Methodology for choosing a propulsion device for special-purpose vehicles

The ability to move on different types of soils is one of the main indicators of the efficiency of mobile vehicles in off-road conditions. The movement of such special mobile machines is carried out due to the interaction of the propulsion with the support surface. Therefore, significant reserves to increase productivity and reduce the cost of technological and transport works are laid in reducing energy consumption when the engine interacts with the surface. On the process of interaction of the wheel drive with the deformable support surface it is established that the parameters of this interaction depend on a number of factors: normal load, angular velocity and torque. In the General case, the parameters of interaction of each engine change when changing the mode of movement of the wheeled vehicle, and the ability to change the air pressure in the tires when driving on different support surfaces allows to increase the performance of the wheeled vehicle In the study of the caterpillar, it was found that the pitch of the caterpillar, the stiffness of the caterpillar, the angular stiffness of two adjacent tracks, reducing the pitch of the caterpillar chain, reducing the stiffness of the caterpillar, increasing the angular stiffness of two adjacent tracks, affect the efficiency of the machine. The scientific novelty of the study is to develop a method of choosing the engine of a special mobile machine that works off-road, in the process of its design. Wheel or crawler solutions will mainly determine the performance and efficiency of special purpose vehicles. The choice of engine for special mobile machines is based on a set of criteria. The criteria determine the importance of the implementation of the tasks in relation to the efficiency of functioning. Knowing the sowing capacity of the soil, and taking into account the possibility of movement of a particular special mobile machine depending on the type of soil, you can choose one or another type of engine.

An Overview on Pressure Ulcers: Prevention and Management

Pressure ulcers are significant and painful side effects that might indicate a lack of care. The formation of a pressure ulcer is a major complication of reduced mobility. And since over 65-year-olds are the fastest-growing sector of the population in many developed countries, it imposes the risk of increasing disease incidences. There are also higher rates of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, which also increase the risk. There are many causes that can contribute to the formation of pressure ulcers; tissue ischemia is the most prevalent route to ulceration. Pressure ulcer prevention generally begins with an examination to determine who is most vulnerable to pressure ulcers, such as the elderly, the immobile, or individuals with a spinal cord injury. Wound dressings, debridement, physical therapy, antibiotics, and antimicrobials are all possible therapeutic options for pressure ulcers. Interventions such as mobilization, positioning, and repositioning, as well as support surfaces, are utilized in conjunction with other wound care methods. In this review we’ll be looking at prevention and management of pressure ulcers.

Walking Robot for Moving on Vertical and Arbitrarily Oriented Surfaces

The article deals with the design of a walking robot with gripping devices that allow the robot to move on arbitrarily oriented surfaces in space. Such robots are relevant primarily for the inspection of various industrial structures. A model of a two-support robot with gripping devices that allow it to be attached to support surfaces with a small curvature, but arbitrarily oriented in space, is proposed. To ensure attachment to the support surfaces, the robot is designed with five degrees of freedom. An important criterion is the possibility of dexterous movement on surfaces. One of the degrees of freedom of the robot was made linear, which makes it easier to step over obstacles and allows you to implement simpler walking algorithms. When the robot is attached to the supporting surfaces by two gripping devices at once, the kinematic chain is closed. This can lead to an increase in forces and moments in the robot’s links. In this paper, it is applied to use two methods of controlling the drives of the links together – the implementation of impedance control by introducing feedback on the evaluation of the moment based on the motor currents and ensuring the pliability of the gripping devices due to its own elasticity. A mathematical simulation of the robot was carried out, which showed the possibility of reducing the forces in the robot links when attaching the robot to two support surfaces at the same time. The best results were achieved when controlling the current vector of a synchronous motor and using current signals to implement impedance control.

