Kinematic and Dynamic Synergies of Human Precision-Grip Movements

2005 ◽  
Vol 94 (4) ◽  
pp. 2284-2294 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. V. Grinyagin ◽  
E. V. Biryukova ◽  
M. A. Maier

We analyzed the adaptability of human thumb and index finger movement kinematics and dynamics to variations of precision grip aperture and movement velocity. Six subjects performed precision grip opening and closing movements under different conditions of movement velocity and movement aperture (thumb and index finger tip-to-tip distance). Angular motion of the thumb and index finger joints was recorded with a CyberGlove and a three-dimensional biomechanical model was used for solving the inverse dynamics problem during precision grip movements, i.e., for calculating joint torques from experimentally obtained angular variations. The time-varying joint angles and joint torques were analyzed by principal-component analysis to quantify the contributions of individual joints in kinematic and dynamic synergies. At the level of movement kinematics, we found subject-specific angular contributions. However, the adaptation to large aperture, achieved by an increase of the relative contribution of the proximal joints, was subject-invariant. At the level of movement dynamics, the adaptation of thumb-index finger movements to task constraints was similar among all subjects and required the linear scaling of joint torques, the synchronization of joint torques under high velocity conditions, and a flexible redistribution of joint torques between the proximal joint of the thumb and that of the index finger. This work represents one of the first attempts at calculating the joint torques during human precision-grip movements and indicates that the dynamic synergies seem to be remarkably simple compared with the synergies found for movement kinematics.

2015 ◽  
Vol 138 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph E. Barton ◽  
Anindo Roy ◽  
John D. Sorkin ◽  
Mark W. Rogers ◽  
Richard Macko

We developed a balance measurement tool (the balanced reach test (BRT)) to assess standing balance while reaching and pointing to a target moving in three-dimensional space according to a sum-of-sines function. We also developed a three-dimensional, 13-segment biomechanical model to analyze performance in this task. Using kinematic and ground reaction force (GRF) data from the BRT, we performed an inverse dynamics analysis to compute the forces and torques applied at each of the joints during the course of a 90 s test. We also performed spectral analyses of each joint's force activations. We found that the joints act in a different but highly coordinated manner to accomplish the tracking task—with individual joints responding congruently to different portions of the target disk's frequency spectrum. The test and the model also identified clear differences between a young healthy subject (YHS), an older high fall risk (HFR) subject before participating in a balance training intervention; and in the older subject's performance after training (which improved to the point that his performance approached that of the young subject). This is the first phase of an effort to model the balance control system with sufficient physiological detail and complexity to accurately simulate the multisegmental control of balance during functional reach across the spectra of aging, medical, and neurological conditions that affect performance. Such a model would provide insight into the function and interaction of the biomechanical and neurophysiological elements making up this system; and system adaptations to changes in these elements' performance and capabilities.


Author(s):  
Miguel Silva ◽  
Jorge Ambro´sio

The use of inverse dynamics methodologies for the evaluation of intersegmental reaction forces and the moments-of-force at the anatomical joints, in the framework of gait analysis, not only requires that appropriate biomechanical models are used but also that kinematic and kinetic data sets are available. This paper discusses the quality of the results of the inverse dynamics analysis with respect to the filtering procedures used and the kinematic consistency of the position, velocity and acceleration data. A three-dimensional whole body response biomechanical model based on a multibody formulation with natural coordinates is used. The model has 16 anatomical segments that are described using 33 rigid bodies in a total of 44 degrees-of-freedom. In biomechanical applications, one of the advantages of the current formulation is that the set of anatomical points used to reconstruct the spatial motion of the subject is also used to construct the set of natural coordinates that describe the biomechanical model itself. Based on the images collected by four synchronized video cameras, the three-dimensional trajectories of the anatomical points are reconstructed using standard photogrammetry techniques and Direct Linear Transformations. The trajectories obtained are then filtered in order to reduce the noise levels introduced during the reconstruction procedure using 2nd order Butterworth low-pass filters with properly chosen cut-off frequencies. The filtered data is used in the inverse dynamics analysis either directly or after being modified in order to ensure its consistency with the biomechanical model’s kinematic constraints. It is also shown that the use of velocities and accelerations consistent with the kinematic constraints or those obtained through the time derivatives of the spline interpolation curves of the reconstructed trajectories lead to similar results.


