Loading response challenges the limb with the dual demands of accepting rapidly moving body weight to both absorb the shock of floor contact and create a stable limb over which the body can advance. Delay in achieving foot flat contact with the floor causes a prolonged period of heel only support and results in an unstable base of support for those persons with transtibial amputations. The purp...

Contact-rehydration in terrestrial slugs involves a specific drinking behaviour during which water is rapidly absorbed through the integument of the foot. When dehydrated slugs were placed on wet filter paper containing 14C-inulin, they displayed the characteristic drinking posture and absorbed both water and 14C-inulin. Samples of haemolymph from dehydrated slugs after 12 min of contact-rehydr...

This paper discusses the pushing manipulation of an object by a humanoid robot. For such a pushing task, we show that there are two kinds of ZMPs, i.e., the conventional “Zero Moment Point (ZMP)” considering all sources of the force/moment acting in the foot supporting area, and the “Generalized Zero Moment Point (GZMP)” which is an generalization of ZMP for a humanoid robot whose hands do not ...

The Hallux Valgus and the first Metatarsalo Phalangeal joint have a major role during walking. So any condition that would impair the performance of the hallux, can influence the pattern of walking and consequently cause in reduction of efficiency in gait. One of the prevalent phenomenon of foot deformity, especially in females is Hallux valgus (HV) which is usually happened by various reasons ...

A lthough the benefits of total contact casting for healing plantar neuropathic ulcers are consis tent throughout a large body of available literature, the method of cast application varies (1–17). Cast structure at the ulcer site provides one major variance, i.e., should the cast create total contact with the entire plantar surface of the foot or should the wound be isolated? This article aims...

We introduce quantum point contact microscopy (QPCM) as a novel method for surface characterization, where the conductance through a quantum point contact formed by a metal atom between the tip of a scanning tunneling microscope and the surface is mapped across the surface. Application of QPCM to copper and gold (111) shows reproducibly atomic resolution, on gold (111) the alternating atomic st...

A novel three-dimensional numerical model of the foot, incorporating, for the first time in the literature, realistic geometric and material properties of both skeletal and soft tissue components of the foot, was developed for biomechanical analysis of its structural behavior during gait. A system of experimental methods, integrating the optical Contact Pressure Display (CPD) method for plantar...

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to evaluate the vertical component of the ground reaction force, plantar pressure, contact area of the feet and double-support time using static and dynamic (gait) baropodometry before and after bariatric surgery. METHODS Sixteen individuals with a body mass index of between 35 and 55 were evaluated before and after bariatric surgery. Thirteen patients (81....