The purpose of our research is to realize safe and easy operation of electric powered wheelchair for disabled, who cannot use conventional electric wheelchairs. Operation equipments, which are constructed by using pushbuttons or levers, bring easy operation of electric powered wheelchair. In this investigation, in order to develop the wheelchair that adapts the operation abilities, as a first step, we discuss about the button and lever type operation interfaces.

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The purpose of this paper is to develop and electric powered wheelchair, which realizies easy and safe operation by using simple operation equipments and an operation assist system, for disabled who cannot use conventional electric wheelchairs. The operation ability and the operation equipments and the running ability are closely related each other. In this investigation, we discuss an operation assist system, which adapts button and lever type operation equipments.

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We have been developing a Grip Aid System for aged persons who have a weak grip power. The device is required to be able adjust load setting for each patients and be small and light weight. We focused on MP joint and PIP joint angle of hand to assist. To develop small and light weight device, we are tackling to assist both MP and PIP joint with one actuator. Therefore the angular relationship of MP and PIP joint is estimated. In this paper, we developed a Grid Aid System with new mechanism using one pneumatic actuator to assist MP joint.

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The step climbing experiment of a wheelchair with proposed linked caster has been achieved successfully. This linked caster consists of a caster, toggle link mechanism, fitting to wheelchair. When this caster touches a step, the reaction force pushes the caster to turn it with a support link. Then toggle link mechanism push up the wheelchair to climb over the step. The experiment data shows that the wheelchair with this linked caster can surmount higher step easily than conventional wheelchair. The utmost climbable step height is over a radius of a caster wheel. An improved hinged caster is also proposed.

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This paper presents an arm operation support device that helps operation of arm of human who has trouble in operation of arm. Freely moving the body due to aging and sickness increases and the number of difficult those has increased. Then, the development of the device that supports independence to manage daily life independent of the human who has trouble is hoped for. Since a conventional support device, called "Arm Balancer", utilizes the gas spring, arm operation cannot be supported depending upon the operating range. We propose a support device with a pneumatic cylinder controlled by PID control. The proposed device supports the arm operation within wide operating range.

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A rehabilitation instrument for prevent contracture of ankle is proposed. The purpose of this instrument is making carrying and installation at the time of use easy in the place like the medical institution. It consists of a actuator, power transfer mechanism and ankle foot orthosis. A tendon driven system using a pneumatic balloon was adopted as actuator of this instrument. The system is compact and high power. Furthermore, it is very lightweight by composition material and structure. Characteristics of the tendon driven system using a pneumatic balloon, composition and operation method of rehabilitation instrument for prevent contracture of ankle is presented.

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This paper focuses on a development of a 3D drag sensor for detecting the catheter's contact conditions. The sensor is composed of a cylindrical nonmetal material and three strain gauges. The load that joins the point of the sensor is measured with the strain gauges. The gauges are put on the side of the nonmetal material at intervals of 2π/3 radians. The output voltage of the gauges are approximated by sinusoidal functions with a phase difference of 2π/3 radians. The equations relating the sensor output with the contact conditions are formulated in the three gauges output. We show that the contact angle with object and the load that joins point of catheter are estimated by the gauges output voltage and approximated sinusoidal functions.

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In this article, we try to improve a characteristic of wheelchair motion at inclination road using the power assisting system with sensing the inclination of terrain and calculate the optimal torque for the assist. The inclination along the traveling direction and lateral direction are effected the motion of a wheelchair. The system we made is sensing both inclination with gyro and acceralation sensor and overlap the both canceling torque for the inclinations of traveling and lateral direction.

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In this paper, we extract a straight line from an image with Hough transforming and we recognize a boundary line between a floor and a wall by using a straight line when we use projection transforming. We perform detection of obstacles and detection of intersection from a characteristic point on the field that was inserted between the boundary lines.

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This paper gives an outline of the torque-free robot arm using impedance control. A mechanism of this robot arm is noninterference constant inertia arm of two D.O.F. Impedance control is applied to the control system of the robot arm. Because of torque-free, and operator can move the robot arm by more less force. The robot arm can be applied to a surgical robot. For example, a surgeon can move the robot arm holding and endoscope by his hand when an minimally invasive surgery is performed. We will simulate the control system and experiment on actual robot arm.

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In order to evaluate upper limb's rehabilitation of patients after stroke from a quantitative viewpoint, we present about development of evaluation system using 3-DOF Rehabilitation robot "EMUL" and Near-infrared Spectroscopic (NIRS).

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MR fluid is the functional fluid of which rheological characteristics can be controlled by magnetic field. MR actuators in which the MR fluid is used have low inertia and good responsibility. We have been proposed MR actuator to compose the safety and highly efficient force feedback system. MR actuators have a good adaptability for human-coexistence system. In a paper presented at Proceeding of ROBOMEC '06, we proposed a new type MR actuator that has very little disk gaps, and describe the design method of testing machine of compact MR brake. In this paper, we describe the basic characteristics of compact MR actuator.

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MR fluid (Magneto-Rheological fluid) is a kind of functional fluid. In this study, we developed Shear-type Compact MR Brake (SCMR-Brake) applying shear mode of MR brake. To employ multi-layered and minute-gap structure, we developed SCMR-Brakes. By using this brake on the part of ankle torque control unit, we developed Controllable Ankle-Foot Orthosis, and controlled the ankle according to walking phases.

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Rehabilitation robots are effective to evaluate quantitatively the rehabilitative therapies. Some kinds of haptic devices have been developed by many researchers and evaluated its efficiency with clinical test for example upper limb training for the patients with spasticity after stroke. Almost all the devices for upper limb (except for wrists) rehabilitation have only 2-DOF for its working space. But the upper limbs of human work in 3-D space even except for the wrist; therefore it is important to design the rehabilitation system to make possible the movement in 3-D space. We developed new haptic devices which have 2-DOF force-feedback function in working plane but its working plane can be adjusted the inclination. We named this system "Quasi-3-DOF Rehabilitation System for Upper Limbs" or "PLEMO". In this paper, we describe the mechanism of PLEMO and its software for upper limb rehabilitation.

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In this paper, we propose a nutritional web guidance system by using dietary and health information. The system consists of dietary information input system (cellular phone and web input interface), health information input system (sphygmomanometer, body composition monitor, and calorie consumption meter), and web guidance interface. Both of the dietary and the health information are recorded in database server continuously for months and a user will refer his health guidance information generated by taking account these information. The guidance information is generated day by day so that a user could keep his condition in good health. We conducted an experiment with subjects, succeeded to get their dietary and health information continuously for months, and confirmed that the appropriate guidance information is shown to the subjects.

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Communication is very important to enjoy life. If we are unable to communicate with others it becomes impossible to enjoy life. Person with serious disability often have communication difficulty because of deterioration of muscle function. Therefore, communication devices are indispensable to support lives of Person with serious disability. Person with serious disability has to operate a communication device by push switch or touch switch. However, if deterioration of muscle function is serious, there is the case that operation of these switches is difficult. In this paper three input devices for such person with serious disability are proposed. These input devices can detect slight movement of a person with serious disability. In the field test it is confirmed that these input devices developed in this paper is successfully supported the person with disability for increasing their communication ability.

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The increasing load of nursing care for the aged person became a serious social problem. Also assisting independent lives of the disabled is an important social tasks for our future. Already some environmental control devices are developed. The device control the power switch of the home electric appliances, like TV and sir-conditioning system. In such devices the pushing actions are alternated with computer control signals. In this paper we propose a compact robot system to switch on and off the electric devices. A feature of the system is that the switching action can be achieved mechanically. The robot can be applied to control primitive electric devices as sell as highly computer controlled devices. The robot system could be successfully applied for the seriously disabled to operate a portable phone.

