JP7478024B2 - Wearable movement assist device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a wearable motion assist device that is suitable for use as a wearable motion assist device that is worn around the wearer's waist and assists in heavy muscle work.

In recent years, various power assist devices have become widespread to assist or substitute for the movements of physically disabled people or elderly people who have lost muscle strength, or to assist the movements of people who are not physically disabled or elderly in tasks in daily life or at work.

As one example of such power assist devices, a wearable motion assist device has been proposed that can control and assist movement based on the bioelectric potential associated with voluntary muscle activity according to the wearer's intentions (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2013-173190 A JP 2014-198655 A

The wearable motion assist devices in the above-mentioned Patent Documents 1 and 2 are attached to the back side of the wearer's waist and assist the movement of the thighs relative to the waist when the wearer stands up from a bent position (squatting position).

This type of wearable motion assist device, which is attached to the waist from the back side of the wearer, has the problem that when the wearer sits in a chair or gets into a car, the wearable motion assist device itself becomes an obstacle, making it difficult for the wearer to lean against the backrest.

In addition, such wearable motion-assist devices are generally of the type in which a trunk belt is wrapped around the waist, and some are also of the type in which a shoulder belt is worn like a backpack. This poses the problem that it is time-consuming for the wearer to wrap the belt around their waist while holding the wearable motion-assist device, which weighs several kilograms.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above points, and aims to propose a wearable motion assistance device that is convenient to wear and can improve comfort when sitting.

In order to solve such problems, the present invention provides a wearable motion-assist device that assists the movement of the waist of a wearer, comprising: a drive unit that is disposed on each side of the wearer's left and right hip joints and generates a drive torque so that first and second housing parts that house actuators rotate relatively in response to the drive of the actuator; a waist frame that is worn in front of the wearer's waist and is coupled to the first housing parts of the drive units on both the left and right sides; thigh frames that are coupled to the second housing parts of the left and right drive units, respectively, and have thigh cuffs for contacting the front sides of the wearer's left and right thighs; and a waist frame that is fixed to the left and right first housing parts of the waist frame and is coupled to the waist of the wearer. The device is provided with a fastener for wrapping around clothing or a fixing holder for removably fixing the device to the clothing itself, a hip joint angle measuring unit provided on each of the left and right drive units for detecting the rotation angle between the first and second housing units as the left and right hip joint angles of the wearer, a biosignal detecting unit for detecting the biosignals of the rectus femoris and gluteus maximus muscles accompanying the movement of the wearer's left and right thighs and the biosignal of the latissimus dorsi muscle of the wearer's back, and a control unit for determining the movement and posture of the wearer based on the left and right hip joint angles of the wearer measured by the hip joint angle measuring unit and the biosignal output from the biosignal detecting unit, and for generating a drive torque in accordance with the result of the determination in the actuator of the drive unit.

As a result, with the wearable motion-assist device, the wearer can complete the installation by simply fastening the fixing holder to the wearer's own wrapping fastener or clothing itself from the front side of the waist while holding the entire device. This makes it easier to install by avoiding the trouble of wrapping a trunk belt around the waist as in the past, and also improves comfort when sitting by positioning the waist frame in front of the wearer's waist.

In the present invention, the connecting portion between the second housing part of the drive unit and the thigh frame has a rotation axis perpendicular to the output shaft of the actuator, and the second housing part and the thigh frame are connected to be rotatable about the rotation axis. As a result, in the wearable action-assist device, the angle of the thigh cuff changes when the wearer moves the thigh, thereby reducing the local load on the thigh caused by the thigh cuff.

The present invention further includes a power supply unit that is coupled to the first housing of either or both of the left and right drive units and includes a removably storable battery, the power supply unit is coupled to a coupling portion of the first housing so as to protrude toward the rear side of the wearer, and when the battery is stored in the power supply unit, the battery and the drive unit are electrically connected through the internal space of the first housing.

