Physical performance evaluation system for elderly persons and rehabilitants using human-motion simulator

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K06249
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Intelligent mechanics/Mechanical systems
• Research Institution: Gunma University
• Principal Investigator: Matsui Toshikazzu 群馬大学, 大学院理工学府, 准教授 (20302458)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 生体運動制御 / 身体能力評価 / 動作シミュレータ / 運動物体捕獲 / 運弓動作 / 階段昇降 / 一段足上げ / 最適制御

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research develops a new system that quantitatively evaluates physical performance of elderly persons and rehabilitants through the following three steps. The first step is to develop a system that measures degraded human motions and identify degraded physical performance. The second step is to develop a human-motion simulator that quantitatively produces original human motions before the physical performance is degraded. The third step is to compare the degraded and original human motions and quantify the physical performance. Consequently, the previous human-motion simulator is developed into a more general one that can also produce human arm’s reaching movements for capturing a moving object, violin bowing-like movements with various movement durations (or speeds), and foot-lifting movements onto one-up stair-step. This suggests that the more general simulator is available for quantitatively producing original human motions before the physical performance is degraded.

Free Research Field

生体運動制御

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

高齢者やリハビリ患者の身体機能の低下の程度を評価するには，身体機能が低下する前の状態と比較するのが望ましいが，身体機能低下前の状態はわからない．本研究の身体動作シミュレータは，最適制御技術の応用により，現在の身体パラメータから身体機能低下前の動作を理論的に予測・生成することが可能になる．本成果の学術的意義は，最適制御技術の新たな可能性が開拓できることである．また，高齢者やリハビリ患者の身体能力の定量的評価が可能になれば，高齢者の豊かな生活環境の再構築（介護状態からの復帰）や生活の質（Quality of life）の向上，及び，リハビリ患者の社会復帰の後押しに貢献できるという点でも意義がある．