Evaluation of assistive devices using humanoid robot with mechanical parameters identification

Abstract

This paper presents the application of a humanoid robot as an evaluator of assistive devices; we propose a framework of the evaluation by utilizing identification of the mechanical properties of a humanoid robot. The accurate estimation of joint torque with the identification can enhance the performance to estimate the supporting effect of the devices. We evaluate a passive assistive wear "Smart Suit Lite (SSL)" as an example of device, and use HRP-4C as the humanoid platform. With the general formulation of the wire-driven multi-body system, the supporting torque of passive assistive devices is also formulated. The identification of the stiffness of SSL is performed an example of the evaluation with HRP-4C, and the result is compared to the ground truth value.