Robot Suit Helps Farmers to Harvest

Seeing the number of elderly farmers, a professor of Japanese creative by creating a robot capable of supporting the elderly farmers.

Professor Shigeki Toyama of the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology Graduate School of Engineering created a tool to reduce the physical burden of farmers.

Quoted from Cnet, Tuesday (08/24/2010), as many as 60% of the population who work as farmers in the country of Japan was 65 years old. At that age they become the main pillar of the workforce in the agricultural sector.

Although there has been agricultural machinery such as tractors and rice growers, but there are some types of work that still requires manual activities, such as when being harvested fruits, vegetables and trimming the branches of fruit trees.

For older farmers, working in a kneeling position for a long time is torture. So also with activities to bring the harvest in the back that made their bones become increasingly fragile.

By hearing these complaints, Toyama trying to create by creating a robot called ‘Power Assist’. This robot will be attached to the user’s body with a special strap.

Four wave ultrasonic motors that are in both sides of the knees and lower back capable of generating electricity. In addition, users can also set the arm for several positions.

When users need to work in a kneeling position or is bent, the robot is able to withstand body so as if the user were sitting in a chair. Robot motion can also be controlled using verbal commands through a microphone.

By using ultrasonic motors, which weigh 18 kg robot can be felt only 6 kg only. The scientists hope the robot can be traded for 500 000 Yen, two years ahead.

“By combining information technology, work efficiency can be improved so that it can increase profits for farmers. Through this robot, I wanted to show what kind of agriculture should be in the future,” said Toyama.

Power assist robot suit video: