. Buurke, Gerdienke B. Prange-Lasonder
Summary: This article investigates the development of discomfort caused by repetitive and prolonged forces exerted through a rigid cuff. The study found that repetitive force application triggers discomfort but generally does not result in pain and there are no significant differences between different repetitive loading patterns. The design and use of exoskeletons should consider comfort thresholds specific to prolonged repetitive loading.
APPLIED ERGONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Industrial
S. Thuillard, L. Audergon, T. Kotalova, A. Sonderegger, J. Sauer
Summary: This study compared the effects of human-induced and machine-induced social stress on task performance and subjective state. The results showed that social stress did not directly affect performance, affect, or self-esteem, but human-induced social stress impaired perceived justice.
APPLIED ERGONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Industrial
Stephen Dooley, Sunwook Kim, Maury A. Nussbaum, Michael L. Madigan
Summary: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of arm- and back-support exoskeletons on reactive balance after slip-like and trip-like perturbations on a treadmill. The study found that the exoskeletons did not significantly increase the probability of failed recovery after the perturbations, but did make balance recovery more challenging. Reactive balance differed when wearing different types and activation states of exoskeletons.
APPLIED ERGONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Industrial
Eirini Balta, Andreas Psarrakis, Argiro Vatakis
Summary: Research has shown that mental workload modulates time perception, making timing behavior a reliable index of cognitive demand. This study tested the timing behavior of air traffic controllers in a real aviation environment under different levels of cognitive load. Results showed significant overestimation of time intervals during the high-load landing phase and greater overestimation when landing two helicopters compared to one.
APPLIED ERGONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Industrial
Kremer Lisanne, Gehrmann Jonathan, Rohrig Rainer, Breil Bernhard
Summary: This study aims to investigate whether eye movement measures are suitable for measuring mental workload in healthcare settings. The results indicate significant differences in both objective and subjective workload measures across different task levels. Additionally, there are indications of overload and fatigue in pupil data.
APPLIED ERGONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Industrial
John Kang, Stephanie C. Payne, Farzan Sasangohar, Ranjana K. Mehta
Summary: This exploratory longitudinal field study aimed to examine the changes in subjective, performance-based, and physiological fatigue measures over time across different shift types in offshore environments. The findings revealed that workers' performances on the psychomotor vigilance test deteriorated over time across all shift types. The study also found correlations between different multimodal fatigue measures.
APPLIED ERGONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Industrial
Hayoung Jung, Wonsup Lee, Sujin Moon, Heecheon You
Summary: This study measured 12 palmar dimensions to analyze the impact of wrist posture on hand size changes during power grip. The findings showed that hand dimensions decreased significantly during grip, with wrist posture and finger position also exerting significant effects on hand size.
APPLIED ERGONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Industrial
Ido Morag, Avi Parush
Summary: This study indicates that there is a relationship between gender and wayfinding performance, and verbal instructions can influence this relationship. Male participants perform better in terms of accuracy and speed in wayfinding, while females rely more on specific routes. Additionally, applying survey knowledge to females may improve their indoor wayfinding ability.
APPLIED ERGONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Industrial
Junfeng Ma, Yu Wang, Sayali Joshi, Haifeng Wang, Carlton Young, Adam Pervez, Yingge Qu, Shey Washburn
Summary: The U.S. is facing a national nurse shortage, and the application of immersive Virtual Reality technology in nursing education is not fully understood. This study explored the effectiveness and efficacy of immersive Virtual Reality nursing education through a comparative pilot study, and the results showed that the method performed well in terms of effectiveness and efficacy.
APPLIED ERGONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Industrial
N. Zhang, M. Fard, J. Xu, J. L. Davy, S. R. Robinson
Summary: Driver drowsiness is a significant factor in serious motor vehicle accidents. This study found that specific frequencies of whole-body vibration can induce driver drowsiness and impair attention and driving performance. These findings provide evidence for establishing transportation safety standards.
APPLIED ERGONOMICS
(2024)