Exoskeleton Safety Monitoring With Thermal and Sensor Fault Alerts
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current exoskeleton control systems lack comprehensive and user-friendly safety monitoring and control features, particularly in preventing accidents and providing timely alerts for potential hazards, which limits their effectiveness and comfort for users with paraplegia.
Innovation Solution
The development of a safety monitoring and control system that includes device standby, status indications, thermal protection, sensor fault detection, and safety alerts, which provide proactive alerts and restrict device states to prevent accidents, using visual, auditory, and haptic feedback to inform users of imminent steps and device actions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If comprehensive safety monitoring and control features are implemented, then user safety and comfort are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The safety monitoring system is divided into distinct functional modules: thermal protection module, sensor fault detection module, device standby module, and status indication module. Each module independently monitors specific parameters and triggers appropriate responses, making the complex safety system manageable and maintainable while comprehensive
Solution Approach 2:
The system proactively monitors for potential hazards before they cause harm. Thermal protection activates before dangerous temperature levels are reached, sensor fault detection identifies issues before they lead to system failure, and device standby prevents operation when safety conditions are not met
Solution Approach 3:
Multiple feedback mechanisms provide real-time information about system state: visual indicators show operational status and alerts, auditory signals notify users of conditions requiring attention, and haptic feedback provides tactile confirmation. This comprehensive feedback loop enables users to understand system state and respond appropriately
2Reliability
If proactive alerts and device state restrictions are implemented, then accident prevention is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system prevents harmful actions before they can occur by monitoring safety conditions and restricting device operation when hazards are detected. Device standby mode prevents actuation when safety conditions are not met, and thermal protection prevents operation when temperatures are too high, thereby preventing accidents before they happen
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically monitors its own safety conditions and makes decisions about operation without requiring constant user intervention. The control system self-regulates based on sensor inputs, automatically entering standby mode or triggering protection mechanisms when safety thresholds are exceeded
Data Source
AI summary
A method of controlling a mobility device and related device including at least one drive component that drives at least one joint component is described. The control method may include executing a control application with an electronic controller to perform: receiving sensor information from sensors corresponding to a state and/or mode of the mobility device; analyzing the sensor information and determining a control mode of operation based on the sensor information; generating a control signal to output an alert via electronic indicators corresponding to the determined control mode; and controlling at least one drive component of the mobility device to selectively configure and modulate at least one joint component in accordance with the determined control mode of operation. Different alerts may be outputted by the electronic indicators depending on the nature or severity of the alert condition, accompanied by respective device control operations in accordance with the alert condition.