Musculoskeletal robotic walking simulator by rocker function

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K10747
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 59010:Rehabilitation science-related
• Research Institution: Kyushu Institute of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Sakai Nobuo 九州工業大学, 大学院工学研究院, 准教授 (60346814)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: Musculoskeletal system / Human walking / Walking robot / Biomimetics

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study is to analyse the functional mechanism of the lower limbs, more than the development of pure robotic bipedal walking. The robotic walking simulator firstly started the functional reproduction of the loading responce phase according to the explanation of the rocker function, in which the knee joint is initially in bending position at the heel contact. Muscles in lower limbs were represented by springs with serially connected tendons. At present state, 3 motors were arranged in the one limb, and pulled the tendons in an adequate trajectories. From the loading responce, each muscle spring sequentially functions to reproduce the walking phase of the rocker function theory. The musculoskeletal walking simulator succesfully reproduced the human walking trajectory in a 2 dimentional walking pathway. The results of this study proved the relationship between the rocker function theory and the musculoskeletal construction of the lower limb of Human.

Free Research Field

生体機能設計学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

もし、機能が本当に理解されているならば、それを人工系で再現できるはずである。本研究では下肢リハビリテーションにおいて一つの指標とされるロッカーファンクション理論を用いて、下肢筋骨格構成を再現した、筋骨格型ロボット歩行シミュレータを実歩行させることに成功した。これにより、ロッカーファンクションを念頭とした歩行リハビリが力学的にも十分に説明がつくこと実証された。