Wearable device, assist suit, and joint structure of humanoid robot

Abstract

To provide a wearable device, which is configured to be worn by an experienced person. and includes a shoulder portion, and, which can, unlike conventional ones, reflect the joint structure of the shoulder so as to provide the experienced person with comfortable use feeling and furthermore can reproduce complicated shoulder motion such as pitching operation at the time of wearing of the wearable device.SOLUTION: There are provided: a shoulder joint body; and a wearable device, powered suit, assist suit, prosthetic arm, and other devices that comprise the shoulder joint body. The shoulder joint body is characterized in that: a direction of a rotary axis of a first joint bearing of the shoulder joint body, with respect to a truncus part or a corpus claviculae, is oriented in "isometric arrangement" or "semi-isometric arrangement"; a rotary axis of a second joint bearing of the shoulder joint body crosses the rotary axis of the first joint baring of the shoulder joint body; and an intersection thereof and a center of a joint ball of a wearer matches with each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a wearable device, an assist suit, and a joint structure of a humanoid robot and an application device thereof. [Background technology]

[0002] Recently, remote communication and teleworking have been widely introduced, but face-to-face work is also necessary in medical and nursing care settings. As a countermeasure to these problems and to the labor shortage and aging society, robot systems that can experience remote environments have been actively researched and developed. "Patent Document 1" describes the development of a robot arm system that allows humans to experience not only tactile environments, but also thermal tactile environments and thermal flow environments (atmospheric environments, high-temperature objects, hot water, hot air, etc.). In this system, the remote side and the operator side are reproduced in both directions, so that the operator can touch people and objects in remote locations and feel their temperature, hardness, and size, as well as transmit the operator's gripping force and body temperature to the object.

[0003] "Non-Patent Document 1" describes a telethermal haptics technology that allows users to experience a thermal environment in a remote location. Specifically, a heater is placed in contact with the surface of a finger, making it possible to reproduce the thermal environment on the heating side, and the effect of contact force on temperature detection was evaluated when reproducing the sensation of warm and cold in a haptic wearable device. Thus, even if one simply experiences a thermal environment in a remote location, accurate reproducibility of movement is required between the wearable device worn by the user and the remote robot in order to obtain mechanical information such as contact force. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Title: "Warmth and cold sensation presentation unit main body, warmth and cold sensation presentation unit, and wearable device equipped with them" Patent application No. 2023-101705 Application date: June 21, 2023 [Non-patent literature]

[0005] [Non-Patent Document 1] Yojiro Ishino, Toshiyuki Tsurutani, Kouki Ouchi, “Development of a Thermal Haptics Robot Arm for Experiencing Thermal and Tactile Environments in Remote Locations”, Environmental Engineering Symposium, (2018) [Non-Patent Document 2] Hirose, Shigeo, "Robotics (revised edition) - Vector analysis of mechanical systems", Shokabo, 1996, p.156. [Non-Patent Document 3] Hiroshi Shimojima and Osamu Sato, "Introduction to Mechanical Engineering 8: Robotics", Morikita Publishing, 1999, p.11. [Non-Patent Document 4] Tsuneo Yoshikawa, "Fundamentals of Robot Control", Corona Publishing, 1988. p.61. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In describing this invention, a wearable device is a device that is attached to an operator (mainly humans, but also other living beings and robots. However, terms such as the names of joints are intended for humans.)

[0007] The wearable device targeted in this description targets the human body range from the torso to the arms.

[0008] A wearable device as a telehaptic device needs to operate smoothly in response to any action by the operator.

[0009] Of the joints in the human body that are targeted, the one that is most difficult to achieve smooth movement in is the shoulder joint in a broad sense, and the maker of a shoulder prosthesis for a Paralympic athlete has been reported to have said, "I can make prosthetic limbs from the elbow down, but I have never made an upper arm prosthesis that goes from the shoulder down" (Nikkei Shimbun Evening Edition, March 11, 2022), and no shoulder prosthesis with mobility was produced.

