Digital Commons Network^™

Summonable Construction Delivery Robot, Kevin M. Lewis

Honors Capstones

In many different construction industries, there is a need for tools, parts, and other necessary items to be transported quickly and efficiently over various types of terrain. Human resources have often been used to address these needs, which can become very time and cost inefficient over long periods. The design proposal here is aimed at addressing this need by developing an autonomous outdoor mobile robot based on a quadrupedal robot design. This approach differs by incorporating a wheeled and quadrupedal hybrid actuation system that provides terrain negotiation and speed at the appropriate times. The team uses Robot Operating System (ROS) …

The Volleyball Attack: Training, Kinematics, And The Role Of The Torso, Kiara Baeleah Barrett

Human Movement Sciences & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

Volleyball is an explosive, dynamic sport popular around the globe. The volleyball attack is the predominant point-scoring avenue and the point of interest for many coaches and players. As this motion is repeated many times throughout the course of a match, it is linked to overuse injuries at the shoulder. The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate methodological approaches for research in this movement as well as establishing mechanisms for improving performance and the health of the volleyball players’ shoulder.

For the first study, a systematic review of published literature was performed to ascertain training protocols beneficial to volleyball …

Design And Kinematic Testing Of A Resin Artificial Monarch Butterfly Wing, Thomas Payne Clark

Theses

Due to its ability to travel long distances efficiently, as evidenced by its yearly migration, the monarch butterfly is a strong candidate upon which to base a micro-aerial vehicle. Of primary importance in this venture is designing artificial wings with similar kinematics to a monarch wing. A first attempt produced a wing that differed significantly from a monarch wing in terms of deformation while flapping and empirical force coefficient trends. Using a new resin-based 3D printer, a new wing has been designed and developed to improve upon the issue with the original artificial wing. Both wings are tested using a …

Measurement Of Ankle Joint Kinematics Using Imus During Countermovement Jumps And Lateral Skater Jumps, Ifeoluwa Olawore

Theses and Dissertations

This study compared Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) and Optical Motion Capture (OMC) systems in measuring peak ankle angles and Range of Motion (ROM) during Countermovement Jumps (CMJ) and Lateral Skater Jumps (LSJ). Ankle angles in pitch, roll, and yaw were determined by integrating gyroscope data, aligning with foot flat reference, and fusing with accelerometer-derived inclination angles using a complementary filter. We hypothesized that IMU-based methods would parallel OMC in capturing peak angles and ROM during CMJ and LSJ landings, with accuracy and reliability assessed via Root Mean Square (RMSE) and Intraclass Correlation (ICC) statistics. For CMJ, high accuracy and reliability …

An Automated, Deep Learning Approach To Systematically & Sequentially Derive Three-Dimensional Knee Kinematics Directly From Two-Dimensional Fluoroscopic Video, Viet Dung Nguyen

Doctoral Dissertations

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA), also known as total knee replacement, is a surgical procedure to replace damaged parts of the knee joint with artificial components. It aims to relieve pain and improve knee function. TKA can improve knee kinematics and reduce pain, but it may also cause altered joint mechanics and complications. Proper patient selection, implant design, and surgical technique are important for successful outcomes. Kinematics analysis plays a vital role in TKA by evaluating knee joint movement and mechanics. It helps assess surgery success, guides implant and technique selection, informs implant design improvements, detects problems early, and improves patient …

The Influence Of Concussion History And Head Acceleration On Lower Extremity Function, Warren Forbes

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Sport-related concussions (SRCs) play a very debilitative role in athletics with between 1.7 – 3 million SRCs occurring annually (Clay et al., 2013; Zuckerman et al., 2015). This equates to upwards of 21.5 SRCs per 1000 athletic exposures. Research pertaining to SRC has received intense focus because of the substantial financial impact on the US healthcare system as well as the negative impact that SRCs have on the quality of life of athletes. Much of the research concerning SRC has been centered around management and ensuring adequate recovery from SRC-related symptoms. The current return to play (RTP) criteria from an …

Evaluating The Biomechanical, Functional, And Clinical Outcomes Of Bicruciate Stabilized Total Knee Arthroplasty, Jordan S. Broberg

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is the only solution for treating arthritis of the knee joint. Although it is successful at reducing pain and returning function to affected joints, one in five patients still report dissatisfaction following their operation. Bicruciate stabilized (BCS) TKA was developed to improve outcomes by replicating normal knee structure and function. The biomechanical, functional, and clinical outcomes for the BCS design were investigated in this thesis through radiographic imaging techniques, wearable sensor systems, and questionnaires in a cohort of TKA patients.

