Device and method for decreasing energy consumption of a person by use of a lower extremity exoskeleton
First Claim
1. A method of reducing the energy consumption of a person in motion along a trajectory in a direction of movement coupled to an exoskeleton device including at least one power unit, two leg supports for coupling to said person'"'"'s lower limbs rotatably connected to an exoskeleton trunk, two hip actuators for creating torques between said leg supports and said exoskeleton trunk and at least one signal processor, said method comprising:
- supplying energy from said at least one power unit to said hip actuator of the leg support coupled to said person'"'"'s lower limb in a stance phase and creating a torque profile in said hip actuator of said leg support in stance such that mechanical energy is transferred to said person from said lower extremity exoskeleton during said stance phase in the direction of movement, wherein said signal processor computes said torque profile and controls said hip actuator of said leg support in the stance phase to ensure said torque profile is larger than;
(MTRUNKL2+I){umlaut over (β
)}1−
(LMTRUNK+RML)g Sin(β
1+α
)+TF wherein;
M TRUNK is a mass of the exoskeleton trunk and any attached load;
ML is a mass of the respective first and second leg support in the stance phase;
I is moment of inertia of the respective first and second leg support in the stance phase;
L is a length of the respective first and second leg support in the stance phase;
R is a distance between a center of mass of the respective first and second leg support in the stance phase and a rotational point;
g is force due to gravity;
β
1 is an angle between a support surface and the normal line of force on the exoskeleton trunk from the person'"'"'s upper body;
α
is a ground slope defined by an angle between a support surface and a horizontal plane; and
TF is a frictional torque opposing the motion of the leg support relative to the exoskeleton trunk.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A lower extremity exoskeleton, configurable to be coupled to a person, includes: leg supports configurable to be coupled to the person'"'"'s lower limbs and designed to rest on the ground during stance phases, with each leg support having a thigh link and a shank link; two knee joints, each configured to allow flexion and extension between respective shank and thigh links; an exoskeleton trunk configurable to be coupled to the person'"'"'s upper body, rotatably connectable to the thigh links of the leg supports, allowing for the flexion and extension between the leg supports and the exoskeleton trunk; two hip actuators configured to create torques between the exoskeleton trunk and the leg supports; and at least one power unit capable of providing power to the hip actuators. In use, power is supplied to the hip actuators in an amount to reduce the energy consumed by a user during a walking cycle.
61 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method of reducing the energy consumption of a person in motion along a trajectory in a direction of movement coupled to an exoskeleton device including at least one power unit, two leg supports for coupling to said person'"'"'s lower limbs rotatably connected to an exoskeleton trunk, two hip actuators for creating torques between said leg supports and said exoskeleton trunk and at least one signal processor, said method comprising:
- supplying energy from said at least one power unit to said hip actuator of the leg support coupled to said person'"'"'s lower limb in a stance phase and creating a torque profile in said hip actuator of said leg support in stance such that mechanical energy is transferred to said person from said lower extremity exoskeleton during said stance phase in the direction of movement, wherein said signal processor computes said torque profile and controls said hip actuator of said leg support in the stance phase to ensure said torque profile is larger than;
(MTRUNKL2+I){umlaut over (β
)}1−
(LMTRUNK+RML)g Sin(β
1+α
)+TFwherein; M TRUNK is a mass of the exoskeleton trunk and any attached load; ML is a mass of the respective first and second leg support in the stance phase; I is moment of inertia of the respective first and second leg support in the stance phase; L is a length of the respective first and second leg support in the stance phase; R is a distance between a center of mass of the respective first and second leg support in the stance phase and a rotational point; g is force due to gravity; β
1 is an angle between a support surface and the normal line of force on the exoskeleton trunk from the person'"'"'s upper body;α
is a ground slope defined by an angle between a support surface and a horizontal plane; andTF is a frictional torque opposing the motion of the leg support relative to the exoskeleton trunk. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
- supplying energy from said at least one power unit to said hip actuator of the leg support coupled to said person'"'"'s lower limb in a stance phase and creating a torque profile in said hip actuator of said leg support in stance such that mechanical energy is transferred to said person from said lower extremity exoskeleton during said stance phase in the direction of movement, wherein said signal processor computes said torque profile and controls said hip actuator of said leg support in the stance phase to ensure said torque profile is larger than;
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15. A method of reducing the energy consumption of a person in motion along a trajectory in a forward direction of movement coupled to an exoskeleton device including at least one power unit, two leg supports for attachment to the person'"'"'s legs rotatably connected to an exoskeleton trunk, two hip actuators for creating torques between said leg supports and said exoskeleton trunk and a processor for controlling the hip actuators, the method comprising:
supplying energy from said at least one power unit to said hip actuator of the leg support coupled to said person'"'"'s lower limb in a stance phase; and
creating, utilizing the processor, a torque profile for said hip actuator of said leg support in the stance phase based on a measured force between said exoskeleton trunk and the person'"'"'s upper body along the person'"'"'s forward velocity direction, wherein the torque profile is larger than an amount of torque required to move said exoskeleton trunk and said leg support in the stance phase through the same trajectory in the forward direction of movement when not worn by said person.- View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
Specification