Browsing by Author "Vieira, Diogo"
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- ABHA - Advanced Biomechanical Hand AssistantPublication . Correia, Vasco; Alves, Lucas; Guimarães, Pedro; Vieira, Diogo; Oliveira, Diego; Marques, Arcelina; Lima, RafaelThe outlook for the future of physiotherapy is very promising, with a gradual increase in its demand. This trend is mainly explained by the fact that there is an increasingly active and ageing population in developed countries. The growing demand for this area will consequently lead to the need for many resources, both human and economic. Currently, there are several bionic hands with various uses and functions, and most of these hands are programmed to respond to the movements of a particular user. Besides, most of the applications of medical robotics are mainly directed to the area of surgery. With this proposal, we intend to simplify the whole physiotherapy or rehabilitation process. For that, we have developed an equipment capable of helping the patient to perform the exercises in the comfort of his home, but in an equally efficient way. The operation of the system consists of autonomous use by the patient, who must wear the glove and replicate the exercises, predefined for each user, performed by the biomechanical hand. Having the possibility to define the exercises, ABHA is transferable and can be used by more than one patient.
- Automating Equipment towards Industry 4.0: A New Concept for a Transfer System of Lengthy and Low-Stiffness Products for AutomobilesPublication . Vieira, Diogo; Silva, Francisco J. G.; Campilho, R.D.S.G.; Sousa, Vitor F. C.; Pinto Ferreira, Luís; Sá, José Carlos; Brito, MarleneSeveral products with a high length/section ratio and with a relatively low stiffness are used in the automotive industry, causing several problems because of a lack of stiffness. One of the examples where this occurs is in the production of Bowden cables, where automation has played a very important role in the flexibility of processes and product quality. Within this product family, conduits, one of the components of Bowden cables, have proven to be one of the points of continuous improvement. Currently, the production process for this type of component is done in a fully automated way, which proves the importance of automation. However, the need to manufacture different references means that the equipment used needs to be characterized by its high flexibility. This work aims to develop a new transfer system for conduit preparation machines, which are focused on increasing the range of references possible to manufacture without affecting the quality and productivity of the equipment. Thus, a new concept of conduit transport has been successfully developed, able to deal with lengthy conduits without lacking quality or experiencing breakdowns of the equipment. The concept used to overcome this problem can be extended to other equipment with similar problems, even in the manufacturing of other kind of products.