Author(s):  
Andrea Zanoni ◽  
Giuseppe Quaranta ◽  
Pierangelo Masarati

The involuntary interaction of the pilot with a vehicle is often an undesired consequence of the biomechanical properties of the human body and its relation with the layout of the man-machine interface. This work discusses how muscular activation patterns affect the variability of the equivalent impedance of helicopter pilots. A multibody model is used to compute the joint torques associated to a prescribed pilot task, which are then transformed into corresponding ‘optimal’ muscular activation patterns. Equivalent pilot impedance is obtained by consistently linearizing the constitutive model of the muscles about the reference activation. The effect on equivalent impedance of non-optimal activation, resulting from the addition of Torque-Less Activation Modes to the optimal activation, is evaluated and discussed.


Author(s):  
Valerie Norman-Gerum ◽  
John McPhee

To better understand the complexities of rising from a seated to a standing position, a model of the human has been created. Sit-to-stand kinematics as well as ground reaction forces were measured experimentally and are used in an inverse dynamics analysis to estimate nine muscle forces during motion. Calculated muscle forces are sensitive to assumptions made when modeling muscle paths. Changes in the line of action of a muscle due to interaction with anatomical constraints are often accounted for by including fixed via points in a model. Here an alternate approach of representing anatomical constraints using three-dimensional cylindrical geometries is derived and presented. In this mathematical model the course of the muscle is determined as the minimum-length path where the muscle is allowed to wrap freely over the surface of the cylinder. Muscle forces are estimated for sit-to-stand by resolving net joint torques using an objective function giving preference to solutions minimizing both muscle stresses and abrupt changes in muscle forces. This is the first time muscle forces have been presented for sit-to-stand using a musculoskeletal model with included anatomical constraints represented using cylindrical wrapping geometries alone. A comparison of calculated muscle force patterns using fixed via points and wrapping points versus three-dimensional wrapping surfaces is made with reference to electromyographic phase data. For the sit-to-stand motion, the inclusion of anatomical constraints as three-dimensional cylindrical geometries results in calculation of muscle forces more true to the experimental data and more consistent with the belief that gradual motions are created by gradual changes in muscle force over time.


2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (5) ◽  
pp. 50402-1-50402-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ing-Jr Ding ◽  
Chong-Min Ruan

Abstract The acoustic-based automatic speech recognition (ASR) technique has been a matured technique and widely seen to be used in numerous applications. However, acoustic-based ASR will not maintain a standard performance for the disabled group with an abnormal face, that is atypical eye or mouth geometrical characteristics. For governing this problem, this article develops a three-dimensional (3D) sensor lip image based pronunciation recognition system where the 3D sensor is efficiently used to acquire the action variations of the lip shapes of the pronunciation action from a speaker. In this work, two different types of 3D lip features for pronunciation recognition are presented, 3D-(x, y, z) coordinate lip feature and 3D geometry lip feature parameters. For the 3D-(x, y, z) coordinate lip feature design, 18 location points, each of which has 3D-sized coordinates, around the outer and inner lips are properly defined. In the design of 3D geometry lip features, eight types of features considering the geometrical space characteristics of the inner lip are developed. In addition, feature fusion to combine both 3D-(x, y, z) coordinate and 3D geometry lip features is further considered. The presented 3D sensor lip image based feature evaluated the performance and effectiveness using the principal component analysis based classification calculation approach. Experimental results on pronunciation recognition of two different datasets, Mandarin syllables and Mandarin phrases, demonstrate the competitive performance of the presented 3D sensor lip image based pronunciation recognition system.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 270
Author(s):  
Adrian Doicu ◽  
Dmitry S. Efremenko ◽  
Thomas Trautmann

An algorithm for the retrieval of total column amount of trace gases in a multi-dimensional atmosphere is designed. The algorithm uses (i) certain differential radiance models with internal and external closures as inversion models, (ii) the iteratively regularized Gauss–Newton method as a regularization tool, and (iii) the spherical harmonics discrete ordinate method (SHDOM) as linearized radiative transfer model. For efficiency reasons, SHDOM is equipped with a spectral acceleration approach that combines the correlated k-distribution method with the principal component analysis. The algorithm is used to retrieve the total column amount of nitrogen for two- and three-dimensional cloudy scenes. Although for three-dimensional geometries, the computational time is high, the main concepts of the algorithm are correct and the retrieval results are accurate.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (7) ◽  
pp. 3618
Author(s):  
Emmanuel N. Paul ◽  
Gregory W. Burns ◽  
Tyler J. Carpenter ◽  
Joshua A. Grey ◽  
Asgerally T. Fazleabas ◽  
...  

