Tokyo Institute of Technology

Mechanical Systems Design Laboratory

Kinematic and dynamic modeling, and design methods for human-machine systems

(1) Analysis and design methods for human-support device systems based on dynamic pairs

　Wearable movement support devices (hereinafter referred to as support devices), such as power assist suits, are expected to become widespread in order to support the lively, independent lives and active participation of the elderly and people with disabilities. Development is proceeding with consideration to functionality and performance as a mechanical device, price, mass, reliability, ease of attachment/detachment and operation, and appearance design. However, in order to make these products a true delight that can be used for a long time and arouse joy, satisfaction, and excitement in the user, the support devices must always fit the user’s body during exercise and control the user’s movements. It is essential to work together with the user to effectively realize support movements by moving according to the user’s intention without hindering them. To this end, we need to create a practical model based on new kinematics/mechanics analysis that takes into account the kinematics and mechanical interactions between the user’s skin/musculoskeletal system and the device due to loads that may occur under actual usage conditions. It is necessary to develop a design method. in particular,

(1) Mechanical characteristics of the attachment part of the support device, which consists of parts on both the body side and the device side
(2) Changes in the position and direction of the axis of the joints on the body side that may occur with movement
(3) Joints on the body side range of motion, rigidity, and driving force
(4) Errors in the installation position of the support device, backlash and elasticity of the pair, and variations in user characteristics

There is a need for a method that enables the design of human-support device systems by taking into account various factors such as: In this laboratory, in order to efficiently develop support devices that can be used comfortably by the user and achieve efficient support movements, we aim to implement (1) to (4) above at the initial stage of design. We aim to develop modeling, analysis, and design methods that allow unified handling from every stage. In other words, we are moving away from the traditional mechanics of modeling humans and devices using rigid links and kinematic pairs that realize ideal constraints (relative motion), and are now focusing on the behavior of the joints between support devices and the human body. Our goal is to develop an analysis and design method that handles human-assistance equipment systems in a unified manner by modeling them. In this research, this model is called a dynamic pair.

In this research, we aim to create a new analysis and design method by proposing a dynamic pair in order to integrate the user and support device from the initial stage of design. This makes it possible to visualize the dynamic characteristics of joints, which could not be expressed using conventional mechanistic approaches, and to design optimal mechanisms for human-support equipment systems.

Literature

  • Yukio Takeda, Yusuke Sugawara, Daisuke Matsuura, Soichiro Matsuda, Tomoyuki Suzuki, Masataka Kitagawa, LIU Ying-Chi: Modeling and kinematics analysis of wearable motion support devices based on dynamic pairs, Lecture at the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers 2019 Annual Conference Collected papers, September 2019.

(2) Evaluation and design of devices( canes, handrails, etc. ) that support the stable movement of elderly people

　We are conducting research on modeling methods that consider the human body, supports such as handrails and canes, and the joints between the human body and supports as one kinematic system, as well as evaluation indicators for fall avoidance characteristics. Through this, we aim to establish a walking support method for elderly people that does not use actuators.

Literature

  • Soichiro Matsuda and Yukio Takeda: Strategy for Application of Support Object for Fall Prevention in the Elderly Based on Balance Recovery Characteristics, MDPI Journal, Machines 2020, 8(4), 60; doi:10.3390/machines8040060, Oct 07, 2020 online.
  • Soichiro Matsuda, Yukio Takeda: Proposal of a method for evaluating the forward cane tip position with a focus on preventing falls during walking for elderly people based on a model applying dynamic pairs, Transactions of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers, Vol.86, No.885, 2020, DOI: 10.1299/transjsme.20-00063.
  • Soichiro Matsuda, Daisuke Matsuura, Yusuke Sugawara, Yukio Takeda: Living environment evaluation method for stable walking support for elderly people based on balance return characteristics (stability evaluation in an environment where a single support exists), Nippon Kikai Proceedings of academic conferences, Volume 83, No. 854, 2017.

(3) Modeling, kinematics analysis and design of rehabilitation equipment and movement support equipment taking into account the characteristics of attachment to the human body

In order to support the development of safe, comfortable, and simple joint rehabilitation devices and movement support devices, a model for theoretically analyzing errors when these devices are worn by users and the influence of the softness of the parts attached to the human body. We are developing design indicators and design indicators.

