Wearable Gait State Detection Using Multi-Joint Angle Merging
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Aging populations experience discomfort and pain due to reduced muscular strength and joint problems, leading to a need for effective walking assist devices that can reduce effort and facilitate exercise.
Innovation Solution
An electronic device with a communication module and processor that determines internal angles of hip joints from a wearable device, calculates target internal angle changes, and assesses the gait state of the user to control the wearable device's operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If gait state determination is performed using only single-joint angle data, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision and accuracy of gait state detection deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines angle measurements from multiple joints (hip joint angle θ1 and knee joint angle θ2) to determine gait state. By merging data from different joints, the system achieves more accurate gait state detection without requiring a completely new measurement system, thus improving precision while managing complexity through multi-sensor integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The wearable device performs multiple functions: it measures both hip joint angle and knee joint angle using the same sensor system, processes this multi-joint data to determine gait state, and provides walking assistance. This multi-functionality allows the system to achieve accurate gait analysis without proportionally increasing device complexity.
2Ease of operation
If walking assist device provides continuous active force, then user walking effort is reduced, but energy consumption and loss of user exercise benefit increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies active force periodically rather than continuously. Based on gait state detection, the controller activates the motor only during specific phases of the gait cycle when assistance is needed, allowing the user to actively participate during other phases. This periodic assistance reduces walking effort during critical moments while preserving overall energy expenditure and exercise benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The walking assist device dynamically adjusts its operation based on real-time gait state detection. The controller modifies the level and timing of active force application according to the user's actual walking state, transitioning between assistance modes to balance ease of operation with energy preservation.
3Measurement precision
If gait state determination uses complex multi-joint angle analysis, then measurement precision improves, but processing time and computational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback from gait state detection to control the walking assistance. By continuously monitoring multi-joint angles and providing real-time feedback to the controller, the system can quickly determine gait state and adjust assistance accordingly. This feedback mechanism enables efficient processing by focusing computational resources on the most critical gait phases.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device may: determine a first interior angle on the basis of a first angle of a first joint and a first angle of a second joint of a wearable device, wherein the first angle of the first joint and the first angle of the second joint correspond to a first viewpoint; determine a second interior angle on the basis of a second angle of the first joint and a second angle of the second joint of the wearable device, wherein the second angle of the first joint and the second angle of the second joint correspond to a second viewpoint; determine the amount of change in a target interior angle between the first viewpoint and the second viewpoint on the basis of the first interior angle and the second interior angle; and determine a user's gait state on the basis of the amount of change in the target interior angle.