Application of bio metal fiber actuator with bias spring to develop the educational tool for supporting technological learning of needle acupuncture

Abstract

In this paper, we report the development of a teaching tool to support acupuncture technology acquisition. We started a joint research with the help of students and teachers of Hokkaido high school with visual disabilities. The prototype device is used a parallel link mechanism having a bias spring and BMF actuator and moving mechanism of the six degrees of freedom (6DOF). Since the experimental apparatus is a wiring model parallel link mechanism, there is an obvious difference from a rigid body type. We focused on the instabilities of wiring model. And we had the assumption that this instability was the same as the difficulty of realization of stable operation of acupuncture. To overcome this difficulty, we proposed that the control inputs are required to calculate the wire tension operated by the BMF. The path planning for the needle of acupuncture is analyzed by the reaching motion based on the theory of minimum torque change model. As the results, for the accuracy of the experimental apparatus, the performance of a teaching tool is improved by the PID feedback control. Furthermore, the skill up of beginners for acupuncture was confirmed by a number of clinical tests in this study.