A Sit-to-Stand Assisting Device for Accomplishing Daily-Life Activities

In this paper, the design, simulation, and prototyping of a novel assisting device are proposed to accomplish the Sit-To-Stand—STS operation, which is a common action performed several times in everyday life activity but can be challenging for people with reduced mobility or strength. The above-mentioned operation is determined by a changing of posture, from seated to standing and vice-versa, and needs strength, coordination, and balance. Elderly or fragile individuals may need help in accomplish this action and many other daily-life activities, usually performed by caregivers. The development of advanced technologies may improve the quality of life of fragile individuals by increasing their autonomy in such common operations. This paper deals with the development of a STS device, which can be eventually embedded in chairs or sofas. We have focused the attention on the specific task since it is crucial for daily-life and has clinical significance. The design and simulation results are proposed, and first prototype had been built in real scale for first experimental tests on the developed solution.