Study on the Compact MR fluid Brake for the Training and Sporting Equipment for Leg Rehabilitation

Abstract In this study, the training and sporting equipment for leg rehabilitation featuring the MR fluids is proposed. The compact MR fluid brake is designed and manufactured to apply to the rehabilitation training and sporting mechanism. The resistance characteristic of the MR fluid brake is controllable by varying the magnetic field around the fluid. Under consideration of spatial limitation, design parameters which are related with the magnetic strength are determined to maximize to a torque using finite element method. The FE analysis is performed using a commercial code, ANSYS Workbench. The proposed brake device is manufactured, and its field-dependant torque is experimentally evaluated. When the electric current is supplied, the torque of the MR fluid brake is increased and the response is very fast. Depending on the strength of the current supply, torque