Wearable flexible exoskeleton robot with weight bearing and rehabilitation treatment functions

Abstract

The wearable flexible exoskeleton robot with the weight bearing and rehabilitation treatment functions comprises a wearable main body, a driving mechanism, a control box, a touch screen, a battery and the like, and the wearable main body is formed by combining diving materials and canvas and comprises a back, a waist belt, a chest belt, shoulder belts, two sets of front arm sleeves and two sets of upper arm sleeves. The front arm sleeve is connected with the upper arm sleeve through a traction wire harness; the driving mechanism comprises two first driving motors, and output shafts of the first driving motors wind traction wire harnesses respectively and are connected with the upper arm sleeves on the corresponding sides through the traction wire harnesses; a controller in the control box is electrically connected with the two first driving motors. The touch screen is arranged on one forearm sleeve, and the controller sends start-stop signals to the two first driving motors when a user operates based on the touch screen. The wearable flexible exoskeleton robot is light in weight, convenient to wear and high in wearing comfort degree, power can be provided for actions of upper limb joints of a user, and a patient with upper limb injury is helped to conduct rehabilitation training.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of medical devices, and in particular to a wearable flexible exoskeleton robot with weight-bearing and rehabilitation treatment functions. Background Art

[0002] An exoskeleton robot is an intelligent mechanical structure worn on the outside of the user's body. It can combine the human body's senses, thinking, movement and other organs with the machine's perception system, intelligent processing center, and control execution system, thereby achieving the purpose of improving the human body's physical functions and physical fitness. Its essence is a type of wearable robot that can achieve human-machine integration. Although various countries have achieved fruitful results in the development of rehabilitation exoskeleton-assisted robots and have put a small number of them on the market, most rehabilitation exoskeleton robots still have defects such as high cost, bulky equipment, low intelligence and reliability, and are far from large-scale marketization.

[0003] Most of the representative exoskeleton robots on the market adopt rigid structures, such as the BLEEX series of the University of California, the HAL series of the University of Tsukuba, and the Lokomat of the University of Zurich. The advantages of rigid exoskeleton robots are their sturdy and durable structure and precise force transmission, but they are heavy and difficult to wear, and their installation also requires professional training personnel. Therefore, the research focus of exoskeleton robots at home and abroad has gradually shifted to flexible exoskeleton robots with textile materials.

[0004] In recent years, research based on the needs of exoskeleton robots has received more and more attention, especially rehabilitation exoskeleton robots. And with the rapid development of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, sensing, and biomedicine, new rehabilitation exoskeleton robots will move towards cost-friendly, highly intelligent, lightweight and flexible directions. However, most of the existing exoskeleton robot reviews focus on drive and control, and rarely start from the field of textiles and clothing, especially the lack of application of textile materials in exoskeleton robots. Moreover, there is currently little research and development on upper limb exoskeleton robots on the market, and most of them are bulky, difficult to wear, slow to respond, and low in comfort. They are not suitable for people with limb disabilities such as stroke and upper limb injuries to continue rehabilitation training such as muscle activity.

[0005] According to a survey, in the past 20 years, my country has had 2.8 million new cases of cerebrovascular disease each year, and global stroke is also showing a trend of becoming younger. The number of patients with upper limb movement disorders caused by such diseases and daily sports injuries is very large. Therefore, in order to promote the popularization of exoskeleton robots and assist in medical health, it is very necessary to continuously improve exoskeleton robots. Utility Model Content

[0006] In order to better solve the above problems, the utility model provides a wearable flexible exoskeleton robot with weight-bearing and rehabilitation treatment functions. It is light in weight, easy to wear and very comfortable to wear. It can also assist users in upper limb activities and help patients with upper limb injuries to perform rehabilitation training.

[0007] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, an embodiment of the utility model provides a wearable flexible exoskeleton robot with load-bearing and rehabilitation therapy functions, comprising: a wearable body, the wearable body is made of a combination of neoprene and canvas, and comprises a back sheet and a waist belt, a chest belt, a shoulder strap connected to the back sheet, and two sets of forearm sleeves and upper arm sleeves, wherein the forearm sleeves and the upper arm sleeves are connected by a traction harness; a driving mechanism, the driving mechanism comprises two first driving motors, which are respectively arranged at positions corresponding to the shoulder blades of a human body on the rear side of the back sheet, and the output shafts of the two first driving motors are respectively wound with traction harnesses and connected to the upper arm sleeves on the corresponding sides through the traction harnesses; a control box, the control box is arranged at a position corresponding to the back waist of a human body on the rear side of the back sheet, and the controller in the control box is electrically connected to the two first driving motors respectively; a touch screen, the touch screen is arranged on a forearm sleeve, and the touch sensing element of the touch screen is electrically connected to the controller in the control box; the controller sends a start-stop signal to the two first driving motors when the user operates based on the touch screen; a battery, the battery is arranged at a position corresponding to the back waist of a human body on the rear side of the back sheet, and the battery is electrically connected to the controller, the two first driving motors and the touch screen respectively.

