Tokyo Institute of Technology

Mechanical Systems Design Laboratory

Human-powered Robotics (2012~)

Background

　There are a variety of “human-powered machines” in the world that operate when humans directly apply power, such as human-powered vehicles like bicycles and wheelchairs, and human-powered mechanical devices such as manual lifts, chain blocks, and hand-wound gondolas. The motivation for this “human-powered robotics” research is that it would be interesting if we could turn these human-powered machines into robots (while still being driven by humans).

Long-Term Goals

Proposal of “human-powered robotics”
– New framework concept for human-machine cooperation
– Fundamental technology for intelligent control of human-powered machines

Research Topic

  • A human-machine system that achieves both safe, comfortable, and sustainable human movement and the automation of physical tasks.
  • A robot-like motion control system (servo control) that directly uses the power applied by the operator through physical movement, including the design of mechanisms, control systems etc.

Research Results

Human-powered joint mechanism KMR72 ( Sugahara, ROMANSY2016 )

  • Uses the force of a person turning a steering wheel as a power source
  • Controls the transmitted torque using two powder clutches, one for forward rotation and one for reverse rotation.
  • Joint angle control using calculated torque method
  • Realizes servo control of the output shaft angle using human power.

KMR72: One-DOF prototype of Human-Powered Robotics


Human-powered personal mobility KMM74 (Sugahara, et al., ROMANSY2018)

  • Uses the force input by the rider through the pedals as a power source
  • Structure using powder clutch like KMR72
  • Joint angle control using calculated torque method
  • Servo control of the wheel angle by human power, realizing forward and backward movement, turning, and super turning.
  • Succeeded in maintaining an inverted state (for a few seconds) using an inverted pendulum type posture control

KMM73: Prototype of the Human-Powered Robotic Personal Mobility

KMM74: Human-Powered Robotic Personal Mobility Vehicle Prototype


Human joint drive mechanism THR75 (Sugahara, et al., IROS2017)

  • Structure using a regenerative servo clutch (a mechanism that combines regenerative brakes and differential gears) with a smaller time constant and better control performance than commercially available powder clutches.
  • Like the KMR72, servo control of the output shaft angle is realized by human power.
  • Charging using regenerative energy is also possible.

THR75: Human-Powered Joint Drive Mechanism Using Regenerative Clutches

Literature

  • Yusuke Sugahara, Kohei Tsukamoto, Mitsuru Endo, Jun Okamoto, Daisuke Matsuura and Yukio Takeda, A Multi‐DOF Human‐Powered Robot Using Regenerative Clutches and Constant‐Force Springs, IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS2019), Macau,China, pp. 4593‐4599, November, 2019.
  • Yusuke Sugahara, Hayato Akiyama, Jeremy Jong, Mitsuru Endo and Jun Okamoto, Design and Control of a Human‐Powered Robotic Personal Mobility Vehicle Prototype, Proceedings of the 22nd CISM IFToMM Symposium on Robot Design, Dynamics and Control (ROMANSY22), Rennes, France, pp. 256‐263, June 25‐28, 2018.
  • Yusuke Sugahara, Kensuke Kikui, Mitsuru Endo, Jun Okamoto, Daisuke Matsuura and Yukio Takeda, A Human‐Powered Joint Drive Mechanism Using Regenerative Clutches, Proceedings of the 2017 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS2017), pp. 6337‐6342, Vancouver, Canada, September 24–28, 2017.
  • Yusuke Sugawara, Proposal of human-powered robotics, Journal of the Biomechanism Society, Vol. 41, No. 2, pp. 73-78, May 2017.
  • Yusuke Sugahara, Human‐Powered Robotics – Concept and One‐DOF Prototype, Proceedings of the 21st CISM IFToMM Symposium on Robot Design, Dynamics and Control (ROMANSY2016), Udine, Italy, pp. 191‐198, June 20‐23, 2016.

Acknowledgment

This research has received the following support:

  • JKA Public Interest Incorporated Foundation 2013 research grant “Proposal and basic technology development of human-powered robotics” (2013)
  • JKA Public Interest Incorporated Foundation 2014 Research Grant “New Developments in Human-Powered Robotics” (2014)
  • JKA Public Interest Incorporated Foundation 2015 Research Grant “Development of Socially Integrated Human Powered Robotics Technology” (2015-2016)
  • Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C), “Human-powered robotics – Fundamental technology and development for robotization of human-powered machines” (2017-2020)

This research is a joint research with Dr. Mitsuru Endo (Tstsui Endo Laboratory) and Dr. Jun Okamoto (Tokyo Women’s Medical University).