Garment Shape-Forming Actuator Unit with Variable Stiffness and Friction for Dressing and Undressing *

This study developed a new actuator unit that enhances clothing stiffness to maintain its shape and thereby facilitate dressing and undressing. The actuator unit consists of a Straighten Actuator that provides stiffness along the longitudinal axis of a shirt sleeve, a Bending Actuator that maintains the armhole shape, and an airflow system. SA and BA are based on the flat tube mechanisms driven by supplied air. The BA features notches and surfaces of varying thickness to enable simultaneous bending and expansion when air is supplied. The airflow system to reduce friction was also introduced to further ease the dressing and undressing processes. The efficacy of the proposed system was experimentally validated and subsequently evaluated by human subjects. Compared to when no air is supplied to the actuator unit, the results showed a significant increase in “spaciousness” and a significant improvement in the ease of “dressing” and “undressing” when air is supplied.