[0010] As such, the shoulder joint (glenohumeral joint) is a ball-and-socket joint consisting of the humeral head and the glenoid cavity, as shown in Figure 1, and because it moves in three dimensions, it is difficult to understand, and no "wearable device for the shoulder" has been developed that allows smooth movement enough to be worn without stress.

[0011] If such a device could be realized, it would be possible to develop a wearable device that reproduces the haptic sensation in a remote location or in the metaverse space, and if the remote robot operated by the wearable device has the same shoulder joint structure, it would be extremely easy to control the robot from the wearable device. Also, if a motor or other driving force is applied to the wearable device, it would be easy to develop a highly accurate and inexpensive shoulder / arm assist suit (powered suit). As will be described later, it has been shown that even when wearing the wearable device, it does not interfere with the movement of the shoulder joint, and smooth movements are possible as if the wearer was not wearing it. This can be used for baseball pitching and other sports, as a sports aid, and as a teaching device (enabling the wearer to reproduce the movements of a professional player throwing a ball at 160km / h).

[0012] The wearable device receives position and posture information from an avatar robot (having the same physical configuration as the wearable device) placed in a remote location (including cyberspace such as the metaverse), and is driven to assume the same position and posture. The operator wearing the wearable device is physically restrained by the wearable device and experiences the behavior of the avatar robot in the remote location. When the operator applies a desired force to the force sensor of the wearable device while in the wearable device, the force signal drives the avatar robot.

[0013] A powered suit can be constructed by powering a wearable device using signals from a force sensor in the wearable device. Avatar robots, which have a similar physical configuration to wearable devices, can provide humanoid robots that behave in a manner very similar to humans by using built-in computers or controlling them externally.

[0014] As an example of prior art, both "Non-Patent Document 2" and "Non-Patent Document 3" show a diagram of a humanoid robot arm (first from the left in Figure 2, redrawn by the applicant while maintaining the structure), in which the shoulder joint is composed of a pivot joint with three degrees of freedom. In this configuration, the axis of the first shoulder joint, which is the first joint from the trunk, is aligned in the front-to-back direction (horizontal) of the trunk. In this configuration, if the arm is raised horizontally to the side from the elbow extended position as shown in FIG. 2 (FIG. 2 (FIG. 2 (FIG. 2)) and then extended forward (FIG. 2 (FIG. 2 (FIG. 2)), the arm cannot be lowered afterwards, which is an inconvenience.

[0015] Even if this configuration is changed, for example, if the axis direction of the first shoulder joint is vertical (Fig. 3, Fig. 1), the same inconvenience occurs. That is, unlike Fig. 2, after the same movement as Fig. 2, it is possible to lower the arm that is stretched horizontally forward (Fig. 3, Fig. 3, Fig. 4), but conversely, it is not possible to directly raise the arm horizontally forward from the state of Fig. 3, Fig. 3, Fig. 2.

[0016] In addition, if the axis direction of the first joint of the shoulder joint is horizontal to the side (Fig. 4, Fig. 1), the arm cannot be thrust forward from the position shown in Fig. 4, Fig. 4, Fig. 4, and cannot be lowered from the position shown in Fig. 4, Fig. 4.

[0017] In order to correct these problems, Non-Patent Document 4 proposes a method for avoiding these problems by "utilizing the redundancy of a four-degree-of-freedom wrist mechanism" in the structure of the robot's wrist. However, there is no effective description of the shoulder joint, and it is not advisable to increase the degrees of freedom.

[0018] When using these configurations for a robot's shoulder joint, it is possible to prepare the joint in advance by rotating it according to the direction of movement through calculations by the internal computer; however, for a wearable device worn by a person, each part of the wearable device needs to move in response to the movement of the wearer's body parts, so these shoulder joint structures cannot be adopted.

[0019] Furthermore, in the shoulder joint structures of the humanoid robots in "Non-Patent Document 2" and "Non-Patent Document 3," the significance of structures related to the clavicle, such as the sternoclavicular joint and the acromioclavicular joint (see FIG. 1), is not understood. Even if these can be ignored as robot technology, they do not provide the smoother and more precise movements required for wearable devices.

