Gait Recognition Using Hip Joint Angles and Acceleration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Walking assistance apparatuses struggle to recognize gait motions accurately, leading to inadequate assistance during different walking conditions such as level walking, walking uphill, and walking downhill, as they rely on oscillator-based patterns rather than user-specific biometric data.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method that utilize a gait motion inference unit to analyze right and left hip joint angle information, detect the landing leg, and adjust based on fuzzy logic to infer gait motions, including level walking, uphill, and downhill walking, using acceleration data to optimize walking assistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If oscillator-based patterns are used for walking assistance, then the apparatus can operate with simple mechanisms, but the gait motion recognition accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces oscillator-based mechanical patterns with a sensor-based detection system that uses acceleration sensors and hip joint angle sensors to detect gait motions. The controller processes sensor data to recognize gait types (level walking, uphill, downhill) and adjusts assistance accordingly, substituting mechanical oscillation with electronic sensing and control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by continuously monitoring sensor data (acceleration and hip joint angles) and using this information to adjust the walking assistance in real-time. The controller receives feedback from sensors about the user's actual gait motion and modifies the assistance mechanism accordingly, creating a closed-loop control system.
2Device complexity
If general oscillator patterns are applied to all users, then the apparatus structure remains simple, but the adaptability to user-specific gait motions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the walking assistance adaptive and adjustable based on real-time sensor feedback. The system transitions from static oscillator patterns to dynamic control that adjusts to each user's specific gait characteristics, allowing the apparatus to adapt to different walking conditions (level, uphill, downhill) and user preferences.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes operational parameters based on detected gait motions. The controller modifies assistance parameters such as oscillation frequency, amplitude, and timing according to the detected gait type and user-specific characteristics, enabling the apparatus to adapt to different users and walking conditions without changing the basic apparatus structure.
3Reliability
If gait motion recognition is improved through sensor analysis, then the walking assistance effectiveness is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves multi-functionality by using a unified sensor processing system that handles multiple gait detection tasks simultaneously. The same sensor data processing mechanisms recognize different gait types (level walking, uphill, downhill), detect landing legs, and determine motion directions, eliminating the need for separate specialized systems for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the gait recognition process into distinct functional modules: acceleration sensor processing for landing detection, hip joint angle sensor processing for motion analysis, and integrated gait type classification. This modular approach manages complexity by dividing the processing system into manageable segments that work together.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method for recognizing a gait motion by detecting a landing point in time of a foot of a user based on sensed acceleration information, inferring a gait motion based on right and left hip joint angle information of the user sensed at the detected landing point in time of the foot of the user, and detecting a landing leg between both legs of the user based on the inferred gait motion may be provided.