Title :
Realization of all motion for the upper limb by a muscle suit
Author :
Kobayashi, H. ; Ishida, Y. ; Suzuki, H.
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Mech. Eng., Sci. Univ. of Tokyo, Japan
Abstract :
A "muscle suit" that provides muscular support for the paralyzed or those otherwise unable to move unaided is being developed as a wearable robot. The lack of a metal frame and use of McKibben artificial muscle allow the muscle suit to be lightweight, making it realistic to use in daily life. To overcome the basic concept of the muscle suit, the new structure with the mechanical joints and plastic frame is applied. Although, human\´s range of motion was not fulfilled by the new structure muscle suit, all seven upper limb motions were realized and range of motion might be enough for daily use.
Keywords :
artificial organs; handicapped aids; medical robotics; muscle; McKibben artificial muscle; mechanical joints; muscle suit; plastic frame; upper limb motion realization; wearable robot; Actuators; Clothing; Humans; Mechanical engineering; Muscles; Personnel; Plastics; Prototypes; Service robots; System testing;
Conference_Titel :
Robot and Human Interactive Communication, 2004. ROMAN 2004. 13th IEEE International Workshop on
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-8570-5
DOI :
10.1109/ROMAN.2004.1374835