Wearable robot assisting manual tasks

• US 9,381,642 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2015
• Issued: 07/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Asada, Haruhiko Harry, Llorens-Bonilla, Baldin Adolfo
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancho, Ronnie
• Application Number:
  US14/595,873
• Publication Number:
  US 20150217444A1
• Time in Patent Office: 539 Days
• Field of Search: 700/245, 700/258, 600/587, 600/595, 414/2, 414/7, 414/11, 254/133.R
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/00 Manipulators mounted on wheels or on carriages B25J1/00 takes precedence; programme-controlled manipulators B25J9/00 ; vehicle aspects B60, B62, e.g. remote-controlled steering for motor vehicles B62D1/24; control of position of vehicles G05D1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0006 Exoskeletons, i.e. resembling a human figure
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0084 comprising a plurality of manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1682 Dual arm manipulator; Coordination of several manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1694 characterised by use of sensors other than normal servo-feedback from position, speed or acceleration sensors, perception control, multi-sensor controlled systems, sensor fusion
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/12 in more than one direction
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/18 with mechanism for moving the apparatus relatively to the stand
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/2035 in more than one direction
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/04 for supporting on, or holding steady relative to, a person, e.g. by chains , e.g. rifle butt or pistol grip supports, supports attached to the chest or head apparatus or arrangements for taking photographs or for projecting or viewing them G03B
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/423 Teaching successive positions by walk-through, i.e. the tool head or end effector being grasped and guided directly, with or without servo-assistance, to follow a path
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36429 Power assisted positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37388 Acceleration or deceleration, inertial measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40305 Exoskeleton, human robot interaction, extenders

Abstract

A wearable robotic system assists a wearer in performing manual tasks. One or more robotic arms are mounted to a wearer, and an sensor monitors the orientation(s) (e.g., position and movement) of the wearer'"'"'s upper body and one or both arms. A controller detects a task being performed by the wearer based on the orientation(s) as indicated by the orientation sensors. In response, the controller causes the robotic arm to perform an action independent of the orientation(s) of the wearer'"'"'s arms and complementary to the task, thereby aiding the wearer to accomplish the detected task.

Claims

1. A robotic system, comprising:

a robotic arm configured to be mounted to a wearer proximate to a shoulder of the wearer;

a sensor configured to sense motion of the wearer'"'"'s upper body and at least one of the wearer'"'"'s arms; and

a controller configured to detect a task being performed by the wearer based on the motion and to cause the robotic arm to perform an action independent of the motion and complementary to the task.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the robotic arm is mounted above the wearer'"'"'s shoulders.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the robotic arm to compensate for the motion as a function of at least one maximum correlation variable between the robotic arm and the motion.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to perform the action based on prediction information, the prediction information indicating a movement instruction for the robotic arm corresponding to the task.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the controller is further configured to update the prediction information to a database based on backdriven movement of the robotic arm.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the controller is further configured to generate the prediction information based on recorded movement of the robotic arm and recorded motion of the wearer'"'"'s upper body and the wearer'"'"'s arm.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the recorded movement is caused by a user other than the wearer.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the controller is further configured to selectively enable the robotic arm to be backdriven and to record the backdriven movement based on a user selection of a mode of operation.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the robotic arm further comprises a sensor at an end of the robotic arm, the controller causing the robotic arm to position itself based on a feedback signal from the sensor.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the robotic arm to implement at least one of a given position and a given force based on the feedback signal from the sensor.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a movement of the robotic arm based on a partial least squares regression that relates the action to the motion and the task.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the robotic arm is a first robotic arm, and further comprising a second robotic arm mounted to the wearer, the controller configured to cause the second robotic arm to perform an action independent of the motion and complementary to the task.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a mount supporting the first and second robotic arms above the wearer'"'"'s shoulders.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor include sensors mounted to at least one of the wearer'"'"'s upper body and the wearer'"'"'s arm.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is further configured to image the wearer'"'"'s upper body and at least one arm.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the action includes a sequence of movements of the robotic arm.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is further configured to detect position with regard to the wearer'"'"'s upper body and at least one arm.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to perform the action based on a robot motion predicted based on of the wearer'"'"'s motion and the task.

19. A method of operating a robotic system, comprising:

enabling a robotic arm to be backdriven by a user, the robotic arm being mounted to a wearer distinct from the user;

recording representations of backdriven movement of the robotic arm by the user;

recording representations of movement of the wearer concurrently with the representations of the backdriven movement; and

generating a movement instruction for the robotic arm based on the recorded backdriven movement and recorded movement of the wearer.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising controlling movement of the robotic arm based on the movement instruction and a detected movement of the wearer.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising recording representations of a task status.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein generating the movement instruction is based on the task status.

23. A method of operating a robotic system, comprising:

sensing motion of a wearer'"'"'s upper body and at least one of the wearer'"'"'s arms, the wearer wearing a robotic arm proximate to the shoulder of the wearer;

detecting a task being performed by the wearer based on the motion; and

causing the robotic arm to perform an action independent of the motion and complementary to the task.

24. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including instruction that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to:

sense motion of a wearer'"'"'s upper body and at least one of the wearer'"'"'s arms, the wearer wearing a robotic arm proximate to the shoulder of the wearer;

detect a task being performed by the wearer based on the motion; and

cause the robotic arm to perform an action independent of the motion and complementary to the task.