As a result, when a relatively large battery is attached to one or both of the drive units of the wearable motion-assist device, it is possible to avoid complications such as the wearer's arms touching the battery when moving, or the battery getting caught in the back of a chair when the wearer sits down.

The present invention makes it possible to realize a wearable motion assistance device that is convenient to wear and can improve comfort when sitting.

1A and 1B are perspective views showing the external configuration (front perspective view and rear perspective view) of a wearable action-assist device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is an exploded view showing a configuration of a drive unit of the wearable action-assist device shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the internal configuration of the drive unit. 1A to 1C are a perspective view, a side view, and a front view showing a wearer wearing the wearable action-assist device in a standing position. FIG. 2 is a side view showing a movable range of a joint of the wearable action-assist device. FIG. 2 is a side view showing a leg-spreading movable range of the wearable action-assist device. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an internal system of a drive unit. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the action of a wearer wearing the wearable action-assist device; FIG.

One embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

1A and 1B show a wearable action-assist device 1 according to the present embodiment. The wearable action-assist device 1 is a device that supports (assists) the work and actions of a wearer, and detects biosignals (surface myoelectric potentials) generated when muscle force is generated by signals from the brain and the movement angle of the hip joint of the wearer, and operates to apply a driving force from a driving mechanism (actuator) based on the detection signals.

In the wearable action-assist device 1, drive units 2 and 3 are disposed on the sides of the wearer's left and right hip joints. The drive units 2 and 3 have the same internal structure, except for a partial difference in the housing structure, as described below.

The left drive unit 2 generates a drive torque such that the first and second housing parts 2A, 2B housing the actuator 10 (Figure 3) rotate relatively in response to the drive of the actuator 10. Similarly, the right drive unit 3 generates a drive torque such that the first and second housing parts 3A, 3B housing the actuator 10 rotate relatively in response to the drive of the actuator 10.

The wearable action-assist device 1 is also coupled on the left and right sides to the first housing parts 2A, 3A of the drive units 2, 3, respectively, and a waist frame 4 is attached to the left and right sides of the front side of the wearer's waist. This waist frame 4 is a hollow member made of, for example, CFRP (carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic), and has a rounded shape that matches the shape of the back and both sides of the waist of the human body.

The left and right drive units 2, 3 have thigh frames 5, 6 connected to the second housing parts 2B, 3B, respectively, so that they can rotate freely in a specific direction, and the thigh frames 5, 6 have thigh cuffs 5C, 6C, respectively, for contacting the front sides of the wearer's left and right thighs.

Furthermore, the right drive unit 3 has a power supply unit 8, including a removably storable battery 7, connected to the first housing part 3A, and when the battery 7 is stored in the power supply unit 8, the battery 7 and drive unit 3 are electrically connected through the internal space of the first housing part 3A.

This power supply unit 8 is connected to a connection portion of the first housing portion 3A so that it protrudes toward the rear side of the wearer, which is designed to prevent the wearer's arms from touching the power supply unit 8 when moving, or the power supply unit 8 from getting caught in the back of a chair when the wearer is seated.

Furthermore, in the wearable action-assist device 1, fixing holders 9 are fixed to the left and right first housing parts 2A, 3A of the waist frame 4, respectively, and are removably fixed and held to a trunk belt (wrapping fastener) BT that is attached to clothing centered around the wearer's waist. In Figs. 1(A) and (B), a trunk belt TB that is separate from the wearable action-assist device 1 is shown engaged with the fixing holder 9. This trunk belt TB may be a belt for the waist of a garment that is generally worn by the wearer.

As a result, the wearer can complete wearing the wearable action-assist device 1 by simply fastening and holding the fixing holder 9 to the trunk belt TB worn by the wearer from the front side of the waist while holding the entire device.

Although not shown in FIG. 1, wiring for a biosignal detection sensor (biosignal detection section) 15 (FIG. 7) is drawn out from each of the left and right drive units 2 and 3. The biosignal detection sensor 15 is a detection section that detects biosignals of the rectus femoris and gluteus maximus muscles associated with the movement of the wearer's left and right thighs, and biosignals of the latissimus dorsi muscle on the wearer's back.

