Wearable Hand Robot Wire Routing and Actuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wearable hand robots are cumbersome, costly, and uncomfortable due to their complex structure and fiber material, which can cause skin irritation and require frequent washing and customization, leading to increased production costs and decreased user convenience.
Innovation Solution
A wearable hand robot with a simplified exoskeleton structure using silicone or synthetic resin materials, featuring a first wire that extends from the finger tip to the base, a U-shaped wire tube, and a flexible bending unit, allowing for easy adjustment and maintenance, and a support member at the wrist to prevent wire penetration and facilitate easy cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If an actuator and sensor are installed on each moving part of the fingers, then the finger movement control is improved, but the volume and weight of the wearable hand robot increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple actuators into a single actuator located at the wrist or palm, which controls multiple fingers through shared transmission mechanisms. This consolidation reduces the overall volume and weight while maintaining the ability to control individual finger movements through a simplified actuation system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces transmission mechanisms such as cables, tendons, or linkages that act as intermediaries between the single actuator and the multiple finger joints. These intermediaries transmit mechanical force from the centralized actuator to distribute control across multiple fingers, enabling precise individual control without placing actuators on each finger.
2Ease of operation
If an actuator and sensor are installed on each moving part of the fingers, then the finger movement control is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent consolidates multiple actuators into a single actuator unit, significantly reducing the number of components that need to be manufactured, assembled, and calibrated. This merging approach lowers manufacturing costs while maintaining effective control over multiple fingers through shared transmission mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The single actuator is designed to perform multiple functions by controlling different fingers through a shared mechanism. This multi-functional design reduces the overall system complexity and manufacturing cost compared to having dedicated actuators for each finger, while still providing independent control capability.
3Ease of operation
If the wearable hand robot is formed of a fiber material, then the flexibility is improved, but the wire penetration into skin occurs causing pain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces protective coverings, channels, or guide structures that act as intermediaries between the moving wires and the user's skin. These protective elements prevent direct contact between the wires and skin while allowing the necessary flexibility and movement, thereby eliminating the harmful wire penetration effect.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs flexible protective shells or thin film coverings that enclose the wires and transmission mechanisms. These flexible protective layers maintain the overall flexibility of the device while providing a barrier that prevents wire penetration into the skin, solving the harmful effect without sacrificing operational flexibility.
4Ease of operation
If the wearable hand robot is formed of a fiber material, then the flexibility is improved, but the contamination by sweat and dirt occurs requiring frequent washing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses flexible protective shells or film coverings that create a barrier between the internal components and external contaminants like sweat and dirt. These protective layers maintain the flexibility needed for comfortable wear while preventing contamination, thereby improving reliability and reducing the need for frequent washing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs removable, washable, or replaceable protective coverings that can be easily cleaned or replaced when contaminated. These disposable or easily maintainable outer layers protect the main device from contamination while maintaining flexibility, allowing users to simply replace or wash the coverings rather than the entire device.
5Adaptability or versatility
If the wearable hand robot needs to be customized to the size of a user's hand or finger, then the fit is improved, but the productivity decreases and unit price increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates adjustable and adaptable components such as flexible straps, elastic materials, or size-adjustable mechanisms that allow a single design to accommodate different hand and finger sizes. This dynamic adaptability eliminates the need for custom manufacturing for each user, thereby maintaining high productivity while achieving good fit.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs the wearable hand robot with universal sizing features that allow one device to fit multiple users with different hand sizes. Through adjustable elements and flexible construction, the device achieves adaptability to various users without requiring custom production, thus maintaining high productivity and lowering unit costs.
Data Source
AI summary
A wearable hand robot of the present invention is a wearable hand robot which is mounted on a user's fingers and can bend the user's fingers by means of an external force transmitted through a wire, and comprises: at least one first wire which is disposed to extend toward the tip of a finger and then change the extension direction toward the base of the finger; a finger cap which is configured to be fit on the tip of the finger and includes a first wire tube which is disposed at the end of the finger so that the first wire passes therethrough and is U-shaped; a finger member comprising two second wire tubes, at least one finger strap and at least one bending unit; and a support member which is mounted on the hand adjacent to the user's wrist and through which the first wire extending from the finger member passes. The two second wire tubes are configured to extend in the extension direction of the finger segment and are disposed on the respective sides of the finger, and the first wire passes therethrough. The at least one finger strap is coupled to the second wire tubes and is disposed on the finger segment. The at least one bending unit is disposed on the joint so as to bendably connect finger straps which are adjacent to each other or to bendably connect the finger cap and the finger strap which are adjacent to each other.