The present study assesses the usability of a novel device for at-home rehabilitation of musculoskeletal (MSK) shoulder conditions. Patients who had previously undergone traditional exercise-based shoulder rehabilitation were recruited and completed the System Usability Scale (SUS) questionnaire after trialing the device. Open-ended interviews were conducted to identify issues with the current prototype. Results indicate excellent usability, with a number of areas for improvement identified by participants. Clinical Relevance — This study adopted a co-design approach and investigated patient usability and acceptance of a novel robotic device for at-home shoulder rehabilitation, with favorable preliminary results.

Background: Elastomeric infusion pumps are widely used in the delivery of parenteral medications in the home, but real-life conditions may not match calibration or standardised testing conditions. This study investigated the impact of changes in infusion pump height and/or back pressure on infusion pump function.Methods: Volume delivered after one day, infusion duration, average and peak flow rates and time spent within stated accuracy were determined for four elastomeric and one electronic pump using gravimetric technique. Experiments were repeated after altering the height of the pump relative to the output (±40cm, ±20cm) and/or adding a back pressure (10-30mmHg) to the output of an attached catheter.Results: Under ideal operating conditions, the flow rate deviated from that specified by the manufacturer and between 88.5% and 99% of the total infusion volume was delivered. Varying the height or applying back pressure led to further changes in average flow rates and the volume of infusion solution delivered by the elastomeric pumps, but had little effect on the electronic pump.Conclusions: Clinicians should consider potential impact on drug delivery, safety and therapeutic effect for home infusion patients given variations in infusion pump performance observed in this study.

Objective: To use relationships between tightening parameters, related to bone quality, to develop an automated system that determines and controls the level of screw tightening. Methods: An algorithm relating current at head contact (IHC) to current at construct failure (Imax) was developed. The algorithm was used to trigger cessation of screw insertion at a predefined tightening level, in real time, between head contact and maximum current. The ability of the device to stop at the predefined level was assessed. Results: The mean (±SD) current at which screw insertion ceased was calculated to be [51.47 ± 9.75% × (Imax − IHC)] + IHC, with no premature bone failures. Conclusions: A smart screwdriver was developed that uses the current from the motor driving the screw to predict the current at which the screw will strip the bone threads. The device was implemented and was able to achieve motor shut-off and cease tightening at a predefined threshold, with no premature bone failures.

Time-elapsed analysis of bone is an innovative technique that uses sequential image data to analyze bone mechanics under a given loading regime. This paper presents the development of a novel device capable of performing step-wise screw insertion into excised bone specimens, within the microCT environment, whilst simultaneously recording insertion torque, compression under the screw head and rotation angle. The system is computer controlled and screw insertion is performed in incremental steps of insertion torque. A series of screw insertion tests to failure were performed (n=21) to establish a relationship between the torque at head contact and stripping torque (R(2)=0.89). The test-device was then used to perform step-wise screw insertion, stopping at intervals of 20%, 40%, 60% and 80% between screw head contact and screw stripping. Image data-sets were acquired at each of these time-points as well as at head contact and post-failure. Examination of the image data revealed the trabecular deformation as a result of increased insertion torque was restricted to within 1mm of the outer diameter of the screw thread. Minimal deformation occurred prior to the step between the 80% time-point and post-failure. The device presented has allowed, for the first time, visualization of the micro-mechanical response in the peri-implant bone with increased tightening torque. Further testing on more samples is expected to increase our understanding of the effects of increased tightening torque at the micro-structural level, and the failure mechanisms of trabeculae.

Objective:The level to which bone screws are tightened is determined subjectively by the operating surgeon. It is likely that the tactile feedback that surgeons rely on is based on localized tissue yielding, which may predispose the screw-bone interface to failure. A limited number of studies have investigated the ratio between clinical tightening torque and stripping torque. The purpose of this study was to measure, for the first time, the ratio between yield torque (T-yield) and stripping torque (T-max) during screw insertion into the cancellous bone and to compare these torques with clinical levels of tightening reported in the literature. Additionally, a rotational limit was investigated as a potential end point for screw insertion in cancellous bone.Methods:A 6.5-mm outer diameter commercial cancellous bone screw was inserted into human femoral head specimens (n = 89). Screws were inserted to failure, while recording insertion torque, compression under the screw head, and rotation angle.Results:The median, interquartile ranges, and coefficient of variation were calculated for each of the following parameters: T-yield, T-max, T-yield/T-max, slope, T-plateau, and rotation angle. The median ratio of T-yield/T-max and rotation angle was 85.45% and 96.5 degrees, respectively. The coefficient of variation was greatest for the rotation angle compared with the ratio of T-yield/T-max (0.37 vs. 0.12).Conclusions:The detection of yield may be a more precise method than the rotation angle in cancellous bone; however, bone-screw constructs that exhibit a T-yield close to T-max may be more susceptible to stripping during insertion. Future work can identify factors that influence the ratio of T-yield/T-max may help to reduce the incidence of screw stripping.