Specifically, the biosignal detection sensor 15 is configured with three electrodes connected to the ends of wiring extending from the drive units 2 and 3, and is attached to the back of the wearer's waist to detect biosignals generated when the wearer moves their trunk muscles.

The biosignal detected by the biosignal detection sensor 15 is input to the control device 20 (see FIG. 3, described later) of the drive units 2 and 3. The biosignal detection sensor 15 may be attached to the wearer's back using tape or gel. One of the three electrodes is used to measure the reference signal, and the remaining two electrodes are used to measure the biopotential signal.

Furthermore, the left and right drive units 2, 3 are each provided with a motion/posture sensor (hip joint angle measurement unit) 25 (see FIG. 7, described later) that detects the rotation angle between the first housing portion 2A, 3A and the second housing portion 2B, 3B as the left and right hip joint angles of the wearer.

In addition, in Figs. 2(A)-(D), in which parts corresponding to Figs. 1(A) and (B) are given the same reference numerals, a front view, a top view, and left and right side views of the wearable action-assist device 1 are shown. As shown in Figs. 2(A) and (B), a communication device 30 capable of wireless network communication (wireless LAN, short-range wireless communication, etc.) with external communication terminals, server devices, etc. is built into the center of the waist frame 4. In the communication device 30, the positional relationship of the built-in antennas is set in a predetermined arrangement so that sufficient radio wave strength can be secured for practical use.

Figure 3 shows the internal structure of the drive units 2 and 3. The drive units 2 and 3 have a first housing part 2A, 3A and a second housing part 2B, 3B that respectively house the stator side and rotor side of the actuator 10 and are engaged so that they rotate separately in response to the drive of the actuator 10.

As shown in Figs. 1(A) and (B) above, a waist frame 4 is connected to the first housing parts 2A and 3A of the drive units 2 and 3. Furthermore, not only the waist frame 4 but also a power supply unit 8 is connected to the first housing part 3A of the right drive unit 3. Furthermore, thigh frames 5 and 6 are connected to the second housing parts 2B and 3B of the drive units 2 and 3 so as to be freely rotatable in a specific direction.

The drive units 2 and 3 each have a flat actuator 10, such as a brushless DC motor, a control device 20 that drives and controls the actuator 10, a reducer 35 that converts the rotational speed of the rotor of the actuator 10 into a predetermined reduction ratio and outputs the converted speed, and a flat operating unit 36 that includes a touch sensor 36A.

In the drive units 2 and 3, the main body of the reducer 35 and the control device 20 are stored in approximately the same plane in either the first housing part 2A, 3A or the second housing part 2B, 3B, the operation part 36 is fixed to the main body of the reducer 35 with the actuator 10 sandwiched between them, and the output shaft of the reducer 35 is fixed to the other of the first housing part 2A, 3A or the second housing part 2B, 3B.

The control device 20 determines the wearer's movement and posture based on the wearer's left and right hip joint angles measured by the movement/posture sensor 25 and the biosignals output from the biosignal detection sensor 15, and generates a drive torque in the actuators 10 of the drive units 2 and 3 according to the results of this determination.

Figures 4 (A) to (C) show the state in which the wearer actually wears the wearable action-assist device 1 from the front side of the waist. When the wearer wearing this wearable action-assist device 1 voluntarily lifts and carries a relatively heavy object, the wearable action-assist device 1 applies an assist force in the form of a drive torque according to the biosignals of the latissimus dorsi or gluteus maximus (gluteus maximus) generated at that time and the movement angle of the wearer's hip joint. Therefore, the wearer can lift and carry the object using the combined force of his or her own muscle strength and the drive torque from the drive mechanism (actuator 10).

In addition to carrying tasks such as lifting an object and walking, the wearable motion-assist device 1 can also assist with ascending and descending tasks, such as when the wearer goes up and down stairs while carrying luggage.

