2P2-F02 Power Augmenting Control of Knee Power Assist Device Using Sensitivity Maximization with Supplemental Usage of Surface EMG Signal(Welfare Robotics and Mechatronics(2))

Abstract

The most frequently used signal to estimate human movement is the surface electromyogram (sEMG). sEMGs are convenient as the input for a power assisting exoskeletons since they are non-invasive and they can detect the muscle activation before the movement actually occurs. However, they have poor signal to noise ratio that prevented the use of the signal without frequent calibration. Methods that measure interaction forces and joint velocities are stable, but there is inherent delay in joint actuation due to its principle. In this paper, we propose power assisting control based on joint velocity measurement with minimal use of the EMG to eliminate discomfort upon usage of exoskeleton due to the actuation delay.