Knee exoskeleton device and lower limb outdoor walking aid exoskeleton robot

Abstract

The application provides a knee joint exoskeleton device and a lower limb outdoor walking aid exoskeleton robot. The device comprises: a thigh contraction connecting rod; a knee joint upper connecting rod connected to the rotating end of the thigh contraction connecting rod in a rotatable manner; a knee joint lower connecting rod connected to the other end of the knee joint upper connecting rod in a rotatable manner; and a knee joint elastic adjustment assembly having an uphill and downhill mode and a flat ground mode. The application switches to the flat ground mode when walking on the flat ground. When the leg is bent and straightened, the knee joint elastic adjustment assembly stores the flat ground elastic potential energy. When the leg is straightened and bent, the knee joint elastic adjustment assembly releases the flat ground elastic potential energy to provide power assistance. The knee joint elastic adjustment assembly switches to the uphill and downhill mode when going uphill and downhill. When the leg is straightened and bent, the knee joint elastic adjustment assembly stores the uphill and downhill elastic potential energy. When the leg is bent and straightened, the knee joint elastic adjustment assembly releases the uphill and downhill elastic potential energy to provide power assistance, which can adapt to different outdoor terrains.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of assistive walking exoskeleton technology, and more specifically, to a knee joint exoskeleton device and a lower limb outdoor assistive walking exoskeleton robot. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of outdoor mobility exoskeletons, the number of exoskeletons on the market is small, the types are limited, and most of them still have some key problems that need to be solved, such as the lack of terrain adaptability of the legs and the limitation of human freedom of movement due to the constraints of traditional humanoid structures. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, the present invention proposes a knee joint exoskeleton device and a lower limb outdoor walking assistance exoskeleton robot, aiming to solve the problem that existing outdoor walking assistance exoskeleton robots cannot adapt to terrain.

[0004] On one hand, this invention proposes a knee joint exoskeleton device, comprising: a thigh retraction link; an upper knee joint link, one end of which is rotatably connected to the rotating end of the thigh retraction link; a lower knee joint link, rotatably connected to the other end of the upper knee joint link; and a knee joint elastic adjustment component, connected to the upper knee joint link and the lower knee joint link respectively. The knee joint elastic adjustment component has an uphill / downhill mode and a flat ground mode, used to switch to flat ground mode when walking on flat ground. When the leg straightens from a bent position, the angle between the lower knee joint link and the upper knee joint link increases, and the knee... The knee joint elastic adjustment component stores ground-level elastic potential energy. When the leg changes from straight to bent, the angle between the lower and upper knee joint links decreases, and the knee joint elastic adjustment component releases the ground-level elastic potential energy to provide assistance. When going uphill or downhill, the knee joint elastic adjustment component switches to an uphill / downhill mode. When the leg changes from straight to bent, the angle between the lower and upper knee joint links decreases, the knee joint elastic adjustment component stores uphill / downhill elastic potential energy, and when the leg changes from bent to straight, the angle between the lower and upper knee joint links increases, and the knee joint elastic adjustment component releases uphill / downhill elastic potential energy to provide assistance.

[0005] Furthermore, in the aforementioned knee exoskeleton device, the knee joint elastic adjustment component includes: a length adjustment member; the elastic adjustment member has an uphill / downhill mode and a flat ground mode, the adjustment end of which is hinged to the length adjustment end of the length adjustment member, the extension of the length adjustment member can push the elastic adjustment member to extend and switch to the flat ground mode, and the shortening of the length adjustment member can push the elastic adjustment member to shorten and switch to the uphill / downhill mode.

[0006] Further, in the aforementioned knee exoskeleton device, the elastic adjustment member includes: a module housing; a guide support rod, the sliding end of which is slidably disposed inside the module housing, and the switching end extending from the adjustment end of the module housing to the outside of the module housing, and hinged to the length adjustment end of the length adjustment member; a flat compression spring disposed inside the module housing, located between the sliding end of the guide support rod and the adjustment end of the module housing, and sleeved on the guide support rod; and an uphill / downhill compression spring disposed inside the module housing, and positioned between the sliding end of the guide support rod and the fixed end of the module housing. The guide support rod slides along the length direction of the module housing with the length adjustment member, and the guide support rod can retract so that its sliding end can slide to the spring equilibrium position. At this point, the vehicle is in an upright position in the uphill / downhill mode. When the leg changes from straight to bent, the angle between the lower knee joint link and the upper knee joint link decreases, compressing the uphill / downhill compression spring and storing elastic potential energy. When the leg changes from bent to straight, the angle between the lower knee joint link and the upper knee joint link increases, and the uphill / downhill compression spring resets and releases elastic potential energy. The guide support rod can extend so that its sliding end can slide to the compression position of the flat ground compression spring. At this point, the vehicle is in an upright position in the flat ground mode. When the leg is lifted and changes from straight to bent, the angle between the lower knee joint link and the upper knee joint link decreases, and the flat ground compression spring resets and releases elastic potential energy. When the leg changes from bent to straight, the angle between the lower knee joint link and the upper knee joint link increases, compressing the flat ground compression spring and storing elastic potential energy.

[0007] Furthermore, in the aforementioned knee exoskeleton device, a connecting cover is provided at the middle position of the guide support rod for connecting the adjustment end of the module shell; the connecting cover is slidably connected to the guide support rod along the length direction of the guide support rod, so that the guide support rod can slide relative to the module shell to realize the switching between flat ground compression spring and uphill / downhill compression spring states.

[0008] Furthermore, in the aforementioned knee exoskeleton device, the adjusting end of the elastic adjusting member is provided with a hinged connector, on which a connecting post is provided. The connecting post is rotatably inserted through the length adjusting end of the length adjusting member to realize relative rotation between the elastic adjusting member and the length adjusting member. The length adjusting member is arranged along the length direction of the upper link of the knee joint, and the fixed end of the length adjusting member is fixedly installed on the upper link of the knee joint, with the fixed end positioned below the length adjusting end of the length adjusting member, so that the length adjusting member can extend upward for adjustment.

[0009] Furthermore, in the aforementioned knee exoskeleton device, the two ends of the knee joint elastic adjustment component are respectively connected to the lower knee joint link and the upper knee joint link, and the three are arranged in a triangular structure.

[0010] Furthermore, in the aforementioned knee joint exoskeleton device, the upper knee joint link is also connected to a knee joint rotation drive assembly for driving the upper knee joint link to rotate relative to the thigh retraction link; the knee joint connection end of the lower knee joint link is hinged to the end of the upper knee joint link through a knee joint hinge joint; the thigh retraction link is provided with several sets of fixing and mounting holes along its length direction for realizing position adjustment between the thigh retraction link and the thigh rod.

[0011] Furthermore, in the aforementioned knee exoskeleton device, the upper knee joint link and the lower knee joint link are arranged at an angle, and their bending directions are opposite to the bending direction of the leg at the human knee, so as to form a posterior knee structure.

[0012] Furthermore, the aforementioned knee exoskeleton device further includes: an image acquisition unit for image acquisition; and a controller connected to the image acquisition unit for obtaining the current terrain category based on machine vision image recognition, and then controlling the knee joint elastic adjustment component to switch motion modes based on the current terrain category to achieve terrain adaptability.

[0013] On the other hand, the present invention also proposes a lower limb outdoor walking assistance exoskeleton robot, which has the above-mentioned knee joint exoskeleton device.

[0014] The knee joint exoskeleton mechanism and wearable lower limb outdoor walking assistive exoskeleton robot provided by this invention have uphill / downhill and flatland modes through a knee joint elastic adjustment component. When walking on flatland, switching to flatland mode, the angle between the lower and upper knee joint links increases as the leg straightens, allowing the knee joint elastic adjustment component to store flatland elastic potential energy. Conversely, when the leg bends, the angle between the lower and upper knee joint links decreases, allowing the knee joint elastic adjustment component to release the flatland elastic potential energy for assistance. When walking uphill / downhill, switching to uphill / downhill mode, the angle between the lower and upper knee joint links decreases as the leg bends, allowing the knee joint elastic adjustment component to release the flatland elastic potential energy for assistance. The system stores elastic potential energy from uphill and downhill slopes. When the leg straightens from a bent position, the angle between the lower and upper links of the knee joint increases, and the knee joint elastic adjustment component releases this uphill and downhill elastic potential energy to provide assistance. This allows for the storage and release of energy at different times in two different modes, adapting to various terrains, including typical mountainous, woodland, and gravel terrains. It is suitable for people of different body types and features flexible hip joint weight compensation and flexible ankle joint gait stabilization. Furthermore, by analyzing a snow leopard forelimb musculoskeletal model, the most developed muscle groups, namely the subscapularis and triceps brachii, were identified. Elastic elements simulate these muscles, while rigid rods simulate the skeletal structure, resulting in a novel biomimetic lower limb exoskeleton. In addition, this knee joint exoskeleton mechanism also has the following technical effects:

[0015] First, an elastic element at the knee joint simulates the triceps brachii of a snow leopard for energy recovery, reducing the overall energy consumption of the equipment. To achieve adaptability to different terrains, a switchable elastic element device, namely the knee joint elastic adjustment component, is designed. This component utilizes terrain recognition results from a depth camera on the chest to drive a length adjustment element (electric actuator) to switch between the elastic elements, thus achieving terrain adaptability. In other words, a terrain-adaptive structure is located at the knee joint, and the electric actuator switches the action of the spring module, enabling different assistance effects on different terrains, such as walking uphill and downhill in typical mountainous terrain versus walking on flat ground, improving the structure's environmental adaptability.

