Gait Training System with Series Elastic Actuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current gait training systems rely on manual leg advancement, which is physically demanding and requires multiple assistive personnel, and are ineffective for patients with motor control disabilities such as stroke survivors, spinal cord injuries, and cerebral palsy, as they struggle with balance, mobility, and coordination.
Innovation Solution
A gait training system comprising a base support frame with independent hip and knee flexion actuation assemblies, utilizing rotary motors, capstan drums, and series elastic assemblies to detect and compensate for deviations in gait through linear actuation, allowing for automated correction of gait kinematics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual leg advancement is used for gait training, then therapists can provide direct physical assistance to patients, but the physical demand on therapists increases and multiple assistive personnel are required
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic gait training system enables patients to perform gait training independently through automated robotic assistance. The system includes robotic limbs that automatically guide patient movements through the gait cycle, eliminating the need for multiple therapists to manually advance legs. The control system autonomously monitors patient progress and adjusts assistance levels, allowing the system to serve itself rather than requiring continuous human intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical system of therapist-guided leg advancement with an automated robotic mechanical system. Robotic actuators and linkages substitute for human hands and arms, providing controlled movement through the gait cycle. This mechanical substitution eliminates the physical burden on therapists while maintaining precise control over patient limb positioning and movement trajectories.
2Reliability
If manual therapy is used for gait training, then therapists can physically guide patient movements, but the task becomes physically demanding requiring two or three assistive personnel
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic gait training system is divided into separate functional modules including robotic thigh and shin components, each with independent actuators and control systems. This segmentation allows each module to be optimized for specific functions (hip/knee flexion extension) while reducing overall system complexity through modular design. The segmented structure enables reliable independent control of each limb segment without requiring a single complex integrated system.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic gait training system is designed to perform multiple functions including guiding leg movements through the gait cycle, providing physical support to patients, monitoring gait parameters, and adjusting assistance levels dynamically. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require multiple separate devices or personnel into a single integrated system, improving reliability while managing complexity through unified control architecture.
3Extent of automation
If independent hip and knee flexion actuation assemblies are used, then the system can automatically correct gait deviations through linear actuation, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic gait training system employs dynamic control where the hip and knee flexion actuators continuously adjust their motion parameters based on real-time feedback from gait deviation detection. The system transitions between different operational states (assistive, passive, active movement) and dynamically modifies actuation forces and velocities to correct gait deviations while maintaining natural movement patterns. This dynamic adaptation enables high automation without requiring overly complex fixed mechanical structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms that detect gait deviations and automatically adjust actuator commands to correct them. Sensors monitor patient limb positions and movements, compare them to desired gait patterns, and feed this information back to the control system which then modifies actuator output in real-time. This closed-loop feedback enables automated gait correction while simplifying the mechanical design by using software-based control rather than complex mechanical correction mechanisms.
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 system enables efficient and effective gait training by reducing the physical demands on therapists and improving gait kinematics for patients with motor control disabilities, allowing for independent rotation and alignment of hip and knee linkages to mimic a model gait, thereby enhancing mobility and balance.
Implementation Method 1
The gait deviation module is configured to determine the difference based on a deflection of at least one of the at least one first spring and the at least one second spring
Implementation Method 2
The hip flexion actuator includes a first rotary motor coupled to a first capstan drum and the knee flexion actuator includes a second rotary motor coupled to a second capstan drum
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods and components of a joint actuating gait training system are provided. The gait training system includes a base support frame and an upper flexion actuation assembly movably coupled to the base support frame and a lower flexion actuation assembly movably coupled to the base support frame.