Development of an end-effector typed walking rehabilitation robot capable of power assistance

This paper describes the development of a walking rehabilitation robot capable of lower body power assistance. Recently commercialized walking rehabilitation robots have several drawbacks such as high price, large volume, heavy weight, and uncomfortable fit; hence, they still have limitations in terms of popularity and marketability. To resolve these issues, we developed a novel walking rehabilitation robot with three strategies. First, a five-link mechanism and curved foot landing surface were optimally designed so that the position and angle trajectories of the end-effector can coincide with the foot walking trajectory of a normal person. Second, the price, weight, and volume were minimized by connecting the two link mechanisms with a shaft and driving it using a single-gear motor. Third, we proposed three walking rehabilitation modes based on the degree of disability and walking intention. Finally, the power assist performance of each mode was experimentally verified through EMG measurement.