Exoskeletons and Exosuits Could Benefit from Mode-Switching Body Interfaces That Loosen/Tighten to Improve Thermal Comfort

Exoskeletons and exosuits (exos) are wearable devices that physically assist movement. User comfort is critically important for societal adoption of exos. Thermal comfort (a person’s satisfaction with their thermal environment) represents a key design challenge. Exos must physically attach/interface to the body to apply forces, and these interfaces inevitably trap some heat. It is envisioned that thermal comfort could be improved by designing mode-switching exo interfaces that temporarily loosen around a body segment when assistive forces are not being applied. To inform exo design, a case series study (N = 4) based on single-subject design principles was performed. Our objective was to assess individual responses to skin temperature and thermal comfort during physical activity with a Loose leg-sleeve interface compared with a Form-Fitting one, and immediately after a Form-Fitting sleeve switched to Loose. Skin under the Loose sleeve was 2–3 °C (4–6 °F) cooler after 25 min of physical activity, and two of four participants reported the Loose sleeve improved their thermal comfort. After completion of the physical activity, the Form-Fitting sleeve was loosened, causing a 2–4 °C (3–8 °F) drop in skin temperature underneath for all participants, and two participants to report slightly improved thermal comfort. These findings confirmed that an exo that can quickly loosen its interface when assistance is not required—and re-tighten when it is— has the potential to enhance thermal comfort for some individuals and environments. More broadly, this study demonstrates that mode-switching mechanisms in exos can do more than adjust physical assistance: they can also exploit thermodynamics and facilitate thermoregulation in a way that enhances comfort for exo users.

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Development of a Deep Neural Network Model for Estimating Joint Location of Occupant Indoor Activities for Providing Thermal Comfort

Energies ◽

10.3390/en14030696 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (3) ◽

pp. 696

Author(s):

Eun Ji Choi ◽

Jin Woo Moon ◽

Ji-hoon Han ◽

Yongseok Yoo

Keyword(s):

Neural Network ◽

Thermal Comfort ◽

Deep Neural Network ◽

Mean Squared Error ◽

Thermal Environment ◽

The Body ◽

Estimation Accuracy ◽

Accurate Estimation ◽

Body Parts ◽

Joint Location

The type of occupant activities is a significantly important factor to determine indoor thermal comfort; thus, an accurate method to estimate occupant activity needs to be developed. The purpose of this study was to develop a deep neural network (DNN) model for estimating the joint location of diverse human activities, which will be used to provide a comfortable thermal environment. The DNN model was trained with images to estimate 14 joints of a person performing 10 common indoor activities. The DNN contained numerous shortcut connections for efficient training and had two stages of sequential and parallel layers for accurate joint localization. Estimation accuracy was quantified using the mean squared error (MSE) for the estimated joints and the percentage of correct parts (PCP) for the body parts. The results show that the joint MSEs for the head and neck were lowest, and the PCP was highest for the torso. The PCP for individual activities ranged from 0.71 to 0.92, while typing and standing in a relaxed manner were the activities with the highest PCP. Estimation accuracy was higher for relatively still activities and lower for activities involving wide-ranging arm or leg motion. This study thus highlights the potential for the accurate estimation of occupant indoor activities by proposing a novel DNN model. This approach holds significant promise for finding the actual type of occupant activities and for use in target indoor applications related to thermal comfort in buildings.

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Design and fabrication of anisotropic textile brace for exerting corrective forces on spinal curvature

Journal of Industrial Textiles ◽

10.1177/15280837211032619 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 152808372110326

Author(s):

Queenie Fok ◽

Joanne Yip ◽

Kit-lun Yick ◽

Sun-pui Ng

Keyword(s):

Medical Condition ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Case Series ◽

