This paper presents the development of a civil-use carrying assistive apparatus, which is pragmatic for its high cost performance and flexibility. It functions in situations where carrying is common, filling up the gap of exoskeletons for daily tasks. Using motor-driven steel cables, this apparatus assists two frequently used parts of the operator: upper limbs and psoas. The assistance of the upper limbs concerns vertical actions, and is achieved by a windlass-like process. The assistance of the psoas concerns helping the operator bend and straightening, and is joined by a lower-limb structure that supports generating reactive force. To improve flexibility, a new clutch called electromagnetic jaw clutch was developed and used to help switch to a motion-free mode. The control system employs SCM STC89C52 as a core controller and contains force sensors, IMU and servo drivers. The test proved that the apparatus improves the carrying capability and has broad prospects.
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