[0016] Secondly, the exoskeleton robot's drive unit has two elastic units: an energy-storing spring connected to the thigh rod, which can suppress the impact from the motor during turning, protect the human joints, and achieve a flexible rotation effect. It also simulates the subscapularis muscle of the snow leopard's forelimb, providing gravity compensation. The second elastic element consists of a flat-ground compression spring and an uphill / downhill compression spring, which simulate the triceps brachii muscle of the snow leopard's forelimb. This improves energy utilization, resists foot impact, and reduces the energy consumed by hip joint retraction. During movement, it can store energy during knee joint extension or compression and release it during another knee joint movement, reducing motor power consumption and increasing maximum output torque. Both elastic elements simulate the two most developed muscle groups of the snow leopard's forelimb to achieve speed and flexibility similar to that of a snow leopard walking in typical outdoor mountainous and forested areas. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the invention. Furthermore, the same reference numerals denote the same parts throughout the drawings. In the drawings:

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the wearable lower limb outdoor walking assistive exoskeleton robot provided in an embodiment of the present invention, with the legs in a bent state.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a front view of the wearable lower limb outdoor walking assistive exoskeleton robot provided in an embodiment of the present invention, with its legs in a bent state;

[0020] Figure 3 This is a side view of the wearable lower limb outdoor walking assistive exoskeleton robot provided in an embodiment of the present invention, with the legs in a bent position;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the wearable lower limb outdoor walking assistive exoskeleton robot provided in an embodiment of the present invention, in a leg-upright position.

[0022] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the lumbar support mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the waist adjustment mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 7 An exploded view of the waist adjustment mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the hip joint exoskeleton mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 9 An exploded view of the hip joint exoskeleton mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of the crank and guide rod of the hip exoskeleton mechanism provided in the embodiment of the present invention when it is in the extended state;

[0028] Figure 11 A schematic diagram of the crank and guide rod of the hip joint exoskeleton mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present invention when it is in a bent state;

[0029] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the knee exoskeleton device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of another orientation of the knee exoskeleton device provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 14 This is an exploded view of the knee exoskeleton device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 15 A schematic diagram of the knee exoskeleton device provided in an embodiment of the present invention in uphill / downhill mode;

[0033] Figure 16 A schematic diagram of the knee exoskeleton device provided in the embodiment of the present invention in flat ground mode;

[0034] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram of the ankle exoskeleton mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram of another orientation of the ankle exoskeleton mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 19 An exploded view of the ankle exoskeleton mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 20 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a wearable lower limb outdoor walking assistive exoskeleton robot simulation model provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0038] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure may be implemented in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to enable a more thorough understanding of the present disclosure and to fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described herein can be combined with each other. The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0039] Example of an exoskeleton robot:

[0040] See Figures 1 to 4 This is a preferred structure of the wearable lower limb outdoor mobility exoskeleton robot provided in this embodiment of the invention. As shown in the figure, the exoskeleton robot includes: a waist support mechanism 1, a waist adjustment mechanism 2, two hip joint exoskeleton mechanisms 3, two knee joint exoskeleton devices 4, and two ankle joint exoskeleton mechanisms 5; wherein,

[0041] The lumbar support mechanism 1 is used to be carried on the back of a human body so that it can fit snugly against the back. Specifically, the lumbar support mechanism 1 can fit snugly against the back of a human body, and by being carried on the back, it can provide top support and limit the other components of the exoskeleton robot, thereby ensuring the fixation of the top height position of the exoskeleton robot.

[0042] The lumbar adjustment mechanism 2 is located below the lumbar support mechanism 1 and is used to fit the human waist in an adjustable manner. Specifically, the lumbar adjustment mechanism 2 can be located below the lumbar support mechanism 1, can fit the human waist, and the lumbar adjustment mechanism 2 is a self-length adjusting component, which can adjust the length based on the length of the human waist (e.g., ...). Figure 2 The horizontal direction (as shown) can be adjusted to adjust the spacing between the two hip exoskeleton mechanisms 3.

[0043] Both hip joint exoskeleton mechanisms 3 are connected to the lumbar adjustment mechanism 2 along the width direction of the lumbar adjustment mechanism 2 in a position-adjustable manner. This allows for adjustment of the position of the hip joint exoskeleton mechanisms 3. The hip joint exoskeleton mechanisms 3 mimic the subscapularis muscle of a snow leopard to perform gravity compensation and flexible rotation, i.e., a gravity compensation mechanism, reducing the wearer's own metabolic consumption and improving wearing comfort. Specifically, the two hip joint exoskeleton mechanisms 3 are connected along the width direction of the lumbar adjustment mechanism 2 (e.g., ... Figure 3 (as shown in the horizontal direction) is connected to both sides of the waist adjustment mechanism 2 in a position-adjustable manner (e.g., in the horizontal direction). Figure 2The left and right sides (as shown) are used to adjust the width of the hip joint exoskeleton mechanism 3 mounted on the waist adjustment mechanism 2, thereby adapting to the position of the human leg, accommodating people with different waist sizes, and facilitating quick and easy wearing of the exoskeleton by the patient. The hip joint exoskeleton mechanism 3 simulates the subscapularis muscle of a snow leopard, enabling gravity compensation and flexible rotation, i.e., it has a gravity compensation mechanism, reducing the wearer's own metabolic consumption and improving wearing comfort. In this embodiment, the top of the hip joint exoskeleton mechanism 3 is connected to the waist adjustment mechanism 2 along the height direction in a position-adjustable manner, used to adjust the height position of the hip joint exoskeleton mechanism 3 to adapt to people of different heights.

[0044] Two knee exoskeleton devices 4 correspond one-to-one with the hip exoskeleton mechanism 3. The knee exoskeleton device 4 is connected to the power output end of the corresponding hip exoskeleton mechanism 3. Furthermore, the knee exoskeleton device 3 has uphill / downhill and flatland modes, used to perform leg lifting and straightening movements under the action of the hip exoskeleton mechanism 3. In both modes, it can simulate the triceps brachii of the snow leopard's forelimb through different elastic elements to store and release energy at different times in the two different modes. This allows it to adapt to different terrains and provide different forms of compensation, suppressing the impact from the motor during steering, protecting the human joints, and achieving flexible rotation. Furthermore, it mimics the subscapularis muscle of the snow leopard's forelimb, providing gravity compensation. Compared to traditional exoskeletons, the knee joint exoskeleton device 4 mimics the hind knee structure of the snow leopard's forelimb, with its movement direction opposite to that of the human knee joint. This gives the exoskeleton advantages such as high energy utilization, resistance to foot impact, and strong load-bearing capacity, while avoiding the hip joint compensation and knee joint retraction defects of traditional humanoid knee joints. The knee joint motor is located close to the hip joint actuator to reduce the power consumption of the hip joint actuator. Because it is heterogeneous with the human knee joint, it can avoid human-machine joint misalignment and release the wearer's own freedom of movement, improving wearing comfort; it can also perform energy recovery, reducing the overall energy consumption of the device. Specifically, two knee exoskeleton devices 4 correspond one-to-one with the hip exoskeleton mechanism 3. The knee exoskeleton device 4 is connected to the power output end of the corresponding hip exoskeleton mechanism 3. The power output end of the hip exoskeleton mechanism 3 can drive the corresponding knee exoskeleton device 4 to rotate, so as to perform leg flexion and extension movements. Furthermore, the knee exoskeleton device 4 imitates the hind knee structure of the snow leopard's forelimb, simulating the triceps brachii muscle of the snow leopard's forelimb. Its movement direction is opposite to that of the human knee joint, giving the exoskeleton high energy utilization efficiency and resistance to foot impact. It boasts advantages such as strong load-bearing capacity and avoids the hip joint compensation for knee retraction defects inherent in traditional humanoid knee joints. Furthermore, the knee exoskeleton device incorporates four triceps brachii-like structures for energy recovery, reducing overall energy consumption. To adapt to different terrains, it features two switchable modes, allowing for terrain-based mode switching and thus enhancing the structure's environmental adaptability. This means it possesses a terrain-adaptive structure, providing assistance in various terrains, such as walking uphill, downhill, and on flat ground in typical mountainous terrain, improving its environmental versatility. Notably, the knee exoskeleton device 4 can be a posterior knee structure, arranged opposite to the human body's structure.

