Patent ID: 7713217

Claim:
A system for imparting an external torque around at least one joint of a connected body, wherein the connected body is a living thing or a living portion of the living thing, and wherein the system is relatively and rotatably connected to the at least one joint of the connected body, the system comprising: a first measuring means for measuring an internal work volume based upon an internal torque around the at least one joint of the connected body as the connected body rotates the at least one joint; a second measuring means for measuring an external work volume based upon the external torque imparted to the at least one joint of the connected body; a reference work volume determining means for determining a reference work volume on a first basis of the internal work volume of the connected body measured by the first measuring means; an external torque determining means for determining the external torque to be imparted to the connected body such that a sum of the internal work volume and the external work volume approaches and substantially equals the reference work volume determined by the reference work volume determining means, wherein the external torque to be imparted to the connected body is determined on a second basis of the external work volume measured by the second measuring means; and a movement assisting apparatus for imparting the external torque to the connected body and adjusting the imparted external torque to the connected body such that the imparted external torque remains equal to the determined external torque that is determined by the external torque determining means; wherein the movement assisting apparatus comprises at least one actuator and attaching elements attached to the connected body at both sides of the at least one joint; wherein the internal work volume is a work volume achieved by a voluntary movement of the connected body, and the external work volume is a work volume achieved by a force imparted from the at least one actuator via the attaching elements to the connected body, which is independent from the connected body and is included in the system for imparting the external torque to be fixed to the connected body.