MOTION REPRODUCING SYSTEM AND MOTION REPRODUCING APPARATUS

• US 20170143517A1
• Filed: 06/23/2015
• Published: 05/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cyberdyne Inc., University of Tsukuba
• Original Assignee: Cyberdyne Inc., University of Tsukuba
• Inventors: SANKAI, Yoshiyuki
• Granted Patent: US 10,441,444 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1121 Determining geometric values, e.g. centre of rotation or angular range of movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/369 Electroencephalography [EEG] devices for psychotechnics A61B5/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/38 for elbows or knees
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/54 Artificial arms or hands or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/60 Artificial legs or feet or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/72 Bioelectric control, e.g. myoelectric
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/704 computer-controlled, e.g. robotic control
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2005/0155 with actuating means
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 1/0274 for the upper limbs
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 1/0277 Elbow
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2003/007 secured to the patient, e.g. with belts
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5069 Angle sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5084 Acceleration sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/00 Manipulators not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/085 Force or torque sensors B25J13/082, B25J13/084 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0006 Exoskeletons, i.e. resembling a human figure

Abstract

There is provided a motion reproducing system and a motion reproducing apparatus that store human motions and reproduce them. The motion reproducing system includes a data acquiring apparatus acquiring body motion data representing a motion of a subject during the motion, and transmitting the body motion data, a data managing apparatus receiving the body motion data from the data acquiring apparatus, the data managing apparatus including a memory storing the body motion data, and a motion reproducing apparatus receiving the body motion data stored in the memory from the data managing apparatus, and allowing a reproducer to reproduce the motion of the subject using the body motion data, the motion being performed at the time of acquisition of the body motion data.

Claims

1. A motion reproducing system comprising:

a data acquiring apparatus acquiring body motion data representing a motion of a subject during the motion, and transmitting the body motion data;

a data managing apparatus receiving the body motion data from the data acquiring apparatus, the data managing apparatus including a memory storing the body motion data; and

a motion reproducing apparatus receiving the body motion data stored in the memory from the data managing apparatus, and allowing a reproducer to reproduce the motion of the subject using the body motion data, the motion being performed at the time of acquisition of the body motion data.

2. The motion reproducing system according to claim 1, wherein the data acquiring apparatus is a first wearable motion assisting apparatus including a first frame and a first drive unit, the first frame being worn along a portion between joints of a body of the subject and rotatably connected to the first drive unit, the first wearable motion assisting apparatus comprising:

a first biological signal detector detecting a biological signal generated in accordance with a motion of the subject;

a first angular sensor detecting a rotation angle of a joint corresponding to the motion of the subject;

a first torque sensor detecting an output torque of the first drive unit;

a relative force detector detecting a force acting on the first frame, the force being relatively determined by a relationship between the output torque of the first drive unit and a muscle force of the subject;

a first control unit calculating an assist force to be applied from the first drive unit to the first frame on the basis of the output torque of the first drive unit, the biological signal, the rotation angle, and the force acting on the first frame; and

a first communicating unit transmitting the output torque of the first drive unit, the biological signal, the rotation angle, and the force acting on the first frame as the body motion data to the data managing apparatus.

3. The motion reproducing system according to claim 2, wherein the motion reproducing apparatus is a second wearable motion assisting apparatus including a second frame and a second drive unit, the second frame being worn along a portion between joints of a body of the reproducer and ratatably connected to the second drive unit, the second wearable motion assisting apparatus comprising:

a second biological signal detector detecting a biological signal generated in accordance with a motion of the reproducer;

a second angular sensor detecting a rotation angle of a joint corresponding to the motion of the reproducer;

a second torque sensor detecting an output torque of the second drive unit;

a second communicating unit receiving the body motion data from the data managing apparatus; and

a second control unit calculating an assist control output torque on the basis of, of the body motion data, the output torque of the first drive unit, the biological signal detected by the first biological signal detector, the rotation angle detected by the first angular sensor, and the force acting on the first frame, calculating an angle control output torque for making equal the rotation angle detected by the first angular sensor and the rotation angle detected by the second angular sensor, and calculating an assist force to be applied from the second drive unit to the second frame on the basis of the assist control output torque and the angle control output torque.

4. The motion reproducing system according to claim 3, wherein the second control unit calculates a force control output torque for making equal or proportional the output torque of the second drive unit and the output torque of the first drive unit included in the body motion data, and calculates the assist force to be applied from the second drive unit to the second frame on the basis of the assist control output torque, the angle control output torque, and the force control output torque.

5. The motion reproducing system according to claim 2, wherein the motion reproducing apparatus is an embedded-type motion assisting apparatus embedded in one of four limbs of the reproducer, the embedded-type motion assisting apparatus comprising:

a first limb coupled to a first bone;

a second limb coupled to a second bone;

a third angular sensor detecting a pivoting angle of the second limb with respect to the first limb;

a third drive unit disposed between the first limb and the second limb, and configured to drive the second limb with respect to the first limb in a rotation direction of a joint;

a third communicating unit receiving the body motion data; and

a third control unit calculating an output torque for making equal the pivoting angle detected by the third angular sensor and the rotation angle detected by the first angular sensor and included in the body motion data, and controlling the third drive unit.

6. The motion reproducing system according to claim 1, wherein the data acquiring apparatus is a motion capture apparatus, and is configured to acquire a rotation angle of a joint of the subject as the body motion data.

7. The motion reproducing system according to claim 1, wherein the data managing apparatus includes a billing function unit configured to bill the motion reproducing apparatus when a request to send out the body motion data stored in the memory is received from the motion reproducing apparatus.

8. A motion reproducing apparatus configured to receive body motion data representing a motion of a subject from a data managing apparatus storing the body motion data, and allow a reproducer to reproduce the motion of the subject using the body motion data, the motion being performed when the body motion data was acquired.

9. The motion reproducing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the motion reproducing apparatus is a wearable motion assisting apparatus including a frame and a drive unit, the frame being worn along a portion between joints of a body of the reproducer and ratatably connected to the drive unit, the wearable motion assisting apparatus comprising:

a biological signal detector detecting a biological signal generated in accordance with a motion of the subject;

an angular sensor detecting a rotation angle of a joint corresponding to the motion of the subject;

a torque sensor detecting an output torque of the drive unit;

a communicating unit receiving the body motion data from the data managing apparatus; and

a control unit calculating an assist control output torque on the basis of, of the body motion data, the output torque of the drive unit, the biological signal detected by the biological signal detector, the rotation angle detected by the angular sensor, and a force acting on the frame, calculating an angle control output torque for making equal the rotation angle detected by the angular sensor and a target rotation angle, and calculating an assist force to be applied from the drive unit to the frame on the basis of the assist control output torque and the angle control output torque.

10. The motion reproducing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the reproducer is a robot.