Upper-Limb Power-Assist Control for Agriculture Load Lifting

Abstract

This paper discusses upper-limb power-assist control using a pneumatic rotary actuator to support shoulder movement and an air cylinder to support elbow movement by agricultural workers lifting a 30 kg rice bag without inducing low back pain. Surface electromyogram (EMG) signals are used as trigger signals, joint support torque is calculated based on the antigravity term of necessary joint torque, estimated based on the dynamics of a human approximated link model. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of proposed power-assist control.