In the wearable action-assist device 1 of this embodiment, the connection portions between the second housing parts 2B, 3B of the left and right drive units 2, 3 and the corresponding thigh frames 5, 6 have rotation axes that are aligned perpendicular to the output shaft of the actuator 10, and the second housing parts 2B, 3B and the thigh frames 5, 6 are connected so as to be freely rotatable around the rotation axes.

As shown in FIG. 5(B) using the state in FIG. 5(A) as a reference, the wearable action-assist device 1 is configured so that the thigh frames 5, 6 can rotate up to a maximum rotation angle of approximately 120 degrees (at maximum flexion) with the output shaft of the actuator 10 as the rotation center. This is because the joint motion range of the human thigh is required to be 0 to 120 degrees. Note that while FIGS. 5(A) and (B) are side views of the wearable action-assist device 1, FIGS. 6(A) and (B) are front views of the wearable action-assist device 1 in the same state.

As shown in Figures 6(A) and (B), the range in which the wearer's thighs can be spread (the change in the leg spread state due to bending) is determined by the axial direction of the rotation axis that is the connection point between the second housing parts 2B, 3B of the drive units 2, 3 and the thigh frames 5, 6, and the degree to which the legs can be spread increases with the degree to which the wearer's thighs are bent.

Therefore, in the wearable action-assist device 1, the angle of the thigh cuffs 5C, 6C changes when the wearer moves his/her thigh, thereby reducing the local load on the thigh caused by the thigh cuffs 5C, 6C. In particular, when the flexion angle of the wearer's thigh is at its maximum, the local load on the thigh caused by the thigh cuffs 5C, 6C is at its minimum.

In this way, the wearable action-assist device 1 is a device that, when worn from the front side around the waist of the wearer, generates an assist force (assist force) to assist the movement of the thighs relative to the waist when the wearer stands up from a bent position (squatting position). Such actions of the wearer include, for example, standing up from a squatting position, lifting an object from a squatting position, and actions during transfer assistance.

(2) Configuration of the internal system in the drive unit Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing the internal system configuration of the drive units 2 and 3. As shown in Fig. 7, the control device 20 of the drive units 2 and 3 is, for example, configured with a CPU (Central Processing Unit) chip having a memory, and has an overall control unit 50 configured with an optional control unit 40, an autonomous control unit 41, a phase identification unit 42 and a gain control unit 43, a power amplification unit 51 for power control for the power supply unit 8, an actuator driver 52 for drive control for the actuator 10, and a data storage unit 55 configured with a reference parameter database 53 and a command signal database 54.

In the drive units 2, 3 that apply an assist force to the wearer, the actuator driver 52 is provided with a motion/posture sensor 25 (not shown in FIG. 1) consisting of an angle sensor that detects the rotation angle of the first housing parts 2A, 3A and the second housing parts 2B, 3B accompanying the rotation of the wearer's joints. Also provided is a biosignal detection sensor 15 (not shown in FIG. 1) that detects a signal (biological signal) including the wearer's bioelectric potential, etc.

In the general control unit 50, the optional control unit 40 supplies a command signal (control signal for optional control) corresponding to the detection signal (biological signal) detected by the biosignal detection sensor 15 to the power amplifier unit 51. The optional control unit 40 generates a command signal by applying a predetermined command function f(t) or gain P to the biosignal detection sensor 15. This gain P may be a preset value or function, and can be adjusted via the gain control unit 43 according to the operation content of the operation unit 36.

The drive units 2 and 3 can also select a method for controlling the drive torque (torque magnitude and rotation angle) of the actuator 10 based on angle data detected by the motion/posture sensor 25 provided in the control device 20. This is effective when the wearer's skin is expected to become wet with sweat, or when biosignal input from the biosignal detection sensor 15 cannot be obtained.

The data storage unit 55 has a memory for storing each data, and is provided with a database storage area in which control data for each phase set for each movement pattern (task) such as standing up, walking, and sitting down is prestored, and a control program storage area in which a control program for controlling each actuator 10 is stored. The database storage area stores a reference parameter database 53 and a command signal database 54.

