Development of Standing Assist Device Based on the Feature Analysis of Standing Motion

In this study, the characteristics of the elderly while standing up of were analyzed, aiming to gain an understanding of the principles needed to manufacture a standing assist device. In the experiment, a total of 6 young people with an average age of 23.3 (sex ratio 6:0) and a total of 13 elderly people who utilize wheelchairs or walking assist devices in their daily lives, with an average age of 84.5 (sex ratio 4:9) were used as subjects. The pressure distribution data and the position data of each joint were obtained during the act of standing up by strain gauges and motion capture respectively. Subsequently, features during the act of standing up, such as changes in the joint angles, centroid trajectory, and joint torque of the young and the elderly were evaluated and compared. As a results, the key items to be considered when a standing assist chair is designed are obtained as below – the motion of a standing assist device should be relatively slow, the seat should shift first along the x-axis and then along the y-axis, so its conformation and mobility should be thoroughly examined.