Variable force exoskeleton hip joint

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10518404-B2
Application number	US-201715597213-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2017
Priority date	Jul 17, 2015
Publication date	Dec 31, 2019
Grant date	Dec 31, 2019

Abstract

An adjustable force exoskeleton hip joint system. The system includes a hip joint. The hip joint includes a first member rotatable about a hip joint rotation axis, the first member configured to be coupled to one of a lower body link or an upper body link. The hip joint further includes a second member rotatable about the hip joint rotation axis, the second member configured to be coupled to the other of the lower body link or the upper body link. The system further includes an adjustable force mechanism coupled to at least one of the first member and the second member. The adjustable force mechanism includes an actuator coupled to the first member, the actuator comprising a motor configured to selectively apply an adjustable force to the second member to inhibit rotation of the first member with respect to the second member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a hip joint comprising:
a first member rotatable about a hip joint rotation axis, the first member configured to be coupled to one of a lower body link or an upper body link; and
a second member rotatable about the hip joint rotation axis, the second member configured to be coupled to the other of the lower body link or the upper body link; and

an adjustable force mechanism coupled to at least one of the first member and the second member, the adjustable force mechanism comprising:
an actuator coupled to the first member, the actuator comprising a motor configured to selectively apply an adjustable force to the second member to inhibit rotation of the first member with respect to the second member; and
a controller in communication with the sensor, the controller configured to:
receive a force signal from a sensor;
determine, based on the force signal, a torque load associated with the hip joint; and
operate the motor, in response to the determined torque load, to selectively apply the adjustable force to maintain the torque load within a predetermined range.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising the sensor in communication with the controller, the sensor configured to:
detect a force being applied to one of the system or a user of the system; and
generate the force signal indicative of the force being applied.

3. The system of claim 2 , further comprising a back interface configured to interface with a back of the user, wherein the sensor is connected to the back interface and configured to detect movement of the back interface corresponding to movement of the back of the user.

4. The system of claim 2 , further comprising a leg interface configured to interface with a leg of the user, wherein the sensor is connected to the leg interface and configured to detect movement of the leg interface corresponding to movement of the leg of the user.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine the torque load associated with the hip joint using a predictive algorithm.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the adjustable force mechanism further comprises an actuator link coupled to the second member, and
wherein the actuator further comprises an actuator arm coupled to the actuator link, the motor configured to selectively extend or retract the actuator arm to apply the adjustable force to the second member.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the actuator link comprises an extension spring coupled between the actuator arm and the second member, the extension spring configured to apply a biasing force to the second member in response to the motor selectively extending or retracting the actuator arm to apply the adjustable force to the second member.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the actuator link comprises a hinge connection between the actuator arm and the second member.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
the lower body link; and
the upper body link.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the upper body link comprises a hip link configured to at least partially enclose hips of a user, the hip link configured to be, in operation, in a substantially horizontal plane, and the lower body link configured to be, in operation, in a substantially vertical plane.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the adjustable force mechanism further comprises:
a user-selectable switch coupled to the actuator.

12. An exoskeleton comprising:
an upper body exoskeleton comprising an upper body link;
a lower body exoskeleton comprising a lower body link; and
a hip joint comprising:
a first member rotatable about a hip joint rotation axis, the first member coupled to one of the lower body link or the upper body link; and
a second member rotatable about the hip joint rotation axis, the second member coupled to the other of the lower body link or the upper body link; and

an adjustable force mechanism coupled to at least one of the first member and the second member, the adjustable force mechanism comprising:
an actuator coupled to the first member, the actuator comprising a motor configured to selectively apply an adjustable force to the second member to inhibit rotation of the upper body exoskeleton with respect to the lower body exoskeleton; and
a controller in communication with the sensor, the controller configured to:
receive a force signal from a sensor;

determine, based on the force signal, a torque load associated with the hip joint; and
operate the motor, in response to the determined torque load, to selectively apply the adjustable force to maintain the torque load within a predetermined range.

13. The exoskeleton of claim 12 , further comprising the sensor in communication with the controller, the sensor configured to:
detect a force being applied to one of the exoskeleton or a user of the exoskeleton; and
generate the force signal indicative of the force being applied.

14. The exoskeleton of claim 13 , wherein the upper body exoskeleton further comprises a back interface configured to interface with a back of the user, wherein the sensor is connected to the back interface and configured to detect movement of the back interface corresponding to movement of the back of the user.

15. The exoskeleton of claim 13 , wherein the lower body exoskeleton further comprises a leg interface configured to interface with a leg of the user, wherein the sensor is connected to the leg interface and configured to detect movement of the leg interface corresponding to movement of the leg of the user.

16. The exoskeleton of claim 12 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine the torque load associated with the hip joint using a predictive algorithm.

17. A method of operating a hip joint of an exoskeleton comprising:
receiving, by a controller, a force signal from a sensor;
determining, by the controller, a torque load associated with a hip joint of an exoskeleton based on the force signal, the hip joint comprising a first member configured to be coupled to one of a lower body link or an upper body link and a second member rotatable with respect to the first member, the second member configured to be coupled to the other of the lower body link or the upper body link; and
operating a motor coupled to one of the first member or the second member to selectively apply an adjustable force to the other of the first member or the second member in response to the determined torque load to inhibit rotation of the first member with respect to the second member to maintain the torque load within a predetermined range.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
detecting, by the sensor in communication with the controller, a force being applied to one of the exoskeleton or a user of the exoskeleton;
generating the force signal indicative of the force being applied; and
providing the force signal to the controller, wherein determining, by the controller, the torque load is based on the force signal.

Assignees

• Lockheed Corp

Inventors

• Barnes Gavin A

Classifications

• A61H1/0255

  Both knee and hip of a patient, e.g. in supine or sitting position, the feet being moved together in a plane substantially parallel to the body-symmetrical plane (A61H1/0214 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B25J19/0016

  using springs · CPC title

• A61H2201/5061

  Force sensors · CPC title

• B25J13/085

  Force or torque sensors (B25J13/082, B25J13/084 take precedence) · CPC title

• A61H2201/5007

  computer controlled · CPC title