The ACtive REhabilition (ACRE) system provides motivation-based therapy at home to people who suffer from (temporary) loss of muscle control in the upper limbs. In a first prototype the movement of the patient's arm (i.e. the therapy) is supported by a passive gravity compensating mechanism. The patient interacts with a therapy-game while the patient's movements are measured. Data analysis on the movement can help in researching the benefits of different types of exercises. The prototype showed promising results during the first user trials. However, during these trials the system put rather high constraints on the users with respect to the minimal force and reach needed to execute certain tasks. By developing a new, motorized gravity compensation mechanism, these constraints can be lowered and the group of patients that can benefit from this system can be enlarged. Intensive evaluations of the system are planned, starting from June 2005 until the end of the year.
TNO, in cooperation with Micromega-Dynamics, SRON, Dutch Space and CSL, has developed a compact breadboard cryogenic Optical Delay Line for use in future space interferometry missions. The work is performed under ESA contract in preparation for the DARWIN mission. The breadboard delay line is representative of a future flight mechanism, with all used materials and processes being flight representative. The delay line has a single stage voice coil actuator for Optical Path Difference (OPD) control, driving a two-mirror cat's eye. Magnetic bearings are used for guiding. They provide frictionless and wear free operation with zero-hysteresis. The manufacturing, assembly and acceptance testing have been completed and are reported in this paper. The verification program, including functional testing at 40 K, will start in the final quarter of 2005.
This paper describes the opto-mechanical design of a large instrument for sub-mm, SCUBA-2, to be commissioned at JCMT. The scientific requirements, specially the large fov and the constraints of the telescope mechanical structure, lead to a complex optical design using freeform aluminium mirrors . The mechanical design is also challenging with large modules to be mounted and aligned in the telescope as well as the cryogenic instrument containing the mirrors, the filters, the dichroics and the detector modules. The cryogenic isostatic mounting, the structural and thermal designs are presented. This includes details of the fabrication of the structure and design of a shutter mechanism for operation at 4K. The results of the first AIV cool-down are also presented.
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