[0045] In this embodiment, the waist support mechanism 1 may be equipped with an image acquisition device, which may be located on the chest and may be a depth camera, to acquire images to obtain terrain images. Based on machine vision image recognition, the current terrain category is determined, and then the knee joint exoskeleton device 4 is switched according to the current terrain category to achieve the adaptability of the structure to the terrain.

[0046] In this embodiment, the top end of the knee exoskeleton device 4 and the bottom end of the hip exoskeleton mechanism 3 can be separated along the length direction of the bottom of the hip exoskeleton mechanism 3 (e.g., Figure 3 The vertical direction shown is connected in a position-adjustable manner to adjust the distance between the waist adjustment mechanism 2 and the ankle exoskeleton mechanism 5, thereby adapting to people of different heights.

[0047] Two ankle exoskeleton mechanisms 5 correspond one-to-one with two knee exoskeleton devices 4, and each knee exoskeleton device 5 is connected to its corresponding knee exoskeleton device 4. Specifically, the two ankle exoskeleton mechanisms 5 correspond one-to-one with the two knee exoskeleton devices 4, and the two ankle exoskeleton mechanisms 5 are respectively located below and connected to the two knee exoskeleton devices 4. In this embodiment, the bottom ends of the ankle exoskeleton mechanisms 5 and the knee exoskeleton devices 4 are hinged. The ankle exoskeleton mechanisms 5 may be equipped with inertial measurement units (IMUs) to acquire IMU data of the exoskeleton foot, including foot speed data, etc. Other sensors can also be used; this embodiment does not impose any limitations on them.

[0048] In this embodiment, the lumbar support mechanism 1, the two knee joint exoskeleton devices 4, and the two ankle joint exoskeleton devices 5 are all equipped with binding mechanisms 6, namely, a lumbar binding mechanism 601, a thigh binding mechanism 602, and an ankle binding mechanism 603, respectively, for binding to the waist, thigh, and ankle of the human body. The binding mechanism 6 can be a flexible binding structure to improve wearing comfort. In this embodiment, a pressure sensor can be provided at the thigh binding mechanism 602. This sensor can be a flexible pressure sensor housing or other flexible pressure sensor components. It can acquire pressure data at the thigh binding point and detect the interaction between the wearer and the exoskeleton in real time. By observing the asynchronous action of the human body and the exoskeleton on the pressure sensor housing, the human-computer interaction characteristics can be obtained. The greater the pressure, the greater the asynchrony. If the exoskeleton rods lag behind or advance ahead of the human lower limbs, it will cause a change in the pressure value at the binding point. By adjusting the movement trajectory of the exoskeleton rods, the interaction force between the wearer and the exoskeleton at the binding point can be reduced, thereby improving the exoskeleton's assistive effect and wearing comfort.

[0049] Therefore, the overall structure of this exoskeleton robot is based on a musculoskeletal model simulating the forelimbs of a snow leopard, forming a rigid-flexible coupled exoskeleton capable of outdoor walking. It can adapt to various outdoor terrains, including typical mountainous terrain, forest terrain, and gravel terrain, and can accommodate people of different body types. It features flexible hip joint weight compensation and flexible ankle joint gait stabilization. Furthermore, by analyzing the musculoskeletal model of the snow leopard's forelimbs, the most developed muscle groups—the subscapularis and triceps brachii—were identified. Elastic elements simulate these muscles, while rigid rods simulate the skeletal structure, resulting in a novel biomimetic lower limb exoskeleton. This structure only partially conforms to the wearer's body, increasing user comfort and freeing up the wearer's freedom of movement.

[0050] See Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the lumbar support mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the lumbar support mechanism 1 can be a back strap structure, which can be fixedly installed on the lumbar adjustment mechanism 2 by means of screws or other structures. In this embodiment, the lumbar support mechanism 1 may also be provided with a power supply module 7 and a control module 8, which are respectively connected to the hip joint exoskeleton mechanism 3 and the knee joint exoskeleton device 4 to provide power and control to the hip joint exoskeleton mechanism 3 and the knee joint exoskeleton device 4.

[0051] In this embodiment, the control module 8 can be connected to a pressure sensor, an inertial sensor, an image acquisition device, etc. In this embodiment, the controller is used to acquire terrain images based on image acquisition devices, perform image recognition based on machine vision, determine the current terrain category, and input IMU-based human lower limb kinematic information as a classification model to obtain the slope degree; wherein, the current terrain category is uphill, downhill, and flat ground; the controller is also used to control the exoskeleton robot to switch its outdoor movement mode according to the current terrain category, especially to control the knee joint exoskeleton device 4 to switch modes; wherein, the outdoor movement modes include: uphill / downhill movement mode and flat ground movement mode; the controller is also used to control the exoskeleton robot to switch its joint movement trajectory according to the current terrain category and slope degree, so as to control the hip joint exoskeleton mechanism 3 and the knee joint exoskeleton device 4 based on the joint movement trajectory; the controller is also used to establish a velocity mapping model based on the pressure data of the exoskeleton robot's thigh binding and the exoskeleton foot IMU data; wherein, the exoskeleton foot IMU data includes: foot velocity data; the controller is also used to obtain the human body's pre-walking speed based on the velocity mapping model, and control and adjust the exoskeleton robot according to the human body's pre-walking speed, so that its assisted walking speed is adapted to the human body's pre-walking speed. The control module 8 includes a host computer 81 and a slave computer 82.

[0052] See also Figure 5The power supply module 7 may include a battery box 71 and a battery module 72. Both the battery module 72 and the control module 8 can be housed inside the battery box 71 for protection. In this embodiment, the battery box 71 may also have a battery tray 73 for supporting and securing the battery module 72. The battery box 71 may include a detachable battery box housing 711 and a battery box cover 712. The battery box housing 711 can be connected to the waist support mechanism 1 (i.e., the shoulder strap) by screws, and the waist connecting piece 21 of the waist adjustment mechanism 2 can be fixedly installed between the battery box housing 711 and the waist support mechanism 1. The battery tray 73, the upper computer 81, and the lower computer 82 are fixed to the battery box housing 711 by screws, and the battery module 72 is fixed to the battery tray 73. The battery box cover 712 houses these components, and the battery box 71 has ventilation holes to prevent overheating of the electrical system.

[0053] See Figure 6 and Figure 7 The figure illustrates a preferred structure of the waist adjustment mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the waist adjustment mechanism 2 includes: a waist connecting piece 21 and two waist adjustment plates 22; wherein, the two waist adjustment plates 22 are disposed on both sides of the waist connecting piece 21, and both waist adjustment plates 22 are disposed at both ends of the waist connecting piece 21 in a position-adjustable manner along the length direction of the waist connecting piece 21, for adjusting the distance between the two waist adjustment plates 22 based on the length of the human waist. In this embodiment, the two waist adjustment plates 22 and the waist connecting piece 21 can be connected to each other by a waist fixing member 23.

[0054] Specifically, the lumbar connecting piece 21 can be a straight stainless steel piece, which can be connected to the lumbar support mechanism 1 by screws. The lumbar adjustment plate 22 can be an L-shaped structure, with its adjusting side connected to the lumbar connecting piece 21 along the length of the lumbar connecting piece 21 in a position-adjustable manner, and its fixed side used to connect to the hip joint exoskeleton mechanism 3. The adjusting side of the lumbar adjustment plate 22 has at least two adjusting holes 221 spaced apart along the length of the adjusting side of the lumbar adjustment plate 22, and the two ends of the lumbar connecting piece 21 have two connecting holes 211. The lumbar fixing component 23 can include adjusting bolts 231 and adjusting buckles 232; the adjusting buckles 232 are used to snap onto the lumbar adjustment plate 22 and the lumbar connecting piece 21, and one of the adjusting bolts 231 passes through the adjusting holes 221 and the connecting holes 211 to achieve the connection and fixation of the lumbar adjustment plate 22, the lumbar connecting piece 21, and the adjusting buckles 232. In this embodiment, the waist adjustment plate 22 has nine equally spaced adjustment holes 221 on its adjustment side. The distance between the two waist adjustment plates 22 can be adjusted by adjusting the bolts 231 and adjusting the buckles 232 to achieve waist length adjustment.

[0055] In this embodiment, at least two spaced fixing holes 222 may be provided on the fixed side of the waist adjustment plate 22. The top end of the hip joint exoskeleton mechanism 3 is detachably connected to one of the fixing holes 222 to realize the position adjustment of the hip joint exoskeleton mechanism 3. Specifically, the top end of the hip joint exoskeleton mechanism 3 and one of the fixing holes 222 can be detachably connected through a hip fixation member 24. The hip fixation member 24 can be a snap-fit ​​structure, which can be quickly connected to the hip fixation member 24 and the hip joint exoskeleton mechanism 3, increasing the ease of wearing.

