Hand exoskeleton and robotic teleoperation system

Abstract

The application discloses a hand exoskeleton and a robot teleoperation system, and the finger mechanism of the hand exoskeleton is arranged on a palm fixing base; the thumb mechanism comprises a knuckle assembly and a connecting rod assembly, the knuckle assembly is rotationally connected with the palm fixing base, the connecting rod assembly comprises a first connecting rod and a second connecting rod, one end of the first connecting rod is rotationally connected with the palm fixing base, the other end of the first connecting rod is connected with one end of the second connecting rod, and the other end of the second connecting rod is rotationally connected with the knuckle assembly. The knuckle assembly of the application is rotationally connected with the palm fixing base, and the connecting rod assembly formed by matching the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod effectively solves the problem that the connection mode of the existing thumb mechanism is unreasonable, so that the posture of the thumb can be flexibly adjusted according to the natural physiological structure of the hand during the movement process, the wearing is comfortable, the movement track is highly matched with the physiological track of the human hand through the cooperation of the multiple connecting rods, the additional burden of the joint is reduced, and secondary injury is prevented.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of robotics, and in particular to a hand exoskeleton and a robotic teleoperation system. Background Technology

[0002] In related technological fields, hand exoskeletons, as a type of biomimetic interactive device, can realize human hand motion capture or action assistance functions and are widely used in various scenarios. The human hand motion system has complex multi-dimensional linkage characteristics, especially the diverse movement forms of key fingers, and the coordinated action of their joints can complete a variety of fine movements, which places high demands on the structural design of the corresponding mechanism.

[0003] However, current hand exoskeletons still fall short of fully meeting the complex movement requirements of the human hand, particularly in the design of the thumb mechanism. The connection between the existing thumb mechanism and the palm support is not well-designed, preventing the thumb from adaptively adjusting to the natural physiological structure of the hand during movement. This not only easily leads to user discomfort but may also cause additional joint strain due to significant deviations in the movement trajectory from the physiological movement trajectory of the human hand. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The main purpose of this application is to propose a hand exoskeleton and robot teleoperation system, which aims to solve the technical problem that the connection between the thumb mechanism and the palm fixation base of the hand exoskeleton is unreasonable, resulting in the thumb being unable to self-adjust, causing discomfort when worn, and causing additional joint burden due to the movement trajectory deviating from the human physiological trajectory.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this application proposes a hand exoskeleton, including a palm fixation base, a thumb mechanism, and at least one finger mechanism, wherein the finger mechanism is disposed on the palm fixation base;

[0006] The thumb mechanism includes a knuckle assembly and a linkage assembly. The knuckle assembly is rotatably connected to the palm fixing seat. The linkage assembly includes a first linkage and a second linkage. One end of the first linkage is rotatably connected to the palm fixing seat, and the other end of the first linkage is connected to one end of the second linkage. The other end of the second linkage is rotatably connected to the knuckle assembly.

[0007] In some embodiments, the linkage assembly further includes a reset member, one end of which is connected to the palm fixing seat, and the other end of which is connected to one of the first linkage and the second linkage.

[0008] In some embodiments, the finger mechanism includes an index finger mechanism, and the palm fixing seat has an index finger mechanism mounting plate protruding on the side facing away from the palm, and the first connecting rod is rotatably connected to the index finger mechanism mounting plate.

[0009] In some embodiments, the length of the first link is longer than the length of the second link.

[0010] In some embodiments, the hand exoskeleton further includes an angle detector located at the rotatable connection between the second link and the knuckle assembly.

[0011] In some embodiments, the palm support has a mounting arm protruding from the side of the thumb mechanism facing the palm, and the knuckle assembly is rotatably connected to the mounting arm.

[0012] In some embodiments, two mounting arms are provided, which are spaced apart along the length of the palm fixing seat, and the two mounting arms have different lengths.

[0013] In some embodiments, the knuckle assembly includes a first knuckle arranged in an arc shape, the first knuckle including a first mounting end rotatably connected to one of the mounting arms and a second mounting end rotatably connected to the other mounting arm.

[0014] In some embodiments, the knuckle assembly further includes a second knuckle, and the first knuckle further includes a body segment located between the first mounting end and the second mounting end, the second knuckle being connected to the body segment.

[0015] This application also provides a robot teleoperation system, including a humanoid robot, a control system, and a hand exoskeleton as described above; the control system is communicatively connected to the humanoid robot and the hand exoskeleton respectively, and the control system receives detection data transmitted by the hand exoskeleton and generates corresponding control commands to control the movement of the humanoid robot.

