Thigh assisting external mechanical skeleton with synchronizer active control function and control method

Abstract

The invention discloses a thigh assistance external mechanical skeleton with synchronizer active control and a control method, and relates to the technical field of external mechanical skeletons, the thigh assistance external mechanical skeleton comprises an external mechanical skeleton body, and the external mechanical skeleton body comprises a fixed waist support, an assistance motor set, a connecting rod assembly, a thigh bandage assembly, a main control board and a first communication module; the main control board is electrically connected with the power-assisted motor set; the driving end of the power-assisted motor set is in transmission connection with one end of the connecting rod assembly; the other end of the connecting rod assembly is connected with the thigh bandage assembly; the main control board is arranged on the fixed waist support and is electrically connected with the communication module I; the synchronizer is used for being worn on the arm of the human body, and a second circuit board, a main control chip, a second communication module and a gyroscope are arranged in the synchronizer; the main control chip is electrically connected with the gyroscope and the second communication module, and the second communication module is in wireless communication connection with the first communication module. The thigh can be actively pushed to act, the thigh-assisted external mechanical skeleton can be quickly learned in a short time, and a scene suitable for consumers to use is given.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of exoskeletons, and in particular to a thigh-assisted exoskeleton with active synchronizer control and a control method. Background Art

[0002] Existing thigh-assisted exoskeletons control the motor and reducer on the main control board. The reducer has a connecting rod assembly at the end, which drives the straps wrapped around the thigh to move up or down. It requires long-term simulation and data collection feedback to adaptively learn gait, stride, and force control, and then provide scenarios suitable for consumer use. When the user is an elderly person or other people with weak thighs or inflexible legs and feet, their thighs are unable to lift or the lifting force is insufficient. When it is just started, the host control circuit board cannot sense the position change brought by the connecting rod assembly, and the motor rotation action will be greatly delayed. In this way, the motor rotation will become resistance when the leg is lifted. When the thigh reaches the top of the lift, the main control board cannot sense the position to fall back when it wants to fall back, which will cause a delay in falling back. In this way, the motor movement becomes resistance movement when the thigh falls back, and the user experience is very poor, and it is impossible to actively push the thigh to work.

[0003] Therefore, how to design a thigh-assisted exoskeleton and control method with active synchronizer control, which can actively promote thigh movements and enable users to quickly learn to use the thigh-assisted exoskeleton in a very short time, provide scenarios suitable for consumer use, and be widely used in indoor and outdoor paved roads, unpaved roads and mountain climbing venues is an urgent problem that needs to be solved by technical personnel in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the present invention proposes a thigh-assisted exoskeleton and a control method with active synchronizer control, aiming to solve the technical problems that the above-mentioned traditional thigh-assisted exoskeleton cannot actively promote thigh movements, has a long adaptive learning time, and is not suitable for people with weak thighs or poor leg and foot mobility.

[0005] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0006] In one aspect, the present invention provides a thigh-assisted exoskeleton with active synchronizer control, comprising:

[0007] An exoskeleton body for use in a human body to assist thigh walking, the exoskeleton body comprising a fixed waist support, a power-assisting motor group, a connecting rod assembly, a thigh strap assembly, a main control board, and a communication module; the main control board is mounted on the fixed waist support and electrically connected to the power-assisting motor group to control its rotation; the power-assisting motor group is mounted on the fixed waist support and its driving end is transmission-connected to one end of the connecting rod assembly to drive the connecting rod assembly to swing; the other end of the connecting rod assembly is connected to the thigh strap assembly to drive it to rise and fall; the main control board is electrically connected to the communication module;

[0008] A synchronizer for wearing on a human arm, the synchronizer having a built-in circuit board 2 and a main control chip, a communication module 2 and a gyroscope installed on the circuit board 2; the main control chip is electrically connected to the gyroscope and the communication module 2, and the communication module 2 is wirelessly connected to the communication module 1. The main control chip can control the rotation of the power-assisted motor group by receiving the arm swing posture signal detected by the gyroscope, thereby controlling the lifting and lowering of the thigh strap assembly.