Uterine fibroid tissues are often compared to their matched myometrium in an effort to understand their pathophysiology, but it is not clear whether the myometria of uterine fibroid patients represent truly non-disease control tissues. We analyzed the transcriptomes of myometrial samples from non-fibroid patients (M) and compared them with fibroid (F) and matched myometrial (MF) samples to determine whether there is a phenotypic difference between fibroid and non-fibroid myometria. Multidimensional scaling plots revealed that M samples clustered separately from both MF and F samples. A total of 1169 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (false discovery rate < 0.05) were observed in the MF comparison with M. Overrepresented Gene Ontology terms showed a high concordance of upregulated gene sets in MF compared to M, particularly extracellular matrix and structure organization. Gene set enrichment analyses showed that the leading-edge genes from the TGFβ signaling and inflammatory response gene sets were significantly enriched in MF. Overall comparison of the three tissues by three-dimensional principal component analyses showed that M, MF, and F samples clustered separately from each other and that a total of 732 DEGs from F vs. M were not found in the F vs. MF, which are likely understudied in the pathogenesis of uterine fibroids and could be key genes for future investigation. These results suggest that the transcriptome of fibroid-associated myometrium is different from that of non-diseased myometrium and that fibroid studies should consider using both matched myometrium and non-diseased myometrium as controls.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 227-233
Author(s):  
Grażyna Pazera ◽  
Marta Młodawska ◽  
Jakub Młodawski ◽  
Kamila Klimowska

Objectives: Munich Functional Developmental Diagnosis (MFDD) is a scale for assessing the psychomotor development of children in the first months or years of life. The tool is based on standardized tables of physical development and is used to detect developmental deficits. It consists of eight axes on which the following skills are assessed: crawling, sitting, walking, grasping, perception, speaking, speech understanding, social skills. Methods: The study included 110 children in the first year of life examined with the MFDD by the same physician. The score obtained on a given axis was coded as a negative value (defined in months) below the child’s age-specific developmental level. Next, we examined the dimensionality of the scale and the intercorrelation of its axes using polychoric correlation and principal component analysis. Results: Correlation matrix analysis showed high correlation of MFDD axes 1–4, and MFDD 6–8. The PCA identified three principal components consisting of children’s development in the areas of large and small motor skills (axis 1–4), perception (axis 5), active speech, passive speech and social skills (axis 6–8). The three dimensions obtained together account for 80.27% of the total variance. Conclusions: MFDD is a three-dimensional scale that includes motor development, perception, and social skills and speech. There is potential space for reduction in the number of variables in the scale.


Author(s):  
Rahid Zaman ◽  
Yujiang Xiang ◽  
Jazmin Cruz ◽  
James Yang

In this study, the three-dimensional (3D) asymmetric maximum weight lifting is predicted using an inverse-dynamics-based optimization method considering dynamic joint torque limits. The dynamic joint torque limits are functions of joint angles and angular velocities, and imposed on the hip, knee, ankle, wrist, elbow, shoulder, and lumbar spine joints. The 3D model has 40 degrees of freedom (DOFs) including 34 physical revolute joints and 6 global joints. A multi-objective optimization (MOO) problem is solved by simultaneously maximizing box weight and minimizing the sum of joint torque squares. A total of 12 male subjects were recruited to conduct maximum weight box lifting using squat-lifting strategy. Finally, the predicted lifting motion, ground reaction forces, and maximum lifting weight are validated with the experimental data. The prediction results agree well with the experimental data and the model’s predictive capability is demonstrated. This is the first study that uses MOO to predict maximum lifting weight and 3D asymmetric lifting motion while considering dynamic joint torque limits. The proposed method has the potential to prevent individuals’ risk of injury for lifting.


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