[0016] The hand exoskeleton of this application provides a stable support foundation for the overall structure through a palm fixation base, integrating the finger mechanism and thumb mechanism into the palm fixation base to form a biomimetic drive system that conforms to the structure of the human hand. The thumb mechanism is rotatably connected to the palm fixation base through a knuckle assembly, combined with a linkage assembly consisting of at least two rotatably connected first and second links. One end of the first link is rotatably connected to the palm fixation base, and the other end is rotatably connected to the second link. The second link is rotatably connected to the knuckle assembly. When the hand performs flexion, extension, adduction, abduction, and other movements, the knuckle assembly rotates around the connection point with the palm fixation base. At the same time, the linkage assembly achieves adaptive linkage through the relative rotation between the first and second links, providing precise guidance and auxiliary support for the movement of the knuckle assembly, thereby driving the thumb to complete movements that conform to the physiological trajectory of the human body. The rotatable connection between the knuckle assembly and the palm fixing seat in this application, along with the linkage assembly consisting of the first and second linkages, effectively solves the problem of unreasonable connection methods in existing thumb mechanisms. This allows the thumb to flexibly adjust its posture according to the natural physiological structure of the hand during movement, avoiding discomfort when wearing it. At the same time, the multi-link coordinated guidance ensures that the movement trajectory closely matches the physiological trajectory of the human hand, reducing additional burden on the joints and preventing secondary injuries. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of one embodiment of the hand exoskeleton of this application;

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of another embodiment of the hand exoskeleton mechanism of this application;

[0019] Figure 3 This is a connection diagram of an embodiment of the robot teleoperation system of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments in this application, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0021] It should be noted that all directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of this application are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of each component in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indicator will also change accordingly.

[0022] It should also be noted that when a component is described as "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly on the other component or there may be an intervening component present. When a component is described as "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or there may be an intervening component present.

[0023] Furthermore, the use of terms such as "first" and "second" in this application is for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. Additionally, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but only on the basis of being achievable by those skilled in the art. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, such a combination of technical solutions should be considered non-existent and not within the scope of protection claimed in this application.

[0024] Please refer to Figure 1 One embodiment of this application proposes a hand exoskeleton 100, including a palm fixation base 10, a thumb mechanism 20 and at least one finger mechanism 30, wherein the finger mechanism 30 is disposed on the palm fixation base 10;

[0025] The thumb mechanism 20 includes a knuckle assembly 21 and a link assembly 22. The knuckle assembly 21 is rotatably connected to the palm fixing seat 10. The link assembly 22 includes a first link 221 and a second link 222. One end of the first link 221 is rotatably connected to the palm fixing seat 10, and the other end of the first link 221 is connected to one end of the second link 222. The other end of the second link 222 is rotatably connected to the knuckle assembly 21.

[0026] In this embodiment, the palm fixing base 10 serves as the load-bearing component of the hand exoskeleton 100, providing a stable mounting reference for the thumb mechanism 20 and at least one finger mechanism 30. By fitting and fixing it to the palm, the exoskeleton as a whole is rigidly connected to the human hand, ensuring the positional stability of each mechanism during movement and avoiding movement deviation caused by the shaking of the base.

[0027] The knuckle assembly 21 and the link assembly 22 (first link 221) of the thumb mechanism 20 are rotatably connected to the palm fixing base 10, providing independent and coordinated motion fulcrums for both. Specifically, the palm fixing base 10 provides the knuckle assembly 21 with a main motion axis around the palm fixing base 10, and at the same time provides the first link 221 with an auxiliary motion axis. The dual-axis design constructs a multi-degree-of-freedom motion foundation to adapt to the complex movement requirements of the thumb. In addition, the palm fixing base 10 can provide an installation interface for the finger mechanism 30, ensuring that the relative position of the finger mechanism 30 and the thumb mechanism 20 conforms to the physiological structure of the human hand and guarantees the coordination of their movements.

[0028] The knuckle assembly 21 simulates the skeletal structure of the human thumb and is directly attached and fixed to the human thumb. It is the actuator for capturing or assisting thumb movements. By rotating around the palm mounting base 10, the knuckle assembly 21 can reproduce the basic movements of the human thumb, such as flexion, extension, adduction, and abduction. At the same time, in conjunction with the linkage assembly 22, it can complete complex spatial movements such as palm opposition, ensuring the synchronization between the exoskeleton movements and the human thumb movements.

[0029] One end of the first link 221 is rotatably connected to the palm fixing seat 10, and the other end is connected to the second link 222 to transmit the supporting force and motion constraint of the palm fixing seat 10 to the knuckle assembly 21. When the knuckle assembly 21 rotates around the palm fixing seat 10, the second link 222 pulls the first link 221 to rotate synchronously. By utilizing the fixed length characteristic of the link, the motion trajectory of the knuckle assembly 21 is precisely corrected to avoid it from deviating from the physiological trajectory of the human body and to ensure the smoothness and accuracy of the motion curve.

