A motion-assisting robot

Abstract

The present invention discloses a motion-assisting robot, comprising: a base frame comprising a U-shaped base and a lifting column disposed on the U-shaped base; motion rollers disposed below the U-shaped base for carrying the motion-assisting robot in omnidirectional motion; a flexible cable for connecting the motion-assisting robot to a user; distance sensors disposed on both sides of the U-shaped base for collecting information on the movement of the user's lower limbs inside the U-shaped structure; a pressure sensor disposed at the top end of the lifting column for determining the user's direction of motion; an acceleration sensor disposed at the end of the flexible cable for determining the user's expected fall; and a control component disposed on the base frame for achieving overall control of the motion-assisting robot. The present invention utilizes multiple sensors to collaboratively determine the user's status and quickly respond, significantly reducing the burden on medical staff while enhancing the user's confidence in walking and rehabilitation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a rehabilitation robot, in particular to a motion assisting robot. Background Art

[0002] Currently, in nursing homes, hospitals, and home environments, the traditional method of assisting people with lower limb movement difficulties is to tie a belt or fixed strap around the waist of the assisted target. The caregiver firmly grasps the belt or strap from the back of the assisted target, while maintaining an appropriate degree of tightness, and follows the assisted target throughout the movement. During the following process, if the caregiver sees or feels that the assisted target is about to fall, the caregiver immediately lifts up the belt or strap to prevent the assisted target from falling. In particular, patients with stroke, geriatric diseases, lower limb orthopedic surgery, and spinal surgery require long-term active movement training in the later stages of rehabilitation to restore the motor function of the lower limb bones and muscle groups through targeted training. During this process, a caregiver is required to follow the patient's movements, guide the movements, and ensure safety. Fall protection is the main task of the caregiver during the movement following process, which requires long-term and strong support.

[0003] However, on the one hand, the traditional method has certain requirements on the height and strength of the caregivers, and female caregivers are usually not suitable for this task; on the other hand, the caregivers are mentally strained during the process of following the movements for a long time and paying constant attention to the trend of falls, which is a relatively mentally and physically exhausting process.

[0004] In addition, in traditional methods, medical staff will increase the movement burden of the assisted target by holding the belt or straps throughout the whole process, and the nursing staff following behind will also mentally restrict the assisted target's free movement and rehabilitation progress.

[0005] In addition, in traditional methods, medical staff judge possible falling trends by observation and feeling. This process has high professional requirements for the personnel. Moreover, different medical staff and rehabilitation doctors have obvious differences in the definition of this falling trend. A considerable proportion of fall judgments may be incorrect and even detrimental to the rehabilitation process. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In order to overcome the technical problems in the prior art, the present invention provides a motion-assisting robot, comprising: a basic frame, including a U-shaped base and a lifting column arranged on the U-shaped base; a motion roller, arranged under the U-shaped base, for carrying the motion-assisting robot for omnidirectional movement; a flexible cable, for connecting the motion-assisting robot and a user; a distance sensor, arranged on both sides of the U-shaped base, for collecting lower limb movement information of the user inside the U-shaped structure; a pressure sensor, arranged at the top end of the lifting column, for judging the user's movement direction; an acceleration sensor, arranged at the end of the flexible cable, for judging the user's expected fall; and a control component, arranged on the basic frame, for realizing overall control of the motion-assisting robot.

[0007] Furthermore, the motion-assisting robot also includes: a safety knot, provided at the end of the flexible cable, for fixedly connecting the flexible cable and the user, and the acceleration sensor is provided in the safety knot.

[0008] Preferably, the safety knot is connected to the strap around the waist or back of the user.

[0009] Preferably, the motion roller is a Mecanum wheel.

[0010] Preferably, the pressure sensor is a two-dimensional or three-dimensional force sensor.

[0011] Preferably, the height of the lifting column HW=a*H, wherein a is a following height coefficient, and 1.1≤a≤1.4, and H is the height of the user.

[0012] Preferably, the length LW of the flexible cable is equal to b*H, wherein b is a follow-up length coefficient, 0.1≤b≤0.4, and H is the height of the user.

[0013] Preferably, the control component is used to receive and process signals from the distance sensor, the pressure sensor and the acceleration sensor, and control the tightening of the flexible cable.

