Stable turning movement of a gait-controlled personal mobility “Tread-Walk 1”

We have been developing the new personal mobility aid, "Tread-Walk 1," which is controlled by the driver\´s walking pace and amplifies walking velocity. The Tread-Walk 1 not only assists mobility but also helps the elderly maintain their physical abilities. However, the turning movement of the Tread-Walk is likely to be unstable, because the Tread-Walk is controlled by walking. In this paper, we focus on the stable turning movement of the Tread-Walk 1. First, we simulate the centrifugal force applied to the driver, which was not considered in our previous report. Then, a new algorithm to realize stable turning movement is established by measuring the driver\´s standing position. Finally, the developed algorithm for the turning movement of the Tread-Walk 1 is evaluated by measuring the handle grasping time. With the new algorithm, the Tread-Walk 1 turned steadily and driver did not lose their balance.