[0030] In this embodiment, the hand exoskeleton 100 provides a stable support foundation for the overall structure through the palm fixation base 10, and integrates the finger mechanism 30 and the thumb mechanism 20 into the palm fixation base 10 to form a biomimetic drive system that conforms to the structure of the human hand. The thumb mechanism 20 is rotatably connected to the palm fixation base 10 through the knuckle assembly 21, and combined with the linkage assembly 22, which consists of at least two rotatably connected first links 221 and second links 222. One end of the first link 221 is rotatably connected to the palm fixation base 10, and the other end is rotatably connected to the second link 222. The second link 222 is rotatably connected to the knuckle assembly 21. When the hand performs flexion, extension, adduction, abduction and other movements, the knuckle assembly 21 rotates around the connection point with the palm fixation base 10. At the same time, the linkage assembly 22 achieves adaptive linkage through the relative rotation between the first link 221 and the second link 222, providing precise guidance and auxiliary support for the movement of the knuckle assembly 21, thereby driving the thumb to complete movements that conform to the physiological trajectory of the human body.

[0031] The rotatable connection between the knuckle assembly 21 and the palm fixing seat 10 in this embodiment, along with the linkage assembly 22 consisting of the first linkage 221 and the second linkage 222, effectively solves the problem of unreasonable connection methods in existing thumb mechanisms. This allows the thumb to flexibly adjust its posture according to the natural physiological structure of the hand during movement, avoiding discomfort when wearing it. At the same time, the multi-link coordinated guidance ensures that the movement trajectory closely matches the physiological trajectory of the human hand, reducing additional burden on the joints and preventing secondary damage.

[0032] In some embodiments, the linkage assembly 22 further includes a reset member 223, one end of which is connected to the palm fixing seat 10, and the other end of which is connected to one of the first link 221 and the second link 222.

[0033] In this embodiment, the reset member 223 establishes a dynamic force balance between the palm fixing seat 10 and the first link 221 (or the second link 222) through an elastic preload. When the human thumb drives the knuckle assembly 21 to move, the knuckle assembly 21 drives the first link 221 to rotate around the palm fixing seat 10 through the second link 222, simultaneously stretching or compressing the reset member 223 to store elastic potential energy. When the thumb removes the external force (such as releasing after a grasping action), the reset member 223 releases the elastic potential energy, generating a reverse driving force to drive the first link 221 and the second link 222 back to their initial positions, thereby pulling the knuckle assembly 21 back to its natural extended posture. This design combines the rigid linkage of the mechanical structure with the adaptive force adjustment of the elastic element, so that the movement of the thumb mechanism 20 not only conforms to the physiological trajectory, but also simulates the natural characteristics of active movement and passive reset of biological muscles, forming a complete motion closed loop.

[0034] When there is no active driving force input, the elastic potential energy release of the reset component 223 provides reset power to the linkage assembly 22, ensuring that the knuckle assembly 21 can automatically return to its initial assembly position after completing actions such as flexion, extension, and opposition, without the need for an additional drive module to participate in the reset process. In rehabilitation training and other scenarios, after the user completes the grasping action, the reset component 223 can assist the knuckle assembly 21 to automatically extend, reducing the user's muscle exertion burden.

[0035] Furthermore, the elastic properties of the reset member 223 can buffer the motion impact of the linkage assembly 22 in real time. When the knuckle assembly 21 moves rapidly, the reset member 223 absorbs the instantaneous impact force through deformation, avoiding wear caused by rigid collision between the first link 221, the second link 222 and the rotating connection; at the same time, its preload can be dynamically adjusted according to the movement stroke, providing flexible constraint when the knuckle assembly 21 moves to the limit position, preventing joint damage caused by overtravel of the mechanism.

[0036] Preferably, the reset component 223 is a spring, which can efficiently realize the reset function by virtue of its mature elastic deformation characteristics and stable force output performance: when one end of the spring is connected to the palm fixing seat 10 and the other end is connected to the first link 221 or the second link 222, it can accurately store / release elastic potential energy through stretching or compression, providing a smooth reset power for the link assembly 22; and the stiffness parameter of the spring can be flexibly selected according to different application scenarios (such as rehabilitation training requires low stiffness to reduce resistance, and industrial operations require high stiffness to improve reset efficiency). At the same time, its structure is small and the cost is controllable. It can be integrated into the link assembly 22 without additional complex design, further simplifying the overall structure of the exoskeleton and taking into account both functional practicality and economy.

[0037] In some embodiments, the finger mechanism 30 includes an index finger mechanism 31, and the palm fixing seat 10 has an index finger mechanism mounting plate 11 protruding on the side facing away from the palm, and the first link 221 is rotatably connected to the index finger mechanism mounting plate 11.

