Design of a powered full-body exoskeleton for physical assistance of elderly people

The development of full-body exoskeletons has been limited due to design complexities, mechanical integration intricacies, and heavier weight, among others. Consequently, very few full-body powered exoskeletons were developed to address these challenges, in spite of increasing demand for physical assistance at full-body level. This article presents an overall design and development of a powered full-body exoskeleton called “FB-AXO.” Primarily, FB-AXO consists of two main subsystems, a lower-body and an upper-body subsystem connected together through waist and spine modules. FB-AXO is developed for the support of weaker ageing adults so that they can continue functioning their daily activities. At the onset of the project, a set of functional and design requirements has been formulated with an extensive end-user involvement and then used in realizing the FB-AXO. The final FB-AXO design comprises of 27 degrees of freedom, of which 10 are active and 17 are passive, having a total system weight of 25 kg. Overall, the article elaborates comprehensively the design, construction, and preliminary testing of FB-AXO. The work effectively addresses design challenges including kinematic compatibility and modularity with innovative solutions. The details of the mechanics, sensors, and electronics of the two subsystems along with specifics of human-exoskeleton interfaces and ranges of motion are also provided. The FB-AXO exoskeleton effectively demonstrated to assist full-body motions such as normal walking, standing, bending as well as executing lifting and carrying tasks to meet the daily living demands of older users.

End-users' involvement in the development of serious games for healthcare professions education, a systematic descriptive review (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Based on ethical and methodological arguments, numerous calls have been made to increase end-user involvement in serious game (SG) development. Involving end-users is seen as a way to give them power and control over an educational software designed for them. It can also help identify areas for improvement in SG design and improve its efficacy on targeted learning outcomes. However, no recognized guidelines or framework exist to guide end-user involvement in SG development. OBJECTIVE To describe how end-users are involved in the development of SGs for healthcare professions education. METHODS We examined the literature presenting the development of 45 SGs that had reached the stage of efficacy evaluation in randomized trials. One author performed data extraction using an ad hoc form based on an SG design framework. Data were then coded and synthesized based on similarities. The coding scheme was refined iteratively with the involvement of a second author. Results are presented using frequencies and percentages. RESULTS End-user involvement was mentioned in the development of 21/45 SGs. The number of end-users involved ranged from 12 to 36. End-users were often involved to answer specific concerns that arose during the SG development (n = 6) or in the testing of a prototype (n = 12). In many cases, researchers solicited input from end-users regarding the goals to reach (n = 10) or the functional esthetics of the SGs (n = 7). Most researchers used self-reported questionnaires (n = 7). CONCLUSIONS Researchers mention end-user involvement, which is also poorly described, in the development of less than half of SGs identified. This represents significant limitations to the evaluation of the impact of their involvement on SG efficacy and in making recommendations.

End User Involvement on Performance of Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research Institutes in Kenya

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to assess the influence of end user involvement on performance of consultative group on international agricultural research institutes in Kenya.Methodology: This research study adopted a descriptive research design approach. The researcher prefers this method because it allows an in-depth study of the subject. The target population were procurement 152 officers in the consultative group on international agricultural research institutes in Kenya. This study used census as a rule of thumb since the population of procurement officers in consultative group on international agricultural research institutes is less than 200. The study combined two methods in its data collection that is, questionnaires and key informant interviews. After data collection, quantitative data was coded using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 20. Data was analyzed through descriptive statistical methods such as means, standard deviation, frequencies and percentage. Inferential analyses were used in relation to correlation analysis and regression analysis to test the relationship between the four explanatory variables and the explained variableResults and conclusion: The findings of the study indicated that need identification phase, design phase, implementation phase and maintenance phase have a positive relationship with performance of consultative group on international agricultural research institutes in Kenya.Unique contribution to theory, policy and practice: The study recommended that institutions should embrace need identification phase, design phase, implementation phase and maintenance phase so as to improve performance of consultative group on international agricultural research institutes and further researches should to be carried out in other institutions to find out if the same results can be obtained.