[0008] Optionally, a pull-wire torque sensor is integrated in the traction harness, and the pull-wire torque sensor is electrically connected to the controller to detect the tensile force of the traction harness in real time and send it to the controller.

[0009] Optionally, the driving mechanism further comprises two second driving motors, a rigid plate is arranged on the upper part of the back sheet, and the output shafts of the two second driving motors are respectively wound with traction harnesses and connected to the rigid plate through the traction harnesses.

[0010] Optionally, the traction harness includes a PE harness.

[0011] Optionally, a protective outer sheath made of polyester is provided on the outside of the traction harness.

[0012] Optionally, an elastic hard nylon protective layer is provided on the outside of the first drive motor and on the outside of the electrical connection lines between the battery and other components.

[0013] Optionally, the waist belt and chest strap each include two sections, the first ends of the two chest straps and the two chest straps are fixedly connected to the back panel, and the second ends are provided with Velcro; the shoulder strap includes two, the first ends of the two shoulder straps are fixedly connected to the back panel, and the second ends are provided with Velcro.

[0014] Optionally, a switch is further included, which is arranged on the outside of the forearm sleeve, and the switch is used to control the on and off of the electrical connection between the battery and various components.

[0015] Optionally, a heart rate sensor is also included, which is integrated on the inner side of the forearm cuff. The heart rate sensor is electrically connected to the controller. The controller receives the heart rate signal detected by the heart rate sensor, analyzes it, and sends it to the touch screen for display.

[0016] Optionally, it also includes a voice broadcast device, which is arranged on the outside of the forearm sleeve. The voice broadcast module is electrically connected to the controller. When the controller analyzes that the heart rate reaches a set value, it sends a driving signal to the voice broadcast device, and the voice broadcast device plays pre-recorded audio.

[0017] The wearable flexible exoskeleton robot with weight-bearing and rehabilitation therapy functions in the embodiment of the utility model comprises a wearable main body including a back panel, a waist belt, a chest strap, a shoulder strap, an upper arm sleeve and a forearm sleeve, etc., which are made of a combination of neoprene and canvas, are easy to wear, light in weight and highly comfortable to wear; and the upper arm sleeve and the forearm sleeve are connected by arranging a first drive motor and a traction harness, the traction harness can be stretched by winding the traction harness by the first drive motor to provide power for the movement of the user's upper limb joints; and the user can perform operation and control based on the touch screen, which is easy to operate.

[0018] The wearable flexible exoskeleton robot has the advantages of simple structure, light weight, comfortable wearing, easy operation, reliable performance, and low cost. It is suitable for people with stroke, upper limb injuries, etc. to carry out muscle activities, help them with rehabilitation training, and reduce their risk of injury. It can also be used to reduce the muscle activity of upper limb muscles during load curling, thereby reducing the risk of muscle strain in the wearer. The wearable flexible exoskeleton robot is helpful to promote the popularization of exoskeleton technology and improve the practicality of exoskeleton technology. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the utility model or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the utility model. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative labor.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of a wearable flexible exoskeleton robot according to an embodiment of the utility model from a first viewing angle;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic structural diagram of a wearable flexible exoskeleton robot according to an embodiment of the utility model at a second viewing angle;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a control logic diagram of a wearable flexible exoskeleton robot according to an embodiment of the utility model.

[0023] Reference numerals:

[0024] 1. Back strap; 2. Waist belt; 3. Chest strap; 4. Shoulder strap; 5. Upper arm sleeve; 6. Forearm sleeve; 7. First drive motor; 8. Traction harness; 9. Touch screen; 10. Control box; 11. Second drive motor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] In order to make the above-mentioned purposes, features and advantages of the utility model more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the utility model are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the following description, many specific details are set forth to facilitate a full understanding of the utility model. However, the utility model can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without violating the connotation of the utility model. Therefore, the utility model is not limited to the basic implementation disclosed below.