[0009] The present invention's thigh-assisted exoskeleton with active synchronizer control utilizes a synchronizer worn on a person's arm to wirelessly connect and control the exoskeleton's operation, achieving active control of the leg-lifting and leg-returning motion. This eliminates the need for leg-lifting to trigger power assistance, making it particularly user-friendly for people with thigh weakness or mobility issues. Because the synchronizer incorporates a gyroscope capable of detecting arm swinging, the arm's back-and-forth swinging motion generates a signal to control the thigh's movement. This allows the main control panel to control the swinging of the connecting rod assembly and the raising and lowering of the thigh strap assembly in coordination with the arm's swinging motion. Specifically, when the arm is raised forward, the synchronizer opens and transmits a signal to the exoskeleton's main control panel, controlling the connecting rod assembly to actively lift the contralateral thigh. When the thigh is raised to the appropriate upper position, the ipsilateral thigh performs the leg-lifting motion as the arm returns to its rearward position. This continuous arm-swinging cycle allows the thigh to achieve a cross-legged, leg-lifting motion, effectively achieving active leg-lifting and leg-returning. The synchronizer swings, causing the thigh to assist the exoskeleton in swinging, and the synchronizer stops, causing the thigh to assist the exoskeleton in stopping. This aligns perfectly with the logic of the human leg and arm's linked motions, resulting in highly smooth movements. The present invention can actively promote thigh movements, so that people can quickly learn to use the thigh-assisted exoskeleton in a very short time.

[0010] As a further improvement of the above technical solution, the power-assist motor group includes a left power-assist motor and a right power-assist motor; the connecting rod assembly includes a left connecting rod and a right connecting rod; the thigh strap assembly includes a left thigh strap and a right thigh strap;

[0011] The left power-assist motor and the right power-assist motor are installed on the left and right sides of the fixed lumbar support in a one-to-one correspondence; the main control board is electrically connected to the left power-assist motor and the right power-assist motor; the driving ends of the left power-assist motor and the right power-assist motor are transmission-connected to one end of the left connecting rod and the right connecting rod in a one-to-one correspondence; the other ends of the left connecting rod and the right connecting rod are connected to the left thigh strap and the right thigh strap in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0012] The beneficial effects of the above technical solution are: when in use, the left thigh strap and the right thigh strap are respectively tied to the user's left thigh and right thigh; the left power-assist motor is used to drive the left connecting rod to swing back and forth, and then drive the user's left thigh to lift forward, fall back, swing back, push forward, and lift forward in a cycle through the left thigh strap; the right power-assist motor is used to drive the right connecting rod to swing back and forth, and then drive the user's right thigh to lift forward, fall back, swing back, push forward, and lift forward in a cycle through the right thigh strap; under the control of the main control panel, the thigh can be controlled by a light-powered pendulum-like forward, middle, back, middle, and front cyclic motion, and the motion is smooth and not much different from normal walking of a real human body.

[0013] As a further improvement of the above technical solution, the communication module 1 and the communication module 2 are any one of a Bluetooth module, a WIFI module and a Zigbee module.

[0014] The beneficial effect of the above technical solution is that the communication module 1 is connected to the communication module 2 by wireless communication, thereby realizing the exchange of position data between the synchronizer and the main control board of the exoskeleton body.

[0015] As a further improvement of the above technical solution, the exoskeleton body also includes a battery pack 1, and the battery pack 1 is electrically connected to the main control board.

[0016] The beneficial effect of the above technical solution is that the battery pack 1 is used to power the main control board, and then the main control board is used to power the power assist motor group and the communication module 1.

[0017] As a further improvement of the above technical solution, the synchronizer has a built-in battery pack 2, which is electrically connected to the circuit board 2 and can power the main control chip, the communication module 2 and the gyroscope installed on the circuit board 2.

[0018] As a further improvement of the above technical solution, the main control board includes a circuit board 1 and a main chip installed on the circuit board 1; the communication module 1 is installed on the circuit board 1 and is electrically connected to the main chip.

[0019] The beneficial effect of the above technical solution is: the main control chip controls the communication module 2 under the action of the circuit board 2 to send instructions to the communication module 1 installed on the circuit board 1 of the exoskeleton body. After receiving the instructions, the main chip controls the action of the power-assisting motor group through the circuit board 1.

[0020] Another aspect of the present invention provides a control method for a thigh-assisted exoskeleton, using the thigh-assisted exoskeleton with synchronizer active control, and the specific steps are as follows:

[0021] S1: Wear the exoskeleton and tie its thigh straps to the left and right thighs of the human body; and wear the synchronizer on the upper arm of one arm of the human body;

[0022] S2: Turn on the exoskeleton body and synchronizer; the synchronizer detects the forward and backward swinging posture of the upper arm through the gyroscope, and then wirelessly transmits the control signal to the main control board, and controls the action of the power assist motor group, connecting rod assembly and thigh strap assembly through the main control board to actively control the coordinated forward and backward swing of the human thigh.

