Exoskeleton Control via Upper Body Gesture and Walking Aid Interaction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing exoskeleton control systems for individuals with mobility disorders require manual input to determine leg movement, which can be cumbersome and unnatural, limiting the user's ability to walk and perform mobility tasks effectively.
Innovation Solution
A system that uses gestures from the user's upper body or interactions with walking aids to convey intent, monitoring arm movements, walking aid positions, and applied loads to automatically regulate the operation of powered lower extremity orthotic components, enabling more natural walking experiences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual controllers (joystick or other manual input units) are used to control exoskeleton leg movements, then the control system can receive direct signals for leg movement, but the operation becomes cumbersome and unnatural
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the user's own body movements (arm gestures, trunk motion) as the control input mechanism. The exoskeleton control system monitors and interprets natural upper body movements to automatically regulate lower extremity orthotic components, eliminating the need for separate manual controllers and making the operation more intuitive and self-service oriented
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical controllers (joysticks, buttons) with a sensor-based system that detects and interprets natural body movements. Sensors monitor arm position, angular velocity, and trunk orientation to generate control signals, substituting mechanical input devices with a more natural movement-based control interface
2Ease of operation
If sensors monitor upper body movements to determine user intent, then the walking experience becomes more natural, but the device complexity and measurement requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor system serves multiple functions: it monitors arm position, angular velocity, trunk orientation, and movement patterns all through a unified measurement framework. This multi-functional approach consolidates what could be multiple separate measurement systems into one integrated sensor suite, reducing overall system complexity while enabling natural movement detection
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors upper body movements and uses this feedback to automatically adjust and regulate exoskeleton operation in real-time. The control system processes sensed positional changes and movement data to dynamically control lower extremity orthotic components, creating a closed-loop system that responds naturally to user intent
Data Source
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AI summary
A powered exoskeleton configured to be coupled to lower limbs of a person is controlled to impart a movement desired by the person. The intent of the person is determined by a controller based on monitoring at least one of: positional changes in an arm portion of the person, positional changes in a head of the person, an orientation of a walking aid employed by the person, a contact force between a walking aid employed by the person and a support surface, a force imparted by the person on the walking aid, a force imparted by the person on the walking aid, a relative orientation of the exoskeleton, moveable components of the exoskeleton and the person, and relative velocities between the exoskeleton, moveable components of the exoskeleton and the person.