1306 Development of a wearable device to assist standing up motion from a chair for aged persons

Abstract

In order to develop an assisting device in standing up for aged persons, standing up motions were analyzed for both young and aged persons. A prototype device was attached onto the lower legs of a subject to estimate the required torque to assist the standing up motion. The device consists of an aluminum frame, fastening belts, and a geared motor which applies the auxiliary moment to the knee joint. The test results show that the maximum torque of the actuator decreases when the trunk declines forward. It is also effective to give small angle between upper and lower legs at the knee before the standing up motion to reduce the maximum torque of the actuator.