[0020] Of the joints in the human body that are the target, the one that is most difficult to achieve smooth movement in is the shoulder joint in a broad sense, and the maker of a shoulder prosthesis for a Paralympic athlete has been reported to have said, "I can make prosthetic limbs from the elbow down, but I have never made an upper arm prosthesis that starts from the shoulder" (Nikkei Shimbun Evening Edition, March 11, 2022), and no shoulder prosthesis with mobility was produced.

[0021] As such, the shoulder joint (glenohumeral joint) is a ball-and-socket joint consisting of the humeral head and the glenoid cavity, as shown in Figure 1, and because it moves in three dimensions, it is difficult to understand, and no "wearable device for the shoulder" has been developed that allows smooth movement enough to be worn without stress. [Means for solving the problem]

[0022] The present invention that solves the above problems is as follows.

[0023] [1] A shoulder joint body, characterized in that the direction of the rotation axis of the shoulder joint body first joint bearing relative to the trunk or clavicle body is a "quasi-isometric arrangement" including the "isometric arrangement" shown in Figure 5 or Figure 6, and the rotation axis of the shoulder joint body second joint bearing intersects with the rotation axis of the shoulder joint body first joint bearing; and a humanoid robot or other device equipped with the shoulder joint body. [2] A shoulder joint body, characterized in that the direction of the rotation axis of the shoulder joint body first joint bearing relative to the trunk or clavicle body is a "quasi-isometric arrangement" including the "isometric arrangement" shown in Figure 5 or Figure 6, the rotation axis of the shoulder joint body second joint bearing intersects with the rotation axis of the shoulder joint body first joint bearing, and the intersection point coincides with the center of the joint ball of the wearer's shoulder joint; and a wearable device, powered suit, assist suit, prosthetic hand, or other device equipped with the shoulder joint body. [3] A shoulder joint body or device as described in [1] or [2], characterized in that the shoulder joint body first joint bearing is an "open bearing", preventing interference when raising the arm or arm holder connected to the shoulder joint body second joint bearing and expanding the range of motion of the arm or arm holder. [4] A shoulder joint body or device described in [1] or [2], characterized in that it is connected to a movable clavicular body by a sternoclavicular joint body. [5] The device described in [2], characterized in that it is connected to a movable clavicular body by a sternoclavicular joint body having a virtual center within the wearer's body. [6] The device described in [2], characterized in that when the clavicle body is not used, it is connected and attached to the trunk by the acromion rest without requiring a fixing device to the trunk, and when the movable clavicle body is used, the moving force is obtained from the acromion rest. [7] A "shoulder joint ball centering gauge" that is installed in a component between the shoulder joint second joint bearing and the humeral rotation bearing so as to function constantly or when necessary, and that aligns the center of the joint ball of the wearer's shoulder joint with the intersection of the shoulder joint first joint axis and the shoulder joint second joint axis based on the shape of the wearer's shoulder, without the need for avoided palpation or expensive X-ray equipment or ultrasonic echography. [8] A trunk holder, or a trunk holder for attachment to the sternoclavicular joint, characterized in that it is fixed between one side of the neck and the opposite side of the armpit so as not to interfere with movement. [9] A hip joint body, characterized in that the direction of the rotation axis of the hip joint body first joint bearing relative to the trunk or waist is in a "quasi-isometric arrangement" and the rotation axis of the hip joint body second joint bearing intersects with the rotation axis of the hip joint body first joint bearing, and a humanoid robot or other device equipped with the hip joint body.

