The nudged-elastic band (NEB) method is modified with concomitant two climbing images (C2-NEB) to find a transition state (TS) in complex energy landscapes, such as those with a serpentine minimal energy path (MEP). If a single climbing image (C1-NEB) successfully finds the TS, then C2-NEB finds it too. However, improved stability of C2-NEB makes it suitable for more complex cases, where C1-NEB...

Climbing is a challenging task for autonomous mobile robots primarily due to requirements for agile locomotion, and high maneuverability as well as robust and efficient attachment and detachment. A novel miniature wall-climbing robot is proposed. The robot is adapted for the wall-climbing task by taking advantage of down scaling and its low design. Challenges encountered during robot miniaturiz...

Two candidate evasion maneuvers were evaluated for use with a collision alerting system for independent closely spaced parallel approaches in instrument conditions. The two maneuvers were a wings-level climb and a climbing turn away from parallel trafŽ c. Pairs of aircraft on parallel approach were simulated by use of prerecorded trajectories covering a range of normal approach and blunder exam...

In this paper we apply chaotic systems to the task of sequence variation for the purpose of aiding humans in setting indoor rock climbing routes. This work expands on prior work where similar variations were used to assist in dance choreography and music composition. We present a formalization for transcription of rock climbing problems and a variation generator which is tuned for our domain an...

[Purpose] This study investigated the effects of gait time and trunk acceleration ratio in old-old adult females during stair climbing. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty-five older adult females who were able to walk independently volunteered for this study and were categorized into two age groups (older adults or old-old adults). Gait time and trunk acceleration ratio were measured using an accele...

Current exercise guidelines encourage the daily accumulation of lifestyle activities, such as stair climbing. Although several studies show that visual prompts can increase stair usage, there has been little systematic assessment of the messages employed. Some of the messages used in previous interventions represent general descriptions of stair climbing (e.g. 'free exercise'), while others emp...

In this paper we estimate the demand for rock climbing and calculate welfare measures for changing access to a number of climbs at a climbing area. In addition to the novel recreation application, we extend the travel cost methodology by combining the double hurdle count data model (DH) with a multinomial logit model of site-choice. The combined model allows us simultaneously to explain the dec...

This study examined the relationship between perceived (stated) levels of function and the measured (observed) performance in squatting and stair climbing activities of 20 patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP) and 20 healthy volunteers. Subjects were asked through an interview to self-assess their ability to comfortably perform stair climbing and squatting as well as other tolerances. The ...

Air consumption, oxygen uptake (VO(2)), carbon dioxide output (VCO(2)) and respiratory exchange ratio (RER=VCO(2)/VO(2)) were measured directly from the self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) as 36 professional firefighters (three women) completed scenarios of high-rise stair climbing and fifth floor search and rescue. During stair climbing VO(2) was 75+/-8% VO(2max) (mean+/-SD), RER=1.10+/-...

One distinctive feature of Purkinje cells is that they have two types of discharge: in addition to simple spikes they fire complex spikes in response to input from the climbing fibers. These complex spikes have an initial rapid burst of spikes and spikelets followed by a sustained depolarization; in some models of cerebellar function this climbing fiber input supervises learning in Purkinje cel...