KR102234788B1 - A walk-assistive apparatus and a method for controlling the walk-assistive apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A walking assistance device including an input unit provided to allow a user to intuitively adjust the performance of the walking assistance device and a control method thereof are provided. The walking assist device includes an input unit receiving a command for adjusting the variable characteristics of the walking assist device through at least one user interface, and a processor that adjusts variable parameters related to the adjustment of the variable characteristics in response to the adjustment of the variable characteristics through the input unit. It includes an actuator that outputs a changed assist power in response to the adjustment of the variable parameter so that the variable characteristic is changed.

Description

Walk-assistive apparatus and a method for controlling the walking-assist apparatus TECHNICAL FIELD

It relates to a walking assistance device and a control method of the walking assistance device.

The walking assistance device is a mechanism that assists a user who is inconvenient to walk so that the user can easily walk. Humans may become uncomfortable for walking due to congenital reasons such as genetic linkage or acquired reasons such as age, disease, or accident, and walking assistance devices have been developed to relieve such discomfort in walking.

As the walking assistance device, there may be a walking assistance vehicle provided with at least one wheel and a support, or a walking assistance robot that assists a user's walking by applying a force required for walking to the muscles of the human body.

The walking assist robot is fixed to the buttocks, thighs, or shins of the human body, and assists the movement of muscles and joints by applying a force that assists the movement of muscles and joints, such as rotational force, by an actuator and various mechanical means. do. Users can walk more easily due to the assist of the walking assist robot.

1. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2012-135486 2. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-114292 3. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. Hei 05-301196

The disclosed embodiment provides a walking aid device including an input unit provided to allow a user to intuitively adjust the performance of the walking aid device, and a method for controlling the same.

The walking aid device includes an input unit provided to adjust the variable characteristics of the walking aid device; A processor for adjusting a variable parameter related to the adjustment of the variable characteristic in response to the adjustment of the variable characteristic through the input unit; And an actuator that outputs a changed assist power in response to the adjustment of the variable parameter so that the variable characteristic is changed.

The walking aid device includes an input unit having a user interface for adjusting variable characteristics of the walking aid device including at least one of a magnitude of assistance, a reaction speed of the walking aid device, and a smooth motion of the walking aid device; And an actuator for outputting a changed assistance force such that the variable characteristics are changed in response to the adjustment of the variable characteristics through the user interface.

The control method of the walking aid device includes the steps of receiving a command for adjusting variable characteristics from an input unit; Adjusting, in a processor, a variable parameter related to the adjustment of the variable characteristic in response to the command for adjusting the variable characteristic; And outputting the changed assistance in response to the adjustment of the variable parameter by the actuator.

According to the disclosed embodiment, the user can intuitively adjust the performance of the walking aid device.

1 is a front view of an embodiment of a walking aid device.
2 is a side view of an embodiment of a walking aid device.
3 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a walking aid device.
4 and 5 are views for explaining an embodiment of a walking model.
6 and 7 are diagrams conceptually showing embodiments of a user interface provided to adjust a variable characteristic to an input unit of a walking aid device.
8 is a diagram showing a time response to a step input of a load torque of a walking aid device according to an embodiment.
9 is a diagram illustrating a change in overshoot according to a damping ratio.
10 is a diagram showing that the rise time and the settling time change according to the natural frequency.
11 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a walking aid device according to an exemplary embodiment.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of a walking aid device will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a front view of an embodiment of a walking aid device, Figure 2 is a side view of an embodiment of the walking aid device. 3 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of a walking aid device, and FIGS. 4 and 5 are views for explaining an embodiment of a walking model.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the walking assistance device 1 is fixed to the user's leg or foot to assist the user's walking by a walking assistance unit 2 and a body unit 10 for controlling the walking assistance unit 2 It may include.

The walking assistance unit 2 according to the disclosed embodiment may include at least one of a first structure part 20, a second structure part 30, and a third structure part 40 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. have. Hereinafter, for a more detailed description, a case where the walking aid device 1 includes all of the first structure part 20 to the third structure part 40 will be described.

