Wearable Motion Assist Phase Oscillator Control

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wearable motion assist devices face challenges in generating arbitrary phase differences between human and device motions, requiring complex parameter settings and struggling to synchronize effectively.

Innovation Solution

A motion assist device equipped with a phase acquisition unit, including interaction force detection sensors and joint angle sensors, estimates the phase of the wearer's motion and uses a phase oscillator model to calculate target values for synchronized motion, allowing for arbitrary phase differences and efficient parameter setting.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a mutually inhibiting model of neural oscillators is used for generating movement pattern, then synchronization between human and device can be achieved, but it is difficult to generate arbitrary phase difference and parameter adjustment becomes complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesynchronization between human and deviceVSAvoidparameter setting complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the control parameters from complex neural oscillator parameters (requiring almost ten parameters) to simple phase difference parameters. By using phase difference as the control parameter, the system can generate arbitrary movement patterns with simple parameter adjustment, resolving the contradiction between synchronization reliability and parameter setting complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the essential synchronization function from the complex mutually inhibiting neural oscillator model and implements it through a simpler phase difference control mechanism. This extraction maintains the synchronization capability while eliminating the complexity of parameter adjustment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Reliability

If a mutually inhibiting model is used, then synchronization can be achieved, but arbitrary phase difference generation becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesynchronization capabilityVSAvoidphase difference adjustment capability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces phase difference as a controllable parameter, enabling the system to generate arbitrary phase differences between human and device movements. This parameter change transforms the fixed synchronization behavior of the mutually inhibiting model into an adaptable system that can operate at any desired phase difference.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Adaptability or versatility

If almost ten parameters are set for the mutually inhibiting model, then arbitrary output waveform can be obtained, but adjustment becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoutput waveform flexibilityVSAvoidparameter adjustment ease
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent reduces the number of parameters from almost ten to just the phase difference parameter. This parameter reduction maintains the ability to generate arbitrary output waveforms while dramatically improving ease of operation, as users only need to adjust the phase difference to achieve desired movement patterns.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP2796123B1Movement assistance device
Publication Date: 2019.03.13 SHINSHU UNIVERSITY
  • EP2796123B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2796123B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP2796123B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

In a wearable motion assist device, a motion assist device for generating a motion pattern synchronized with a wearer while maintaining a certain phase difference between a motion of the wearer and a motion of the device, and a synchronization based control method for the device are provided. The motion assist device acquires a phase of torque generated by the wearer's motion, applies a value of the phase to a phase oscillator model as an input, performs arithmetic processing, and calculates target torque and a target angle of the device with the motion of the device synchronized with the wearer. It is possible to improve an assisting effect of the device by controlling the device based on the calculated values.