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Biomechanics and Biotransport Commons™
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Articles 1 - 13 of 13
Full-Text Articles in Biomechanics and Biotransport
A Chicken Model For Non-Invasive Diagnosis Of Infant Developmental Dysplasia Of The Hip (Ddh) Using Acoustic Transmission Measurements, Aliza Shah
Honors Undergraduate Theses
Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is a condition characterized by abnormal development and stability of the hip joint. In a healthy infant, the femoral head (ball) fits securely within the acetabulum (socket of the pelvis), allowing for proper joint function. In DDH, the relationship is disrupted, ranging from mild acetabular dysplasia to partial (subluxation) or complete dislocation of the femoral head. This condition represents a range of structural abnormalities that develop during early growth. The integrity of the hip joint is essential for physical mobility, and disruption of this structure can lead to significant functional impairment. DDH may result …
Mathematical Modeling And Characterization Of A Variable Stiffness Ankle-Foot-Orthosis, David E.L. Richards
Mathematical Modeling And Characterization Of A Variable Stiffness Ankle-Foot-Orthosis, David E.L. Richards
Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026
Conventional ankle–foot orthoses (AFOs) typically employ static stiffness profiles that do not replicate the dynamic quasi-stiffness of the human ankle during gait. Variable stiffness mechanisms (VSMs) offer a promising alternative solution for gait pathologies, such as foot drop and post-stroke hemiparesis; however, their implementation is limited by the lack of accurate mathematical models capable of predicting force and stiffness characteristics. The objective of this thesis is to develop and validate comprehensive mathematical models describing the kinematics and kinetics of a novel variable stiffness ankle–foot orthosis (VS-AFO). This study derives governing equations to characterize how mechanical adjustments influence the force transmission …
Integrated Compliant Structure For A Hand Exoskeleton, Tristan R. Koopman
Integrated Compliant Structure For A Hand Exoskeleton, Tristan R. Koopman
Honors Undergraduate Theses
This thesis presents the design and prototyping of a wearable hand exoskeleton that integrates a flexible structural framework to assist with hand movement while maintaining comfort and anatomical conformity. The goal was to create a device that supports tendon-driven actuation through a compliant structure, combining elements of rigidity and flexibility to match the natural geometry and motion of the human hand. Traditional hand exoskeletons often trade off motion for structure or vice versa. This project aims to bridge that gap with a hybrid compliant design that balances flexibility and support. The design process followed an iterative approach involving rapid prototyping …
Measuring Achilles Tendon Stiffness And Kinetics In-Vivo, Chloe L. Pinkston
Measuring Achilles Tendon Stiffness And Kinetics In-Vivo, Chloe L. Pinkston
Honors Undergraduate Theses
This study aims to measure the gastrocnemii Achilles subtendon passive stiffness and energy storage during walking. Stiffness was first determined using a noninvasive method that combines ultrasound, motion capture, musculoskeletal modeling, and a force transducer. Eight healthy participants were tested using this method to obtain the passive force-displacement relationship of the Achilles tendon at two different knee angles to calculate stiffness of the gastrocnemii subtendon. A gait analysis session was then performed using ultrasound, motion capture, and an instrumented treadmill at self-selected slow, normal, and fast walking speeds, using stiffness to calculate the subtendon’s force and energy storage. Gastrocnemii Achilles …
Effects Of Changes In Strouhal And Reynolds Numbers On Beetle Wing Aerodynamics, Keith L. Thiha
Effects Of Changes In Strouhal And Reynolds Numbers On Beetle Wing Aerodynamics, Keith L. Thiha
Honors Undergraduate Theses
Insect flight has long been a subject of interest across the scientific community, largely due to the exceptional aerodynamic performance insects demonstrate relative to their size. Insects tend to have very high aerodynamic performance characteristics like thrust and lift generation compared to their size. This has many potential applications in improving aircraft performance, however the flow phenomena concerning insect wing aerodynamics is still an area of ongoing research. This study aims to investigate how variations in key nondimensional flow parameters—specifically the Reynolds number and Strouhal number—affect the aerodynamic performance of beetle wings. Strouhal numbers ranging from 0.2 to 0.6 were …
Understanding The Mechanisms By Which Cable Sway Produces Motion Artifact In Mobile Electroencephalography, David Rojas
Understanding The Mechanisms By Which Cable Sway Produces Motion Artifact In Mobile Electroencephalography, David Rojas
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023
Mobile brain/body imaging utilizes electroencephalography (EEG) to record brain activity during human walking in dynamic environments. Motion artifact from cable sway affects the quality of EEG signals collected from the scalp, masking contributions of synchronously firing neurons. Previous studies have explored cable sway-induced motion artifact, but only during vigorous exercise or controlled sinusoidal motion. Therefore, a need remains to further understand the underlying mechanisms of this artifact, as it may help with developing real-time mitigation methods, reducing reliance on offline signal processing. In this thesis, I aimed to show that controlled cable sway could produce specific motion artifact waveforms in …
Probing The Effect Of Hyperglycemia On Endothelial Force Generation And Transmission, Jovani J. Gutierrez
Probing The Effect Of Hyperglycemia On Endothelial Force Generation And Transmission, Jovani J. Gutierrez
Honors Undergraduate Theses