[10] A hip joint body, characterized in that the direction of the rotation axis of the hip joint body first joint bearing relative to the trunk or waist is in a "quasi-isometric arrangement", the rotation axis of the hip joint body second joint bearing intersects with the rotation axis of the hip joint body first joint bearing, and the intersection point coincides with the center of the wearer's hip joint ball, as well as a wearable device, a powered suit, an assist suit, a prosthetic leg, or other device comprising the hip joint body. Effect of the Invention

[0024] According to the joint structure or device of the present invention, It targets the trunk, arms and legs, including the shoulder and hip joints. (1) A wearable device as a telehaptic device that operates smoothly in response to any motion by an operator; (2) Smooth-movement prosthetic limbs and assistive devices, (3) Remote robots that work in conjunction with wearable devices that are easy to control; (4) Humanoid robots that behave like humans, (5) Sports experience and practice devices, etc. can be provided. In particular, we have received reports (impressions) that the wearable device we created, which can reproduce the pitching motion of a baseball, has a wide range of motion, and is so smooth that you hardly feel it is being worn, has the potential to change people's lifestyles. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows the structure of the human arm drive joints (left side). [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a shoulder joint structure of a humanoid robot arm (wherein the first joint axis is in the horizontal front-back direction) cited from a non-patent document. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a modified shoulder joint structure of the humanoid robot arm in FIG. 2 (part 1: the first joint axis is in the vertical direction). [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a modified shoulder joint structure of the humanoid robot arm in FIG. 2 (part 2: the first joint axis is in the horizontal lateral direction). [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the movement of the arm of the humanoid robot (embodiment 1) in which the axis direction of the first joint bearing of the shoulder joint body is in an "isometric arrangement." [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the structure of a humanoid robot (embodiment 2) having a clavicle body and an axial direction of a first joint bearing of a shoulder joint body in an "isometric arrangement." [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the overall structure (front) of embodiment 3. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the overall structure (details, front view) of the third embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the overall structure (details, top) of embodiment 3. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the overall structure of the third embodiment (details, front view of the first joint bearing of the shoulder joint body). [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the overall structure of the third embodiment (details, diagonally rear view). [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the overall structure of the third embodiment (detailed view from the rear). [Figure 13] 13 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the third embodiment (when the arm is raised to a substantially horizontal position). FIG. [Figure 14] 13 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the third embodiment (when the arm is raised to the maximum). FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the entire wearable device of a third embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a trunk holder for installing a sternoclavicular joint body (including a sternoclavicular joint body) according to a third embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the change in horizontal angle of the sternoclavicular joint body of the third embodiment when the clavicle body is protruded forward. [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the change in horizontal angle of the sternoclavicular joint body in embodiment 3 when the clavicle body is retracted. [Figure 19] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the change in the vertical angle of the sternoclavicular joint body rail part of the third embodiment when the clavicle body is horizontal. [Figure 20] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the change in the vertical angle of the sternoclavicular joint body rail part in the third embodiment when the clavicle body is elevated upward. [Figure 21] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the sternoclavicular joint body pulley part to the first shoulder joint bearing pulley part of the shoulder joint body (including the acromion rest part) of the third embodiment. The acromion rest is fixed or loosely fixed to the clavicle body. The space between the clavicle body and the first shoulder joint bearing pulley part of the shoulder joint body does not have to be fixed. The angle may be changed by a link with another part, etc. [Figure 22] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a first joint bearing rail portion of a shoulder joint body (including a first and second joint distance adjusting rail portion of a shoulder joint body) of a third embodiment. [Diagram 23] FIG. 13 is a view showing a section from the pulley part of the sternoclavicular joint body to the first and second joint distance adjustment rail parts of the shoulder joint body in the third embodiment. [Figure 24] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the sternoclavicular joint body pulley part to the arm holder (the part of the shoulder joint body beyond the second joint = upper arm rest, upper arm rotation bearing, elbow joint rest) of the third embodiment. [Diagram 25] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the movement of the second joint of the shoulder joint body in the third embodiment when the upper arm rest is perpendicular to the first joint rail portion of the shoulder joint body. [Figure 26] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the movement of the second joint of the shoulder joint body in the third embodiment when the upper arm rest is at the maximum elevation angle relative to the first joint rail portion of the shoulder joint body. [Figure 27] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the movement of the arm holder of embodiment 3 (clavicle body grasped by hand and viewed from above. The top of the photograph is the front of the body. The arm is in a hanging position). [Figure 28]FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the movement of the arm holder of embodiment 3 (the clavicle body is grasped by the hand and viewed from above. The top of the photograph is the front of the body. The state in which the hanging arm swings diagonally backward is reproduced). [Figure 29] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the movement of the arm holder of embodiment 3 (the clavicle body is grasped by the hand and viewed from above. The top of the photograph is the front of the body. The state in which the hanging arm swings diagonally forward is reproduced). [Diagram 30] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a shoulder joint ball centering gauge according to a third embodiment. [Diagram 31] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the state in which the shoulder joint ball centering gauge of the third embodiment is used. [Diagram 32] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a composite sequence of photographs showing a state in which a pitching motion is experienced and verified while actually wearing the wearable device of embodiment 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0026] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and changes, modifications, and improvements can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0027] In addition, the description in this specification will be given with the left shoulder in mind, but since the human body can be considered to be symmetrical, the same applies to the right shoulder.