[0026] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art of the present invention. The terms used herein in the specification of the present invention are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0027] like Figure 1-3 As shown, the wearable flexible exoskeleton robot with load-bearing and rehabilitation therapy functions of the embodiment of the utility model includes a wearable body, a driving mechanism, a control box 10, a touch screen 9, a battery, etc., wherein the wearable body is made of a combination of neoprene and canvas, including a back sheet 1 and a waist belt 2, a chest belt 3, a shoulder strap 4 connected to the back sheet 1, and two sets of forearm sleeves 6 and upper arm sleeves 5, and the forearm sleeves 6 and the upper arm sleeves 5 are connected by a traction harness 8; the driving mechanism includes two first driving motors 7, which are respectively arranged at the rear side of the back sheet 1 corresponding to the position of the human shoulder blade, and the output shafts of the two first driving motors 7 are respectively wound The traction harness 8 is connected to the upper arm sleeve 5 on the corresponding side through the traction harness 8; the control box 10 is arranged on the rear side of the back fabric 1 at a position corresponding to the lower back of the human body, and the controller in the control box 10 is electrically connected to the two first drive motors 7 respectively; the touch screen 9 is arranged on a forearm sleeve 6, and the touch sensing element of the touch screen 9 is electrically connected to the controller in the control box; the controller sends a start-stop control signal to the two first drive motors 7 when the user operates based on the touch screen 9; the battery is arranged on the rear side of the back fabric 1 at a position corresponding to the lower back of the human body, and the battery is electrically connected to the controller, the two first drive motors 7 and the touch screen 9 respectively.

[0028] According to the exemplary embodiment of the utility model, the wearable body is mainly made of textile materials such as canvas and neoprene, which is soft relative to the rigid structure of the outer frame material, so that the weight of the robot is greatly reduced, and the wearer enjoys a higher degree of comfort. Moreover, the waist belt 2, chest belt 3, shoulder strap 4, forearm sleeve 6, and upper arm sleeve 5 are all designed to be easy to wear. Specifically, the waist belt 2 and chest belt 3 are segmented, and the waist belt 2 and chest belt 3 each include two sections. The first end of the two waist belts 2 is fixedly connected to the back sheet 1 at the corresponding back waist of the human body, and the second end of the two chest straps 3 is fixedly connected to the back sheet 1 at the corresponding shoulder blade of the human body. The two waist belts 2 and the two chest straps 3 are provided with Velcro (with a certain length) at the second end, and the Velcro can be adjusted according to the actual situation. The sticking position of the Velcro is convenient to wear; there are two shoulder straps 4, and the first ends of the two shoulder straps 4 are fixedly connected to the back sheet 1 at the back side of the corresponding human shoulder, and the second ends are provided with Velcro (which can be pasted at the corresponding position of the chest strap 3). Furthermore, the length and width of the forearm sleeve 6 and the upper arm sleeve 5 can be designed in various ways to meet the wearing needs of different groups of people, making it convenient for users to choose according to their own circumstances.

[0029] In the wearable flexible exoskeleton robot of the embodiment of the utility model, the forearm sleeve 6 is connected to the upper arm sleeve 5 through a traction harness, and the upper arm sleeve 5 is connected to the output shaft of the first drive motor 7 through the traction harness. The first drive motor 7 can stretch the traction harness by winding the traction harness to provide power for the movement of the user's upper limb joints, which is equivalent to imitating muscle fibers to drive the movement of upper limb joints such as the human shoulder and elbow joints, simulating and strengthening muscle strength. In an optional embodiment, a pull-wire torque sensor is integrated in the traction harness, and the pull-wire torque sensor is used to detect the tensile force in the traction harness; the pull-wire torque sensor is electrically connected to the controller, and the detected tensile force is sent to the controller, so that the controller can obtain the actual tensile force, tensile trend, etc. of the traction harness, including the tightening and loosening trends of the traction harness, and then control the first drive motor to start releasing and winding the traction harness to help it complete the movement of the trend. In another optional implementation, a plurality of motion modes may be pre-integrated in the controller, each motion mode corresponding to a different working cycle and torque size of the first drive motor. The user may select an appropriate motion mode on the touch screen according to his or her own motion needs. The controller controls the first drive motor to rotate intermittently, winding and releasing the traction harness during rotation, thereby pulling and releasing the upper arm cuff and forearm cuff, driving the user to complete the corresponding action.

