Kyushu University

Jumpei Arata

Makoto Hashizume

Susumu Oguri

Roger Gassert

A manipulator includes a base body, a first link supported to be capable of advancing and retracting with respect to the base body, a first leaf spring connected to a tip of the first link as a rotation pair by a first base end pin, a second link that is arranged with the first link side by side and is supported to be capable of advancing and retracting with respect to the base body, a second leaf spring connected to a tip of the second link as a rotation pair by a second base end pin in the same direction as the first base end pin, and a driven link that is connected to tips of the first and second leaf springs as rotation pairs by first and second tip pins in the same direction as the first and second base end pins, respectively.

Two-degree-of-freedom rotation mechanism using parallel springs

A manipulator includes a flexible actuating body, that includes a rectangular horizontal plate spring, a curved vertical plate spring which stands upright having a plate surface perpendicular to a plate surface of the horizontal plate spring, of which a base end is connected to one end of the horizontal plate spring in a longitudinal direction, which protrudes to one side in a width direction of the horizontal plate spring, which extends along the longitudinal direction of the horizontal plate spring, and of which a tip end in the extending direction is a portion bent in a direction opposite to the protruding direction, a shaft body which is connected to a tip end of the bent portion, and is rotatably supported at a center perpendicular to the plate surface of the horizontal plate spring, and an actuator protruding in a radius direction from an outer circumference of the shaft body.

Manipulator

In a hand exoskeleton device, according to a three-layered sliding spring mechanism, the motion of the device is changed by a single drive mechanism to transmit power to the metacarpophalangeal, proximal and distal interphalangeal joints of a human finger, thereby enabling support of the daily activity motions of the finger. According to the hand exoskeleton device, when compared with a conventional device, there can be realized a device which is small in size and weight and is capable of supporting the gripping motions of the human finger. The hand exoskeleton device is characterized in that the three joints of the finger can be bent and extended by the single drive mechanism and it can transmit large drive power. Further, the device body is flexible, thereby enabling safe movement.

Growing community of inventors

Fukuoka, Japan

Jumpei Arata