[0056] See Figure 8 and Figure 9 The figure illustrates a preferred structure of the hip joint exoskeleton mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the hip joint exoskeleton mechanism 3 includes: a hip joint drive assembly 31, a thigh bar 32, and an elastic energy storage assembly 33; wherein, the thigh bar 32 is connected to the power output end of the drive assembly 31 and is used to swing with the rotation of the hip joint drive assembly 31, so that when the hip joint drive assembly 31 rotates forward, the thigh bar 32 raises its leg, and when the hip joint drive assembly 31 rotates in the reverse direction, the thigh bar 32 lowers its leg; the elastic energy storage assembly 33 is connected to the power output end of the hip joint drive assembly 31 and is used to reduce the elastic potential energy when the hip joint drive assembly 31 rotates forward, simulating the subscapularis muscle of the snow leopard's forelimb to supplement the increased exoskeleton gravitational potential energy during the thigh bar raising, thereby achieving exoskeleton gravitational potential energy compensation, and can also absorb energy at the moment of the hip joint drive assembly 31 turning and during the reverse rotation process and release energy during the forward rotation process, thereby achieving flexible rotation.

[0057] Specifically, the hip joint drive assembly 31 can be a drive motor transmission assembly that can rotate in both forward and reverse directions to drive and provide power for the thigh bar 32 to lift and lower the leg. The elastic energy storage assembly 33 releases energy during the leg lifting process (i.e., during the forward rotation of the hip joint drive assembly 31), using gravitational potential energy to compensate for elastic potential energy, thus providing assistance for the leg lifting. During the leg lowering process (i.e., during the reverse rotation of the hip joint drive assembly 31), it stores energy, converting gravitational potential energy into elastic potential energy to compensate for the next movement, achieving a flexible rotation effect and improving wearing comfort. By setting the elastic potential energy of the elastic energy storage assembly 33 and the gravitational potential energy of the exoskeleton to constant values, the elastic potential energy of the spring can compensate for the gravitational potential energy of the exoskeleton, simulating the subscapularis muscle of the snow leopard's forelimb supplementing the increased gravitational potential energy of the exoskeleton during the leg lifting, thus achieving compensation for the exoskeleton's gravitational potential energy. In this embodiment, the fixed end of the hip joint drive assembly 31 can be provided with a hip joint drive fixing plate 34 for supporting and fixing the hip joint drive assembly 31, etc. The top of the hip joint drive fixation plate 34 is adjustablely connected to the fixed side of the waist adjustment plate 22 along the height direction. Specifically, the hip joint drive fixation plate 34 is provided with at least two sets of hip joint bolt holes 341 along its length direction. The hip fixation member 24 can be connected to any set of hip joint bolt holes 341. It can be directly connected or connected by bolts or other structures. It can be connected through hip joint bolt holes 341 at different height positions to realize the adjustment of the height position of the hip joint exoskeleton mechanism 3.

[0058] In this embodiment, the thigh bar 32 can be connected to the hip joint drive assembly 31 via the hip joint transition extension connection assembly 35. Specifically, both ends of the hip joint transition extension connection assembly 35 are connected to the top end of the thigh bar 32 and the power output end of the hip joint drive assembly 31, respectively. The hip joint transition extension connection assembly 35 may include a hip joint transition extension plate 351 and a hip joint fixing block 352. The hip joint transition extension plate 351 and the thigh bar 32 are arranged at an angle, and the two can be arranged perpendicularly; one end of the hip joint transition extension plate 351 (e.g., ...) Figure 9 The left end (as shown) is connected to the top of the thigh bar 32, and the other end (as shown) Figure 9 The right end shown is connected to the hip joint fixation block 352; wherein, the hip joint fixation block 352 can be a U-shaped structure, one end (as shown) Figure 9 The bottom end (as shown) is connected to the right end of the hip joint transition extension plate 351, and the other end (as shown) Figure 9 The top end shown can be connected to the power output end of the hip joint drive assembly 31.

[0059] See also Figure 8 and Figure 9The hip joint drive assembly 31 includes a hip joint drive motor 311 and a hip joint drive flange 312. The hip joint drive flange 312 is connected to the hip joint drive motor 311 and is used to rotate under the drive of the hip joint drive motor 311, thereby driving the thigh bar 32 and the elastic energy storage assembly 33. Specifically, the hip joint drive motor 311 may be provided with a hip joint motor housing 313, which is fastened to one side of the hip joint drive motor 311 (e.g., ...). Figure 9 (As shown on the left), to protect the hip joint drive motor 311 from interference by foreign objects. The hip joint drive motor 311 and the hip joint drive flange 312 can be arranged coaxially for coaxial rotation; the top of the hip joint fixing block 352 can be fixedly connected to the hip joint drive flange 312 for synchronous rotation with the hip joint drive flange 312.

[0060] See also Figure 8 and Figure 9 The top of the thigh bar 32 is provided with several sets of length adjustment holes 321 arranged at intervals along the length of the thigh bar. The top of the knee exoskeleton device 4 can be detachably connected to any set of length adjustment holes 321, for example by bolt connection, to realize the height position adjustment of the knee exoskeleton device 4 to adapt to people of different heights. Each set of length adjustment holes 321 can have two holes.

[0061] See also Figure 9 The elastic energy storage component 33 may include: a crank 331, a guide link 332, a connecting rod rotating block 333, and an energy storage spring 334; wherein, the power input end of the crank 331 is hinged to the power output end of the hip joint drive component 31, and is used to rotate circumferentially (i.e., deflect) around a position different from the center of the rotation axis of the hip joint drive component 31 under the drive of the hip joint drive component 31; the connecting rod rotating block 333 is rotatably mounted on the thigh rod 32, the guide link 332 is slidably mounted through the connecting rod rotating block 333, and the connecting end of the guide link 332 is hinged to the power output end of the crank 331, and is used to swing and slide when the crank 331 rotates circumferentially, so as to adjust the distance between the connecting end of the guide link 332 and the connecting rod rotating block 333. The energy storage spring 334 is sleeved on the guide link 332 and positioned between the connecting end of the guide link 332 and the connecting rod rotating block 333. When the distance between the connecting end of the guide link 332 and the connecting rod rotating block 333 becomes longer, the energy storage spring 334 is stretched to store energy, and when the distance between the connecting end of the guide link 332 and the connecting rod rotating block 333 becomes shorter, it resets and releases energy.

[0062] Specifically, the connecting rod rotating block 333 is rotatably mounted on the hip joint fixing block 352. The connecting rod rotating block 333 has a sliding hole, through which the guide connecting rod 332 slidably passes. The crank component 331, the guide connecting rod 332, and the connecting rod rotating block 333 form an approximate crank-slider mechanism. The difference between the crank component 331, the guide connecting rod 332, and the connecting rod rotating block 333 and the crank-slider mechanism in this embodiment is that the connecting rod length of the crank-slider mechanism remains unchanged, while in this embodiment, the guide connecting rod 332 is equivalent to a connecting rod, which can slide through the connecting rod rotating block 333 for sliding and rotation adjustment. This allows for adjustment of the distance between the connecting end of the guide connecting rod 332 and the connecting rod rotating block 333, i.e., adjustment of the connecting rod length. This allows for the stretching and resetting adjustment of the energy storage spring 334 on the connecting rod, achieving energy storage and energy release. In this embodiment, when the hip joint drive assembly 31 rotates forward, the thigh rod 32 rotates forward accordingly, and the power output end of the crank 331 deflects forward relative to the thigh rod 32. During this process, the distance between the connecting end of the guide link 332 and the connecting rod rotating block 333 becomes shorter, and the energy storage spring 334 resets and releases energy. That is to say, when the hip joint drive assembly 31 rotates forward, the thigh rod 32 swings forward to lift the leg, increasing the gravitational potential energy, and the energy storage spring 334 resets and releases energy, reducing the elastic potential energy. Conversely, when the hip joint drive assembly 31 rotates in the opposite direction, the thigh rod 32 rotates in the opposite direction, and the crank 331 deflects in the opposite direction relative to the thigh rod 32. During this process, the distance between the connecting end of the guide link 332 and the connecting rod rotating block 333 becomes longer, and the energy storage spring 334 is stretched and stores energy. The thigh rod 32 swings in the opposite direction to lower the leg, reducing the gravitational potential energy, and the energy storage spring 334 is stretched and stores energy, increasing the elastic potential energy, thus achieving gravitational potential energy compensation. In this embodiment, the two ends of the energy storage spring 334 can be fixed to the connecting end of the guide rod 332 and the connecting rod rotating block 333 respectively, so as to realize stretching and resetting.

[0063] In this embodiment, the initial state of the energy storage spring 334 is set to the stretched state. At this time, the elastic potential energy stored in the energy storage spring 334 will help the thigh rotate around the hip joint, compensate for the energy loss caused by the upward shift of the center of gravity of the lower limb exoskeleton during the wearer's leg raising, realize the flexible rotation effect, and achieve the conversion between the gravitational potential energy of the exoskeleton and the elastic potential energy of the elastic element, thereby improving the wearing comfort.

