Gait Training Device with Center of Gravity Feedback Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gait training systems are ineffective for patients with difficulty in active movement of their lower extremities, as they do not facilitate voluntary motion and require a certain level of muscle strength, limiting their applicability.
Innovation Solution
A gait training device that operates in cooperation with a wearable motion assist device, using a body weight support system and a moving unit controlled by a control device to adjust speed and body weight support based on the wearer's center of gravity, walking speed, and tilt, allowing for safe and effective gait training.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a body weight support device is introduced to support patients with difficulty in active movement, then the applicability of gait training is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the body weight support device, moving unit, and control device into an integrated gait training system. The control device receives detection results from both the wearable motion assist device and body weight support device, then coordinates control signals to both systems, merging multiple functions into a unified system that manages complexity while maintaining versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device serves multiple functions: it controls both the wearable motion assist device and the body weight support device, processes detection results from multiple sensors, and adjusts parameters dynamically. This multi-functional approach allows a single device to handle complex coordination tasks without requiring separate control systems for each component.
2Reliability
If the control device adjusts moving speed and body weight support based on center of gravity position, then the safety is improved, but the control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control device continuously receives detection results from the center of gravity detection unit and uses this feedback to adjust the moving speed of the moving unit and the body weight support amount. This closed-loop feedback mechanism automatically maintains safety by responding to real-time changes in the patient's center of gravity position without requiring complex manual control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically adjusts safety parameters based on detected center of gravity position without requiring external intervention. The control device autonomously processes sensor data and modifies operating conditions, allowing the system to self-regulate safety aspects while reducing the burden on operators.
3Productivity
If the control device coordinates both wearable motion assist device and body weight support device, then the training effectiveness is improved, but the control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control device merges the control functions of both the wearable motion assist device and the body weight support device into a single coordination system. It receives detection results from both devices and issues coordinated control signals, integrating multiple control functions while maintaining manageable complexity through unified management.
Data Source
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AI summary
A gait training device operates in cooperation with a wearable motion assist device that specifies a walking phase of a wearer, and applies power to the wearer in correspondence to the walking phase of the wearer, the gait training device including: a body weight support device that lifts up the wearer to support a weight applied on feet; a moving unit that is movable according to a walking motion of the wearer; and a control device that controls a moving speed of the moving unit and/or an amount of body-weight support by the body weight support device based upon a position of a center of gravity of the wearer detected by the wearable motion assist device.