Smart Material Actuator Garment Assembly for Lightweight Movement Assistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing exoskeleton and exosuit devices are heavy, have slow response rates, and lack advanced functionality, limiting their effectiveness in facilitating or resisting movement.
Innovation Solution
A garment assembly incorporating smart material actuators (SMAs) connected between anchor zones, activated by non-mechanical stimuli, which change their physical properties to create forces that facilitate or resist movement through a force translation mechanism, controlled by an activation unit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If traditional exoskeleton devices are used to facilitate movement, then movement assistance is provided, but the system weight increases and response rate decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical actuators (motors, gears, linkages) with smart material actuators that respond to non-mechanical stimuli such as electrical, thermal, or magnetic fields. This substitution eliminates heavy mechanical components while maintaining the force-generating capability, directly resolving the contradiction between providing movement assistance force and minimizing system weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes smart materials whose physical properties (such as shape, stiffness, or length) can be dynamically changed by applying external stimuli like voltage, temperature, or magnetic field. This allows the system to generate required forces on-demand without the continuous power consumption and weight of traditional mechanical actuation systems.
2Force
If traditional exoskeleton devices are used to facilitate movement, then movement assistance is provided, but the response rate is slow
Solution Approach 1:
By replacing slow-responding mechanical actuators with smart material actuators that respond to electrical, thermal, or magnetic stimuli, the system achieves much faster response rates. The smart materials can change their physical state almost instantaneously when stimulated, enabling rapid adjustment of movement assistance force.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs periodic or pulsed stimulation of the smart material actuators to achieve rapid on-demand force generation. This allows the system to quickly switch between different force states, improving the overall response rate compared to continuous mechanical actuation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If traditional exoskeleton devices are used, then basic movement assistance is provided, but advanced functionality and versatility are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the exoskeleton system multi-functional by using smart material actuators that can be controlled through various stimuli (electrical, thermal, magnetic). The same actuator can perform different functions depending on the type of stimulus applied, enabling the system to adapt to different movement assistance scenarios without requiring separate specialized components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic control capabilities by enabling real-time adjustment of the smart material actuator properties through external stimuli. This allows the system to adapt its characteristics (force, stiffness, response time) dynamically based on user needs, enhancing versatility without permanently increasing structural complexity.
4Weight of moving object
If smart material actuators are used to reduce system weight, then weight is minimized, but the complexity of activation control increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an activation unit as an intermediary component that manages the complexity of controlling multiple smart material actuators. This unit translates user intent or sensor feedback into appropriate stimulation patterns, simplifying the control interface while maintaining the weight advantages of smart material actuators.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms that monitor the state of the smart material actuators and adjust the stimulation accordingly. This closed-loop control automates the activation process, reducing the perceived complexity for the user while optimizing the performance of the lightweight smart material actuator system.
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 garment assembly provides enhanced mobility for users with impaired mobility and facilitates or resists movement by efficiently translating forces, offering improved responsiveness and versatility in movement assistance.
Implementation Method 1
Each smart material actuator (SMA) is arranged to operate in an idle or deactivated state, and an activated state triggered by a non-mechanical stimulus that causes a physical material property change in the associated SMA
Implementation Method 2
Each SMA is arranged to operate in an idle or deactivated state, and an activated state triggered by a non-mechanical stimulus that causes a geometrical change in the associated SMA
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates in general to a garment assembly for facilitating or resisting movement of a subject, such as a person, animal, or inanimate object, wearing a garment of the garment assembly. More particularly, the garment assembly comprises one or more smart material actuators that when stimulated mechanically contract and/or expand, thereby creating a force acting on the garment to trigger, facilitate or resist movement of the subject.