The angle data detected by the joint angle (θ) detected by this movement/posture sensor 25 is input to the reference parameter database 53. The phase identification unit 42 compares the rotation angle of the joint detected by the movement/posture sensor 25 with the joint angle and load of the reference parameters stored in the reference parameter database 53 to identify the phase of the wearer's movement.

Then, when the autonomous control unit 41 obtains the control data for the phase identified by the phase identification unit 42, it generates a command signal (autonomous control control signal) according to the control data for this phase, and supplies the command signal to the power amplifier unit 51 to generate this power in the actuators 10 of the drive units 2 and 3.

The autonomous control unit 41 also receives the gain adjusted by the gain control unit 43 described above, generates a command signal according to this gain, and outputs it to the power control unit 51. The power control unit 51 controls the current that drives the actuators 10 of the drive units 2 and 3 to control the magnitude of the drive torque and the rotation angle, and applies the drive force from the actuators 10 of the drive units 2 and 3 to the joints of the wearer as an assist force.

In this way, the control signal for controlling the drive units 2 and 3 is amplified by the power control unit 51 based on the detection signal detected by the biosignal detection sensor 15 attached based on the wearer's joints, and is supplied to the actuator 10, and the driving force of the actuator 10 is transmitted to the wearer's joints as an assist force.

The control device 20 of the drive units 2 and 3 may also estimate the wearer's task and phase based on the reference parameters stored in the data storage unit 55, and adjust the drive control of the actuator 10 to generate power according to the phase. Based on the absolute angle, rotation angle, angular velocity, and angular acceleration from the motion/posture sensor 25 and the drive torque obtained from the actuator driver 52, the control device 20 may also compensate for the mechanical impedance (inertia, viscosity, stiffness) of the control object of the entire system consisting of the entire device and the wearer in accordance with the viscoelastic properties of the wearer and the gravity of the control object of the entire system.

The compensation method for the mechanical impedance of the controlled object of the entire system described above, which is adapted to the viscoelastic properties of the wearer, is described in detail in a published patent (JP Patent Publication No. 2018-92325) by the present inventor, and the compensation method for the gravity of the controlled object of the entire system is described in detail in a registered patent (JP Patent No. 4178187) by the present inventor.

Furthermore, although not shown in FIG. 7, in the control device 20 of the drive units 2 and 3, the various data stored in the data storage unit 55 can be wirelessly network communicated from the communication device 30 shown in FIGS. 2(A) and (B) to an external communication terminal or server device under the control of the general control unit 50. The communication terminal or server device that receives the data stores and manages the various data obtained from the wearable action-assist device 1.

(3) Configuration of the Control System in the Wearable Action-Assist Device In the wearable action-assist device 1 of this embodiment, the above-mentioned drive units 2, 3 are connected to the left and right sides of the waist frame 4 via first housing parts 2A, 3A, respectively, and are connected to the left and right thigh frames 4 via second housing parts 2B, 3B, respectively, and generate drive torque to relatively rotate the first housing parts 2A, 3A and the second housing parts 2B, 3B, respectively, to drive the waist frame 4 and the thigh frames 5, 6.

The above-mentioned movement/posture sensor 25, which serves as a hip joint angle measurement unit, detects the rotation angles between the left and right sides of the waist frame 4 and the thigh frames 5, 6 as the left and right hip joint angles of the wearer, respectively. In other words, the movement/posture sensor 25 continuously measures the movement angles during flexion and extension of the wearer's left and right hip joints, respectively, as the left and right hip joint angles of the wearer.

The control device 20 determines the wearer's movement and posture based on the wearer's left and right hip joint angles measured by the movement/posture sensor 25, and generates a drive torque in the actuator 10 according to the results of this determination.

Here, the left and right drive units 2 and 3 each have a built-in control device 20, but in order to synchronize the movements of both thighs relative to the wearer's waist, the control device 20 of one of the drive units 2 and 3 is set to act as a master control unit.