[0028] This technology focuses on the human shoulder joint, but can also be applied to other animals with a similar joint structure.

[0029] In the present invention, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, a joint arrangement (embodiment 1 and embodiment 2) is proposed in which the direction of the first joint axis of the shoulder joint body is greatly inclined "upward, forward, and to the side."

[0030] Based on this, we also produced a prototype of a wearable device (embodiment 3).

[0031] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the movement of the arm of the humanoid robot (embodiment 1) in which the axis direction of the first joint bearing of the shoulder joint body is in the "isometric arrangement." Since only the end faces of the rotation axis are shown in Figure 5, it can be seen that the rotation axis of the first shoulder joint is perpendicular to the page. Considering that Figure 5 is an isometric drawing, this joint axis arrangement can be called the "(111) arrangement" or "isometric arrangement."

[0032] The operation of FIG. 5 (first embodiment) will be described. In Fig. 5, Fig. 2, the arm is hanging down, but in Fig. 3, it is raised horizontally to the side, in Fig. 4, it passes diagonally in front while remaining horizontal, and in Fig. 5, the arm changes direction to horizontally forward. Moreover, in Fig. 6, the arm successfully hangs down, which was not possible in Fig. 2, Fig. 3, and Fig. 4, demonstrating the effect of the "isometric arrangement."

[0033] By the way, this arrangement of joint axes can be experienced using one's own body as described below in (1), (2), and (3), and it can be said that it is a natural choice as a physical mechanism for reproducing the movements of a human arm. (1) It is difficult to keep the outstretched arm hanging down and pointing it behind the back (since the arm cannot be used at this angle, this direction is considered to be a singular posture = the first joint axis of the shoulder joint). (2) It is extremely easy to hold the outstretched arm down and point it ventrally (forward), allowing for delicate movements (because it has been released from the singular posture). (3) When the arm is stretched downward and moved diagonally forward, diagonally to the side and diagonally downward (raised slightly), and swung back and forth around the axis of rotation of the first shoulder joint, a movement that feels smooth and does not use any muscles is obtained. The second shoulder joint axis is perpendicular to the first shoulder joint axis and is rotated by the first shoulder joint. The rotation of the second shoulder joint rotates the upper arm in the up and down direction.

[0034] "Isometric position" refers to the direction of the first joint axis of the shoulder joint body when viewed from above vertically, "45° outward and forward (azimuth angle when the front of the body is 0° and the side is 90°), and an elevation angle of 35.2644° upward from the horizontal." This direction is the direction when moving forward, sideways, and upward by one length each.

[0035] In addition, "quasi-isometric arrangement" refers to the direction of the first joint axis of the shoulder joint body when viewed vertically from above, "diagonally outward and forward (45° ± 30° (15° to 75°) when the front of the body is 0° and the side is 90°) with an elevation angle of 10° to 60°." "Isometric arrangement" is a special case of "quasi-isometric arrangement," and "quasi-isometric arrangement" includes "isometric arrangement."

[0036] The reference for the azimuth and elevation angles is when the trunk, clavicle body, and scapular body, which are the parts to which the shoulder joint body is attached, are in their normal positions, but the movable clavicle body may also be used as the reference.