[0023] As a further improvement of the above technical solution, S2 specifically includes the following steps:

[0024] S21: When the upper arm swings forward, the synchronizer can wirelessly transmit the control signal to the main control board, which then controls the action of the power assist motor group, the connecting rod assembly, and the thigh strap assembly to actively assist in lifting the other thigh of the human body forward;

[0025] S22: When the upper arm is in the process of falling back from the forward swing state to the vertical state, the synchronizer controls the operation of the power assist motor assembly, the connecting rod assembly and the thigh strap assembly through the main control board to synchronously fall back the other thigh of the human body to the vertical state, and simultaneously push the thigh of the human body forward to move to the vertical state;

[0026] S23: When the upper arm swings backward from the vertical state, the synchronizer controls the power assist motor assembly, the connecting rod assembly, and the thigh strap assembly through the main control panel to actively assist in lifting the thigh on one side of the human body forward;

[0027] S24: When the upper arm falls back from the rearward swing state to the vertical state, the synchronizer controls the power assist motor assembly, the connecting rod assembly, and the thigh strap assembly through the main control panel to synchronously fall back one side of the human body to the vertical state, and pushes the other side of the human body forward to move to the vertical state;

[0028] S25: Repeat steps S21 to S24 in a loop. The synchronizer helps control the alternating lifting and forward steps of the thighs on both sides of the human body by sensing the back-and-forth swinging of the upper arm, thereby actively controlling continuous walking.

[0029] As a further improvement of the above technical solution, when the upper arm wearing the synchronizer is naturally perpendicular to the ground, the exoskeleton body stops the propulsion action, and the left and right legs of the human body are in a vertical state, and walking stops.

[0030] As a further improvement of the above technical solution, when the leg-lifting angle of the human thigh does not reach the comfortable angle of the user during exercise, the upper arm is swung to drive the synchronizer to swing forward or backward continuously for a preset number of times within a preset time, so that the synchronizer sends a signal to the main control board to increase or decrease the leg-lifting angle. The main control board controls the swing angle of the connecting rod assembly to increase or decrease, thereby adjusting the leg-lifting angle of the human thigh.

[0031] As can be seen from the above technical solutions, compared with the prior art, the present invention discloses a thigh-assisted exoskeleton with active synchronizer control and a control method, which has the following advantages and beneficial effects:

[0032] 1. The present invention solves the problem that the thigh-assisted exoskeleton currently on the market cannot actively push the thigh to work. Position data is exchanged with the main control board through the synchronizer. When the synchronizer swings, the connecting rod assembly of the thigh-assisted exoskeleton swings, and when the synchronizer stops, the connecting rod assembly of the thigh-assisted exoskeleton stops moving, thereby realizing the cyclic transformation of the thigh position of the human body and the arm wearing the synchronizer from front to middle, back to middle, front to front, and the thigh position of the same side from back to middle, front to middle, back to back. This is very consistent with the walking law of the human body, and realizes the light-powered mobile pendulum-like front, middle, back, middle, front cyclic motion control. The motion is smooth and not much different from the normal walking of a real human body.

[0033] 2. The control logic of the present invention is simple, reliable and smooth, and the position of the legs is very accurate.

[0034] 3. When the thigh movement angle is insufficient, the present invention can automatically adjust the angle by quickly swinging the synchronizer forward or backward twice or more (the specific number of times is set as needed) and transmitting data to the main control board of the thigh-assisted exoskeleton. The thigh movement angle can be quickly adjusted during walking, and seamless switching of the thigh swinging action can be achieved.

[0035] 4. The present invention replaces the entire process of GPU control and training under the linkage control of synchronizer position feedback and thigh-assisted exomechanical skeleton exchange data. The control cost and synchronizer cost are only one-fourth to one-third of the ordinary GPU control cost, and the accuracy is far higher than all adaptive thigh-assisted exomechanical skeletons currently on the market. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without paying any creative work.

[0037] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the main structure of the exoskeleton with a thigh-assisted exoskeleton actively controlled by a synchronizer according to the present invention;

[0038] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of the power-assisting motor group, connecting rod assembly and thigh strap assembly of the thigh-powered exoskeleton with active synchronizer control of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 3 A schematic perspective view of the exoskeleton body of the thigh-assisted exoskeleton with active synchronizer control according to the present invention;

[0040] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the synchronizer structure of the thigh-assisted exoskeleton with active synchronizer control of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the main control board structure of the thigh-assisted exoskeleton with active synchronizer control of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 6 The present invention has a control flow chart of the thigh-assisted exoskeleton with active synchronizer control.

