P Breedon

A wearable headset for monitoring electromyography responses within spinal surgery

PurposeThis research examines an approach for enhancing the efficiency of spinal surgery utilising the technological capabilities and design functionalities of wearable headsets, in this case Google Glass. The aim was to improve the efficiency of the selective dorsal rhizotomy neurosurgical procedure initially through the use of Glass via an innovative approach to information design for an intraoperative monitoring display.MethodsUtilising primary and secondary research methods the development of a new electromyography response display for a wearable headset was undertaken.ResultsTesting proved that Glass was fit for purpose and that the new intraoperative monitor design provided an example platform for the innovative intraoperative monitoring display; however, alternative wearable headsets such as the Microsoft HoloLens could also be equally viable.ConclusionThe new display design combined with the appropriate wearable technology could greatly benefit the selective dorsal rhizotomy procedure.

Robustness and stagnation of a swarm in a cooperative object recognition task

Swarm intelligent, cooperative object recognition forms part of cooperative construction research. A simulation model was designed and utilised to assess the suitability of a swarm of agents to identify and collect different objects, termed the Simplified Hexagonal Model. An agent in this system cannot assess different object types alone. Key to the efficiency of the system is avoiding stagnation whilst maintaining robustness. This paper examines the energy efficiency of the system when the probability of an agent moving away from an object it is trying to identify is varied. The probability of an agent moving away from an unidentified object per time-step was varied from 1:12 to 1:400. Both low and high probabilities increased the energy required to complete the task. This was more pronounced when using fewer agents. The reduced chance that the required number of agents were surrounding the same objects at the same time caused the increase.

Towards Cooperative Robotic Swarm Recognition: Object Classification and Validity

Currently in cooperative transport research each agent can identify object validity. The validity is identified through a distinguishing feature, such as the object being lit. This paper examines the scenario where individual agents cannot assess the validity of an object. For example a triangle and hexagon may appear the same to an agent looking at a small section of the object. An arena containing half valid and half invalid objects was designed and implemented using a swarm simulation hexagonal grid test bed. The objects appear identical to an individual agent but are dissimilar, the objects were represented as imprecise triangles and hexagons. The swarm assessed each object as a group to determine its validity. Two different strategies were compared for dealing with invalid objects ranging the number of agents from 10 to 30. Initial testing has concluded that by ignoring invalid objects once identified required, on average, 1.28 times the amount of energy consumption to complete the task than when the invalid objects were removed.

Application of Shape Memory Alloys in Facial Nerve Paralysis

Background: The Facial Nerve can be damaged at a peripheral level by a stroke or, for example by trauma or infection within the face or the ear. In these cases the facial muscles are paralysed with little or no chance of spontaneous recovery. This research focuses on the potential utilisation of a Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) to replace the function of the Facial Nerve, which will allow in conjunction with passive reconstructive methods, a patient to regain limited but active movement of the mouth corner. Paralysis of the mouth corner is a very disabling both functionally and cosmetically, speech and swallowing are hampered and the patient loses saliva, with presents a social problem. Methods This work addresses the design activity by implementing a methodology utilising integrated methods for achieving successful product engineering. Research and development is related to the investigation of the utilisation of an SMA to supplement the “passive” technique. Operational design and development work has already been undertaken in relation to a SMA being controlled by a dedicated electronic control interface and power supply. The interface measures the active potential of the healthy Zygomatic muscle by means of electromyography (EMG) and produces a signal to control the actuation of the SMA. The research centres on the entire device ultimately being implantable, similar to a pacemaker or deep brain stimulator.

Multi-axis fuzzy control and performance analysis for an industrial robot

Robot control systems can be considered as complex systems, the design of the controller involving the determination of the dynamic model for the system. Fuzzy logic provides functional capability without the use of a system model or the characteristics associated with capturing the approximate, varying values found in real world systems. Development of a multi-axis fuzzy logic control system was implemented on an industrial robot, replacing the existing control and hardware systems with a new developmental system. During robot control no adaptation of the rule base or membership functions was carried out online; only system gain was modified in relation to link speed and joint error within predetermined design parameters. The fuzzy control system had to manage the effects of frictional and gravitational forces whilst compensating for the varying inertia components when each linkage is moving. Testing based on ISO 9283 for path accuracy and repeatability verified that real time control of three axes was achievable with values of 938 /spl mu/m and 864 /spl mu/m recorded for accuracy and repeatability, respectively.