[0014] Furthermore, when the control component receives the user's lower limb movement information collected by the distance sensor and finds that there is no lower limb movement, and the pressure sensor data and the acceleration sensor data have an obvious increasing trend, the control component controls the flexible cable to tighten.

[0015] The motion-assisting robot provided by the present invention uses a low-cost sensor solution to replace the visual method, judges the user's status and responds quickly through multi-sensor collaboration, and can also improve the following experience and anti-fall response efficiency by matching the user's height, greatly reducing the burden on medical staff while enhancing the user's confidence in walking and rehabilitation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the apparatus and method consistent with the present invention and, together with the detailed description, serve to explain the advantages and principles of the present invention. In the drawings:

[0017] Figure 1 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a motion-assisting robot provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Description of Reference Numerals

[0019] 1-U-shaped base;

[0020] 2-Lifting column;

[0021] 3-Motion roller;

[0022] 4-Flexible cable;

[0023] 5- distance sensor;

[0024] 6-pressure sensor;

[0025] 7-Safety knot. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Specific embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below. In addition, the technical features involved in the various embodiments of the present invention described below may be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other, and the technical concepts of the present invention may be implemented in combination with other known technologies or other technologies similar to those known technologies.

[0027] This embodiment provides a motion-assisting robot, comprising: a base frame comprising a U-shaped base 1 and a lifting column 2 disposed on the U-shaped base 1, the lifting column 2 being programmable and capable of vertically lifting and lowering to meet the height requirements of users of varying heights; a motion roller 3 disposed below the U-shaped base 1 for carrying the motion-assisting robot for omnidirectional movement; a flexible cable 4 for connecting the motion-assisting robot to the user, specifically a soft, inelastic cable with a controllable extension length and a maximum load-bearing capacity exceeding 135 kg; distance sensors 5 disposed on both sides of the U-shaped base 1, specifically approximately 100 mm above the ground, for collecting lower limb movement information of the user inside the U-shaped structure; a pressure sensor 6 disposed at the top end of the lifting column 2 for determining the user's direction of movement; an acceleration sensor disposed at the end of the flexible cable 4 for determining the user's expected fall; and a control component disposed on the base frame for overall control of the motion-assisting robot. A power module may also be disposed within the base frame to power the various components of the robot.

[0028] The motion-assistance robot further includes a safety knot 7 disposed at the end of the flexible cable 4 for securely connecting the flexible cable 4 to the user, with the acceleration sensor disposed within the safety knot 7. Preferably, the safety knot 7 is connected to a strap around the user's waist or back. During use, the flexible cable 4 can be connected to a safety vest worn by the user, securing the acceleration sensor within the safety knot 7 to the vest.

[0029] Preferably, the motion roller 3 is a Mecanum wheel.

[0030] Preferably, the pressure sensor 6 is a two-dimensional or three-dimensional force sensor.

[0031] When arranging for a user to use the motion-assist robot provided in this embodiment for active lower limb walking training, the rehabilitation physician will provide the rehabilitation therapist with information such as the user's height, weight, gender, and rehabilitation progress. The therapist will save this information, select the user and training duration, connect the safety knot to the straps or vest worn by the user's upper body, and turn on the robot. After the motion-assist robot matches the user's height and position, it will prompt the user that the motion-assist robot is ready and automatically enter the training preparation state. Afterwards, the lifting column 2 adjusts the following height and the flexible cable 4 adjusts the following length (LW). Preferably, the height HW of the lifting column 2 is H*H, where a is the following height coefficient, and 1.1≤a≤1.4, and H is the user's height. Preferably, the length LW of the flexible cable 4 is LW=b*H, where b is the following length coefficient, and 0.1≤b≤0.4, and H is the user's height. The motion assisting robot moves forward with the user when the user moves forward, and the loosening of the flexible cable 4 does not affect the user's free walking; when the user turns, the motion assisting robot adjusts its posture and moves, and the loosening of the flexible cable 4 does not affect the user's free walking.

[0032] Preferably, the control component is used to receive and process signals from the distance sensor 5 , the pressure sensor 6 and the acceleration sensor, and control the tightening of the flexible cable 4 .