[0043] In the figure: 1. Exoskeleton body; 11. Fixed waist support; 12. Power-assisting motor group; 121. Left power-assisting motor; 122. Right power-assisting motor; 13. Connecting rod assembly; 131. Left connecting rod; 132. Right connecting rod; 14. Thigh strap assembly; 141. Left thigh strap; 142. Right thigh strap; 15. Main control board; 151. Circuit board one; 1511. Electronic components; 152. Main chip; 153. Power switch one; 16. Communication module one; 17. Battery pack one; 18. Connecting wires; 2. Synchronizer; 21. Circuit board two; 211. Electronic components; 22. Main control chip; 23. Communication module two; 24. Battery pack two; 25. Power switch two. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] The following describes embodiments of the present invention in detail, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are intended to be used to explain the present invention, and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0045] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating directions or positional relationships, are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction, be constructed and operated in a specific direction, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0046] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of the technical features being referred to. Thus, a feature identified as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present invention, "plurality" means two or more, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0047] In the present invention, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," "connect," "fixed," etc. should be understood broadly. For example, they may refer to fixed connection, detachable connection, or integration; mechanical connection or electrical connection; direct connection or indirect connection through an intermediate medium; internal communication between two components or interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on specific circumstances.

[0048] According to an embodiment of the present invention, Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the thigh-assisted exoskeleton with active synchronizer control includes: an exoskeleton body 1 for wearing on the human body to assist the thigh in walking and a synchronizer 2 for wearing on the human arm.

[0049] The exoskeleton body 1 includes a fixed waist support 11, a power-assisting motor group 12, a connecting rod assembly 13, a thigh strap assembly 14, a main control board 15 and a communication module 16; the main control board 15 is installed on the fixed waist support 11 and is electrically connected to the power-assisting motor group 12 to control its rotation; the power-assisting motor group 12 is installed on the fixed waist support 11 and its driving end is transmission-connected to one end of the connecting rod assembly 13 to drive the connecting rod assembly 13 to swing; the other end of the connecting rod assembly 13 is connected to the thigh strap assembly 14 to drive it to rise and fall; the main control board 15 is electrically connected to the communication module 16.

[0050] The synchronizer 2 has a built-in circuit board 21 and a main control chip 22, a communication module 23 and a gyroscope installed on the circuit board 21; the main control chip 22 is electrically connected to the gyroscope and the communication module 2 23, and the communication module 2 23 is wirelessly connected to the communication module 1 16. The main control chip 22 can control the rotation of the power-assisting motor group 12 by receiving the arm swing posture signal detected by the gyroscope, and then control the lifting and lowering of the thigh strap assembly 14.

[0051] When the thigh-assisted exoskeleton with active synchronizer control of this embodiment is used, the synchronizer 2 worn on the human arm wirelessly connects and controls the operation of the exoskeleton body 1, thereby realizing active control of the leg-lifting and leg-returning movements. There is no need for the leg-lifting movement to trigger the power assist, which is very friendly to people with weak thighs or people with poor leg and foot mobility. Because synchronizer 2 is equipped with a gyroscope capable of detecting arm swinging, it can use the arm's forward and backward swinging to generate a signal to control the thigh's movement. This allows the main control panel 15 to control the swinging of the connecting rod assembly 13 and the raising and lowering of the thigh strap assembly 14 in coordination with the arm's swinging motion. Specifically, when the arm is raised forward, the synchronizer opens and transmits a signal to the main control panel 15 of the exoskeleton body 1, which in turn controls the connecting rod assembly 13 to actively raise the contralateral thigh. When the thigh is raised to the appropriate upper position, the ipsilateral thigh raises the leg as the arm falls back to the rear. This continuous arm swinging cycle allows the thigh to achieve a cross-legged leg-lifting motion, thus actively achieving the leg-lifting and leg-returning motion. When the synchronizer swings, the thigh assists the exoskeleton's swing, and when the synchronizer stops, the thigh assists the exoskeleton's movement. This is consistent with the logic of the human leg and arm's linked motion, and the motion is very smooth. The present invention can actively promote thigh movement, allowing users to quickly learn to use the thigh-assisted exoskeleton in a very short time.

[0052] In some embodiments, the power-assisting motor assembly 12 includes a left power-assisting motor 121 and a right power-assisting motor 122; the connecting rod assembly 13 includes a left connecting rod 131 and a right connecting rod 132; the thigh strap assembly 14 includes a left thigh strap 141 and a right thigh strap 142;

[0053] The left power-assisting motor 121 and the right power-assisting motor 122 are installed on the left and right sides of the fixed lumbar support 11 in a one-to-one correspondence; the main control board 15 is electrically connected to the left power-assisting motor 121 and the right power-assisting motor 122; the driving ends of the left power-assisting motor 121 and the right power-assisting motor 122 are transmission-connected to one end of the left connecting rod 131 and the right connecting rod 132 in a one-to-one correspondence; the other ends of the left connecting rod 131 and the right connecting rod 132 are connected to the left thigh strap 141 and the right thigh strap 142 in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0054] When in use, the left thigh strap 141 and the right thigh strap 142 are tied to the user's left thigh and right thigh respectively; the left power-assisting motor 121 is used to drive the left connecting rod 131 to swing back and forth, and then drive the user's left thigh to lift forward, fall back, swing back, push forward, and lift forward in a cycle through the left thigh strap 141; the right power-assisting motor 122 is used to drive the right connecting rod 132 to swing back and forth, and then drive the user's right thigh to lift forward, fall back, swing back, push forward, and lift forward in a cycle through the right thigh strap 142; under the control of the main control board 15, the thigh can be controlled by a light-powered pendulum-like forward, middle, back, middle, and front cyclic motion, and the motion is smooth and not much different from normal walking of a real human body.