According to an embodiment, the walking aid 2 may include a first structure part 20, a second structure part 30, and a third structure part 40. In this case, at least one of the first structure part 20, the second structure part 30, and the third structure part 40 may be worn on any one of the user's left leg and right leg. According to another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the walking assistance part 2 is a pair of first structural parts 20 and 20a so that the walking assistance part 2 can be installed on both the user's left leg and the right leg. It may include a pair of second structure parts 30 and 30a and a pair of third structure parts 40 and 40a. When the walking aid (2) includes a pair of first structural parts 20, a pair of second structural parts 30, and a pair of third structural parts 40, the functions of each of the structural parts 20 to 40 Or the operation is substantially the same. According to another embodiment, the walking aid 2 may be provided with only one structural part among the plurality of structural parts 20 to 40, and the other structural part may be provided in pairs. For example, the walking aid 2 may include a pair of first and second structures 20 and 20a and a second and second structure 30 and 40.

Hereinafter, a description will be given of a single first structure part to a third structure part 20 to 40, but the description may be equally applied to other pairs of each structure part.

The first structural unit 20 may assist the user's movement of the thigh and hip joint when the user is walking. The first structure part 20 may include at least one first actuator 21 and at least one first support part 22.

The first actuator 21 may generate a torque according to a control command transmitted from the processor 17 of the main body 10 and apply it to the first support 22. When torque is applied to the first support 22, the first actuator 21 may rotate in at least one direction. The rotation range of the first actuator 21 may be within the motion range of the user's hip joint.

According to an embodiment, the first actuator 21 may include a motor that generates torque according to electric energy supplied from the power source 16 of the main body 10. The motor may be a motor equipped with an encoder. According to another embodiment, the first actuator 21 is at least one piston or cylinder that generates torque by operating by pressure of electric energy or fluid supplied from the main body 10, for example, hydraulic pressure or pneumatic pressure. It may also include a device. According to an embodiment, the first actuator 21 may include all of at least one motor and at least one piston or cylinder device.

The at least one first support 22 may be connected to the first actuator 21 and rotate in at least one direction according to the torque generated by the first actuator 21. The first support 22 may be implemented in various forms. For example, the first support 22 may be implemented as at least one support panel. In addition, the first support 22 may be implemented by a plurality of nodes and a link connecting the plurality of nodes. Here, the plurality of nodes may be implemented as a support or a support panel. At least one first fixing part 23 may be installed on the first support part 22. The first support part 22 may be fixed to the inside or outside of the user's thigh through the first fixing part 23.

The first support 22 may apply the torque generated by the first actuator 21 to the thigh of the user through the first fixing part 23. Specifically, when the first support part 22 rotates according to the driving of the first actuator 21, the user's thigh fixed to the first support part 22 by the first fixing part 23 is the first support part 22 ) Can be rotated in the same direction. In other words, the first structural unit 20 may apply a torque to the user's thigh or hip joint to assist the user's motion of lifting or lowering the thigh. Accordingly, when the user is walking or taking an action of lifting a leg, it is possible to receive assistance by assistance power provided from the walking assist device 1.

The first fixing part 23 may be formed of a metal material, or may be formed of an elastic material such as rubber. As shown in FIG. 1, the first fixing part 23 may be implemented in a chain shape, may be implemented as a band having elastic force, or may be implemented as a strap. In addition, various fixing means that a person skilled in the art can consider to fix the first support part 22 to the thigh part, etc. may be included in an example of the first fixing part 23.

The first structure part 20 may include at least one first sensing part 25 as shown in FIG. 3. The at least one first sensing unit 25 may detect at least one of the first actuator 21, the first support 22, and the motion of the user's hip joint. The first sensing unit 25 may obtain information related to walking by generating an electrical signal in response to a sensed motion. The information related to walking may include at least one of a joint angle, a slope of the first support 22, an angular velocity of the joint, and an acceleration of the joint. The information acquired by the first sensing unit 25 may be transmitted to the processor 17 as shown in FIG. 3.

The first sensing unit 25 may include, for example, at least one of a joint angle sensor, a tilt sensor, an acceleration sensor, and an inertial measurement unit (IMU). The first sensing unit 25 may be installed on at least one of the first actuator 21 and the first support unit 22. Depending on the embodiment, the first detector 25 may be installed on both the first actuator 21 and the first support 22. In addition, some of the first sensing units 25 may be installed on the first actuator 21 and some of the first sensing units 25 may be installed on the first support unit 22. For example, the joint angle sensor may be installed on the first actuator 21, and a tilt sensor or an inertial measuring device may be installed on the first support 22.

