Abstract
We developed a power assistance apparatus attached to the upper limb, using differential gears for nursing care, or workers who often lift loads up and down. Two motors behind the shoulder of the equipped person provide motive power to drive shoulder and elbow joints, and the differential gear makes it possible to divide the power between them effectively. Shoulder-joint link mechanism was taken into account the Five degrees of freedom of shoulder blade motion. In order to assist the motion of three degrees of freedom with motors, the actuator for shoulder abduction motion was added. By means of three actuators, this apparatus can be supported the behaviors in daily life; meal, face washing, and makeup, and so on. To grasp the behavior of the arms of the equipped person, pressure sensors were attached under the upper and lower arms. Furthermore, the experiment that the apparatus supported the equipped person's three-dimensional motions included in the behaviors which described above was carried out. As a result, the arms of the equipped person could be moved at will, and supported the behaviors in daily life.
