Two Undergraduate Students from HGU Published a Paper in the SCI Level Academic Journal
writer: 관리자 |
date: 2015.11.13 |
count: 910
Two undergraduate students from Handong Global University published a paper in the SCI Level Academic Journal and it is drawing attention. The authors are Keunhyun Kim and Gyunhee Lee, of the Human Interface Lab of the School of Mechanical & Control System Engineering. Their paper will be published in the International Journal of Precision Engineering and Manufacturing, March, 2016.
The title of the paper is “The Development of a hands-free wheelchair device based on head movements and bio-signals, for quadriplegic patients.”
They received the confirmation to publish their paper last August after revising their research direction many times and overcoming continuous obstacles. The paper contains the research outcomes of their study and the design to interface the head-movement-controlled wheelchair for quadriplegic patients guided by Professor Jaehyo Kim.
According to a report on the ‘2011 Survey on the Physically Challenged’ released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the number of physically challenged people hase been increasing from 3.09% to 5.61% between 2000 to 2011. Among the figures, the number of brain lesions is the second highest cause of these physical challenges. It is assumed to be so for 330,000 people, accounting for about 11 % of the physically challenged. In the case of brain lesions, walking and moving are limited due to the damage or injury to tissue within the brain. Quadriplegic patients who cannot use their arms or legs due to the loss of partial or total function of all four limbs caused by spinal cord injuries are not common. However, the numbers are dramatically increasing every year due to car accidents and falling accidents at industrial sites.
The paper has significance since they suggested a direct interface. It is comfortable to wear, and has less incompatibility. The device can overcome the conventional and existing interfaces that do not use hands.
In particular, this study focused on the controlling function of wheelchairs and improving the mobility of quadriplegic patients. Facial muscles are innervated by the facial nerve. The facial nerves do not pass through the spinal cord. This means that even if the spinal cord is damaged, the facial nerves are not affected. Therefore, quadriplegic patients can utilize the EMG signals from facial expressions. An AHRS sensor is attached to the head in order to control the wheelchair intuitively and comfortably. The team developed that algorithm and applied it to the device for quadriplegic patients.
The team has presented its research outcomes in the ‘2015 ISGMA Academic Conference’ which was held last June, in Chungdo, China.
With this achievement, the authors of the paper said, “Through this research, we participated in domestic and international conferences and experienced various research activities. We also have greater confidence in our research with this positive result last semester. I would like to express my deepest appreciation to Professor Jae-hyo Kim who gave thoughtful advice and teaching related to our research. My thanks also go to the Foundation of CK and the School of Mechanical & Control System Engineering for their support and assistance.”
Professor Jae-hyo Kim, the guiding teacher said, “I would like to give a big round of applause to the two students who put tremendous effort and diligence into their work. We will do our best to develop a mobility enhancement interface that will become someone’s hands or feet. This rehabilitation interface will enhance the quality of life for disabled people and bring efficient communication.”
The research was promoted with the support of the S-R&D program hosted by the ‘Foundation for Nurturing Talents, Converged with Sustainable Energy and the Environment in Gyeongbuk Province and the East Sea’.
HGU was designated as the ‘regional strategic type’ of ‘Foundation for Nurturing Talents, Converged with Sustainable Energy and the Environment in Gyeongbuk Province and the East Sea’, hosted by the Ministry of Education and the National Research Foundation of Korea. The Foundation establishes undergraduate student-centered research models and operates S-R&D projects in order to strengthen self-led creative and converged research capacity.
