Abstract
In recent years, there are many elderly persons and lower limb disabled people and most of them need a stick and a wheelchair in order to support walking or transportation in their daily lives. The stick has a disadvantage of the large load in the upper limb although the stick is quite common and widely used. In this study, we aim to develop an assistive tool to support walking for them by a robotic assisted stick. We propose a novel actuator for walking stick with a force retention mechanism by integrating MR (Magneto-rheological) fluid and spring (MR Spring). MR fluid is a functional fluid, and its rheological characteristics change according to the applied magnetic field.