When the wearer lifts an object, the left and right drive units 2, 3 simultaneously transmit drive torque to the waist frame 4, driving the waist frame 4 toward the wearer's back, while when the wearer walks or ascends and descends stairs, they transmit drive torque to the thigh frames 5, 6, driving the left and right thigh frames 5, 6 alternately in the forward and backward directions.

An operating unit 36 that functions as a touch sensor to act as a minus button, a plus button, and a power button is connected to either or both of the left and right drive units 2 and 3. Furthermore, a brake mechanism (not shown) that generates a braking force against the rotational movement of the corresponding actuator 10 is connected to each of the left and right drive units 2 and 3.

In the drive units 2 and 3, the control device 20 turns on the power when the power button on the operation unit 36 is pressed, lights up the minus button, plus button and power button, and turns on the brake mechanism, generating a resistance force when the thigh frames 5 and 6 are moved.

When the control device 20 receives a biosignal detected by the biosignal detection sensor 15, it generates a driving force in the actuator 10 according to the drive level of the actuator 10 input by the minus button or plus button of the operation unit 36. The minus button or plus button is a button for controlling the torque tuner of the control device 20, and the torque tuner can set the assist force in multiple stages.

For example, if the assist force is set to five levels, when the torque tuner is set to "1," a maximum of 3 Nm of assist is received with a maximum assist torque of 20%, and when the torque tuner is set to "5," a maximum of 15 Nm of assist is received with a maximum assist torque of 100%. A torque limiter may also be provided to set the upper limit of the torque.

At this time, the control device 20 controls the driving force according to the signal level of the biological signal input from the biological signal detection sensor 15. In order to provide assistance, the device is equipped with a Cybernic Voluntary Control (CVC) mode.

In CVC mode, the control device 20 of the drive units 2 and 3 determines the assist torque in the following order (1) to (3): (1) Calculate the reference assist torque from the bioelectric potential signal of the lower back. (2) Amplify the reference assist torque based on the value of the torque tuner. (3) Adjust the assist torque according to the posture and the content of the movement.

The control device 20 also detects the wearer's reaction force input from the waist frame 4 and thigh frames 5, 6 during the rotational operation of the actuator 10, and when the reaction force falls below a predetermined level, increases the resistance force of the brake mechanism to stop the operation of the actuator 10. The reaction force falls below the predetermined level when, for example, the thigh cuffs 5C, 6C of the thigh frames 5, 6 are detached and it is necessary to stop the operation to ensure safety.

The wearable motion assist device 1 of the embodiment can generate an assist force to assist the movement of the thighs relative to the waist when the wearer stands up from a bent over position.

This assist force is generated by driving the actuator 10 based on biosignals detected by the biosignal detection sensor 15, which are associated with muscle activity when the wearer tries to raise the torso or when trying to maintain the angle of the torso.

Therefore, it is possible to provide a highly convenient wearable action-assist device 1 that can provide the necessary assist force in the necessary direction according to the will of the wearer. It is also possible to provide a wearable action-assist device 1 that can minimize the power (muscle force) that the wearer must generate and prevent situations that impair the wearer's convenience.

If at least one of the left and right drive units 2 and 3 determines that the signal levels of the biosignals of the wearer's left and right thighs are not equal, it determines that the wearer is walking, whereas if it determines that the signal levels are equal, it determines that the wearer is stationary.

In addition, when the control device 20 determines that the wearer is stationary, if it determines that both the left and right hip joint angles are greater than a predetermined specified angle, it determines that the wearer is walking, but if it determines that they are equal to or less than the specified angle, it determines that the wearer is in a posture with their upper body lowered forward.

(4) Operation and Effects of the Wearable Action-Assist Device of the Present Embodiment With the above-described configuration, the wearer can complete wearing the wearable action-assist device 1 by simply fastening and holding the fixing holder 9 to the wearer's own wrapping fastener or to the clothing itself from the front side of the waist while holding the entire device.

This makes it possible to avoid the trouble of having to wrap a trunk belt around the waist as in the past, making it more convenient to wear.