Enhancing the Measurement of Clinical Outcomes Using Microsoft Kinect

There is a growing body of applications leveraging Microsoft Kinect and the associated Windows Software Development Kit in health and wellness. In particular, this platform has been valuable in developing interactive solutions for rehabilitation including creating more engaging exercise regimens and ensuring that exercises are performed correctly for optimal outcomes. Clinical trials rely upon robust and validated methodologies to measure health status and to detect treatment-related changes over time to enable the efficacy and safety of new drug treatments to be assessed and measured. In many therapeutic areas, traditional outcome measures rely on subjective investigator and patient ratings. Subjective ratings are not always sensitive to detecting small improvements, are subject to interand intra-rater variability and limited in their ability to record detailed or subtle aspects of movement and mobility. For these reasons, objective measurements may provide greater sensitivity to detect treatment-related changes where they exist. In this review paper, we explore the use of the Kinect platform to develop low-cost approaches to objectively measure aspects of movement. We consider published applications that measure aspects of gait and balance, upper extremity movement, chest wall motion and facial analysis. In each case, we explore the utility of the approach for clinical trials, and the precision and accuracy of estimates derived from the Kinect output. We conclude that the use of games platforms such as Microsoft Kinect to measure clinical outcomes offer a versatile, easy to use and low-cost approach that may add significant value and utility to clinical drug development, in particular in replacing conventional subjective measures and providing richer information about movement than previously possible in large scale clinical trials, especially in the measurement of gross spatial movements. Regulatory acceptance of clinical outcomes collected in this way will be subject to comprehensive assessment of validity and clinical relevance, and this will require good quality peer-reviewed publications of scientific evidence.

Immersive Virtual Reality Deployment in a Lean Manufacturing Environment

This paper debates the necessity of implementing Virtual Reality Technology as a training tool within Lean Manufacturing Environments (LME). The topic for discussion surrounding this area is the need for a user friendly package that utilizes game and advanced Virtual Reality (VR) Technology to encompass the principles of the Lean approach to manufacturing. Fundamental principles adopted by video game developers attempting to immerse the user could provide a key, through allowing for a fully immersive manufacturing simulation software package. The implementation of VR and training software that would not only teach, but also showcase new technology and show its relevance in a manufacturing system. As a result the use of Lean philosophy acts as a conduit in the implementation of the VR software in adaptable modern manufacturing. Literature within Lean Manufacturing and Video Game Development Immersion Methodologies allow for a juxtaposition between the two, through promoting the validity of novel simulation training techniques. Evaluating case studies of Lean Manufacturing applications will ascertain the need for innovative adaptations, by determining whether solutions could be further improved by latest technological advancements. This paper critically appraises gaming technology and its evolution towards sophisticated design solutions. Learning theories adopted through gaming reveal new approaches to motivational drivers in developing necessary skill sets for modern workforces. Studies surrounding objective based instructional learning highlight rarely acknowledged fields in manufacturing simulation testing. Project Sponsor: Nottingham Trent University & PepsiCo The simulation software is to be built using Unity3D with scripting in C# and Java Script which emulates running of a manufacturing cell within a Lean environment. Its purpose is to train and educate personnel through simulating a functioning manufacturing cell. The software displays potential Lean wastes and problems such as bottle necking. It is imperative to the development of modern manufacturing environments that new simulation techniques in educating workforces, creating prototypes and testing are embraced. Currently only the latter two developments are predominantly created in unison. In Lean, this is wasteful in terms of transport and skill if these are not performed in-house. The need for a more user friendly and intuitive simulation experience requires clarity for potential manufacturers in order to adopt this methodology. Not enough varied Lean manufacturing companies embody Lean principles on a computational software level and as a result could potentially leave entire generations without modern manufacturing skill sets. The concept of VR used in modern Manufacturing Simulation Software (MSS) can be utilised to dispel any belief that VR is solely an entertainment medium. Through examination of Lean Principles and Video Game Development immersion strategies this research highlights the little recognized area of an Immersive Manufacturing Training and Design Testing Application. It is clear that Modern manufacturing environments need to become aware of Lean philosophies of adaptability. There is a requirement to inform companies about utilisation of the latest technologies in order to educate workforces in an efficient and Lean manner. The software runs a simulation on a Zspace 3D display screen in a 3D VR format.