[0055] Specifically, both the left power-assisting motor 121 and the right power-assisting motor 122 may have an acceleration / deceleration device.

[0056] In some embodiments, the communication module 1 16 and the communication module 2 23 are any one of a Bluetooth module, a WIFI module and a Zigbee module.

[0057] The communication module 1 16 is wirelessly connected to the communication module 2 23 , thereby enabling position data exchange between the synchronizer 2 and the main control board 15 of the exoskeleton body 1 .

[0058] In some embodiments, the exoskeleton body 1 further includes a battery pack 17 , which is electrically connected to the main control board 15 .

[0059] The battery pack 17 is used to supply power to the main control board 15 , and then the main control board 15 supplies power to the power assist motor group 12 and the communication module 1 16 .

[0060] In some embodiments, the synchronizer 2 has a built-in battery pack 24 , which is electrically connected to the second circuit board 21 and can provide power for the main control chip 22 , the second communication module 23 and the gyroscope mounted on the second circuit board 21 .

[0061] Specifically, the synchronizer 2 has a power switch 25 on its circuit board 21. This power switch 25 is connected to a battery pack 24 and is used to turn the battery pack 24 on and off. Turning on the synchronizer's power switch 25 activates the various electronic components 211, the main control chip 22, and the communication module 23 on the circuit board 21. When the synchronizer 2 is worn on the upper arm, the power switch 25 is turned on. When the upper arm is perpendicular to the ground, the synchronizer is activated. When the upper arm is raised, the synchronizer is in the open state.

[0062] In some embodiments, the main control board 15 includes a circuit board 151 and a main chip 152 mounted on the circuit board 151 ; the communication module 16 is mounted on the circuit board 151 and electrically connected to the main chip 152 .

[0063] Under the action of circuit board 21, the main control chip 22 controls the communication module 2 23 to send instructions to the communication module 16 installed on circuit board 1 151 of the exoskeleton body 1. After receiving the instructions, the main chip 152 controls the action of the power assist motor group through circuit board 1 151.

[0064] After receiving the command, the communication module 1, mounted on the main control board of the exoskeleton, specifically, installs a battery pack 17 on the fixed lumbar support 11 and electrically connects the battery pack 17 to the main control board 15 via a connecting wire 18. A power switch 153 is mounted on the circuit board 151, connected to the battery pack 17 and used to turn the power supply on and off. Turning on the power switch 153 activates the battery pack 17, energizing the circuit board 151 on the main control board 15, the various electronic components 1511 mounted thereon, the main chip 152, and the communication module 16, activating the left and right power-assisting motors 121 and 122.

[0065] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a control method for a thigh-assisted exoskeleton is provided, using a thigh-assisted exoskeleton with synchronizer active control, and the specific steps are as follows:

[0066] S1: Wear the exoskeleton body 1 and tie its thigh strap assembly 14 on the left and right thighs of the human body; and wear the synchronizer 2 on the upper arm of one arm of the human body.

[0067] Specifically, when worn, the fixed waist support 11 is worn around the waist; the synchronizer 2 is tied parallel to the left or right upper arm. The left thigh strap 141 is worn on the left thigh, and the right thigh strap 142 is worn on the right thigh. The left power-assist motor 121 drives the left connecting rod 131 to swing to assist the left thigh in walking, while the right power-assist motor 122 drives the right connecting rod 132 to swing to assist the right thigh in walking.

[0068] S2: Turn on the exoskeleton body 1 and synchronizer 2; synchronizer 2 detects the forward and backward swinging posture of the upper arm through the gyroscope, and then wirelessly transmits the control signal to the main control board 15, and controls the action of the power assist motor group 12, the connecting rod assembly 13 and the thigh strap assembly 14 through the main control board 15 to actively control the coordinated forward and backward swinging of the human thigh.

[0069] For example, when the synchronizer 2 is worn on the upper arm of the right arm of the human body, the synchronizer 2 is set to swing forward to control the lifting of the left thigh of the human body, and the synchronizer 2 is set to swing backward to control the lifting of the right thigh of the human body; when the synchronizer 2 is worn on the upper arm of the left arm of the human body, the synchronizer 2 is set to swing forward to control the lifting of the right thigh of the human body, and the synchronizer 2 is set to swing backward to control the lifting of the left thigh of the human body; the purpose is to meet the coordinated movement habit of the arms and thighs swinging when the human body walks.

