Browsing by Author "Fonseca, Pedro"
Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- Accuracy and repeatability of the gait analysis by the WalkinSense systemPublication . P. de Castro, Marcelo; Meucci, Marco; Soares, Denise P.; Fonseca, Pedro; Borgonovo-Santos, Márcio; Sousa, Filipa; Machado, Leandro; Villas-Boas, João PauloWalkinSense is a new device designed to monitor walking. The aim of this study was to measure the accuracy and repeatability of the gait analysis performed by the WalkinSense system. Descriptions of values recorded by WalkinSense depicting typical gait in adults are also presented. A bench experiment using the Trublu calibration device was conducted to statically test the WalkinSense. Following this, a dynamic test was carried out overlapping the WalkinSense and the Pedar insoles in 40 healthy participants during walking. Pressure peak, pressure peak time, pressure-time integral, and mean pressure at eight-foot regions were calculated. In the bench experiments, the repeatability (i) among the WalkinSense sensors (within), (ii) between two WalkinSense devices, and (iii) between the WalkinSense and the Trublu devices was excellent. In the dynamic tests, the repeatability of the WalkinSense (i) between stances in the same trial (within-trial) and (ii) between trials was also excellent (ICC > 0.90). When the eight-foot regions were analyzed separately, the within-trial and between-trials repeatability was good-to-excellent in 88% (ICC > 0.80) of the data and fair in 11%. In short, the data suggest that the WalkinSense has good-to-excellent levels of accuracy and repeatability for plantar pressure variables.
- Analysis and quantification of upper-limb movement in motor rehabilitation after strokePublication . Silva, R. Mariana; Sousa, Emanuel; Fonseca, Pedro; Pinheiro, Ana Rita; Silva, Cláudia; Correia, Miguel V.; Mouta, SandraIt is extremely difficult to reduce the relations between the several body parts that perform human motion to a simplified set of features. Therefore, the study of the upper-limb functionality is still in development, partly due to the wider range of actions and strategies for motor execution. This, in turn, leads to inconsistent upper-limb movement parameterization. We propose a methodology to assess and quantify the upper-limb motor execution. Extracting key variables from different sources, we intended to quantify healthy upper-limb movement and use these parameters to quantify motor execution during rehabilitation after stroke. In order to do so, we designed an experimental setup defining a workspace for the execution of the action recording kinematic data. Results reveal an effect of object and instruction on the timing of upper-limb movement, indicating that the spatiotemporal analysis of kinematic data can be used as a quantification parameter for motor rehabilitation stages and methods.
- Biomechanical Characterization of Comfort Footwear using Gait AnalysisPublication . Flores, Andreia; Marques, Maria Arcelina; Fonseca, Pedro; Machado, Leandro; Vaz, MárioComfort footwear has unique characteristics fundamental to people looking for this type of shoe, namely foot support, flexibility, stability, lightweight, cushioning, traction, etc. [1]. They are usually preferred mainly by elder, overweighed or people with feet problems [2]. It is known that the shoe can modify gait behavior [3]. The purpose of this study was to evaluate posture and gait by comparing barefoot and shoe wearing circumstances to assess the real effect of the comfort footwear under study.
- Influence of automation on biomechanical exposure of the upper-limbs in an industrial assembly line: a pilot studyPublication . Santos, Joana; Abreu, Ana Betty; Fonseca, Pedro; Alberto Alves Carvalhais, Carlos; Santos Baptista, João; Santos, Rubim; Vaz, MárioAutomation of assembly work was originally developed to increase operation efficiency and to reduce workload. However, a considerable number of unanticipated ergonomic problems have been observed such as the interaction between humans and automated systems. The aims of this study were to quantify joint angle positions (shoulder, elbow and wrist) of workers in two assembly lines with different mechanization levels and analyse the performance of an inertial motion capture system. Seven experienced female assemblers participated in this study. The measurements were performed in the workplace with a full-body inertial measurement system (Xsens MVN BIOMECH system). Maximum cross-correlation between angle-time courses was calculated to quantify the waveform similarities. In manual line, there are larger variations of joint angles than in the semi-automatic one. The analysis of cross correlation coefficients revealed that electromagnetic interferences are potential limitations to the use of these systems under field conditions.
- Kinematic and electromyographic features of upper-limb movement performed by healthy and post-stroke patientsPublication . Silva, Rosa Mariana; Fonseca, Pedro; Pinheiro, Ana Rita; Vila-Chã, Carolina; Silva, Cláudia; Correia, Miguel Velhote; Mouta, SandraIt is extremely difficult to simplify the relation between several body parts, which perform human motion, into one set of features. Mainly, the upper-limb is capable of a wider range of actions, going from fine manipulation to prehension and grasping. Aiming to describe its complexity, several studies have been conducted in order to better understand the upper-limb specificities. However, most of studies restrain the task to pointing, reaching, or grasping, which seems not enough to explain the wide range of tasks possible to be performed in a daily scenario.
- On the adequacy of SDN and TSN for Industry 4.0Publication . Silva, Luis; Pedreiras, Paulo; Fonseca, Pedro; Almeida, LuisIndustry 4.0, Industrial Internet of Things, Cyber-Physical Production Systems and Smart Factories are closely related emerging concepts expected to drive significant improvements in industrial production systems, with gains in efficiency, cost and customer satisfaction. These concepts are intimately associated with highly distributed and cooperative architectures that rely, naturally, on the network infrastructure. However, traditional industrial communication technologies hardly provide the required level of integration, flexibility and performance. Seeking a solution to this mismatch, we assess two technologies that appeared recently in the industrial realm, namely IEEE 802.1 Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) and Software-Defined Networking (SDN). TSN and SDN are fundamentally different, thus having distinct strengths and weaknesses. This paper reviews their fundamental operation principles, evaluating them qualitatively against the specific requirements posed by Industry 4.0.