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，以减少与起重有关的工人赔偿索赔。在每年近200万的工伤和疾病中，背部受伤约占20%，76%的受伤工人在进行破坏性的升降时没有机械辅助。即使提供了机械辅助装置，工人也不愿意使用它们，因为它们很笨拙，没有向操作员提供反馈，降低了人类的灵活性和速度（即市售的升降装置减慢了工人的速度）。本课题开发了一个人体功率放大器模块；气动阀，末端执行器和嵌入式电子自适应控制器的集成系统，可以安装到各种商用气动物料处理设备上。这种智能模块可以感知工人的动作，在准确跟随人的动作的同时，在没有中间装置的情况下，放大人的力量来提升物体。这个模块保持了人类的手眼协调，同时施加大的力量来操纵重物。如果成功，预计配备拟议模块的物料搬运设备，当工人使用它来操纵负载时，将大大减少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.