KR101616263B1 - Ankle muscular strength assistive robot - Google Patents

Abstract

In order to improve problems in which a conventionally developed ankle muscular strength assistive device is difficult to be compatibly used according to a body size because the device simultaneously serves as a shoe, has a short lifecycle due to abrasion and difficulty in alternately using in the indoor and outdoor, and has difficulties in adjusting a balance due to a difference in heel height when worn in only one foot and in flexibly responding to muscular strength acting on the ankle according to a walking condition such as a flatland, an inclined plane, and stairs to decrease wearing effects, the present invention is to provide an intelligent ankle muscular strength assistive robot, which is provided with a tibia fixing part, a top side fixing part, and a control part and is fixed to the top side of the foot and the tibia of a wearer so that the wearer can use the robot while the wearer wears shoes to be fixed, thereby unnecessarily adjusting the balance in both heel heights, preventing a lifecycle from being reduced due to friction with the ground while walking, being easily worn to freely move to the indoor and outdoor, having a simple structure to minimize a volume and the number of components thereof and decreasing a weight thereof to reduce manufacturing costs for commercialization, and analyzing a pattern of the muscular force acting on the ankle of the user to assist the amount of the ankle muscular force according to the walking condition such as the flatland, the inclined plane, and the stairs.

Description

ANKLE MUSCULAR STRENGTH ASSISTIVE ROBOT "

The present invention relates to an ankle muscle-assisted robot for analyzing a muscle force pattern acting on the ankle during walking to reduce the fatigue acting on the ankle by supporting the muscle force acting on the ankle according to the walking situation such as flat surface, hill and stairs.

A wearable robot has been developed that can support muscular strength in various parts of the body in various ways for people with discomfort in daily life due to weakness of muscles due to aging of the body or weakness due to accidents or congenital disabilities .

In particular, as a need for an assistive device for people suffering from difficulty in walking due to insufficient muscle strength, excessive exercise, and overweight caused damage to the ankle muscles, an apparatus for assisting various types of ankle muscles has been developed. , No. 10-1222914 (registered on January 1, 2013, 01. October), and a robot suits for supporting leg muscles using the same are disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-1258094 (Registered on February 19, 2013. 04)), and a technique relating to an ankle structure of a muscle-supporting robot having the torque-generating device.

However, in the case of the prior art including the above-described Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-1222914 and Japanese Patent Application No. 10-1258094, it is inconvenient to use because the bulky or heavy component parts are heavy, It is not easy to carry, and it is formed in a relatively expensive amount so that price competitiveness is low and commercialization is difficult.

Also, it is formed so as to be completely fixed to the feet, and is not compatible with each other according to the size of the user's body, and is difficult to use. Instead of shoes, it is formed to support the ground, When the shoes are worn only on one foot, there is a difference in heel height between the shoes and the shoes.

Also, although there is a difference in muscle strength of the ankle used according to each situation, such as walking on a hill or a stair with flat or inclined sides, the pattern of the muscle force acting on the ankle is fluidly analyzed, There is a problem that the wearing effect is deteriorated.

Korean Registered Patent No. 10-1222914 (Registration date January 10, 2013) Korean Registered Patent No. 10-1258094 (Registered Date Apr. 19, 2013)

In order to solve the above problems, according to the present invention, it is configured to be fixed to the wearer's foot and shank, and can be fixed while wearing the wearer's shoes, so that the life due to abrasion due to friction with the ground during walking can be prevented And it can be freely moved indoors or outdoors because it is easily detachable. It can be used by reducing the volume and the component parts by minimizing the volume and the constituent parts with a simple structure and lowering the product cost and commercializing the product. Also, It is an object of the present invention to provide an intelligent ankle muscle-assisted robot capable of assisting an ankle muscle strength according to a walking situation such as a flat surface, a hill, and a stair by analyzing a walking pattern.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an intelligent ankle muscle-assisted robot comprising:

A shank fixing part which is tightly fixed to the lower end of the shank of the wearer to entirely support the ankle muscle power assist robot,

A foot fixing part coupled to the lower ends of both sides of the shank fixing part in the form of a shaft, being tightly fixed to the foot of the wearer and supporting the ankle muscle strength,

And a control unit for controlling movement of the ankle muscle-assisted robot by controlling the rotation timing and the rotation angle of the motor by receiving signals measured by the wrist and connected to the shank stabilization unit.

As described above, the present invention is configured to be fixed to the wearer's foot and shin, analyzing the gait pattern based on the walking speed of the user and the distance between the feet during the walking, It helps to reduce fatigue on the ankle by supporting muscular strength, and it can be used in the state wearing shoes. It can be used regardless of the size of the foot. It prevents wear due to abrasion caused by walking on the ground, It is possible to freely move indoors and outdoors because of easy detachment, and it has a simple structure, it is possible to minimize the volume and the constituent parts, thereby reducing the weight and commercializing the product by lowering the product cost.

FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of an intelligent ankle muscle-assisted robot according to the present invention,
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the overall shape of the ankle muscle-force-assisted robot and showing the components thereof;
FIG. 3 is a right side view of the right side view of the intelligent ankle muscle-strength-assisted robot according to the present invention,
FIG. 4 is a front view showing the front side of the intelligent ankle muscle-force-assisting robot according to the present invention,
FIG. 5 is a left side view of the intelligent ankle muscle-power assisted robot according to the present invention, in which the power transmission link rotates in a clockwise direction and pushes the upper end of the vertical 'L' Also in the illustrated embodiment,
FIG. 6 is a left side view of the intelligent ankle muscle-assisted robot according to the present invention. The power transmission link rotates counterclockwise and pushes the upper end of the vertical 'L' 200 in the upper direction,
Fig. 7 shows an embodiment in which the ankle muscle-force-assisted robot is fixed on the wearer's foot and the foot-and-mouth fixing portion is elevated,
Fig. 8 shows an embodiment in which the ankle muscle-force-assisted robot is fixed on the wearer's foot and the foot-and-mouth fixing portion is lowered,
9 is a block diagram showing the components of the control unit according to the present invention;
10 is a block diagram illustrating components of a first control module according to the present invention;
11 is a block diagram showing a muscle power assisted rotation direction control mode according to the present invention;
12 is a block diagram showing components of a rotation angle control mode according to the present invention;

The dsPIC control module described in the present invention refers to a small-scale one-chip microcomputer in which a function of an arithmetic operator is enhanced by a combination of a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) and a PIC (Programmable Intelligent Computer).

The walking cycle described in the present invention means a movement path or a time interval between two consecutive initial touches of the same foot during a walk.

The FSR sensor described in the present invention is an abbreviation of 'Force Sensing Resister Sensor', which means a pressure sensor.

The foot drop phenomenon described in the present invention means a symptom in which the muscles are weakened and the ankle is not lifted, the foot can not be pulled toward the body, and the foot falls downward.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an overall configuration of an intelligent ankle muscle-assisted robot according to the present invention and showing an embodiment worn by a wearer, (300).

First, the shin fixing part 100 according to the present invention will be described.

The shank fixing part 100 is tightly fixed to the lower end of the shank of the wearer to support the ankle muscle supporting robot 1. The frame body 110, the motor 120, the power transmission link 130 A sensor unit 140, a variable resistance unit 150, an ankle rotation axis 160, and a calf support unit 170.

The frame body 110 has three frames 'C' to support and protect the device. The frame body 110 includes a left side frame 111 forming a left side surface, a right side frame 111 forming a right side surface, (112) and a rear frame (113) forming a rear surface.

The left side frame 111 is a trapezoidal frame having a front side and a bottom side rounded at the left side of the frame body 110 and a power motor shaft insertion An ankle rotary shaft insertion groove into which an ankle rotary shaft can be inserted is formed at a lower side, and two photointerrupts are formed on one side of the left outer side.

Here, the left side frame 111 has two photointerrupts 131 (not shown), which are inserted into the power motor shaft insertion grooves through the power transmission shaft 121 and spaced at different angles within the rotation radius of the power transmission link, And the left side of the ankle rotation shaft 160 is inserted and fixed to the ankle rotation shaft insertion groove.

At this time, the photointerrupter 131 detects the position of the power transmission link 130 to be rotated and sets an initial value. The photointerrupter 131 detects the position of the power transmission link 130 at a lower rear diagonal position within the rotation range of the power transmission link 130 A first photo-interrupt 131a formed on the same angle line with two spaced apart from each other and a second photo-interrupt 131b formed on the same angle line on one side of the lower end within the rotation range of the power transmission link 130, .

5, the first photointerrupt 131a is detected when the second control module is set to the ankle lowering mode 311a, and when the power transmission link 130 is rotated and positioned on the same line And transmits the control signal to the control unit. When the second control module is set to the ankle lifting mode 311b, it is not sensed.

The detection of the initial position of the power transmission link 130 and the detection of the restoration position of the power transmission link 130 returning to the initial position by one rotation in the forward direction in accordance with the control signal transmitted every walking period, And controls the rotation timing and the stop timing of the ankle lowering mode 311a to prepare for the next operation repeatedly when walking.

6, the second photointerrupt 131b is operated when the second control module is set to the ankle lifting mode 311b, so that when the power transmission link 130 is rotated and positioned on the same line And transmits the control signal to the control unit. When the second control module is set to the ankle lowering mode 311a, it is not detected.

The detection of the initial position of the power transmission link 130 and the detection of the restoring position of the power transmission link 130 returning to the initial position by one rotation in the reverse direction in accordance with the control signal transmitted from the wearer's foot at every gait cycle, And controls the rotation timing and the stop timing of the ankle raising mode 311b to prepare for the next operation repeatedly when walking.

The right side frame 112 is a frame formed on the right side of the frame body 110 and symmetrical with a trapezoidal left side frame 111 having an upper end and a lower end rounded. The right side of the power motor is fixed to one side of the upper side, And an ankle rotary shaft insertion groove into which an ankle rotary shaft can be inserted is formed at a lower side.

Here, the power motor 120 is fixed to one side of the upper surface of the inner surface of the left side frame 111 and the opposite side of the right side surface frame 112, and the ankle rotation axis 160 is fixed to both sides of the lower side.

