Design of a simple, lightweight, passive-elastic ankle exoskeleton supporting ankle joint stiffness.

In this study, a passive-elastic ankle exoskeleton (PEAX) with a one-way clutch mechanism was developed and then pilot-tested with vertical jumping to determine whether the PEAX is sufficiently lightweight and comfortable to be used in further biomechanical studies. The PEAX was designed to supplement the function of the Achilles tendon and ligaments as they passively support the ankle torque with their inherent stiffness. The main frame of the PEAX consists of upper and lower parts connected to each other by tension springs (N = 3) and lubricated hinge joints.

Effects of preheating and cooling durations on roll-to-roll hot embossing.

In this study, we examined the sensitivity of embossed pattern depth to preheat supply and cooling and investigated how the pattern type and density affect the embossed depth. The main factors that affect embossed pattern qualities of roll-to-roll hot embossing, such as roller temperature, roller speed, and applied force, were determined using the response surface methodology. Eight conditions were then added to determine the time-dependent effects of heat transfer with custom-designed preheating and cooling systems.

Hot roller embossing system equipped with a temperature margin-based controller.

A temperature control system was proposed for hot roller embossing. The roll surface was heated using induction coils and cooled with a circulating chilled water system. The temperature of the roll surface was precisely controlled by a temperature margin-based control algorithm that we developed.

Development of roll-to-roll hot embossing system with induction heater for micro fabrication.

In this paper, a hot embossing heating roll with induction heater inside the roll is proposed. The induction heating coil is installed inside a roll that is used as a heating roll of a roll-to-roll (R2R) hot embossing apparatus. Using an inside installed heating coil gives the roll-to-roll hot embossing system a more even temperature distribution on the surface of the heating roll compared to that of previous systems, which used an electric wire for heating.