2P1-E18 Development of a Hybrid Controlled Walking Assist Device Using Flexible-Shaft

Abstract

In this paper, a new walking assist device on which a flexible shaft is applied. A combination of the flexible shaft with a worm gear is successfully adopted on this walking assist device to develop its appearance simple and its size compact. This walking assist device is actively controlled with a hybrid control system witch control both torque and angle at ankle joint. In this control system, the torsion spring constant of the flexible shaft is took into account to control power and the rotating angle of the motor witch assist over seventy percent power of normal walking. Walking experiments using this machine show the walking assist machine is well fit to walking.