Empower Robotics Corporation

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd.

Kosuke Takeuchi

Haruhiko Harry Asada

Sheng Liu

John W Meincke, Ii

Kazumasa Shudo

Juyoung Kim

Wearable systems to partially support the weight of a human user engaged in task performance in a crouched position at or near ground level are presented herein. In one aspect, the wearable systems employ passive mechanisms and the configuration of the support mechanisms is changed by movements of the body of the human user while transitioning from a standing position to a crouched position, and vice-versa. In a further aspect, each passive lower body support assembly includes an auxiliary body support structure to enhance the support of the human user in a crouched position. In another further aspect, each auxiliary body support structure is deployed in coordination with the movement of the seat support structure that supports the human user. In some embodiments, one or more body support structures are constructed from an elastic material that conforms to the ground surface when loaded by the weight of the human user.

Lower body support system to facilitate floor level task execution by humans

Methods and system to partially support the weight of a human user engaged in task performance at ground level are presented herein. An upper body support system includes multiple degrees of freedom to adapt the physical geometry of the support system to meet the demands of the task at hand. Each degree of freedom of the upper body support system is passively controlled by the human user from a convenient user interface. In some embodiments, each end-effector of the support system is positioned and fixed in three degrees of freedom over a relatively large workspace by manually controlling the brake torque of two rotational joints and the state of a locking mechanism of a linear joint. In another aspect, an end-effector is removeably attached to the support system with a quick-change coupler. In some embodiments, a swivel joint mechanism compensates for misalignment with the work environment.

Control of multiple joints of an upper body support system

A foot touch position following apparatus includes a foot touch position detection part configured to detect a position where a human foot touches a surface; and a moving part configured to move the foot touch position following apparatus based on the detected result of the foot touch position detection part.

Foot touch position following apparatus, method of controlling movement thereof, and non-transitory computer-readable information recording medium storing the same

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Cambridge, MA, United States of America

Kosuke Takeuchi