A stereo x-ray technique, called radiostereometric analysis (RSA), assesses implant fixation by tracking micromotion of TKA …

The Effect Of Fatigue On Lower Extremity Joint Kinematics And Performance, Sarah Alloto

Undergraduate Distinction Papers

Within recent years there has been an increase in the number of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries within female athletes (Learning how ACL, 2022). The ACL is a ligamentous structure within the knee that connects the femur and the tibia (Mayo, 2022). Its primary function is to provide stability, prevent the tibia from excessive anterior translation, and provide proprioceptive input for the lower limb (Mayo, 2022). ACL injuries are multifactorial in nature, meaning they can be the result of faulty biomechanics, individual genetic predisposition, or environmental factors (Alentorn- Geli et al., 2009). ACL injuries can be classified into two categories: …

The Immediate Effects Of The Nunee Patellar Support On Individuals With Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome, Nick Linn

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is a common form of anterior knee pain caused by general overuse, muscular weakness or strength imbalances, and poor movement coordination leading to abnormal alignment or mal-tracking of the patella. Recent guidelines do not recommend the use of a knee orthosis due to a lack of evidence supporting their effectiveness. A new patellar support (NuNee, K-Neesio LLC.) which uses distraction force to relieve pressure placed on the patella, has been proposed. The purpose of this study was to examine the immediate effects of the NuNee patellar support on perceived pain, biomechanics, and function in individuals with …

Strain Development And Partitioning Across A Transpressional Shear Zone Along A Quartzite- Metagabbro Contact In The Black Hills Uplift, South Dakota, Eric L. Schuemann

Theses and Dissertations

The Nemo region of South Dakota’s Black Hills offers an ideal location to study transpressional shear zones because it hosts an exposed Archean lithological boundary between two contrasting rheological units, the Boxelder Creek Quartzite (BCQ), a rift-depositional quartzite, and the Blue Draw Metagabbro (BDM), a metagabbro sill, deformed within a ductile shear zone that represents the beginning of main-phase formation of the North American continent as we know it today. The tectonic setting of the Black Hills is at the eastern edge of the Archean Wyoming province, located near the Trans-Hudson Orogeny suture zone that formed between the Wyoming and …

Effects Of Patellofemoral Pain On Central Activation And Function Of The Gluteus Medius Muscle In Physically Active Females, Michelle Samuel

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Patellofemoral pain (PFP) is the most common knee injury among runners, military personnel, adolescents and recreationally active persons. PFP commonly presents as diffuse pain across the anterior knee that increases with activities such as running, squatting, and walking up and down stairs. Nearly 75% of patients with PFP either alter or completely stop physical activity as a result of the pain. There are numerous mechanisms that contribute to PFP symptoms; such as muscle weakness, abnormal joint mechanics and abnormal joint stress, which make it difficult to successfully treat. In addition, PFP may lead to patellofemoral joint (PFJ) osteoarthritis, a debilitating …

A Biomechanical Analysis Of Back Squats: Motion Capture, Electromyography, And Musculoskeletal Modeling, Eva Maria Urdiales Maddox

Human Movement Sciences & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

Previous literature evaluating maximal back squats have failed to identify key components of the study decisions and procedures that would allow for duplication. Firstly, the existence of a sticking region in maximally weighted resistance exercises is frequently discussed and has been described as a force-reduced transition phase between an acceleration phase and a strength phase of a lift. However, the etiology has yet to be agreed upon. Second, Electromyography (EMG) is frequently used to assess muscle activations. However, no best practice for EMG normalization has been proposed. Two methods are commonly implemented for normalizing EMG: a maximum voluntary isometric contraction …

