An underwater powered flexible exoskeleton system

Abstract

The application discloses an underwater power-assisted flexible exoskeleton system, which comprises a flexible binding unit, an ankle joint power-assisted unit, a sensing unit and a fin; the flexible binding unit comprises a vest and a lower leg binding part; the ankle joint power-assisted unit comprises a dorsiflexion power-assisted Bowden cable, a plantar flexion power-assisted Bowden cable and an ankle joint driving unit connected with the two and fixed on the vest and comprising a controller, the dorsiflexion power-assisted Bowden cable and the plantar flexion power-assisted Bowden cable are fixed on the lower leg of a user by the lower leg binding part, the dorsiflexion power-assisted Bowden cable is connected to the front end of the fin, and the plantar flexion power-assisted Bowden cable is connected to the rear end of the fin through a fin connecting belt; the sensing unit is used for receiving a user action intention signal and transmitting a related signal to the controller, and the controller controls the ankle joint driving unit to provide power assistance after processing the related signal. The application relies on an inertial sensor to sense human motion intention, judges a freestyle swimming action stage and controls the ankle joint power-assisted unit to provide power assistance, so that the physical consumption of a user is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of underwater exoskeletons, in particular to an underwater power-assisted flexible exoskeleton system. Background Art

[0002] Breaststroke holds a prominent place in swimming. It is a widely used stroke suitable for swimmers of all ages and skill levels. It plays a vital role in aquatic activities such as water rescue, beginner training, underwater observation and scientific research, and underwater filming and photography. However, the main drawbacks of breaststroke include slow speed, high energy consumption, and low leg efficiency.

[0003] Many applications require swimmers to perform breaststroke for extended periods. Because breaststroke requires frequent body movements and breathing, prolonged swimming without adequate technique or physical fitness can lead to muscle fatigue and even cramps, increasing the risk of drowning. Therefore, powered exoskeleton robots based on human motion intention sensing technology can provide assistance to personnel who require prolonged breaststroke underwater work, improving efficiency and preventing danger.

[0004] CN 114800445 A discloses an amphibious exoskeleton robot system for underwater rescue, CN 114797062 A discloses an exoskeleton device for swimming instruction, and CN 211836182 U discloses a single-person diving assist device. While these existing technologies can assist an operator with underwater movements, most of them are mechanical exoskeletons, which are complex and heavy, have limited joint freedom, and are not specifically designed to assist breaststroke, resulting in a poor user experience.

[0005] Therefore, it is of great practical significance to develop an underwater exoskeleton that has good adaptability to posture changes, good joint freedom and good user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Due to the above-mentioned defects in the prior art, the present invention provides an underwater exoskeleton with good adaptability to posture changes, good joint freedom and good user experience. Specifically, it is an underwater assisted flexible exoskeleton system with a simple, flexible and targeted structure. It provides assistance to swimmers based on motion intention perception technology, and has a good assistance effect. It overcomes the defects of existing swimming teaching auxiliary equipment, which are complex and heavy, have poor joint freedom, are not specifically designed to assist breaststroke, and have a poor user experience.

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0008] An underwater power-assisted flexible exoskeleton system, comprising a flexible binding unit, an ankle joint power-assisting unit, a sensing unit, and fins;

[0009] The flexible binding unit includes a vest and a calf binding portion;

[0010] The ankle joint assist unit includes a dorsiflexion assist Bowden cable, a plantar flexion assist Bowden cable, and an ankle joint drive unit. The ankle joint drive unit includes a controller. The ankle joint drive unit is fixed to a vest. The dorsiflexion assist Bowden cable and the plantar flexion assist Bowden cable are fixed to the user's calf using a calf binding portion. The dorsiflexion assist Bowden cable is connected to the front end of the fin, and the plantar flexion assist Bowden cable is connected to the rear end of the fin via a fin connecting belt. The dorsiflexion assist Bowden cable and the plantar flexion assist Bowden cable are connected to the ankle joint drive unit.

[0011] The perception unit is used to receive the user's action intention signal and transmit the relevant signal to the controller. After processing the relevant signal, the controller obtains a control scheme and controls the ankle joint drive unit to perform corresponding actions to provide assistance according to the control scheme.

[0012] The operating logic of the above-mentioned underwater power-assisted flexible exoskeleton system is as follows:

[0013] The perception unit collects the user's action intention signals during breaststroke, and the action intention signals are transmitted to the controller. The controller will preprocess, extract features and classify the collected action intention signals to determine which action stage of breaststroke the user is in at this time. Preprocessing is to filter the collected signals, remove useless signals, amplify useful signals and use them; feature extraction is to collect the characteristic signals of each action, and the difference in characteristic signals represents the actions of different stages of breaststroke; classification is to determine which action stage of breaststroke the user is in based on different action characteristics. After obtaining the processing results, the controller determines the control plan based on the results, and then controls the ankle joint power assist unit to make corresponding actions according to the control plan to achieve power assist for the ankle joint.

