• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
• /
• v.12 no.9
• /
• pp.926-934
• /
• 2006

This paper proposes intelligent control of a virtual walking machine that can generate infinite floor for various surfaces and can provide proprioceptive feedback of walking to a user. This machine allows users to participate in a life-like walking experience in virtual environments with various terrains. The controller of the machine is implemented hierarchically, at low-level for robust actuator control, at mid-level fur platform control to compensate the external forces by foot contact, and at high-level control for generating walking trajectory. The high level controller is suggested to generate continuous walking on an infinite floor for various terrains. For the high level control, each independent platform follows a man foot during the swing phase, while the other platform moves back during single stance phase. During double limb support, two platforms manipulate neutral positions to compensate the offset errors generated by velocity changes. This control can, therefore, satisfy natural walking conditions in any direction. Transition phase between the swing and the stance phases is detected by using simple switch sensor system, while human foot motions are sensed by careful calibration with a magnetic motion tracker attached to the shoe. Experimental results of walking simulations at level ground, slope, and stairs, show that with the proposed machine, a general person can walk naturally on various terrains with safety and without any considerable disturbances. This interface can be applied to various areas such as VR navigations, rehabilitation, and gait analysis.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.223-228
• /
• 2011

In this paper, we proposed a technique to recognize three states in stance phase of gait cycle. Walking assistive devices are used to help the elderly people walk or to monitor walking behavior of the disabled persons. For the effective assistance, they adopt an intelligent sensor system to understand user's current state in walking. There are three states in stance phase; Loading Response, Midstance, and Terminal Stance. We developed a foot pressure sensor using 24 FSRs (Force Sensing/Sensitive Resistors). The foot pressure patterns were integrated through the interpolation of FSR cell array. The pressure patterns were processed to get the trajectories of COM (Center of Mass). Using the trajectories of COM of foot pressure, we can recognize the three states of stance phase. The experimental results show the effective recognition of stance phase and the possibility of usage on the walking assistive device for better control and/or foot pressure monitoring.

• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
• /
• v.21 no.6
• /
• pp.538-546
• /
• 2015

This paper describes an intelligent ankle assistive robot which provides assistive power to reduce ankle torque based on an analysis of ankle motion and muscle patterns during walking on level and sloped floors. The developed robot can assist ankle muscle power by driving an electric geared motor at the exact timing through the use of an accelerometer that detects gait phase and period, and a potentiometer to measure floor slope angle. A simple muscle assistive link mechanism is proposed to convert the motor torque into the foot assistive force. In particular, this mechanism doesn't restrain the wearer's ankle joint; hence, there is no danger of injury if the motor malfunctions. During walking, the link mechanism pushes down the top of the foot to assist the ankle torque, and it can also lift the foot by inversely driving the linkage, so this robot is useful for foot drop patients. The developed robot and control algorithm are experimentally verified through walking experiments and EMG (Electromyography) measurements.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Intelligent Systems
• /
• v.19 no.4
• /
• pp.457-463
• /
• 2009

In this paper, a novel foot force distribution algorithm for hexapod walking robots is presented. The considered hexapod robot has fault-tolerant tripod gaits with a failed leg in locked-joint failure. The principle of the proposed algorithm is to minimize the slippage of the leg that determines the stability margin of the fault-tolerant gaits. The fault-tolerant tripod gait has a drawback that it has less stability margin than normal gaits. Considering this drawback, we use the feature that there are always three supporting legs, and by incorporating the theory of Zero-Interaction Force, we calculate the foot forces analytically without resort to any optimization technique. In a case study, the proposed algorithm is compared with a conventional foot force distribution method and its applicability is demonstrated.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
• /
• 2007.11a
• /
• pp.45-46
• /
• 2007

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
• /
• v.25 no.7
• /
• pp.79-86
• /
• 2008