This thesis intends to utilize biomechanics to study the endothelial biomechanical response in a static hyperglycemic microenvironment. Hyperglycemia is a diabetic condition with abnormally high levels of glucose in the bloodstream. The effects of hyperglycemia over time lead to vascular complications resulting in patients being more prone to cardiovascular diseases. Current studies have focused on the molecular mechanisms affected by hyperglycemia; however, the mechanical mechanisms by which hyperglycemia causes vascular structural and functional changes are understudied. Therefore, to study the effects of hyperglycemia in the endothelium, Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVEC) were cultured under three glucose conditions: normal glucose …
Electrode Evaluation And Electrocortical Dynamics Of Adapting To Small Perturbations During Treadmill Walking, Jinfeng Li
Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023
Mobile brain-body imaging (MoBI) seeks to understand human brain and body dynamics during movement and locomotor tasks such as walking with perturbations that challenge balance and lead to adaptation of walking behavior. In this dissertation, I evaluated the long-term electromyography (EMG) recording performance of dry epidermal electrodes for measuring electrical muscle activity. I also evaluated the relationships between the signals recorded from the two sides of dual-sided electroencephalography (EEG) electrodes, a recent advancement in EEG electrode design for measuring electrical brain activity. Last, I investigated adaptation of brain and body responses to small and frequent perturbations during treadmill walking while …
Energy Expenditure And Stability During Self-Paced Walking On Different Slopes, Alanna Raffaelli
Energy Expenditure And Stability During Self-Paced Walking On Different Slopes, Alanna Raffaelli
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Metabolic power and cost of transport (COT) are common quantifiers for effort when performing tasks including walking and running. Most studies focus on using a range of normal walking speeds over level ground or varied slopes. However, these studies use fixed-speed conditions. Fatigue, stability, metabolic expenditure, heart rate, and many other factors contribute to normal walking speed varying over time. This study aimed to show that allowing a subject to walk with a self-paced speed should correlate to a minimum COT at a given slope. This study also aimed to determine if a preferred slope exists based on minimizing metabolic …
Classifying And Predicting Walking Speed From Electroencephalography Data, Allen Rahrooh
Classifying And Predicting Walking Speed From Electroencephalography Data, Allen Rahrooh
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Electroencephalography (EEG) non-invasively records electrocortical activity and can be used to understand how the brain functions to control movements and walking. Studies have shown that electrocortical dynamics are coupled with the gait cycle and change when walking at different speeds. Thus, EEG signals likely contain information regarding walking speed that could potentially be used to predict walking speed using just EEG signals recorded during walking. The purpose of this study was to determine whether walking speed could be predicted from EEG recorded as subjects walked on a treadmill with a range of speeds (0.5 m/s, 0.75 m/s, 1.0 m/s, 1.25 …
Conceptualization And Fabrication Of A Bioinspired Mobile Robot Actuated By Shape Memory Alloy Springs, Lietsel Richardson
Conceptualization And Fabrication Of A Bioinspired Mobile Robot Actuated By Shape Memory Alloy Springs, Lietsel Richardson
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This work is an experimental study and fabrication of design concepts to validate the feasibility of smart materials and their applications in bio-inspired robotics. Shape-Memory Alloy (SMA) springs are selected as the smart material actuators of interest to achieve locomotion in the proposed mobile robot. Based on a previous design of the robot, this work focuses on both implementing a new locomotion concept and reducing size and weight of the previous design, both using SMA based actuators. Objectives are met in consideration of the conceptual mechanics of circular robot locomotion. The first prototype is a variation of the original design. …
Fluctuations In Walking Speeds And Spatiotemporal Gait Parameters When Walking On A Self-Paced Treadmill At Level, Incline, And Decline Slopes, Cesar Castano
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
On a daily basis, humans walk over a variety of terrains. Studies have shown that spatiotemporal gait parameters, such as stride length, stride frequency, stride variability, etc., change when humans walk down a decline and up an incline compared to level ground. However, these studies have been limited to using fixed speed treadmills or analyzing a small number of strides when conducted over ground. Thus, there is a need to investigate the fluctuations in spatiotemporal gait parameters of humans walking at their self-selected speed, which requires recording hundreds of strides. Here we hypothesized that subjects will walk with a slower …
Mimicking Blood Rheology For More Accurate Modeling In Benchtop Research, Lindsey Webb
Mimicking Blood Rheology For More Accurate Modeling In Benchtop Research, Lindsey Webb
Honors Undergraduate Theses
To confirm computer simulations and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis, benchtop experiments are needed with a fluid that mimics blood and its viscoelastic properties. Blood is challenging to use as a working fluid in a laboratory setting because of health and safety concerns. Therefore, a blood analogue is necessary to perform benchtop experiments. Viscosity is an important property of fluids for modeling and experiments. Blood is a shear thinning fluid, so it has a decreasing viscosity with higher shear rates. This project seeks to create a blood mimicking fluid for benchtop laboratory use. Numerous fluids with different combinations of water, …