Particle filter based lower limb prediction and motion control for JAIST Active Robotic Walker

This paper presents an interactive control for our assistive robotic walker, the JAIST Active Robotic Walker (JARoW), developed for elderly people in need of walking assistance. The focus of our paper is placed on how to estimate the user's walking parameters by sensing the locations of lower limbs and to predict his or her walking patterns. For this purpose, a particle-filter-based prediction technique and a motion controller are developed to help JARoW smoothly generate the direction and velocity of its movements in a way that reflects the prediction. The proposed scheme and its implementation are described in detail, and outdoor experiments are performed to demonstrate its effectiveness and feasibility in everyday environments.