Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Akio Koike

Hisashi Katoh

Taiji Koyama

Takako Fujii

Takashi Hirata

Yoshirou Koyama

Kyoichi Yokouchi

In order to provide a walking assistance device capable of favorably providing an assisting force for maintaining the upright posture while reducing the sense of pressure when worn by the user, a hip support member () of the walking assisting device, which comprises an assisting force generator (hip joint actuator) disposed at least on a side of a hip joint to provide an assisting force to a movement of a lower limb, is provided with: a back support () equipped with pads () for respectively abutting an intermediate portion between right and left erector spinae muscles, lateral outer sides of the spinae muscles and right and left iliac crests; and a belt () connected to the back support for tightening a lower part of the rectus abdominis muscle. In this way, a supporting force can be provided to the lumbar vertebrae to steadily keep the upright posture while reducing a resistance to a bending movement of the waist caused by the support member. Further, the drive torque from the assisting force generator can be supported by the whole hip portion and this can contribute to preventing inadvertent move of the support member.

Walking assistance device

Wheelchair for athletics

Growing community of inventors

Wako, Japan

Akio Koike