Whole arm rehabilitation robot by hybrid force display

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K04313
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 20020:Robotics and intelligent system-related
• Research Institution: Toyama Prefectural University
• Principal Investigator: Koyanagi Ken'ichi 富山県立大学, 工学部, 教授 (30335377)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 杉岡 健一 富山県立大学, 工学部, 准教授 (80438233)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 力覚提示 / リハビリロボット / パッシブロボティクス / 機能性材料

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The initial target of this study was to develop a maintenance phase upper limb rehabilitation support robot that would provide a low cost by reducing the degree of freedom of movement required for upper limb rehabilitation robots while providing a highly realistic training environment. Although this goal was not achieved, significant progress was made in each of the fundamental technologies.
EHD pumps and pneumatic actuators used as active elements in the robot were optimally designed to generate large forces and deformations. The introduction of an ER fluid brake as a passive element was investigated, and a compact, high-torque brake with a novel internal structure was developed. A high-performance ER fluid mixed with piezoelectric particles was developed. Furthermore, to evaluate the training motivation, which is one of the objectives of our research, we conducted bioanalysis using electroencephalogram (EEG) and obtained new findings.

Free Research Field

ロボティクス，メカトロニクス

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究で得られた各研究要素の成果は，いずれも基盤技術として活用できるものである．
EHDポンプは可動部のないポンプとして広く利用できる．空気圧アクチュエータは，3Dプリンタによる製作物ならではの構造であり，今までにない新たな空気圧アクチュエータの使い方につながる．圧電粒子を混合した高性能なER流体は，特に高周波入力に対してこれまでのER流体の性能を凌駕するもので，高価だった高速高電圧アンプを低価格なパルス電源に置き換えることが期待でき，ER流体の広まりを支援する．脳波により動機の一面を定量評価した．これは訓練や教育における新たなフィードバックにつながり，トレーニングの質向上への貢献が期待できる．