[0014] The underwater assisted flexible exoskeleton system of the present invention has a reasonable structural design. It uses a sensing unit to predict the user's movement intention in advance to achieve optimal assisted work, with good accuracy, simple operation and strong adaptability. The main components are arranged on the vest, which can minimize the load on the lower body to facilitate swimming. The whole is a flexible exoskeleton, which can better fit and adapt to human body movements, provide greater joint freedom, and have better adaptability to posture changes. It is also light in weight, can provide a more comfortable wearing experience, and has good application prospects.

[0015] As the preferred technical solution:

[0016] In the underwater power-assisted flexible exoskeleton system as described above, there are two dorsiflexion-assisted Bowden cables and two plantarflexion-assisted Bowden cables respectively;

[0017] Two dorsiflexion-assisting Bowden cables are connected to the front ends of the two fins;

[0018] Two plantar flexion assisting Bowden cables are respectively connected to the rear ends of the two fins through the two fin connecting straps.

[0019] In the underwater assisted flexible exoskeleton system as described above, the dorsiflexion assisted Bowden cable and the plantar flexion assisted Bowden cable located on the same side of the user meet on the outside of the user's thigh and then pass through the back hip to be connected to the ankle joint drive unit.

[0020] In the underwater power-assisted flexible exoskeleton system as described above, the sensing unit includes an inertial sensor on the front of the lower leg and an inertial sensor on the back of the lower leg;

[0021] The calf front inertial sensor and the calf back inertial sensor are respectively fixed to the front and back of the user's calf using the calf binding part;

[0022] The inertial sensor on the front of the calf and the inertial sensor on the back of the calf are both waterproofed.

[0023] In the underwater power-assisted flexible exoskeleton system as described above, the ankle joint drive unit further comprises an ankle joint drive housing, an ankle joint drive top cover, an electronic speed regulator, an ankle joint drive reel, a transmission shaft, a driven gear, a driving gear and an ankle joint drive motor;

[0024] The ankle joint drive top cover is installed on the top of the ankle joint drive housing, and the ankle joint drive top cover and the ankle joint drive housing form a boxed structure. The electronic speed regulator, driven gear, driving gear and ankle joint drive motor are all arranged in the ankle joint drive housing. The two side walls in the horizontal direction of the ankle joint drive housing are provided with mutually matching through-hole groups. The transmission shaft passes through the through-hole group, and the two ends of the transmission shaft are respectively fixedly connected to the two ankle joint drive winding wheels located outside the ankle joint drive housing. The driven gear is fixedly mounted on the transmission shaft, and the driving gear is fixedly mounted on the driving shaft of the ankle joint drive motor, and the driving gear is meshed with the driven gear.

[0025] The dorsiflexion-assisting Bowden cable and the plantarflexion-assisting Bowden cable are wound around the ankle joint driving reel.

[0026] When the ankle joint drive motor rotates, it can drive the ankle joint drive winding wheels on both sides to rotate, thereby forming a retraction and extension movement of the Bowden cable wound on the ankle joint drive winding wheels, achieving an assisting effect on the dorsiflexion or plantar flexion of the ankle joint.

[0027] A single ankle drive unit can provide assistance to the ankle joints on both sides, which not only has good synchronization and can standardize the breaststroke stroke, but also can minimize the weight of the system, reduce the user load, and improve the user experience.

[0028] In an underwater assisted flexible exoskeleton system as described above, an ankle joint drive waterproof ring is provided between the ankle joint drive top cover and the ankle joint drive shell to achieve waterproof sealing of the shell, and a drive shaft waterproof ring is provided between the drive shaft and the ankle joint drive shell to achieve waterproof sealing at this position.

[0029] In the underwater assisted flexible exoskeleton system as described above, the through-hole group is equipped with a bearing, the outer ring of the bearing is fixed to the ankle joint drive housing, and the inner ring of the bearing is fixed to the drive shaft through an interference fit.

[0030] In the underwater power-assisted flexible exoskeleton system as described above, ankle-driven reel housings are provided on both sides of the ankle-driven reel to prevent the Bowden cable from jumping out of the cable groove during movement.

[0031] In the underwater power-assisted flexible exoskeleton system as described above, a battery for powering the underwater flexible exoskeleton robot system is provided in the ankle joint drive housing.

