JSI-KneExo: 立ち座り動作における空気回収のための双方向エネルギー流を備えた能動・準受動空気圧ポータブル膝エクソ
The JSI-KneExo: Active, Quasi-Passive, Pneumatic, Portable Knee Exo with Bidirectional Energy Flow for Air Recovery in Sit-Stand Tasks
立ち上がり時に能動モードでパワーを供給し、座り込み時に準受動モードで圧縮空気としてエネルギーを回収・再利用するポータブル空気圧膝エクソスケルトンを開発し、健常者によるパイロット試験で筋活動の低減とエネルギー節約効果を示した。
著者: Luka Mišković, Tilen Brecelj, Miha Dežman, Tadej Petrič
分類: cs.RO, cs.SY, eess.SY
原文アブストラクト
While existing literature encompasses exoskeleton-assisted sit-stand tasks, the integration of energy recovery mechanisms remains unexplored. To push these boundaries further, this study introduces a portable pneumatic knee exoskeleton that operates in both quasi-passive and active modes, where active mode is utilized for aiding in standing up (power generation), thus the energy flows from the exoskeleton to the user, and quasi-passive mode for aiding in sitting down (power absorption), where the device absorbs and can store energy in the form of compressed air, leading to energy savings in active mode. The absorbed energy can be stored and later reused without compromising exoskeleton transparency in the meantime. In active mode, a small air pump inflates the pneumatic artificial muscle (PAM), which stores the compressed air, that can then be released into a pneumatic cylinder to generate torque. All electronic and pneumatic components are integrated into the system, and the exoskeleton weighs 3.9 kg with a maximum torque of 20 Nm at the knee joint. The paper describes the mechatronic design, mathematical model and includes a pilot study with an able-bodied subject performing sit-to-stand tasks. The results show that the exoskeleton can recover energy while assisting the subject and reducing muscle activity. Furthermore, results underscore air regeneration's impact on energy-saving in portable pneumatic exoskeletons.
