Assisting Torque Setting for Gait Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing walking assistance apparatuses fail to provide personalized and adaptive torque support to users based on their gait stability and motion, leading to inefficient assistance and potential falls, especially in elderly or joint-problem individuals.
Innovation Solution
An assisting torque setting apparatus that includes a gait data receiver, a stable assisting torque setter, a basic assisting torque setter, and a final assisting torque setter, which calculate and combine evaluation values from indices like gait symmetry, stride length, and foot clearance to determine optimal torque settings using dynamic time warping and adaptive oscillators or finite state machines.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If fixed torque support is provided by walking assistance apparatuses, then the device structure is simple, but the assistance is not personalized and may cause inefficiency or falls
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic torque adjustment by continuously monitoring gait data and recalculating assisting torque in real-time based on detected gait patterns and stability indices, transforming the fixed torque system into an adaptive one that responds to user needs
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms by detecting gait data from sensors, evaluating stability indices, and using this information to adjust torque output, creating a closed-loop control system that personalizes assistance based on actual user performance
2Measurement precision
If multiple gait indices are monitored to improve gait stability, then the assistance accuracy is improved, but the system complexity and calculation load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the gait analysis into multiple independent indices (stride length, stride width, swing phase, stance phase, symmetry) that can be calculated and evaluated separately, allowing comprehensive gait assessment without overwhelming system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes parameters by selecting and weighting different gait indices dynamically based on the user's specific needs and gait characteristics, adjusting which parameters are monitored most closely to optimize both accuracy and computational efficiency
3Speed
If real-time gait data analysis is performed to adjust torque, then the responsiveness to user needs is improved, but the processing time and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by selectively analyzing only the most relevant gait indices and parameters needed for torque adjustment at any given moment, rather than processing all possible gait data, thereby reducing computational load while maintaining responsiveness
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is an assisting torque setting apparatus and method, wherein the apparatus is configured to calculate an evaluation value of at least one index based on gait data of a user, set a stable assisting torque based on the evaluation value, set a basic assisting torque corresponding to a gait motion of the user based on the gait data, and set a final assisting torque based on the stable assisting torque and the basic assisting torque.