[0032] In the underwater assisted flexible exoskeleton system as described above, a waterproof connector is installed on the ankle joint drive top cover to ensure the sealing of the shell, and the data cable for connecting the sensing unit and the controller is inserted into the ankle joint drive shell through the waterproof connector.

[0033] The above technical solution is only a feasible technical solution of the present invention. The protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art can reasonably adjust the specific design according to actual needs.

[0034] The above invention has the following advantages or beneficial effects:

[0035] (1) The underwater power-assisted flexible exoskeleton system of the present invention can predict the user's movement intention in advance by setting up inertial sensors, perform feature recognition when the user makes different movements, predict the next movement based on the inertial sensor signal, and use this to control the exoskeleton to make corresponding movements to complete the optimal power-assisted work;

[0036] (2) The underwater power-assisted flexible exoskeleton system of the present invention can identify which stage of the breaststroke the user is in by setting up inertial sensors to collect signals and classify them. Based on the perception and prediction of movement intention, it can accurately assist the user's movements. It is simple to operate and has strong adaptability.

[0037] (3) The underwater power-assisted flexible exoskeleton system of the present invention, by providing a flexible exoskeleton, can better fit and adapt to human body movements, provide greater joint freedom, better adaptability to posture changes, and is lightweight as a whole, providing a more comfortable wearing experience;

[0038] (4) The underwater assisted flexible exoskeleton system of the present invention has a device load mainly on the user's upper body, which can minimize the load on the lower body, making it easier for the user to swim and improving the user experience. It has good application prospects. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] The present invention and its features, configurations, and advantages will become more apparent upon reading the detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the following drawings. Like reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the drawings. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, emphasis being placed on illustrating the subject matter of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 1 It is a front view schematic diagram of the underwater power-assisted flexible exoskeleton system of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 2 It is a rear view schematic diagram of the underwater power-assisted flexible exoskeleton system of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 3 This is an exploded view of the ankle joint drive unit;

[0043] Among them, 1- vest; 2- calf binding part; 3- calf front inertial sensor; 4- fins; 5- dorsiflexion assisted Bowden cable; 6- ankle joint drive unit; 601- ankle joint drive top cover; 602- waterproof connector; 603- ankle joint drive waterproof ring; 604- battery; 605- electronic speed regulator; 606- controller; 607- ankle joint drive reel housing; 608- ankle joint drive reel; 609- transmission shaft; 610- driven gear; 611- driving gear; 612- ankle joint drive motor; 613- bearing; 614- transmission shaft waterproof ring; 615- ankle joint drive housing; 7- plantar flexion assisted Bowden cable; 8- calf back inertial sensor; 9- fin connecting strap. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, but they are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0045] Example 1

[0046] An underwater power-assisted flexible exoskeleton system, such as Figures 1-3 As shown, it includes a flexible binding unit, an ankle joint assist unit, a sensing unit and a flipper 4;

[0047] The flexible binding unit comprises a vest 1 and a calf binding portion 2;

