OSAKA, Japan — Panasonic released a video featuring its assist robots, which support the everyday lives of workers and the elderly. The company has applied the advanced control and sensor technologies that it has developed to create a robot equipped with motors that assist human body mechanics. These robots are safe to use and offer peace of mind. This video highlights the latest developments in Panasonic’s assist robots.
Assist Robots for Industrial Use
Power assist suits for industrial use have been developed by Activelink Co., Ltd., one of Panasonic’s in-house venture companies.
“Our mission is to help realize a Power Barrier-less Society by offering a helping hand during manual labor and at other worksites” said Hiromichi Fujimoto, President of Activelink Co., Ltd. “We are proposing robotics to help at these worksites, because there will always be a certain level of work that must be done by people, and these power assist suits can help reduce the physical strain during such work”.
The AWN-03 was especially developed to provide lower back support. It automatically senses the user’s motion when lifting and holding heavy objects, and sends a signal to the motors to rotate the gears. It also raises the user’s upper body while pushing on their thighs, and as a result reduces stress on the user’s lower back by 15kg.
By mimicking human motion, the PLN-01 named “Ninja” assists the user’s motion while walking and running, for instance hiking up steep mountain paths during afforestation. An upper body unit of the “Ninja” is currently being developed, which will help lift and carry heavy items.
The Power Loader is a powerful suit that can be used during disaster relief, construction, and public works. It has four sensors in the hands and feet that control 20 motors.
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