Neuromuscular Age-Related Adjustment of Gait When Moving Upwards and Downwards

Locomotor movements are accommodated to various surface conditions by means of specific locomotor adjustments. This study examined underlying age-related differences in neuromuscular control during level walking and on a positive or negative slope, and during stepping upstairs and downstairs. Ten elderly and eight young adults walked on a treadmill at two different speeds and at three different inclinations (0°, +6°, and −6°). They were also asked to ascend and descend stairs at self-selected speeds. Full body kinematics and surface electromyography of 12 lower-limb muscles were recorded. We compared the intersegmental coordination, muscle activity, and corresponding modifications of spinal motoneuronal output in young and older adults. Despite great similarity between the neuromuscular control of young and older adults, our findings highlight subtle age-related differences in all conditions, potentially reflecting systematic age-related adjustments of the neuromuscular control of locomotion across various support surfaces. The main distinctive feature of walking in older adults is a significantly wider and earlier activation of muscles innervated by the sacral segments. These changes in neuromuscular control are reflected in a reduction or lack of propulsion observed at the end of stance in older adults at different slopes, with the result of a delay in the timing of redirection of the centre-of-mass velocity and of an unanticipated step-to-step transition strategy.

Stabilization of Lecitase Ultra® by Immobilization and Fixation of Bimolecular Aggregates. Release of Omega-3 Fatty Acids by Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Krill Oil

Lecitase Ultra® solutions are mainly composed of bimolecular aggregates of two open structures of the enzyme. The immobilization and fixation of these bimolecular aggregates onto support surfaces is here proposed as a novel protocol for the immobilization and stabilization of Lecitase. The resulting derivatives of Lecitase aggregates were much more stable than the diluted solutions of the enzyme. The most stable of them was obtained by covalent immobilization of the bimolecular aggregate: 300-fold more stable than the diluted enzyme and 75-fold more stable than open Lecitase adsorbed onto hydrophobic supports. The bimolecular aggregate that adsorbed onto polyethyleneimine-agarose exhibited the best combination of activity and stability for the hydrolysis of krill oil. Omega-3 acids are in the sn-2 position of the krill oil, but they are also released by a phospholipase A1 because of migration issues.

A comparative analysis of the compression characteristics of a thermoplastic polyurethane 3D printed in four infill patterns for comfort applications

Purpose Most support surfaces in comfort applications and sporting equipment are made from pressure-relieving foam such as viscoelastic polyurethane. However, for some users, foam is not the best material as it acts as a thermal insulator and it may not offer adequate postural support. The additive manufacturing of such surfaces and equipment may alleviate these issues, but material and design investigation is needed to optimize the printing parameters for use in pressure relief applications. This study aims to assess the ability of an additive manufactured flexible polymer to perform similarly to a viscoelastic foam for use in comfort applications. Design/methodology/approach Three-dimensional (3D) printed samples of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) are tested in uniaxial compression with four different infill patterns and varying infill percentage. The behaviours of the samples are compared to a viscoelastic polyurethane foam used in various comfort applications. Findings Results indicate that TPU experiences an increase in strength with an increasing infill percentage. Findings from the study suggest that infill pattern impacts the compressive response of 3D printed material, with two-dimensional patterns inducing an elasto-plastic buckling of the cell walls in TPU depending on infill percentage. Such buckling may not be a beneficial property for comfort applications. Based on the results, the authors suggest printing from TPU with a low-density 3D infill, such as 5% gyroid. Originality/value Several common infill patterns are characterised in compression in this work, suggesting the importance of infill choices when 3D printing end-use products and design for manufacturing.

The measurable parameters of balance trainings in case of young healthy adults: Improved balance confidence or better postural stability? A pilot study

PurposeThe objective of this pilot study was to compare the effects of two parallel balance trainings on postural sway and balance confidence. The study was performed in different contexts with stable vs. unstable base of support and balance confidence was measured with a scale modified for young adults with higher functional level.Materials/methodsTwenty healthy female physiotherapist students volunteered for the study and took part in a six-week balance training intervention. They were randomly assigned to two groups training on different support surfaces. Postural sway was recorded under various conditions: on different surfaces (firm, foam) and with different visual conditions (eyes open (EO), eyes closed (EC)). Modified Activities-specific Balance Confidence (mABC) scale was self-evaluated.ResultsBoth types of training caused a significant improvement in the mABC scores. The sway path increased after the training in the less challenging balance situations. We found a tendency of decreasing sway path only in the more challenging balance situations, that is standing on foam mounted on force plate with EC.ConclusionsConsidering the improved balance confidence in the case of both groups, we suggest that an increase in sway path after balance training may be the behavioural sign of the higher confidence in the less challenging balance situations.