Life-like prosthetic eyes: the call for smart materials

Ocular prosthetics, or artificial eyes, are designed to aesthetically replace missing, damaged or underdeveloped eyes. Realism is a key consideration in the design of ocular prosthetics, as this benefits the confidence and comfort of the wearer. Ocular prosthetics are generally handmade and bespoke, a necessity brought about by the variation in form as a result of the varying needs of the wearer. Ocular prosthetics can, however, range in style from standard manufactured pieces that may be ordered remotely to pieces designed and handmade over the course of a number of consultations between the maker and the wearer. The resulting prosthetic can be extremely realistic, but problems remain in relation to how the prosthetic is used in practice. One such problem is that the pupil is inevitably fixed both in position and appearance. In varying light conditions, a real eye will vary by its pupil varying in size. This can result in a user’s real eye having a differently sized pupil to that of the prosthetic, which reduces the realism of the prosthesis. Light-reactive ocular prosthetic eyes have been proposed, for example, by Leuschner and Lapointe et al. [1,2], in which a liquid-crystal display or light valve is used to simulate a varying pupil. These proposals may, however, result in additional problems such as a lack of contrast between the pupil and the surrounding iris, which can affect the realism of the resulting prosthetic, as well as the need to provide a complex array of addressable patterns to reproduce a pupil of appropriate size and shape, which may conflict with the need for a customized solution in each individual case. Other forms of light-reactive ocular prostheses have been proposed, such as in US4332039 [101] disclosing a magnetically actuated pupil, in US6139577 and US6576013 [102,103], both of which disclose the use of a liquid-crystal display and in US5061279 [104], disclosing the use of a photochromic pigment for simulating a dilating pupil. The use of smart materials for medical products and applications is of course not a new idea; opinion varies, but it’s useful to perhaps provide a general definition for a smart material: ‘a smart material is one that reacts to a stimulus in a reproducible way, the reaction, in most cases, also tends to be reversible’. Interestingly, it is considered that a material cannot be smart by itself; the material must be part of a system. A smart system is a device or object that integrates smart materials, sensors and/or actuators, which will sense and then respond to any changes in the appropriate environment. A good example is provided by materials that are created to change their color at a particular temperature. Thermochromic behavior provides a useful visual response as a result of a thermal stimulus; a good but simplistic example is given where a bath plug changes color when the bath water is too hot. This can be described as a smart behavior where there is a material reaction as a response to a change in environmental conditions. As with all smart materials, no material can be smart in isolation – it must be a part of a structure or system. Smart materials are currently being investigated as a result of a joint research project Life-like prosthetic eyes: the call for smart materials

Designing a Knit Methodology for Technical Textiles

This project assumes a perspective developed from practice in textile making and design. To a textile practitioner, it becomes clear that in the field of technical textiles, often a radically different approach is used from that used in the traditional apparel industry. The knitted apparel industry has joint emphases on aesthetics and functionality, in both fabric and garment development stages (Eckert, Intelligent support for knitwear design, PhD thesis, 1997). In technical textiles, the emphasis often comes from an engineering point of view and is primarily concerned with function (Stead, The emotional wardrobe: a fashion perspective on the integration of technology and clothing, PhD thesis, 2005). These different design perspectives are capable of enormously different results, or can be unintentionally close to each other’s disciplines. In weft-knitted textiles, the methods and several of the considerations used to make fabrics do not differ, whether the desired outcome is function-focused or aesthetically focused. In reality, it is always both of these things. The decisions faced in development of a garment are invaluable to any developmental textile work. They inform on shape, fit, quality and durability at every stage of the production process (Aldrich, Fabric, form and flat pattern cutting, 2nd ed, Blackwell, 2007). These considerations make differences in producing well-integrated technologies into textile forms and the difference between technology and/or functionality existing within a product rather than sitting on top as a separate entity. This paper talks of the early stages of a research project which attempts to delineate the approaches adopted when designing a technical textile, in order to take more account of tacit and intuitive knowledge which comes from textile as a design discipline. Already showing interesting results about discipline and methodology, the case study uses auxetic materials [those which expand in a transverse direction to that of the stretch (Lakes, Science 235:1038–1040, 1987)] as a case study. Design considerations utilise joint emphases on form and function-led methodology.

Utilising the Intel RealSense Camera for Measuring Health Outcomes in Clinical Research

Applications utilising 3D Camera technologies for the measurement of health outcomes in the health and wellness sector continues to expand. The Intel® RealSense™ is one of the leading 3D depth sensing cameras currently available on the market and aligns itself for use in many applications, including robotics, automation, and medical systems. One of the most prominent areas is the production of interactive solutions for rehabilitation which includes gait analysis and facial tracking. Advancements in depth camera technology has resulted in a noticeable increase in the integration of these technologies into portable platforms, suggesting significant future potential for pervasive in-clinic and field based health assessment solutions. This paper reviews the Intel RealSense technology’s technical capabilities and discusses its application to clinical research and includes examples where the Intel RealSense camera range has been used for the measurement of health outcomes. This review supports the use of the technology to develop robust, objective movement and mobility-based endpoints to enable accurate tracking of the effects of treatment interventions in clinical trials.