Effect Of Dorsal Quadrant Or Ventral Quadrant Spinal Cord Injury On Gait Features During Locomotion., Anya Nicole Trell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the Unites States, approximately 1.5 million people currently have a spinal cord injury and suffer permanent sensory and motor loss due to the disruption of the spinal cord. Due to the significant morbidity, it is vital to understand the functional impact of disrupting neural descending pathways that modulate spinal neurons involved in intermuscular coordination critical for gait behaviors. Tasks that are more difficult require additional input from these neural pathways; therefore, fourteen feline subjects were familiarized with level overground locomotion and stair descent gait tasks. After collection of baseline kinematic data, the subjects received either a dorsal or ventral …

Utilization Of Finite Element Analysis Techniques For Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Surgical Planning, Michael A. Polanco

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis, a three-dimensional deformity of the thoracolumbar spine, affects approximately 1-3% of patients ages 10-18. Surgical correction and treatment of the spinal column is a costly and high-risk task that is consistently complicated by factors such as patient-specific spinal deformities, curve flexibility, and surgeon experience. The following dissertation utilizes finite element analysis to develop a cost-effective, building-block approach by which surgical procedures and kinematic evaluations may be investigated. All studies conducted are based off a volumetric, thoracolumbar finite element (FE) model developed from computer-aided design (CAD) anatomy whose components are kinematically validated with in-vitro data. Spinal ligament stiffness …

Effects Of Positive Social Comparative Feedback During Practice On Motor Sequence Learning, Performance Expectancies, And Resting State Connectivity, Allison Foster Lewis

Theses and Dissertations

Positive social comparative feedback indicates to the learner that they are performing better than others. While this type feedback supports motor skill learning in some tasks, the effect of social comparative feedback on motor sequence learning remains unknown. In addition, the OPTIMAL theory predicts that positive social comparative feedback may trigger a dopaminergic response in the brain. However, no studies have utilized neuroimaging techniques to investigate this question. Therefore, the aim of these studies was to determine the effect of positive social comparative feedback on motor sequence learning, performance expectancies, and resting state connectivity of dopaminergic neural pathways.

In the …

Biomechanical Investigation Of Complete And Partial Medial Collateral Ligament Injuries, Callahan Doughty

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The medial collateral ligament (MCL) is composed of two major components: the deep MCL (dMCL) and superficial MCL (sMCL). Recent indications have raised questions as to the validity of previous descriptions of the MCL’s role in knee stability. Despite the relative likelihood of partial injuries to the sMCL, as opposed to complete tears, the impact of these injuries remains largely misunderstood. This thesis set out to (1) interpret the roles of the sMCL and dMCL; and (2) investigate the effect of partial sMCL injuries on knee stability.

A joint motion simulator was used to determine the role of the dMCL …

Redundant Kinematics Solution For A Combined 6dof Robotic Manipulator And 2dof Part Positioner In A Waam Application, Ethan C. Vals

Masters Theses

A typical wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) robot cell consists of a 6 DOF robot manipulator and a 2 DOF part positioner. Since the WAAM process requires a minimum of 5 DOFs, there are three redundant DOFs in the system that can be utilized to improve the robot manipulator positioning during part printing. In this thesis, the redundant kinematics of a manipulator and part positioner robot system are solved and then implemented on an actual robot system. The inverse kinematics of the manipulator and part positioner are solved as a kinematic chain using the pseudo-inverse Jacobian method. The two DOFs …

Dynamic Maneuvers For Satellite On-Orbit Servicing Utilizing Novel Continuum Robotics: Development & Experimentation, Nathan Dalton

Masters Theses

Robotic on-orbit servicing is a developing technology that seeks to increase the longevity and repairability of faulty or aging resident space objects. In this research, the development of a flexible continuum manipulator for a small satellite system that performs low-complexity on-orbit servicing or debris removal is presented. Derivations of manipulator kinematics are described in detail, a non-linear control scheme has been developed, and the accuracy and servicing applications for the prototype are evaluated and discussed. The manipulator has been tested on an air-bearing dynamics simulator, and the results are extensively analyzed. System recommendations and future work suggestions are presented.

