Page 18 - Handbook of Biomechatronics

Introduction 11

4 VARIABILITY

Stand with an arm stretched out facing and just touching a white board
with a marker pen. Close your eyes for a minute or two until the end of the
exercise. With every exhalation, place a point on the white board with
stretched arm and then hang your arm down and relax (be careful not to
leave a mark on your garments). Repeat the exercise until some 40 points
are placed on the board. You can then open your eyes and look at your mas-
terpiece. You are now facing a cluster of spreading points. You might even
be pleasantly surprised by how wide spread the points are. The spreading
marks on the white board are a reflection of how your neuromuscular system
is capable or rather incapable of repeating a simple task with any degree of
accuracy and precision in the absence of visual feedback. This is variability.
Variability is the culmination of functional characteristics of a highly
nonlinear physiological system. The complexities and nonlinearities associ-
ated with electrochemical/neuromechanical aspects of physiological systems
are not the only challenge facing the fusion of mechatronics and human
body. The mathematical constructs which form the back bone of engineer-
ing concepts are also not fully equipped to handle the variabilities inherent in
physiological systems. As an example, to fully describe the dynamic charac-
teristics of human locomotion, parametric modeling is required to describe
the functions using nonexact individual coefficients with a range of values to
cater for a wide spectrum of possibilities from genetic disorders to Olympic
standard athletes. Recent studies on variability attribute this dynamic behav-
ior to neural plasticity and thus a necessary trait in learning new skills. How is
variability tackled in biomechatronics?

5 INTEGRATION

For a newly setup biomechatronics laboratory or design center, it is
paramount to take advantage of valuable experiences gained in different
engineering industries. In handling projects large and small, engineers adopt
a systematic methodology known as project management. The approach
provides a guideline for the new laboratory to exhibit an efficient dynamic
behavior and to perform and deliver products as planned and reach intended
goals. The guidelines could be used in formation of a specific organizational
dynamic behavior to address sponsor’s and stakeholder’s requirements.