The acceleration sensor 140 is coupled to the upper end of the right side surface of the right side frame 112. The right side of the ankle rotation shaft 160 is inserted and fixed to the ankle rotation axis insertion groove, And the variable resistor unit 150 is coupled to the right side.

The rear frame 113 includes a left side frame 111 and a right side frame 112 that are symmetrically formed on the left and right ends of the front face of the frame body 11 and are connected to each other at right and left ends thereof, A frame belt loop 113a for fixing the length adjustment belt 113b connected to the frame 170 is formed.

At this time, the length adjusting belt 113b can connect the frame body 110 and the calf support portion 170 and adjust the length according to the size of the body, so that the shank fixing portion 100 is stably fixed to the wearer's shank .

Here, the left side frame 111, the right side frame 112, and the rear frame 113 forming the respective surfaces are formed with load reduction grooves 110a at portions where devices are not installed, thereby minimizing an unnecessary load, It is easy to carry when not in use.

The power motor 120 is coupled to one side of the upper surface of the inner surface facing the left side frame and the right side frame of the frame body. The motor shaft 121 is formed through the left side frame, And the power transmission link 130 is coupled to the shaft 121 to transmit the rotational force.

In the present invention, when the control unit 300 is set to the ankle lowering mode 311a when the operation signal is transmitted, the power motor 120 rotates clockwise (hereinafter referred to as forward direction) with respect to the right side, When the control unit 300 is set to the ankle lifting mode 311b, the rotation is performed in the counterclockwise direction (hereinafter, referred to as reverse direction) with respect to the right side face.

As shown in FIG. 5, the ankle lowering mode 321 rotates the power transmission link 130 coupled to the rotary shaft in the clockwise direction by rotating the power motor 120 clockwise with respect to the right side, L "-shaped link 210 is pushed forward and rotated with respect to the ankle rotation axis 160 so that the lower portion of the horizontal L" -shaped link 210 and the horizontal L "-shaped link 220 And the ankle muscle strength assisting plate 230, which is in contact with the wearer's foot, rotates in the lower direction and pushes the foot in the lower direction.

In general, when the ankle is difficult to move downward due to lack of ankle strength during walking, such as the elderly person with inadequate mobility or lack of strength in the lower limb, the ankle is pushed downward to assist the muscular strength.

6, the ankle lifting mode 322 is a mode in which the power motor 120 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction with respect to the right side to rotate the power transmission link 130 coupled to the rotation axis counterclockwise , The upper portion of the horizontal 'L' -shaped link 210 is pushed backward and rotated about the ankle rotation axis 160, and the lower portion of the horizontal 'L' -shaped link 210 and the horizontal 'L' The ankle muscle strength assisting plate 230, which is in contact with the wearer's foot, rotates in the upper direction and raises the foot body in the upper direction.

This is a foot drop phenomenon that occurs mainly in patients with paralysis of the nerves, paralysis of the nerves, muscular nervous system diseases and stroke. If it is difficult to raise the ankle in the upper direction while walking, It serves as an assistant.

The power transmission link 130 is connected to the motor shaft 121 of the power motor 120 penetrating to the left side of the frame body, receives the rotational force and is rotated in a forward or reverse direction to push the vertical 'L' And serves to rotate the fixing part 200.

5, when the power transmission link 130 is rotated in the forward direction, the vertical L-shaped link 210 is rotated in the forward direction with respect to the left side surface of the ankle muscle-power assisted robot 1, So that the foot fixing part 200 is rotated in the downward direction.

At this time, the power transmission link 130 is positioned on the same angle line of the first photo interrupt 131a formed within the rotation range, and the sensed state is set to the initial position, and the rotation of the power motor 120 makes one- When it is positioned again on the same angle line of the first sensor 131a, the rotation is stopped and the sensor waits for the next signal.

6, when the power transmission link 130 is rotated in a reverse direction, the vertical L-shaped link 210 is rotated in the reverse direction with respect to the left side surface of the ankle muscle-power assist robot 1, And the top of the foot fixing part 200 is rotated in the upper direction.

At this time, the power transmission link 130 is positioned on the same angle line of the second photo-interrupt 131b formed in the rotation range, and the sensed state is set to the initial position and is rotated counterclockwise by the rotation of the power motor 120 2 photo interrupter 131b, the rotation is stopped, and the process waits for the next signal.

The sensor unit 140 is coupled to the right side of the frame body, and senses the body movement of the wearer when walking, and transmits the sensed information to the controller 300.

The sensor unit 140 according to the present invention is coupled to the right upper end of the frame body and senses a walking pattern such as a walking speed and a foot interval during a walk in a straight line unit time and transmits the sensed walking pattern to the controller 300, By measuring the instantaneous acceleration value of the foot during the walking through the acceleration sensor 141, a constant gait pattern of the wearer is detected, and the minimum value and the maximum value information such as the walking speed and the foot interval are measured by the gait cycle, So that the driving signal of the control unit is transmitted at an appropriate timing based on the received information.