A Systematic Review: The Effect Of Prophylactic Braces On Reducing Risk Factors Related To Acl Injury In Athletes, Zak Linczeski

All NMU Master's Theses

Purpose: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are one of the most common sports-related injuries as they account for around 100,000 injuries per year. This study sought to review research on prophylactic knee bracing (PKB) for the reduction of the risk factors related to injury of the ACL.

Methods: An extensive search of articles from 1990-2021 was performed with inclusion criteria of no previous ACL injury, no knee injury or surgery in the past 6 months, the use of a hinged knee brace, and use of kinetic, kinematic, and proprioceptive variables. All studies underwent a PEDro score evaluation to determine article …

Comparative Kinematic Gait Analysis In Adults With Multiple Disabilities, Lauren Rumbalski

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

The purpose of this research is to identify abnormal gait parameters or patterns amongst young adults with multiple disabilities enrolled in a work transition program sponsored by a public-school system. Gait disorders are commonly seen in individuals with neurologic disorders, with significant research in children with autism. Gait disorders have been linked with fall and injury risk, with significant research in elderly populations. Gait analysis technology can be used to identify gait characteristics in populations that are abnormal or contribute to gait disorders. In an observational design, students from the transitional program promoted by Westerville City Schools, housed on Otterbein …

Youth Pitching Kinematics: Associations With Body Overweight Parameters, Christina K. Fong

Master's Theses

The objective of this study was to investigate associations between injury-related kinematic parameters and overweight measures for youth baseball pitchers. The injury-related kinematic parameters considered were measurements 1) at foot contact: stride length, front foot position, shoulder external rotation, shoulder abduction, and elbow flexion; 2) between FC and ball release: peak knee extension; and 3) at BR: shoulder abduction. Data from three separate collection sites examined pitching mechanics of 18 10- to 11-year-old pitchers, 11 14- to 16-year-old pitchers, and 104 16- to 18-year-old pitchers Linear regression analyses were performed to determine significant correlations between kinematic parameters and body mass …

R/C Baja: Drivetrain, Connor T. Donovan

All Undergraduate Projects

The Central Washington University Mechanical Engineering Technology Department hosts an annual R/C Baja competition in which R/C cars fabricated by student teams are put through a series of courses and tests to determine which team's vehicle is best. The goal of this project was to create a functioning drivetrain that conveys power from the battery to the wheels and provides control of the vehicle. A list of requirements for the drivetrain was created to ensure that the vehicle will not only function, but that it will actually succeed in the competition. These requirements included that the vehicle must achieve a …

A Kinematic Analysis Of Joint Angle And Center Of Mass Kinematics In Automotive Manufacturing Tasks, Jarrod Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research aimed to determine if participants of varying anthropometrics (i.e., height) would perform automotive manufacturing tasks significantly differently based on joint angle and center of mass (COM) data. Twenty-four participants between the ages of 18 and 65 (¯x = 24.1 years, SD = 7.3) completed 14 manufacturing tasks, and their motions were recorded using two inertial motion capture (IMC) systems. Participants were chosen based on their measured height, including the 5th percentile female (Group 1-5F), 50th percentile female (Group 2-50F), or 95th percentile male (Group 3-95M) (Fryar, Gu, Ogden & Flegal, 2016). The tasks used for this study were …

Hard Real-Time Linux On A Raspberry Pi For 3d Printing, Alvin Nguyen

Master's Projects

The project presents how a Raspberry Pi with hard real-time enabled Linux can control stepper motors to operate the kinematics of a 3D (three-dimensional) printer. The consistent performance of the Raspberry Pi with the PREEMPT-RT (real-time) patch can satisfy real hard-time requirements for 3D printing kinematics, without introducing dedicated microcontrollers. The Klipper 3D printer firmware enables one of the Raspberry Pi processors to act as the Klipper MCU, the primary controller for the hardware components. This project introduces a software implementation of the control logic for controlling the stepper motors, which utilizes the PCA9685 pwm driver and TB6612 motor drivers …

Biomechanical Analysis Of Ligament Modelling Techniques And Femoral Component Malrotation Following Tka, Liam A. Montgomery

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Previous studies have demonstrated that satisfaction and revision rates following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) are lower than those of comparable surgeries such as total hip replacements. A leading cause for these revisions is joint instability which may be due to improper ligament balancing or poorly aligned surgical implants. One of the methods used to investigate biomechanical forces and kinematics is computational modelling of the post-operative TKA knee.

