We consider an experiment in which a rectangular flat plate is flapped with two degrees of freedom, and a genetic algorithm tunes its trajectory parameters so as to achieve maximum average lift force, thus evolving a population of trajectories all yielding optimal lift forces. We cluster the converged population by defining a dynamical formation number for a flapping flat plate, thus showing th...

The Casimir force is one of the most accessible experimental consequences of vacuum fluctuations in the macroscopic world. It is the most significant force between neutral, non-magnetic objects at distances on the micrometer scale and below. For many experiments searching for novel short-range forces predicted by unification models, theoretical calculations of the Casimir force are crucial and ...

Sit-to-stand (STS) motions are one of the most important activities of daily living as they serve as a precursor to mobility and walking. However, there exist no standard method of segmenting STS motions. This is partially due to the variety of different sensors and modalities used to study the STS motion such as force plate, vision, and accelerometers, each providing different types of data, a...

A triaxial accelerometer is placed at the back of the subject at the height of the center of mass. Force plate data are collected simultaneously. Subjects stand in a comfortable position with eyes open, eyes closed and doing cognitive tasks; and with feet together with eyes open and closed. The cognitive tasks are: mathematical, auditory Stroop and memory. The force plate data are processed to ...

INTRODUCTION Landing mats that undergo large area deformation are now essential for the safe completion of landings in gymnastics. The aim of this study was to determine the effective mass, shock transmission time, and deformation characteristics of a mat during impacts using high-speed video and to improve the accuracy of measuring foot-mat contact forces during landing. For validation, the sa...

The use of force plates to measure whole-body locomotor mechanics is a well-established technique. However, commercially available force plates are not sensitive enough for use on small-bodied vertebrates or invertebrates. The standard design for singleand multiple-axis, high-sensitivity force plates built by individual research groups uses semiconductor foil strain gauges to measure deflection...

The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship of accelerometer output, in counts (ActiGraph GT1M) and as raw accelerations (ActiGraph GT3X+ and GENEA), with ground reaction force (GRF) in adults. Ten participants (age: 29.4 ± 8.2 yr, mass: 74.3 ± 9.8 kg, height: 1.76 ± 0.09 m) performed eight trials each of: slow walking, brisk walking, slow running, faster running and box drops. GRF...

In this paper, an analytical model for cutting process of a plate of material with a pair of scissors is presented. The cutting model predicts that, during task, force/torque responses of the scissors depend on the toughness and geometry of the plate. A force/position control law for a pair of scissors in contact with a partially known environment is proposed. The environment is a rigid plate o...