Comparison of virtual reality to physical box and blocks on cortical an neuromuscualar activations in young adults.

The purpose of this study was to assess the changes in neural activations when performing the box and block test (BBT) in virtual reality (VR) compared to the physical BBT. Young healthy participants performed three trials of the BBT with their left and right hands in both the VR BBT, using VR hand controllers, and physical BBT conditions. Electromyography sensors were placed on the upper extremity of both arms and functional near-infrared spectroscopy was used to measure motor cortex activations throughout each condition.

Comparison of brain activation and functional outcomes between physical and virtual reality box and block test: a case study.

Purpose: Immersive Virtual Reality (VR) systems allow for highly repetitive tasks to be performed within a virtual environment that increases practice in home environments. VR can increase access to rehabilitation by reducing access barriers. However, rehabilitation outcomes between immersive VR systems and conventional physical rehabilitation are not well understood.

Testing of a 3D printed hand exoskeleton for an individual with stroke: a case study.

Introduction: Many individuals with stroke still have functional difficulties with their affected hand after going through a rehabilitation program. A 3D printed upper limb exoskeleton was designed for an individual who had a stroke. Functional and neuromuscular outcomes were measured using his affected hand with and without a 3D printed passive exoskeleton.

A whole surface approach to crowd simulation on arbitrary topologies.

Recent crowd simulation algorithms do path planning on complex surfaces by breaking 3D surfaces into a series of 2.5D planes. This allows for path planning on surfaces that can be mapped from 3D to 2D without distortion, such as multistory buildings.

Beyond Texas City: the state of process safety in the unionized U.S. oil refining industry.

The March 2005 British Petroleum (BP) Texas City Refinery disaster provided a stimulus to examine the state of process safety in the U.S. refining industry.