[0038] In this embodiment, the index finger mechanism mounting plate 11 serves as an integrated connection carrier. On the one hand, it provides the index finger mechanism 31 with an installation reference that is compatible with the physiological structure of the palm, ensuring that the movement trajectory of the index finger conforms to the natural movement path of the human index finger. On the other hand, it transfers the rotation connection point of the first link 221 to the mounting plate, so that the movement fulcrum of the first link 221 and the installation position of the index finger mechanism 31 are spatially associated.

[0039] When the thumb mechanism 20 moves through the link assembly 22, the rotation of the first link 221 around the index finger mechanism mounting plate 11 can dynamically adapt to the movement of the index finger mechanism 31, avoiding spatial interference between the two during the movement. At the same time, with the structural support of the index finger mechanism mounting plate 11, the stability of the first link 221 during rotation is enhanced, further optimizing the coordinated movement accuracy of the thumb mechanism 20 and the index finger mechanism 31.

[0040] Compared to a direct rotatable connection with the palm mounting base 10, when the first link 221 rotates around the index finger mechanism mounting plate 11, the protruding structure of the index finger mechanism mounting plate 11 provides a longer lever arm support for the first link 221, reducing the swaying of the first link 221 during the movement of the second link 222, making the movement trajectory of the first link 221 more stable, and thus improving the movement accuracy of the thumb mechanism 20 knuckle assembly 21.

[0041] In some embodiments, the length of the first link 221 is longer than the length of the second link 222.

[0042] The first link 221 is longer than the second link 222. The longer link length forms a longer lever arm. The longer lever arm makes the power transmission more even when the first link 221 drives the second link 222 to move, avoiding the sudden movement phenomenon that is easy to occur with a short lever arm and improving the overall stability of the movement.

[0043] The shorter length of the second link 222 allows it to convert the larger rotational displacement of the first link 221 into a small-amplitude, precise movement of the knuckle assembly 21 when receiving the motion transmission from the first link 221. This is especially useful when performing fine movements such as small-angle flexion and extension of the thumb interphalangeal joint and fine-tuning the position of the palm, which can reduce motion errors, improve motion accuracy, and solve the problem of motion overshoot that is prone to occur with long links.

[0044] When the thumb mechanism 20 moves, the first link 221 (long lever arm) rotates around the index finger mechanism mounting plate 11, and transmits its own motion to the knuckle assembly 21 through the connection with the second link 222 (short lever arm). Since the rotational displacement of the long lever arm can be converted into a more precise small-range motion at the end of the short lever arm, the long lever arm of the first link 221 can stably support the palm fixing seat 10 and the index finger mechanism mounting plate 11, reducing movement sway, and the short lever arm of the second link 222 can precisely control the movement trajectory of the knuckle assembly 21. This makes the movement amplitude and force output of the thumb mechanism 20 more in line with the physiological characteristics of the human thumb when performing fine movements such as palm opposition and pinching, and further enhances the coordination and adaptability with the index finger mechanism 31.

[0045] In some embodiments, the hand exoskeleton 100 further includes an angle detector 40, which is located at the rotatable connection between the second link 222 and the knuckle assembly 21.

[0046] The second link 222 serves as the mounting carrier for the angle detector 40. Its rotational connection point with the knuckle assembly 21 provides a stable reference for detection, avoiding detection errors caused by shaking of the installation position. At the same time, the short length of the second link 222 brings the connection point close to the thumb joint, making the data collected by the angle detector 40 closer to the actual movement state of the human thumb and improving the authenticity of the data.

[0047] The angle detector 40 accurately captures the angle, angular velocity, and angular acceleration data of the relative rotation between the second link 222 and the knuckle assembly 21. The collected angle data can be transmitted to the exoskeleton control unit in real time via wired or wireless means. At the same time, it can receive instructions from the control unit to adjust the sampling frequency or working mode to adapt to the needs of different application scenarios. For example, the sampling frequency can be increased during rehabilitation training to accurately assess the standardization of movements, while the frequency can be reduced during daily assistance to save energy.

[0048] In this embodiment, the angle detector 40 monitors the angle changes of key nodes in real time, which can promptly detect and correct deviations in the motion trajectory. In motion capture scenarios, the angle data can be combined with other sensor data to construct a complete hand motion model for use in animation production, virtual interaction, and other fields. In rehabilitation training scenarios, the angle change data of patients during training can be recorded to generate training reports, helping doctors assess rehabilitation progress and develop personalized training plans.

[0049] In some embodiments, the palm support 10 has a mounting arm 12 protruding from the side near the thumb mechanism 20 toward the palm, and the knuckle assembly 21 is rotatably connected to the mounting arm 12.