[0064] See also Figure 9The crank component 331 includes an external meshing gear ring 3311 and an internal rotating gear 3312. The internal rotating gear 3311 is internally meshed with the external meshing gear ring 3312, and the internal rotating gear 3311 is eccentrically connected to the power output end of the hip joint drive assembly 31. A crank connecting block 3313 is provided on the outer periphery of the axis of the internal rotating gear 3312. The crank connecting block 3313 is rotatably connected to the internal rotating gear 3312 and is used to connect the connecting end of the guide link 332. Under the driving action of the hip joint drive assembly 31, the internal rotating gear 3312 can revolve around the axis of the hip joint drive assembly 31, and under the constraint of the external meshing gear ring 3311, it can rotate around the axis of the internal rotating gear 3312. By rotating the internal rotating gear 3312, the positional relationship of the crank connecting block 3313 relative to the thigh rod is adjusted, thereby driving the guide link 332 to rotate and extend.

[0065] Specifically, the bottom end of the hip joint drive fixation plate 34 may be provided with a support fixation ring 342 for supporting the hip joint drive motor 311 and for supporting the external meshing gear ring 3311. In this embodiment, the hip joint drive motor 311 and the hip joint drive flange 312 are respectively placed on both sides of the motor fixation ring 342. The inner circumference of the support fixation ring 342 may also be provided with a motor support ring 343. The outer wall of the motor support ring 343 is connected to the inner wall of the support fixation ring 342. The motor support ring 343 and the support fixation ring 342 are integrally structured to form an integral support ring. This integral support ring and the hip joint drive fixation plate 34 are also integrally structured. The hip joint drive motor 311 and the hip joint drive flange 312 are respectively located on both sides of the motor support ring 343. The fixed end of the hip joint drive motor 311 is fixedly connected to the motor support ring 343. The output shaft of the hip joint drive motor 311 is rotatably inserted through the inner mounting hole of the motor support ring 343 and fixedly connected to the hip joint drive flange 312 on the right side to drive the hip joint drive flange 312 to rotate. The outer diameter of the external meshing gear ring 3311 can be adapted to the outer diameter of the support fixing ring 342. The two are arranged flush and can be fixedly connected. The inner rotating gear 3312 can mesh internally with the outer meshing gear ring 3311, and is eccentrically connected to the hip joint drive flange 312. The inner rotating gear 3312 is fixedly connected to the hip joint drive flange 312. The crank connecting block 3313 can also be located at a non-central position on the inner rotating gear 3312, and can rotate eccentrically relative to the inner rotating gear 3312. The crank connecting block 3313 enables an eccentric hinge connection between the inner rotating gear 3312 and the guide connecting rod 332. In this embodiment, the gear ratio between the external meshing gear ring 3311 and the internal rotating gear 3312 is 2:1. The external meshing gear ring 3311 and the internal rotating gear 3312, combined with the hip joint drive flange 312, can form a planetary gear system structure. The hip joint drive flange 312 can be equivalent to a planet carrier, the internal rotating gear 3312 can be equivalent to a planet gear, and the external meshing gear ring 3311 can be equivalent to a gear ring. In this embodiment, the gear ring, i.e., the external meshing gear ring 3311, is fixed, the planet carrier, i.e., the hip joint drive flange 312, is the driving member, and the planet gear, i.e., the internal rotating gear 3312, is the driven member, so as to drive the guide connecting rod 332 to rotate, realize swing and extension adjustment, and thus realize the stretching and reset of the energy storage spring 334.

[0066] In this embodiment, the hip joint fixing block 352 can be fastened to the external meshing toothed ring 3311, that is, the external meshing toothed ring 3311 is placed in the U-shaped groove of the hip joint fixing block 352.

[0067] The working principle of the crank component 331 is as follows: Figure 8As shown, in the initial position of the knee exoskeleton device, the center of the hip joint drive flange 312 can be placed on the vertical line where the guide rod 332 is located. At this time, the center of the hip joint drive flange 312 and the center of the inner rotating gear 3312 are both on the vertical line where the guide rod 332 is located. That is to say, the centers of the crank connecting block 3313 and the inner rotating gear 3312 are on the vertical line. In this state, the hip joint drive motor 311 drives the hip joint drive flange 312 to rotate coaxially in the forward direction (e.g., Figure 8 (As shown in the counterclockwise rotation), the rotation of the hip joint drive flange 312 can drive the thigh rod 32 and the hip joint transition extension connection assembly 35 to rotate synchronously in the forward direction. Simultaneously, it can drive the inner rotating gear 3312 to rotate synchronously around the axis of the hip joint drive flange 312. Due to the constraint of the external meshing gear ring 3311, the inner rotating gear 3312 also rotates on its own axis while rotating, in the opposite direction to the revolution, i.e., clockwise. Since the inner rotating gear 3312, thigh rod 32, and hip joint transition extension connection assembly 35 all rotate synchronously with the hip joint drive flange 312 during the above rotation process, the relative motion between the inner rotating gear 3312 and the thigh rod 32 is the rotation of the inner rotating gear 3312. Therefore, for the stretching and resetting of the energy storage spring 334, only the rotation can be considered; Figure 10 As shown, in the initial position, i.e., the legs are in a straight state, and the center O of the crank connecting block 3313 and the inner rotating gear 3312 is on a vertical line. After clockwise rotation, as... Figure 11 As shown, the position of the crank connecting block 3313 has moved. Since the distance from the crank connecting block 3313 to the center O of the inner rotating gear 3312 and the distance from the center O of the inner rotating gear 3312 to the hip joint fixing block 352 remain unchanged, and considering that the sum of the lengths of two sides in a triangle is greater than the length of the third side, after the inner rotating gear 3312 rotates clockwise from the leg in the straight position, the distance from the crank connecting block 3313 to the hip joint fixing block 352 is shortened, that is, the distance between the connecting end of the guide rod 332 and the connecting rod rotating block 333 is shortened, and the energy storage spring 334 resets and releases energy. Conversely, after the inner rotating gear 3312 rotates counterclockwise from the leg in the bent position, the distance from the crank connecting block 3313 to the hip joint fixing block 352 is lengthened, that is, the distance between the connecting end of the guide rod 332 and the connecting rod rotating block 333 is lengthened, and the energy storage spring 334 is stretched to store energy.

[0068] See Figures 12 to 14The figure illustrates a preferred structure of the knee exoskeleton device provided in an embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the knee exoskeleton device 4 simulates the hind knee structure of a snow leopard's forelimb, i.e., it has a hind knee structure, meaning that the bending direction of the bending part is opposite to the forward movement direction of the human body. The knee exoskeleton device 4 includes: a thigh retraction link 41, an upper knee link 42, a lower knee link 43, and a knee joint elastic adjustment component 44; wherein, one end of the upper knee link 42 (e.g., Figure 12 The upper left end shown is rotatably connected to the rotating end of the thigh retraction linkage 41 (as shown). Figure 12 The lower knee joint link 43 is connected to the other end of the upper knee joint link 42 in a rotatable manner (as shown at the bottom end); Figure 12 The knee joint elastic adjustment component 44 is connected to the upper knee joint link 42 and the lower knee joint link 43, respectively. The knee joint elastic adjustment component 44 has an uphill / downhill mode and a flat ground mode, used to switch to flat ground mode when walking on flat ground. When the leg straightens from a bent position, the angle between the lower knee joint link 43 and the upper knee joint link 42 increases, and the knee joint elastic adjustment component 44 stores flat ground elastic potential energy. When the leg bends from a straight position, the lower knee joint link 43 and the upper knee joint link 42... When the angle between the upper and lower linkages 42 decreases, the knee joint elastic adjustment component 44 releases the elastic potential energy on flat ground to assist. When switching to the uphill / downhill mode, as the leg changes from straight to bent, the angle between the lower knee linkage 43 and the upper knee linkage 42 decreases, and the knee joint elastic adjustment component 44 stores the uphill / downhill elastic potential energy. When the leg changes from bent to straight, the angle between the lower knee linkage 42 and the upper knee linkage 42 increases, and the knee joint elastic adjustment component 44 releases the uphill / downhill elastic potential energy to assist.

[0069] Specifically, when the hip joint drive motor 311 drives the thigh rod 32, energy is transmitted through the thigh retraction link 41. The thigh binding mechanism 602 can be located inside the thigh retraction link 41, and can be equipped with a sponge lining and flexible fabric to improve wearing comfort. The thigh retraction link 41 and the thigh rod 32 are connected in a position-adjustable manner. In this embodiment, the thigh retraction link 41 has several sets of fixing holes 411 along its length direction, and each set of fixing holes 411 can have two holes. The thigh retraction link 41 and the thigh rod 32 can be connected by bolts. The bolts can align and connect any set of fixing holes 411 with any set of length adjustment holes 321, enabling position adjustment between the thigh retraction link 41 and the thigh rod 32. The upper left end of the upper knee joint link 42 is hinged to the bottom end of the thigh retraction link 41. To drive the upper knee joint link 42 to swing, preferably, the upper knee joint link 42 is also connected to a knee joint rotation drive assembly 45, which is used to drive the upper knee joint link 42 to rotate relative to the thigh retraction link 41. The fixed end of the knee joint rotation drive assembly 45 can be fixedly installed on the rotating end of the thigh retraction link 41, and the power output end can be connected to the upper knee joint link 42 to drive the upper knee joint link 42 to swing and realize the leg lifting action. The lower knee joint link 43 and the upper knee joint link 42 are set at an angle, and their bending directions are opposite to the bending direction of the leg at the knee. That is, the bending directions of the lower knee joint link 43 and the upper knee joint link 42 are opposite to the forward direction of the human body, forming a rear knee structure. In other words, especially when the human leg is bent, the upper knee joint link 42 tilts backward from top to bottom, and the lower knee joint link 43 tilts forward from top to bottom. Here, "forward" and "backward" refer to the front and back of the human body.

