Wearable robot and control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9463570-B2
Application number	US-201414565156-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 9, 2014
Priority date	Dec 10, 2013
Publication date	Oct 11, 2016
Grant date	Oct 11, 2016

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a wearable robot for assisting a wearer's intended motion, including: one or more links configured to support the wearer; one or more joints unit configured to connect the links to each other; a controller configured to determine the wearer's intended motion, and to calculate at least one torque based on the wearer's intended motion; and a driver configured to generate the calculated torque in the joints. According to the wearable robot, a wearer's intended motion may be determined in real time based on a velocity of the wearer's center of gravity. At this time, by using a pressure sensor, reliability of the motion determination may increase. Also, joint movements may be effectively controlled according to the wearer's intended motion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wearable robot comprising:
at least one link configured to support a wearer of the wearable robot;
at least one joint configured to connect the links to each other;
a controller configured to,
detect a first position of a center of gravity of the wearer,
detect a second position of the center of gravity of the wearer,
determine a velocity of the center of gravity of the wearer based on a time and a distance between the first position and the second position,
determine magnitudes of the velocity in a first direction and a second direction, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction,
determine an intended motion of the wearer based on the magnitudes of the velocity of the center of gravity of the wearer, and
calculate at least one torque based on the intended motion; and
a driver configured to generate the calculated torque in the joints.

2. The wearable robot according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a pressure sensor configured to sense pressure due to a weight of the wearer, wherein
the controller is configured to determine a movement state of the wearer based on the calculated velocity and the sensed pressure, and determine the intended motion of the wearer based on the movement state.

3. The wearable robot according to claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the movement state of the wearer by,
comparing the calculated velocity of the center of gravity of the wearer to one of first reference values, and
comparing the sensed pressure to one of second reference values.

4. The wearable robot according to claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to,
compare a magnitude in a first direction of the calculated velocity of the center of gravity of the wearer to at least one first direction reference value of the first reference values, and
compare a magnitude in a second direction of the calculated velocity of the center of gravity of the wearer to at least one second direction reference value of the first reference values.

5. The wearable robot according to claim 4 , wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.

6. The wearable robot according to claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the movement state as state in which the wearer is leaning back, if the magnitude in the first direction is equal to or smaller than a minimum value of the at least one first direction reference value, and the sensed pressure is smaller than the second reference value.

7. The wearable robot according to claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the movement state as a state in which the wearer is bending forward, if the magnitude in the first direction is equal to or greater than a maximum value of the at least one first direction reference value, and the sensed pressure is smaller than the second reference value.

8. The wearable robot according to claim 4 , wherein controller is configured to determine the movement state as a state in which the wearer is sitting down, if the magnitude in the second direction is equal to or smaller than a minimum value of the at least one second direction reference value, and the sensed pressure is equal to or greater than the second reference value.

9. The wearable robot according to claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the movement state as a state in which the wearer is standing up, if the magnitude in the second direction is equal to or greater than a maximum value of the at least one second direction reference value, and the sensed pressure is equal to or greater than the second reference value.

10. The wearable robot according to claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the movement state as a state in which the wearer is seated, if the magnitude in the first direction is between a minimum value and a maximum value of the at least one first direction reference value, the magnitude in the second direction is between a minimum value and a maximum value of the at least one second direction reference value, and the sensed pressure is smaller than the second reference value.

11. The wearable robot according to claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the movement state as a state in which the wearer is standing, if the magnitude in the first direction is between a minimum value and a maximum value of the at least one first direction reference value, the magnitude in the second direction is between a minimum value and a maximum value of the at least one second direction reference value, and the sensed pressure is equal to or greater than the second reference value.

12. The wearable robot according to claim 2 , wherein if the controller determines that the movement state is a state in which the wearer stands, the controller is configured to determine that the intended motion of the wearer is a standing motion.

13. The wearable robot according to claim 2 , wherein if the controller determines that the movement state is a state in which the wearer sits, the controller is configured to determine that the wearer's intended motion is a sitting motion.

14. The wearable robot according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to calculate the torque, if the controller determines that the wearer's intended motion is a standing motion or a sitting motion.

15. The wearable robot according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to calculate the torque n times so that the wearable robot assists the wearer in performing the intended motion through n steps, wherein n≧1.

16. The wearable robot according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to calculate the torque using the following equation:
τ= J T ·F,

where i is at least one torque, F is a force for moving the center of gravity of the wearer, J is a Jacobean matrix, and T is transpose.

17. A control method of a wearable robot comprising:
detecting a first position of a center of gravity of a wearer of the wearable robot;
detecting a second position of the center of gravity of the wearer;
determining a velocity of the center of gravity of the wearer based on a time and a distance between the first position and the second position;
determining magnitudes of the velocity in a first direction and a second direction, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction;
determining an intended motion of a wearer of the wearable robot based on the magnitudes of the velocity of the center of gravity of the wearer;
calculating at least one torque based on the intended motion; and
generating the calculated torque in one or more joints connecting one or more links of the wearable robot to each other.

18. The control method according to claim 17 , further comprising:
measuring pressure via a pressure sensor, wherein
the determining of the intended motion includes,
determining a movement state of the wearer based on the calculated velocity and the measured pressure, and
determining the intended motion of the wearer based on the movement state.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Gyung Rock
• Kim Ji Min
• Shim Young Bo
• Choi Jong Do
• Ha Tae Sin

Classifications

• G05B2219/40305

  Exoskeleton, human robot interaction, extenders · CPC title

• B25J9/0006 Primary

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

• G05B2219/40413

  Robot has multisensors surrounding operator, to understand intention of operator · CPC title

• B25J9/16 Primary

  Program controls (total factory control, i.e. centrally controlling a plurality of machines, G05B19/418) · CPC title

• B25J9/06

  characterised by multi-articulated arms · CPC title