Here, the sensor unit 140 senses the body motion through the FSR sensor 142 or the gyro sensor 143 as well as the acceleration sensor 141, and transmits an operation signal to the controller 300 to operate the ankle muscle-assisted robot have.

The FSR sensor 142 used in place of the acceleration sensor 141 is a pressure sensor manufactured by a thin film method and includes a first FSR sensor 142a coupled to one side of the rear surface of the rear frame 113, And a second FSR sensor 142b coupled to one side of the lower surface of the ankle muscle strength assisting plate 230 abutting against the wearer's foot to sense the changing pressure through the movement of the wearer's shin and foot during movement, And the gait cycle and the walking speed are measured.

Here, the first FSR sensor 142a is attached to one side of the rear center of the rear frame 113 to measure the increase and decrease of the pressure between the rear frame and the shank at the time of walking on the wearer's shin, .

This is because when the leg falls from the ground and pushes forward, the shank is tightened in the direction of the rear frame and the pressure is increased. When the foot is in front of the ground, And a repetitive motion of the walking cycle in which the pressure between the shin and the shin decreases.

Here, the second FSR sensor 142b is attached to one side of the lower surface of the ankle muscle aiding plate to measure the increase and decrease of the pressure caused by increasing and decreasing the angle of the ankle muscle aiding plate and the foot during walking, (300).

This is because when the legs fall from the ground and push forward and the wearer's ankle rises, the angle of the ankle ankle assistant and the foot becomes smaller and the pressure increases. When the whole foot of the sole reaches the ground, the angle increases and the pressure decreases. When it is crossed and relatively rearward in the body, the back angle decreases and the pressure increases, and when the heel comes back to the ground and ready to jump again, the angle of incidence increases and the repetitive motion of the walking cycle in which the pressure decreases is detected.

Thus, the FSR sensor 142 measures the walking cycle and the walking speed by transmitting the sensed information of the wearer's movement to the controller 300 through the first FSR sensor 142a and the second FSR sensor 142b, And the drive signal of the control unit is transmitted at an appropriate timing based on the measured information.

The gyro sensor 143 used in place of the acceleration sensor 141 is a sensor for recognizing the angular acceleration of the x, y, and z axes and measuring the direction and angle of rotation of the object on one axis with numerical information And detects the gait pattern, such as the walking speed and the distance between the feet while walking, and transmits the detected gait pattern to the control unit 300.

As a result, it is possible to measure the instantaneous acceleration value of the foot during the walking based on the standing of the wearer before the walking, to detect a certain walking pattern of the wearer while walking, and to measure the minimum value and the maximum value information And the driving signal of the control unit is transmitted at an appropriate timing based on the measured information.

The variable resistance unit 150 protrudes and is coupled to the right side of the ankle rotation shaft 160. The variable resistance unit 150 senses the angle of the shin and the foot and transmits the measured signal to the controller 300. The variable resistance unit 150 is provided with a shaft, The inclination of the ground is detected through the detection of the angle and it is determined whether the wearer's walking position is flat or inclined.

This is constituted by a variable resistance frame 151, a variable resistance shaft 152, and a variable resistance element 153.

The variable resistor frame 151 serves to support the variable resistive element in a '-'-shaped frame coupled to the lower right end of the frame body 110 in the outward direction.

The variable resistance shaft 152 is connected to the ankle rotation shaft 160 and rotates at the same speed, and transmits the change in the ankle rotation and the rotation period of the wearer to the variable resistance element.

The variable resistance element 153 is coupled to the right side of the variable resistance frame 151 and connected to the variable resistance shaft 152 to sense the repeatedly varying rotation angle of the variable resistance shaft 152, And the foot fixing unit 200, and measures a change in the rotation angle of the foot, which is rotated when walking.

The wearer measures the difference between the maximum rotation angle and the minimum rotation angle measured during walking and transmits a signal indicating whether the wearer is walking or not.

The ankle rotation shaft 160 is passed through both sides of the lower side of the left and right inner surfaces of the frame body to connect the shank fixing part 100 and the foot fixing part 200 and transmits rotational force to the foot fixing part 200 It plays a role.

This is because the left protruding portion penetrating the left side frame is coupled with the vertical 'L' shaped link 210, the center rotation between the left side frame and the right side frame is coupled with the horizontal 'L' shaped link 220, The right protruding portion penetrating the frame is coupled with the variable resistance shaft 152 and the torsion spring 161 is coupled between the vertical 'L' shaped link 210 and the left side frame 111.

The upper end of the vertical 'L' -shaped link 210 coupled to the left by the rotation of the power transmission link 130 is pushed forward or rearward due to the rotation of the ankle rotation shaft 160 of the present invention, The variable resistive element 153 is rotated by rotating the L'-shaped link 220 and the variable resistive axis 152 at the same speed to assist the vertical stabilizing part 200 in rotation in the vertical direction, So that the rotational angle of the foot can be measured.

Here, the torsion spring 161 is set to an initial position such that when the upper end of the torsion spring 161 is lifted without wearing the ankle muscle power assist robot, the shin fixing part 100 and the foot fixing part 200 are aligned with each other, 100 is rotated by an elastic restoring force of the spring when the foot fixing part 200, which is at an angle of 180 °, is rotated.