According to an embodiment, the first structure part 20 may include at least one first measurement part 26 as shown in FIG. 3. The at least one first measurement unit 26 may be connected to the first actuator 21 to obtain information related to the operation of the first actuator 21. The information related to the operation of the first actuator 21 may include at least one of a rotation angle, an angular velocity, and an angular acceleration of the first actuator 21. When the first actuator 21 is a motor equipped with an encoder, the first measuring unit 26 may measure the joint angle, speed, and acceleration using the encoder value. The parameters measured by the first measurement unit 26 may be transmitted to the processor 17 as shown in FIG. 3.

The second structure unit 30 may assist the movement of the user's lower leg and knee joints when the user is walking. The second structure part 30 may include a second actuator 31, a second support part 32, and a second fixing part 33 as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3.

The second actuator 31 may generate torque in the same manner as the first actuator 21. The second actuator 31 may also include a motor and at least one of a piston or a cylinder device, and the motor may include an encoder.

The second support part 32 may rotate according to the torque generated by the second actuator 31. The configuration, structure, and material of the second support portions 32a and 32b may be the same as those of the first support portions 22a and 22b described above.

The second structure part 30 may include at least one second fixing part 33 and 34 for fixing the second support part 32 to the lower leg of the user. The second support part 32 may be fixed to the inside or outside of the lower leg of the user by the second fixing parts 33 and 34. The configuration, structure, and material of the second fixing parts 33 and 34 may be the same as those of the first fixing part 23.

The second support part 32 may apply the torque generated by the second actuator 31 to the lower leg or knee joint of the user through the second fixing part 33. Specifically, when the second support part 32 rotates according to the driving of the second actuator 31, the lower leg or knee joint of the user fixed to the second support part 32 by the second fixing part 33 is the second support part. It can be rotated in the same direction as (32). In other words, the second structural unit 30 may apply a torque to the lower leg or the knee joint of the user to assist the user's motion of lifting or lowering the lower leg. Accordingly, when the user is walking or taking an action of lifting a leg, it is possible to receive assistance by assistance power provided from the walking assist device 1.

The second structure part 30 may include at least one second detection part 35 as shown in FIG. 3. The at least one second detection unit 35 detects at least one of the movements of the second actuator 31, the second support unit 33, and the user's knee joint and converts it into an electrical signal, and converts the electrical signal into an electrical signal as shown in FIG. 3. It can be transferred to the processor 17 as shown. The second sensing unit 35 may include at least one of a joint angle sensor, a tilt sensor, an acceleration sensor, and an inertial measurement device. The second sensing unit 35 may be installed on at least one of the second actuator 31 and the second support unit 32. In the same manner as in the case of the first sensing unit 25, some of the second sensing units 35 may be installed on the second actuator 31, and other parts may be installed on the second support unit 32 according to an embodiment. .

According to an embodiment, the second structure unit 30 may include at least one second measurement unit 36 as shown in FIG. 3. The at least one second measurement unit 36 may obtain information related to the operation of the second actuator 31. Information related to the operation of the second actuator 31 may include a rotation angle of the second actuator 31, It may include at least one of an angular velocity and an angular acceleration. When the second actuator 31 is a motor equipped with an encoder, the second measuring unit 36 may measure the joint angle, speed, and acceleration using the encoder value. The parameters measured by the second measurement unit 36 may be transmitted to the processor 17 as shown in FIG. 3.

The third structure unit 40 may assist the movement of the ankle of the user when the user is walking. The third structure part 40 may include a third actuator 41, a footrest part 42, and a third fixing part 43, as shown in FIG. 1.

Like the first actuator 21, the third actuator 41 may generate torque to assist a user's motion related to the ankle joint and muscles around the ankle. Like the first actuator 21 and the second actuator 31, the third actuator 41 may include at least one of a motor and a piston or cylinder device, and the motor may include an encoder.

The footrest part 42 may support the user's sole.

The third fixing part 43 may fix the user's foot and the footrest part 42 seated on the footrest part 42 to each other. The configuration, structure, and material of the third fixing part 43 may be the same as the first fixing part 23 or the second fixing part 33.