Agro-food projects: analysis of procedures within digital revolution

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide insights about the approaches and techniques of professionals that nowadays are designing Digital Products and Services (DPS) in the European agriculture. The emphasis is paid on the integration of end-users and participatory approaches such as agile, considering its current influence. Design/methodology/approach A survey was conducted to professionals of businesses and entities from 14 European countries. A balanced sample of replies was achieved between private–public background, size of the business or experience of experts. Afterwards, the collection of answers and the opinions of professionals were compared with the state of the art referred in the literature. It allowed checking its soundness and critically discusses the results. Findings From the raw analysis of responses, professionals show awareness about the importance of end-user involvement and they are eager to incorporate innovative farmers and early adopters to collect the best requirements for products and services. They also declare knowledge and uptake in their companies of new approaches, such as agile. Confronting results with literature, the discussion highlights some inconsistencies and possibilities for leveraging. Types of end-users considered should be enlarged. Their superficial participation must also be avoided. Originality/value There is a lack of research on procedures for projects in agro-food sector. Due to the momentum in the digital transformation of agriculture, there are many project teams working in developing DPS and are relevant to discuss about proper methodologies for improving success.

End-user involvement in rehabilitation virtual reality implementation research

Purpose Despite increasing evidence for the effectiveness of off-the-shelf and rehabilitation-specific active video games (AVGs) and virtual reality (VR) systems for rehabilitation, clinical uptake remains poor. A better match between VR/AVG system capabilities and client/therapist needs, through improved end-user involvement (UI) in VR/AVG implementation research, may increase uptake of this technology. The purpose of this paper is to review four case examples from the authors’ collective experience of including end users in VR/AVG research to identify common benefits, challenges and lessons learned. Design/methodology/approach The authors apply knowledge and lessons learned from the four cases to make recommendations for subsequent user-engaged research design and methods, including evaluation of the impact of end UI. Findings A better match between VR/AVG system capabilities and client/therapist needs leads to improved end UI in all stages of VR/AVG implementation research. There are common benefits of increasing buy-in and soliciting early on the knowledge and skills of therapists as well as input from the ultimate end users: people participating in rehabilitation. Most settings have the challenges of balancing the technology requirements with the needs and goals of the practice setting and of the end users. Research limitations/implications Increasing end UI in VR/AVG implementation research may address issues related to poor clinical uptake. In the VR/AVG context, end users can be therapists, clients or technology developers/engineers. This paper presented four case scenarios describing the implementation of different VR/AVG systems and involving a variety of populations, end users and settings. Originality/value The set of recommendations for subsequent user-engaged research design and methods span the process of development, research and implementation. The authors hope that these recommendations will foster collaborations across disciplines, encourage researchers and therapists to adopt VR/AVGs more readily, and lead to efficacious and effective treatment approaches for rehabilitation clients.

END USER INVOLVEMENT AND SUPPLY CHAIN PERFORMANCE IN KENYAN UNIVERSITIES, A CASE OF CHUKA UNIVERSITY, KENYA.

Purpose: The study sought to establish the effects of end user involvement in the supply chain performance of higher learning institutions in Kenya.Methodology: The study was conducted at Chuka University procurement department and user departments comprising of 64 respondents from user departments and procurement. The study employed cross-sectional research design. Structured questionnaires were used for data collection. In order to determine the validity and reliability of the questionnaire, pretesting of the research instruments was conducted. To establish the validity of the research instrument, content validity was used while internal consistency method was used to determine the reliability. Correlation analysis followed by multivariate regression analysis was conducted between the independent variables and the dependent variable.Results: Results showed strong statistical significance between supply chain performance and procurement planning. The study also established that there was a strong statistical significance between supply chain performance and specification preparation. It was also established that there was strong statistical significance between supply chain performance and monitoring and evaluation. Lastly, there was strong statistical significance between supply chain performance and inspection and receipt of goods. The findings also revealed that the four independent variables under study only contributed to 63.4% of the dependent variable’s outcome..Conclusion: The study concludes that procurement planning, specification preparation, monitoring and evaluation, and inspection and receipt of goods are good measures of the end user involvement in the effective performance of supply chain, but that more studies need to be done to unearth the hidden variables contributing to the remaining 36.6% factors/variables, in order to get a full picture of the impact of the end-users on supply chain performance. Contribution to policy and practice: Research institutes and scholars will gain vital insights from the study when they want to research further and lastly government together with all its agencies will also gain important information that will inform the policies they come up with in future