Exoskeleton with data connection to the vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for transporting a person with an exoskeleton (1) in a vehicle (3), characterized in that a data connection is established between a communication interface (5) of the vehicle (3) and a control unit (7) of the exoskeleton (1) (S1), wherein the control unit (7) of the exoskeleton (1) controls at least one of its actuators depending on a signal received via the communication interface (5) of the vehicle (3) (S2).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for transporting a person with an exoskeleton in a vehicle, and to a system for transporting a person with an exoskeleton in a vehicle.

[0002] The ongoing development of humanoid robots and exoskeletons is leading to widespread adoption beyond industrial contexts. These technologies are thus gaining importance in the private sphere as well. Similar to robots, exoskeletons can assist people in performing tasks—for example, supporting them in carrying loads. This can lead to an increase in abilities and skills for people in general, and especially for those with disabilities. Furthermore, these technical systems can also be used as objects such as seats and reclining surfaces. It is known in the current state of the art to couple a worn exoskeleton to a mobility system such as a vehicle.

[0003] DE 10 2016 215 400 A1 relates to a mobility system with at least one powered exoskeleton for one person, which has at least one electronic unit for controlling and / or regulating an operating state of the exoskeleton, comprising at least one vehicle with a passenger compartment and at least one mechanical coupling station arranged in the passenger compartment to which the exoskeleton can be mechanically coupled.

[0004] The object of the invention is to improve the transport of a person wearing an exoskeleton in a vehicle.

[0005] The invention is defined by the features of the independent claims. Advantageous further developments and embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0006] A first aspect of the invention relates to a method for transporting a person with an exoskeleton in a vehicle, characterized in that a data connection is established between a communication interface of the vehicle and a control unit of the exoskeleton, wherein the control unit of the exoskeleton controls at least one of its actuators depending on a signal received via the communication interface of the vehicle.

[0007] The exoskeleton can be worn on various parts of the body, such as the torso, arms only, legs only, or distributed across the body, covering both arms and legs, etc. The exoskeleton itself is a cyber-physical system, as is the vehicle. Through the data-driven integration of the two, beneficial actuator commands can be generated for the exoskeleton, making the journey safer and easier for the user, among other things, so that the exoskeleton can function similarly to an assistive robot.

[0008] In this scenario, either the exoskeleton's control unit itself can determine the actuator commands, or the exoskeleton can be controlled by the vehicle. Combinations are also possible, where some commands originate from the vehicle and others from the exoskeleton's control unit.

[0009] During vehicle travel, accelerations occur; furthermore, a general problem for vehicle occupants, whether wearing an exoskeleton or not, is that on longer journeys the body often remains in monotonous positions, which can lead to reduced comfort and discomfort. However, by using the exoskeleton's actuators, support for muscle and postural functions can be provided.

[0010] The exoskeleton can support muscle function as follows: - Force expenditure: Here, the exoskeleton assists in the execution of tasks such as changing tires, loading the vehicle, and driving control during vehicle operation; the exoskeleton also provides support, particularly in situations during driving where a lot of force is needed quickly, for example, during steering functions without power assistance, triggering an emergency brake via the brake pedal, or during heavy braking when the brake booster has failed. - Training: For exercises performed in the vehicle, the exoskeleton can vary the resistance to increase the efficiency of the exercise, or in the case of a rehabilitation measure, mobilization and a movement sequence can be supported or prescribed. - Energy absorption: In the event of a collision of the vehicle with an object in the environment or an imminent collision, e.g. detected by force and / or acceleration sensors in the exoskeleton or in the vehicle, the exoskeleton can counteract and / or yield, particularly when a predetermined threshold is exceeded, by means of appropriate signal transmission from a communication interface of the vehicle to a control unit of the exoskeleton, by allowing the actuators a certain rotation or translation, and then subsequently increasing the forces again to mimic the effect of a spring-damper system.

[0011] The exoskeleton can also support postural functions as follows: - Seating option: The exoskeleton offers a seating function. - Reclining option: The exoskeleton offers a reclining function. - Standing option: The exoskeleton offers a standing function.

[0012] For both muscle and postural functions, the exoskeleton can be variably positioned relative to the vehicle interior. To simplify the locking process, the exoskeleton can be equipped to recognize its attachment points, for example, via RFID chips in the anchoring points that can be detected by an RFID transmitter / receiver within the exoskeleton, magnetic fields at the attachment points, or easily recognizable patterns such as a black cross on a light background, visible to a camera within the exoskeleton. An electrical connector is also advantageously integrated into the anchoring point to recharge the exoskeleton's battery.