Using magnetic tunnelling junction sensors, a novel magnetometer probe for the identification of the sentinel lymph node using magnetic tracers was developed. Probe performance was characterised in vitro and validated in a preclinical swine model. Compared to conventional gamma probes, the magnetometer probe showed excellent spatial resolution of 4.0 mm, and the potential to detect as few as 5 μg of magnetic tracer. Due to the high sensitivity of the magnetometer, all first-tier nodes were identified in the preclinical experiments, and there were no instances of false positive or false negative detection. Furthermore, these preliminary data encourage the application of the magnetometer probe for use in more complex lymphatic environments, such as in gastrointestinal cancers, where the sentinel node is often in close proximity to other non-sentinel nodes, and high spatial resolution detection is required.

Vision-impaired individuals often use a long white cane to assist them with gathering information about their surroundings. However, these aids are generally not used to detect obstacles above knee height. The purpose of this study is to determine whether a low-cost, custom-built electronic device clipped onto a traditional cane can provide adequate vibratory warning to the user of obstacles above knee height. Sixteen normally sighted blindfolded individuals participated in two mobility courses which they navigated using a normal white cane and a white cane with the electronic device attached. Of the 16 participants, 10 hit fewer obstacles, and 12 covered less ground with the cane when the electronic device was attached. Ten participants found navigating with the electronic device easier than just the white cane alone. However, the time taken on the mobility courses, the number of collisions with obstacles, and the area covered by participants using the electronic device were not significantly different (p > 0.05). A larger sample size is required to determine if the trends found have real significance. It is anticipated that additional information provided by this electronic device about the surroundings would allow users to move more confidently within their environment.

Purpose: Seizure related unconscious face-down positioning could contribute to sudden unexpected death in epilepsy via asphyxia. Low airflow resistance lattice foam pillows have been advocated for this group. However, data to support this approach remain lacking, and low airflow resistance per se may not negate asphyxia risk from expired gas rebreathing. This study was designed to compare the airflow resistance and CO2 rebreathing properties of lattice vs conventional pillows.Methods: Airflow resistance and inspired CO2 levels during replicate 10 min periods of simulated adult ventilation and CO2 rebreathing were compared between cotton, latex and two lattice pillows designed for use in epilepsy (one commercially available, one prototype). Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses were used to examine the hazard of exceeding 10% inspired CO2 within 10-min of rebreathing.Results: Inspiratory resistance was significantly lower in the commercially available and prototype lattice compared to cotton and latex pillows (mean +/- SD; 3.2 +/- 0.8, 2.6 +/- 0.4, 26.1 +/- 3.5, 4.6 +/- 0.4 cmH(2)O l(-1) s respectively at 0.2 l s(-1)). During simulated rebreathing, inspired CO2 exceeded 10% within 2 min with cotton and latex pillows, compared to an upper asymptote around 8-9% at 10 min with lattice pillows. The hazard of exceeding 10% inspired CO2 was therefore markedly reduced with lattice compared to cotton and latex pillows (hazard ratio vs cotton pillow; commercial 0.04[0.01-0.18], prototype 0.08 [0.02-0.26], latex 0.79 [0.33-1.87]).Conclusion: Conventional pillows can rapidly accumulate potentially life-threatening CO2 levels during simulated rebreathing. Lattice pillows appear to reduce asphyxia risk but accumulated CO2 may still reach levels threatening to health and survival. Crown Copyright (C) 2014 British Epilepsy Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Internal fixation of fractures often requires the tightening of bone screws to stabilise fragments. Inadequate application of torque can leave the fracture unstable, while over-tightening results in the stripping of the thread and loss of fixation. The optimal amount of screw torque is specific to each application and in practice is difficult to attain due to the wide variability in bone properties including bone density. The aim of the research presented in this paper is to investigate the relationships between motor torque and screw compression during powered screw insertion, and to evaluate whether the torque during insertion can be used to predict the ultimate failure torque of the bone. A custom test rig was designed and built for bone screw experiments. By inserting cancellous bone screws into synthetic, ovine and human bone specimens, it was established that variations related to bone density could be automatically detected through the effects of the bone on the rotational characteristics of the screw. The torque measured during screw insertion was found to be directly related to bone density and can be used, on its own, as a good predictor of ultimate failure torque of the bone.