The Body ◽

Spinal Curvature ◽

Radiographic Examination ◽

Interface Pressure ◽

Pressure System ◽

Case Series Study ◽

Point Pressure

This study focuses on the fabrication of an anisotropic textile brace that exerts corrective forces based on the three-point pressure system to treat scoliosis, which is a medical condition that involves deformity of the spine. The design and material properties of the proposed anisotropic textile brace are discussed in detail here. A case series study with 5 scoliosis patients has been conducted to investigate the immediate in-brace effect and biomechanics of the proposed brace. Radiographic examination, three-dimensional scanning of the body and interface pressure measurements have been used to evaluate the immediate effect of the proposed brace on reducing the spinal curvature and asymmetry of the body contours and its biomechanics. The results show that the proposed brace on average reduces the spinal curvature by 11.7° and also increases the symmetry of the posterior trunk by 14.1% to 43.2%. The interface pressure at the corrective pad ranges from 6.0 to 24.4 kPa. The measured interface pressure shows that a sufficient amount of pressure has been exerted and a three-point pressure distribution is realized to reduce the spinal curvature. The obtained results indicate the effectiveness of this new approach which uses elastic textile material and a hinged artificial backbone to correct spinal deformity.

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ADAPTIVE HOUSE DESIGN AND PEOPLE’S HABITS IN ACHIEVING THERMAL COMFORT IN GAYO HIGHLAND ACEH, INDONESIA

Malaysian Journal of Sustainable Environment ◽

10.24191/myse.v8i1.12656 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 23

Author(s):

Erna Meutia ◽

Laina Hilma Sari

Keyword(s):

Thermal Comfort ◽

Thermal Environment ◽

The Body ◽

Mental Condition ◽

Human Adaptation ◽

Cold Environment ◽

Adaptive Thermal Comfort ◽

Aceh Province ◽

Lower Temperature ◽

House Design

The Gayo Highland is one of the districts in Aceh Province, Sumatra. Due to the topography, this area has a lower temperature compared than the flat and coastal areas in Aceh. The thermal comfort that is felt is based on a person's mental condition and how he expresses his satisfaction with his thermal environment. In other words, it shows how humans adapt to their thermal environment. Thermal comfort based on human adaptation is known as adaptive thermal comfort. The form of dwelling for the Gayo Highland community has shifted and changed from traditional dwelling to Transitional and Modern forms that influence the Gayo Highland community's adaptation to achieve thermal comfort. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate the house design in Gayo highland in providing warmth to the occupants naturally in the cold environment. Another aim of this study is to investigate the people's habits in warming up the body to deal with the low air temperature in the area. This study shows how the local people adapt themselves through the house element and daily habit to gain the internal thermal comfort.

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Field Study Of A Radiant Heating System For Sleep Thermal Comfort And Potential Energy Saving

10.32920/ryerson.14654967 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Christopher L. K. Wang

Keyword(s):

Potential Energy ◽

Thermal Comfort ◽

Energy Saving ◽

Energy Savings ◽

Thermal Environment ◽

Residential Buildings ◽

Thermal Conditions ◽

Heating System ◽

The Body ◽

Radiant Temperature

As sleep is unconscious, the traditional definition of thermal comfort with conscious judgment does not apply. In this thesis sleep thermal comfort is defined as the thermal condition which enables sleep to most efficiently rejuvenate the body and mind. A comfort model was developed to stimulate the respective thermal environment required to achieve the desired body thermal conditions and a new infrared sphere method was developed to measure mean radiant temperature. Existing heating conditions according to building code conditions during sleeping hours was calculated to likely overheat a sleeping person and allowed energy saving potential by reducing nighttime heating set points. Experimenting with existing radiantly and forced air heated residential buildings, it was confirmed that thermal environment was too hot for comfortable sleep and that the infrared sphere method shows promise. With the site data, potential energy savings were calculated and around 10% of energy consumption reduction may be achieved during peak heating.

