Ekoskeleton interface apparatus

• US 20060150753A1
• Filed: 12/31/2002
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Andrea Dettori, Antonio Frisoli, Bergamasco Massimo, Fabio Salsedo, Fabrizio Rocchi, Marco Franceschini
• Original Assignee: Andrea Dettori, Antonio Frisoli, Bergamasco Massimo, Fabio Salsedo, Fabrizio Rocchi, Marco Franceschini
• Inventors: Massimo, Bergamasco, Dettori, Andrea, Franceschini, Marco, Rocchi, Fabrizio, Salsedo, Fabio, Frisoli, Antonio
• Granted Patent: US 7,409,882 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/865.400
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0006 Exoskeletons, i.e. resembling a human figure
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20213 Interconnected
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20341 Power elements as controlling elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20366 Power and manual controlling elements

Abstract

An exoskeleton interface apparatus includes five rigid links (2-6) arranged in series, capable of rotating reciprocally at the respective ends for monitoring angular movements of the arm, of the forearm and the wrist of an user (60) and having at the tip an handgrip (30) for engaging with the user (60) by reflecting a force feedback. The rigid links (2-6) can rotate at their ends about rotational joints (11-14) having rotational axes (31-34) incident in the intersection point of the physiological axes of the shoulder. The rotational joints (11-14) are brought into rotation about the respective rotational axes (31-34) by means of respective motors (21-24), for example servo-motor such as torque motors. All the motors (21-24) are mounted on the fixed base link (2) in order to minimize the mass of the parts in movement and the inertia reflected on the user (60). A plurality of idle pulleys (50) is provided, spatially arranged for orienting the tendons (41-44), which brake the free movement of the relative rotational joint, responsive to signals corresponding to constraints on the slave in case of teleoperation or to constraints created by virtual reality systems.

Claims

1. Exoskeleton interface apparatus for detecting the posture of a limb of an user and/or for reflecting controlled forces on the user, whose characteristic is that it comprises:

at least an element of interaction with an operator;

a plurality of rigid links pivotally connected in series, between said element of interaction and a rigid fixed link, by means of rotational joints whose rotational axes coincide substantially in operative conditions with the physiological axes of at least one limb of the user;

means arranged in said rigid fixed link for generating a motive or braking force;

means for transmitting said force to said rotational joints;

means for measuring the angular position of said rotational joints.

2. Exoskeleton interface apparat us according to claim 1, wherein said rigid links comprise:

said rigid fixed link, or base frame, connected to a fixed plane and operatively connected to a second rigid link by a first rotational joint having an axis of rotation;

a third rigid link operatively connected to said second rigid link by means of a second rotational joint having axis of rotation orthogonal to the axis of rotation of the first rotational joint;

a fourth rigid link operatively connected to said third rigid link by means of a third rotational joint with axis of rotation orthogonal to the axis of the second rotational joint;

a fifth rigid link associated to said element of interaction operatively connected to said fourth rigid link by means of a fourth rotational joint.

3. Exoskeleton interface apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, when the exoskeleton interface apparatus is used for monitoring the motion of the shoulder, of the arm and of the wrist of an operator, the axes of the first, of the second and of the third rotational joint are incident in a point at the physiological centre of the shoulder, whereas the axis of the fourth rotational joint coincides with the physiological axis of the elbow.

4. Exoskeleton interface apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said element of interaction is connected to the fifth rigid link by means of a fifth rotational joint, for example a ring bearing, for measuring the rotation of the wrist with respect to the forearm.

5. Exoskeleton interface apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said applied force brakes the free movement of said rigid link due to the movement of a limb of the user.

6. Exoskeleton interface apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means for generating said force are motors, in particular “

torque motors”

, with a high torque/mass ratio.

7. Exoskeleton interface apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each rotational joint is brought independently into rotation about the respective axis, by one of said means for generating a force through said means for transmitting said force.

8. Exoskeleton interface apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means for transmitting said force comprise at least one tendon, whereby each means for generating said force is operatively connected to a rotational joint by said at least one tendon.

9. Exoskeleton interface apparatus according to claim 1, in which the rotational axes of the rotational joints lay in different planes, whereby a plurality is provided of means for orienting said means for transmitting said force.

10. Exoskeleton interface apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means for transmitting are tensioning tendons, said means for orienting being idle pulleys spatially arranged along said rigid links.

11. Exoskeleton interface apparatus according to claim 2, wherein at least one joint of the exoskeleton structure has open geometry, in particular said third rotational joint has open geometry.

12. Exoskeleton interface apparatus according to claim 2, wherein on the axis of the first, third and fourth rotational joint an integrated epicyclic reduction gear is mounted for reducing the masses of the rigid links at the same conditions of stiffness and applied force.

13. Exoskeleton interface apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means for measuring the angular position of said rotational joints are mounted directly on the axis of said means for generating said force, in particular said means for measuring being high resolution incremental encoders.