Variable force exoskeleton hip joint

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017246740-A1
Application number	US-201715597213-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 17, 2017
Priority date	Jul 17, 2015
Publication date	Aug 31, 2017
Grant date	—

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.

2 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a controller configured to:
determine a torque associated with the hip joint; and operate the motor to selectively apply the adjustable force in response to the determined torque.

3 . The system of claim 2 , further comprising a 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 a force signal indicative of the force being applied, wherein the controller is further configured to:
receive the force signal from the sensor, wherein determining the torque associated with the hip joint is based on the force signal.

4 . The system of claim 3 , 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.

5 . The system of claim 3 , 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.

6 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine the torque associated with the hip joint using a predictive algorithm.

7 . 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.

8 . The system of claim 7 , 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.

9 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the actuator link comprises a hinge connection between the actuator arm and the second member.

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

11 . The system of claim 10 , 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.

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

13 . 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.

14 . The exoskeleton of claim 13 , further comprising a controller configured to:
determine a torque associated with the hip joint; and operate the motor to selectively apply the adjustable force in response to the determined torque.

15 . The exoskeleton of claim 14 , further comprising a 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 a force signal indicative of the force being applied, and wherein the controller is further configured to:
receive the force signal from the sensor, wherein determining the torque associated with the hip joint is based on the force signal.

16 . The exoskeleton of claim 15 , 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.

17 . The exoskeleton of claim 15 , 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.

18 . The exoskeleton of claim 14 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine the torque associated with the hip joint using a predictive algorithm.

19 . A method of operating a hip joint of an exoskeleton comprising:
determining, by a controller, a torque associated with a hip joint of an exoskeleton, 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 to inhibit rotation of the first member with respect to the second member.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
detecting, by a sensor in communication with the controller, a force being applied to one of the exoskeleton or a user of the exoskeleton; generating a force signal indicative of the force being applied; and providing the force signal to the controller, wherein determining, by the controller, the torque 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

• A61H2201/5061

  Force sensors · CPC title

• A61H2201/5007

  computer controlled · CPC title

• B25J13/085

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

• B25J19/0016

  using springs · CPC title