Flexible Walking Aid with Hip Joint Angle Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional walking movement aids with rigid external skeletons can restrict user movement and fail to effectively support muscular strength during disturbances, leading to potential falls and discomfort.
Innovation Solution
A walking movement aid with flexible auxiliary force transmission parts that allow deformation, enabling autonomous movement and independent control of drive sources to support muscular strength without excessive restriction, using capacitance type sensors to detect hip joint angles and adjust support forces accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a rigid external skeleton is used to support walking, then structural strength and stability are improved, but user movement freedom and comfort deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the rigid external skeleton with flexible wearable parts including an elastic body that conforms to the user's body shape. The elastic body has a first wearing part on the thigh and a second wearing part on the lumbar region, connected by a force transmission part. This flexible structure provides necessary support while allowing natural user movement and autonomous reactions to disturbances.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a drive source that dynamically adjusts the pulling force based on detected hip joint angles. The control unit activates the drive source only when hip joint bending is detected, providing assistance force during the swing phase of walking. This dynamic control allows the system to support walking while maintaining user movement freedom and responsiveness to disturbances.
2Reliability
If a rigid external skeleton restricts joint movement to provide support, then walking stability is improved, but the fall-preventing effect of autonomous reaction deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The drive source and control unit are designed to detect hip joint angles and provide assistance force only during specific phases of walking (when hip joint bending is detected). This dynamic, phase-specific assistance maintains walking stability while preserving the user's ability to autonomously react to disturbances and maintain balance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of force transmission from continuous rigid connection to conditional flexible connection. The force transmission part transmits pulling force only when activation conditions are met (hip joint bending detected), allowing the system to provide stability support while maintaining user adaptability and autonomous reaction capability.
3Reliability
If multiple sensors and complex control systems are used to detect load balance and provide assist control, then balance recovery capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and uses only the essential detection function (hip joint angle detection) needed for walking assistance, eliminating the need for multiple sensors and complex load balance detection systems. The control logic is simplified to activate the drive source based on hip joint angle detection during the swing phase, providing balance support without excessive system complexity.
4Strength
If a rigid external skeleton is worn to provide walking support, then muscular strength support is improved, but comfort and ease of wear deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses an elastic body as the wearable part that conforms to the user's body shape. The first wearing part is worn on the thigh and the second wearing part on the lumbar region, connected by an elastic force transmission part. This flexible structure provides muscular strength support during walking while being comfortable and easy to wear, unlike rigid external skeletons.
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 efficient walking assistance, reduces physical and mental load, and allows continuous wear, effectively preventing falls and promoting muscular strength training without the need for a rigid external skeleton, enhancing comfort and safety.
Implementation Method 1
a capacitance type sensor that detects a joint angle of the user's hip joints
Implementation Method 2
an auxiliary force transmission part having flexibility... the auxiliary force transmission part is configured to cover a front of the user's thighs... the control means is adapted to control the drive source to shorten a length of the auxiliary force transmission part so that the pulling force is exerted on the first wearing part
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Provided is a joint movement aid, which has a simple structure and is lightweight and which a user can easily put on and take off, and which has a novel structure capable of safely supporting a walking without impeding a user's autonomous fall-preventing movement even in a case of a disturbance such as external force on the user in a transverse direction. The walking movement aid (10) includes a right and left pair of assisting units provided with drive sources (40), which exert a pulling force on flexible auxiliary force transmission parts (12), and a control means (49) for controlling the respective drive sources (40) of the assisting units corresponding to changes in a joint angle with user's hip joints.