This paper describes the development of wearing intelligent shoe system to measure applied forces and moments (ground reaction forces and moments) on the soles of feet during human walking. In order to walk safely, robot must get the intelligent feet with 6-axis force/moment sensors (Fx sensor (x-direction force sensor), Fy sensor, Fz sensor, Mx sensor (Mx : x-direction moment sensor), My sensor, and Mz sensor) and detect the forces and moments data from the sensors. And the feet must be controlled with the data and controllers. While a human is walking, the forces and moments should be measured and analyzed for robot's intelligent feet. Therefore, the wearing intelligent shoe system should be developed. In this paper, four 6-axis farce/moment sensors and two high speed measuring devices were designed and fabricated, and the wearing intelligent shoe system was made using these. The characteristic tests of the wearing intelligent shoe system were performed, and the forces and moments were detected using it.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
• /
• v.24 no.1 s.190
• /
• pp.27-36
• /
• 2007

This paper describes the development of 6-axis ankle force/moment sensor for the intelligent feet of a humanoid robot. When the robot walks on uneven terrain, the feet should perceive the applied forces Fx, Fy, Fz and moments Mx, My, Mz from the attached 6-axis force/moment sensor on their ankles. Papers have already been published have some disadvantages in the size of the sensor, the rated output and so on. The rated output of each component sensor (6-axis ankle force/moment sensor) is very important to design the 6-axis force/moment sensor for precision measurement. Therefore, each sensor should be designed to get the similar rated output under each rated load. Also, the size of the sensor is very important for mounting to robot's feet. Therefore, the diameter should be below 100 mm and the height should be below 40mm. In this paper, first, the structure of a 6-axis ankle force/moment sensor was modeled for a humanoid robot's feet newly, Second, the equations to predict the strains on the sensing elements was derived, third, the size of the sensing elements was designed by using the equations, then, the sensor was fabricated by attaching straingages on the sensing elements, finally, the characteristic test of the developed sensor was carried out. The rated outputs from the derived equations agree well with the results from the experiments. The interference error of the sensor is less than 2.94%.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Intelligent Systems
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.450-456
• /
• 2014

Humanoid robot is the most suitable robot platform for effective human and robot interaction. However, the robot's complicated body structure containing more than twenty joint actuators makes it difficult to generate stable and elaborate postures using the conventional inverse kinematic method. This paper proposes an alternative approach to generate difficult postures of touching an object placed in front of the foot by the left or right hand with its torso bent forward in single support phase using the fast computational optimization method, particle swarm optimization. The simulated postures are also applied to a commercial humanoid robot platform, which validates the feasibility of the proposed approach.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Intelligent Systems
• /
• v.14 no.4
• /
• pp.481-486
• /
• 2004

The biped robot has the better mobility than the conventional wheeled robot. Since a biped robot tends to tip over easily, it is necessary to take stability into account when determining a walking pattern. To ensure the dynamic stability of the biped robot, we have to adapt the ground conditions with a foot motion and maintain motion, and ensure its stability through the kinematics and dynamics analysis. But its mathematic model is not too easy. In this paper, in order to ensure the dynamic stability of a biped robot, we design the fuzzy model and confirm the realization possibility of the proposed method through some simulations.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.49-53
• /
• 1999

To inquire its usefulness of the clinical application of intelligent replenishment system of automatic X-ray film processor based on film density, we processed the serial 300 sheets of radiographic film of chest [$14{\times}14"$, HR-C type] and bone [elbow & ankle($8{\times}10"$), skull($10{\times}12"$), hand & foot($11{\times}14"$), pelvis($14{\times}17"$), HR-G type, 68, 70, 77, 85 sheets respectively]. We analyzed the characteristic corves, relative speeds, average gradients and base plus fog densities every twenty five sheets. We also evaluated the developer and fixer replenishment volumes every that time. In the chest and bone radiograph two all, the characteristic curves were little change, and the relative speeds, average gradients and base plus fog densities were within the maximum control limits. The average developer replenishment volumes were about 43m1/sheet and 39m1/sheet respectively. It brings decreased results about 29% in comparison with the conventional replenishment system. In our experiences, we conclude that the intelligent replenishment system of automatic X-ray film processor based on film density maintains image quality consistently, decreases also the replenishment volumes. Therefore, this system will be resulted in economic and environmental effects, and solve problems of over and low replenishment volume.