[0033] Furthermore, when the control component receives the user's lower limb movement information collected by the distance sensor 5 and finds that there is no lower limb movement, and the pressure sensor 6 data and the acceleration sensor data show a clear growth trend, the control component controls the flexible cable 4 to tighten. When the user suddenly falls forward, the motion-assisting robot quickly tightens the cable to a suitable height and issues an alarm; when the user suddenly sits back, the motion-assisting robot quickly tightens the cable to a suitable height and issues an alarm. In addition, the control module can also calculate a follow-up step length estimate based on gender and rehabilitation progress. This estimate will be continuously adjusted during use, and this estimate assists in following the movement. The control module can also calculate a protective load estimate based on weight, gender, and rehabilitation progress, that is, an estimated protective load provided by the flexible cable 4 when the user falls.

[0034] During active rehabilitation using the motion-assist robot, the robot determines the user's presence based on the connection between the flexible cable 4 and the safety vest and data from the accelerometer. After confirming the user is online, the robot enters the follow-up walking state, using the distance sensor 5 to determine whether the user is walking. The robot also determines the user's walking direction and speed based on data from the pressure sensor 6 and accelerometer. When the robot determines whether the user is walking forward or backward, it quickly adjusts its posture and position based on its step-length estimation to maintain distance and tempo from the user. If the distance sensor 5 data indicates the user is not walking, the robot quickly determines the user's potential for falling based on the pressure sensor 6 and accelerometer. If the pressure sensor 6 data indicates a significant increase in the user's forward or backward movement, and the accelerometer data indicates the user is accelerating, the free-walking module quickly tightens the safety flexible cable 4 and prepares to maintain a stable standing position and sufficient protective load estimate to protect the user from falling. The robot also issues a fall alarm to the physical therapist.

[0035] In this document, modifiers such as "approximately" and "about" that appear before a numeral generally include the number itself, and their specific meaning should be understood in the context. Similarly, unless a noun is modified by a specific quantifier, it should be considered in this document to include both the singular and plural forms, and the technical solution may include both the singular and plural technical features.

[0036] In the description of the above specific embodiments, the use of directional terms such as "up", "down", "left", "right", "top", "bottom", "vertical", "horizontal" and "lateral" is only for the purpose of convenience of description and should not be regarded as restrictive.

[0037] Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above, those skilled in the art will appreciate that these are merely illustrative and that the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims. Those skilled in the art may make various changes or modifications to these embodiments without departing from the principles and essence of the present invention, and such changes and modifications are intended to fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A motion assisting robot, characterized in that: include: A basic frame, comprising a U-shaped base and a lifting column provided on the U-shaped base; A motion roller, provided below the U-shaped base, for supporting the motion-assisting robot to move in all directions; a flexible cable for connecting the motion-assisting robot to a user; Distance sensors are provided on both sides of the U-shaped base and are used to collect movement information of the user's lower limbs inside the U-shaped structure; A pressure sensor is provided at the top end of the lifting column and is used to determine the user's movement direction. The starting end of the flexible cable is connected to the pressure sensor. an acceleration sensor, provided at the end of the flexible cable, for determining the user's anticipated fall; a control component, provided on the base frame, for achieving overall control of the motion-assisting robot, the control component being used to receive and process signals from the distance sensor, the pressure sensor, and the acceleration sensor, and to control the tightening of the flexible cable; The pressure sensor is a two-dimensional or three-dimensional force sensor; The pressure sensor and the acceleration sensor are used together to determine the walking direction and speed of the user. When it is determined that the user is walking forward or backward, the exercise assisting machine maintains a distance from the user. The pressure sensor and the acceleration sensor are also used together to determine the user's possible falling tendency.

2. The motion assisting robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: A safety knot is provided at the end of the flexible cable and is used for fixedly connecting the flexible cable and the user. The acceleration sensor is provided in the safety knot.

3. The motion assisting robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The safety knot is connected to the strap around the waist or back of the user.

4. The motion assisting robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The motion roller is a Mecanum wheel.

5. The motion assist robot according to claim 1, wherein The height of the lifting column HW = a*H, where a is the following height coefficient and 1.1≤a≤1.4, and H is the height of the user.

6. The motion assist robot according to claim 1, wherein: The length LW of the flexible cable is equal to b*H, where b is the following length coefficient and 0.1≤b≤0.4, and H is the height of the user.

7. The motion assisting robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the control component receives the user's lower limb movement information collected by the distance sensor and finds that there is no lower limb movement, and the pressure sensor data and the acceleration sensor data have an obvious increasing trend, the control component controls the flexible cable to tighten.

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