[0050] In this embodiment, the mounting arm 12 serves as the direct rotational support carrier for the knuckle assembly 21. Through the protruding structure, the rotation fulcrum is adjusted to the spatial position corresponding to the human thumb's metacarpophalangeal joint, providing the knuckle assembly 21 with a motion reference that conforms to the physiological structure, avoiding deviation of the motion trajectory due to fulcrum deviation, and ensuring that the flexion, extension, and opposition movements of the knuckle assembly 21 are synchronized with the human thumb.

[0051] Furthermore, the structure of the mounting arm 12 protruding towards the palm can avoid interference between the main body of the palm fixing seat 10 and the base of the thumb. At the same time, the shape of the mounting arm 12 can be designed to be arc-shaped to fit the contour of the base of the thumb, reducing the concentration of local pressure when wearing, improving the fit with the human hand, and avoiding discomfort caused by the abrupt support structure.

[0052] In this embodiment, the protruding structure of the mounting arm 12 can simulate the spatial position of the human thumb metacarpal bone, and transfer the rotation fulcrum of the knuckle assembly 21 from the main body of the palm fixing seat 10 to a position closer to the human thumb metacarpal joint, so that the motion center of the knuckle assembly 21 is highly coincident with the physiological rotation center of the human thumb; at the same time, combined with the real-time monitoring of the angle detector 40 and the lever arm adjustment of the linkage assembly 22, the deviation between the exoskeleton movement and the natural movement of the human thumb can be further reduced, and a higher precision bionic adaptation can be achieved.

[0053] In some embodiments, two mounting arms 12 are provided, which are distributed at intervals along the length direction of the palm fixing seat 10, and the two mounting arms 12 have different lengths.

[0054] In this embodiment, two spaced mounting arms 12 provide support from different positions near the base of the thumb on the palm fixing seat 10. The shorter mounting arm 12 is close to the thumb metacarpophalangeal joint on the palm side, while the longer mounting arm 12 corresponds to the thumb metacarpophalangeal joint on the back of the hand side, forming a three-dimensional support structure. This support method can limit the unintended swaying of the knuckle assembly 21, while providing it with multi-directional rotation space, ensuring that the thumb's posture is stable and flexible during movement.

[0055] The design of two mounting arms 12 with different lengths can match the spatial contours of different areas of the thumb base, avoiding the problem of a single-length mounting arm 12 fitting too tightly or having gaps with a local area of ​​the thumb base; the shorter mounting arm 12 can fit the more compact space of the thumb base near the palm, while the longer mounting arm 12 can cover a more open area of ​​the thumb base near the back of the hand, so that the fit between the knuckle component 21 and the human thumb remains consistent throughout the movement.

[0056] The knuckle assembly 21 can be supported by multiple fulcrums of the dual mounting arms 12, enabling more complex spatial rotations. It is no longer limited to a single plane movement and can more accurately reproduce the multi-directional movement posture of the thumb and wrist joint. Especially when performing slight twisting or lateral swinging of the thumb, it can avoid the stiffness caused by the limitation of a single fulcrum and improve the naturalness of the movement.

[0057] Furthermore, the dual mounting arms 12 support the knuckle assembly 21 from different positions, which can distribute the force on the knuckle assembly 21 to the two mounting arms 12, avoiding local wear caused by concentrated force on a single mounting arm 12, and at the same time making the force on the knuckle assembly 21 more balanced during movement, reducing local pressure on the thumb.

[0058] In this embodiment, the dual mounting arms 12, spaced apart along the length, can provide support from different positions at the base of the thumb. With different length designs, the rotation fulcrum of the knuckle assembly 21 is spatially distributed in a three-dimensional manner, rather than being supported on a single plane. This design better fits the complex spatial movement characteristics of the human thumb and wrist joint, allowing the knuckle assembly 21 to form a more physiologically consistent movement posture around multiple fulcrums when performing actions such as flexion, extension, and opposition. At the same time, combined with the real-time monitoring of the angle detector 40 and the lever arm adjustment of the linkage assembly 22, the movement constraints that may exist with a single mounting arm 12 are further eliminated, achieving a comprehensive adaptation to the spatial movement of the human thumb.

[0059] In addition, the design of the two mounting arms 12 being spaced apart along the length direction and of different lengths can accommodate users with different hand sizes and thumb base shapes, eliminating the need to customize mounting arms 12 for different users, thus enhancing the versatility of the exoskeleton and reducing product customization costs.

[0060] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 2 The knuckle assembly 21 includes a first knuckle 211 arranged in an arc shape. The first knuckle 211 includes a first mounting end 2111 rotatably connected to a mounting arm 12 and a second mounting end 2112 rotatably connected to another mounting arm 12.

[0061] In this embodiment, the first phalanx 211 is designed with an arc shape, which can conform to the natural curvature of the first phalanx of the human thumb, avoiding the local suspension or compression problems that may occur with a straight phalanx, and can form a large area of ​​contact with the thumb skin. This contact method can reduce the relative sliding between the phalanx and the skin during movement, ensure that the first phalanx 211 moves synchronously with the thumb, and at the same time avoid local pressure concentration, thus improving wearing comfort.

