Wearable fluid power composed of transformed flat tube actuators

This paper presents a novel approach of driving the human joints by means of a fluid control system with flexibility just like clothes, which leads to a cyborg amplifying the human motor function. Former actuators for body mounting were not always designed from the point of clothing comfort. Thus, in the first part of this paper, a clothing comfort index is introduced so as to evaluate the desirability of the actuator mounted on the body. Then, pneumatic tube actuators with a novel structure are systematically proposed to increase the comfort index. By using the actuators, an efficient driving method of both the arm and the leg is shown to realize "Wearable Fluid Power" so as to assist the disabled to walk or to improve their sporting skill.