[0030] In this embodiment, the driving mechanism also includes two second driving motors 11, which are respectively arranged at the bottom of the back sheet 1, corresponding to the upper side of the human pelvic position; a rigid plate is arranged on the upper part of the back sheet 1, such as a hard PE plate fixed on the back sheet corresponding to the upper side of the human shoulder blade, and the output shafts of the two second driving motors 11 are respectively wound with the traction harness 8 and connected to the rigid plate through the traction harness 8, that is, two sections of the traction harness 8 are connected between the two second driving motors 11 and the rigid plate, and the first ends of the two sections of the traction harness 8 are respectively wound with the output shaft of the second driving motor 11, and the second ends are connected to two places on the lower side of the rigid plate. The controller can judge the stretching trend of the traction harness according to the detection signal of the wire-drawing torque sensor in the traction harness, and then control the second driving motor to release and wind the traction harness, so that the traction harness remains in a tightened state and applies tension to the rigid plate, so that the back sheet has the effect of assisting the back to straighten, and can prevent the user from being injured in the waist when bending over. In actual application, the touch screen can display the option of whether to turn on this function, and the user clicks on the touch screen to select according to the actual situation.

[0031] Optionally, the traction harness includes a PE harness, which is woven from ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fibers, has the advantages of large tensile strength, good softness, strong wear resistance, etc., can meet the needs of the flexible exoskeleton robot of the present application, and has a low price. Furthermore, a nylon protective sheath is provided on the outside of the traction harness and at the connection and fixing position of the traction harness with the first drive motor and the arm sleeve, etc., to protect the traction harness and prevent the harness from scratching the human body, etc.

[0032] In this embodiment, the battery is directly or indirectly electrically connected to the first drive motor 7, the control box and the touch screen 9 and other electrical components, and is used to power each electrical component. The outside of the electrical connection line used for the electrical connection between the battery and other components is provided with an elastic hard nylon protective layer, which is tight and light, and can play a protective role; and has a certain elasticity, which can prevent damage due to stretching during wearing and exercise. And, the outside of the first drive motor 7 can also be provided with such an elastic hard nylon protective layer. It should be noted that in the wearable flexible exoskeleton robot of this embodiment, there is a partial overlap between the electrical connection line and the traction harness 8. At the overlap, a combination of a nylon protective sheath and an elastic hard nylon protective layer can be used for protection. Of course, in other embodiments, other methods can also be used for protection. All methods that can protect the line and harness can be used in specific implementations.

[0033] In an optional embodiment, the wearable flexible exoskeleton robot also includes a switch component, which can be specifically arranged on the outside of the forearm sleeve (a forearm sleeve with a touch screen can reduce wiring). The switch component is used to control the on and off of the electrical connection between the battery and various components. After the user wears the robot, the user can turn on the switch component and select a movement mode to perform related exercises such as rehabilitation training, which is easy to operate.

[0034] Optionally, the wearable flexible exoskeleton robot also includes a heart rate sensor, which can be integrated inside the forearm sleeve to monitor the user's heart rate information; the heart rate sensor is electrically connected to the controller, and the controller receives the heart rate signal detected by the heart rate sensor and sends it to the touch screen for display after analysis and processing. Furthermore, the wearable flexible exoskeleton robot also includes a voice broadcast device, which is specifically arranged on the outside of the forearm sleeve. The voice broadcast module is electrically connected to the controller. When the controller analyzes that the heart rate reaches the set value, it sends a drive signal to the voice broadcast device, and the voice broadcast device plays a pre-recorded audio, such as "Your heart rate has reached 100, please relax your body and mind and keep breathing steadily." The wearable flexible exoskeleton robot can monitor the heart rate of the user during exercise, so that the user can understand the physical condition during exercise in a timely manner and avoid accidents.

[0035] In actual application scenarios, each electrical component in the wearable flexible exoskeleton robot with weight-bearing and rehabilitation therapy functions of the embodiment of the utility model can adopt devices with corresponding functions in the prior art; for example, the controller adopts the STM32 series single-chip microcomputer, which has high integration and high performance, and can realize the data communication and data processing control and other functions of the above-mentioned controller at a relatively low cost; for another example, the first drive motor selects a micro stepping motor, the battery selects a light and long-lasting rechargeable lithium battery, and other components also select small and light devices, so that the robot as a whole can be lighter, which can reduce the pressure on the user during exercise and avoid sports injuries.

[0036] Furthermore, other devices or components may be provided in the wearable flexible exoskeleton robot, or the actual setting positions of the devices or components may be adjusted to realize the practical application or other functions of the wearable flexible exoskeleton robot with load-bearing and rehabilitation therapy functions. For example, the battery and the control box may be integrated into one or provided in one place, and protection may be achieved by providing an elastic hard nylon protective layer in only one place; for another example, the robot may also include a massager, which may be provided on the inner side of the back panel corresponding to the waist, spine, and shoulders (the back panel needs to be extended or provided on the inner side of the strap) to increase the massage function of the robot.

