This reference text covers the fundamental knowledge and principles of functional electrical stimulation (FES) as applied to the spinal cord injured (SCI) patient. The principles of FES application and basic biomechanical issues related to FES in SCI are stressed. The fundamentals regarding patient selection criteria, indication, contraindications, and descriptions of procedures are clearly presented. Also included are the fundamentals and rationale of gait restoration with patient selection, control strategies, and the synthesis of gait sequences with trends in the field. Each chapter...

The word robot does not originate from a science or engineering vocabulary. It was rst used in the Czech drama R.U.R. (Rossum s Universal Robots) written by Karel Capek and was rst played in Prague in 1921 (the word itself was invented by his brother Josef). In the drama the robot is an arti cial human being which is a brilliant worker, deprived of all unnecessary qualities: feelings, creativity and capacity for feeling pain. In the prologue of the drama the following de nition of robots is given: Robots are not people (Roboti nejsou lide). They are mecha- cally more perfect than we are, they...

This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the area of robot mechanisms, primarily considering industrial manipulators and humanoid arms. The book is intended for both teaching and self-study. Emphasis is given to the fundamentals of kinematic analysis and the design of robot mechanisms. The coverage of topics is untypical. The focus is on robot kinematics. The book creates a balance between theoretical and practical aspects in the development and application of robot mechanisms, and includes the latest achievements and trends in robot science and technology.