Literature

  • Ying-Chi LIU, Yukio TAKEDA, Design, Prototyping and Experiment of a Wrist/Forearm Wearable Rehabilitation Robot Considering Safety and Comfort (Design, Prototyping and Experiment of a Wrist- forearm Rehabilitation Robot with Improved Safety and Comfort), 4th Japanese Society of Regenerative Medicine and Rehabilitation Academic Conference Abstracts, September 24, 2022, Centennial Auditorium, Kyushu University School of Medicine. 2022.
  • Lei Cao, Ying-Chi Liu, Yusuke Sugahara, Vincenzo Parenti Castelli and Yukio Takeda, Design and analysis of arc-motion based hand exoskeleton for finger rehabilitation, 40th Annual Conference of the Robotics Society of Japan (September 5-8, 2022) JP) Proceedings, RSJ2022AC3J1-06
  • GIOVANNI COLUCCI, ANDREA BOTTA, MATTIA VERUTTI, CARMEN VISCONTE, GIUSEPPE QUAGLIA, YING-CHI LIU, YUKIO TAKEDA, A PRELIMINARY SYNTHESIS OF A LIGHT AND COMPACT WEARABLE CABLE-DRIVEN PARALLEL ROBOT FOR WRIST JOINT REHABILITATION, The 5th Jc-IFToMM International Symposium (in conjunction with The 28th Jc-IFToMM Symposium on Mechanism and Machine Theory), Kyoto, Japan, July 16, 2022, pp. 57-64, https://doi.org/10.57272/jciftomm.5.0_57
  • Liu, YC., Botta, A., Quaglia, G., Takeda, Y. (2022). Preliminary Mechanical Design of a Wearable Parallel-Serial Hybrid Robot for Wrist and Forearm Rehabilitation with Consideration of Joint Misalignment Compensation. In: Kecskeméthy, A., Parenti-Castelli, V. (eds) ROMANSY 24 – Robot Design, Dynamics and Control. ROMANSY 2022. CISM International Centre for Mechanical Sciences, vol 606. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-06409-8_5
  • Ying-Chi Liu, Kosuke Irube and Yukio Takeda, Kineto-Static Analysis and Design Optimization of a 3-DOF Wrist Rehabilitation Parallel Robot with Consideration of the Effect of the Human Limb, Machines 2021, 9, 323. https://doi.org/10.3390/machines9120323, Published: 28 November 2021
  • Woo-hyeok Choi, Yukio Takeda. 2021. “Geometric Design and Prototyping of a (2-RRU)-URR Parallel Mechanism for Thumb Rehabilitation Therapy” Machines 9, no. 3: 50. https://doi.org/10.3390/machines9030050
  • Ying-Chi Liu and Yukio Takeda, Kineto-static Analysis of a Compact Wrist Rehabilitation Robot Including the Effect of Human Soft Tissue to Compensate for Joint Misalignment, In: Venture G., Solis J., Takeda Y., Konno A. (eds) ROMANSY 23 – Robot Design, Dynamics and Control. ROMANSY 2020. CISM International Centre for Mechanical Sciences (Courses and Lectures), vol 601. Springer, Cham, pp 321-329. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-58380-4_39
  • Woo-hyeok Choi and Yukio Takeda, Static Analysis and Actuator Selection of (2-RRU) -URR Parallel Mechanism for Thumb Rehabilitation, In: Niola V., Gasparetto A. (eds) Advances in Italian Mechanism Science. IFToMM ITALY 2020. Mechanisms and Machine Science, vol 91. Springer, Cham, pp 608-616. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-55807-9_68
  • Andrea Petinari, Yukio Takeda, and Vincenzo Parenti-Castelli, A New Rehabilitation Device for Finger Extension Movement, In: Niola V., Gasparetto A. (eds) Advances in Italian Mechanism Science. IFToMM ITALY 2020. Mechanisms and Machine Science, vol 91. Springer, Cham, pp 644-651. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-55807-9_72
  • Woo-hyeok Choi and Yukio Takeda, Displacement Analysis and Design of a (2 -RRU) -URR Parallel Mechanism Performing 2R1T Output Motion for Thumb Rehabilitation, MDPI Journal of Robotics, 2020, 9, 67; doi:10.3390/robotics9030067
  • Ying-Chi Liu and Yukio Takeda: Kineto-Static Analysis of a Wrist Rehabilitation Robot with Compliance and Passive Joints for Joint Misalignment Compensation, MDPI Journal of Machines, 2020, 8, 23; doi:10.3390/machines8020023.