The third structure part 40 may include a third detection part 45 as shown in FIG. 3. The third detector 45 may detect at least one of the third actuator 41, the third support 43, and the motion of the ankle joint of the user. The third sensing unit 45 may include at least one of a joint angle sensor, a tilt sensor, an acceleration sensor, and an inertial measurement device. Meanwhile, the third sensing unit 45 may include a pressure sensor. The pressure sensor may be installed on the footrest part 42. The pressure sensor may detect the user's weight and detect whether the user is wearing the walking aid 1 or whether the user is standing up. In addition, the pressure sensor may be a ground reaction force sensor capable of detecting a ground reaction force (GRF) transmitted to the user's foot when the user is walking. The signal generated according to the detection by the third sensing unit 45 may be transmitted to the processor 17 as shown in FIG. 3.

In addition, the third structure unit 40 may include at least one third measurement unit 46 as shown in FIG. 3. The at least one third measurement unit 46 may measure information related to an operation of the third actuator 41 and transmit the measured information to the processor 17. If the third actuator 41 is a motor equipped with an encoder, the third measuring unit 46 may measure the joint angle, speed, and acceleration using the encoder value.

The main body 10 may control the operation of the walking assistance unit 2 or may obtain information related to walking. In addition, the main body 10 may support the user's upper body to assist the user to stably wear the walking aid 1.

The main body 10, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, can input commands related to the operation of the walking assistance device 1 and a housing 10a in which various parts for controlling the walking assistance device 1 may be embedded. It may include a capable input unit 50. The housing 10a may contain a body sensing unit 15, a power supply 16, a processor 17, or a printed circuit board on which various semiconductor chips may be installed. The housing 10a of the main body 10 can securely secure various internal components while also stably fixing various components.

The body portion 10 may further include a first waist fixing portion 11 and a second waist fixing portion 12. The first waist fixing part 11 and the second waist fixing part 12 may fix the housing 10a to the user's waist. The first waist fixing part 11 may be connected to the housing 10a, and the second waist fixing part 12 may be connected to the first waist support part 13, for example. The first waist fixing part 11 and the second waist fixing part 12 may be formed of a metal material, or may be formed of an elastic material such as rubber. The first waist fixing part 11 and the second waist fixing part 12 may be chains, bands having elasticity, or various types of straps. In addition, those skilled in the art to fix the housing 10a, etc. to the waist or buttocks, etc. It may include a variety of fixing means that can be considered. The main body 10 may further include a first waist support 13 for supporting a user's waist. The first waist support 13 may be designed in a shape corresponding to the shape of the user's waist in order to support the user's waist. The first waist support 13 may be connected by the housing 10a and the second waist support 14 as shown in FIG. 1.

The main body 10 may include a main body sensing unit 15, a power supply 16, a processor 17, and an input unit 50 as shown in FIG. 3.

The body sensing unit 15 may detect a user's motion, etc. to obtain various types of information related to the motion. For example, the main body sensing unit 15 may detect a user's walking speed. The body sensing unit 15 may include at least one of a speed sensor, a tilt sensor, an acceleration sensor, an inertial measuring device, and a position measuring device, for example, a Global Positioning System (GPS) device.

The power supply 16 may supply power to various parts inside the housing 10a or to parts such as the actuators 21, 31, and 41 of the walking aid 2. The power supply 16 may be embedded in the housing 10a. The power supply 16 may be a primary battery or a secondary battery. The primary battery may include at least one of a mercury battery, a manganese battery, an alkaline battery, and a lithium battery. The secondary battery may include a nickel-cadmium (Ni-cd) battery, a nickel-hydrogen (Ni-CD) battery, a lead acid battery, a lithium ion (Li-ion) battery, a lithium polymer battery, and the like.

The processor 17 is based on information transmitted from the first to third sensing units 25, 35, and 45, the first to third measuring units 26, 36, 46, etc. It is possible to determine the operation state of the joint or the actuators 21, 31, 41 corresponding to each joint. In addition, the processor 17 may generate a control signal for controlling the walking aid device based on the determination of the operation state of the joint or the actuators 21, 31, and 41 corresponding to the joint.

The processor 17 may be a processing device in which an arithmetic logic operator, a register, a program counter, an instruction decoder or a control circuit is installed on at least one silicon chip. The processor 17 may be implemented by at least one semiconductor chip disposed on a printed circuit board embedded in the housing 10a.

