Search

Recently, Japan (also world-wide countries) has become aged society, and a wide variety welfare device and system have been developed. But evaluation of welfare system and device are limited only stability, intensity and partial operability. Thus, evaluation of usefulness is insufficient. Evaluation of usefulness is necessity to consider about interaction of human and welfare device. In this paper, we measure load of sitting and standing movement to use EMG (Electromyogram) and 3D Motion Capture and set a goal to establish objective evaluation method. We think that establishing objective evaluation method is necessity to develop useful welfare device. We examined possibility of assessing load and fatigue from measuring brain activity to use NIRS (Near Infra-Red Spectroscopy). We think that measuring load and fatigue is very important for developing user-friendly welfare device. Idea of universal design is widespread in welfare device and system. Measuring require verification of all generations. However, we performed to measure younger subjects as a first step. We think that younger subjects were observed the significant difference, because they had enough physical function. Considering younger subjects as a benchmark is appropriate for creating evaluation method.

Visually impaired persons recognize their surrounding with a white cane or a guide dog while walking. This skill called "Orientation and Mobility" is difficult to learn. The training of the "Orientation and Mobility Skills" is performed at the school for visually impaired person. However, the evaluation of this skill is limited to subjective evaluation by teacher. We have proposed that quantitative evaluation of the "Orientation and Mobility Skills" is required. In this paper, we tried to execute the quantitative evaluation of the "Orientation and Mobility Skills" using brain activity measurements. In this experiment, brain activity was measured when subjects are walking in the corridor alone or with guide helper. Experimental subjects were sighted person who was blocked visual information during walking. The blood flow of prefrontal cortex was increased as the movement distance of the subject increased when subjects walk alone. From this result, it can be considered that the feeling of fear and the attention relayed to "Orientation and Mobility Skills" could be measured quantitatively by measuring human brain activities.