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The purpose of this study is to develop an environmental control system using involuntary human gaze information. In order to help persons with disabilities to be independent, the operator can control the home electronic appliances by using this system. In this paper, the environmental control system is used to control the volume and the channels on the TV. The effectiveness of the environmental control system is verified by experiments.

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In our current research, we are developing a walker system with power assistance device for standing up motion. Our system consists of the support pad with three degrees of freedom and the walker system. The support pad is actuated by our novel assistance manipulator mechanism with four parallel linkages. In this paper, we propose a new support pad which assists the patient stably with standing scheme by nursing specialists. We develop three prototypes and using these pads, the patient can stand up with fewer loads. The performance of our proposed system is verified by computer simulations using our prototype model.

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In this paper, impedance control system based on viscoelasticity of body surface for robotic echography is constructed. First, we have newly developed a parallel mechanism considering three-dimensional contact force on human body for robotic echography. The robot is designed and simulated the construction of mechanism making the most of our previous robot of twist pantograph mechanism to enhance precision in position, input response and stability. Secondly, we also developed a force sensation unit comprising of two hemispheres to detect three-dimensional contact force on body surface. Then, we have experimented and confirmed to be able to obtain echogram of patient by operation of physician. Finally, from the experimental results, viscoelasticity of body surface is discussed.

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Because of change in woman's place in society, the number of working woman is growing and the demand of the breast pump is increasing as well. Commercial product of the breast pump is applying only negative pressure for sucking and many users feel a pain for a long term use. While a baby is using peristaltic motion as the result of tongue and jaw action in addition to suction. In this research, therefore the breast pump with a baby-like motion is developed. In order to realize baby-like peristaltic motion, cam mechanism is applied. As the result, it turns out that the breast pump developed is realized the same peristaltic motion.

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This paper proposes the structure of finger-mounted Master-Slave device. Our purpose is develop a device for imitation learning. Traditionally device assist to grasp only so that there are no need multiple of motion. But, imitation learning needs more motions than traditionally one. Metacarpophalangeal (MP) joint and Proximal interpharyngeal (PIP) joint are moved by our device. This device supply for external power for human finger. By doing this human finger play takeoff of model motion. That movement of joints independence from each other. They have motion of extinction and flexion. Distal interpharyngeal (DIP) joint depends on PIP joint motion. Our device have difference structures par joint. This structure imitate from human finger structure and our device realize variety of motions which are demanded by imitation learning.

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This paper studies climbing stairs by carts with wheels on rotary arms, "planetary wheels". With kinematical constraint, it is found that there are 6 modes of contact between stairs and wheels of the cart. And there are 5 types of transition of the modes according to the dimension of stairs, radius of the wheels and length of the arms. Forces for a person to drag the cart climbing up stairs are measured with 3 sets of wheels and arms. Design guide of planetary wheels is discussed based on the kinematical analysis and the result of the experiment.

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In this paper, we propose two components, behavior description and anomaly detection algorithm in daily life. To begin with, action labels are assigned for each data-segment, using HMM (Hidden Markov Model) and k-means method. In traditional method, HMMs are composed for all data-segments. This paper improved our previous method, and succeeded to reduce calculation time. In anomaly detection step, typical action data are acquired, using probabilistic density of occurrence and successive time. Each probabilistic density is composed based on accumulating labeled-data, using SDLE (Sequential Discounting Laplace Estimation) and SDEM (Sequential Discounting Expectation and Maximization) algorithms. When new data come, if typical action data is changed largely, the data are detected anomaly.

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This paper proposes a search system and a query language for sensor database in room environment. The search system is required to have little dependency on sensor environment. Description of sensors and knowledge description written in RDF/OWL reduce dependency of search system on sensor environment. The features of the language are to manipulate sequential sensor data as time interval and its recursive structure. By utilizing these features, aggregation of life information in various granularities (ex. average of sleeping time for every week, frequency of watching TV when sitting and not sitting, and so on) is expressed intuitively. With Sensing Room, we built an actual system. Independency on sensor environment and expressiveness of the query language are discussed. Search time in practical usage is examined.

