Brain Computer Interfaces (BCI) provide a vast possibility in enabling the brain to communicate directly with the computer, hence providing an alternative in controlling the machines without much effort. In fields of rehabilitations robotics, the applications of an exoskeletons in assisting a spinal cord injured (SCI) patients were growing. Steady state visually evoked potentials (SSVEP) based BCIs that utilizes the human visual reactions to the constant flickered stimulus quickly showed its potentials among the BCIs used in rehabilitations devices because of its advantages such as a higher immunity to noises and artefacts and also its robustness compared to other BCIs. Rehabilitation exoskeletons demands an approach that are more user friendly and the aspects of control scheme and mechanical parts that are more focused on assisting the patients in rehabilitations and providing a SCI patients an alternatives to explore their surroundings in a more intuitive ways. This paper highlights the current development trends in SSVEP based BCIs for rehabilitation exoskeletons and proposed the potential research scopes in the future that can improve the effectiveness, and its potential applications in rehabilitations.
Sepak takraw is a traditional sport in Asia in which the players use various
parts of their bodies to hit the ball, with the exception of their hands. Unlike
other sports such as soccer, boxing, and rugby, it is observed that none of
the studies in the literature have examined the injuries resulting from the
impact of the sepak takraw ball on the players’ heads during a game. This
study was initiated following the incidents of the 24th SEA Games in Korat,
Thailand, in year 2007, whereby a number of players from the Malaysian
Sepak Takraw Association (PSM) had to withdraw themselves from the
championship. These players suffered from headaches which were believed
to be caused by the impact of the sepak takraw ball, considering the fact that
heading is one of the basic movements used to hit the ball. Moreover, it is
expected that the sepak takraw ball travels at high velocities during the
game. Hence, the objective of this study is to investigate the impact of the
sepak takraw ball and its corresponding level of head injury among sepak
takraw players in Malaysia by means of numerical simulations and
experiments. In order to achieve this objective, a model of the scalp, skull,
cerebrospinal fluid and brain is first developed and simulations are then
carried out using finite element analysis (FEA) software. The results show
that the maximum speed of the sepak takraw ball before heading is 13.581 m/s while the maximum impact force on the head obtained from the simulations is 688.11 N. The maximum displacement and maximum linear acceleration of the brain’s centre of gravity is found to be 0.0080 m and 1674.5 m/s2, respectively, while the head impact power (HIP) is determined to be 11.366 kW. According to Newman, Shewchenko, and Welbourne(2000), the probability of concussion is 39% and based on the resultsobtained in this study, it can be concluded that the players may suffer from mild traumatic brain injuries (MTBI) due to the high impact of the sepak takraw ball during heading. Hence, it is recommended that the players wear protective headbands to reduce the impact during heading and prevent the occurrence of MTBI in the long term.