A Semi-Wearable Robotic Device for Sit-to-Stand Assistance

IEEE Int Conf Rehabil Robot. 2019 Jun:2019:204-209. doi: 10.1109/ICORR.2019.8779425.

Abstract

With the aging of the population in the United States, an increasing number of individuals suffer from mobility challenges. For such individuals, the difficulty of standing up from a seated position is a major barrier for their daily physical activities. In the paper, a novel assistive device, namely Semi-Wearable Sit-to-Stand Assist (SW-SiStA), is presented, which provides effective lower-limb assistance to overcome such difficulty for the mobility-challenged individuals. Unlike traditional exoskeletons, the SW-SiStA can be easily detached after the completion of the sit-to-stand process, and thus will not cause additional burden to the user during the subsequent ambulation. The SW-SiStA is powered with a pneumatic actuator, leverage its advantages of low cost and high power/force density. The complexity of the device is reduced by the use of a simple solenoid valve in combination with two adjustable needle valves, providing the desired individualized adjustability without the expensive proportional valves. Human testing of the device indicated that the SW-SiStA was able to provide effective sit-to-stand assistance in a natural way, and the users were able to expend significantly less muscle efforts in the process.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Electromyography
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Joints / physiology
  • Knee / physiology
  • Lower Extremity / physiology
  • Male
  • Motion
  • Posture
  • Robotics*
  • Torque
  • Wearable Electronic Devices*
  • Young Adult