Basic research on power limb using gait information of able-side leg

The paper describes a novel walking support system for the aged, disabled and persons who have difficulty in walking. The walking support system in this paper refers to not only artificial leg and prosthesis but a power suit with actuators to assist the user in locomotion. The mathematical model of walking support system is derived from the simplified inverted pendulum. The behavior of walking support machines must be simple for users. On the other hand, The user should be able to manipulate the walking support machine easily. Therefore, we propose a strategy using hip and knee angles to estimate the next step states which are important values for a walk support system. Also those angles are useful information that we can get easily. In this paper, we intend to introduce a concept of walking support system and a fundamental strategy of walking support using gait information of able-side leg. Simulation results and experimental results are presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed system.