SBIR Phase I: Intelligent Human Power Amplifier Module for Pneumatic Material Handling Equipment

这个小企业创新研究第一阶段项目提出了一个工程解决方案，以减少与起重相关的工人赔偿要求。在每年近200万起工伤和疾病中，背部受伤约占20%，76%的受伤工人在进行破坏性的提升时没有机械辅助。即使当提供机械辅助装置时，工人也不愿意使用它们，因为它们笨拙，不向操作者提供反馈，并且降低人的灵活性和速度（即，市售的升降装置使工人减速）。该项目开发了一个人力功率放大器模块;一个集成系统的气动阀，一个末端执行器，和一个嵌入式电子自适应控制器，它可以安装到各种商业上可用的气动材料处理设备。该智能模块感知工人的动作，同时精确地跟随人体运动，它将放大人力以提升物体，而无需中间设备。该模块保持人的手眼协调，同时施加高的力来操纵重物。如果成功的话，预计配备有所提出的模块的材料处理设备在由工人用于操纵负载时，将大大降低受伤的风险和相关的医疗保健支出。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project poses an engineering solution to reduce workers compensation claims related to lifting. Back injuries account for approximately 20 percent of almost 2 million industrial injuries and illnesses each year, and 76 percent of injured workers have had no mechanical assistance in performing the damaging lift. Even when mechanical assistance devices are provided, workers are reluctant to use them because they are awkward, provide no feedback to the operator and reduce human dexterity and speed (i.e. commercially available lift devices slow the workers down). This project develops a human power amplifier module; an integrated system of pneumatic valves, an end-effector, and an embedded electronic adaptive controller, which can be fitted to a variety of commercially available pneumatic material handling devices. This intelligent module senses the worker's motions, while following the human motion exactly, it will amplify the human force for lifting objects without intermediary devices. This module preserves human hand-eye coordination while exerting high forces to maneuver heavy objects. If successful, it is expected that material handling devices equipped with the proposed module, when used by workers to maneuver loads, will greatly reduce the risk of injuries and the associated health care expenditures.