[0037] You can also experience the above "quasi-isometric positioning" with your own body using the method below. Taking the left shoulder as an example, first stand upright, then place the right palm from the acromion to the collarbone and neck to hold down the left shoulder joint. Then, without exerting much force, swing the left arm widely without paying attention to the direction, with the elbow extended, and you will naturally experience a "diagonal pendulum-like oscillation" between the rear-side and the front of the body, which is "easy" and places less strain on the muscles. Conversely, if you focus on oscillations in the front-back or left-right directions, you will end up with an unnatural movement that puts strain on the shoulder muscles. You will also find that a similar "diagonal pendulum-like oscillation" is comfortable if you raise the height of your arm diagonally upwards from a hanging position. This has been confirmed by having several people (men and women in their twenties) try this.

[0038] Unlike a robot arm on a sufficiently large base, when the arms are grown from a slender trunk, such as in a humanoid robot, wearable device, or assist suit (powered suit), it is necessary to set the singular posture in a position that does not cause any problems. In this invention, the first joint axis of the shoulder joint body is arranged isometrically, so that it can be set in an upward position where it is difficult to raise the arm, or in a downward position behind the arm that the arm cannot reach. In this case, there is no problem with the range of motion of the arm for a normal human being. In addition, since humans often perform high-precision work in front of the body (for example, in front of the navel) even when they are below the body, the orientation of the first joint axis of the shoulder joint is away from the front of the body, enabling smooth control.

[0039] Up to this point, we have thought of the shoulder joint in a broad sense as a single "ball joint," but if a wearable device were to be created based solely on this idea, there would be a sense of restriction when the upper arm moved up and down or back and forth.

[0040] The human shoulder joint has a ball-and-socket joint called the "scapular glenoid fossa (top of the scapula)," which is the recess of the ball-and-socket joint, as well as the sternal side of the clavicle (the "sternoclavicular joint" = two degrees of freedom) and the acromion side (the "acromio-clavicular joint") (see Figure 1). As a wearable device, it is necessary to reproduce the movement of the clavicle. If this could be reproduced, it would even be possible to "reproduce the movement of a baseball pitcher rotating his shoulder to throw the ball."

[0041] In Fig. 6 (embodiment 2), the axis direction of the shoulder joint first joint bearing is set to "isometric arrangement" and a structural example of a humanoid robot (embodiment 2) equipped with a clavicle body is shown. In embodiment 3, the clavicle body is designed to be movable.

[0042] The sternoclavicular joint is a cartilage joint that connects the sternum and clavicle, and is located under the skin. Also, humanoid robots that do not recognize the movement of the clavicle as the rotation of the sternoclavicular joint in the front-back direction, but simply recognize it as the change in the distance of the acromion to the sternum, and replace the clavicle with two actuators that change length are sometimes seen, but because the degrees of freedom are increased, it is difficult to say that it is appropriate as a wearable device.

[0043] 7 to 32 show diagrams (photographic examples) related to the produced wearable device (embodiment 3). Features of the wearable device of this embodiment include that the direction of the first joint bearing axis of the shoulder joint body 58 is designed to be in a "quasi-isometric arrangement", that the clavicle body 53 is movable by the movement of the sternoclavicular joint body 52, and that the center of horizontal rotation of the sternoclavicular joint body is located inside the wearer's body.

