**KAS: Knee-assistive System**


KAS: Prof. Thomas Bock

#### **Smart Suit**

124 The Future of Humanoid Robots – Research and Applications

Liteye LE-700: http://www.inition.co.uk/ inition/dispatcher.php? URL\_=product\_hmd\_liteye \_700&SubCatID\_=15&model =products&action =get&tab=summary

Anti-RSI Garment: http://www.gizmag.com/ smart-fabrics-medicalapplications/10242/picture/ 56113/

**Liteye LE-700** 

**Anti-RSI Garment**

**Product Type** 

**Developer** Philips Research

Research

Clothing Plus Oy

**Sensor** Contactless EMG Sensors

Wearable Computing

**Weight** 80 g **Display Technology** OLED

**Developer** Liteye Systems, Inc. **Product Type** Head Mounted Display **Size** 80mm x 24mm x 31mm

**Resolution** 800 x 600 and 640 x 480 **Luminance** Color:>70cd/m2

> White:>270cd/m2 Yellow:>650cd/m2 Green:>600cd/m2

**Power** 5 – 6 v DC input 400 mW Typical

**Project** the Con Text project: Contactless sensors for body monitoring incorporated in textiles

> Textile Research Institute Thüringia-Vogtlandia Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific

Technische Universität Berlin Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

**Purpose** Prevention against repetitive strain injuries

**3.2 Subsystems (assistive devices and partial exoskeletons)** 

restoration works after the big earthquake in Tohoku Japan.

This category represents wearable robots which assist wearers during laborious and continuous work. Their output is not very strong, but these devices are effective in preventing workers from getting injuries such as backaches. Honda has developed several walking assist devices based on the technology utilized in ASIMO, their famous Humanoid robot. "Walking Assist Device with Bodyweight Support System" supports a part of the wearer's weight while walking, going upstairs and downstairs and keeping in a hard position. The supposed users are not disabled but need support for certain works. Smart Support is a business company from Hokkaido University, which is aimed to popularize their product called "Smart Suit". It's a light and comfortably wearable power assist system motivated "Semi-Active Assist Mechanism". This product has been already used for


Exoskeleton and Humanoid Robotic Technology in Construction and Built Environment 127

"Robot Suit HAL" is a well-known Japanese Exoskeleton which is specialized on detecting very weak corporal signals on the surface of the skin which are generated when a person attempts to move. In 2008, Daiwa House Industry started the renting of "HAL for Welfarebeing". The product is now used in several nursing homes and welfare facilities in Japan to assist elderly or disabled people in walking. There are also some other prototypes of exoskeleton in Japan, and each of them uses different actuators, e.g. ultrasonic motors, pneumatic rubber artificial muscles, and air bag actuators[19][20][21]. They are tackling some common challenges such as down-sizing, long-time operations, and low-cost manufacturing in order to bring their product to market. These exoskeletons will get further usability when they are combined with some other element technologies. Prof. Shigeki Toyama, who made "Wearable Agri Robot", plans to develop Augmented Reality goggles which show information of vegetables and fruits, the health condition of workers, and the working hours and inform workers when to have a break. Although each project team expects to introduce own products into a specific working area, it's relatively easy to apply one them to other fields, especially construction works, because they support mainly same movements such as bending down or lifting heavy things up and have a common purpose;

HAL: Prof. Thomas Bock

**3.3.1 Exoskeletons** 

preventing workers from repetitive strain injuries.

**Type** Full Body / Lower body

**Power Supply** AC100V Charged battery

**Sensor** Corporal Signal Sensors

**Operating time** 2 hours 40 minutes

**Target User** Physically weakened people, Disabled people

Yoshiyuki Sankai

and welfare facility

Angle Sensor of joints Floor Reaction Force Sensor

Lease Rental in nursing home

**HAL: Hybrid Assistive Limb** 

**Leading Researcher** 

**Technology Readiness** 

**Developer** CYBERDYNE

**Price** 4 - 5 million yen

**Height** 1600mm

**Weight** 23 kg/ 15 kg

**Drive System** Power Units

Application in Construction: Support of workers physical abilities in light construction and restoration tasks. Support of workers in prefabrication factories for industrialized building construction (Sekisui House, Sekisui Heim and Toyota Home)

Smart Suit, Figure taken form Website: http://smartsuit.org/, last visited 24/07/2011

Fig. 8. Smart Suit developed by Hokkaido University and Smart Support Company is used for restoration works after the big earthquake in Tohoku, Japan.

Left: Walking Assist Device Honda, Figure taken form Website: http://world.honda.com/news/2008/c081107Walking-Assist-Device/, last visited 24/07/2011, Right: Copyright T. Bock, T. Linner

Fig. 9. Left: Honda is now testing the usability of its Body Weight Assist Device in its own factories. Right: Devices like the Body Weight Assist Device can support existing industrialized and production line based prefabrication of buildings, Sekisui Heim, Japan.
