估计从UUV航行参数的混合坐标系下的EKF算法

在主从式UUV 协作系统中，由于定位和导航的需要，要求尽快估计出从UUV 的航行参数，但通常所用的递推最小二乘（RLS）算法，其初始方位测量对滤波结果影响大且存在收敛速度慢、计算精度低的缺点，难以满足应用需求，而推广卡尔曼滤波（EKF）算法能较好地克服上述问题。在直角坐标系下（CEKF），方位信息与距离信息相互耦合导致初始振荡剧烈，改为混合坐标系（MEKF）后问题得到了极大的改善。最后，通过仿真及现场试验验证了此改进方法的有效性。

综合权值递推最小二乘法估计从UUV航行参数

根据主UUV观测系统测量的从UUV方位信息精度高、距离信息精度低的特点,将遗忘因子和位置权值构成的综合权值融入递推最小二乘算法(RLS)用于从UUV航行参数分析,避免采用EKF算法对观测噪声要求高的缺陷,克服数据饱和现象。同时对从UUV方位信息进行预处理以提高航行参数估计的收敛速度。仿真实验证明了方法的有效性。

水下滑翔机器人水动力研究与运动分析

水下滑翔机器人是一种无外挂推进系统,仅依靠内置执行机构调整重心位置和净浮力来控制其自身运动的新型水下机器人,主要用于长时间、大范围的海洋环境监测,因此要求其具有低阻性和高稳定性.文章主要从水动力特性出发对水下滑翔机器人进行优化设计,包括主载体线型、升降翼和稳定翼的优化等,并对水动力优化设计的结构进行了定常滑翔运动和空间螺旋回转运动分析,这将为后期的控制系统设计提供参考.

水下滑翔机器人运动分析与载体设计

水下滑翔机器人是一种新型水下机器人,具有噪声低、航行距离远、续航时间长、成本低等特点。分析了水下滑翔机器人的驱动机理和运动实现,给出了水下滑翔机器人典型运动的仿真结果,并以正在设计的一水下滑翔机试验样机为研究对象,描述了样机的整体结构布局,详细研究了浮力调节机构、俯仰调节机构和横滚调节机构的实现方法,并就样机中各执行机构的设计实现进行了论述。

GPS天线球在AUV上的拖曳运动分析

AUV在长时间作业过程中需要浮出水面进行GPS定位，既浪费时间又浪费能源，因此仿照潜艇上的拖曳天线的形式，在AUV上采用了形状简单的GPS天线球，这种天线球的拖曳运动特性是本文的主要研究内容。 本文分析了这种天线球在静水环境下的拖曳运动情况，建立了拖曳系统的数学模型。其中对于缆绳采用了Ablow提出的有限差分模型，对于自由表面上的天线球，采用水动力系数法进行分析，对耦合的系统采用前向差分法进行求解。在此基础上编制程序进行仿真。 为了验证仿真结果，在拖曳水池进行了拖曳试验。在试验中通过改变拖曳速度和缆绳长度，得到了一系列的张力数据和天线球姿态。对试验数据和计算结果的比较表明，上面的数学模型在速度小于2节时能够模拟真实情况，反之则会出现较大的误差。经过查找，本文排除了试验误差和计算参数选取不当这两个可能的原因，最终认定是天线球的模型不够完善，因为它在自由表面上受到了兴波阻力的作用。 本文也对有限差分程序的结果和叶果洛夫给出的缆绳数据进行了比较，比较表明基于本文编写的缆绳分析程序是可靠的。在此基础上，本文把拖曳试验测量到的张力作为边界条件对实际工程进行了分析计算，指出目前缆绳长度14米的情况不能满足期望的10米拖曳深度；若要拖曳深度达到10米，需要加大天线球的浮力并增加缆绳长度，本文也给出了这种情况下的几组参数的具体值。

景物的三维信息获取及其运动分析

采用模糊熵函数对图象象素分类作出整体最优分类评价,实现了区域分割.利用矩及其函数做为各区域的特征表达,构成以区域为基元的符号特征集并描述图象内容。根据立体图象对间的几何关系,解出各区域(基元)的相对三维坐标。与象索匹配相比较,它可以获得较高精度的三维信息和可描述的景物信息.通过获取不同时空的各区域(基元)三维信息,确定了它们的空间运动状态。联系这些状态,构造出景物中物体间的空间关系和近似模型,实现了对景物的3-D识别和描述。

活动图象的锥体分析法

本文提出了一种新的活动图象分析法,该方法建立在高效的多级分辨率图象锥体算法的基础上,通过相关匹配估计图象序列连续帧间的位移,给出了计算机模拟结果。

Development and validation of a sport-specific exercise protocol for elite youth soccer players

Thatcher, Rhys, and Alan Batterham, 'Development and validation of a sport-specific exercise protocol for elite youth soccer players', Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, (2004) 44(1) pp.15-22 RAE2008

Standardizing clinical trials workflow representation in UML for international site comparison.