In addition, with the wearable motion-assist device 1, the waist frame 4 is attached to the front side of the wearer, and nothing is attached to the back side of the wearer except on both sides, so that the waist frame 4 is positioned in front of the wearer's waist, making it possible to improve comfort when sitting.

(5) Other embodiments In the present embodiment, the wearable action-assist device 1 is described as being configured to have the fixed holder 9 fixed to the waist frame 4 attached to the front of the wearer's waist using a trunk belt to assist the movement of the wearer's waist, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the fixed holder 9 may be fixed and held in a freely attachable and detachable manner to a wraparound fastener (trunk belt, girdle, waistband, etc.) around the wearer's clothing centered on the waist, or to the clothing itself, in addition to the trunk belt worn by the wearer. In short, as long as the waist frame 4 can be held in front of the wearer's waist, the part where the fixed holder 9 is fixed and held may be freely set.

In the present embodiment, the power supply unit 8 fixedly held on the drive unit 3 on the right side of the wearable action-assist device 1 is connected to a connection portion of the first housing portion 3A so as to protrude toward the back side of the wearer. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In short, the power supply unit 8 may be connected to a desired portion of the wearable action-assist device 1 as long as it is possible to avoid complications such as the wearer's arm touching the power supply unit 8 when moving, or the power supply unit 8 being caught in the back of a chair when the wearer is seated.

1...wearable motion assist device, 2, 3...drive unit, 2A, 3A...first housing section, 2B, 3B...second housing section, 4...waist frame, 5, 6...thigh frame, 5C, 6C...thigh cuff, 7...battery, 8...power supply unit, 9...fixed holder, 10...actuator, 15...biological signal detection sensor, 20...control device, 25...motion/posture sensor, 30...communication device, 35...reduction gear, 36...operation section, 40...optional control section, 41...autonomous control section, 42...phase identification section, 43...gain change section, 50...general control section, 51...power amplification section, 52...actuator driver, 53...reference parameter database, 54...command signal database, 55...data storage section.

Claims (2)

A wearable motion assist device that assists a wearer in moving a waist region,
a drive unit disposed on each side of the wearer's left and right hip joints and configured to generate a drive torque such that first and second housings housing actuators are relatively rotationally driven in response to the drive of the actuators;
a waist frame that is attached to a front of the waist of the wearer and is coupled to the first housing of the drive unit on both the left and right sides;
thigh frames each having a thigh cuff for contacting a front side of a left or right thigh of the wearer, the thigh cuff being coupled to the second housing portion of each of the left and right drive units, respectively;
a fastening holder that is fixed to each of the first housing portions on the left and right sides of the waist frame and that fastens and holds the wearer's clothing around the waist of the wearer or the clothing itself in a detachable manner;
a hip joint angle measuring unit provided in each of the left and right drive units, the hip joint angle measuring unit detecting a rotation angle between the first and second housing units as the left and right hip joint angles of the wearer;
A biosignal detection unit that detects biosignals of the rectus femoris and gluteus maximus muscles accompanying the movement of the left and right thighs of the wearer and a biosignal of the latissimus dorsi muscle of the back of the wearer;
a control unit that determines a movement and posture of the wearer based on the left and right hip joint angles of the wearer measured by the hip joint angle measurement unit and the bio-signal output from the bio-signal detection unit, and causes the actuator of the drive unit to generate a drive torque according to the result of the determination , wherein a connection portion between the second housing part of the drive unit and the thigh frame has a rotation axis that is perpendicular to the output axis of the actuator,
the second housing portion and the thigh frame are coupled to each other so as to be rotatable about the rotation axis . a power supply unit including a removably storable battery coupled to the first housing of one or both of the left and right drive units;
the power supply unit is coupled to a coupling portion of the first housing so as to protrude toward a rear side of the wearer,
The wearable action-assist device according to claim 1 , wherein when the battery is housed in the power supply unit, the battery and the drive unit are electrically connected through an internal space of the first housing portion.

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