[0044] A brief explanation of each figure is provided below. FIG. 7 shows the overall structure (front view). FIG. 8 shows the overall structure (detail, front view). FIG. 9 shows the overall structure (detail, top). FIG. 10 shows the overall structure (detailed view, front view of the first joint bearing of the shoulder joint body). FIG. 11 shows the overall structure (detailed, diagonal rear view). FIG. 12 shows the overall structure (detailed, from the rear). FIG. 13 shows an explanation of the operation (with the arm raised to approximately horizontal). FIG. 14 shows an explanation of the movement (when the arm is raised to the maximum). FIG. 15 shows the entire wearable device. FIG. 16 shows a trunk holder for installation of the sternoclavicular joint body (including the sternoclavicular joint body). Figure 17 shows the change in horizontal angle of the sternoclavicular joint body when the clavicle body is protruded forward. Figure 18 shows the change in the horizontal angle of the sternoclavicular joint body when the clavicle body is retracted. FIG. 19 shows the change in the vertical angle of the rail of the sternoclavicular joint when the clavicle body is horizontal. FIG. 20 shows the change in the vertical angle of the rail of the sternoclavicular joint when the clavicle body is elevated upward. Figure 21 shows the sternoclavicular joint body trochlea part to the first shoulder joint bearing trochlea part of the shoulder joint body (including the acromion rest part). The acromion rest is fixed or loosely fixed to the clavicle body. The area between the clavicle body and the first shoulder joint bearing trochlea part of the shoulder joint body does not have to be fixed. The angle may be changed by linking with other parts, etc. FIG. 22 shows a shoulder joint body first joint bearing rail portion (including a shoulder joint body first and second joint distance adjustment rail portion). FIG. 23 shows the area from the sternoclavicular joint body pulley portion to the shoulder joint body first and second inter-joint distance adjustment rail portion. Figure 24 shows the sternoclavicular joint body pulley part to the arm holder (the part of the shoulder joint body beyond the second joint = upper arm rest, upper arm rotation bearing, elbow joint rest). FIG. 25 is a diagram showing the movement of the second joint of the shoulder joint body (when the upper arm rest is perpendicular to the first joint rail portion of the shoulder joint body). FIG. 26 shows the movement of the second joint of the shoulder joint body when the upper arm rest is at the maximum elevation angle with respect to the first joint rail portion of the shoulder joint body. FIG. 27 shows the movement of the arm holder (clavicle body grasped by hand, viewed from above. The top of the photograph is the front of the body. The arm is in a hanging position). FIG. 28 shows the movement of the arm holder (clavicle body grasped by hand and viewed from above. The top of the photograph is the front of the body. The state in which the hanging arm swings diagonally backward is reproduced). Figure 29 shows the movement of the arm holder (clavicle body grasped by hand, viewed from above. The top of the photograph is the front of the body. The state in which the hanging arm swings diagonally forward is reproduced). Figure 30 shows a "shoulder joint ball center alignment gauge." This "shoulder joint ball center alignment gauge" is based on the human shoulder joint structure in Figure 1 and is able to find the center of the joint ball as the center of the spherical cup from the shape of the shoulder, and the center of the spherical cup is aligned in advance with the intersection of the first joint axis of the shoulder joint body and the second joint axis of the shoulder joint body. In Figures 30 and 31, due to insufficient adjustment, the center of the shoulder joint ball is not properly located. The "shoulder joint ball center alignment gauge" is permanently or temporarily installed between the second joint bearing of the shoulder joint body and the upper arm rotation bearing. FIG. 31 shows the use of a shoulder joint ball centering gauge. The wearable device created as described above was actually worn and used as shown in the composite sequence photographs in Figure 32. The wearable device was actually worn and the pitching motion was experienced and verified, and it was confirmed to be extremely smooth to use. Most of the wearable device is made of stainless steel, and the total weight is approximately 2.5 kg, making it lightweight.

[0045] In addition, in the case of other human joints (for example, the hip joint, which is a ball joint), if the first axis is oriented in a quasi-isometric direction in the forward, lateral, and upward direction, a device with good reproducibility can be designed. For example, as a specific design example, a C-type open bearing may be placed as the first joint bearing in the front of the flank (embodiment 4) or near the center of the buttocks (embodiment 5). The placement of the second joint bearing, etc. may also be as shown in this specification.

[0046] In telehaptics technology, if the wearable device and the remote robot are configured in the same way, there is no need to perform joint drive angle conversion calculations using a computer or the like. Instead, a position servomotor, a force servomotor, and a force sensor are placed on each joint, and remote operation is possible simply by driving each of them. Therefore, the structure proposed in this paper is adopted as the structure of a remote robot in real haptics technology. This proposed structure is also adopted as the structure of a physically driven avatar in virtual haptics technology that targets the metaverse space. Furthermore, this proposed structure provides the joint structure of a power assist device for subjects with existing arms, and provides the structure of a prosthetic body for subjects without existing arms. The structure proposed in this paper can also be used for lower limbs and hip joints. [Industrial Applicability]