More specifically, the torsion spring 161 is configured to have a torsion spring 161 that uses a body characteristic in which the maximum angle of the shins 2a and the legs 2b is not more than 180 degrees when the wearer 2 wears the ankle muscle- When the foot fixing part 200 is always rotated in the lower direction by an elastic restoring force to rotate the foot fixing part 200 at all times and the foot fixing part 200 is brought into close contact with the foot part 2b, 200 prevents the ankle auxiliary muscular force from being accurately transmitted to the ankle without being attenuated. When the toe anchoring portion is rotated to the upper end, it is returned by the elastic force to prevent the load of the toe anchor 200 from acting on the ankle of the wearer So that it can be rotated to the top.

The calf support portion 170 is a support plate having a concave inner surface formed with support belt rings 113c spaced vertically on both sides thereof to insert the length adjustment belt 113b and adjust the belt length of the length adjustment belt Is formed so as to be opposed to the body of the wearer and to surround the calf of the wearer, thereby preventing the upper end of the ankle muscle-power-assisted robot 1 from shaking or flowing down and stably supporting the body so as not to turn in the direction.

This improves comfort by attaching a sponge to the inner surface of the calf support that directly contacts the wearer's calf.

Next, the foot correcting part 200 according to the present invention will be described.

The foot fixing part 200 is coupled to both lower sides of the lower end of the shin fixing part 100 in the form of a shaft and is tightly fixed to the foot of the wearer and rotated to assist the ankle muscular strength, An L-shaped link 220, an ankle muscle aiding plate 230, and an ankle support part 240. The ankle supporting part 240 includes an ankle link 210, a horizontal 'L'

The vertical 'L' shaped link 210 is vertically erected and is axially coupled to an ankle rotation shaft 160 protruding through the rotation shaft through the left side of the frame body, and an ankle muscle aiding plate 230 coupled to the right side of the lower end The upper link is rotated forward or backward by the rotation of the power transmission link to transmit the rotational force to the left side of the ankle rotational axis 160 and the left side of the ankle side muscle strength assisting plate 230 with the 'L' shaped link.

In the present invention, when the power transmission link 130 of the ankle muscle-power assist robot 1 rotates in the forward direction, the vertical L '-jar link 210 is formed at a position where the upper end portion abuts when the power transmission link 130 rotates The ankle muscular assist plate coupled to the lower end is rotated in the lower direction by rotating the upper end portion forward and transmitting the rotational force, and when the power transmission link 130 is rotated in the reverse direction, the upper end portion is pushed backward, In the upper direction.

The horizontal L "-shaped link 220 is horizontally laid and the rear end of the L'-shaped link 210 is formed to penetrate the middle of the ankle rotation axis 160 in the longitudinal direction. Shaped link coupled with the ankle muscle aiding plate 230 facing the lower end of the ankle and serves to transmit the rotational force to the right side of the ankle muscle aiding plate 230 according to the rotation of the ankle rotation shaft 160. [

In the present invention, the horizontal 'L' shaped link 220 has a rear end portion passing through the ankle rotation axis 160, a front end portion facing the vertical 'L' shaped link 210, So as to rotate the ankle muscle strength assisting plate 230.

The ankle muscle aiding plate 230, which is rotated by receiving the rotational force, is rotated not at the left side or the right side but at the same angle, thereby increasing the wearing comfort of the wearer and minimizing the strength error of the assisted ankle muscle force .

The ankle muscle strength assisting plate 230 is coupled to the lower end of the vertical 'L' shaped link 210 facing the rectangular plate and the inner side of the front end of the horizontal 'L' shaped link 220, Each time it pushes the foot to the lower direction, it applies torque to the ankle and assists the ankle muscles.

The sponge 232 is inserted between the upper and lower rubber plates so as to transmit the ankle muscle force transmitted to the wearer's foot without damping, So that it can be pushed gently in the lower direction without pain.

This reduces the fatigue on the ankle by supporting the strength by reducing the load acting on the wearer's ankle when the wearer's foot falls off the ground and the angle of the ankle and shin becomes large.

The shoe support part 240 is coupled to the front surface of the ankle muscle aiding plate 230 and is coupled to the wearer's shoe in four steps so that the ankle muscle aiding plate 230 is closely attached to the shoe.

A first joint string 242 which is divided into two halves at the front of the ankle muscle aiding plate 230 and which is fitted with a front engagement rubber band 241 wrapping around the front end of the wearer's shoe front and surrounds the front of the shoe, A second joining strap 243 which surrounds the upper end of the assisting plate and is inserted between the vertical 'L' -jack link and the horizontal 'L' -jack link and wraps around the center of the shoe, and a second joining strap 243 And a third connecting cord 244 that hung on the heel of the shoe and surrounds the rear of the shoe.

The shoe is wrapped around the front, front, center, and rear of the shoe so that the wearer's shoe and the ankle muscle assisting plate 230 are in close contact with each other. As a result, the shoe is twisted in the lateral direction or is shaken or separated from the muscle aiding plate 230 It serves to minimize the offset of the assisted ankle muscle strength.

