Upper-limb rehabilitation assisting device and method for controlling the same

A method for controlling an upper-limb rehabilitation assisting device including a first handle coupled to a first rotating shaft rotatably provided such that a rotational direction includes a component in the gravitational direction and gripped and rotationally operated by a hand on a paralytic limb side of a trainee, and a second handle coupled to a second rotating shaft rotatably provided such that a rotational direction includes the component in a gravitational direction and gripped and rotationally operated by a hand on a healthy limb side of the trainee, the method comprising:

• detecting a first biosignal corresponding to the paralytic limb side of the trainee;
• detecting a second biosignal corresponding to the healthy limb side of the trainee;
• detecting a first rotary torque of the first rotating shaft on the paralytic limb side;
• detecting a second rotary torque of the second rotating shaft on the healthy limb side;
• detecting a first rotational angle of the first rotating shaft on the paralytic limb side;
• detecting a second rotational angle of the second rotating shaft on the healthy limb side;
• performing a cooperative control of the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft in which a second target rotational angle of the second rotating shaft is calculated on a basis of the first rotary torque and the second rotating shaft is controlled such that the second rotational angle becomes the second target rotational angle and in which a first target rotational angle of the first rotating shaft is calculated on a basis of the second rotary torque and the first rotating shaft is controlled such that the first rotational angle becomes the first target rotational angle;
• calculating a degree of cooperation between the first biosignal and the second biosignal;
• and
• controlling drive torques at a time of the cooperative control of the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft, based on the degree of cooperation.

An upper-limb rehabilitation assisting device comprising:

• a first handle coupled to a first rotating shaft rotatably provided such that a rotational direction includes a component in a gravitational direction and gripped and rotationally operated by a hand on a paralytic limb side of a trainee;
• a second handle coupled to a second rotating shaft rotatably provided such that a rotational direction includes the component in the gravitational direction and gripped and rotationally operated by a hand on a healthy limb side of the trainee;
• a first drive part configured to drive the first rotating shaft on the paralytic limb side;
• a second drive part configured to drive the second rotating shaft on the healthy limb side;
• a first torque detecting part configured to detect a first rotary torque of the first rotating shaft on the paralytic limb side;
• a second torque detecting part configured to detect a second rotary torque of the second rotating shaft on the healthy limb side;
• a first rotational angle detecting part configured to detect a first rotational angle of the first rotating shaft on the paralytic limb side;
• a second rotational angle detecting part configured to detect a second rotational angle of the second rotating shaft on the healthy limb side;
• and
• a control part configured to perform a cooperative control of the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft in which a second target rotational angle of the second rotating shaft is calculated on a basis of the first rotary torque detected by the first torque detecting part and the second drive part is controlled such that the second rotational angle detected by the second rotational angle detecting part becomes the second target rotational angle and in which a first target rotational angle of the first rotating shaft is calculated on a basis of the second rotary torque detected by the second torque detecting part and the first drive part is controlled such that the first rotational angle detected by the first rotational angle detecting part becomes the first target rotational angle,
• wherein the control part moves a target with respect to a predetermined track in a virtual space according to the first rotational angle detected by the first rotational angle detecting part, calculates a deviation between a track of the target calculated on a basis of the first rotational angle, and the predetermined track, and reduces torques of the first drive part and the second drive part at a time of the cooperative control as the deviation decreases.