[0062] The first mounting end 2111 of the first phalanx 211 is rotatably connected to a mounting arm 12, and the second mounting end 2112 is rotatably connected to another mounting arm 12, forming a double rotation fulcrum structure. This structure can convert the supporting force of the two mounting arms 12 into a stable rotation constraint of the first phalanx 211, avoiding motion deviation that may be caused by a single connection point, and at the same time adapting the rotation trajectory of the first phalanx 211 to the spatial distribution of the two mounting arms 12, ensuring that the movement posture conforms to human physiological habits.

[0063] It should be understood that, in response to the connection requirements at both ends of the bow-shaped first finger joint 211, the connection positions of the two mounting arms 12 can precisely correspond to the first mounting end 2111 and the second mounting end 2112 of the first finger joint 211, ensuring smooth rotational connection; the design of mounting arms 12 of different lengths can adapt to the spatial height difference at both ends of the bow-shaped first finger joint 211, avoid connection jamming caused by the consistent length of the mounting arms 12, and ensure the flexibility of rotation of the first finger joint 211.

[0064] The bow-shaped structure of this embodiment can simulate the natural curvature of the first phalanx of the human thumb, allowing the first phalanx 211 to closely conform to the contour of the thumb skin. Simultaneously, its two ends are rotatably connected to the two mounting arms 12, transforming the multi-point support of the two mounting arms 12 into a coordinated rotational constraint of the first phalanx 211. When the thumb moves, the first phalanx 211 rotates synchronously around the connection point of the two mounting arms 12. The bow-shaped structure avoids localized compression of the thumb during movement and disperses force through its arc-shaped contour, improving the integration between the exoskeleton and the human thumb.

[0065] In some embodiments, the knuckle assembly 21 further includes a second knuckle 212, and the first knuckle 211 further includes a body segment 2113 located between the first mounting end 2111 and the second mounting end 2112, with the second knuckle 212 connected to the body segment 2113.

[0066] In this embodiment, the second phalanx 212 simulates the movement characteristics of the second phalanx of the human thumb and forms a segmented linkage with the first phalanx 211. When the thumb completes actions such as grasping and pinching, the second phalanx 212 can bend synchronously with the rotation of the first phalanx 211. At the same time, it can be independently fine-tuned according to the position requirements of the thumb tip, avoiding the stiffness of movement caused by the single phalanx structure, and ensuring that the movement of the thumb from the base to the tip conforms to the natural physiological posture throughout the entire process.

[0067] The main body segment 2113 of the first phalanx 211 serves as a connecting carrier, providing a stable mounting reference for the second phalanx 212. At the same time, it transmits its own rotational motion around the double mounting arm 12 to the second phalanx 212, forming a synergistic relationship in which the first phalanx 211 drives the second phalanx 212 and the second phalanx 212 assists in fine-tuning. The curved shape of the bow-shaped main body segment 2113 can also reserve reasonable space for the rotation of the second phalanx 212, avoiding interference between the two movements.

[0068] Furthermore, the connection structure between the main body segment 2113 and the second phalanx 212 can disperse the force transmitted from the fingertip, preventing the single phalanx structure from concentrating the force at the base of the thumb. At the same time, when the thumb moves rapidly, the segmented connection buffers the impact force, reducing the burden on the thumb joint.

[0069] In this embodiment, the multi-segment linkage structure replicates the segmented movement characteristics of the human thumb, solving the problem that a single-segment structure cannot adapt to the multi-segment bending of the thumb. When the thumb performs fine movements (such as pinching small objects), the second segment 212 can be independently fine-tuned according to the needs of the fingertip, enabling the fingertip to accurately position the target and avoiding fingertip deviation caused by a single-segment structure, thus improving the accuracy and naturalness of the movement. In addition, the multi-segment structure can adapt to the thickness differences of different parts of the thumb. The first segment 211 fits the area from the base to the middle of the thumb, and the second segment 212 fits the area from the middle to the fingertip, avoiding local looseness or tightness caused by uneven thickness adaptation of a single-segment structure, thus improving the overall wearing fit.

[0070] In some embodiments, the rotation axis of the second phalanx 212 intersects the rotation axis of the first phalanx 211 on the same vertical projection plane.