[0070] See also Figure 12 and Figure 13 The knee joint connection end of the lower knee joint link 43 (such as...) Figure 12The upper right end (as shown) is hinged to the lower right end of the upper knee joint link 42, and the two can be hinged together through the knee joint hinge joint 46. The two ends of the knee joint elastic adjustment component 44 can be connected to the lower knee joint link 43 and the upper knee joint link 42 respectively, and the three can form a triangular structure. The knee joint elastic adjustment component 44 can have an uphill / downhill mode and a flat ground mode. When walking on flat ground, it switches to flat ground mode. When the leg straightens from a bent position, the angle between the lower and upper knee joint links increases, and the knee joint elastic adjustment component lengthens to store the flat ground elastic potential energy. When the leg bends from a straight position, the angle between the lower and upper knee joint links decreases, and the knee joint elastic adjustment component releases the flat ground elastic potential energy to provide assistance. When walking uphill / downhill, the knee joint elastic adjustment component switches to uphill / downhill mode. When the leg bends from a straight position, the angle between the lower and upper knee joint links decreases, and the knee joint elastic adjustment component lengthens to store the uphill / downhill elastic potential energy. When the leg straightens from a bent position, the angle between the lower and upper knee joint links increases, and the knee joint elastic adjustment component releases the uphill / downhill elastic potential energy to provide assistance.

[0071] See also Figure 12 and Figure 13 The knee joint elastic adjustment assembly 44 may include: a length adjustment member 441 and an elastic adjustment member 442; wherein, the elastic adjustment member 442 has an uphill / downhill mode and a flat ground mode, and the adjustment end of the elastic adjustment member 442 (such as...) Figure 13 The upper end shown) and the length adjustment end of the length adjustment member 441 (as shown) Figure 13 The upper left end (as shown) is hinged together. The extension of the length adjustment member 441 can push the elastic adjustment member 442 to extend and switch to the flat ground mode for corresponding energy storage and release. The shortening of the length adjustment member 441 can push the elastic adjustment member 442 to shorten and switch to the uphill / downhill mode for corresponding energy storage and release.

[0072] Specifically, the length adjusting member 441 can be arranged along the length direction of the upper link 42 of the knee joint, and the fixed end of the length adjusting member 441 (such as...) Figure 13 The lower right end (as shown) can be fixedly installed on the knee joint linkage 42, with the fixed end positioned below the length adjustment end; wherein, the length adjustment component 441 can be an electric push rod, and the switching of the elastic adjustment component 442 mode is achieved through electric control. The control module 8 can be connected to the length adjustment component 441 to control the length adjustment of the length adjustment component 441. In this embodiment, the adjustment end of the elastic adjustment component 442 is hinged to the length adjustment end of the length adjustment component 441, and the fixed end of the elastic adjustment component 442 (such as the lower right end) can be fixedly installed on the knee joint linkage 42, with the fixed end positioned below the length adjustment end; wherein, the length adjustment component 442 can be an electric push rod, and the switching of the elastic adjustment component 442 mode is achieved through electric control. The control module 8 can be connected to the length adjustment component 441 to control the length adjustment of the length adjustment component 441. Figure 13The lower right end (shown) is rotatably mounted on the lower knee joint link 43. Specifically, the connection point can be spaced apart from the connection points of the lower knee joint link 43 and the upper knee joint link 42, so that the elastic adjustment member 442, the upper knee joint link 42, and the lower knee joint link 43 form a triangular structure. The length adjustment member 441 can be arranged along the length direction of the upper knee joint link 42. Therefore, the elastic adjustment member 442, the length adjustment member 441, and the lower knee joint link 43 can also form a triangular structure. The elastic adjustment member 442 has two modes, allowing for energy storage and release at different times in each mode. In this embodiment, the adjusting end of the elastic adjustment member 442 can be provided with a hinged connector 443, which has a connecting post. The connecting post is rotatably inserted through the length adjusting end of the length adjustment member 441 to achieve relative rotation between the elastic adjustment member 442 and the length adjustment member 441.

[0073] See also Figure 14 The elastic adjustment element 442 may include: a module housing 4421, a guide support rod 4422, a flat compression spring 4423, and an uphill / downhill compression spring 4424; wherein, the sliding end of the guide support rod 4422 (e.g., Figure 14 The lower right end (as shown) is slidably disposed inside the module housing 4421, and the switching end (such as...) Figure 14 The upper left end shown) is the adjustment end of the module housing 4421 (as shown). Figure 14The upper left end (as shown) extends to the outside of the module housing 4421 and is hinged to the length adjustment end of the length adjustment member 441; the flat compression spring 4423 is disposed inside the module housing 4421, located between the sliding end of the guide support rod 4422 and the adjustment end of the module housing 4421, and is sleeved on the guide support rod 4422; the uphill and downhill compression spring 4424 is disposed inside the module housing 4421, and is located between the sliding end of the guide support rod 4422 and the fixed end of the module housing 4421. The guide support rod 4422 slides along the length direction of the module housing 4421 with the length adjustment member 441. The guide support rod 4422 can retract so that its sliding end can slide to the spring balance position, that is, both the flat compression spring 4423 and the uphill and downhill compression spring 4424 are in a free state. At this time, the uphill and downhill compression springs are in the module housing 4421. In the upright position, when the legs change from straight to bent, the angle between the lower knee joint link 43 and the upper knee joint link 42 decreases, compressing the uphill and downhill compression springs 4424 and storing elastic potential energy. When the legs straighten from bent, the angle between the lower knee joint link 43 and the upper knee joint link 42 increases, and the uphill and downhill compression springs 4424 reset and release elastic potential energy. The guide support rod 4422 can extend so that its sliding end can slide to the compression position of the flat ground compression spring 4423. At this time, it is in the upright position of the flat ground mode. When the legs are lifted and change from straight to bent, the angle between the lower knee joint link 43 and the upper knee joint link 42 decreases, and the flat ground compression spring 4423 resets and releases elastic potential energy. When the legs straighten from bent, the angle between the lower knee joint link 43 and the upper knee joint link 42 increases, compressing the flat ground compression spring 4423 and storing elastic potential energy.

[0074] Specifically, the fixed end of the module housing 4421 can be hinged to the knee joint lower link 43, and a connecting cover 4425 can be provided at the middle position of the guide support rod 4422 for connecting the adjusting end of the module housing 4421; wherein, the connecting cover 4425 is slidably connected to the guide support rod 4422 along the length direction of the guide support rod 4422, so that the guide support rod 4422 can slide relative to the module housing 4421 to realize the switching of the flat ground compression spring 4423 and the uphill / downhill compression spring 4424, that is, the switching of the outdoor sports mode. The switching end of the guide support rod 4422 (such as Figure 13 The upper left end (shown) is connected to the hinge connector 443. The sliding end of the guide support rod 4422 is provided with a sliding block. The sliding block is adapted to the inner contour of the module housing 4421 so as to slide inside the module housing 4421, thereby adjusting the state of the flat compression spring 4423 and the uphill and downhill compression spring 4424, realizing the switching of motion mode and the adjustment of the compression state of the flat compression spring 4423 and the uphill and downhill compression spring 4424.

[0075] The following is Figure 15 and Figure 16 The knee joint elastic adjustment component 44 will be explained using an example:

[0076] The working principle of the knee joint elastic adjustment component 44 for incline and descent: The sliding end of the guide support rod 4422 can slide to the equilibrium position of the flat compression spring 4423 and the incline compression spring 4424 under the extension and retraction of the length adjustment component 441. That is, the flat compression spring 4423 and the incline compression spring 4424 are both in a free state, so that the elastic adjustment component 442 is in the incline and descent mode. In other words, the length of the length adjustment component 441 becomes shorter, that is, the electric push rod retracts, so that the length of segment AB is reduced until the green push rod is located at the equilibrium point of the two springs, so as to achieve the self-adjustment. Figure 16 Switch to (d) Figure 15 In (b), the lower limbs are in an upright position. During the process of the leg changing from straight to bent, going uphill involves lifting the leg (swing phase), while going downhill involves the supporting leg bending due to gravity (support phase). Refer to the specific videos for uphill and downhill sections. During the leg's change from straight to bent, the orange and green connecting rods rotate and converge, meaning the angle decreases. At this time, the straight-line distance between points A and C decreases, i.e., from... Figure 15 From Figure (b) to Figure (a), the yellow spring is compressed to store elastic potential energy. This elastic potential energy is released during the process of the supporting leg pushing off the ground to raise the body's center of gravity, causing the supporting leg to return from a bent state to an upright state, i.e., from Figure (a) to Figure (b). While bending the leg uphill to compress the spring does hinder human movement, the energy expended by pushing off the ground to raise the entire body is greater than the energy expended by lifting and bending a single leg to compress the spring. Therefore, transferring the energy from the bent leg to the pushing-off process is worthwhile. The bending of the leg downhill is completed under the influence of body gravity; at this time, the stored energy is the gravitational potential energy from the downward shift of the body's center of gravity, without hindering natural human movement. In this mode, the green push rod moves back and forth between the compressed lower spring and the equilibrium position of the two springs.