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In this paper, we propose a object homeposition extraction system based on Mobile Robot Travel. The system observes users daily life, and 1)narrows the range of position to search objects efficiently. In Robot's free time, 2)Robot travels narrowed area and measure objects. Based on long-term measurement data, 3)system extracts homepositions where objects are often placed. The experimental results show that the system measures object position in realistic time and extract objects homepositions.

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We developed an automatic behavior labeling system for tremendous data such as life-logs gathered through sensing human life. In this paper, the following advantages of the system were emphasized: 1) labeling behavior exploiting human knowledge and experience 2) relaxing constraints and selecting features freely as to constructing a labeling model, 3) helping find effective features for each behavior label, 4) dealing with incomplete data efficiently. The sequential labeling model with above features could be realized using Conditional Random Field (CRF) framework. We describe features of CRF, procedures of selecting effective features and how to deal with incomplete data in CRF framework. Lastly the model with CRF framework was applied to the real sensing environment and we state the performance based on the model and the feasibility of CRF framework in the human behavior recognition fields.

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Human motion has individual differences in motion trajectories and velocity of parts of the body by age, sex, and physical frame. This sometimes declines action recognition performance when the target subject is changed. In this paper, we propose a method for constructing the action recognition model that fits each person's motion. In the proposed framework, the existing recognition model for some person is modified to fit new person's motion. Only when the label predicted by the existing model is wrong, the model is modified with corrected labels. So, little training data are needed and the recognition model can be constructed more effectively. Empirical result using labeled motion data shows the effectiveness of the proposed framework.

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In recent years, accidents of bone fracture with elderly people increase because of tendency to fall by a little step in a house. As one of this cause, it is considered that the center of gravity position with foot parts is changed. Therefore, in order to solve this problem, we propose a new type of shoes with high performance by making use of sponge-core-soft rubber actuator. The actuator can estimate an external force by measurement of pressure in the actuator. Further, the actuator can control the stiffness by pressure in the actuator. Therefore, the actuators can adjust the center of gravity position of the foot parts. In this paper, the mechanism of the proposed shoes is explained and basic performances of the proposed mechanism are clarified through some experimental results.

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The chance that the pet robot is applied in the welfare field has increased now. "Pretty" and "Loveliness" are requested from the pet robot used for welfare. In this research, it proposed the bear of biped walking type deformed as a form of the pet robot, and the mechanism was designed. It turned out that the pet robot that designed was liked by the senior citizen by the questionnaire survey. Moreover, because the walking operation that not was so far was achieved, it reports.

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Great-mobility autonomous carriers that can be used in narrow environments, such as the automatic conveyance car currently used at factories and indoor-wheelchair, are highly demanded. Many mechanisms have been developed for achieving omnidirectional movement. However, even when the performance is high, these mechanisms suffer of many drawbacks. This paper presents a new type of omnidirectional mobile robot. Wheel using differential gear to drive and steer is proposed. The wheel is a system with high operability. Moreover, the output can be lowered by improving the rate of motor use. As for the wheel, holonomic movement is enabled by adding the offset between steering axle and wheel axle. The motion of the wheel was analyzed and the kinematics model required for control was developed.

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In this paper, a fuzzy coach-player system is proposed for the operation of robotic forceps by voice instructions. Considering the relation between human and robot as that between a coach and a player, this system aims at cooperative working of human and robot using the voice interface. Although the voice interface is one of the most popular tools for communication, natural languages include vagueness. Vagueness included in voice instructions is quantified with fuzzy reasoning. This system is composed of a robot arm (PA-10) attached a pair of forceps, a monocular camera, a microphone, and PC. The effectiveness of the proposed system is illustrated through some experiments.