[0071] The thumb mechanism 20 is a core component for realizing key hand movements such as pinching and grasping. It consists of a first phalanx 211 and a second phalanx 212, and is responsible for simulating the complex movements of the human thumb. Specifically, the first phalanx 211, as the basic rotating unit of the thumb mechanism 20, is rotatably connected to the side of the palm fixing base 10 adjacent to the index finger, driving the entire thumb mechanism 20 to complete basic movements such as flexion, extension, and abduction, and providing support and guidance for the movement of the second phalanx 212. The second phalanx 212, as the fine-tuning execution unit, is rotatably connected to the first phalanx 211. Through the design of the rotation axis intersecting with the first phalanx 211, it achieves precise replication of the movement of the human thumb interphalangeal joint. Based on the movement of the first phalanx 211, the second phalanx 212 can further adjust the fingertip posture to complete subtle movements such as fingertip fine-tuning and precise pinching, greatly improving the exoskeleton's ability to capture complex movements.

[0072] The thumb mechanism 20 in this embodiment adopts a design where the rotation axes of the two phalanges intersect in a coplanar manner, simulating the natural linkage between the metacarpophalangeal joint and the interphalangeal joint of the human thumb. When the wearer drives hand movements, each phalange mechanism rotates synchronously with the human joints. The first phalanx 211 and the second phalanx 212 of the thumb mechanism 20, through the rotational cooperation of the intersecting axes, can accurately match the multi-degree-of-freedom linkage motion logic of the human thumb, achieving comprehensive coverage and precise tracking of complex movements such as thumb flexion, extension, lateral swing, and rotation. This effectively solves the problem of insufficient capture of subtle movements caused by the simplification of the structure of existing exoskeletons.

[0073] Furthermore, the thumb mechanism 20 in this embodiment is designed to fit the physiological structure of the human hand, and the layout of each finger mechanism 30 is highly adaptable to the natural hand gestures of the human body. This not only ensures the accuracy and real-time nature of motion transmission but also improves wearing comfort. It can avoid motion interference and instantaneous misalignment of joints. At the same time, through the modular mechanism design, it is easy to adapt and adjust according to the hand size of different users, further enhancing the versatility and practicality of the device and providing reliable structural support for high-precision motion simulation.

[0074] It should be understood that in the thumb mechanism 20 of the hand exoskeleton 100 of this embodiment, the rotation axis of the second phalanx 212 intersects with the rotation axis of the first phalanx 211 on the same vertical projection plane. This means that when the exoskeleton is in a natural wearing state (i.e., the palm is against the palm fixing seat 10 and the fingers are in a naturally relaxed posture), if the direction perpendicular to the plane where the palm is located is taken as the "vertical direction", the axis formed by the rotation of the first phalanx 211 around the palm fixing seat 10 (corresponding to the movement axis of the human thumb metacarpophalangeal joint) and the axis formed by the rotation of the second phalanx 212 around the first phalanx 211 (corresponding to the movement axis of the human thumb interphalangeal joint) will form a clear intersection point in the vertical projection plane. This design simulates the physiological movement structure of the human thumb. The movement axes of the human thumb metacarpophalangeal joint and the interphalangeal joint itself have a spatial intersection relationship. It is this intersection characteristic that gives the thumb the ability to perform complex actions such as palm opposition and precise pinching.

[0075] The exoskeleton in this embodiment intersects the rotation axes of the two phalanges on the same vertical projection plane, ensuring that when the first phalanx 211 moves the second phalanx 212, the rotation trajectories of the two phalanges can form a coordinated arc-shaped coverage area. This avoids the stiff movements and trajectory deviations caused by traditional parallel axis designs, and allows the second phalanx 212 to accurately follow the movement trend of the first phalanx 211, achieving a natural transition of subtle movements such as fingertip fine-tuning and multi-angle gripping. This provides core structural support for the bionic movement of the entire thumb mechanism 20.

[0076] In some embodiments, the first phalanx 211 is configured to rotate in a horizontal plane, and the second phalanx 212 is configured to rotate in a vertical plane.

[0077] In this embodiment, the first phalanx 211 undertakes the core function of horizontal movement of the thumb. Through rotational connection with the palm fixing seat 10, it can flexibly realize the horizontal swing of the thumb away from or close to other fingers, simulating the abduction and adduction movements of the human thumb, laying the foundation for grasping, palm-to-palm and other movements.

[0078] The second phalanx 212 achieves vertical movement. Based on the movement of the first phalanx 211, it completes the flexion and extension of the thumb by rotating in the vertical plane, precisely adjusting the fingertip posture, so that the thumb can achieve fine movements such as precise pinching and subtle touching.

[0079] The human thumb's actions such as opposition and grasping rely on the coordinated movement of different planes. The exoskeleton is specifically designed with the first phalanx 211 rotating in a horizontal plane and the second phalanx 212 rotating in a vertical plane. The two form a complementary movement in space. This design simulates the joint linkage logic of the human thumb in different movement scenarios. When the wearer drives the thumb to move, the two phalanges rotate flexibly and cooperate in their respective planes, naturally restoring the multi-dimensional movement trajectory of the thumb, providing core support for the accurate capture and transmission of movements.