[0077] The working principle of the knee joint elastic adjustment component 44 on flat ground is as follows: the electric push rod extends upward, driving the green push rod to compress the red spring, as shown in Figure (d). At this time, the leg is in an upright position. When the leg is lifted, it changes from straight to bent, releasing elastic potential energy, i.e., from Figure (d) to Figure (c). When the leg changes from bent to straight, the lower limb and knee joint rotation drive component 45 drives the orange and green connecting rods to open, the straight line between points A and C becomes longer, and the spring is compressed to store elastic potential energy.

[0078] Among them, Figure 15 and Figure 16In the diagram, the orange link refers to the upper knee joint link 42, and the green link refers to the lower knee joint link 43; the vertically arranged green push rod refers to the guide support rod 4422, A refers to the connection point between the guide support rod 4422 and the length adjustment component 441, B refers to the connection point between the upper knee joint link 42 and the lower knee joint link 43, and C refers to the connection point between the module housing 4421 and the lower knee joint link 43.

[0079] See also Figure 14 The knee joint rotation drive assembly 45 includes a knee joint motor 451 and a knee joint motor housing 452; wherein the knee joint motor housing 452 is fastened to the knee joint motor 451 to protect the knee joint motor 451 and prevent interference from foreign objects.

[0080] See Figure 17 and Figure 18 The figure illustrates a preferred structure of the ankle exoskeleton mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the ankle exoskeleton mechanism 5 may include: a shoe assembly 51, a shoe connecting post 52, an ankle sliding rod 53, and an ankle elastic cushioning assembly 54; wherein, the shoe connecting post 52 is disposed on the shoe assembly 51; the shoe connecting post 52 has a sliding cavity inside, one end of the ankle sliding rod 53 is slidably disposed inside the shoe connecting post 52, and the other end is rotatably connected to the ankle connecting end of the knee exoskeleton device 4; the ankle elastic cushioning assembly 54 is disposed inside the shoe connecting post 52, between the end of the ankle sliding rod 53 disposed inside the shoe connecting post 52 and the bottom end of the sliding cavity, for ankle cushioning.

[0081] Specifically, the shoe connecting post 52 is vertically arranged and can be welded or bolted to the shoe assembly 51. The shoe connecting post 52 has a vertically arranged sliding cavity along its length, with an open top to allow the ankle sliding rod 53 to extend into the sliding cavity from the open end. The ankle elastic cushioning component 54 can be placed between the sliding end of the ankle sliding rod 53 within the sliding cavity and the closed end of the sliding cavity. When the sliding end of the ankle sliding rod 53 slides downwards relative to the shoe connecting post 52, the ankle elastic cushioning component 54 is compressed, storing elastic potential energy and reducing the impact on the joints when the foot touches the ground. The stored elastic potential energy is released when the heel leaves the ground. In this embodiment, the top end of the shoe connecting post 52 can be rotatably connected to the bottom end of the knee joint lower connecting rod 43, and can be hinged via a rotating shaft. Figure 17 and Figure 18As shown, the top end of the ankle sliding rod 53 can be U-shaped and is equipped with a shoe connecting bolt assembly 55, which includes a shoe connecting bolt 551 and a shoe connecting nut 552. The bottom end of the knee joint lower connecting rod 43 is set in the U-shaped groove and rotatably sleeved on the connecting bolt assembly 55. That is, the ankle sliding rod 53 is connected to the knee joint lower connecting rod 43 through the shoe connecting bolt assembly 55, realizing relative rotation between the top end of the ankle sliding rod 53 and the knee joint lower connecting rod 43, thereby allowing the human ankle joint to perform normal internal / external rotation movements. The bottom end of the ankle sliding rod 53 is equipped with a sliding column body, which is adapted to the inner wall of the sliding cavity of the shoe connecting column 52 and can slide within the sliding cavity.

[0082] In this embodiment, the ankle sliding rod 53 can slide up and down within the sliding cavity of the shoe connecting post 52. The ankle sliding rod 53 has a sliding hole along its length, and the shoe connecting post 52 has a connecting limiting rod 56, which can be fixed to the shoe connecting post 52. The connecting limiting rod 56 passes through the sliding cavity and slides through the sliding hole to limit and guide the sliding of the ankle sliding rod 53.

[0083] See also Figure 18 The shoe assembly 51 includes a sole 511 and a shoe cover 512; wherein, the shoe cover 512 is disposed above the sole 511 and is used to secure it to the human foot. Specifically, the shoe cover 512 can be a shoe cover with Velcro, used for quick donning and doffing of the exoskeleton device, and the shoe cover 512 can be connected to the sole 511 and the shoe connecting post 52.

[0084] See also Figure 18 The ankle elastic cushioning assembly 54 may include an ankle guide post 541 and an ankle spring body 542. The ankle guide post 541 is slidably disposed in a sliding cavity and positioned below the ankle sliding rod 53 for sliding up and down with the ankle sliding rod 53. The ankle spring body 542 is sleeved on the ankle guide post 541 and is used to compress and store elastic potential energy when the ankle guide post 541 slides down with the ankle sliding rod 53, and to apply a restoring force to the ankle guide post 541 so that the ankle guide post 541 and the ankle sliding rod 53 can release elastic potential energy when the heel leaves the ground.

[0085] Specifically, the ankle guide post 541 is provided with a limiting block 543 to restrict the upward reset position of the ankle guide post 541, thereby preventing the ankle guide post 541 from disengaging from the shoe connecting post 52, and thus preventing the ankle guide post 541 from disengaging from the ankle spring body 542; wherein, the limiting block 543 is detachably connected to the ankle guide post 541, the ankle guide post 541 can be a bolt structure, and the limiting block 543 can be a nut structure. In this embodiment, as... Figure 19As shown, a limiting plate 521 may be provided inside the shoe connecting post 52. The cavity above the limiting plate 521 serves as a sliding cavity, and the cavity below it can accommodate the sliding of the ankle guide post 541. The limiting plate 521 is used to limit the sliding of the ankle guide post 541. The ankle guide post 541 is slidably inserted through the limiting plate 521, and the limiting block 543 is placed below the limiting plate 521. It can slide up and down with the ankle guide post 541. The limiting block 543 can be pressed against the limiting plate 521 to limit the extreme position of the upward sliding of the ankle guide post 541, thus preventing the ankle guide post 541 from separating from the shoe connecting post 52. In this embodiment, the top of the ankle guide post 541 is provided with a head that can press against the bottom wall of the ankle sliding rod 53 to slide up and down with the ankle sliding rod 53 and limit the top of the ankle spring body 542. That is, the ankle spring body 542 can be placed between the head of the ankle guide post 541 and the limiting plate 521. When the ankle guide post 541 slides downward with the ankle sliding rod 53 relative to the shoe connecting post 52, the ankle spring body 542 is compressed to store elastic potential energy so that the elastic potential energy can be released when the heel leaves the ground, so that the ankle sliding rod 53 and the ankle guide post 541 slide upward and reset relative to the shoe connecting post 52.

[0086] In this embodiment, the control module 8 adopts a hierarchical control framework. The upper layer is the intent recognition layer, which uses a depth camera located on the chest and IMUs distributed on the exoskeleton to obtain motion intent information. This information is then fused with multiple data sources and processed using machine vision-based image semantic recognition to generate a digital elevation model of the current and future motion terrain. This model includes typical outdoor terrain such as mountains, forests, and plains. Mountainous terrain includes upslopes, downslopes, and their gradients. The middle layer is the trajectory control layer, which is mainly divided into two parts: adaptive auxiliary trajectory and adaptive human body characteristics, as well as energy-saving control. First, based on the recognition results from the upper intent recognition layer, the elastic element at the knee joint structure is switched to adapt to the terrain. The auxiliary trajectory is also switched based on the terrain and gradient information; this is adaptive auxiliary trajectory. Second, since the exoskeleton is primarily used for outdoor walking assistance, a speed mapping model is established by collecting pressure data from the flexible pressure sensor at the thigh strap at different speeds and IMU data from the exoskeleton's feet. During actual movement, the walking speed can be modified according to the user's subjective motion intent. The lower layer is the bottom position control, which uses the motion trajectory with human preferences and optimal energy efficiency obtained from the middle layer as the control expectation. It is implemented by forward dynamics network and impedance control. The human torque observer is used to predict the human body's own motion torque, the higher-order disturbance observer is used to determine the system uncertainty, and the obstacle Lyapunov is used to solve the determined physical motion constraints to ensure tracking error.