Remote laboratories have become increasingly popular in engineering education, gradually replacing traditional hands-on labs. However, in the specialized field of microelectronics fabrication the move towards remote labs has been slow. This is due to the nature of the fabrication facilities, the cost and the extra challenges involved in such transformation. There has been wide debate regarding the effectiveness of remote labs in general and whether they can truly replace traditional hands-on laboratories. At the School of Electrical and Information Engineering, we are testing the effectiveness of a newly-designed and built remote laboratory in Microelectronics. In this paper we present the research tools used to determine the effectiveness of such e-learning tool and compare learning outcomes of students using the remote version of the lab and of those using the traditional laboratory. We discuss the learning objectives of the laboratory and the manner in which they have been derived from the students’ written reports. The outcomes of this trial could influence the implementation of more remote laboratories in this field. Some of the results of the first student trial are reported. Introduction The hands-on practical laboratory has always been a major component of many undergraduate engineering courses. It has always been the main, and sometimes only, source of hands-on experience for the undergraduate students. With the globalization of education, more course material is being made available online. In the past, this material consisted of lecture notes, tutorial solutions etc. However, in the last decade remote laboratories have been added to the teaching tools available for students online. With this new addition there has been a wide debate concerning whether the traditional hands-on laboratories can actually be replaced with the remote alternative. The effectiveness of these remote laboratories in reaching the desired objectives of the traditional laboratory has always been the subject of a vigorous debate amongst engineering educators. In an attempt to settle this ongoing debate, researchers, in the past, have performed evaluations on these remote laboratories. These evaluations have included the measurement of student’s perceived learning and the measurement of learning outcomes displayed in assessment tasks. This paper presents the tools that have been used for evaluation of the effectiveness of a remote laboratory in the field of microelectronics fabrication. The Remote Laboratory The remote laboratory that this paper evaluates is the Micro-Electronics Fabrication Laboratory, MEFLab. MEFLab was developed as part of a research project, at the University of South Australia (UniSA), that evaluates both the technical feasibility and teaching effectiveness of the remote laboratory in the specialised field of microelectronics fabrication. MEFLab allows users to remotely test electronic devices on a wafer such as the one shown in Figure 1. As illustrated in Figure 2, the laboratory allows users to probe different test points by manipulating micro-probes [1, 2]. The characteristic curves of the device under test can be displayed using a curve tracer which provides users with complete control over its parameters. Users can also control the bright and dark field lighting which highlights different features of the wafer. The user interface allows logged-on users to coordinate activities, thus emulating team work usually present in the traditional – proximal laboratory. Figure 1 A typical circuit on a wafer used in MEFLab Figure 2 MEFLab’s graphical user interface As mentioned earlier, there is an ongoing debate between researchers regarding the true effectiveness of remote laboratories in engineering education. Many argue that remote laboratories cannot replace the traditional ones when it comes to achieving the learning outcomes desired from the laboratory experience. However, recently there has been an insurgence in research activities [3, 4] that attempted to provide evidence that remote laboratories can in fact enhance the student’s learning experience. The research project presented here follows this track in an attempt to evaluate the learning outcomes acquired by students. These learning outcomes are derived from behaviours that students display in their reports, which they write during and after conducting experiments in the remote and physical (proximal) laboratories. The following sections detail the research design and tools that were used to evaluate the effectiveness of MEFLab.