[0070] In some embodiments, S2 specifically includes the following steps:

[0071] S21: Turn on power switch 1 153 and power switch 2 25 to start the exoskeleton body 1 and synchronizer 2. When the right upper arm swings forward, the gyroscope built into synchronizer 2 senses the position change. The main control chip 22 of synchronizer 2, under the action of circuit board 2 21, controls communication module 2 23 to send a position signal instruction to communication module 1 16 of the exoskeleton body 1. After receiving the signal from communication module 1 16, the main control board 15 controls the power assist motor group 12, connecting rod assembly 13 and thigh strap assembly 14 to actively assist in lifting the thigh on the other side of the human body forward.

[0072] S22: When the upper arm falls back from the forward swing state to the vertical state, the synchronizer 2 controls the power assist motor assembly 12, the connecting rod assembly 13 and the thigh strap assembly 14 through the main control board 15 to synchronously fall back the other thigh of the human body to the vertical state, and at the same time push the thigh of the human body forward to move to the vertical state;

[0073] S23: When the upper arm swings backward from the vertical state, the synchronizer 2 controls the power assist motor assembly 12, the connecting rod assembly 13 and the thigh strap assembly 14 through the main control board 15 to actively assist in lifting the thigh on one side of the human body forward;

[0074] S24: When the upper arm falls back from the rearward swing state to the vertical state, the synchronizer 2 controls the power assist motor assembly 12, the connecting rod assembly 13 and the thigh strap assembly 14 through the main control board 15 to synchronously fall back one side of the human body to the vertical state, and push the other side of the human body forward to move to the vertical state;

[0075] S25: Repeat steps S21 to S24 in a loop. Synchronizer 2 helps control the alternating lifting and forward movement of the thighs on both sides of the human body by sensing the back-and-forth swinging of the upper arm, thereby actively controlling continuous walking.

[0076] In some embodiments, Figure 6 A control flow chart of a thigh-assisted exoskeleton with active synchronizer control is given. Taking synchronizer 2 worn on the right upper arm of a human as an example, S2 specifically includes the following steps:

[0077] S21: Turn on power switch 1 153 and power switch 2 25 to start the exoskeleton body 1 and synchronizer 2; when the right upper arm swings forward, the gyroscope built into the synchronizer 2 senses the position change, and the main control chip 22 of the synchronizer 2 controls the communication module 2 23 under the action of the circuit board 2 21 to send a position signal instruction to the communication module 1 16 of the exoskeleton body 1. After receiving the signal from the communication module 1 16, the main control board 15 controls the left power-assisting motor 121 to drive the left connecting rod 131 to swing forward so that the left thigh strap 141 actively assists in lifting the human body's left thigh. At the same time, the right power-assisting motor 122 drives the right connecting rod 132 to swing backward so that the right thigh strap 142 adapts to the position of the human body's right thigh. At this time, the body moves forward, and the left and right thighs of the human body cross front and back.

[0078] S22: When the right upper arm falls back from the forward swing state to the vertical state, the synchronizer 2 controls the left power-assist motor 121 through the main control board 15 to drive the left connecting rod 131 to swing downward to synchronously fall back the left thigh of the human body to the vertical state, and take a step forward, and at the same time controls the right power-assist motor 122 to drive the right connecting rod 132 to swing downward to push the right thigh of the human body forward to the vertical state (at this time the right thigh is suspended in the air and does not touch the ground), and at this time the two legs are close together and the body is upright.

[0079] S23: When the upper arm swings backward from a vertical state, the synchronizer 2 controls the right power-assist motor 122 through the main control panel 15 to drive the right connecting rod 132 to swing forward to actively assist in lifting the right thigh of the human body. At the same time, the left power-assist motor 121 drives the left connecting rod 131 to swing backward so that the left thigh strap 141 adapts to the position of the left thigh of the human body. At this time, the body moves forward again, and the right and left thighs of the human body cross front and back.

[0080] S24: When the upper arm falls back from the backward swing state to the vertical state, the synchronizer 2 controls the right power-assist motor 122 through the main control board 15 to drive the right connecting rod 132 to swing downward to synchronously fall back the right thigh of the human body to the vertical state, and then take another step forward, and at the same time control the left power-assist motor 121 to drive the left connecting rod 131 to swing downward to push the left thigh of the human body forward to the vertical state (at this time the left thigh is suspended in the air and does not fall to the ground), and at this time the two legs are close together and the body is upright.

[0081] S25: Repeat steps S21 to S24 in a loop. Synchronizer 2 helps control the left and right thighs of the human body to alternately lift and move forward by sensing the back-and-forth swinging of the upper arm, thereby actively controlling continuous walking.

