Upper-Limb Power-Assist Control for Agriculture Load Lifting

Eiichi Yagi; Daisuke Harada; Masaaki Kobayashi

doi:10.20965/ijat.2009.p0716

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IJAT Vol.3 No.6 pp. 716-722

doi: 10.20965/ijat.2009.p0716

(2009)

Paper:

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Upper-Limb Power-Assist Control for Agriculture Load Lifting

Eiichi Yagi^, Daisuke Harada^, and Masaaki Kobayashi^

^*Faculty of Systems Engineering, Wakayama University, 930 Sakaedani, Wakayama-shi, Wakayama 640-8510, Japan

^**Murata Machinery, Ltd., 2 Hasidumenakajima, Inuyama-shi, Aichi 484-8502, Japan

^***Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd., 2680 Oka, Inami-cho, Kako-gun, Hyogo 675-1113, Japan

Received:

May 18, 2009

Accepted:

September 1, 2009

Published:

November 5, 2009

Keywords:

power assist system, wearable robot system, exoskeleton, pneumatic actuator, emg, elbow motion, shoulder motion, farming, lift-up motion

Abstract

This paper discusses upper-limb power-assist control using a pneumatic rotary actuator to support shoulder movement and an air cylinder to support elbow movement by agricultural workers lifting a 30 kg rice bag without inducing low back pain. Surface electromyogram (EMG) signals are used as trigger signals, joint support torque is calculated based on the antigravity term of necessary joint torque, estimated based on the dynamics of a human approximated link model. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of proposed power-assist control.

Cite this article as:

E. Yagi, D. Harada, and M. Kobayashi, “Upper-Limb Power-Assist Control for Agriculture Load Lifting,” Int. J. Automation Technol., Vol.3, No.6, pp. 716-722, 2009.

Data files:

References

[1] S. Lee and Y. Sankai, “Minimizing the Physical Stress by Virtual Impedance of Exoskeletal Robot in Swinging Motion with Power Assist System for Lower limb,” JSME J. Series C, Vol.71, No.705, pp. 1686-1695, 2005.
[2] K. Kiguchi, K. Iwami, K. Watanabe, and T. Fukuda, “A Study of an EMG-Based Exoskeletal Robot for Human Shoulder Motion Support,” JSME Int. J. Series C, Vol.44, No.4, pp. 1133-1141, 2001.
[3] M. Ishii, K. Yamamoto, and K. Hyoudo, “Stand Alone Wearable Power Assisting Suit (Development and Availabilty),” JSME J. Series C, Vol.72, No.715, pp. 857-864, 2006.
[4] H. Kobayashi, H. Suzuki, M. Iba, and S. Hasegawa, “Development of a Shoulder Mechanism for a Muscle Suit Supporting Upper Limb Motion and Proposal of a Posture Control Method,” SICE J. of Control, Measurement, and System Integration, Vol.42, No.4, pp. 376-385, 2006.
[5] M. Aragane, T. Noritsugu, M. Takaiwa, D. Sasaki, and S. Naomoto, “Development of Sheet-like Curved Type Pneumatic Rubber Muscle and Application to Elbow Power Assist Wear,” J. of the Robotics Society of Japan, Vol.26, No.6, pp. 206-214, 2008.
[6] A. Zoss, H. Kazerooni, and A. Chu, “On the Mechanical Design of the Berkeley Lower Extremity ExoSkeleton(BLEEX),” IEEE/RSJ Int. Conf. on Intelligent Robots and Systems, 2005.
[7] S. Toyama and J. Yonetake, “Development of the Powered Assisted Suit System,” J. of the Japan Society for Precision Engineering, Vol.73, No.3, pp. 305-308, 2007.

[1] [1] S. Lee and Y. Sankai, “Minimizing the Physical Stress by Virtual Impedance of Exoskeletal Robot in Swinging Motion with Power Assist System for Lower limb,” JSME J. Series C, Vol.71, No.705, pp. 1686-1695, 2005.

[2] [2] K. Kiguchi, K. Iwami, K. Watanabe, and T. Fukuda, “A Study of an EMG-Based Exoskeletal Robot for Human Shoulder Motion Support,” JSME Int. J. Series C, Vol.44, No.4, pp. 1133-1141, 2001.

[3] [3] M. Ishii, K. Yamamoto, and K. Hyoudo, “Stand Alone Wearable Power Assisting Suit (Development and Availabilty),” JSME J. Series C, Vol.72, No.715, pp. 857-864, 2006.

[4] [4] H. Kobayashi, H. Suzuki, M. Iba, and S. Hasegawa, “Development of a Shoulder Mechanism for a Muscle Suit Supporting Upper Limb Motion and Proposal of a Posture Control Method,” SICE J. of Control, Measurement, and System Integration, Vol.42, No.4, pp. 376-385, 2006.

[5] [5] M. Aragane, T. Noritsugu, M. Takaiwa, D. Sasaki, and S. Naomoto, “Development of Sheet-like Curved Type Pneumatic Rubber Muscle and Application to Elbow Power Assist Wear,” J. of the Robotics Society of Japan, Vol.26, No.6, pp. 206-214, 2008.

[6] [6] A. Zoss, H. Kazerooni, and A. Chu, “On the Mechanical Design of the Berkeley Lower Extremity ExoSkeleton(BLEEX),” IEEE/RSJ Int. Conf. on Intelligent Robots and Systems, 2005.

[7] [7] S. Toyama and J. Yonetake, “Development of the Powered Assisted Suit System,” J. of the Japan Society for Precision Engineering, Vol.73, No.3, pp. 305-308, 2007.

Upper-Limb Power-Assist Control for Agriculture Load Lifting

Eiichi Yagi*, Daisuke Harada**, and Masaaki Kobayashi***

Eiichi Yagi^, Daisuke Harada^, and Masaaki Kobayashi^