[0087] In summary, the knee joint exoskeleton mechanism and wearable lower limb outdoor walking assistive exoskeleton robot provided in this embodiment have uphill / downhill and flat ground modes through the knee joint elastic adjustment component. When walking on flat ground, it switches to flat ground mode. When the leg straightens from a bent position, the angle between the lower and upper knee joint links increases, and the knee joint elastic adjustment component stores flat ground elastic potential energy. When the leg bends from a straight position, the angle between the lower and upper knee joint links decreases, and the knee joint elastic adjustment component releases the flat ground elastic potential energy to provide assistance. When going uphill / downhill, the knee joint elastic adjustment component switches to uphill / downhill mode, and the knee joint elastic adjustment component releases the flat ground elastic potential energy to provide assistance. When the leg changes from straight to bent, the angle between the lower and upper knee joint links decreases, and the knee joint elastic adjustment component stores the elastic potential energy of the incline. Conversely, when the leg straightens from a bent position, the angle between the lower and upper knee joint links increases, and the knee joint elastic adjustment component releases the elastic potential energy of the incline to provide assistance. This allows for the storage and release of energy at different times in two different modes, adapting to various terrains, including typical mountainous, woodland, and gravel terrains. It is suitable for people of different body types and features flexible hip joint weight compensation and flexible ankle joint gait stability functions. Figure 20 As shown, by analyzing a snow leopard forelimb musculoskeletal model, the most developed muscle groups are identified as the subscapularis and triceps brachii. Elastic elements are used to simulate these muscles, and rigid rods to simulate the skeletal structure, resulting in a novel biomimetic lower limb exoskeleton. Furthermore, this knee joint exoskeleton mechanism also possesses the following technical advantages:

[0088] First, an elastic element is used at the knee joint to simulate the triceps brachii of a snow leopard for energy recovery, reducing the overall energy consumption of the equipment. To achieve adaptability to different terrains, a switchable elastic element device, namely the knee joint elastic adjustment component, is designed. The terrain recognition results from the depth camera on the chest can drive the length adjustment component 441, i.e., the electric push rod, to switch the elastic adjustment component 442, i.e., the elastic element, to achieve the structure's adaptability to terrain. In other words, a terrain-adaptive structure is provided at the back of the knee joint. By switching the action of the spring module through the electric push rod, the assist effect can be improved under different terrains, such as walking uphill and downhill in typical mountainous terrain and walking on flat ground, thus improving the structure's environmental adaptability.

[0089] Secondly, the exoskeleton robot has two elastic units in its drive section. The energy storage spring 334 is connected to the thigh rod 32, which can suppress the impact from the motor during turning, protect the human joints, and achieve a flexible rotation effect. It also simulates the subscapularis muscle of the snow leopard's forelimb, providing gravity compensation. The flat ground compression spring 4423 and the uphill and downhill compression spring 4424 form the second elastic element, which simulates the triceps brachii muscle of the snow leopard's forelimb. This improves energy utilization, resists foot impact, and reduces the energy consumed by hip joint retraction. During movement, it can store energy during knee joint extension or compression and release it during another knee joint process, reducing motor power consumption and increasing maximum output torque. Both elastic elements simulate the two most developed muscle groups of the snow leopard's forelimb to achieve speed and flexibility similar to the snow leopard's forelimb walking in typical outdoor mountainous and forested areas.

[0090] It should be noted that in the description of this invention, the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "inner", "outer", etc., which indicate directions or positional relationships, are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. This is only for the convenience of description and is not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, it should not be construed as a limitation of this invention.

[0091] Furthermore, it should be noted that, in the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0092] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this invention without departing from its spirit and scope. Therefore, if these modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this invention and their equivalents, this invention also intends to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A knee joint exoskeleton device, characterized in that, include: Thigh contraction linkage; The upper link of the knee joint has one end rotatably connected to the rotating end of the thigh retraction link; The lower knee joint link is rotatably connected to the other end of the upper knee joint link; A knee joint elastic adjustment component is connected to the upper knee joint link and the lower knee joint link, respectively. The knee joint elastic adjustment component has an uphill / downhill mode and a flat ground mode. When walking on flat ground, it switches to flat ground mode. When the leg straightens from a bent position, the angle between the lower and upper knee joint links increases, and the knee joint elastic adjustment component stores flat ground elastic potential energy. When the leg bends from a straight position, the angle between the lower and upper knee joint links decreases, and the knee joint elastic adjustment component releases the flat ground elastic potential energy to provide assistance. When walking uphill / downhill, the knee joint elastic adjustment component switches to uphill / downhill mode. When the leg bends from a straight position, the angle between the lower and upper knee joint links decreases, and the knee joint elastic adjustment component stores uphill / downhill elastic potential energy. When the leg straightens from a bent position, the angle between the lower and upper knee joint links increases, and the knee joint elastic adjustment component releases uphill / downhill elastic potential energy to provide assistance.

2. The knee joint exoskeleton device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The knee joint elastic adjustment component includes: Length adjustment component; The elastic adjustment member has an uphill / downhill mode and a flat ground mode. The adjustment end is hinged to the length adjustment end of the length adjustment member. When the length adjustment member extends, it can push the elastic adjustment member to extend and switch to the flat ground mode. When the length adjustment member shortens, it can push the elastic adjustment member to shorten and switch to the uphill / downhill mode.

3. The knee joint exoskeleton device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The elastic adjustment element includes: Module casing; The guide support rod has a sliding end that is slidably disposed inside the module housing, and a switching end that extends from the adjustment end of the module housing to the outside of the module housing and is hinged to the length adjustment end of the length adjustment member. A flat compression spring is disposed inside the module housing, located between the sliding end of the guide support rod and the adjusting end of the module housing, and sleeved on the guide support rod; An uphill / downhill compression spring is disposed inside the module housing and positioned between the sliding end of the guide support rod and the fixed end of the module housing. The guide support rod slides along the length direction of the module housing with the length adjustment member. The guide support rod can retract so that its sliding end can slide to the spring equilibrium position, which is the upright state of the uphill / downhill mode. When the leg changes from straight to bent, the angle between the lower knee joint link and the upper knee joint link decreases, compressing the uphill / downhill compression spring and storing elastic potential energy. When the leg changes from bent to straight, the uphill / downhill compression spring... The angle between the lower knee joint link and the upper knee joint link increases, and the uphill / downhill compression spring resets and releases elastic potential energy. The guide support rod can extend so that its sliding end can slide to the compression position of the flat ground compression spring, which is in the upright state of the flat ground mode. When the leg is raised from straight to bent, the angle between the lower knee joint link and the upper knee joint link decreases, and the flat ground compression spring resets and releases elastic potential energy. When the leg is straightened from bent, the angle between the lower knee joint link and the upper knee joint link increases, compressing the flat ground compression spring and storing elastic potential energy.

4. The knee joint exoskeleton device according to claim 3, characterized in that, A connecting cover is provided at the middle position of the guide support rod for connecting the adjustment end of the module housing; The connecting cover is slidably connected to the guide support rod along the length of the guide support rod, so that the guide support rod can slide relative to the module housing, realizing the switching between flat ground compression spring and uphill / downhill compression spring states.

5. The knee exoskeleton device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The adjusting end of the elastic adjusting member is provided with a hinged connector, which is provided with a connecting post. The connecting post is rotatably inserted through the length adjusting end of the length adjusting member to realize the relative rotation between the elastic adjusting member and the length adjusting member. The length adjustment component is arranged along the length direction of the upper link of the knee joint, and the fixed end of the length adjustment component is fixedly installed on the upper link of the knee joint, with the fixed end positioned below the length adjustment end of the length adjustment component, so that the length adjustment component can extend upward for adjustment.

6. The knee exoskeleton device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The two ends of the knee joint elastic adjustment component are respectively connected to the lower knee joint link and the upper knee joint link, and the three are arranged in a triangular structure.

7. The knee exoskeleton device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The upper knee joint link is also connected to a knee joint rotation drive assembly, which is used to drive the upper knee joint link to rotate relative to the thigh retraction link; The knee joint connecting end of the lower knee joint link is hinged to the end of the upper knee joint link through a knee joint hinge joint. The thigh retraction link is provided with several sets of fixing holes along its length to realize the position adjustment between the thigh retraction link and the thigh rod.

8. The knee exoskeleton device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The upper knee joint link and the lower knee joint link are set at an angle, and their bending directions are opposite to the bending direction of the leg at the knee, so as to form a posterior knee structure.

9. The knee exoskeleton device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, Also includes: An image acquisition device is used to acquire images. The controller, connected to the image acquisition unit, is used for image recognition based on machine vision to determine the current terrain category, and then, based on the current terrain category, controls the knee joint elastic adjustment component to switch motion modes to achieve terrain adaptability.

10. A lower limb outdoor walking assistive exoskeleton robot, characterized in that, The device includes a knee exoskeleton as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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