• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.41 no.8
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• pp.771-782
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• 2017

This paper describes the development of a wearable robot to assist ankle power for the elderly. Previously developed wearable robots have generally used motors and gears to assist muscle power during walking. However, the combination of motor and reduction gear is heavy and has limitations on the simultaneous control of stiffness and torque due to the friction of the gear reducer unlike human muscles. Therefore, in this study, Mckibben pneumatic muscle, which is lighter, safer, and more powerful than an electric motor with gear, was used to assist ankle joint. Antagonistic actuation using a pair of pneumatic muscles assisted the power of the soleus muscles and tibialis anterior muscles used for the pitching motion of the ankle joint, and the model parameters of the antagonistic actuator were experimentally derived using a muscle test platform. To recognize the wearer's walking intention, foot load and ankle torque were calculated by measuring the pressure and the center of pressure of the foot using force and linear displacement sensors, and the stiffness and the torque of the pneumatic muscle joint were then controlled by the calculated ankle torque and foot load. Finally, the performance of the developed ankle power assistive robot was experimentally verified by measuring EMG signals during walking experiments on a treadmill.

• Transactions of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.15-21
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• 2012

This paper deals with an experimental study on the reaction of muscles by functional electrical stimulation(FES) with the design and fabrication of an ankle reaction apparatus. The ankle reaction apparatus consists of a circuit part and a kinematic part, and it monitors reaction time for a particular angle of joint rotation according to FES. The experimental results showed that the change of the ankle rotation angle was linearly proportional to the change of the magnitude of FES. It also showed that the muscle's reaction time was constant no matter how large the magnitude of the stimulus. The results of this paper can be applied to develop an active-type walking-assistance robot.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2008.10b
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• pp.337-338
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• 2008

2008년 현재 우리나라는 10%의 인구가 60세 이상인 이른바 고령사회에 접어들었다. 노인 인구의 증가로 인해 노인이 여가생활 또는 일반생활을 보조하기 위한 보행 보조기에 대한 관심이 증가되고 있다. 대부분 동력이 없는 보행보조기를 사용하고 있으며 이러한 기구는 경사로 공간 또는 힘이 약한 노인들에게 취약성을 가지고 있다. 이에 동력형 보행보조로봇에 관심이 증가하고 있다. 동력형 보행보조로봇 역시 경사로에 있어서 편리성과 안전성을 높이기 위한 연구가 필요한 실정이다. 이에 본 논문에서는 보행보조로봇이 경사로에 진입 하였을 경우 기울어진 경사로의 정도를 인식하여 모터를 제어 한다. TILT 센서를 이용하여 기울이짐 정도를 측정 하였고, 또한 로봇의 전류 실시간으로 체크하여 로봇의 안전성을 향상 하였다. 제어 시스템 구성은 사용자의 보행의지를 파악하기위해 FSR 센서를 부착하여 조향장치로 사용하였으며, 경사로를 인식하기 위해 Liquid 타입의 TILT 센서를 사용하였으며, 모션 제어를 위해 DSP를 사용하였다. 본 제어 시스템을 보조보행로봇에 적용하였을 때, 보행보조로봇이 오르막 경사로에 진입시 기존보다 힘을 적게 사용하여 경사로를 진행하였으며, 경사로에서 브레이크 작동속도가 향상 되었다. 또한 내리막 경사로에서는 모터의 힘을 적게 사용하고 중력의 힘을 사용하여 이를 통해 전류의 소비량을 개선 하였다.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.346-353
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• 2012

The purpose of this study is to verify the energy efficiency of the integrated system combining human and a lower extremity exoskeleton robot when it is applied to the proposed gait pattern. Energy efficient gait pattern of the lower limb was proposed through leg function distribution during stance phase and the dynamic-manipulability ellipsoid (DME). To verify the feasibility and effect of the redefined gait trajectory, simulations and experiments were conducted under the conditions of walking on level ground and ascending and descending from a staircase. Experiments to calculate the metabolic cost of the human body with or without the assistance of the exoskeleton were conducted. The energy consumption of the lower extremity exoskeleton was assessed, with the aim of improving the efficiency of the integrated system.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.503-509
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• 2015

In this paper, we designed and tested an ankle joint mechanism for a gait rehabilitation robot. Gait rehabilitation programs are designed to improve the natural leg motion of patients who have lost their walking capabilities by accident or disease. Strengthening the muscles of the lower-limbs and stimulation of the nervous system corresponding to walking helps patients to walk again using gait assistive devices. It is an obvious requirement that the rehabilitation system's motion should be similar to and as natural as the normal gait. However, the system being used for gait rehabilitation does not pay much attention to ankle joints, which play an important role in correct walking as the motion of the ankle should reflect the movement of the center of gravity (COG) of the body. Consequently, we have designed an ankle mechanism that ensures the safety of the patient as well as efficient gait training. Also, even patients with low leg muscle strength are able to operate the ankle joint due to the direct-drive mechanism without a reducer. This safety feature prevents any possible adverse load on the human ankle. The additional degree of freedom for the roll motion achieves a gait pattern which is similar to the normal gait and with a greater degree of comfort.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.393-398
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• 2021

As society becomes more complex and advanced, the risk of accidents is inevitably increased, and this is an opportunity to increase the occurrence of not only congenital disabilities but also acquired disabilities. In this situation, the use of rehabilitation robots, a complex of advanced technologies, is expected to increase steadily in the future. So the authors would take a look the technological trends and future development prospects of domestic and foreign rehabilitation robots. Until now, disability assistive robot technology has been mainly developed in the field of supporting disability with walking disabilities or work limitations rather than cognitive disabilities. However, another issue of population aging is that cognitive impairment has the potential to increase, so development of a disability assistance robot that secures user safety must be actively promoted. It is thought that empirical results should be derived and converged