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Wearable Agri Robot
 Background and Purpose
According to the census, half the number of the farm workers are elderly people who are 65 years old or more. Aguriculture needs to take the special posture in the farm work for a long time, not seen in daily life. The load of the working is considerable for the senior citizen. But, the work that can be executed as a proxy to the robot in a present technology is very few, so we can't help relying on the senior worker.
In our study, it proposes to reduce the load by simplicity, a small, low-speed high torque the structure of the ultrasonic motor, and installing the wearable agri robot using the high response and the self-retention, etc... in the worker.

Structure
The motors are installed in the joint of shoulders, elbows, waists and knees. These motors assist in movements of the wearer. We are able to lift things more than 20 kg which is needed in the farming. Reading movements by sensors in the motors and each joint controls motors.
If you program the simple operation, this robot repeats the simple operation. In this case, his operation programmed by the spoken command is executed.
Installing the battery and the microcomputer for control in the back, this robot is stand-alone. It is possible to work for about eight hour by one charge.

Issues
This model is so heavy - about 26 kg - that our laboratory studies miniaturization. The goal is less than 10 kg.
There is a problem such as making of responded improvement and battery long-lived, too. It aims putting to practical use in 2012.
 
Fig.1



Fig.2 working with the robot


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