動力のない外骨格を用いて人間の歩行にかかるエネルギーコストを削減する
Steven H Collins1, M Bruce Wiggin2, Gregory S Sawicki2
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA.
Nature
|April 2, 2015
まとめ
動力のない足首の外骨は,筋を被動的に支援することによって,歩く代謝コストを減らすことができます. このイノベーションは,外部からのエネルギー投入なしに人間の移動効率を改善します.
科学分野:
- バイオメカニクス バイオメカニクス
- 人間の移動力 (Human Locomotion) とは
- ウェアラブル・テクノロジー ウェアラブル・テクノロジー
背景:
- 人間の移動は高度に進化し,効率的です.
- 外骨格は歩行中に代謝エネルギーを減らすことができますが,通常は電源入力が必要です.
- 歩行経済を改善するための被動的な方法を調査することは極めて重要です.
研究 の 目的:
- 動力のない足首の外骨格が,人間の歩行中の代謝率を低下させることができるかどうかを判断する.
- 人間の歩行に対する被動的補助装置の効率の向上を評価する.
主な方法:
- 軽量で,弾力的で,電源のない,機械的なクラッチを備えた足首外骨格を開発した.
- この装置は,筋とアキレスと並行して,被動的にエネルギーを蓄え,放出します.
- 外骨格と外骨格なしで自然条件下で歩く健康な個体での代謝エネルギー消費量.
主要な成果:
- 動力のない足首の外骨は,歩く代謝コストを7.2 ± 2.6%削減しました.
- この装置は,化学的または電気的エネルギーを消費することなく,筋肉力を受動的にオフロードすることによって機能します.
- 効率の向上は,電動エクソスケレットで達成されたものと同等です.
結論:
- パワーのない足首の外骨のような受動的補助装置は,人間の歩行経済を大幅に改善することができます.
- パッシブメカニズムに関するさらなる研究は,移動のための人間機械システムを強化するための有望な道を提供します.
- 人間の歩行のような高度に最適化された生物学的システムでさえ,新しい機械的介入によってさらに改善することができます.
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