Development of an Arm Curl Machine with Variable Resistance Using Pneumatic Artificial Rubber Muscle A method to improve quality of life of elderly people is to increase muscle strength. The purpose of this study is to develop a machine to improve muscle strength effectively. In this paper, we proposed a muscle strength training machine that exerts variable resistance using pneumatic artificial rubber muscle. In addition, we observed the effect on muscle activity by using the proposed machine with predictable and unpredictable load change patterns. Experimental results showed that there was a difference between the rising time of muscle activity and the maximum amplitude of electromyogram depending on predictability of the load change and showed the possibility of effective muscle strength improvement against unpredictable load using the arm curl machine.

Operation of a pneumatic soft manipulator using a wearable interface with flexible strain sensors This paper presents a soft manipulator which mimics the muscle structure of an octopus arm and its operation by the masterslave method by using a wearable interface. The soft manipulator consists of a rubber structure and McKibben artificial muscles arranged in axial and oblique directions. This manipulator has high safety and shape adaptability and realizes smooth and continuous movement like the octopus arm such as bending and twisting. For the intuitive operation of the manipulator, the wearable interface using flexible strain sensors is developed. It is easy to wear on the human arm with high comfortability because it consists only of soft materials and stretches easily with following the arm motion. We can operate the soft manipulator by using the motions of the wrist and forearm as an operation input. The soft manipulator can move following the arm motion of the operator, and it shows the high possibility to conduct actual tasks.