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The effect of hydrodynamic insole on foot kinematics in individuals with flexible flatfoot: Case series using a single-subject design

Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Part H Journal of Engineering in Medicine ◽

10.1177/0954411919831326 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 233 (4) ◽

pp. 407-413 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Kourosh Barati ◽

Hassan Saeedi ◽

Behnam Hajiaghaei ◽

Maryam Jalali ◽

Sarah Curran

Keyword(s):

Case Series ◽

Dynamic Structure ◽

Single Subject ◽

Single Subject Design ◽

Medial Longitudinal Arch ◽

Baseline Phase ◽

Foot Kinematics ◽

Subject Design ◽

Longitudinal Arch ◽

Flexible Flatfoot

The medial longitudinal arch of the foot is a dynamic structure while walking. The mobility of this structure in people with flexible flatfoot is partially or completely absent. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of an insole that was designed to retrieve the medial longitudinal arch mobility in people with flatfoot. The study was a case series using a single-subject design. This single-subject design study was based on three subjects with flexible flatfoot. This study was designed in two phases: the baseline phase and the intervention phase. Each phase included five measurement sessions that were done in 5 consecutive weeks. We used the celeration-line method to detect the significant differences between the phases. Significant differences were recorded in the walking velocity, step length, and medial longitudinal arch mobility parameters when using the hydrodynamic insole. The results of this study showed that using the hydrodynamic insole may have a positive effect on the foot kinematics and gait parameters in people with flexible flatfoot.

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The Thermal Comfort of Sedentary Workers

Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1177/101053958700100213 ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 1 (2) ◽

pp. 74-77 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

S C Foo ◽

WO Phoon

Keyword(s):

Thermal Comfort ◽

Air Temperature ◽

Thermal Environment ◽

Thermal Sensation ◽

Tropical Climate ◽

Climatic Conditions ◽

The Body ◽

Office Workers ◽

Preferred Temperature

Two hundred and eighty-five Office workers were surveyed and the micro-climatic conditions in which they worked were measured to evaluate their preferred temperature. About 78% of workers considered the natural tropical climate uncomfortable. However, 76% to 87% of workers in airconditioned Offices approved of their thermal environment if its temperature ranged from 21°C to 27°C. Many workers who felt that the temperature produced a neutral thermal sensation in the body as a whole, tended to complain that their heads were too warm and at the same time their limbs too cool. About 60% of workers in airconditioned Offices were exposed to an air temperature of less than 24°C. Present data suggest that an air temperature of 27°C would be comfortable for more than 80% of workers.

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Comparison of the Effects of Video Modeling and Clinician Modeling on Naming Deficiency in Aphasic Patients: A Case Series Study

10.31661/gmj.v0i0.1158 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

pp. 1158

Author(s):

Shohre Kaviani ◽

Fatemeh Kasbi ◽

Afshin Samaei ◽

Ehsan Shahverdi

Keyword(s):

Reaction Time ◽

Video Modeling ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Case Series ◽

Communication Disorders ◽

Single Subject ◽

Case Series Study ◽

Chronic Aphasia ◽

Three Phases

Background: Aphasia is the most frequent disorder that could occur following a stroke. Aphasia has a negative impact on the patient's communication ability through language. One of the common consequences of aphasia is naming deficits that can lead to communication disorders. Therefore, the treatment of aphasia is necessary. The aim of the current study was to investigate the effect of video modeling and clinician modeling on naming skills of patients with chronic aphasia.Materials and Methods: The design of this prospective single subject study was A‑B‑A that performed on four patients with chronic aphasia. participated. This study was administered during three phases including the baseline (three sessions); the intervention (nine sessions); and a follow-up phase (three sessions). The outcome measure was taken in three phases including baseline, intervention, and follow-up. For each patient, the naming score for items modeled by the clinician, the naming score for items modeled video modeling by other, the naming score for self-video modeling, and the reaction time score were recorded.Result: A total of three patients complete the study and one of them refused to continue treatment. The naming score of all modeling types increased in all patients. In the other words, the intervention helped the patients be improved in naming. Also, the results of the reaction time indicated that the video modeling, as well as clinician modeling, could decrease the response time that means the intervention could increase the speed of retrieval processes. Conclusion:In our study, all three types of modeling could improve the naming scores in patients with chronic aphasia. Additionally, the findings demonstrate that the clinician and video modeling might increase mental processing for naming verbally.[GMJ.2019;inpress:e1158]

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