[0048] The ankle joint assist unit includes a dorsiflexion assist Bowden cable 5, a plantar flexion assist Bowden cable 7 and an ankle joint drive unit 6. The ankle joint drive unit 6 is fixed on the vest 1. The dorsiflexion assist Bowden cable 5 and the plantar flexion assist Bowden cable 7 are fixed to the user's calf by using the calf binding part 2. There are two dorsiflexion assist Bowden cables 5 and two plantar flexion assist Bowden cables 7, which correspond to the two legs of the user. The two dorsiflexion assist Bowden cables 5 are respectively connected to the front ends of the two fins 4, and the two plantar flexion assist Bowden cables 7 are respectively connected to the rear ends of the two fins 4 through the two fin connecting belts 9. The dorsiflexion assist Bowden cables 5 and the plantar flexion assist Bowden cables 7 on the same side of the user meet on the outside of the user's thigh and then pass through the back buttocks to connect to the ankle joint drive unit 6. The ankle joint drive unit 6 includes an ankle joint drive top cover 601, a waterproof connector 602, an ankle joint drive waterproof ring 603, a battery 604, an electronic speed regulator 605, a controller 606, an ankle joint drive reel housing 607, an ankle joint drive reel 608, a transmission shaft 609, a driven gear 610, a driving gear 611, an ankle joint drive motor 612, a bearing 613, a transmission shaft waterproof ring 614 and an ankle joint drive housing 615. The ankle joint drive top cover 601 is installed on the top of the ankle joint drive housing 615 and the ankle joint drive top cover 601 and the ankle joint drive housing 615 form a boxed structure. The ankle joint drive waterproof ring 606 is provided between the ankle joint drive top cover 601 and the ankle joint drive housing 615. 3 to achieve waterproof sealing of the housing, the electronic speed regulator 605, the driven gear 610, the driving gear 611 and the ankle joint drive motor 612 are all arranged in the ankle joint drive housing 615. The ankle joint drive housing 615 has two horizontal side walls with matching through-hole groups. A transmission shaft waterproof ring 614 is provided between the transmission shaft 609 and the ankle joint drive housing 615 to achieve waterproof sealing at this position. The through-hole group is installed with a bearing 613. The outer ring of the bearing 613 is fixed to the ankle joint drive housing 615 and the inner ring of the bearing 613 is fixed to the transmission shaft 609 through an interference fit. The transmission shaft 609 passes through the through-hole group and the two ends of the transmission shaft 609 are respectively connected to the ankle joint drive housing 615. 5, the two ankle joint drive reels 608 are fixedly connected, ankle joint drive reel housings 607 are set on both sides of the ankle joint drive reels 608, a driven gear 610 is fixedly set on the transmission shaft 609, a driving gear 611 is fixedly set on the driving shaft of the ankle joint drive motor 612, the driving gear 611 is meshed with the driven gear 610, the dorsiflexion assisting Bowden cable 5 and the plantar flexion assisting Bowden cable 7 are wound around the ankle joint drive reels 608, the battery 604 provides power for the underwater flexible exoskeleton robot system, a waterproof connector 602 is installed on the ankle joint drive top cover 601, and the data cable for connecting the sensing unit and the controller 606 passes through the waterproof connector 602 and penetrates into the ankle joint drive housing 615;

[0049] The sensing unit includes an inertial sensor 3 on the front of the calf and an inertial sensor 8 on the back of the calf. The inertial sensor 3 on the front of the calf and the inertial sensor 8 on the back of the calf are respectively fixed to the front and back of the user's calf using the calf binding part 2. The inertial sensor 3 on the front of the calf and the inertial sensor 8 on the back of the calf are both waterproof. The sensing unit is used to receive user movement intention signals and transmit the relevant signals to the controller 606. After processing the relevant signals, the controller 626 obtains a control scheme and controls the ankle joint drive motor 612 to perform corresponding actions to provide assistance according to the control scheme.

[0050] Working principle:

[0051] The inertial sensor 3 on the front of the calf and the inertial sensor 8 on the back of the calf collect the user's action intention signals during breaststroke, and the action intention signals are transmitted to the controller 606. The controller 606 will pre-process, extract features and classify the collected action intention signals to determine which action stage of breaststroke the user is in at this time. The pre-processing is to filter the collected signals, remove useless signals, amplify useful signals and use them; feature extraction is to collect feature signals of each action, and the difference in feature signals represents the actions of different stages of breaststroke; classification is to determine which action stage of breaststroke the user is in based on different action features. After obtaining the processing results, the controller determines the control scheme based on the results, and then controls the ankle joint power assist unit to make corresponding actions according to the control scheme to achieve power assist for the ankle joint (specifically, the ankle joint drive motor 612 is controlled to rotate, and the ankle joint drive winding wheels 608 on both sides rotate at the same time to adjust the length of the dorsiflexion power assist Bowden cable 5 and the plantar flexion power assist Bowden cable 7, thereby achieving power assist for the ankle joint).

[0052] It has been verified that the underwater assisted flexible exoskeleton system of the present invention can predict the user's movement intention in advance by setting inertial sensors, perform feature recognition when the user makes different movements, predict the next movement according to the inertial sensor signal, and control the exoskeleton to make corresponding movements to complete the best assistance work; by setting inertial sensors to collect signals and classify them, it can be identified which stage of the breaststroke movement the user is in, and the perception prediction based on movement intention can provide accurate assistance to the user's movement, with simple operation and strong adaptability; by setting up a flexible exoskeleton, it can better fit and adapt to the human body's movement, provide greater joint freedom, and have better adaptability to posture changes, and the overall weight is light, which can provide a more comfortable wearing experience; the equipment load is mainly on the user's upper body, which can minimize the load on the lower body to facilitate the user's swimming, improve the user experience, and has good application prospects.

[0053] Those skilled in the art should understand that they can implement variations by combining the prior art with the above embodiments, which will not be described in detail here. Such variations do not affect the essence of the present invention and will not be described in detail here.