Next, the control unit 300 according to the present invention will be described.

The control unit 300 is connected to the shin-joint fixing unit 100 in a wired manner, and receives a measured signal to control the rotation timing and the rotation angle of the motor to control the motion of the ankle muscle-assisted robot.

It is composed of a first control module 310 and a second control module 320.

The first control module 310 controls the overall operation of the ankle muscle-assisted robot 1 and controls the power supply.

Specifically, the first control module 310 is configured by a control module including a dsPIC circuit, and controls the rotation timing and the rotation angle of the power motor by analyzing information such as walking speed and stride width according to a walking pattern, , The direction of rotation to assist the ankle muscular force is selectively set and controlled, the change in angle between the shin and the foot is analyzed to determine the walking position of the flat surface and the uphill slope, On the display unit, and controls the rotational reaction speed of the ankle muscle-power-assisted robot (1).

Here, the reason for controlling the rotational reaction speed is that since the walking speed is not constant for each person, the rotational reaction speed is higher than the walking speed, so that when the ankle power assist plate is rapidly lowered, This is because the lowering of the ankle power assist plate slower than the walking speed can not effectively provide the auxiliary muscles acting on the ankle.

In addition, the reason for selectively controlling the direction of rotation is that the wearer who is difficult to lower his / her ankle in the downward direction due to the lack of ankle muscle strength during walking according to the physical characteristics of the wearer assists the muscle force to push the ankle in the lower direction, In the case of a wearer who has difficulty in raising his / her ankle due to a foot drop phenomenon, it is necessary to support the muscular strength to raise the ankle upward.

In the present invention, the first control module 310 includes a muscle force assisted rotation direction control mode 311, a rotation timing control mode 312, and a rotation angle control mode 313.

The muscle force auxiliary rotation direction control mode 311 selectively supports an ankle rotation motion that is difficult to move due to lack of muscle strength and disease during the vertical rotation of the ankle, thereby assisting the rotation muscle force acting on the ankle. A descending mode 311a, and an ankle raising mode 311b.

When the ankle lowering mode 311a is set, the power motor 120 is rotated in the normal direction according to the rotation timing so that the ankle muscle aiding plate 230 is rotated in the lower direction through the power transmission link 130, To support the ankle muscular force that rotates in the downward direction.

When the ankle lifting mode 311b is set, the power motor 120 is rotated in the reverse direction according to the rotation timing so that the ankle muscle aiding plate 230 is rotated in the upper direction through the power transmission link 130, To support the ankle muscles that rotate in the upper direction.

The rotation timing control mode 312 may include a minimum value such as a walking speed and a stride of each walking period sensed in a predetermined pattern based on a walking pattern such as a walking speed measured by the sensor unit 140 and a walking distance during walking, And transmits a driving signal of the power motor 120 to the motor driver of the second control module 320 at the timing when the ankle is moved up or down by estimating the walking step.

When the power assistant rotation direction control mode 311 is set to the ankle lowering mode 311a, the timing is synchronized so that the power motor is driven in the forward direction at the time when the foot is rotated in the lower end direction in accordance with the walking speed of the wearer, The assistant muscle force is transmitted to the ankle rotated in the lower direction by pushing the wearer's foot in the lower direction through the ankle muscle aiding plate 230 in accordance with the walking cycle required by the muscle force.

On the contrary, when the muscle force auxiliary rotation direction control mode 311 is set to the ankle lifting mode 311b, the timing is synchronized so that the power motor is driven in the reverse direction at the time when the foot is rotated upward in accordance with the walking speed of the wearer, The ankle muscle aiding plate 230 which is tightly coupled to the shoe according to the walking cycle required by the muscle force is raised in the upper direction to transmit the assistant muscle force to the ankle rotated in the upper direction.

The rotation angle control mode 313 receives the angle information between the shin and the foot of the wearer through the variable resistance unit 150 and grasps the inclination of the wearer's foot to determine whether the wearer's walking position is flat or inclined, The control mode is changed.

Here, the angle between the shin and the foot is set to a reference angle of 0 ° when the wearer wears the ankle muscle-assisted robot 1 and stands on the ground. When the foot is rotated during walking, (+) Angle, and the direction in which the foot fixing part 200 is rotated to the top is indicated by a (-) angle.

It is composed of a flat walking control mode 313a and an uphill walking control mode 313b.

The flat walking control mode 313a measures the wearer's shin and foot angle through a variable resistance unit when the wearer is walking on a flat surface, and the maximum elevation angle of the foot is set to 0 占 which is a reference angle in a state where the wearer stands on the ground Repeatedly within a range of ± 3 °, it is automatically changed and ankle muscle aids are made on the ground.

When the ankle lowering mode 311a is set, the rotation of the toe-fixing unit 200 is repeatedly performed in a range of about 0 ° to 35 °. When the ankle lowering mode 311a is set, When the ankle lifting mode 311b is set, the power motor 120 is rotated in the forward direction to assist the ankle muscle strength in the lower direction, The power motor 120 is rotated in the reverse direction to assist the ankle muscular force in the upper direction in the rotation section up to 0 degrees at which the rotation in the upper direction is stopped.