Electric vehicles have been attracting unprecedented attention in light of the volatile market prices and prospect of diminishing supplies of fuel. Advances in battery technology and significant improvements in electrical motor efficiency have made electric vehicles an attractive alternative, especially for short distance commuting. This paper describes the application of Brushless DC (BLDC) motor technology in an electric vehicle with special emphasis on regenerative braking. BLDC motors are being encountered more frequently in electric vehicles due to their high efficiency and robustness; however a BLDC motor requires a rather complex control to cope with the reversal of energy flow during the transition from motoring regime to regenerative braking. In an electric vehicle, regenerative breaking helps to conserve energy by charging the battery, thus extending the driving range of the vehicle. There is a number of different ways to implement regenerative braking in a BLDC motor. This paper describes the Independent Switching scheme for regenerative braking [1] as applied to a developmental electric vehicle at the University of South Australia. 1. Electric vehicles and regenerative braking In recent times, electric vehicles (EVs) have received much attention as an alternative to traditional vehicles powered by internal combustion engines running on non-renewable fossil fuels. This unprecedented.focus is mainly attributable to environmental and economic concerns linked to the consumption of fossil-based oil as fuel in internal combustion engine (ICE) powered vehicles. With recent advances in battery technology and motor efficiency, EVs have become a promising solution for commuting over greater distances. Plug-in EVs utilise a battery system which can be recharged from standard power outlets. Since performance characteristics of electric vehicles have become comparable to, if not better than those of traditional Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles, EVs present a realistic alternative. Regenerative braking can be used in an EV as a way of recouping energy during braking, which is not possible to do in conventional ICE vehicles. Regenerative braking is the process of feeding energy from the drive motor back into the battery during the braking process, when the vehicle’s inertia forces the motor into generator mode. In this mode, the battery is seen as a load by the machine, thus providing a braking force on the vehicle. It has been shown that an EV, which uses regenerative braking can have an increased driv ing range of up to 15% compared with an EV, which only uses mechanical braking [2]. A rare case when regenerative braking can not occur is when the battery is already fully charged [3]. In such a case, braking needs to be effected by dissipating the energy in a resistive load. Mechanical braking is still required in EVs for a number of reasons. At low speeds regenerative braking is not effective and may fail to stop the vehicle in the required time, especially in an emergency. A mechanical braking system is also important in the event of an electrical failure. For example, if the battery or the system controlling the regenerative braking failed, then mechanical braking becomes critical. It is common in electric vehicles to combine both mechanical braking and regenerative braking functions into a single foot pedal: the first part of the foot pedal controls regenerative braking and the final part controls mechanical braking. This is a seamless transition from regenerative braking to mechanical braking, akin to the practice of ‘putting the brakes on’ in a conventional ICE vehicle.

This paper describes how a remote laboratory (RL) can be utilized as a collaborative learning environment. Students in real laboratories are usually working as a group, thus they are developing skills for solving problems as a team. Those skills are highly valued later by their employers. With RLs becoming common feature at many universities, the design and implementation of RL must also allow the student collaboration. The University of South Australia RL, called NetLab has been developed in such a way that the student collaborative learning environment is very similar if not identical as in the real laboratory.

The development of the second remote laboratory in the School of Electrical Information Engineering (EIE) follows the success and effectiveness of the first remote laboratory, Netlab. This second laboratory will be used to conduct experiments in the relatively narrow field of Microelectronics Fabrication, where remote laboratories rarely exist due to the obstacles specific to this field. This type of laboratory requires a substantial amount of human interaction, where users control the position of micro-probes under a microscope to test the electrical characteristics of electronic circuits on a silicon wafer. Since this remote laboratory is a pioneer in this field of education, it requires careful development and deployment. This paper showcases the laboratory and presents the tools that will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of this new remote laboratory.

During the last decade there has been a move towards using remote laboratories in engineering education. These labs allow students to control either electrical or mechanical systems remotely via the internet. At the University of South Australia (UniSA), we have been developing a remote lab that will allow users to visually inspect and test microelectronic circuits under a microscope. In this paper, we describe the architecture of the laboratory and discuss the obstacles that are faced in designing and building a remote laboratory that deals with the accurate manipulation of micro-probes for testing microelectronic circuits. Challenges include mechanical construction of probes, motor control for accurate positioning of probes and the development of a realistic graphical user interface (GUI) which will give students an environment that closely resembles that of a real lab. This laboratory is the extension of the existing, fully functional UniSA remote lab, NetLab, which has already been successfully used in teaching students on-campus as well as off-shore.

During the last decade, there has been a significant increase in the use of remote laboratories (RL) in engineering education. These laboratories allow students to remotely access and perform measurements on real laboratory equipment via the internet. RLs are becoming common educational tools in mechanical, electrical and computer engineering departments of tertiary institutions. However, the majority of them revolve around experiments that have a static setup and perform batched experiments with no or very little interaction between user and the experiment. Only a few RLs, mainly in robotics, allow users to interactively control the physical movement of mechanical components. This paper will present a development of a RL for teaching microelectronic circuit fabrication which requires precision positioning of measurement probes on a silicon wafer under the microscope.

The remote laboratory NetLab has now been successfully implemented to facilitate the teaching Of Students enrolled in the early years of the electrical engineering programmes at the University of South Australia (UniSA), Adelaide, Australia. However, the system continues to be further developed by adding new features. Last year, NetLab's functionality was extended by including the Circuit Builder, a feature that allows students to perform remote wiring and configuration of real electrical circuits from components available in a distant laboratory. In this paper, the authors describe the newest extension of the NetLab, which permits students to remotely adjust the values of circuit components. This feature extends NetLab's potential to be used for experiments where students need to perform measurements on circuits with variable parameters. To support this function, new programmable hardware needed to be developed and interfaced to the NetLab server. This new hardware is based on microcontroller technology and has been designed and implemented as a final year project. It is planned to use these variable components for the first time in experiments in 2006, and students' perceptions of the new system will be evaluated for possible further improvements.