[0013] Depending on the shape and position of the exoskeleton, a fixed seating position in the vehicle can be achieved by anchoring it to the seat rails, depending on the seat arrangement. Alternatively, the exoskeleton can be positioned or fixed by anchoring it to a heel.

[0014] The exoskeleton preferably uses one or more cameras to detect a person's activities, derives a textual description from this using vision-language models, and predicts a future exoskeleton setting based on the detected activity. For example, if the user sits up from a lying position in the vehicle, the exoskeleton predicts sitting as the next position and prepares to raise the user. This allows for flexible use of a vehicle's interior space. The vehicle's unladen weight can be reduced by removing the seats. Seat belts may no longer be necessary, as restraint can be provided by the exoskeleton.

[0015] According to an advantageous embodiment, the signal received via the vehicle's communication interface is a sensor signal from the vehicle, wherein the exoskeleton's control unit derives an actuator command for at least one of its actuators from the vehicle's sensor signal.

[0016] In this embodiment, the vehicle has one or more sensors whose data are transmitted to the exoskeleton's control unit via a sensor signal. For example, the vehicle's own inertial measurement unit continuously measures its orientation and rotational and / or translational acceleration. The advantage of measuring on the vehicle lies in the fact that a sensor fixed to the vehicle can be used, thus preventing any interfering movements of the person relative to the vehicle from affecting the measurements. Using the vehicle's sensor data, the exoskeleton's control unit can then calculate a corresponding counter-movement.

[0017] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the sensor signal includes information about the orientation and / or acceleration of the vehicle, wherein the exoskeleton's control unit determines an actuator command that compensates for the orientation and / or acceleration.

[0018] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the signal received via the vehicle's communication interface is a control signal, wherein the control signal is an actuator command or comprises a setpoint from which the exoskeleton's control unit determines a respective actuator command.

[0019] In this case, the vehicle itself calculates the corresponding movements of the exoskeleton and specifies them via the communication interface on the exoskeleton.

[0020] In particular, the muscle training options described above, which can be implemented by the vehicle itself through a corresponding program, can be provided by the vehicle. This is because the vehicle is aware of the interior geometry and can therefore adapt or predefine the muscle training options to be compatible with the vehicle's interior. Furthermore, the vehicle can also automatically provide compensation for driving movements or high accelerations during accidents.

[0021] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the control signal in the vehicle is determined in such a way that an orientation and / or acceleration of the vehicle is compensated for at the exoskeleton.

[0022] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the control signal specifies a pose of the exoskeleton depending on an input from the person at the vehicle. The specified pose can be various positions of the person, for example, a lying position, a sitting position, or other poses. The input from the person at the vehicle ensures that the person agrees to the pose to be set, whereby the input at the vehicle can also be made via an input made at the exoskeleton that is transmitted to the vehicle.

[0023] According to another advantageous embodiment, the control signal specifies a sequence of poses of the exoskeleton, wherein the sequence of poses is a movement training for the person with the exoskeleton.

[0024] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the signal received via the vehicle's communication interface is a force characteristic curve of a steering wheel and / or a brake pedal of the vehicle, wherein the exoskeleton's control unit uses the force characteristic curve to generate power steering and / or a brake booster based on a movement desired by the person wearing the exoskeleton.

[0025] This can potentially eliminate the need for auxiliary motors in the vehicle, such as those in the power steering system or brake booster. Even if such an auxiliary motor fails, the exoskeleton can be used to replace its function. A force characteristic curve, where applicable, also represents a torque characteristic curve and, in particular, indicates the transmission behavior of a torque applied to the steering wheel by a person to a steering torque at the vehicle suspension. This torque is typically generated by a power steering system, but can also be generated by the exoskeleton itself. The force characteristic curve can also indicate the transmission of a pedal force applied by a person to a braking force acting on the vehicle's brakes. Preferably, the respective force characteristic curve is stored in the vehicle or retrieved from a backend system.In other words, the exoskeleton translates the predefined characteristic curves into a sequence of actions for the respective actuators. The actuators can be controlled via various input variables. For example, electric rotary joints can be controlled by torque, voltage, or current, or, if hydraulically implemented, by valve voltage and pump speed of the hydraulic pump.

