An attachable standing-assist-robot to motorized bed

Abstract

We propose and develop a standing assist robot, which is attachable to the motorized bed, for the elder at hospital or home. Especially, the target user of the robot is the elder who can walk indoor independently, but can not stand up because of his or her muscle strength ability. The developed robot has three degree of freedoms (two active joints for rotation and translator and one passive joint for the rotation) which promote trunk's forward tilting and elevate the center of gravity by assisting to extend the knee and hip joints. We confirm that the developed system is attachable to the typical motorized bed using the space under its bed. The myoelectric signals of Tibialis Anterior (TA), Rectus Femoris (RF) and Erector Spinae (ES) are measured to analyze the effectiveness of the developed standing assist robot. As a result, the myoelectric signals of TA, RF and ES with using the developed system are about from twice to three times smaller than those in normal standing. In addition, the myoelectric signals of RF and ES are the almost same as those during the walking. In other word, it is confirmed that the burden for the muscle is suitable, because the target user can walk and can not stand up. Therefore, this result shows the effectiveness of the proposed concept and developed prototype that the robot is attachable to the bed. © 2012 The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers.