Compressed Exoskeleton Controller for Distributed Local Battery Power
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing exoskeletons face issues with power management, as batteries located near the waist require cumbersome cables and can cause snag hazards, power losses, and radio interference, while also adding mass to the system.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a local battery system integrated into the exoskeleton below the knee, eliminating the need for external cables and reducing mass, with a battery management system to optimize power delivery and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If a battery is located near the waist to power the exoskeleton, then the system can provide sufficient power, but it requires cumbersome cables that create snag hazards, power losses, and radio interference
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the power system by placing individual battery modules at each actuator location (ankle, knee, hip) rather than using a single centralized battery. This segmentation eliminates the need for long power cables running from the waist to each actuator, thereby removing snag hazards and reducing power losses while maintaining sufficient power delivery to each motor.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces wireless power transmission as an intermediary between the battery modules and actuators. This eliminates physical cables entirely, removing the source of snag hazards, power losses, and radio interference while still enabling power delivery to the motors.
2Power
If a battery is located near the waist, then the system can be powered, but it adds mass to the system and creates cumbersome cable management
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the power system into distributed battery modules located at each actuator site rather than one large centralized battery. This segmentation reduces the need for heavy cable infrastructure and allows for more efficient use of power, thereby reducing overall system mass while maintaining adequate power supply capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the battery from the centralized waist location and redistributes them to the actuators. This removes the need for heavy cable management systems and reduces the overall mass that would be required for a centralized power system with extensive cabling.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a local battery system is implemented below the knee, then system mass is reduced and cable hazards are eliminated, but the controller must manage distributed power sources efficiently
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service through autonomous battery modules that independently manage their own power delivery to local actuators. Each module operates semi-independently, making its own decisions about power management without requiring complex centralized control, thereby reducing controller complexity while still achieving efficient distributed power management.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses feedback mechanisms where each battery module monitors its own state and the local actuator's power needs, automatically adjusting power delivery accordingly. This distributed feedback system simplifies controller complexity compared to a centralized system that would need to manage all power distribution decisions.
Data Source
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AI summary
A system to augment motion via a battery-powered active exoskeleton boot is provided. The system can include a controller and an electric motor that generates torque about an axis of rotation of an ankle joint of the user. The controller can receive sensor data associated with activity of the exoskeleton boot during a first time interval. The controller can determine, based on the sensor data input into a model trained via a machine learning technique associated with one or more users performing one or more physical activities, one or more commands for a second time interval. The controller can transmit the one or more commands generated based on the model to the electric motor to cause the electric motor to generate torque about the axis of rotation of the ankle joint of the user in the second time interval.