[0080] The differentiated rotational design of the first phalanx 211 and the second phalanx 212 in this embodiment gives the thumb a richer range of motion, allowing it to flexibly adjust its posture in complex operation scenarios. At the same time, this design enhances the coordination of the thumb with the other four fingers, making the entire hand movement more coordinated and coherent, and further expanding the application scenarios of exoskeletons.

[0081] In the thumb mechanism of the hand exoskeleton 100 in this application embodiment, "horizontal plane" refers to a virtual plane parallel to the plane where the wearer's palm is located, and "vertical plane" refers to a virtual plane perpendicular to the plane where the palm is located and extending along the length of the thumb; the horizontal plane rotation of the first phalanx 211 corresponds to the abduction and adduction movements of the human thumb away from or close to the other four fingers, and the vertical plane rotation of the second phalanx 212 corresponds to the flexion and extension movements of the thumb.

[0082] It should be noted that the division between the horizontal and vertical planes mentioned above is not an absolutely rigid constraint. A certain degree of error is allowed in the actual design. The setting of this error range is based on the core principle of adapting to the natural tolerance of human movement. The movement of the human hand itself does not strictly follow a geometric planar trajectory and has a certain degree of flexible movement space. The planar error design of the exoskeleton is just right to match this physiological characteristic. It can accommodate the differences in hand shape and movement habits of different wearers, and avoid excessive constraints on human movement by the mechanical structure. It ensures that when the thumb performs complex movements such as grasping, pinching, and palming, it still maintains the overall coordination and natural smoothness of movement, and the accuracy of motion capture and transmission will not be affected by small planar deviations.

[0083] Please refer to Figure 3This application also provides a robot teleoperation system 200, including a humanoid robot 201, a control system 202, and a hand exoskeleton 100 as described above. The control system 202 is communicatively connected to both the humanoid robot 201 and the hand exoskeleton 100. The control system 202 receives detection data transmitted by the hand exoskeleton 100 and generates corresponding control commands to control the movement of the humanoid robot 201. Since the robot teleoperation system 200 adopts all the technical solutions of all embodiments of the hand exoskeleton 100 mechanism described above, the robot teleoperation system 200 of this application embodiment also has at least all the beneficial effects brought about by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, which will not be elaborated here.

[0084] The above are only some or preferred embodiments of this application. Neither the text nor the drawings should limit the scope of protection of this application. All equivalent structural transformations made using the content of this application's specification and drawings under the overall concept of this application, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A hand exoskeleton, characterized in that, It includes a palm fixing base, a thumb mechanism, and at least one finger mechanism, wherein the finger mechanism is disposed on the palm fixing base; The thumb mechanism includes a knuckle assembly and a linkage assembly. The knuckle assembly is rotatably connected to the palm fixing seat. The linkage assembly includes a first linkage and a second linkage. One end of the first linkage is rotatably connected to the palm fixing seat, and the other end of the first linkage is connected to one end of the second linkage. The other end of the second linkage is rotatably connected to the knuckle assembly. The palm fixing seat has a mounting arm protruding from the palm on the side near the thumb mechanism, and the knuckle assembly is rotatably connected to the mounting arm; The mounting arm is provided in two parts, which are distributed at intervals along the length of the palm fixing seat. The two mounting arms are of different lengths, with the shorter mounting arm close to the thumb metacarpal joint and near the palm side, and the longer mounting arm corresponding to the thumb metacarpal joint and near the back of the hand side. The knuckle assembly includes a first knuckle arranged in an arc shape, the first knuckle including a first mounting end rotatably connected to one of the mounting arms and a second mounting end rotatably connected to the other mounting arm; The knuckle assembly further includes a second knuckle, and the first knuckle further includes a main body segment located between the first mounting end and the second mounting end, with the second knuckle connected to the main body segment.

2. The hand exoskeleton according to claim 1, characterized in that, The linkage assembly also includes a reset member, one end of which is connected to the palm fixing seat, and the other end of which is connected to one of the first linkage and the second linkage.

3. The hand exoskeleton according to claim 1, characterized in that, The finger mechanism includes an index finger mechanism. The palm fixing seat has an index finger mechanism mounting plate protruding on the side facing away from the palm. The first connecting rod is rotatably connected to the index finger mechanism mounting plate.

4. The hand exoskeleton according to claim 1, characterized in that, The length of the first link is longer than the length of the second link.

5. The hand exoskeleton according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hand exoskeleton also includes an angle detector, which is located at the rotatable connection between the second link and the knuckle assembly.

6. A robot teleoperation system, characterized in that, The system includes a humanoid robot, a control system, and a hand exoskeleton as described in any one of claims 1 to 5; the control system is communicatively connected to both the humanoid robot and the hand exoskeleton, and receives detection data transmitted by the hand exoskeleton and generates corresponding control commands to control the movement of the humanoid robot.

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