The uphill walking control mode 313b measures the wearer's shin and the angle of the foot through the variable resistance portion when the wearer walks on the ascending slope so that the wearer wears the ankle muscle- (-) angle is repeatedly maintained, and the ankle muscular power is assisted by the ascending slope.

At this time, in the uphill road, the rotation of the foot fixing part 200 is repeatedly rotated in the interval of the inclination angle of the inclination angle of 40 °. When the ankle lowering mode 311a is set, -) in the rotation section from the inclination angle of the inclined plane to 0 ° which is the reference angle but not in the rotation section from the reference angle of 0 to the lower direction, ) Is rotated in the forward direction to assist the ankle muscular force in the downward direction, and when the ankle lifting mode 311b is set, until the inclination angle of the inclined plane (-) at which the rotation in the upper direction stops, The power motor 120 is rotated in the reverse direction to assist the ankle muscular force in the upper direction.

For example, when the ankle lowering mode 311a is set in an uphill having an inclination of 10 °, the rotation of the toe-fixing unit 200 repeatedly rotates about -10 ° to 40 °, ) Is from -10 ° to 0 °, the power motor is not driven and the power motor is driven in the positive direction in the rotation range from 0 ° to 40 ° downward, and from 40 ° to -10 ° The power motor is not driven in the rotation section where the ankle rises.

When the angle of inclination of the uphill road becomes larger and the rotation section in the negative direction becomes larger, the stopping period of the power motor 120 becomes longer, the angle of inclination of the uphill road becomes smaller and the rotation section of the uphill road becomes smaller, The rotation stop timing of the power motor is proportionally decreased according to the inclination angle of the inclined surface and the rotation is performed only when the stabilizing part 200 is rotated below the reference angle.

This allows the ankle muscle ancillary power to be transmitted in the downward direction on the ascending slope in the same rotational section as the flat surface, thereby increasing the degree of freedom of the wearer in the uphill road and preventing the wearer's ankle from being overloaded due to an angular measurement error.

As another example, when the ankle lifting mode 311b is set in the uphill with the inclined surface of 10 °, the rotation of the toe-up securing unit 200 rotates about the interval of about -10 ° to 40 ° repeatedly, ) Does not drive the power motor in the rotation section where the ankle descends from -10 ° to 40 °, and the power motor is driven in the reverse direction in the rotation section where the ankle rises from 40 ° to -10 °.

As a result, the assist force of the ankle muscular force in the upper direction is received by the rotation angle of the toe-up fixing part 200, thereby increasing the degree of freedom of the wearer in the uphill road and preventing the wearer's ankle from being overloaded due to the error of the angle measurement.

The second control module 320 serves as a motor driver that transmits and outputs an appropriate output value to the power motor such as the rotation timing and the rotation angle of the power motor 120 based on the signal measured through the first control module 310 do.

Hereinafter, the specific operation of the intelligent ankle muscle-assisted robot according to the present invention will be described.

First, the frame body is placed on the front face of the shank, the calf is tightly attached to the inner surface of the calf support, the length adjusting belt is tightened to fix the shank fixation unit so as not to shake, and the ankle muscle aids Wear robots.

Next, an ankle lowering mode is set for a general patient having an ankle muscle weakness through a control unit, and an ankle lifting mode is set for a patient suffering a stroke with insufficient strength for lifting the ankle.

In this case, when the setting of the control unit is set to the ankle lowering mode, the right side is rotated clockwise according to the control signal, and when the power transmission link is rotated, the link upper end of the vertical 'L' And rotates in the lower direction to assist the muscular strength of lowering the ankle of the wearer.

When the setting of the control unit is set to the ankle lifting mode, the control unit rotates counterclockwise with respect to the right side according to the control signal. When the power transmission link is rotated, the link upper end of the vertical 'L' link is pushed backward, It rotates in the upper direction and assists the muscular strength to raise the ankle of the wearer in the upper direction.

In addition, the control unit determines whether or not the wearer's walking position is a flat position based on the inclination angle information of the ground measured by the changing maximum and minimum angle information of the shin foot fixing unit and the foot fixing unit measured through the variable resistance unit as the wearer is walking. Or the inclined plane, and automatically selects either the flat walking control mode or the uphill walking control mode.

The control unit senses a walking pattern such as a walking speed and a stride through an acceleration sensor or an FSR sensor or a gyro sensor to predict a moment when the heel falls from the ground during the walking step, .

Next, the ankle muscle supporting plate rotated to the lower side is rotated and held in a state of being closely contacted by the ankle rotated in the upper direction, and the above-mentioned operation is repeatedly performed each time the wearer moves on the foot, Assist the muscular strength.

