Basic Verification of Contact Force-Based Control with Full Body-Worn Assistive Robot

This paper evaluates the performance of contact force-based control with developed wearable assistive robots enabling the contact force measurement between the wearer and the robot. Almost all the conventional assistive robots are controlled with their joint torque measured via torque sensors. These robots have risks exerting excessive force on the wearer because torque sensors cannot detect contact force exerting the wearer. Our research group developed the contact force-based control and evaluated its performance only on the simulation. Also, we developed a prototype of a wearable robot enabling to measure and detect the contact force. In this paper, tracking performance to the wearer's movements, one of the basic performances of wearable robots, is confirmed via the experience. As a result, contact force-based control can operate in full accordance with the command of zero contact force.