[0082] In some embodiments, when the upper arm wearing the synchronizer 2 is naturally perpendicular to the ground, the exoskeleton body 1 stops the propulsion action and makes the left and right legs of the human body in a vertical state, and stops walking.

[0083] In some embodiments, when the leg-lifting angle of the human thigh does not reach a comfortable angle during the user's exercise, the upper arm is swung to drive the synchronizer 2 to swing forward or backward continuously for a preset number of times within a preset time, so that the synchronizer 2 sends a signal to the main control board 15 to increase or decrease the leg-lifting angle. The main control board 15 controls the swing angle of the connecting rod assembly 13 to increase or decrease, thereby adjusting the leg-lifting angle of the human thigh.

[0084] Specifically, when the lifting angle does not reach the comfortable angle during the user's exercise, the synchronizer 2 is swung forward continuously for 2 times within 0.5 seconds when the arm is in the vertical position (the specific preset time range can be set as needed), and the swing amplitude of the left connecting rod 131 and the right connecting rod 132 is increased to achieve the adjustment of the angle gear. The synchronizer 2 is swung forward and upward for many times until it is adjusted to the most comfortable position for the thigh lifting movement. When the lifting angle is too large and affects the comfortable angle during the user's exercise, the synchronizer 2 is swung backward continuously for 2 times within 0.5 seconds when the arm is in the vertical position (the specific preset time range can be set as needed), and the swing amplitude of the left connecting rod 131 and the right connecting rod 132 is reduced to achieve the adjustment of the angle gear. The synchronizer 2 is swung backward and upward for many times until it is adjusted to the most comfortable position for the thigh movement.

[0085] Specifically, the swing force / angle of the left connecting rod 131 and the right connecting rod 132 can be divided into 0-5 levels. Level 0 is the power recovery level, and the motor has no output; relative to the vertical direction, level 1 is 30 degrees, level 2 is 35 degrees, level 3 is 40 degrees, level 4 is 45 degrees, and level 5 is 50 degrees.

[0086] In some embodiments, when the motor on one side (the left power-assisting motor 121 or the right power-assisting motor 122) is running in power assist mode, it receives a signal that the motor on the other side (the right power-assisting motor 122 or the left power-assisting motor 121) is under force (a forward pull torque is detected), and the motor that is assisting immediately stops assisting and sends a power assist command to the other side.

[0087] Specifically, based on the concept of exchanging data between the active position feedback control data of the synchronizer and the thigh-assisted exomechanical skeleton, simply deducing changes by replacing or converting technical means such as the gyroscope or the synchronizer's built-in angular displacement sensor, gravity sensor, etc. also falls within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention.

[0088] In the description of this specification, the reference terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" mean that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described can be combined in any appropriate manner in any one or more embodiments or examples. In addition, those skilled in the art can combine and combine different embodiments or examples described in this specification.

[0089] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it will be understood that the above embodiments are illustrative and are not to be construed as limitations on the present invention. A person skilled in the art may change, modify, replace and modify the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A thigh-assisted exoskeleton with active synchronizer control, characterized in that: include: An exoskeleton body (1) for being worn on a human body to assist thigh walking, the exoskeleton body (1) comprising a fixed waist support (11), a power-assisting motor group (12), a connecting rod assembly (13), a thigh strap assembly (14), a main control board (15) and a communication module (16); the main control board (15) is mounted on the fixed waist support (11) and electrically connected to the power-assisting motor group (12) to control its rotation; the power-assisting motor group (12) is mounted on the fixed waist support (11) and its driving end is transmission-connected to one end of the connecting rod assembly (13) to drive the connecting rod assembly (13) to swing; the other end of the connecting rod assembly (13) is connected to the thigh strap assembly (14) to drive it to rise and fall; the main control board (15) is electrically connected to the communication module (16); A synchronizer (2) for being worn on a human arm, wherein the synchronizer (2) is built-in with a second circuit board (21) and a main control chip (22), a second communication module (23) and a gyroscope mounted on the second circuit board (21); the main control chip (22) is electrically connected to the gyroscope and the second communication module (23); the second communication module (23) is wirelessly connected to the first communication module (16); the main control chip (22) can control the rotation of the power-assisted motor group (12) by receiving an arm swing posture signal detected by the gyroscope, thereby controlling the lifting and lowering of the thigh strap assembly (14).

