Adaptive Exoskeleton Control for Dynamic Muscle Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing exoskeleton systems for muscle strength support require individual adaptation and cannot dynamically adjust the supportive force during use, leading to potential muscle loss due to inadequate or excessive support.
Innovation Solution
An exoskeleton system with a control unit and sensors that adjust the supportive force based on real-time data from tool use, including position, orientation, velocity, acceleration, and force sensors, allowing for continuous monitoring and adjustment of the supportive force without interrupting activity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the exoskeleton provides fixed supportive force, then the structure is simple, but the adaptability to different tasks and user needs is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The exoskeleton system transitions from static fixed supportive force to dynamic adjustable supportive force. The control unit continuously modifies the supportive force magnitude based on real-time sensor data about tool weight, body position, and activity duration, allowing the system to adapt to varying task requirements without requiring manual reconfiguration.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback control by continuously monitoring parameters such as tool weight, body position, and activity duration through sensors, then using this information to automatically adjust the supportive force. The control unit receives sensor signals and modifies the exoskeleton's support output accordingly, creating a closed-loop adaptive system.
2Reliability
If the exoskeleton provides continuous supportive force, then muscle strength is supported, but muscle loss may occur due to excessive support
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides supportive force periodically rather than continuously. The control unit activates support during specific phases of activity when muscle strength is needed, and reduces or stops support during rest periods or when natural muscle function is sufficient. This periodic activation pattern maintains muscle strength while preventing disuse atrophy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes the parameter of supportive force magnitude based on activity conditions. During high-demand periods, the supportive force is increased to maintain muscle strength. During low-demand or rest periods, the supportive force is reduced or eliminated to prevent excessive muscle atrophy. This parameter adaptation allows the system to balance strength support with preventing muscle loss.
3Reliability
If the exoskeleton is individually adapted, then the performance is optimized, but the setup time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The exoskeleton system performs self-adjustment without requiring manual individual adaptation for each user or task. The control unit automatically monitors sensor data about the user's body position, tool weight, and activity characteristics, then autonomously optimizes the supportive force parameters. This self-service capability eliminates time-consuming manual setup while maintaining optimized performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary adaptation by pre-configuring the control unit with general optimization parameters that can be automatically adjusted based on detected user characteristics and task conditions. Rather than requiring complete reconfiguration for each user, the system starts with pre-established optimization frameworks and fine-tunes them automatically, reducing setup time while maintaining high performance.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a system for muscle strength support. The system includes an exoskeleton which is configured to be attached to a body of a human during use of the system, and a control unit for controlling a supportive force provided by the exoskeleton during use of the system.