DEVELOPMENT OF POWERED SUIT FOR ASSISTING NURSE CARRING PATIENT

本项目开发的动力服是为了支持护士长在连续操作中对病人进行上、下扶的肌肉力量。动力服由肩部、手臂、腰部和腿部组成，穿在护士身上，将力直接传递到护士的手臂、腰部和腿部。动力服的概念源于主从一体的概念。研制了四种用于检测护士手臂、腰部和腿部运动的传感器，即传感袖带、应变计、导电橡胶应变传感器和气动肌肉硬度传感器。开发了两种旋转肘部、腰部和膝盖连接处的旋转执行机构，即气动橡胶管旋转执行机构和气动滑动盒旋转执行机构。这些气动执行机构具有结构简单、体积紧凑、重量轻、可实现动作流畅、触感细腻等优点。实验证明，采用滑动盒旋转作动器和肌肉传感器的动力服是可行的，可以作为实际装备的原型。

Powered suit developed in this project is to support muscular force of a attendant nurse in the sepuential operation of holding up and down of a patient. The powered suit consists of shoulders, arms, waist and legs, and is fitted on the nurse to transmit the force directly to the arms, waist and legs of the nurse. The powered suit is originated with the concept of master and slave system in one body.Four kinds of sensors to detect the motion of the arms, waist and legs of the nurse were developed, i.e., a sensing cuff, a strain gauge, a strain sensor made with conductive rubber and a pneumatic muscle hardness sensor. Two kinds of rotary actuator to rotate the joins of the elbow, waist and knee were developed, i.e., pneumatic rubber tube rotary actuator and pneumatic sliding boxes rotary actuator. These pneumatic actuators have the advantages of simple structure, compact size, light weight, has possibility to realize smooth movement with tender touch.Experiments proved that the powered suit using the sliding boxes rotary actuators and the muscle sensors has feasibility and is able to be adopted as the prototype for practical equipment.