Intention-based walking support for paraplegia patients with Robot Suit HAL

This paper proposes an algorithm to estimate human intentions related to walking in order to comfortably and safely support a paraplegia patient's walk. Robot Suit HAL (Hybrid Assistive Limb) has been developed for enhancement of a healthy person's activities and for support of a physically challenged person's daily life. The assisting method based on bioelectrical signals such as myoelectricity successfully supports a healthy person's walking. These bioelectrical signals, however, cannot be measured properly from a paraplegia patient. Therefore another interface that can estimate a patient's intentions without any manual controller is desired for robot control since a manual controller deprives a patient of his/her hand freedom. Estimation of a patient's intentions contributes to providing not only comfortable support but also safe support, because any inconformity between the robot suit motion and the patient motion results in his/her stumbling or falling. The proposed algorithm estimates a patient's intentions from a floor reaction force (FRF) reflecting a patient's weight shift during walking and standing. The effectiveness of this algorithm is investigated through experiments on a paraplegia patient who has a sensory paralysis on both legs, especially his left leg. We show that HAL supports the patient's walk properly, estimating his intentions based on the FRF, while he keeps his own balance by himself.     

36—THE ASSESSMENT OF THE APPEARANCE RETENTION OF CARPETS

Experiments are reported in which changes in the appearance of carpet samples after treatment ranging from 2 × 10⁴ to 20 × 10⁴ revolutions in a Tetrapod Walker were assessed with the aid of photographs of the new and treated samples. It was found that photographs, taken under controlled conditions, can be used as a record and basis for the assessment of changes in appearance resulting mainly from changes in texture, without much disturbing effect from colour and pattern. The ranking of carpets, based on changes in their appearance, did not alter significantly after 5 × 10⁴ revolutions in the Tetrapod Walker. Results from the Tetrapod Walker are compared with those from a floor trial, where the effects of soiling caused further interference with the assessment.