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This paper addresses a new technique of a teleoperation assist to adapt to human operation. Although effects of the teleoperation assist functions are generally contemplated by system designers, the effect depends on environmental condition and variable operator's characteristics. However, because human operators tries to adapt and learn the robot dynamics instinctively, such assist often brings discomfort. In this paper, the assist is carried out by changing the dynamics to approach estimated robot model by the human operator. Finally, the technique is verified by several experiments.

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This paper aims decreasing side lobes and gets high sound pressure difference between sound spot and other points. The side lobe is small and the output of the speaker for the width of the main lobe to come not to exceed 45cm was requested from the silulation, and it measured it. The measurement result showed to control the existing high pitched sound pressure areas of about 5dB other than the focus in a past DSBF method.

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This paper discusses advanced human-robot coordination systems. The dance partner robot executing ballroom dances with a human has been developed as an example of advanced human-robot coordination systems in previous research. In the ballroom dance, a dance couple moves on a dance floor based on the relative position between themselves and other dance couples. This paper proposes a method for estimating dance step using trajectories of other couples based on Hidden Markov Models. Additionally, this paper proposes a method for selecting the next step based on the estimated result to avoid the collision with other dance couples.

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In this paper, the development of a human motion detecting device and control strategy for a human-robot dynamical interaction is presented. The proposed device and control strategy enable a human operator to interact with a robot intuitively. Relative motion information between the human operator and the robot are detected as positional data by the proposed detecting device. The modified impedance control superposes the positional data on desired motion commands for the robot. Consequently, the motion of the robot is generated using the force information and the positional deflection information between the human operator and the robot. Experimental results illustrate that the proposed system is effective for the human-robot dynamical interaction.

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This paper presents a method to learn stepping motions for fall avoidance with reinforcement learning. In order to overcome the curse of dimensionality associated with the large number of degrees of freedom with a humanoid robot, we consider learning on the reduced dimension state space based on a simplified inverted pendulum model. A feedback controller is introduced in the ankle joints so that the center of mass is forced to follow the dynamics of the inverted pendulum model. The proposed method is applied to a humanoid robot in numerical simulations, and simulation results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed method to acquire appropriate stepping motions to avoid falling over caused by external perturbations.

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This research aims at recognizing tableware by image processing and RF tags. Invisible mark made of photochromic material is added to the tableware. RF tag is also attached to the tableware. Utilizing amplitude of RF signal, the rough distance between tag and robot can be obtained, which enables knowing correspondence between tableware and ID code. The robot can know the radius of tableware from ID code, which is necessary for calculating tableware's position by image processing of the mark. In this report, the measurement accuracy of this system is estimated.

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The service robots for home will become rapidly popular, and the market will expand until 2010. The maintenance of the robot addresses as a serious problem in the case of the home use. In particular, autonomous power supply system is expected due to the energy management of the robot itself. This paper proposed the power supply algorithm in order to perform autonomously battery charge by the robot. Influence of a optimization parameters was considered for the proposed algorithm by a numerical simulation results by using the ODE (Open Dynamics Engine).

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This paper presents a task instruction scheme for a service robot operating in a daily life environment. We defined the Object Template Model (OTM) that is the list of task models which can be applied to the object category. We also defined the Task Space Model (TSM) which describes a list of OTMs and spatial information of an object fixed in an environment related to tasks of the robot. A user instructs a task to a robot by selecting a task model in OTM and put it in workspace. The robot executes the task using attached information at a point in work space.

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Recently, robot cleaner used at home is developing popular. But performance of these robots on sale at present isn't enough, because sweeping by these robots make problems such as irregularities of a sweep. We think that an inefficiency of a sweep in narrow environment influences it as those causes. In the report, we analyzed sweep work in narrow environment and examined influence to a sweep.

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An irregular cleaning is caused easily because the home cleaning robot reflects information acquired while directly in operation. It is thought that the sweep rate prediction is effective to an irregularity of cleaning that is one of the problems of the home cleaning robot. However, whether it predictions is not verified in the environment that arranges furniture. In this research, it is verified whether the prediction of sweep rate is possible in the environment that arranges furniture, and the influence of furniture in the sweep rate prediction of the cleaning robot is described.