[0026] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the exoskeleton has leg support for the person, wherein the control unit of the exoskeleton controls the leg support by actuator control as an artificial spring-damper system.

[0027] Analogous to a sprung suspension of the vehicle or a dynamic seat decoupling from the vehicle body, as is common in trucks, the leg support of the exoskeleton can thus generate a spring-damper effect by appropriately controlling the actuators, in particular by impedance control, as is known from robotics.

[0028] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the exoskeleton has a sensor unit, wherein the exoskeleton's control unit uses the signal received via the vehicle's communication interface and the sensor unit data as inputs to a machine learning model, the outputs of which are a target movement or actuator commands that, depending on the signal and sensor unit data, perform at least one of the following: assisting the person in driving the vehicle at the vehicle's input elements, conducting movement training for the person, or reducing the impact of a vehicle accident.

[0029] This embodiment takes advantage of the fact that typical exoskeletons already have one or more sensors. By combining data received from the vehicle via the communication interface (for example, from a camera, sensors for scanning the environment such as radar, heat sensors, motion / acceleration sensors, etc.), and / or from a sensor worn on the person, such as smart glasses or smart material, the current situation can be classified using methods based on machine learning models, and such a model can be used to determine the optimal support provided to the person by the exoskeleton.On longer journeys, the machine learning model can thus determine appropriate, relieving posture changes, compensate for momentum transfer from the vehicle to the person in the event of a collision, provide assistance with steering wheel movements in the event of power steering failure, and so on. For this purpose, the machine learning model is preferably pre-trained, but can also be adaptive, for example, adjustable through reinforcement learning. Input variables for this model preferably include a variety of situational variables and / or sensor variables from the vehicle and the exoskeleton or other peripheral devices, as described above.

[0030] Another aspect of the invention relates to a system for transporting a person with an exoskeleton in a vehicle, characterized in that a data connection can be established between a communication interface of the vehicle and a control unit of the exoskeleton, wherein the control unit of the exoskeleton is designed to control at least one of its actuators depending on a signal received from the communication interface of the vehicle.

[0031] Advantages and preferred further developments of the proposed system result from an analogous and substantive transfer of the above statements made in connection with the proposed procedure.

[0032] Further advantages, features and details will become apparent from the following description, in which - possibly with reference to the drawing - at least one embodiment is described in detail.

[0033] They show: Fig. 1: A vehicle in which, according to an embodiment of the invention, a person is accommodated with an exoskeleton. Fig. 2: A schematic method for transporting a person with an exoskeleton according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0034] The representations in the figures are schematic and not to scale.

[0035] Fig. Figure 1 shows a vehicle 3 in which a person is being transported, wearing an exoskeleton 1. An interface of the vehicle 3 is equipped such that the exoskeleton 1 can be picked up at various stopping points and remain in one or more poses at each stopping point, depending on the arrangement of the stopping point. The exoskeleton 1 has a control unit 7, which can be connected to a communication interface 5 of the vehicle 3. When connected, the control unit 7 and the communication interface 5 can exchange data. Thus, current states of the vehicle 3 can be transmitted to the control unit 7 of the exoskeleton 1, and user inputs on the exoskeleton 1 can be forwarded via the control unit 7 to the communication interface 5 of the vehicle 3.The control unit 7 is thus able to achieve data-optimized control of the actuators of the exoskeleton 7 by integrating the "vehicle" system 3 via the communication interface 5. In particular, the control unit 7 is able to determine an optimal control state for the actuators by applying a machine learning model implemented as generative AI and considering various data sources. During the journey of the vehicle 3, the leg support of the exoskeleton 7 for the person is controlled with impedance regulation to create an artificial spring-mass-damper system and thus compensate for uneven road surfaces, similar to a dynamically decoupled vehicle seat.For this purpose, corresponding electric motors at the joints of the exoskeleton 7 in the leg support area are controlled in a spring-like and damping manner, whereby the spring mechanism provides a deflection-dependent resistance and the damping a speed-dependent resistance with respect to the speed of the deflection. This movement is in . Fig. Figure 1 is enlarged and shown separately as a dashed ellipse for clarity. In the event of a collision detected by the vehicle 3, corresponding information is transmitted via the communication interface 5 to the control unit 7 of the exoskeleton 1. This unit can then control its actuators in such a way that the impulse transfer from the body of the vehicle 3 to the exoskeleton 1 is kept as small as possible, and energy is dissipated within the exoskeleton 1 through damping before it is transferred to the person wearing the exoskeleton 1. The generative AI of the control unit 7 is also capable of adjusting the exoskeleton 1 based on a variety of situational factors.Sensor data, which are available via both the exoskeleton's own sensors 1 and the vehicle's sensors 3, transmitted via the communication interface 5, are used to execute an optimal state in each case, including pose changes and muscle relaxation programs, as well as providing power assistance during operation if required.

