A 3 wire body weight support system for a large treadmill

Abstract

A 3 DoF parallel cable driven body weight support (BWS) system has been developed for the University of Utah's Treadport Locomotion Interface, for purposes of rehabilitation, simulation of steep slopes, and display of reduced gravity environments. The Treadport's large belt (6 by 10 feet) requires a multi-cable support system to ensure that the unloading forces are close to vertical. This paper presents the design and experimental validation, including the system model and force control.