| Budget Amount *help |
¥3,200,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,200,000)
Fiscal Year 2005: ¥1,600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,600,000)
Fiscal Year 2004: ¥1,600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,600,000)
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| Research Abstract |
In this study, we developed a handrail which can provide functional assistance.
The handrail can assist the moving ability of a subject who uses the handrail to stand up. The influence which Power assistance type handrail gave to standing up operation of Parkinson's disease patients were analyzed in the research at this time.
On the basis of this assumption, we developed "Assistance type handrail" by which an individual's motor function was drawn out to its maximum based on the above-mentioned research result. It was decided then that this "Assistance type handrail" would automatically respond to the individual's operational speed and load. The handrail is moved by a motor, which is assumed to be controlled by a personal computer. The standing up operation when the handrail was used was analyzed for three Parkinson patients with VTR and a three-dimensional operation analysis device.
We designed the power assistance type handrail on the assumption that the movement of the handrail was able
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to be selected freely. Two-60cm-actuators were squarely combined, and the handrail was installed at the intersection of these actuators, and the movement of the handrail was assumed to be computer controlled. The prototype handrail developed at this time can move freely on a 60cm. by 60cm. plane. A sensor, installed in the handrail, will respond accordingly to the load and direction exerted on the handrail. All these operational data will then be fed back to the computer. It was assumed in the design that several different operational patterns of standing up, which were analyzed beforehand, were incorporated into this experimental model at this time. As a result of the analysis of the standing up operation, the decrease in the lower limbs joint torque was observed by using the handrail. In addition, the center of gravity movement of the body when standing up operated became smooth in the Parkinson patients in the serious stage. When standing up operated, a human help became unnecessary as a result of the handrail use in one patient.
A lot of individual's variations exist in the elderly's standing up operation. It is necessary to have sufficient understanding of individual user's motor function in formulating the developmental concept of the handrail. The developed handrail can be induced to meet individual user's operation and can carry out the requested function appropriately. Among the elderly, individuals with low motor function of the trunks is not very noticeable. However, cases where Parkinson patients cannot transfer the center of gravity movement smoothly are observed. Moreover, the patients are more likely to draw on the handrail when standing up; then, movements to stand up are observed. When standing up from a chair, an individual would naturally move the center of gravity from behind the feet to the feet. Then, we thought it was not only necessary for the handrail to assist in the weight movement of the upper trunk, but also to offer assistance in propelling the center of gravity movement forward. Less
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