Maximum Mechanical Energy and Mechanical-to-Electrical Energy Conversion Efficiency Between Robotic Prostheses and Humans

Wearable robots involve human–robot interactions, and capturing the electrical energy from human dynamics during interactions is gaining increasing interest. However, previous studies have not thoroughly investigated the maximum mechanical energy and the efficiency of mechanical-to-electrical energy conversion between robotic prostheses and humans. In this study, the effects of motor rotation speed <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\omega _{\text{mo}}$</tex-math></inline-formula>, pulsewidth modulation (PWM) duty cycle <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$D$</tex-math></inline-formula>, replacing <sc>mosfet</sc> and replacing a motor on efficiency <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\eta$</tex-math></inline-formula> were investigated through theoretical analysis, a bench test, and walking experiments (<italic>N</italic> = 5). The theoretical analysis involved studying the energy flowchart during the mechanical-to-electrical energy conversion using a bench test. Then, walking experiments were conducted and the results showed that replacing a motor led to a 6% and 10% increase in energy regeneration at 1.3 and 1.1 m/s (self-selected), respectively. Based on the efficiency obtained from a bench test and walking experiments, the maximum mechanical power for a robotic prosthesis was obtained and ranged from 4.35 to 8.23 W, which showed the possibility of a 100% self-charged-powered robotic prosthesis. This study presents a feasible approach to analyze and improve the efficiency of mechanical-to-electrical energy conversion between robots and humans.

• Publication year

  2024

• Venue

  IEEE/ASME transactions on mechatronics

• Publication date

  2024-06-01

• Fields of study

  Not labeled

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1109/TMECH.2023.3328312
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

• A high-performance mini-generator with average power of 2 W for human motion energy harvesting and wearable electronics applications

  2023influential reference
• Variable-Damper Control Using MR Fluid for Lower Back Support Exoskeleton

  2023cited by this paper
• A novel electromagnetic energy harvester based on the bending of the sole

  2022cited by this paper
• Personal Mobility With Synchronous Trunk–Knee Passive Exoskeleton: Optimizing Human–Robot Energy Transfer

  2022cited by this paper
• A lightweight robotic leg prosthesis replicating the biomechanics of the knee, ankle, and toe joint

  2022influential reference
• Design and Backdrivability Modeling of a Portable High Torque Robotic Knee Prosthesis With Intrinsic Compliance for Agile Activities

  2022cited by this paper
• Removing energy with an exoskeleton reduces the metabolic cost of walking

  2021influential reference
• Noninvasive Human-Prosthesis Interfaces for Locomotion Intent Recognition: A Review

  2021cited by this paper
• A Compact Ankle Exoskeleton With a Multiaxis Parallel Linkage Mechanism

  2021cited by this paper
• Energy Regeneration From Electromagnetic Induction by Human Dynamics for Lower Extremity Robotic Prostheses

  2020influential reference
• Design and clinical implementation of an open-source bionic leg

  2020cited by this paper
• Design, Development, and Validation of a Lightweight Nonbackdrivable Robotic Ankle Prosthesis

  2019cited by this paper
• Triboelectric Nanogenerator Enabled Body Sensor Network for Self-Powered Human Heart-Rate Monitoring.

  2017cited by this paper
• Gait Analysis of Transfemoral Amputees: Errors in Inverse Dynamics Are Substantial and Depend on Prosthetic Design

  2017cited by this paper
• Scavenging energy from human walking through a shoe-mounted piezoelectric harvester

  2017influential reference
• Design Principles for Energy-Efficient Legged Locomotion and Implementation on the MIT Cheetah Robot

  2015influential reference
• Reducing the energy cost of human walking using an unpowered exoskeleton

  2015influential reference
• Walk the Walk: A Lightweight Active Transtibial Prosthesis

  2015cited by this paper
• Design and Comparative Analysis of a Retrofitted Liquid Cooling System for High-Power Actuators

  2015cited by this paper
• Hip-mounted electromagnetic generator to harvest energy from human motion

  2014influential reference
• Integrated multilayered triboelectric nanogenerator for harvesting biomechanical energy from human motions.

  2013cited by this paper
• Biomechanical Energy Harvesting: Generating Electricity During Walking with Minimal User Effort

  2008influential reference
• Human-Powered Wearable Computing

  1996cited by this paper
• Journal of Neuroengineering and Rehabilitation Development of a Biomechanical Energy Harvester

  year unknowninfluential reference

• No citing papers are available for this paper.