Walking assist robot and control method thereof

• US 9,655,805 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2014
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Ahn, Sung Hwan, Yoon, Suk June, Shim, Young Bo, Kwon, Young Do
• Primary Examiner(s): Woznicki, Jacqueline
• Application Number:
  US14/559,519
• Publication Number:
  US 20150196449A1
• Time in Patent Office: 902 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/70 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/6827 Feedback system for providing user sensation, e.g. by force, contact or position
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/704 computer-controlled, e.g. robotic control
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2005/0155 with actuating means
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/01 Orthopaedic devices, e.g. splints, casts or braces
• 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 1/0266 Foot
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1215 Rotary drive
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1238 with hydraulic or pneumatic drive
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1628 Pelvis
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/164 Feet or leg, e.g. pedal
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/165 Wearable interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5007 computer controlled
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/501 connected to external computer devices or networks
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5046 Touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5061 Force sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5069 Angle sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5084 Acceleration sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5092 Optical sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5097 : wireless
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 3/00 : Appliances for aiding patients or disabled persons to walk about apparatus for helping babies to walk A47D13/04; orthopaedic devices for correcting deformities of, or supporting, limbs A61F5/0102; exercising apparatus for the feet or toes A63B23/10; stairways or ramps E04F11/00

Abstract

A control method of a walking assist robot, may include: estimating a wearer'"'"'s location on a map including walking environment information; determining a walking environment in a direction in which the wearer moves; and selecting a control mode for assisting the wearer'"'"'s walking according to the walking environment.

Claims

1. A control method of a walking assist robot including a controller having a processor and a memory, the memory containing computer readable code that, when executed by the processor, configures the controller to perform the control method comprising:

detecting an initial location of a wearer of the walking assist robot based on information from an external device;

searching the memory for a map related to the initial location of the wearer, the map including walking environment information;

setting the initial location of the wearer on the searched map;

reading, from the memory, kinematic information associated with the walking assist robot;

estimating a current location of the wearer on the searched map by applying the kinematic information associated with the walking assist robot into an algorithm;

updating the estimated current location of the wearer based on data measured by a plurality of sensors;

determining a walking environment in a direction in which the wearer moves based on the map on which the initial location of the wearer is set and the updated current location of the wearer; and

selecting one of a plurality of control modes of the walking assistance robot according to the walking environment.

2. The control method according to claim 1, wherein the walking environment information includes information about the ground.

3. The control method according to claim 2, wherein the information about the ground includes at least one of whether the ground is even, an ascent slope, a descent slope, an ascent stair, a descent stair, and contains an obstacle.

4. The control method according to claim 1, further comprising:

attempting to automatically detect the initial location of the wearer; and

if the attempting is unable to automatically detect the initial location then,

receiving a first input from the wearer, the first input indicating a place name,

searching the memory for a map related to the place name,

receiving a second input from the wearer, the second input indicating the initial location on the searched map, and

setting the initial location input by the wearer on the searched map.

5. The control method according to claim 4, wherein the receiving the first input from the wearer comprises:

receiving a voice command from the wearer and recognizing the place name from the voice command.

6. The control method according to claim 1, wherein the walking assist robot includes one or more inertial sensors and one or more joints, and the estimating the current location of the wearer comprises:

estimating the current location of the wearer using a Kalman Filter, the Kalman Filter having as state variables locations, velocities, and directions of the one or more inertial sensors, and relative locations and relative directions of the one or more joints with respect to the inertial sensors.

7. The control method according to claim 1, further comprising:

detecting the initial location of the wearer based on data received from an external device.

8. The control method according to claim 7, wherein the determining a walking environment comprises:

determining the walking environment at the updated current location of the wearer.

9. The control method according to claim 7, wherein the external device includes at least one of base stations and satellites.

10. The control method according to claim 1, further comprising:

generating a control signal according to the selected control mode; and

controlling at least one driver of the walking assist robot based on the control signal.

11. A walking assist robot comprising:

a controller including a processor and a memory, the memory containing computer readable code that, when executed by the processor, configures the controller to,

detect an initial location of a wearer of the walking assist robot based on information from an external device,

search the memory for a map related to the initial location of the wearer, the map including walking environment information,

set the initial location of the wearer on the searched map,

read, from the memory, kinematic information associated with the walking assist robot,

estimate a current location of the wearer on the searched map by applying the kinematic information associated with the walking assist robot into an algorithm,

update the estimated current location of the wearer based on data measured by a plurality of sensors,

determine a walking environment in a direction in which the wearer moves based on the map on which the initial location of the wearer is set and the updated current location of the wearer, and

select one of a plurality of control modes of the walking assistance robot according to the walking environment.

12. The walking assist robot according to claim 11, wherein if the controller is unable to detect the initial location of the wearer, the controller is configured to,

receive first input from the wearer, the first input indicating a place name,

search the memory for a map related to the place name,

receive second input from the wearer, the second input indicating the initial location on the searched map, and

set the initial location input by the wearer on the searched map.

13. The walking assist robot according to claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to detect the initial location of the wearer based on data received from an external device.

14. The walking assist robot according to claim 12, further comprising:

a voice recognition unit configured to recognize the place name from a voice command from the wearer.

15. The walking assist robot according to claim 11, wherein the walking assist robot further comprises:

one or more inertial sensors and one or more joints, and wherein

the controller is configured to estimate the current location of the wearer using a Kalman Filter, the Kalman Filter including as state variables, information about locations, velocities, and directions of the inertial sensors, and information about relative locations and relative directions of the joints with respect to the inertial sensors.

16. The walking assist robot according to claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to,

estimate locations, velocities, and directions of the inertial sensors at a current time based on accelerations and angular velocities measured by the inertial sensors, and

estimate locations and directions of the joints at the current time, based on the estimated locations and the estimated directions of the inertial sensors and relative locations and relative directions of the joints with respect to the inertial sensors.