[0047] Applications include wearable devices and remote robots for telehaptics, wearable devices and remote robots for telethermal haptics systems, humanoid robots, shoulder prostheses, hip prostheses, powered suits, assist suits, etc. High growth is expected in the future market for humanoid robots, assist suits for the elderly, powered suits for workers, and sports experience and training devices for young people. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 49: Mannequin display stand 50: Sternoclavicular joint body elevation rotation axis 51: Trunk holder for sternoclavicular joint attachment 52: Sternoclavicular joint body 53: Clavicular body 54: Sternoclavicular joint rail 55: Trochlea of ​​the sternoclavicular joint 56: Shoulder joint first and second joint distance adjustment rail 57: Acromion rest connection part 58: Shoulder joint body first joint bearing 59: Shoulder joint body first joint bearing rail part 60: Shoulder joint body first joint bearing pulley part 61: Acromion rest 62: Arm holder (upper arm rest, upper arm rotation bearing, elbow joint rest) 63: Shoulder joint, second joint 64: Upper arm rest 65: Upper arm rotation bearing 66: Elbow joint rest 67: Shoulder joint ball centering gauge

Claims

1. A shoulder joint body, characterized in that the direction of the rotation axis of a first joint bearing of a shoulder joint body relative to a trunk or a clavicle body is a "quasi-isometric arrangement" including an "isometric arrangement", and the rotation axis of a second joint bearing of the shoulder joint body intersects with the rotation axis of the first joint bearing of the shoulder joint body; and a humanoid robot or other device equipped with the shoulder joint body.

2. A shoulder joint body, characterized in that the direction of the rotation axis of the shoulder joint body first joint bearing relative to the trunk or clavicle body is a "quasi-isometric arrangement" including an "isometric arrangement", the rotation axis of the shoulder joint body second joint bearing intersects with the rotation axis of the shoulder joint body first joint bearing, and the intersection point coincides with the center of the joint ball of the wearer's shoulder joint; and a wearable device, powered suit, assist suit, prosthetic hand, or other device equipped with the shoulder joint body.

3. 3. The shoulder joint body or device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the first joint bearing of the shoulder joint body is an "open bearing", preventing interference when the arm or arm holder connected to the second joint bearing is raised, and expanding the range of motion of the arm or arm holder.

4. 3. A shoulder joint body or device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it is connected to the mobilised clavicle bodies by a sternoclavicular joint body.

5. 3. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that it is connected to the clavicle bodies rendered mobile by a sternoclavicular joint body having a virtual center within the wearer's body.

6. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that when the clavicle body is not used, it is connected and attached to the trunk by the acromion rest without requiring a fixing device to the trunk, and when the movable clavicle body is used, a moving force is obtained from the acromion rest.

7. A "shoulder joint ball center alignment gauge" is installed in a member between the shoulder joint second joint bearing and the upper arm rotation bearing so as to function constantly or when necessary, and aligns the center of the joint ball of the wearer's shoulder joint with the intersection of the shoulder joint first joint axis and the shoulder joint second joint axis based on the shape of the wearer's shoulder.

8. A trunk holder or a trunk holder for mounting on a sternoclavicular joint, characterized in that it is fixed between one side of the neck and the opposite side of the armpit

9. A hip joint body, characterized in that the direction of the rotation axis of a hip joint body first joint bearing relative to the trunk or waist is in a "quasi-isometric arrangement", and the rotation axis of a hip joint body second joint bearing intersects with the rotation axis of the hip joint body first joint bearing, and a humanoid robot or other device equipped with the hip joint body.

10. A hip joint body, characterized in that the direction of the rotation axis of the hip joint body first joint bearing is in a "quasi-isometric arrangement" relative to the trunk or waist, the rotation axis of the hip joint body second joint bearing intersects with the rotation axis of the hip joint body first joint bearing, and the intersection point coincides with the center of the joint ball of the wearer's hip joint; and a wearable device, powered suit, assist suit, prosthetic leg, or other device equipped with the hip joint body.

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