The processor 17 may estimate the motion of the joint by calculating a dynamic dynamic model of the user and the walking aid device based on information related to the motion transmitted from the respective measurement units 26, 36, and 46.

According to an embodiment, the processor 17 may estimate the motion of the joint based on a predetermined gait model. 4 and 5 are diagrams for explaining a finite state machine model as an embodiment of a gait model. As shown in FIG. 4, walking can be divided into eight steps (s1 to s8).

In the first step (s1) of walking, the right leg is in a loading response state (LR), and the left leg is in a pre-swing state (PSw). During the transition from the eighth step (s8) to the first step (s1) of walking, the heel of the right foot may touch the ground as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. On the other hand, the toe of the left foot is in contact with the ground, and the heel of the left foot can be separated from the ground (s8-s1).

In the second walking step (s2), the right leg is in a mid stance state (MSt), and the left leg is in an initial swing state (ISW). In the process of changing the state from the first step (s1) to the second step (s2) of walking, the toe and the heel of the right foot are in contact with the ground at the same time, and the left leg starts a swing motion. The heel of the left leg is first separated from the ground, and the toe may be separated from the ground after the heel is separated from the ground (s1-s2).

In the third step (s3) of walking, the right leg is still in the mid stance state, and the left leg is in the mid swing state (MSw). During the state change from the second walking step (s2) to the walking third step (s3), both the toes and heels of the right foot are in contact with the ground, and the left leg continues to perform the swing motion. The right foot and the left foot may be positioned adjacent to each other (s2-s3).

In the fourth step of walking (s4), the right leg is in a terminal stance state (TSt), and the left leg is in a terminal swing state (TSw). When a state change occurs from the walking third step s3 to the walking fourth step s4, the heel of the right foot starts to be separated from the ground. On the other hand, the toe of the right foot may still be touching the ground. Meanwhile, the left foot remains untouched (s3-s4).

In the fifth walking step (s5), contrary to the walking first step (s1), the left leg is in a load response state, and the right leg is in a state before the swing. When a state change occurs from the walking fourth step s4 to the walking fifth step s5, the heel of the left foot contacts the ground. Meanwhile, the toe of the right foot may be in contact with the ground, and the heel may be separated from the ground (s4-s5).

In the sixth step (s6) of walking, the left leg is in the mid stance state, and the left leg is in the initial swing state. When a state change occurs from the fifth walking step s5 to the sixth walking step s6, the toe and the heel of the left foot may contact the ground at the same time. The right leg can start a swing motion when the toe of the right foot is separated from the ground (s5-s6).

In the seventh step (s7) of walking, the left leg is still in mid stance, and the right leg is in the swinging step. When the state change occurs from the sixth step (s6) to the seventh step (s7), the toes and heels of the left foot are both in contact with the ground, and the right leg continues to swing (s6-s7). .

In the eighth step (s8) of walking, the left leg is in the terminal stance state, and the left leg corresponds to the final swing step. In the state change from the walking seventh step (s7) to the walking eighth step (s8), the right foot maintains a state that has not yet touched the ground, and the heel of the left foot starts to be separated from the ground (s7-s8).

The first to eighth steps (s1 to s8) described above may be continuously repeated while walking is performed.

The at least one measurement unit 26, 36, 46 may measure and collect information related to the motion of at least one joint when a state change (s8-s1 to s7-s8) of the walking step occurs while walking. The at least one measurement unit 26, 36, 46 may measure information related to the motion of the joint at a specific time point during the state change process (s8-s1 to s7-s8). Depending on the embodiment, the at least one measurement unit 26, 36, 46 may measure information related to the motion of a joint at a plurality of specific points in a state change process, and may obtain an average or median value of the plurality of information. have.

Specifically, the at least one measurement unit 26, 36, 46 may collect information related to the motion of at least one joint corresponding to at least one measurement unit 26, 36, 46 among a plurality of joints of the user. . In addition, the at least one measurement unit (26, 36, 46) is the operation of at least one driving unit to which at least one measurement unit (26, 36, 46) of the first to third actuators (21, 31, 41) corresponds. It is also possible to collect information related to the motion of at least one joint. In this case, the information measured by the measurement units 26, 36, 46 may include at least one of an angle of a joint, an angular velocity of a joint, an angular acceleration of a joint, a walking speed of the walking aid 1, and a ground reaction force. The information measured by the at least one measurement unit 26, 36, 46 may be transmitted to the processor 17, or may be temporarily or non-temporarily stored in a predetermined storage device and then transmitted to the processor 17.