100: shin fixing part 110: frame body
120: Power motor 130: Power transmission link
140: sensor part 150: variable resistance part
160: ankle spindle 170: calf support
200: Stem height fixing unit 210: Vertical type 'L'
220: Horizontal L-shaped link 230: ankle muscle aiding plate
300:

Claims (7)

A shank fixing part 100 fixedly attached to the lower end of the shank of the wearer to support the ankle muscle-power-assisted robot 1 as a whole,
A foot fixing part 200 coupled to both lower sides of the lower end of the shin fixing part 100 in a shaft form and supporting the ankle muscular force by being tightly fixed to the foot of the wearer,
And a control unit 300 connected to the shin-joint fixing unit 100 by wire to control the motion of the ankle muscle-assisted robot by receiving the measured signal and adjusting the rotation timing and the rotation angle of the motor. In the intelligent ankle muscle- ,
The shank fixing part 100
A frame body 110 for supporting and protecting the device by combining the three frames in a 'C' shape,
The motor shaft 121 is coupled to the power transmission link 130 through which the left side frame and the right side frame of the frame body are coupled to one side of the upper side of the inner surface facing the left side frame, A power motor 120 for transmitting rotational force,
And is connected to the motor shaft 121 of the power motor 120 passing through the left side of the frame body, receives the rotational force and is rotated in the forward direction or the reverse direction and pushes the vertical 'L' shaped link to rotate the foot fixing part 200 A power transmission link 130,
A sensor unit 140 coupled to the right side of the frame body for detecting a body motion of the wearer during walking and transmitting the sensed information to the control unit 300,
A variable resistance unit 150 protruding from the right side of the ankle rotation shaft 160 and measuring an angle between the shank and the foot and transmitting the measured signal to the control unit 300,
An ankle rotation shaft 160 penetrating both sides of a lower end of the left and right inner surfaces of the frame body to connect the shank fixation unit 100 and the foot fixation unit 200 and transmit the rotation force to the foot fixation unit 200,
And a calf supporting portion (170) which is coupled to the frame body (110) by adjusting the belt length of the length adjusting belt (120).
delete The variable resistor unit according to claim 1,
A variable resistive frame 151 for supporting the variable resistive element in a frame of '?' Shape coupled to the lower right end of the frame body 110,
A variable resistance shaft 152 connected to the ankle rotary shaft 160 to rotate at the same speed and to transmit a change in the wearer's ankle rotation angle and rotation period to the variable resistive element,
And is coupled to the right side of the variable resistance frame 151 and connected to the variable resistance shaft 152 to sense the repeatedly varying rotation angle of the variable resistance shaft 152, And a variable resistance element (153) for measuring a change in the rotational angle of the foot, which is rotated when walking.
The footrest according to claim 1,
A vertical 'L' shaped link 210 which is vertically erected and is pivotally connected to an ankle rotation axis 160 protruding from a rotating shaft through a left side of the frame body and coupled with an ankle muscle strength assisting plate 230 in a right side direction of a lower end,
L "shaped link 210 in the left direction, and the ankle muscle supporting plate 230 is coupled with the lower end of the 'L' L "-shaped links 220,
L "-shaped link 210 facing the rectangular plate and the inner surface of the front end of the horizontal" L "-shaped link 220 and rotated to push the foot lamp in the lower end direction every walk cycle of the wearer Ankle muscle assisting plate 230 for supporting the ankle muscular strength in accordance with the gait cycle by repeating the returning action by supporting the muscular force acting on the ankle by applying a rotational force,
And a shoe support part (240) coupled to the front surface of the ankle muscle aiding plate (230) and coupled to the wearer 's foot in four steps to allow the ankle muscle aiding plate (230) to come into close contact with the shoe.
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller (300)
By controlling information such as the walking speed and stride width of each walking cycle detected by a certain pattern, it is possible to control by controlling the rotation timing and rotation angle of the power motor, selectively controlling the rotation direction to assist the ankle muscle force, A rotation timing control mode 312, a rotation timing control mode 312, and a rotation timing control mode 313, so as to control the rotational reaction speed of the ankle muscle-assisted robot 1 by determining a walking position such as a flat surface and an ascending slope, And a first control module (310) composed of a rotation angle control mode (313).
6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the muscle power assist rotation direction control mode (311)
The power motor 120 is rotated in the forward direction according to the rotation timing so that the ankle muscle aiding plate 230 is rotated in the lower direction through the power transmission link 130 to push the wearer's foot in the lower direction, An ankle lowering mode 311a for assisting muscle strength,
The power motor 120 is rotated in the reverse direction according to the rotation timing so that the ankle muscle aiding plate 230 is rotated in the upper direction through the power transmission link 130 to push the wearer's foot in the upper direction, And an ankle lifting mode (311b) for assisting muscle strength.
6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the rotation angle control mode (313)
When the wearer walks on the flat surface, the wearer's shin and foot angle are measured through the variable resistance part, and the maximum elevation angle of the foot is repeatedly maintained within the error range of ± 3 °, which is the reference angle in the state where the wearer is standing on the ground A gait control mode 313a for automatically changing an ankle muscle force in the flat area,
When the wearer is walking on an ascending slope, the wearer's shin and foot angle are measured through the variable resistance portion, and the maximum elevation angle of the foot is set to 0 (zero) in a state where the wearer wears the ankle muscle- And an uphill walking control mode (313b) that automatically changes when the (-) angle is repeatedly maintained and the ankle muscular power assistance is performed on the ascending slope.

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