[0036] Fig. Figure 2 shows a method for transporting a person with an exoskeleton 1 in a vehicle 3, wherein a data connection is established between a communication interface 5 of the vehicle 3 and a control unit 7 of the exoskeleton 1 S1, wherein the control unit 7 of the exoskeleton 1 controls at least one of its actuators depending on a signal received via the communication interface 5 of the vehicle 3 S2.

[0037] Although the invention has been further illustrated and explained in detail by means of preferred embodiments, the invention is not limited by the disclosed examples, and other variations can be derived from them by a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of protection of the invention. It is therefore clear that a multitude of possible variations exist. It is also clear that the embodiments mentioned as examples are truly only examples and are not to be understood in any way as limiting, for example, the scope of protection, the possible applications, or the configuration of the invention.Rather, the preceding description and the description of the figures enable the person skilled in the art to implement the exemplary embodiments in concrete terms, whereby the person skilled in the art, with knowledge of the disclosed inventive concept, can make various changes, for example with regard to the function or the arrangement of individual elements mentioned in an exemplary embodiment, without leaving the scope of protection defined by the claims and their legal equivalents, such as further explanations in the description. QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] DE 10 2016 215 400 A1

[0003]

Claims

[1] Method for transporting a person with an exoskeleton (1) in a vehicle (3), characterized by , that a data connection is established between a communication interface (5) of the vehicle (3) and a control unit (7) of the exoskeleton (1) (S1), wherein the control unit (7) of the exoskeleton (1) controls at least one of its actuators depending on a signal received via the communication interface (5) of the vehicle (3) (S2). [2] Method according to claim 1, wherein the signal received via the communication interface (5) of the vehicle (3) is a sensor signal of the vehicle (3), wherein the control unit (7) of the exoskeleton (1) determines an actuator command for at least one of its actuators from the sensor signal of the vehicle (3). [3] Method according to claim 2, wherein the sensor signal includes information about an orientation and / or acceleration of the vehicle (3), wherein the control unit (7) of the exoskeleton (1) determines an actuator command compensating for the orientation and / or acceleration. [4] Method according to claim 1, wherein the signal received via the communication interface (5) of the vehicle (3) is a control signal, wherein the control signal is an actuator command or comprises a setpoint from which the control unit (7) of the exoskeleton (1) determines a respective actuator command. [5] Method according to claim 4, wherein the control signal in the vehicle (3) is determined in such a way that an orientation and / or acceleration of the vehicle (3) on the exoskeleton (1) is compensated. [6] Method according to one of claims 4 to 5, wherein the control signal specifies a sequence of poses of the exoskeleton (1), wherein the sequence of poses is a movement training for the person with the exoskeleton (1). [7] Method according to claim 1, wherein the signal received via the communication interface (5) of the vehicle (3) is a force characteristic of a steering wheel and / or a brake pedal of the vehicle (3), wherein the control unit (7) of the exoskeleton (1) uses the force characteristic to generate power steering and / or a brake booster based on a movement desired by the person wearing the exoskeleton (1). [8] Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the exoskeleton (1) has leg support for the person, wherein the control unit (7) of the exoskeleton (1) controls the leg support by actuator control as an artificial spring-damper system. [9] Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the exoskeleton (1) has a sensor unit, wherein the control unit of the exoskeleton (1) uses the signal received via the communication interface (5) of the vehicle (3) and the data of the sensor unit as input variables of a machine learning model, the output variables of which are a target movement or actuator commands which, depending on the signal and the data of the sensor unit, perform at least one of the following: assisting the person in driving the vehicle at input elements of the vehicle, performing movement training of the person, reducing impulse in the event of an accident of the vehicle. [10] System for transporting a person with an exoskeleton (1) in a vehicle (3), characterized by, that a data connection can be established between a communication interface (5) of the vehicle (3) and a control unit (7) of the exoskeleton (1), wherein the control unit (7) of the exoskeleton (1) is designed to control at least one of its actuators depending on a signal received from the communication interface (5) of the vehicle (3).

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