Abstract
We developed a 1-DOF power assist robot to lower objects from higher position to lower position. Subjects lowered objects of different sizes with the robot and we analyzed heaviness perception, load force, motions (displacement, velocity, acceleration) etc. We determined a psychophysical relationship between actual heaviness and perceived heaviness for objects lowered with the robot system. We tried to identify some control parameters from the analytical results, and proposed them to be used to determine and develop an appropriate control scheme for power assist robots for lowering heavy objects in various industries. This paper reports the preliminary study results on this issue.
Highlights
Power assist robots are used mainly for rehabilitation and health supports [1], [2]
The mass parameter for inertia force (m1) was 0.5kg,and the mass parameter for gravity force (m2) was 0.5kg because this condition has been proven as the high maneuverability condition in [3]
The results showed that the peak velocity, peak acceleration and load force rate for lowering objects with the power assist system were much lower than that for lowering objects manually [7]
Summary
Power assist robots are used mainly for rehabilitation and health supports [1], [2]. We tried to bring a novelty in power-assist applications in [3]. In [3], we argued that power assist devices could be used to handle heavy objects in various industries. Workers in industries frequently lower heavy objects e.g. (i) when unloading heavy objects (luggage, bags etc.) from aircrafts, ships, buses, trains, trucks etc., (ii) when lowering heavy objects, materials, bags etc. Lowering heavy objects manually is very hard, may cause disabilities and disorders in workers such as back pain, injuries, musculoskeletal problems etc., and on the contrary, uses of autonomous systems for lowering heavy objects may not provide flexibility and satisfactory interactions with humans
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