Wearing Type Behavior Help Device, Wearing Type Behavior Help Device Calibration Device, and Calibration Program

• US 20080234608A1
• Filed: 02/02/2005
• Published: 09/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cyberdyne Inc.
• Original Assignee: University of Tsukuba
• Inventors: Sankai, Yoshiyuki
• Granted Patent: US 9,539,162 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 601/5
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1071 measuring angles, e.g. using goniometers A61B5/1123 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4528 Joints A61B5/4533, A61B5/4538 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 1/0237 for the lower limbs
• 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 1/0262 Walking movement; Appliances for aiding disabled persons to walk A61H3/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2003/007 secured to the patient, e.g. with belts
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0173 Means for preventing injuries
• 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: B25J 9/0006 Exoskeletons, i.e. resembling a human figure

Abstract

[Problem to be Solved]

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to reduce the load applied to the wearer by correcting a parameter in correspondence with detectivity of biosignals.

[Means to Solve Problem]

The calibration controlling part 162 of the movement assisting apparatus 10 enables the power amplifying part 158 to apply a driving force of the driving source 140 as a load (input torque) from the load generating part 164 to the wearer 12 when the wearer 12 wears the movement assisting wearing device. Then, the wearer 12 applied with the driving force of the driving source 140 generates power from the skeletal muscles by performing a predetermined calibration operation. Accordingly, the physical phenomenon detecting part 142 detects joint angle along with the calibration operation, and the biosignal detecting part 144 detects myoelectric signals. In the parameter correction part 156, a parameter K is corrected based on the difference between the load (input torque) and the driving force (muscular strength) being calculated by the difference deriving part 154 with respect to the phase identified by the phase identifying part 152.

Claims

1. A wearable type movement assisting apparatus including a detecting part for detecting a biosignal from a wearer, a movement assisting wearing device including a driving source for applying a driving force to the wearer, and a control part for controlling the driving source to generate an assisting force according to a detection signal detected by the detecting part, the wearable type movement assisting apparatus characterized by comprising:

a calibration part for detecting the biosignal corresponding to the driving force applied as a load from the driving source and setting a correction value based on the detected signal.

4. The wearable type movement assisting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the detecting part is adhered on the skin of the wearer and detects a myoelectric potential of the wearer as the biosignal.

5. The wearable type movement assisting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the movement assisting wearing device includes

a waist belt,

a right leg assisting part provided at the right side below the waist belt, and

a left leg assisting part provided at the left side below the waist belt,

wherein the right leg assisting part and the left leg assisting part includes

a first frame extending downward in a manner supporting the waist belt,

a second frame extending downward from the first frame,

a third frame extending downward from the second frame,

a fourth frame on which a bottom side of the foot of the wearer is placed and provided at a lower end of the third frame,

a first joint interposed between a lower end of the first frame and an upper end of the second frame, and

a second joint interposed between a lower end of the second frame and an upper end of the third frame.

6. The wearable type movement assisting apparatus as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the first joint is provided at a level matching the height of the hip joint of the wearer,

wherein the second joint is provided at a level matching the height of the knee joint of the wearer.

7. The wearable type movement assisting apparatus as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that a first driving source is provided in the first joint for transmitting a driving force for rotating the second frame,

wherein a second driving source is provided in the second joint for transmitting a driving force for rotating the third frame.

8. The wearable type movement assisting apparatus as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the first and second driving sources include an angle sensor for detecting a joint angle.

2. A wearable type movement assisting apparatus including a detecting part for detecting a biosignal from a wearer, a movement assisting wearing device including a driving source for applying a driving force to the wearer, and a control part for controlling the driving source to generate an assisting force according to a detection signal detected by the detecting part, the wearable type movement assisting apparatus characterized by comprising:

a load generating part for applying a predetermined driving force from the driving source as an external force when the movement assisting wearing device is worn by the wearer; and

a correction value setting part for generating a parameter for a calculation process executed in accordance with the detection signal by the control part and setting 5 the parameter as a correction value for the wearer.

3. The wearable type movement assisting apparatus as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the calibration part includes a database storing a corresponding relationship between the detection signal detected by the detecting part and a control signal for controlling the driving source,

wherein the control part corrects the control signal stored in the database according to the correction value set by the correction value setting part.

9. A calibration apparatus of a wearable type movement assisting apparatus for performing calibration whenever a wearer wears a movement assisting wearing device including a driving source generating an assisting power corresponding to biosignals from the wearer by associating the biosignals and the assisting power to a predetermined relationship, the apparatus characterized by comprising:

a first storage part for storing a first corresponding relationship between the power and the biosignals generated by the wearer wearing the movement assisting wearing device; and

a second storage part for storing a second corresponding relationship between the power and the biosignals generated by the wearer during a process of performing a predetermined basic movement;

wherein based on the biosignals generated during the basic movement of the wearer and the second corresponding relationship, a correction of assisting power corresponding to the biosignals is performed for satisfying the first corresponding relationship whenever I the movement assisting wearing device is worn by the wearer.

10. The calibration apparatus of the wearable type movement assisting apparatus as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that the first corresponding relationship includes the power having a positive correlation with respect to the biosignals, wherein the second corresponding relationship includes a relationship between changes of the biosignals and the changes of the power of the basic movement.

11. A program for calibration of a wearing type movement assisting apparatus enabling a computer to execute calibration whenever a wearer wears a movement assisting wearing device including a driving source generating an assisting power corresponding to biosignals from the wearer by associating the biosignals and the assisting power to a predetermined relationship, the program characterized by comprising:

a first program for enabling the computer to store a first corresponding relationship between the power and the biosignals generated by the wearer wearing the movement assisting wearing device and store a second corresponding relationship between the power and the biosignals generated by the wearer during a process of performing a predetermined basic movement; and

a second program for enabling the computer to perform correction of assisting power corresponding to biosignals based on the biosignals generated during the basic movement of the wearer and the second corresponding relationship stored in the second storage part when the movement assisting wearing device is worn by the wearer for satisfying the first corresponding relationship stored in the first storage part.