Rigid-Flexible Exoskeleton With Bidirectional Damping Assistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing exoskeleton technologies face issues with high energy consumption, short endurance, poor man-machine coupling, and non-adjustable power assistance, particularly in waist and knee joint assistance systems.
Innovation Solution
A semi-active rigid-flexible coupling exoskeleton based on a single-loop bidirectional damping regulator, utilizing a hydraulic damping system with a spring and a DC servo motor, allows for adjustable damping force through flow area changes, enabling efficient power assistance and independent control of hydraulic damping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If active power assisting exoskeleton uses motor drive to assist movement, then assisting force is adjustable and powerful, but energy consumption increases and endurance decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a hydraulic damping regulator as an intermediary mechanism between the user and the exoskeleton system. This regulator uses hydraulic fluid and damping chambers to provide adjustable assisting force without requiring direct motor drive at each joint, thereby reducing energy consumption while maintaining adjustable support capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional motor-driven mechanical systems with a hydraulic-damping-based mechanical system. By using hydraulic pressure and damping forces generated through fluid flow resistance, the system achieves force assistance with significantly lower energy consumption compared to direct motor actuation
2Device complexity
If passive power assisting exoskeleton uses springs to store and release energy, then structure is simple and mass is small, but assisting force is not adjustable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the static spring-based passive system into a dynamic hydraulic damping system. The damping regulator can dynamically adjust its damping coefficient by controlling hydraulic valve openings, allowing the assisting force to be adapted to different user needs and movement conditions while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the damping system by adjusting hydraulic valve openings and damping chamber configurations. This allows continuous adjustment of the assisting force characteristics without fundamentally changing the system structure, achieving versatility while maintaining simplicity
3Force
If hydraulic damper provides damping force at knee joint, then damping force can be adjusted, but motor experiences heavy axial load and may lose step
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the axial load from the motor by separating the damping force generation function from the motor actuation system. The hydraulic damping regulator generates damping forces independently through hydraulic pressure and fluid flow resistance, eliminating the heavy axial load that would otherwise be imposed on the motor
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses hydraulic principles to generate and control damping forces. By utilizing incompressible hydraulic fluid and damping chambers, the system provides reliable and controllable damping forces without requiring the motor to handle heavy axial loads, thus improving motor positioning accuracy and overall system reliability
4Use of energy by moving object
If exoskeleton assists waist movement by compressing spring, then energy is stored for standing up, but cannot assist knee bending and extension simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the energy storage and assistance functions into separate hydraulic damping regulators for each joint (waist and knee). Each regulator independently manages energy storage and release for its specific joint, enabling simultaneous assistance at multiple joints without interfering with each other's operation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal hydraulic damping regulator design that can be applied to multiple joints with the same basic structure and operating principle. This multi-functional approach allows the same type of regulator to assist both waist and knee movements, providing versatile multi-joint assistance capability
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides adjustable power assistance, reduces energy consumption, and enables continuous bidirectional control, supporting both heavy-object-carrying and walking-with-load modes while minimizing motor load and power consumption, thus enhancing user comfort and performance.
Implementation Method 1
Different properties can be seen in the hydraulic damping force along with the change of the velocity of a hydraulic oil flow, the damping is in linear relation to the velocity when the flow is slow, i.e., a laminar flow, and in nonlinear relation when the flow is fast, i.e., a turbulent flow
Implementation Method 2
the damping is in linear relation to the velocity when the flow is slow, i.e., a laminar flow
Implementation Method 3
and in nonlinear relation when the flow is fast, i.e., a turbulent flow
Implementation Method 4
The passive power assisting exoskeleton mainly adopts springs or elastic cables to store energy when a person stoops or bends his knees, and releases energy when the person stands up or stretches his knees
Data Source
AI summary
This invention discloses a semi-active rigid-flexible coupling exoskeleton based on a single-loop bidirectional damping regulator and relates to a power assisting mechanism in the field of robots, the exoskeleton including a waist assembly, a leg assembly, and a hydraulic damping regulator; the hydraulic damping regulator includes a cylinder body, a titanium alloy sleeve, a cylinder head, a piston, an extension assisting spring, an oil injection port plug, a staggered channel-type valve body, a valve body sealing seat, a valve body-end bevel gear, an angle sensor, a motor fixing seat, a DC servo motor, a coupler, and a motor-end bevel gear. According to the invention, two modes of power assistance or damping regulation, i.e., a heavy-object-carrying mode and a walking-with-load mode, can be enabled; the heavy-object-carrying mode supports carrying from a higher to a lower position and the other way around, characterized by good applicability; moreover, the knee joint can be assisted when naturally bending in a stooping state; a semi-active torque adjusting system is formed with a hydraulic damper and a spring, with the magnitude of assistance and damping force adjustable; also, this invention features a light weight and good man-machine coupling.