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JRM Vol.35 No.3 pp. 601-611
doi: 10.20965/jrm.2023.p0601
(2023)

Paper:

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A Stepper Motor-Powered Lower Limb Exoskeleton with Multiple Assistance Functions for Daily Use by the Elderly

Yifan Fang, Bingkai Hou, Xiuyuan Wu, Yuntian Wang, Keisuke Osawa ORCID Icon, and Eiichiro Tanaka

Waseda University
2-7 Hibikino, Wakamatsu-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka 808-0135, Japan

Received:
December 30, 2022
Accepted:
May 8, 2023
Published:
June 20, 2023
Creative Commons License
Keywords:
lower limb exoskeleton, stepper motor, multiple assistance functions
Abstract

With the increase in the aging population, the demand for healthcare devices has increased. Among the aging population, many experience joint pain, muscle weakness, or poor balance. Without external help, such persons may have difficulty walking, fall easily, or experience poor quality of life. To provide this category of the population with the opportunity to exercise and walk safely and take care of themselves in daily activities, a stepper motor-powered walking assistive device is proposed and built. The device enables users with different heights to walk in suitable gaits; assists users to stand up, sit down, and step up or down stairs; automatically detects user’s intention using pressure sensors and potentiometers; and can be used outdoors for long periods. In this study, the effectiveness of the device is verified using muscle-activity measurements.

A stepper motor-rowered lower limb exoskeleton

A stepper motor-rowered lower limb exoskeleton

Cite this article as:
Y. Fang, B. Hou, X. Wu, Y. Wang, K. Osawa, and E. Tanaka, “A Stepper Motor-Powered Lower Limb Exoskeleton with Multiple Assistance Functions for Daily Use by the Elderly,” J. Robot. Mechatron., Vol.35 No.3, pp. 601-611, 2023.
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