抄録
We developed a type of lightweight body-assistive suit designed without batteries and motors. This suit has been shown to assist the biceps brachii and paraspinal muscles, and the interaction of the interlocking rubber belts on the arms and back assists the lifting motion of the worker. On the other hand, not only the arms and back are assisted during lifting movements by that suit, but also the knee joints are required for harvesting work in agriculture, for example, while maintaining a mid- back posture, and for standing up and sitting down for elderly people who have knee problems. If the arm, back, and knee joints can be assisted, it will be possible to contribute to a wide range of workers in various industries and the elderly. Therefore, we have developed a passive assistive suit that assists the arms, back, and knees by means of an interlocking belt. As a result, the evaluation by electromyography and motion analysis confirmed the assistance effect on the assistance effect on the paraspinal muscles, rectus femoris and semitendinosus.
