Host: The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers
Name : [in Japanese]
Date : September 03, 2023 - September 06, 2023
When persons carry a heavy object, a large burden is exerted on their arms. Therefore, there is a need for a device that reduces the burden. In this paper, we describe the development of an elbow joint assist suit with a mechanical brake (MB) considering energy consumption and safety. When a user lifts a heavy object up, the assist suit’s motor is used to assist the user's elbow joint. When the user holds the heavy object in the arms at a raised position, the MB is used to support the elbow joint without consuming electric power. After the assist suit’s computer breaks down, if the elbow joint is moved at high speeds by the assist suit, the MB turns off the motor and stops the assist suit. First, the features of the elbow joint assist suit are presented. Next, the elbow joint assist suit which we designed and developed is introduced. Furthermore, the structure and the mechanism of the MB are explained. Finally, experimental results to verify the effectiveness of the MB are presented in the elbow joint assist suit.
