For active AFO applications, pneumatic remote transmission has advantages in minimizing the mass and complexity of system due to flexibility placing components providing high back-drivability via simple valve control. However, systems are generally tethered large stationary air compressors, which greatly limit practical daily usage. In this study, we implemented a wearable custom compressor that can be worn at trunk body generate up 1050 kPa pressurized power an unilateral for dorsiflexion...

A flexible surgical robot that can adjust its stiffness guarantees safe operation by satisfying both the high flexibility required when approaches a target and more necessary for end effector to perform procedures. Therefore, this paper proposes consists of central backbone, eight super-elastic wires as peripheral backbones, SMA springs, rubber tubes, several disks. The inner diameter springs be changed via their temperature creates tightening force change apply onto backbone overall robot....

High torque density motors are widely used in humanoid, wearable, and rehabilitation robots due to their ability reduce gear ratios, enhance back-drivability, enable compact efficient joint actuation. However, inherently high back-EMF limits speed performance, safety regulations restrict operating voltage below 50 V human-interactive environments. To address these challenges, we propose two innovative winding strategies—Parallel Connected Winding (PCW) Open-End (OEW)—and...

High-torque-density motors are essential in humanoid, wearable, and rehabilitation robots due to their ability minimize gear ratios, improve back-drivability, support compact joint design. However, inherently high back-EMF limits speed performance, safety regulations often constrain supply voltages below 50 V human-interactive environments. To overcome these limitations, this study introduces a novel winding strategy called parallel open-end (POEW), which combines the benefits of two...

Despite the rapid advances in soft robotic actuation technologies, main energy source that powers most wearable systems remains conventional tethered stationary air compressor greatly limits these systems' applicability. Several portable pneumatic sources have been introduced; however, limited maximum output pressure and flow rate, size weight, large operational noise, potential safety hazards must still be resolved before being applied to current applications. In this study, we propose...

As the number of patients with amputations increases, research on assistive devices such as prosthetic limbs is actively being conducted. However, development for partial insufficient. In this study, we developed a finger prosthesis amputations. The design and mathematical modeling are briefly presented. A pneumatic actuator, based McKibben muscle design, was employed to drive prosthesis. We characterized relationship between actuator’s force axial length changes varying pressure. An...

High mechanical impedance, sensor resolution, and computing bandwidth are desirable for achieving stability in feedback control. In contrast, although the human body is physically inferior to man-made systems terms of control due signal transmission delay, humans can achieve not only stable but also robust adaptive ability. For these reasons, significance feedforward has been emphasized neuroscience. previous studies, virtual trajectory internal model hypotheses were used explain principle...

Recently, due to the decrease in labor force, increase costs, and desire for improved quality of life, research on robots has been actively conducted address these issues. However, it is currently difficult find that physically interact with humans. The reason actuators do not have a high torque density their own. To solve this problem, high-torque-density motors, such as proprioceptive actuators, are being researched. still insufficient physical interaction humans, so motor higher...

The stabilization of man-made dynamic systems has been achieved by sensor-based state feedback control with high computational bandwidth, fast signal transmission speed, and stiff joints. In contrast, many biological can achieve similar or superior stable behavior low slow speed via the nervous system, flexible concept self-stabilization recently proposed widely investigated to explain this phenomenon. Self-stabilization is defined as ability restore its original after a disturbance without...

The stabilization of man-made artificial systems has been achieved by sensor based state feedback control with high computational bandwidth and stiffness structures. In contrast, many biological have similar or superior stable behavior low speed signal transmission via nervous systems, which is easy to introduce unstable performance from a engineering perspective. order explain this phenomenon, the concept self-stabilization recently proposed investigated. Self-stabilization defined as...

Recently, the importance of musculoskeletal system's self-stability for its movements has been focused. Self-stability a system is defined as ability to return original state after disturbance by own quality without any controls. In this study, with Lyapunov function, we analytically derive sufficient condition which gives self-stabilizing function 2-dimensional time-varying and investigate how systems achieve them.

Surface electromyography (SEMG) signal has been widely used to detect the intention of user in assistive device, because onset time SEMG is observed before muscle force development. The between activity and development defined as electromechanical delay (EMD). Owing existence EMD, an SEMG-driven approach advantage early detection compared other approaches, especially a sensor-based approach. However, few studies have done on investigation timing considering EMD. This study suggests proper...

The closer distance between robots and human partners in the same space makes compliant essential these days. While torque sensor based impedance control scheme suffers from insufficient bandwidth, musculoskeletal systems can achieve similar ability with smaller resources by using mechanically guaranteed dynamics. In this study, inspired active stiffness mechanism of biological muscle, we developed a variable actuator which realize precise joint without feedback control. consists two...

Compliance in robot actuation provides a solution to perform safe physical human-robot interaction. Conventional compliant actuators (variable stiffness actuators, series elastic actuators) used more than two motors or closed-loop controller modulate both and equilibrium position independently. These are complex, lack of energy efficiency, have limited range. In conjunction with an active, positive modulation, implementing passive negative element enabled compact design the actuator. This...

In the robotics and rehabilitation engineering fields, surface electromyography (sEMG) signals have been widely studied to estimate muscle activation utilized as control inputs for robotic devices because of their advantageous noninvasiveness. However, stochastic property sEMG results in a low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) impedes from being used stable continuous input devices. As traditional method, time-average filters (e.g., low-pass filters) can improve SNR sEMG, but suffer latency...

Recently, due to the decrease in labor force, increase costs, and desire for improved quality of life, research on robots has been actively conducted address these issues. However, it is currently difficult find that physically interact with humans. The reason actuators do not have high torque density their own. To solve this problem, motors, such as proprioceptive actuators, are being researched. still insufficient physical interaction humans, so we developed a motor higher density. motors...

In recent years, high-density surface electromyography (HD-sEMG) has shown promising advantages in many robotics applications. Using HD-sEMG can not only reduce the sensitivity of sensor position on muscle belly but also facilitate acquisition more activity information due to spatial sampling. As current commercial HD-EMG systems use stationary amplifiers, leading bulky measurements and poor portability, interest developing an increased. However, insufficient electrode density complicated...

The stabilization of the man-made dynamic systems has been achieved by sensor based state feedback control algorithms which require high computational bandwidth and stiffness structures. However, many biological similar or superior stable behavior with low speed signal transmission via nervous systems, is easy to introduce unstable performance in view engineering. In order explain this phenomenon, concept self-stabilization recently proposed investigated widely. Self-stabilization defined as...

Inspired from Hogan's myoelectric processor in 1980, this study presents a stochastic sEMG processing method to estimate the muscle activation level for manipulator control. previous showed feasibility with multi-channel under static force condition. However, it is difficult continuously during dynamic contraction because of nonlinear effects by time-varying nature sEMG. To enhance performance high SNR and rapid response force-varying contraction, we propose new statistical analysis extended...

This study presents a human elbow motor learning strategy responding to varying loads. Inspired by Kawato’s internal model theory, we suggest hypothesis that minimize the error updating joint stiffness generate stable and robust motion during repetitive voluntary action with weight of load condition. We designed experimental robotics device verify our is capable precisely measuring very accurately. The subject was instructed perform prescribed without notifying for neutral condition recorded...