Wearable assist robot apparatus

A wearable assist robot apparatus, comprising:

• a harness device to be worn and retained by a wearer;
• an assist drive mechanism provided on the harness device, including a left drive source configured to be disposed on a left side of a lower body trunk of the wearer and a right drive source configured to be disposed on a right side of the lower body trunk of the wearer, and the left drive source and the right drive source configured to generate drive torque about an axial line in a lateral direction of the wearer, the assist drive mechanism being configured to apply assisting force moments respectively to portions of the wearer between a body trunk and respective left and right thighs by drive torque from the left and right drive sources;
• at least one angle sensor at each of the left and right drive sources and configured to detect relative angles between the body trunk and the respective left and right thighs of the wearer about the axial line in the lateral direction;
• an acceleration sensor provided on the harness device, the acceleration sensor being configured to detect an acceleration of the body trunk;
• at least one processor configured to
• determine a foot landing state in response to an output from the acceleration sensor;
• and
• in response to outputs from respective angle sensors and a determined foot landing state, apply an assisting force moment in a direction of support to a supporting leg in a landed state by a supporting-leg side drive source of the left and right drive sources, and apply a swing-up force moment in a swing-up direction to a free leg not in contact with land by a free-leg side drive source of the left and right drive sources,
• wherein, based on a local maximum value of acceleration in a vertical direction of the body trunk which value is detected by the acceleration sensor, the at least one processor determines that one of feet lands;
• and at least one object sensor configured to be mounted on a hand of the wearer, the at least one object sensor being configured to detect an action of an object on the hand, wherein the at least one processor applies a lifting force moment in a lifting direction in which the relative angles between the body trunk and the respective thighs increases by the left and right drive sources when an object is detected, in response to outputs from the at least one angle sensor at each of the left and right drive sources and the at least one object sensor.