Stair negotiation made easier using novel interactive energy-recycling assistive stairs.
Here we show that novel, energy-recycling stairs reduce the amount of work required for humans to both ascend and descend stairs. Our low-power, interactive, and modular steps can be placed on existing staircases, storing energy during stair descent and returning that energy to the user during stair...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2017-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5507489?pdf=render |
| _version_ | 1818146286585511936 |
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| author | Yun Seong Song Sehoon Ha Hsiang Hsu Lena H Ting C Karen Liu |
| author_facet | Yun Seong Song Sehoon Ha Hsiang Hsu Lena H Ting C Karen Liu |
| author_sort | Yun Seong Song |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Here we show that novel, energy-recycling stairs reduce the amount of work required for humans to both ascend and descend stairs. Our low-power, interactive, and modular steps can be placed on existing staircases, storing energy during stair descent and returning that energy to the user during stair ascent. Energy is recycled through event-triggered latching and unlatching of passive springs without the use of powered actuators. When ascending the energy-recycling stairs, naive users generated 17.4 ± 6.9% less positive work with their leading legs compared to conventional stairs, with the knee joint positive work reduced by 37.7 ± 10.5%. Users also generated 21.9 ± 17.8% less negative work with their trailing legs during stair descent, with ankle joint negative work reduced by 26.0 ± 15.9%. Our low-power energy-recycling stairs have the potential to assist people with mobility impairments during stair negotiation on existing staircases. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T12:16:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-78685f2d5e184d4b99c3d5285937ea1d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T12:16:56Z |
| publishDate | 2017-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-78685f2d5e184d4b99c3d5285937ea1d2022-12-22T01:07:38ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032017-01-01127e017963710.1371/journal.pone.0179637Stair negotiation made easier using novel interactive energy-recycling assistive stairs.Yun Seong SongSehoon HaHsiang HsuLena H TingC Karen LiuHere we show that novel, energy-recycling stairs reduce the amount of work required for humans to both ascend and descend stairs. Our low-power, interactive, and modular steps can be placed on existing staircases, storing energy during stair descent and returning that energy to the user during stair ascent. Energy is recycled through event-triggered latching and unlatching of passive springs without the use of powered actuators. When ascending the energy-recycling stairs, naive users generated 17.4 ± 6.9% less positive work with their leading legs compared to conventional stairs, with the knee joint positive work reduced by 37.7 ± 10.5%. Users also generated 21.9 ± 17.8% less negative work with their trailing legs during stair descent, with ankle joint negative work reduced by 26.0 ± 15.9%. Our low-power energy-recycling stairs have the potential to assist people with mobility impairments during stair negotiation on existing staircases.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5507489?pdf=render |
| spellingShingle | Yun Seong Song Sehoon Ha Hsiang Hsu Lena H Ting C Karen Liu Stair negotiation made easier using novel interactive energy-recycling assistive stairs. PLoS ONE |
| title | Stair negotiation made easier using novel interactive energy-recycling assistive stairs. |
| title_full | Stair negotiation made easier using novel interactive energy-recycling assistive stairs. |
| title_fullStr | Stair negotiation made easier using novel interactive energy-recycling assistive stairs. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Stair negotiation made easier using novel interactive energy-recycling assistive stairs. |
| title_short | Stair negotiation made easier using novel interactive energy-recycling assistive stairs. |
| title_sort | stair negotiation made easier using novel interactive energy recycling assistive stairs |
| url | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5507489?pdf=render |
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