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The development of a new control system for a medical wrist rehabilitation device consists basically in the design of an intuitive controllable mechanism that aims to accept the parameters defined by the user and to respond adequately to that request. Two motors (a brushless motor “AEO A2830” and a stepper motor “Superior Electric M062”) are controlled by an Arduino development board, which receives and processes the instructions for the motors as well as for the acquisition software developed in LabVIEW (by National Instruments™). Two methods were used to define the interface between the user and therehabilitation mechanism, one of which is oriented to the electronic hardware and other one to the data acquisition software: the commands and instructions are addressed to the first one, while all the information is collected and registered on the second one. Since such rehabilitation mechanisms already exist, it is intended that the drawbacks of such equipment should also be addressed in the purpose of this study, complementing a gap in the health area.

This work addresses the field of the artificial devices that replace a missing body limb, particularly the prosthesis used upon a transtibial (TT) amputation, also known as ankle-foot prosthesis. A major challenge in designing an ankle-foot prosthesis lies in synthesizing a mechanism that will functionally mimic the missing part of an anatomical leg and, therefore, restoring the normal gait of the amputee. This way, it will be discussed and presented the requirements for a TT prosthesis, the steps that lead to the primary sketches of the prosthetic model and its main mechanism. This work constitutes a preliminary research in the field of the bionic TT prosthesis., This work is supported by the FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia - with the scholarship reference SFRH / BD/102659/2014, the reference project UID/EEA/04436/2013, by FEDER funds through the COMPETE 2020 - Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização (POCI) - with the reference project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006941. Moreover, it is supported by LIACC - Laboratório de Inteligência Artificial e Ciência de Computadores, reference project PEst/UID/CEC/00027/2015., info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Data communication is essential in any mechatronic system or product. It allows for devices to communicate with one another, for a more efficient and self-regulating system. To effectively rely on the communication between devices, the communication must firsts be tested and evaluated for errors and correct data transmission. Sensors and sensor data addresses can easily be switched and when a device is communicating with another, it is imperative that the correct sensor data is transmitted when a slave device receives a signal to do so. If this condition is not verified, the master device could be receiving wrong signals and coincidently sending alerts or warning messages to the user. In more extreme cases the device can enter an emergency shutdown situation and fail to restart. The objective of this work is to study, design and develop a software device that allows the user to simulate, evaluate and verify the Modbus communication between the Platform Management System (PMS) of a ship and the main equipment on board. The PMS is the onboard static master device that displays all the received data to the ship’s captain for analysis. This work focuses in particular on a ship's generators, where the available signals will be assessed. The signals, stipulated in the equipment’s specification documents, are transmitted directly from the equipment and are then received by the PMS. The PMS and the onboard equipment are programmed by various entities, of which, can all make mistakes while programming and therefor, the sensor and warning names and messages are not coherent with the corresponding values., info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Mechatronics is an interdisciplinary area of engineering that combines mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and information technology. The development methodology for mechatronic systems supports the creation of innovative solutions, improving the reliability and ability of products and reducing their costs. This study reviews some projects (as case studies) that were undertaken by the authors in the area of mechatronics applied to the mechanical, textile, biotechnology and biomedical fields., info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

This work describes all the development of a mechanical design that have been realized for an industrial semi device, whose functionality is to apply adhesive tape around a cylindrical body with high level of flexibility. With all the study realized it was possible to achieve a 3D virtual prototype with the conceptual idea obtained and to determine the critical key issues of the device. Those points should be analysed during the testing phase using a physical prototype., info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

It is known that human mobility has the tendency to decrease, gradually, with age as a consequence of neurological, muscular and/or osteoarticular deterioration. Thus, in an aging society, devices that provide mobility assistance and ambulatory daily exercises are essential for the health and life quality of such individuals. Besides a brief introduction about gait aid devices, this paper presents and proposes improvements on the third prototype of a Smart Walker. This versatile rehabilitation and functional tool developed by a researcher group was used for one year, in a clinical environment at a hospital, by six patients. Based on the acquired know-how, the physicians, physiotherapist and patients' feedback, a fourth prototype is being developed, mechanically and electronically improved. This paper will focus on the proposed mechanical, design and ergonomic considerations, COMPETE 2020 – Project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006941, info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

This paper approaches the cane's market and identifies some of its flaws. Walking sticks are a very common asset due its simplicity and ease of use, however at times it can be a dangerous, unreliable object and cause serious injuries. Due to canes' popularity between mobility aids there is a need of improvement in security and stability. This work reviews the cane's state-of-the-art considering the relevant features. Both commercial solutions as well as academic research have been considered. Search included patents related with walking stick. There is also an observation about health issues that come from canes daily use. The article summarizes these features and proposes a new cane, with proposed improvements to the common cane, in order to obtain a better use of the cane, avoiding risks and flaws from the use of the cane that are harmful to the health. This model is largely biomechanical inspired in the human gait., info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Modelica Modeling language is powerful and suitable for modeling mechatronic systems, being possible to interact different technological aspects and deal, simultaneously with different technologies (mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic,..). In this paper it is discussed, in a case study, the possibility of using this language for modeling an automation system (controller and plant) in closed loop behavior and also in defining some parameters of the automation system in order to optimize some behavior aspects of the system as, for instance, the time cycle of the automation system. Some aspects relied with controllers dependability are also discussed and it is showed how Modelica modeling language can help controllers’ designers improving controllers dependability, when are used Simulation Techniques.

Despite the evolution of electric drives and their undeniable advantages, hydraulic systems play an important role in today's technologies. Due to the ability to operate enormous power densities, industrial hydraulics are irreplaceable when large forces and binaries are required. Its importance can be characterized by the economy it represents and by the development potential associated with scientific interest. This paper summarizes the technologies used in the production of oil-hydraulic power, seeking to identify the trends of development and the research opportunities that come from the demands of the current developments., info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion