IngentaConnect A basic study for a robotic transfer aid system based on human mo...

Authors: Tsuruga, Takeshi¹; Ino, Shuichi¹; Ifukube, Tohru¹; Sato, Mitsuru²; Tanaka, Toshiaki³; Izumi, Takashi⁴; Muro, Masahiko⁵

Source: Advanced Robotics, Volume 14, Number 7, 2001 , pp. 579-595(17)

Publisher: VSP, an imprint of Brill

Abstract:

A metal hydride (MH) actuator uses the reversible reaction between heat energy and mechanical energy of a hydrogen-absorbing alloy and moves smoothly without any noise. Moreover, the actuator is compact, light and has adequate compliance. In this paper, some experiments concerning human motion patterns were carried out in order to adopt the MH actuator to the transfer aid system. The results were evaluated from a biomedical engineering viewpoint in order to obtain the optimal parameters for transferring the disabled from a bed to a wheelchair and vice versa (transfer aid). Sagittal plane kinematics, surface electromyographic signals (EMG) obtained from lower limbs, ground reaction forces and foot pressure distribution were measured using a three-dimensional motion analyzer. From the experimental results, it was found that the motion of the transfer aid was smooth when the initial angle of the ankle was 70°. The best initial angle of the trunk was also found to be about 45° while standing from a bed. However, the initial angle of the trunk was best at 60° when a person was in the process of sitting down on a wheelchair. Furthermore, a knee pad which supports the lower limbs requires flexibility in the range of 0.1-0.2 kgf/mm.

Keywords: TRANSFER AID; SURFACE ELECTROMYOGRAPHIC SIGNALS; CENTER OF PRESSURE; KNEE PAD; METAL HYDRIDE ACTUATOR

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1163/156855301742021

Affiliations: 1: Research Institute for Electronic Science, Hokkaido University, West 6, North 12, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan 2: Department of The Liberal Arts and Sciences, Showa University College of Medical Sciences, 1865 Tohkaichiba-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8555, Japan 3: Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health Sciences, Sapporo Medical University, West 17, South 4: Department of Electronic and Information Technology, School of Engineering, Hokkaido Tokai University 5: Muroran Research Laboraory, Japan Steel Works Ltd, 4 Chatsu-Machi, Muroran 051-8505, Japan

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A basic study for a robotic transfer aid system based on human motion analysis