BACKGROUND: With the globalization of clinical trials, a growing emphasis has been placed on the standardization of the workflow in order to ensure the reproducibility and reliability of the overall trial. Despite the importance of workflow evaluation, to our knowledge no previous studies have attempted to adapt existing modeling languages to standardize the representation of clinical trials. Unified Modeling Language (UML) is a computational language that can be used to model operational workflow, and a UML profile can be developed to standardize UML models within a given domain. This paper's objective is to develop a UML profile to extend the UML Activity Diagram schema into the clinical trials domain, defining a standard representation for clinical trial workflow diagrams in UML. METHODS: Two Brazilian clinical trial sites in rheumatology and oncology were examined to model their workflow and collect time-motion data. UML modeling was conducted in Eclipse, and a UML profile was developed to incorporate information used in discrete event simulation software. RESULTS: Ethnographic observation revealed bottlenecks in workflow: these included tasks requiring full commitment of CRCs, transferring notes from paper to computers, deviations from standard operating procedures, and conflicts between different IT systems. Time-motion analysis revealed that nurses' activities took up the most time in the workflow and contained a high frequency of shorter duration activities. Administrative assistants performed more activities near the beginning and end of the workflow. Overall, clinical trial tasks had a greater frequency than clinic routines or other general activities. CONCLUSIONS: This paper describes a method for modeling clinical trial workflow in UML and standardizing these workflow diagrams through a UML profile. In the increasingly global environment of clinical trials, the standardization of workflow modeling is a necessary precursor to conducting a comparative analysis of international clinical trials workflows.

Changes in landing mechanics in patients following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction when wearing an extension constraint knee brace.

BACKGROUND: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is associated with a high incidence of second tears (graft tears and contralateral ACL tears). These secondary tears have been attributed to asymmetrical lower extremity mechanics. Knee bracing is one potential intervention that can be used during rehabilitation that has the potential to normalize lower extremity asymmetry; however, little is known about the effect of bracing on movement asymmetry in patients following ACL reconstruction. HYPOTHESIS: Wearing a knee brace would increase knee joint flexion and joint symmetry. It was also expected that the joint mechanics would become more symmetrical in the braced condition. OBJECTIVE: To examine how knee bracing affects knee joint function and symmetry over the course of rehabilitation in patients 6 months following ACL reconstruction. STUDY DESIGN: Controlled laboratory study. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 3. METHODS: Twenty-three adolescent patients rehabilitating from ACL reconstruction surgery were recruited for the study. The subjects all underwent a motion analysis assessment during a stop-jump activity with and without a functional knee brace on the surgical side that resisted extension for 6 months following the ACL reconstruction surgery. Statistical analysis utilized a 2 × 2 (limb × brace) analysis of variance with a significant alpha level of 0.05. RESULTS: Subjects had increased knee flexion on the surgical side when they were braced. The brace condition increased knee flexion velocity, decreased the initial knee flexion angle, and increased the ground reaction force and knee extension moment on both limbs. Side-to-side asymmetry was present across conditions for the vertical ground reaction force and knee extension moment. CONCLUSION: Wearing a knee brace appears to increase lower extremity compliance and promotes normalized loading on the surgical side. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Knee extension constraint bracing in postoperative ACL patients may improve symmetry of lower extremity mechanics, which is potentially beneficial in progressing rehabilitation and reducing the incidence of second ACL tears.

Alternate lower extremity resistance training to increase stability in young and elderly adults

Gemstone Team BALANCE

Rao-blackwellized particle filter for human appearance and position tracking

In human motion analysis, the joint estimation of appearance, body pose and location parameters is not always tractable due to its huge computational cost. In this paper, we propose a Rao-Blackwellized Particle Filter for addressing the problem of human pose estimation and tracking. The advantage of the proposed approach is that Rao-Blackwellization allows the state variables to be splitted into two sets, being one of them analytically calculated from the posterior probability of the remaining ones. This procedure reduces the dimensionality of the Particle Filter, thus requiring fewer particles to achieve a similar tracking performance. In this manner, location and size over the image are obtained stochastically using colour and motion clues, whereas body pose is solved analytically applying learned human Point Distribution Models.

