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This paper introduces the mechanical design and the control concept of the Series Compliant Articulated Robotic Leg ScarlETH which was developed at ETH Zurich for fast, efficient, and versatile locomotion. Inspired by biological systems, we seek to achieve this through large compliances in the joints which enable natural dynamics, allow temporary energy storage, and improve the passive adaptability...
Usually the bipedal robots use knee joints with only one degree of freedom. Several biomechanical researches have proved that the human knee joint is a complex joint with more than one degree of freedom. In the sagittal plane the human knee joint allows a rolling and a sliding of the thigh on the shin. In the case of a bipedal robot we propose a closed structure, called cross four-bar knee, which...
With the demand of active prosthesis continuing to rise, the necessity of developing stable humanoid robots and intelligent leg prosthesis becomes more and more important. This paper presents a closed-loop position servo system of the powered prosthesis, which is designed according to the moving feature of human leg, and consists of the position, velocity and current feedback. Based on bionics principle,...
Most humanoid robots walk with bent knees, which particularly requires high motor torques at knees and gives an unnatural walking manner. It is therefore essential to design a control method that produces a motion which is more energy efficient and natural comparable to those performed by humans. In this paper, we address this issue by modeling the virtual spring-damper based on the cart-table model...
In our current research, we are developing a robotic walker system with standing, walking and seating assistance function. Our developing system is based on a walker which is popular assistance device for aged person in normal daily life and realizes the standing and seating motion using the support pad which is actuated by the novel assistance manipulator mechanism with four parallel linkages. In...
In this study, basic research to obtain biomechanical parameters for optimized design of wearable walking assistant robot was presented and discussed in the condition of its application to the dynamic analysis of gait. Numerous studies are being conducted in order to develop intelligent walking assist devices. However, the reliability, effectiveness and durability of such intelligent walking assist...
The Lower-limb Power Assisted Robot is a typical exoskeleton power assistance device, which is worn on the user's lower extremities. It can help the elderly and the infirm walk independently. According to the characteristics of human lower extremity joints, a robot with four-bar knee joint whose pelvis and knee joint are driven by the motor-driven screw-nut body is designed. Employing the Denanit-Hartenberg...
Achieving energy efficiency remains an important goal in legged robot running. This paper presents a novel offline method to generate globally efficient gaits for a point-foot articulated hopping robot. Previous gait generators found in the literature do not reach a global optimum, since takeoff and touch-down (transition) states are pre-specified. In this work, an optimization procedure produces...
The advent of the super aged society and decline in earning power makes it critical to develop technologies that can support the limitations of our human abilities. We have developed Robot Suit HAL to support human physical capabilities. A wearable robot expected to work in human society is required to have a high structural safety, with a tough and compact structure and a human outline. To achieve...
This paper presents and experimentally demonstrates a control approach for actuated dynamic walking in biped robots. Rather than utilizing trajectory tracking, we proposed a control approach which employs state dependent control torques generated by low-gain spring-damper couples to encourage patterned motion of the robot. In order to verify that the control idea provides natural looking (human-like)...
Autonomous adaptive locomotion over irregular terrain is one important topic in robotics research. In this article, we focus on the development of a quadruped locomotion controller able to generate locomotion and reaching visually acquired markers. The developed controller is modeled as discrete, sensory driven corrections of a basic rhythmic motor pattern for locomotion according to visual information...
We address a gait pattern generation on a legged locomotor device (WPAL: wearable power-assist locomotor) for paraplegics. In the gait movement with WPAL, a backward falling is a considerable problem, and a foot-floor collision during a swing movement would induce a loss of balance. In addition, adjustability of the gait parameters, such as stride length, gait cycle and maximum hight of the toe clearance,...
The paper presents an introduction of virtual reality environments to the commercial single-joint rehabilitation robot. A dynamometer has been modified to the level that enables gait goniogram based position control. The robot mimics the isolated joint movement while the subject is required to perform the task in the virtual environment. The subject generates joint torque to control the object in...
Lesions of the central nervous system often lead to walking impairments. Primary rehabilitation aims at the improvement of the gait capacity by application of task oriented training regimes utilizing the inherent capability of neural networks for reorganization. However, a sufficient training intensity for enhancement of this neuroplasticity can only be achieved during the inpatient phase, which -...
The MACCEPA (Mechanically Adjustable Compliance and Controllable Equilibrium Position Actuator) is an electric actuator of which the compliance and equilibrium position are fully independently controllable and both are set by a dedicated servomotor. In this paper an improvement of the actuator is proposed where the torque-angle curve and consequently the stiffness-angle curve can be modified by choosing...
This paper describes the control architecture for lower limbs rehabilitation robot system and its implementation. The system has exoskeleton structure with 10 DOF (degrees of freedom) and is pneumatically actuated. The control strategy has been specifically designed in order to ensure a proper position control guiding patient's legs along a fixed reference gait pattern. For this purposes Fuzzy controller...
For femoral fracture reduction, we have developed a surgical robotic system. Indirect traction is employed in our system. Indirect traction in fracture reduction is a generally used surgical method for preventing complications such as bone splits caused by high stress on bones. For traction, a patientpsilas foot is gripped by a jig and pulled to the distal side. Indirect traction has the advantage...
This work presents the design and evaluation of knee joint controllers for an above-knee prosthesis. The prototype is a three degree of freedom prosthesis which is planned to be controlled in part by EMG thigh signals, in part by a predictive trajectory generator based on multisensorial data such that the foot can be correctly positioned with respect the floor. There is described a simplified non-linear...
The rehabilitation robot Lokomat allows automated treadmill training for patients with neurological gait disorders. The basic position control approach for the robot has been extended to patient-cooperative strategies. These strategies provide more freedom and allow patients to actively influence their training. However, patients are likely to need additional support during patient-cooperative training...
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