Biped robots have gained much attention for decades. A variety of researches has been conducted to make them able to assist or even substitute for humans in performing special tasks. In addition, studying biped robots is important in order to understand the human locomotion and to develop and improve control strategies for prosthetic and orthotic limbs. Some challenges encountered in the design of biped robots are: (1) biped robots have unstable structures due to the passive joint located at the unilateral foot-ground contact. (2) They have different configuration when switching from walking phase to another. During the singlesupport phase, the robot is under-actuated, while turning into an over-actuated system during the double-support phase. (3) Biped robots have many degrees of freedom (DOFs). (4) Biped robots interact with different unknown environments. Therefore, this work attempts to investigate and resolve different issues encountered in dynamics, walking pattern generators and control of biped robots; the details as follows: • Dynamics Two walking patterns have been modeled using two well-known formulations: Lagrangian and the modified recursive Newton-Euler (N-E) formulations. The first walking pattern moves with 6 DOFs during the single support phase (SSP) changing its configuration with 7 DOFs during the double support phase (DSP) (the stance foot will move directly during the DSP). Whereas the other walking pattern has 6 DOFs during all walking phases (the SSP and the two sub-phases of the DSP); the stance foot will be fixed during the first sub-phase of the DSP. These two walking pattern are different in configuration and number of phases during the DSP. To resolve the problem of over-actuation, a linear transition function is proposed to ensure smooth transition for the biped from the SSP to the DSP and vice versa. If we assume ideal dynamic response, this strategy can resolve the discontinuity in input control torque and ground reaction forces. • Walking pattern generators Two methods have been used to generate walking patterns of biped mechanism which are (1) optimal control theory and (2) center of gravity (COG)-based model. Computational optimal control has been performed to investigate the effects of some imposed constraints on biped locomotion, such as enforcing swing foot to move level to the ground, hip motion with constant height etc. finite difference approach has been used to transcribe infinite dimensional optimal control problem into finite dimensional suboptimal control problem. Then parameter optimization has been used to get suboptimal trajectory of the biped with the imposing different constraints. In general, any artificially imposed constraint to biped locomotion can lead to increase in value of input control torques. On the other hand, suboptimal trajectory of biped robot during complete gait cycle had been accomplished with different cases such that continuous dynamic response occurs. Enforcing the biped locomotion to move with linear transition of zero-moment point (ZMP) during the DSP can lead to more energy consumption. Using the simple COG-based model, a comparative study has been conducted to generate continuous motion for COG of the biped; all these methods depend on linear pendulum model. It has been shown all these methods are equivalent. On the other hand, the effect of foot configuration has been investigated. Foot rotation can improve biped configuration at heel strike by controlling foot angle. In addition, foot motion with impact can give some freedom and uniform biped configuration compared with motion without impact. To compensate for the deviation of ZMP trajectory due to approximate model of the COG, a novel strategy has been proposed to satisfy kinematic and dynamic constraints, as well as singularity condition. A stable motion has been obtained for the target walking patterns. • Low-level control Two control schemes have been proposed based on dynamics formulations which are conventional adaptive control based on local approximation technique and Lagrangian formulation, and virtual decomposition control (VDC) based on local approximation technique and recursive N-E formulation. In the first approach (conventional control), a new representation of dynamic matrices has been coined which is computationally efficient than other representation (sparse-base representation, Kronecker product etc.). Controller structures for the SSP and the DSP have been designed in details. Since adaptive control assumes no prior knowledge of estimated weighting matrices; therefore, zero input control torques could be result in at the beginning of each phase. Consequently, discontinuous dynamic response could result. The VDC is an efficient tool for complex robotic system such as biped robot. Therefore each subsystem (link, joint) has been controlled using adaptive approximation–based VDC. A novel optimization technique has been used to deal with continuous dynamic response; however, using zero initial weighting matrices for estimation dynamic matrices and vectors could result in zero input control at beginning of each walking phases.
The emergence of COVID-19 has resulted in an unprecedented escalation in different aspects of human activities, including medical education. Students and educators across academic institutions have confronted various challenges in following the guidelines of protection against the disease on one hand and accomplishing learning curricula on the other hand. In this short view, we presented our experience in implementing e-learning to the undergraduate nursing students during the present COVID-19 pandemic emphasizing the learning content, barriers, and feedback of students and educators. We hope that this view will trigger the preparedness of nursing faculties in Iraq to deal with this new modality of learning and improve it should t
... Show MoreObjectives: To determine the effectiveness of the instructional program on patients’ knowledge about home safety while receiving anti-cancer treatment at Al- Karama Teaching Hospital in Al-Kut City.
Methodology: A quasi-experimental design is conducted through the application of a pre-test and post-test approach for the study and control groups from February 5th, 2020 to April 25th, 2020. A non–probability (purposive) sample of (50) patients treated at the Blood Disease and Oncology Center is selected and divided into two groups. Each group contains (25) patients as control and study groups. An instrument is constructed that is comprised of two parts; t
... Show MoreThere is a growing interest in studying the effects of arthritis on a person's work productivity using a growing variety of outcome indicators.
To develop a valid and reliable shortened version of the Workplace Activity Limitation Scale 12 (WALS‐12) for assessing work productivity limitations in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.
A cross‐sectional study involving 277 RA patients was conducted. An exploratory factor analysis on WALS‐12 was used for item reduction on the first sample. Then confirmatory factor ana
This work presents a completely new develop an analyzer, named NAG-5SX1-1D-SSP, that is simple, accurate, reproducible, and affordable for the determination of cefotaxime sodium (CFS) in both pure and pharmaceutical drugs. The analyzer was designed according to flow injection analysis, and conducted to turbidimetric measurements. Ammonium cerium nitrate was utilized as a precipitating agent. After optimizing the conditions, the analysis system exhibited a linear range of 0.008-27 mmol. L-1 (n=29), with a limit of detection of 439.3 ng/sample, a limit of quantification of 0.4805 mg/sample, and a correlation coefficient of 0.9988. The repeatability of the responses was assessed by performing six successive injections of CFS at concentra
... Show MoreThe present theoretical study analyzes the legacy of the Chicago School of Urban Sociology and evaluates it in the light of the growth and development of Chicago City and the establishment of sociology in it. Sociology has become an academic discipline recognized in the United States of America in the late nineteenth century, particularly, after the establishment of the first department of sociology in the University of Chicago in 1892. That was during the period of the rapid industrialization and sustainable growth of the Chicago City. The Chicago School relied on Chicago City in particular, as one of the American cities that grew and expanded rapidly in the first two decades of the twentieth century. At the end of the nineteenth centur
... Show MoreMJ Abbas, AK Hussein, Journal of Physical Education, 2019
The current research studies the aesthetic framework for the dialectical development of the functions of the contemporary theater director in an aesthetic approach to the mechanisms of functional overlap between the dramaturgy and direction functions, and scenography and direction, the detection of the controversial structure of that overlap, and what can be summed up in the following question: (what are the aesthetic approaches of the dialectical development in the function of the contemporary theatre director?). The research is determined by a pivotal aim which is (knowing the aesthetic nature of the dialectical development in
Objective: The aims of present study to detect the effectiveness of instruction program of non-pharmacological guideline on blood pressure and laboratory test.
Methodology: A pre-experimental study was conducted in Al-Sader Teaching Hospital from 8th of September 2019 to 25th of May 2020, in order to find out the effectiveness of instruction program concerning non-pharmacological guideline on controlling essential hypertension among patients. A non- probability (purposive sample) of 50 patients with essential hypertension is selected. Those patients are already diagnosed with Essential Hypertension
... Show More