[0054] The above describes the preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned specific embodiments, and the devices and structures that are not described in detail should be understood to be implemented in a common manner in the art; any technician familiar with the art can use the above-mentioned disclosed methods and technical contents to make many possible changes and modifications to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the scope of the technical solutions of the present invention, or modify them into equivalent embodiments of equivalent changes, which does not affect the essential content of the present invention. Therefore, any simple modifications, equivalent changes and modifications made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention that do not depart from the content of the technical solutions of the present invention are still within the scope of protection of the technical solutions of the present invention.

Claims

1. An underwater power-assisted flexible exoskeleton system, characterized by: It includes a flexible binding unit, an ankle joint assist unit, a sensing unit and fins; The flexible binding unit includes a vest and a calf binding portion; The ankle joint assist unit includes a dorsiflexion assist Bowden cable, a plantar flexion assist Bowden cable, and an ankle joint drive unit. The ankle joint drive unit includes a controller. The ankle joint drive unit is fixed to a vest. The dorsiflexion assist Bowden cable and the plantar flexion assist Bowden cable are fixed to the user's calf using a calf binding portion. The dorsiflexion assist Bowden cable is connected to the front end of the fin, and the plantar flexion assist Bowden cable is connected to the rear end of the fin via a fin connecting belt. The dorsiflexion assist Bowden cable and the plantar flexion assist Bowden cable are connected to the ankle joint drive unit. The sensing unit is used to receive the user's action intention signal and transmit the relevant signal to the controller. The controller processes the relevant signal to obtain a control scheme and controls the ankle joint drive unit to perform corresponding actions and provide assistance according to the control scheme. The sensing unit includes an inertial sensor on the front side of the calf and an inertial sensor on the back side of the calf; The calf front inertial sensor and the calf back inertial sensor are respectively fixed to the front and back of the user's calf using the calf binding part; The inertial sensor on the front of the calf and the inertial sensor on the back of the calf are both waterproofed; The ankle joint drive unit further includes an ankle joint drive housing, an ankle joint drive top cover, an electronic speed regulator, an ankle joint drive reel, a transmission shaft, a driven gear, a driving gear and an ankle joint drive motor; The ankle joint drive top cover is installed on the top of the ankle joint drive housing, and the ankle joint drive top cover and the ankle joint drive housing form a boxed structure. The electronic speed regulator, driven gear, driving gear and ankle joint drive motor are all arranged in the ankle joint drive housing. The two side walls in the horizontal direction of the ankle joint drive housing are provided with mutually matching through-hole groups. The transmission shaft passes through the through-hole group, and the two ends of the transmission shaft are respectively fixedly connected to the two ankle joint drive winding wheels located outside the ankle joint drive housing. The driven gear is fixedly mounted on the transmission shaft, and the driving gear is fixedly mounted on the driving shaft of the ankle joint drive motor, and the driving gear is meshed with the driven gear. The dorsiflexion-assisting Bowden cable and the plantarflexion-assisting Bowden cable are wound around the ankle joint driving reel.

2. The underwater power-assisted flexible exoskeleton system according to claim 1, characterized in that: There are two dorsiflexion-assisted Bowden cables and two plantarflexion-assisted Bowden cables respectively; Two dorsiflexion-assisting Bowden cables are connected to the front ends of the two fins; Two plantar flexion assisting Bowden cables are respectively connected to the rear ends of the two fins through the two fin connecting straps.

3. The underwater power-assisted flexible exoskeleton system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The dorsiflexion-assisting Bowden cable and the plantar flexion-assisting Bowden cable on the same side of the user meet on the outside of the user's thigh and then pass through the back hip to be connected to the ankle joint drive unit.

4. The underwater power-assisted flexible exoskeleton system according to claim 1, characterized in that: An ankle joint drive waterproof ring is provided between the ankle joint drive top cover and the ankle joint drive shell to achieve waterproof sealing of the shell, and a drive shaft waterproof ring is provided between the drive shaft and the ankle joint drive shell.

5. The underwater power-assisted flexible exoskeleton system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The through hole group is equipped with a bearing, the outer ring of the bearing is fixed to the ankle joint drive housing, and the inner ring of the bearing is fixed to the transmission shaft through interference fit.

6. The underwater power-assisted flexible exoskeleton system according to claim 1, characterized in that: Ankle joint driven winding wheel shells are arranged on both sides of the ankle joint driven winding wheel.

7. The underwater power-assisted flexible exoskeleton system according to claim 1, characterized in that: A battery for supplying power to the underwater flexible exoskeleton robot system is provided in the ankle joint drive housing.

8. The underwater power-assisted flexible exoskeleton system according to claim 1, characterized in that: A waterproof connector is installed on the ankle joint drive top cover, and a data line for connecting the sensing unit and the controller is inserted into the ankle joint drive housing through the waterproof connector.

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