Active dining rehabilitation assistive device

Active Meal Assistance Device

This technology is an active assistive device that detects a user's subtle muscle strength and biological signals to identify their intended upper limb movements, controlling eight joint axes to assist with the movement and rotation of the arm.

Elderly individuals or rehabilitation patients with limited muscle strength often face challenges in eating or performing upper limb activities independently.

This technology detects the user's movement intent through load cells and electromyography (EMG) sensors. It uses a manipulator structure equipped with 8-axis gimbal motors and sliding components to actively guide the position and angle of the upper limb while providing muscle support. Applicable to rehabilitation training, mobility assistance, and medical/welfare services, it enhances the quality of life for the elderly, the infirm, and rehabilitation patients by supplementing their limited strength and enabling them to perform various tasks.

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Key Features:

• The 3rd L-frame, shaped like an 's┐'s with a horizontal plane extending from one side of the front face, where the rear of the 6th-axis gimbal motor unit is fixed to the front face, and the horizontal plane is connected to the front of the upper limb support.
• The 1st L-frame, shaped like an 's┐'s with a vertical plane extending from one side of the horizontal plane, where the lower part of the 8th-axis gimbal motor unit is fixed to the horizontal plane.
• The 2nd L-frame, shaped like an 's┐'s with a rear face extending from one side of the lateral face, where the rear of the 7th-axis gimbal motor unit is fixed to the inner face.
• The 6th-axis gimbal motor unit, which has a rotation axis connected to the rear face of the 2nd L-frame, rotating the 2nd L-frame clockwise or counter-clockwise.

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This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning for the development of an active exercise system based on human-robot collaboration technology to improve upper limb motor function in the elderly and infirm.