Abstract
Robotic aided therapy has been developed recently in order to improve the an gait rehabilitation on the elderly with a limited gait ability. This paper proposes a rhythm waking assist system using pneumatic actuators, designed to enable an elderly with decreased walking to walk rapidly and participate in daily-life activities without special equipment. The walking velocity of the elderly is improved not by the wide stride but by the rapid pace. This system comprises three modules: a walking rhythm generator, a powered lower extremity orthosis, and a floor reaction force detector. The walking rhythm generator indicates the adequate walking rhythm to the user. The floor reaction force detector judges the state of each leg: swinging or supporting, and the powered lower extremity orthosis lifts the swinging leg. The powered lower extremity orthosis is driven by mckibben actuator. Experimental results confirm the possibility of this system.
