Exoskeleton Hip Locking for Independent User Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing exoskeleton devices face challenges in facilitating easy and safe transfer of patients with motor impairments into and out of the device, requiring clinician assistance, increasing the risk of injury and mechanical complexity, and compromising durability.
Innovation Solution
A system with orthoses featuring hip and knee articulations, equipped with fixing mechanisms that set into user transfer positions based on sensor-determined angles, allowing independent and efficient user transfer without additional joints or complex assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the hip joint opens laterally to allow patient transfer, then ease of operation improves, but device complexity increases due to additional joint mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The hip joint dynamically changes its degree of freedom based on operational mode: during transfer it permits lateral movement (abduction), and during walking it restricts to sagittal plane movement only. This dynamic adaptation allows the same joint mechanism to serve multiple functions without requiring permanent additional components.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters of the hip joint by adjusting the locking mechanism state. When unlocked, the joint allows lateral movement for transfer; when locked, it maintains fixed orientation for walking. This parameter change enables the joint to transition between different functional states without structural modification.
2Ease of operation
If additional joint mechanisms are added for lateral movement, then ease of transfer improves, but reliability deteriorates due to more moving components
Solution Approach 1:
The existing hip joint mechanism performs dual functions: it enables both lateral transfer movement and sagittal walking movement through a single unified structure. The joint mechanism is designed to accommodate both degrees of freedom without requiring separate dedicated components for each function, thereby maintaining reliability while achieving transfer capability.
3Ease of manufacture
If the exoskeleton is designed as modular parts that snap together, then ease of manufacture improves, but reliability deteriorates due to increased play and mechanical failure risk
Solution Approach 1:
The exoskeleton is divided into modular segments (lumbar section, leg sections, foot sections) that can be independently manufactured and assembled. This segmentation enables flexible manufacturing while maintaining structural integrity through precise connection interfaces designed to minimize play and ensure reliable mechanical coupling.
4Ease of operation
If textile straps and rigid supports are released to create open space, then ease of transfer improves, but protection deteriorates due to increased injury risk
Solution Approach 1:
The system prepares the hip joint in advance by positioning it in a neutral, stable orientation before transfer begins. The locking mechanism is designed to maintain this preparatory position, providing structural support and protection during the transfer process while still allowing the necessary lateral movement when activated.
Data Source
AI summary
A system to assist walking includes two orthoses. The two orthoses include a first articulation for the hip articulation of each of the user's leg and a thigh segment connected to the first articulation, where at least one orthosis further comprises a first fixing mechanism configured to fix the first articulation. The at least one orthosis can be set into a user transfer position. In the user transfer position, the first fixing mechanism can fix the thigh segment at an angle of at least 60° with respect to the thigh segment of the opposite orthosis.