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Tables and chairs in conference room have a variety of arrangement for various events. So user have to change it everytime before and opening of the conference. It is very convenient for us that we can convert the work from manual to automatic. Then the purpose of this study is the autonomous arrangement by mechanized mobile tables. First, we decided to use the omni directional mobile mechanism. And we made the experimental machine of mobile table. And finally, we succeeded in autonomous rearrangement of four mobile tables within about 3 % error of position.

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Recently, the demand for a man-machine cooperative system is rapidly growing in industrial fields. To meet this demand, the human model has been required to design the suitable assist controller in the man-machine cooperative system. We have already presented a human behavior model based on the hybrid system. In this paper, we apply to design the man-machine cooperative robot controller of the human behavior model. At first, the human behavior model is constructed as the piece-wise ARX model by using the hierarchal clustering, the support vector machine and the least square method. Then, we obtain the responses by computing the derived human model and the robot controller dynamics. Finally, we evaluate the responses and the experimental results with the evaluate function and confirm the usefulness of the proposed modeling method.

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This paper presents a method of motion estimation from the time series image data based on particle filter with multiple prediction models. The particle filter is known to be effective for tracking people, however, the accuracy of the estimation strongly depends on the prediction model. If the motion that does not fit well with the prediction model occurs, the accuracy of estimation is degraded. In this paper, we propose a particle filter with multiple prediction models wherein the prediction model is selected according to the likelihood value of each prediction model. Furthermore, the proposed method is applied to the carrying task with an omnidirectional camera, and the effectiveness is verified.

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The gradually aging society suffers labor shortage and therefore creates the need for cooperative robots in industry. We have designed and developed a robot for precise positioning of large, objects on a target. The robot holds and positions the object together with a human worker. The situation on an assembly line of a factory gave us many constraints and freedoms in design. The largest constraint is that the robot has no proximity sensors and no image processing can be used what makes the robot optically blind. The freedom in design was the possibility to use a frame to hold the object. On the frame a handle with a torque sensor can be placed. We present the robot structure, a general mathematical framework for robot-human cooperation as well as a cooperation algorithm.

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In this paper we present the new vehicle HELIOS VIII for search and rescue operations. The system architecture as the mechanical design is explained. Particular emphasize will be put in the introduction of a new under-actuated gripper. It consists of four fingers actuated by a single motor. Moreover by utilizing the motion of the same actuator, a new special mechanism for the connection of the vehicle to another crawler unit, is also developed. This allows Helios 8 to improve its terrain adaptability over very rough terrains.

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It is important for the robot arm that operates in daily life environment to decrease the impact force when coming in contact with the person. It is one of the effective methods that designs a light weight arm. In this report, the composition and the performance of the wire driven arm that achieves light weight, flexible movement by arranging the all actuators in the shoulder base are described. In addition, the design of the light weight and compact arm for actual robot is described.

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This paper proposes the robust method of detecting and tracking a target person by using a disparity image and a HS-histogram of HSV color space in the environment which is complicated sight and varying illumination. This research's goal is the realization of a person following robot which adapts to motions of a target person and follows the person. The person following has some useful applications, such as a transport of baggage and a good walking companion. And it also has technical challenges, such as keeping the detection of the person in the daily space and moving in the disorderly environment. The availability of the proposal method was confirmed by a color extraction experiment in the environment.

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This paper introduces a compatible control system for robotizing daily items. This control system is a selectable control system by using a common motor driver. By using a relay circuit, the control system switches from an automatic control system to a manual control system. The developed prototype robot is using a shopping cart as the robot's main body and attaching a driving module. The aim of this study is to develop a porting system for large-sized facilities, where the object item is autonomously carried by a person following ("after you") porting robot. We believe such study on porting robots is highly practical and necessary in today's aging society. In this paper, a driving module is developed and the prototype robot running test examined.

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