Interactive Powered Suit and Mobility Promotion

在研究期间，我们开发了混合式辅助肢体，以解决医疗/福利方面的问题，即，“老龄化社会的老大难问题。在本研究中，我们推进并实施了动力服/机器人服的基础技术和下半身活动性促进的研究，重点是动力服（机器人服）、步态障碍者（老年人）和物理治疗师（医生）之间的“交互功能”和“腿部活动性促进”。因此，我们可以进一步发展混合辅助技术的领先技术。本课题的主要研究成果如下：1）以交互式动力服iHAL为研究平台，开发了交互式动力服; 2）开发了人与动力服的交互通信功能和交互技术，3）开发了考虑人的因素的参数辨识人体运动特性的估计方法4）研究了人体运动特性的参数辨识方法由相序法和生物反馈系统组成的混合式辅助动力服交互控制系统的研制5）人力动力服系统腿部活动度的提高6）下半身瘫痪患者的临床实验试验，7）单侧患者使用脚轮步行者的临床试验（几乎双侧）瘫痪，并考虑以活动指数作为辅助率，根据研究进度，可以达到本研究项目的主要目的。

During the research periods, we developed the hybrid assistive limbs in order to solve the problems in the medical/welfare, i.e.,"the bedridden problem of the aged society. In this research, we promoted and performed the research on the fundamental technology of powered suit/robot suit and on the mobility promotion for the lower half of body, focusing on the "Interactive function"and"Mobility promotion of leg", among the powered suit (robot suit), the gait disorder person (aged person) and the physical therapist (doctor). In consequence, we could furthermore develop the leading edge of the technology in hybrid assistive technology. The research performances in this research project are as follows.1)Development of the interactive powered suit iHAL as the research platform.2)Development of the interactive communication function and the interaction technology between human and powered suit, and the installation of the master-slave control system3)Development of the estimation method of the human's motion property by using the parameter identification considering the human factor4)Development of the interactive control system for the hybrid assistive powered suit which consists of Phase sequence method and Bio-feedback system5)Promotion of the mobility of the leg for the human-powered suit system6)Trial of the clinical experiment for the patient with paralysis on the lower half of body, supported by the physical therapist7)Trial of the clinical experiment using the caster walker for the patient with one side (almost both sides) paralysis, and considerations of mobility index as the assist ratioWe could achieve the main purposes of this research project according to the research schedule.