Browsing by Author "Albertus Yumna"

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    A world of possibilities: an exploration of experiences of children with disabilities participation in a surf therapy programme in South Africa
    (2024) Davis, Roxanne; Lorenzo, Theresa; Albertus Yumna
    Literature shows evidence of the benefits of surf therapy. However, as it is still a relatively new form of therapy, there is limited research available on it. This absence of literature is particularly evident for children with disabilities in South Africa (Benninger et al., 2020). Therefore, the intention of this study is to contribute to the knowledge gap surrounding research on the effectiveness of surf therapy as a therapeutic tool for children with disabilities in South Africa. While studies conducted in other countries have shown promising results, there is a need for research in the South African context where large health inequalities exist. The research aim was to explore the experiences of children with disabilities who participated in a surf therapy programme in the Western Cape. The research objectives were to: - Explore the effects on children with disabilities during and after participating in a surf therapy programme. - Determine the changes experienced by children with disabilities who participated in a surf therapy programme and by their parents, guardians, and professionals. - Identify the experiences of individuals delivering a surf therapy programme for children with disabilities. - Describe the adaptations of a surf therapy programme for children with disabilities A qualitative participatory research approach was used for this study. The research design was a longitudinal exploratory case study underpinned by interpretive phenomenological analysis. Thirty-five participants took part in the study, namely five children with disabilities, five parents, five professionals, and twenty individuals that delivered the surf therapy programme. The data gathering methods used with participants were Narrative Interviews, the Most Significant Change technique, and Ripple Effects Mapping, respectively. The findings supported the promotion of mental, physical, social, and emotional health through a surf therapy programme. Additionally, participation in the programme had an impact on reshaping participants' worldview, and the development and mastery of new skills. Three main themes emerged from chapter 4, the analysis of the five children's narratives: Theme 1: Surfing has taught me to be more myself: promoting mental, emotional, and physical health. Theme 2: People realised they must not underestimate me: Reshaping a worldview Theme 3: Now I like to (am) stress free: Developing new skills. Four main themes emerged from chapter 5, the analysis of the perspectives of the parents, guardians, and professionals: Theme 1: A Sanctuary of Self Discovery: Personal growth and development. Theme 2: Broadening the horizon: Noteworthy and meaningful changes that happened outside of the participants' surfing environment as well as social changes experienced. Theme 3: Beyond the barriers: The viewpoint of changed perspectives and new realisations. Theme 4: An open door: The areas of change and their significance, as well as areas the programme participants attribute to this change. Six main themes emerged from chapter 6, the experiences of the individuals delivering the surf therapy programme for children with disabilities: Theme 1: It is both a learning and a teaching experience: Skills development and mastery for the individuals delivering the surf therapy programme. Theme 2: Being unapologetically who you are: Experiences of positive affective behaviour. Theme 3: View differently abled differently: Multi-directional interaction which led to transformational changes in how disability is viewed. Theme 4: This is my community, my family: The implications and impact of the surf therapy programme for and on the community. Theme 5: We are a diverse group of like-minded, goal-orientated, collaborative people: Unique qualities of the individuals delivering the surf therapy programme. Theme 6: Our ripple is longer than we think: The positive influence of an individual's actions continues to have an impact after the initial act of service. The synthesis of findings across these three chapters is discussed in chapter 8. Four key findings emerged: Key finding 1: The ambassador's journey of change: An example of the effects experienced during and after participating in a surf therapy programme. Key finding 2: Not all scary circumstances lead to a negative outcome: An example of the effects experienced during and after participating in a surf therapy programme. Key finding 3: The reciprocity of healing: Providing an opportunity for healing as an example of the effects experienced during and after participating in a surf therapy programme. Key finding 4: The ripple is longer than you think: Highlighting the broader impact that surf therapy can have on society. The research also produced a Theory of Change reflecting significant outcomes and impact, and adapted a programme and developed a guide for delivering surf therapy for children with disabilities in South Africa. There are three key implications of the study: Key implication 1: It has already influenced and can continue to influence policy based on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in South Africa, both locally and nationally. Key implication 2: The guide for delivering surf therapy can be used for the implementation of surf therapy programmes across other beaches in South Africa. Key Implication 3: Participating as volunteers in surf therapy can provide students with practical disability-inclusive experience in relation to their field of study
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    Open Access
    The Force Floor: Design and Development of a Low-Cost 3D Force Sensing Area Which Utilises Machine Learning to Estimate 3D GRF and CoP from Single-Axis Loadcells
    (2023) Stickells, Devin; Patel, Amir; Albertus Yumna
    Along with motion capture tools, ground reaction force (GRF) sensors form the crux of objective biomechanical analysis. Advances in computer vision have significantly lowered the costs associated with 3D motion capture, but the same cannot be said of 3-axis force plates – the gold standard for GRF capture. If wholistic biomechanics analysis is to become more accessible, a more affordable method of 3D GRF measurement is needed. Single-axis loadcells are significantly cheaper than their 3-axis equivalents, though when axes are not mechanically isolated there is the possibility for crosstalk and the absorption of forces which cannot be measured, leading to a system that cannot be fully described analytically - and is possibly nonlinear in its behaviour. This research investigates the design and small-scale manufacture (to 20 units) of a low-cost force plate design that utilises a machine learning model to overcome these limitations and estimate 3D GRF and centre of pressure from a series of single-axis loadcells. A literature review was performed to understand and compare the relevant approaches to the core aspects of the project. An early proof of concept plate was built and tested along with a simple neural network to establish the feasibility of the idea. Following further investigation, it was discovered that the internal geometry of the plate played an integral role in its accuracy. To this end, the force plate was simulated, and an extensive hardware design process undertaken prior to the design of a full-scale prototype. It was subsequently hypothesised that the ease of repetition of the design could be aided by the development of an automated data creation rig, as well as the use of recently-developed machine learning techniques which reduce data dependency, such as Sim2Real transfer learning and physicsinformed residual networks. A data creation rig was built for purpose. Twenty prototype plates were built, with sixteen of them being interlinked to create the prototype Force Floor - a large force sensing area. The performance of a subset of these plates and their corresponding models was tested against an Advanced Mechanical Technology Inc. (AMTI) BMS6001200 force plate, with the best obtaining average measurement disagreements in the X-, Y- and Z-directions of 1.23, 1.08, and 1.11 percent of the full-scale force respectively (with full-scale deflections of 600 N, 600 N and 2000 N respectively). Analysis of the project's results was encouraging as far as the viability of this design and approach for use in the production of an affordable 3-axis force plate is concerned.