Online approach in adapting user characteristic for robotic walker control

Abstract

This paper propose an online approach to adapt user's controlling characteristic for robotic walker control. This approach is based on relocating the center of rotation (COR) of the robotic walker and it si implemented online in training. This study aims to aid users that have difficulties in controlling their walking support system. To adapt user's controlling characteristics, a user is to follow some training path and the error between the training and actual path is used to change the COR of the system. This training process is done until the user can successfully follow the training path. Several training paths are considered and the relationship between user's intention in the form of applied force/torque and the new COR is taken. This relationship is used in the actual control implementation of a variable COR. Experimentation and evaluation are presented to show the validity of the proposed approach.