Improvement in the performance of passive motion support system with wires based on analysis of brake control

To assist human motion in the fields of rehabilitation and sports training, we propose a passive motion support system consisting of wires with servo brakes and a control method to guide the human hand. However, passive systems sometimes cannot generate enough force to guide the human hand along the desired path because the servo brakes cannot generate a driving force and the system does not have enough brake units to generate the desired force. In this paper, we theoretically consider the feasible braking force region of a passive system with multiple brake units and discuss the number of brake units required to generate the desired force appropriately. We also develop a system based on our analysis of the feasible braking force and conduct path-following experiments. The experimental results illustrate the validity of a passive motion support system consisting of wires with servo brakes.