Wearable robot and control method thereof

• US 10,201,437 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2014
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Ji Young, Moon, Kyung-Won, Shim, Young Bo, Lee, Ju Suk
• Primary Examiner(s): Woznicki, Jacqueline
• Application Number:
  US14/558,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20150196403A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,533 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/70 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/72 Bioelectric control, e.g. myoelectric
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/6818 for braking
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/6827 Feedback system for providing user sensation, e.g. by force, contact or position
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/6836 Gears specially adapted therefor, e.g. reduction gears
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/6845 Clutches
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/6863 magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/701 operated by electrically controlled means, e.g. solenoids or torque motors
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/702 Battery-charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/704 computer-controlled, e.g. robotic control
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/705 Electromagnetic data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/707 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/708 electrically self charging
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 1/024 Knee A61H1/0255 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 1/0244 Hip A61H1/0255 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 1/0266 Foot
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0192 Specific means for adjusting dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1215 Rotary drive
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1238 with hydraulic or pneumatic drive
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1623 Back
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1628 : Pelvis
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/164 : Feet or leg, e.g. pedal
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/165 : Wearable interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5007 : computer controlled
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5061 : Force sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5064 : Position sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5069 : Angle sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5079 : Velocity sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5084 : Acceleration sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 3/00 : Appliances for aiding patients or disabled persons to walk about apparatus for helping babies to walk A47D13/04 ; applying electrical currents by contact electrodes for stimulating motor muscles, e.g. walking assistance A61N1/36003
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/09 : Closed loop, sensor feedback controls arm movement
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/23 : Electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/46 : Sensing device

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a control method of a wearable robot, including: generating reference gait data based on the results of sensing by a sensor unit included in a structure; estimating, when a wearer walks, the wearer'"'"'s gait phase based on the results of sensing by the sensor unit; detecting a gait phase having a minimum difference from the estimated gait phase from the reference gait data; and driving a driver of the structure, according to a control signal generated based on the estimated gait phase and the detected gait phase.

Claims

1. A control method of a wearable robot, the wearable robot including a plurality of joints, the control method comprising:

generating a reference trajectory in a two-dimensional state space, the reference trajectory being a trajectory which the plurality of joints are required to follow when the wearable robot assists a wearer with walking;

sensing motion of the wearer by sensing at least whether one or more of a toe and a heel portion of one or more foot rests associated with the wearable robot is in contact with a ground using a pair of pressure sensors;

estimating a gait phase of the wearer of the wearable robot in the two-dimensional state space based on at least results of the sensing by the pair of pressure sensors;

determining a distance between each of the multiple data points in the reference trajectory and the estimated gait phase in the two-dimensional state space;

detecting a gait phase as one of the multiple data points within the reference trajectory such that the detected gait phase has a minimum distance from the estimated gait phase in the two-dimensional state space; and

synchronizing motion of the wearable robot with the results of sensing motion of the wearer by the pair of pressure sensors by,

generating a control signal associated with a driving velocity of a driver of the wearable robot based on the detected gait phase within the reference trajectory such that the estimated gait phase gradually converges to the detected gait phase, and

driving the driver according to the control signal.

2. The control method according to claim 1, wherein the sensing further comprises:

sensing, via a position sensor, a position of each of the plurality of joints, and

sensing, via a velocity sensor, a velocity of each of the plurality of joints.

3. A control method of a wearable robot, the wearable robot including a plurality of joints, the control method comprising:

sensing motion of a wearer by sensing at least whether one or more of a toe and a heel portion of one or more foot rests associated with the wearable robot is in contact with a ground using a pair of pressure sensors;

estimating a gait phase of Ran the wearer of the wearable robot in a two-dimensional state space based on at least results of the sensing by the pair of pressure sensors;

determining a distance between each of multiple data points in a reference trajectory and the estimated gait phase in the two-dimensional state space, the reference trajectory being a trajectory which the plurality of joints are required to follow when the wearable robot assists the wearer with walking;

detecting a gait phase as one of the multiple data points within the reference trajectory such that the detected gait phase has a minimum distance from the estimated gait phase in the two-dimensional state space; and

synchronizing motion of the wearable robot with the results of sensing motion of the wearer by the pair of pressure sensors by,

generating a control signal associated with a driving velocity of a driver of the wearable robot based on the detected gait phase within the reference trajectory such that the estimated gait phase gradually converges to the detected gait phase, and

driving the driver according to the control signal.

4. The control method according to claim 3, wherein the sensing further comprises:

sensing, via a position sensor, a position of each of the plurality of joints, and

sensing, via a velocity sensor, a velocity of each of the plurality of joints.

5. The control method according to claim 3, wherein the wearable robot is pre-programmed with the reference trajectory.

6. A wearable robot comprising:

a memory configured to store reference trajectory therein;

a walking assistance device having an exoskeleton shape such that the walking assistance device is configured to be worn on one or more legs of a wearer of the wearable robot, the walking assistance device including a plurality of joints and a plurality of sensors; and

a controller configured to,

sense motion of the wearer by sensing at least whether one or more of a toe and a heel portion of one or more foot rests associated with the wearable robot is in contact with a ground using a pair of pressure sensors included in the plurality of sensors,

estimate a gait phase of the wearer in a two-dimensional state space based on at least results of sensing by the pair of pressure sensors,

determine a distance between each of multiple data points in the reference trajectory and the estimated gait phase in the two-dimensional state space, the reference trajectory being a trajectory which the plurality of joints are required to follow when the walking assistance device assists the wearer with walking,

detect a gait phase as one of the multiple data points within the reference trajectory such that the detected gait phase has a minimum distance from the estimated gait phase in the two-dimensional state space, and

synchronize motion of the wearable robot with the results of sensing motion of the wearer by the pair of pressure sensors by,

generating a control signal to adjust a driving velocity of a driver based on the detected gait phase within the reference trajectory such that the estimated gait phase gradually converges to the detected gait phase, and

driving the driver according to the control signal.

7. The wearable robot according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of sensors comprise:

a position sensor configured to sense a position of each of the plurality of joints,

a velocity sensor configured to sense a velocity of each of the plurality of joints, and

the pair of pressure sensors configured to determine whether one or more foot rests associated with the walking assistance device is in contact with the ground.