In this article, we address the problem of controlling unknown flexible-joint robots with unknown time-varying stiffness and damping parameters. We propose a Robust Direct Adaptive Fuzzy Control (RDAFC) strategy that accommodates the dynamics anonymity and joints stiffness/damping variations. The RDAFC strategy relies on the synergy of the concepts of fuzzy logic approximation and the Sliding M...

Ligaments and tendons undergo volume loss when stretched along the primary fiber axis, which is evident by the large, strain-dependent Poisson's ratios measured during quasi-static tensile tests. Continuum constitutive models that have been used to describe ligament material behavior generally assume incompressibility, which does not reflect the volumetric material behavior seen experimentally....

25 Joint contractures alter the mechanical properties of articular and muscular structures. 26 Reversibility of a contracture depends on the restoration of the elasticity of both structures. We 27 determined the differential contribution of articular and muscular structures to knee flexion 28 contractures during spontaneous recovery. 250 rats divided in 24 groups had 1 knee joint 29 surgically ...

Conventional diagnostic ultrasound images portray differences in the acoustic properties of soft tissues, whereas ultrasound-based elasticity images portray differences in the elastic properties of soft tissues (i.e. stiffness, viscosity). The benefit of elasticity imaging lies in the fact that many soft tissues can share similar ultrasonic echogenicities, but may have different mechanical prop...

The performance characteristics of finger-joints as a jointing technique for Eucalyptus nitens is crucial their use in engineered wood products. This research evaluated the strength finger-jointed laminations made from fiber-managed E. nitens. A total 237 specimens with (117 pieces) and without (120 were sectioned tested by bending, tensile, shear, bearing tests. Bending tensile tests paired to...

Income and price elasticity of demand quantify the responsiveness of markets to changes in income and in prices, respectively. Under the assumptions of utility maximization and preference independence (additive preferences), mathematical relationships between income elasticity values and the uncompensated own and cross price elasticity of demand are here derived using the differential approach ...

BACKGROUND Human skin properties have been used as an important diagnostic component in traditional medicine as they change with health conditions. Sasang constitutional medicine (SCM) puts emphasis on the recognition of the constitution-specific skin features prior to the diagnostic decision of health. In this work, in search of skin-characteristics effectively reflecting SCM features, we comp...

The importance of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) in vascular regeneration is becoming increasingly recognized. However, few in vitro studies have been performed to identify the effects of environmental elasticity on the differentiation of MSC into vascular cell types. Electrospinning and photopolymerization techniques were used to fabricate a three-dimensional (3-D) polyethylene glycol dimethacry...

The protein titin functions as a mechanical spring conferring passive elasticity to muscle. Force spectroscopy studies have shown that titin exhibits several regimes of elasticity. Disordered segments bring about a soft, entropic spring-type elasticity; secondary structures of titin's immunoglobulin-like (Ig-) and fibronectin type III-like (FN-III) domains provide a stiff elasticity. In this st...