A Closed-Fitting-Type walking assistance device was developed. The combination of a flexible shaft with a worm gear was successfully adopted on this device to simplify its appearance and reduce its size. A hybrid control system on this device controls both torque and angle at the ankle and knee joints. As a result of walking that mounted a Walking Assistance Device to motor paralysis patient, the effect of support and the improvement of postural were achieved.
The power ofthe actuator is transmitted to each legjoint with a flexible shaft and a worm gear ・ Therefore , the width and the weight of the device were reduced . In addition , this device can be transformed frorn Knee − Ankle − Foot − Orthosis ( KAFO )to Ankle − Foot − Olthosis ( AFO ) according to the Ievel ofpara 且 yze condition ofone ' s leg , by detaching the knee joi 皿 t from the device. We improved it for a convenient utilization as follows : 1)compact and light weight , 2)fleXibility of a ( 加 stment fbr various individual body sizes, 3 ) taking into account the gravity cempensation according to each walking phase . To confrrm the effectiveness of the device, a verification experiment of the gait training was performed to a healthy person . In evaluating the posture of gait , we measured the verIical height , the adduction and abduction angle of a hip joint . By wearing the device , the vertical movement of the hip is Clecreased by 8%, and the adduction and abduction angle movement of the hip joint is decreased by 30 % . Furthermore, all subjects felt the assist power of the foot joint . As a result , the improvement of the posture of gait suggests that this device is effective for the rehabilitation ・
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