[0037] It should be pointed out that, according to the needs of implementation, the various components described in the embodiments of the present utility model can be split into more components, or two or more components or parts of components can be combined into new components to achieve the purpose of the embodiments of the present utility model.

[0038] The above-mentioned embodiments only express several implementation methods of the utility model, and the descriptions thereof are relatively specific and detailed, but they cannot be understood as limiting the scope of the patent of the utility model. It should be pointed out that, for ordinary technicians in this field, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the utility model, and these all belong to the protection scope of the utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of the utility model patent shall be based on the attached claims.

Claims

1. A wearable flexible exoskeleton robot with weight-bearing and rehabilitation therapy functions, characterized in that: include: A wearable body, the wearable body is made of a combination of neoprene and canvas, including a back panel and a waist belt, a chest belt, a shoulder belt connected to the back panel, and two sets of forearm sleeves and upper arm sleeves, wherein the forearm sleeves and the upper arm sleeves are connected by a traction harness; The driving mechanism includes two first driving motors, which are respectively arranged at positions corresponding to the shoulder blades of the human body on the rear side of the back panel, and the output shafts of the two first driving motors are respectively wound with traction harnesses and connected to the upper arm sleeves on the corresponding sides through the traction harnesses; A control box, the control box is arranged at a position on the back side of the back panel corresponding to the back waist of a human body, and a controller in the control box is electrically connected to the two first drive motors respectively; A touch screen, wherein the touch screen is arranged on a forearm sleeve, and a touch sensing element of the touch screen is electrically connected to a controller in a control box; the controller sends a start-stop signal to the two first drive motors when a user operates based on the touch screen; A battery is arranged on the rear side of the back panel at a position corresponding to the back waist of a human body, and the battery is electrically connected to the controller, the two first drive motors and the touch screen respectively.

2. A wearable flexible exoskeleton robot with weight-bearing and rehabilitation therapy functions according to claim 1, characterized in that: A pull-wire torque sensor is integrated in the traction harness, and the pull-wire torque sensor is electrically connected to the controller to detect the tensile force of the traction harness in real time and send it to the controller.

3. A wearable flexible exoskeleton robot with weight-bearing and rehabilitation therapy functions according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving mechanism further comprises two second driving motors. A rigid plate is arranged on the upper part of the back web. The output shafts of the two second driving motors are respectively wound with traction harnesses and are connected to the rigid plate through the traction harnesses.

4. A wearable flexible exoskeleton robot with weight-bearing and rehabilitation therapy functions according to claim 1, characterized in that: The traction harness includes a PE harness.

5. A wearable flexible exoskeleton robot with weight-bearing and rehabilitation therapy functions according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer side of the traction harness is provided with a protective outer sheath made of polyester.

6. The wearable flexible exoskeleton robot with weight-bearing and rehabilitation therapy functions according to claim 1, characterized in that: An elastic hard nylon protective layer is arranged on the outer side of the first driving motor and the outside of the electrical connection lines between the battery and other components.

7. A wearable flexible exoskeleton robot with weight-bearing and rehabilitation therapy functions according to claim 1, characterized in that: The waist belt and chest belt each include two sections, the first ends of the two chest belts and the two chest belts are fixedly connected to the back panel, and the second ends are provided with Velcro; the shoulder strap includes two, the first ends of the two shoulder straps are fixedly connected to the back panel, and the second ends are provided with Velcro.

8. The wearable flexible exoskeleton robot with weight-bearing and rehabilitation therapy functions according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a switch component, which is arranged on the outside of the forearm sleeve and is used to control the on and off of the electrical connection between the battery and various components.

9. A wearable flexible exoskeleton robot with weight-bearing and rehabilitation therapy functions according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: It also includes a heart rate sensor integrated inside the forearm sleeve. The heart rate sensor is electrically connected to the controller. The controller receives the heart rate signal detected by the heart rate sensor and sends it to the touch screen for display after analysis and processing.

10. A wearable flexible exoskeleton robot with weight-bearing and rehabilitation therapy functions according to claim 9, characterized in that: It also includes a voice broadcast device, which is arranged on the outside of the forearm sleeve. The voice broadcast module is electrically connected to the controller. When the controller analyzes that the heart rate reaches a set value, it sends a driving signal to the voice broadcast device, and the voice broadcast device plays the pre-recorded audio.

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