Curso E-learning de sistemas multicorpo (multibody systems) para engenheiros mecânicos

Trabalho Final de Mestrado para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Mecânica

Anaerobic performance in ice hockey : the effect of skate blade radius of hollow

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of skate blade radius of hollow (ROH) on anaerobic performance, specifically during the acceleration and stopping phases of an on-ice skating test. Fifteen, male Junior B hockey players (mean age 19 y ± 1.46) were recruited to participate. On-icc testing required each participant to complete an on-ice anaerobic performance test [Reed Repeat Skate (RRS)) on three separate days. During each on-ice test, the participant's skate blades were sharpened to one of three, randomly assigned, ROH values (0.63 cm, 1.27 cm, 1.90 cm). Performance times were recorded during each RRS and used to calculate anaerobic variables [anaerobic power (W), anaerobic capacity (W), and fatigue index (s, %)). Each RRS was video recorded for the purpose of motion analysis. Video footage was imported into Peak Motus™ to measure kinematic variables of the acceleration and stopping phases. The specific variables calculated from the acceleration phase were: average velocity over 6 m (m/s), average stride length (m), and mean stride rate (strides/s). The specific variables calculated from the stopping phase were: velocity at initiation of stopping (rn/s), stopping distance (m), stopping time (s). A repeated measures ANOV A was used to assess differences in mean performance and kinematic variables across the three selected hollows. Further analysis was conducted to assess differences in trial by trial performance and kinematic variables for all hollows. The primary findings of the study suggested that skate blade ROH can have a significant effect on kinematic variables, namely stride length and stride rate during the acceleration phase and stopping distance and stopping time during the stopping phase of an on-ice anaerobic performance test. During the acceleration phase, no significant difdifferences were found in SR and SL across the three selected hollows. Mean SR on the 1.27 cm hollow was significantly slower than both the 0.63 cm and 1.90 cm hollows and SL was significantly longer when skating on the 1.27 cm hollow in comparison to the 1.90 cm hollow. During the stopping phase, stopping distance on the 0.63 cm hollow (4.12 m ± 0.14) was significantly shorter than both the 1.27 cm hollow (4.43 m ± 0.08) (p < 0.05) and the 1.90 cm ho])ow (4.35 m ± 0.12) (p < 0.05). Mean ST was also significantly shorter when stopping on the 0.63 cm hollow then both the 1.27 cm and 1.90 cm hollows. Trial by trial results clearly illustrated the affect of fatigue on kinematic variables; AV, SR, IV decreased from trial 1 to 6. There was no significant effect on anaerobic performance variables during the RRS. Altering the skate blade ROH has a significant and practical affect on accelerating and stopping performance will be discussed in this paper.

3D movement and muscle activity patterns in a violin bowing task

Objective: Overuse injuries in violinists are a problem that has been primarily analyzed through the use of questionnaires. Simultaneous 3D motion analysis and EMG to measure muscle activity has been suggested as a quantitative technique to explore this problem by identifying movement patterns and muscular demands which may predispose violinists to overuse injuries. This multi-disciplinary analysis technique has, so far, had limited use in the music world. The purpose of this study was to use it to characterize the demands of a violin bowing task. Subjects: Twelve injury-free violinists volunteered for the study. The subjects were assigned to a novice or expert group based on playing experience, as determined by questionnaire. Design and Settings: Muscle activity and movement patterns were assessed while violinists played five bowing cycles (one bowing cycle = one down-bow + one up-bow) on each string (G, D, A, E), at a pulse of 4 beats per bow and 100 beats per minute. Measurements: An upper extremity model created using coordinate data from markers placed on the right acromion process, lateral epicondyle of the humerus and ulnar styloid was used to determine minimum and maximum joint angles, ranges of motion (ROM) and angular velocities at the shoulder and elbow of the bowing arm. Muscle activity in right anterior deltoid, biceps brachii and triceps brachii was assessed during maximal voluntary contractions (MVC) and during the playing task. Data were analysed for significant differences across the strings and between experience groups. Results: Elbow flexion/extension ROM was similar across strings for both groups. Shoulder flexion/extension ROM increaslarger for the experts. Angular velocity changes mirrored changes in ROM. Deltoid was the most active of the muscles assessed (20% MVC) and displayed a pattern of constant activation to maintain shoulder abduction. Biceps and triceps were less active (4 - 12% MVC) and showed a more periodic 'on and off pattern. Novices' muscle activity was higher in all cases. Experts' muscle activity showed a consistent pattern across strings, whereas the novices were more irregular. The agonist-antagonist roles of biceps and triceps during the bowing motion were clearly defined in the expert group, but not as apparent in the novice group. Conclusions: Bowing movement appears to be controlled by the shoulder rather than the elbow as shoulder ROM changed across strings while elbow ROM remained the same. Shoulder injuries are probably due to repetition as the muscle activity required for the movement is small. Experts require a smaller amount of muscle activity to perform the movement, possibly due to more efficient muscle activation patterns as a result of practice. This quantitative multidisciplinary approach to analysing violinists' movements can contribute to fuller understanding of both playing demands and injury mechanisms .