Single-Leg Exoskeleton Control Using Intact-Limb Gait Feedback
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rehabilitation exoskeletons lack proactive gait control and individualized training capabilities, failing to facilitate patient interaction and relearning of walking gait, leading to compromised rehabilitation outcomes.
Innovation Solution
A single-lower-limb rehabilitation exoskeleton apparatus with a controller that collects data from both intact and paretic limbs to determine and adjust gait parameters, using sensors and motors to drive coordinated movement, enabling proactive control and interaction for personalized training.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If the exoskeleton controls both lower-limbs automatically, then the rehabilitation training can be standardized, but the patient cannot proactively control the movement and relearn gait
Solution Approach 1:
The intact lower-limb serves as an intermediary between the patient's control intent and the paretic lower-limb actuation. The system captures movement data from the intact lower-limb and uses it to drive the paretic lower-limb, enabling the patient to proactively control rehabilitation training through their own voluntary movements without requiring complex external control interfaces
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes the patient's own intact lower-limb as the control source, making the patient self-sufficient in controlling their rehabilitation training. The intact lower-limb's movement data directly drives the paretic lower-limb, eliminating the need for external operators or complex control systems while enabling proactive patient engagement
2Ease of operation
If the exoskeleton uses preprogramed options, then the operation is simplified, but it lacks information interaction with the patient and cannot provide individualized training
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously collects movement data from the intact lower-limb and uses this real-time feedback to dynamically control the paretic lower-limb. This closed-loop feedback mechanism enables the system to adapt to the patient's individual gait characteristics and provide personalized rehabilitation training while maintaining simple operation through automatic data-driven control
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-establishes the control relationship by using the intact lower-limb's natural movement patterns as the control source. By capturing and storing the patient's individual gait characteristics from the intact lower-limb, the system prepares personalized control parameters in advance, enabling individualized training without complex real-time adjustments
3Device complexity
If the exoskeleton does not collect movement data from intact lower-limb, then the system structure is simpler, but it cannot achieve coordinated movement of both lower-limbs
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the control functions of both lower-limbs by using the intact lower-limb's movement data to drive the paretic lower-limb. This integration approach coordinates both lower-limbs through a unified control mechanism based on the patient's own gait patterns, achieving stable coordinated movement without requiring separate complex control systems for each limb
Data Source
AI summary
A single-lower-limb rehabilitation exoskeleton apparatus and control methods includes a controller, an intact lower-limb component and a paretic lower-limb component connecting communicatively with the controller. The controller is used to determine the current state of the intact lower-limb through the intact lower-limb component and the current state of the paretic lower-limb through the paretic lower-limb component. When the intact lower-limb component is in the lifting state, the movement data of the intact lower-limb is collected and sent to the controller. The controller is used to determine the corresponding gait data for the paretic lower-limb component according to the movement data of the intact lower-limb and send the gait data to the paretic lower-limb component. The paretic lower-limb component is used to drive the paretic lower-limb to move or walk according to the gait data while the intact lower-limb is in the supporting state.