A unique knee model was used to investigate the biomechanical and kinematic effects of ligament model complexity, as well as the effects of simulating ligament wrapping versus ignoring ligament wrapping. We then used …

The Use Of Ct To Assess Shoulder Kinematics And Measure Glenohumeral Arthrokinematics, Baraa Daher

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Recently, studies have started employing dynamic four-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT) imaging as a biomechanical assessment tool. These studies would benefit from the valuable work that has been done in the past using three-dimensional computed tomography (3DCT). Thus, a structured review was conducted to examine the extent and range of methods employing CT imaging to measure shoulder kinematics. The findings of the review were utilized to conduct a study that employed 4DCT imaging to measure glenohumeral joint congruency and arthrokinematics during internal rotation to the back in a population of healthy individuals. The results of this work show the importance of …

Using Dynamic In Vivo Kinematics For Subject-Specific Calibration Of Knee Ligament Parameters, Stephen Nelson

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

In vivo clinical studies are the optimal way to investigate the biomechanical outcomes of new prosthetic devices. This particular style of testing can be difficult and, in certain cases, unethical to perform. The testing of unproven devices, surgical techniques, and materials put patients at risk from unanticipated outcomes in how these devices respond to the in vivo environment and patient-specific loading conditions. Biomechanical computational models were developed to provide validation to new devices prior to clinical testing. Computational models for use in optimizing knee prosthetics frequently include ligament representations, but these representations have inherent uncertainty due to wide intersubject variation …

Acceleration Skinning: Kinematics-Driven Cartoon Effects For Articulated Characters, Niranjan Kalyanasundaram

All Theses

Secondary effects are key to adding fluidity and style to animation. This thesis introduces the idea of “Acceleration Skinning” following a recent well-received technique, Velocity Skinning, to automatically create secondary motion in character animation by modifying the standard pipeline for skeletal rig skinning. These effects, which animators may refer to as squash and stretch or drag, attempt to create an illusion of inertia. In this thesis, I extend the Velocity Skinning technique to include acceleration for creating a wider gamut of cartoon effects. I explore three new deformers that make use of this Acceleration Skinning framework: followthrough, centripetal stretch, and …

Therapeutic Intervention Or Rider Influence On The Electromyographic Activity And Kinematics Of Horses, Karen L. Shaw

Masters Theses

Core strengthening and postural stability are desired outcomes of certain therapeutic exercises performed in horses. This study aimed to quantify changes in muscle activation at a walk and trot in horses traveling over eight consecutive ground poles evenly spaced (at 30 inches for walk and 48 inches for trot) in parallel fashion in a straight line, and with hindquarter and abdominal elastic resistance bands applied at 25% stretch. Surface electromyography (sEMG) data were collected for the longissimus dorsi and rectus abdominus muscles in six horses. A 2x2 repeated measures ANOVA was performed for each muscle to test for significant differences …

4dct Analysis Of In-Vivo Carpal Kinematics During Fem, Manisha R. Mistry

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

A consensus, detailed understanding of carpal kinematics remains elusive. 4-dimensional CT (4DCT) is a validated modality capable of accurately studying in-vivokinematic motion. The objective of this work is to quantify normal, in-vivo kinematic motion of the carpus through a flexion-extension arc of motion using 4DCT. Ten healthy, un-injured volunteers underwent a 4DCT scanning protocol through a complete arc of flexion-extension motion. Kinematic changes in motion were quantified using helical axis motion data for each carpal bone. Helical axes were compared between bones and statistical analysis performed using repeated-measures ANOVA to identify difference in kinematic motion between bones (p<0.05). The carpus can be divided into four main kinematic blocks: the distal carpal block, the proximal carpal block and individual scaphoid and trapezial blocks. This work supports an additional segmentation of the trapezium from the distal carpal row, which suggests some modulation between the scaphoid and distal carpal row.