Intelligent hand exoskeleton with grasping assistance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12569392-B2
Application number	US-202117920889-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2021
Priority date	Apr 22, 2020
Publication date	Mar 10, 2026
Grant date	Mar 10, 2026

Abstract

A device for providing assistance in dexterous grasping operations. The device is a nine degree of freedom exoskeleton glove capable of reproducing grasping tasks present in ordinary daily activity. The device relies on series elastic actuators and a motion amplification controller for movement and support of finger joints of a user and is easily modifiable to fit individual users with different hand sizes. The user driven control scheme requires no additional hardware (e.g., camera or EMG sensors) but relies on user movements (even weak movements). Intelligent assistance prevents uncomfortable motion beyond the natural range of motion of the fingers while reacting very quickly to the user's physical input.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A hand exoskeleton device comprising:
a dorsum base and palmer base adapted for use with a wearer's hand; a first phalanx pad and a second phalanx pad; a first actuator in operable communication with the first phalanx pad and the dorsum base, and a second actuator in operable communication with the second phalanx pad and the first actuator; wherein the first actuator is in operable communication with the first phalanx pad by way of a first linkage length connected with a first revolute joint connected with a second linkage length connected with a second revolute joint connected with a third linkage length connected with the first phalanx pad; wherein the first actuator is in operable communication with the second actuator by way of a third revolute joint; wherein the second actuator is connected to a fourth linkage length connected to a fourth revolute joint connected to a fifth linkage length connected to the second phalanx pad; and a motion amplification controller in operable communication with the first and second actuators and capable of controlling movement of one or more finger(s) or a thumb of the wearer's hand.

2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the first or second actuator is a series elastic actuator.

3 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second actuators are disposed in a manner capable of being in operable communication with one finger of the wearer's hand.

4 . The device of claim 3 , wherein the first actuator is disposed in operable communication with the first phalanx pad in a manner to affect a metacarpophalangeal joint of a finger of the wearer and the second actuator is disposed in operable communication with the second phalanx pad in a manner to affect a proximal interphalangeal joint of the finger of the wearer.

5 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising a thumb actuator affecting a carpometacarpal flexion joint and a metacarpophalangeal joint of a thumb of the wearer's hand.

6 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the adduction/abduction degrees of freedom of all fingers of the wearer's hand are passive and located on the dorsum base.

7 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising a glove configured for indirectly affixing the device to the wearer's hand.

8 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the motion amplification controller is configured to enforce one or more equations of motion on one or more of the actuator(s).

9 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the motion amplification controller is configured to determine a force needed to move one or more finger(s) or thumb of the wearer's hand.

10 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the motion amplification controller is configured to control movement of one or more finger(s) or a thumb of the wearer's hand.

11 . The device of claim 10 , wherein the motion amplification controller is configured to amplify an input motion from the wearer's hand, providing assistance in grasping an object.

12 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the motion amplification controller is capable of reversing direction and is capable of ceasing movement upon either a lack of continued input from the wearer or input in the direction opposite current motion.

13 . The device of claim 12 , wherein the motion amplification controller comprises a virtual sliding spring base to enable the reversing and/or ceasing of movement.

14 . The device of claim 13 , wherein spring deflection, alpha, autonomously approaches zero.

15 . The device of claim 1 , wherein smooth operation of the device is enabled by a nonlinear damping manifold, beta, which allows the device to smoothly observe a natural range of motion of the wearer in that the nonlinear damping manifold is capable of providing infinite resistance as any finger joint attempts to exceed its limits.

16 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
up to four finger mechanisms, each comprising:
the first and second phalanx pads;
the first and second actuators; and
the first, second, third, fourth and fifth linkage lengths and the first, second, third and fourth revolute joints;
a thumb mechanism comprising:
a thumb base;
a thumb phalanx pad; and
a thumb actuator disposed in operable communication with the thumb phalanx pad and the base.

17 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the motion amplification controller is configured to impart the following equations of motion on one or more actuator:

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Assignees

• Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties Inc

Inventors

• Chauhan Raghuraj
• Barry Oumar

Classifications

• B25J9/0006

  Exoskeletons, i.e. resembling a human figure · CPC title

• A61H2201/1659

  Free spatial automatic movement of interface within a working area, e.g. Robot · CPC title

• A61H2201/0192

  Specific means for adjusting dimensions · CPC title

• A61H2201/5007

  computer controlled · CPC title

• A61H2201/1207

  with electric or magnetic drive · CPC title