Upper-body robotic exoskeleton

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10463560-B2
Application number	US-201615082783-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2016
Priority date	Sep 30, 2013
Publication date	Nov 5, 2019
Grant date	Nov 5, 2019

Abstract

The present disclosure includes a robotic exoskeleton comprising a back portion providing at least two degrees of freedom, two shoulder portions, each shoulder portion providing at least five degrees of freedom, two elbow portions, each elbow portion providing at least one degree of freedom, and two forearm portions, each forearm portion providing at least one degree of freedom. The present disclosure may also relate to associated robotic forearm joints and robotic shoulder joints.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A robotic exoskeleton comprising:
a back portion providing at least two degrees of freedom;
two shoulder portions, each shoulder portion providing at least five degrees of freedom;
two elbow portions, each elbow portion providing at least one degree of freedom; and
two forearm portions, each forearm portion providing at least one degree of freedom; each of the two forearm portions including:
a first hinge joint with a first axis of rotation;
a grounded linkage coupled to the first hinge joint;
a second linkage coupled to the grounded linkage via the first hinge joint and coupled to a third linkage via a second hinge joint;
a fourth linkage coupled to the third linkage via a third hinge joint and coupled to the grounded linkage via a fourth hinge joint;
a first pulley coupled to the second linkage; and
a second pulley coupled to the third linkage;
wherein the second linkage and the fourth linkage rotate with respect to the grounded linkage and translate the third linkage along a first curvature radius, and the second pulley revolves around a center of revolution with the first curvature radius, the center of revolution adapted to be located inside of a human forearm; and
wherein the first and second pulleys are connected by a transmission such that as the second pulley revolves around the center of revolution, the second pulley simultaneously rotates about a center point of the second pulley such that a same face of the forearm portion is adapted to face the human forearm as the second pulley revolves around a second axis of rotation.

2. The robotic exoskeleton of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first, second, third, or fourth hinge joints is coupled to an actuator to provide motive force to the at least one of the first, second, third, or fourth hinge joints.

3. The robotic exoskeleton of claim 2 , wherein the at least one actuator comprises a speed reduction mechanism to increase a torque of at least one of the first, second, third, fourth, and fourth hinge joints.

4. The robotic exoskeleton of claim 2 , wherein the at least one actuator comprises at least one of a sensor to detect and control a torque of the at least one actuator and a sensor to detect and control a position of the at least one actuator.

5. The robotic exoskeleton of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the robotic exoskeleton is adjustably sized.

6. The robotic exoskeleton of claim 1 , wherein each of the back portion, shoulder portions, elbow portions, and forearm portions work in concert to provide fluid motion of the robotic exoskeleton.

7. A robotic forearm joint comprising:
a first hinge joint with a first axis of rotation;
a grounded linkage coupled to the first hinge joint;
a second linkage coupled to the grounded linkage via the first hinge joint and coupled to a third linkage via a second hinge joint;
a fourth linkage coupled to the third linkage via a third hinge joint and coupled to the grounded linkage via a fourth hinge joint;
a first pulley coupled to the second linkage; and
a second pulley coupled to the third linkage;
wherein the second linkage and the fourth linkage rotate with respect to the grounded linkage and translate the third linkage along a first curvature radius, and the second pulley revolves around a center of revolution with the first curvature radius, the center of revolution adapted to be located inside of a human forearm; and
wherein the first and second pulleys are connected by a transmission such that as the second pulley revolves around the center of revolution, the second pulley simultaneously rotates about a center point of the second pulley such that a same face of the forearm portion is adapted to face the human forearm as the second pulley revolves around a second axis of rotation.

8. The robotic forearm joint of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the first, second, third, or fourth hinge joints is coupled to an actuator to provide motive force to the at least one of the first, second, third, or fourth hinge joints.

9. The robotic forearm joint of claim 8 , wherein the at least one actuator comprises a speed reduction mechanism to increase a torque of at least one of the first, second, third, and fourth hinge joints.

Assignees

• Univ Texas

Inventors

• Deshpande Ashish
• Kim Bongsu

Classifications

• A61H2201/1621

  Holding means therefor · CPC title

• A61H2201/1616

  Holding means therefor · CPC title

• A61H2201/1481

  Special movement conversion means · CPC title

• A61H2201/1454

  Special bearing arrangements · CPC title

• A61H1/0281

  Shoulder · CPC title