Abstract:
A walking assistance apparatus includes a suit to be worn on a knee and waist of a user, a first wire that couples a portion included in the suit and worn above the knee to a portion included in the suit and worn on the waist, a second wire that couples a portion included in the suit and worn above a back of the knee to a portion included in the suit and worn on the waist, and motors coupled to the first and second wires to generate tensions so that the first and second wires each has a stiffness greater than 200 N/m during a first period including a period of 95% or more and 100% or less of a first gait cycle of the user and a period of 0% or more and 50% or less of a second gait cycle subsequent to the first gait cycle.
Abstract:
An assist garment worn on a part of a human body includes a plurality of garment-fitting actuators that are placed linearly along at least one end portion of a garment body and driven to extend and contract, a plurality of assisting actuators that are placed linearly on the garment body to cross the fitting actuators and driven to extend and contract, and a controller that individually controls the drive of the assisting actuators and the drive of the fitting actuators.
Abstract:
An assistance apparatus includes a first wire and a second wire that couple an upper-body belt and a left knee belt to each other on or above a front part and back part of the body of a user, respectively, a third wire and a fourth wire that couple the upper-body belt and a right knee belt to each other on or above the front part and back part of the body of the user, respectively, a motor, a left sensor on the left hand of the user, and a right sensor on the right hand of the user. When a force is applied to the left sensor and no force is applied to the right sensor, the motor makes the tension of the second wire and the third wire greater than the tension of the first wire and the fourth wire. When a force is applied to the right sensor and no force is applied to the left sensor, the motor makes the tension of the first wire and the fourth wire greater than the tension of the second wire and the third wire.
Abstract:
In an assistance apparatus, when assisting a user in walking with an object, a motor generates, in a gait phase of a left leg, a tension less than a second threshold value in a first wire during a fifth period other than a first period during which a tension greater than or equal to a first threshold value is generated in the first wire, and a tension greater than or equal to the second threshold value in a second wire during a sixth period other than a second period during which a tension greater than or equal to the first threshold value is generated in the second wire, and generates, in a gait phase of a right leg, a tension less than the second threshold value in a third wire during a seventh period other than a third period during which a tension greater than or equal to the first threshold value is generated in the third wire, and a tension greater than or equal to the second threshold value in a fourth wire during an eighth period other than a fourth period during which a tension greater than or equal to the first threshold value is generated in the fourth wire.
Abstract:
A walking assistance apparatus includes a knee fastener, a heel fastener, a first wire and a second wire connected to the knee fastener and the heel fastener, a first motor connected to the first wire, a second motor connected to the second wire, and a control circuit that controls the first motor and the second motor. The first wire is connected to a first position included in a right-half region of the heel fastener. The second wire is connected to a second position included in a left-half region of the heel fastener. The control circuit acquires gait information of the user, and, based on the gait information, the control circuit controls the first motor to reduce a length of the first wire and the second motor to reduce a length of the second wire at a predetermined timing.
Abstract:
An apparatus includes a first wire and a second wire which are coupled to a right upper ankle belt and a right lower ankle belt, a third wire and a fourth wire which are coupled to a left upper ankle belt and a left lower ankle belt, an obtainer obtaining information about a road surface where a user walks, and a controller controlling tensions of the first wire and the second wire at the same time and controlling tensions of the third wire and the fourth wire at the same time using a first stiffness target value corresponding to the first wire, a second stiffness target value corresponding to the second wire, a third stiffness target value corresponding to the third wire, and a fourth stiffness target value corresponding to the fourth wire that are determined based on the information about the road surface.
Abstract:
An assistance apparatus includes wires, each of which couples an upper-body belt and one of left and right knee belts to each other, and a motor. To promote implementation of first assistance for a user in walking while carrying an object, the motor generates a tension greater than or equal to a third threshold value in a second wire and a fourth wire, a tension greater than or equal to the third threshold value in the second wire and a third wire, and a tension greater than or equal to the third threshold value in a first wire and the fourth wire. During execution of the operation described above, upon receipt of determination of implementation, to indicate that implementation of the first assistance is determined, the motor generates a tension greater than or equal to a fourth threshold value in the second wire and the fourth wire, a tension greater than or equal to the fourth threshold value in the second wire and the third wire, and a tension greater than or equal to the fourth threshold value in the first wire and the fourth wire.
Abstract:
An apparatus includes a first wire and a second wire which are coupled to a right upper ankle belt and a right lower ankle belt, a third wire and a fourth wire which are coupled to a left upper ankle belt and a left lower ankle belt, an obtainer obtaining user information about a user and information about walking action of the user, and a controller controlling tensions of the first wire and the second wire at the same time and controlling tensions of the third wire and the fourth wire at the same time using a first stiffness target value corresponding to the first wire, a second stiffness target value corresponding to the second wire, a third stiffness target value corresponding to the third wire, and a fourth stiffness target value corresponding to the fourth wire that are determined based on the user information and the walk information.
Abstract:
An assist wear item is worn on a portion of a living body and has an inner surface brought into contact with the portion. The assist wear item includes assisting actuators, contact sensors, and a controller. Each assisting actuator is driven to expand and contract. The assisting actuators are linearly arranged along an expansion/contraction direction of a muscle at the portion. Each contact sensor detects a contact with an outer surface of the assist wear item. The contact sensors include a first contact sensor and a second contact sensor. The controller increases or decreases a driving power of expansion/contraction driving of an assisting actuator corresponding to a region ranging from the first contact sensor to the second contact sensor if the controller continuously receives a detection result indicating a contact from at least one contact sensor between the first and second contact sensors during a certain time period.
Abstract:
There is provided an assistance apparatus in which when assistance provided to a user in walking is to be stopped, a motor reduces a tension of a first wire and a tension of a second wire, which couple an upper-body belt and a left knee belt to each other on or above a front part and a back part of a body of the user, to less than a second threshold value during a first stop period in a gait phase of a left leg of the user, the first stop period being a period from a period included in a first period and including a timing at which the left leg shifts from a stance phase to a swing phase to a start period of a second period, and reduces a tension of a third wire and a tension of a fourth wire, which couple the upper-body belt and a right knee belt to each other on or above the front part and back part of the body of the user, to less than the second threshold value during a second stop period in a gait phase of a right leg of the user, the second stop period being a period from a period included in a third period and including a timing at which the right leg shifts from the stance phase to the swing phase to a start period of a fourth period.