2. The thigh-assisted exoskeleton with synchronizer active control according to claim 1, characterized in that: The power-assisting motor assembly (12) includes a left power-assisting motor (121) and a right power-assisting motor (122); the connecting rod assembly (13) includes a left connecting rod (131) and a right connecting rod (132); the thigh strap assembly (14) includes a left thigh strap (141) and a right thigh strap (142); The left power-assisting motor (121) and the right power-assisting motor (122) are mounted on the left and right sides of the fixed waist support (11) in a one-to-one correspondence; the main control panel (15) is electrically connected to the left power-assisting motor (121) and the right power-assisting motor (122); the driving ends of the left power-assisting motor (121) and the right power-assisting motor (122) are transmission-connected to one end of the left connecting rod (131) and the right connecting rod (132) in a one-to-one correspondence; the other ends of the left connecting rod (131) and the right connecting rod (132) are connected to the left thigh strap (141) and the right thigh strap (142) in a one-to-one correspondence.

3. The thigh-assisted exoskeleton with synchronizer active control according to claim 1, characterized in that: The communication module 1 (16) and the communication module 2 (23) are any one of a Bluetooth module, a WIFI module and a Zigbee module.

4. The thigh-assisted exoskeleton with synchronizer active control according to claim 1, characterized in that: The exoskeleton body (1) further includes a battery pack (17), and the battery pack (17) is electrically connected to the main control board (15).

5. The thigh-assisted exoskeleton with synchronizer active control according to claim 1, characterized in that: The synchronizer (2) has a built-in battery pack (24), which is electrically connected to the circuit board (21) and can supply power to the main control chip (22), the communication module (23) and the gyroscope installed on the circuit board (21).

6. The thigh-assisted exoskeleton with synchronizer active control according to claim 1, characterized in that: The main control board (15) includes a circuit board (151) and a main chip (152) mounted on the circuit board (151); the communication module (16) is mounted on the circuit board (151) and electrically connected to the main chip (152).

7. A control method for a thigh-assisted exoskeleton, characterized in that: Using the thigh-assisted exoskeleton with synchronizer active control according to any one of claims 1 to 6, the specific steps are: S1: Wear the exoskeleton body (1), and tie its thigh strap assembly (14) on the left and right thighs of the human body; and wear the synchronizer (2) on the upper arm of one arm of the human body; S2: Turn on the exoskeleton body (1) and the synchronizer (2); the synchronizer (2) detects the forward and backward swinging posture of the upper arm through the gyroscope, and then wirelessly transmits the control signal to the main control board (15), and controls the action of the power assist motor group (12), the connecting rod assembly (13) and the thigh strap assembly (14) through the main control board (15) to actively control the coordinated forward and backward swinging of the human thigh.

8. The control method of the thigh-assisted exoskeleton according to claim 7, characterized in that: S2 specifically includes the following steps: S21: When the upper arm swings forward, the synchronizer (2) can wirelessly transmit the control signal to the main control board (15), and then the main control board (15) controls the power assist motor group (12), the connecting rod assembly (13) and the thigh strap assembly (14) to actively assist in lifting the thigh on the other side of the human body forward; S22: When the upper arm falls back from the forward swing state to the vertical state, the synchronizer (2) controls the power assist motor assembly (12), the connecting rod assembly (13) and the thigh strap assembly (14) through the main control panel (15) to synchronously fall back the other thigh of the human body to the vertical state, and simultaneously push the thigh of the human body forward to move to the vertical state; S23: When the upper arm swings backward from the vertical state, the synchronizer (2) controls the power assist motor assembly (12), the connecting rod assembly (13) and the thigh strap assembly (14) through the main control panel (15) to actively assist in lifting the thigh on one side of the human body and moving forward; S24: When the upper arm falls back from the rearward swing state to the vertical state, the synchronizer (2) controls the power assist motor assembly (12), the connecting rod assembly (13) and the thigh strap assembly (14) through the main control panel (15) to synchronously fall back one side of the human body's thigh to the vertical state, and push the other side of the human body's thigh forward to move to the vertical state; S25: Steps S21 to S24 are repeated in a loop, and the synchronizer (2) helps control the alternating lifting and forward movement of the thighs on both sides of the human body by sensing the back-and-forth swinging of the upper arm, thereby actively controlling continuous walking.

9. The control method of the thigh-assisted exoskeleton according to claim 8, characterized in that: When the upper arm of the arm wearing the synchronizer (2) is naturally perpendicular to the ground, the exoskeleton body (1) stops the propulsion action, and the left leg and the right leg of the human body are both in a vertical state, and the walking stops.

10. The control method of the thigh-assisted exoskeleton according to claim 8, characterized in that: When the leg-lifting angle of the human thigh does not reach a comfortable angle during the user's exercise, the synchronizer (2) is driven to swing forward or backward continuously for a preset number of times within a preset time by swinging the upper arm, so that the synchronizer (2) sends a signal to increase or decrease the leg-lifting angle to the main control board (15). The main control board (15) controls the connecting rod assembly (13) to increase or decrease the swing angle, thereby adjusting the leg-lifting angle of the human thigh.

Images