Modular Robot Wear for Walking Assistance According to Physical Functionality

As people age, walking can become difficult. This difficulty in walking can lead to further physical decline and eventually result in the need for caregiving. To prevent this, wearable robots supporting walking rehabilitation have been developed. In this study, we aim to develop a modular robot wear that can be customized according to the user’s needs. The modular robot wear consists of motor modules, sensor modules, and a processor. Motor modules can be attached to any part of the body that requires assistance, enabling support not only in the sagittal plane but also in the frontal plane. By calculating the relative movement of the center of gravity based on the information from the acceleration sensors in the sensor modules, commands to the motor modules are generated. This allows for assistance tailored to the user’s walking pattern. Through verification experiments of the robot wear’s operation, we confirmed its ability to provide support according to changes in walking patterns. However, while the robot wear can induce changes in walking patterns, there are challenges regarding the output it provides to the wearer.