Co-creative human support robot "Walk-Mate" and its application to elderly people

我们正在研究步态障碍作为一个问题，在环境和身体之间的相互作用中，时空运动模式的自组织。在此框架下，我们提出了Walk-Mate作为联合创新的步行辅助系统。然而，还没有对真正的步态障碍进行系统的调查。在这些背景下，我们将Walk-Mate应用于步态障碍患者，并检验其在步行辅助和康复方面的有效性。研究了以下两个问题：(1)老年人步伴系统的构建本研究首先将步伴系统改造为可穿戴系统，提高了系统的可用性。(2)老年人步伴系统的有效性评价从动力系统及其稳定性的角度对其进行了评价，并于2002年利用加速度传感器成功构建了老年人可穿戴系统。它于2003年开始使用新的Walk-Mate进行系统的效果调查。2004年，基于动力学系统的概念，提出了步态障碍作为一种动力学疾病的评价指标。具体地说，对肌肉骨骼系统疾病之一的髋关节疾病进行了深入的数据采集和分析。最后，对50例患者进行了有效的统计验证。

We are studying the gait disorder as a problem of the self-organization of a spatio-temporal movement pattern in the interaction between the environment and the body. And, based on this framework, we have proposed Walk-Mate as co-creative walking assist system. However, a systematic investigation has not been done for an actual gait disorder. From these backgrounds, we applied Walk-Mate to the gait disorder person, and examining effectiveness in the walking assist and rehabilitation. The following two problems were studied.(1)Construction of Walk-Mate for the elderly peopleFirst in this research, Walk-Mate was reconstructed as a wearable system and the usability was improved.(2)Evaluation of effectiveness to the elderly peopleThe effectiveness of walk-Mate for elderly people was evaluated from the viewpoint of dynamical system and its stability.As a result, it succeeded in the construction of a wearable Walk-Mate system for elderly people by using the acceleration sensor in 2002. It started the systematic investigation of effectiveness by using the new Walk-Mate in 2003. And, the evaluation index of the gait disorder as a dynamical disease was developed based on the concept of the dynamical system in 2004. Concretely, data of the hip joint disease that was one of the musculoskeletal system troubles was acquired and analyzed intensively. Finally, effectiveness was confirmed to 50 patients statistically.