Wearable inflatable robot for supporting postural transitions in infants between sitting and lying

This paper proposes a novel approach for supporting the change in an infant's body posture between lying and sitting by using a wearable and inflatable robotic device. It was revealed by 3D motion analysis that a change in the center of gravity during postural transition correlated with pitch and yaw motions of the lumbar joint. To assist in the dominant joint motions, a novel pneumatic accordion actuator is proposed. Such an actuator can apply force through inflation on body segments to assist with joint torque. Four such actuators were designed and implemented for assisting in lumbar joint motions. Experiments with a dummy baby doll showed that the proposed system is capable of changing the posture of the wearer from supine to long-sitting positions and vice versa. Possible application to support the postural change in children with cerebral palsy is also discussed.