According to an embodiment, the at least one measurement unit 26, 36, 46 may measure and collect information related to the motion of at least one joint in all state change processes that occur. According to another embodiment, the at least one measurement unit 26, 36, 46 may collect information related to the motion of at least one joint only during a partial state change process. For example, the at least one measurement unit 26, 36, 46 is related to the motion of at least one joint only in the first state change process (s8-s1) to the fourth state change process (s3-s4) of FIG. Information can also be measured and collected.

In an embodiment, when the at least one measurement unit 26, 36, 46 measures and collects information related to the motion of at least one joint, the time information about the measurement point is also transferred to the processor 17 along with other information. Can be delivered.

The processor 17 calculates and estimates the motion of the joint using time information on the time point at which the measurement is performed by the measurement units 26, 36, and 46 and the information measured by the measurement units 26, 36, and 46. I can. In this case, the estimated motion of the joint may be used to determine the motion state of at least one joint in the next walking process. For example, the motion of the joint estimated in the first state change process to the fourth state change process (s8-s1 to s3-s4) is at least one It can be used to determine the motion state of the joint.

The processor 17 may estimate information related to the motion of the joint between a plurality of points in which information related to the motion of the joint is measured using a predetermined interpolation. In this case, the information related to the motion of the estimated joint may include the angle of the joint, the angular velocity of the joint, and the angular acceleration of the joint.

The processor 17 may calculate the torque of at least one joint based on at least one measurement value measured by at least one of the first to third measurement units 26, 36, and 46. In this case, various parameters for the motion of at least one joint measured by the first to third measurement units 26, 36, 46, for example, the joint angle, the angular velocity of the joint, and the acceleration of the joint are at least one joint. It can be used for torque calculation.

The walking assist device according to the disclosed embodiment provides a method for a user to intuitively adjust variable characteristics related to the performance of the walking assist device to suit the user's individual body shape or walking habit. The variable characteristics are characteristics related to the performance of the device that the user can adjust for a more comfortable and natural use of the walking aid device according to his or her body shape or walking habit.

The variable characteristics may include the magnitude of assistance provided by the walking assistance device, the reaction speed of the walking assistance device, and the smoothness of motion of the walking assistance device.

When you want the walking aid to assist walking with a larger or smaller force, you need to adjust the size of the assistance, and when you want to provide immediate assistance in response to the user's movement, you need to adjust the reaction speed of the walking aid. There is. In addition, in order to walk more comfortably and naturally, it is necessary to adjust the smoothness of the motion of the walking aid. The variable characteristics are not limited to the above-described examples, and characteristics that need to be adjusted for a more comfortable and natural gait as related to the performance of the walking aid device may be included in the variable characteristics.

The walking aid device according to the disclosed embodiment includes an input unit 50 having a user interface through which a user can intuitively adjust such variable characteristics.

6 and 7 show embodiments of a user interface provided to adjust a variable characteristic to an input unit of a walking aid device.

As shown in FIG. 6, the input unit 50 may display names 51 indicating typical characteristics of variable characteristics to be adjusted. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the magnitude of the assistance may be expressed as "size", the reaction speed of the walking aid may be expressed as "reaction speed", and the softness of the motion of the walking aid may be expressed as "softness". This also applies to the embodiment of the input unit 50 shown in FIG. 7.

In addition, as shown in Fig. 6, the input unit 50 is provided with at least one control button 52 for each variable characteristic, which can be adjusted to increase or decrease the state of each variable characteristic, or as shown in FIG. One adjustment dial 54 capable of adjusting the state of the characteristic may be provided for each variable characteristic.

The user can adjust the state of the desired variable characteristic to be larger or smaller than the present by manipulating the adjustment button 52 or the adjustment dial 54 shown in FIG. 6 or 7. In addition, the input unit 50 may be provided with an automatic button 53 as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. When the user presses the automatic button 53, each variable characteristic is automatically adjusted according to a preset setting. The user can pre-store settings suitable for his or her body shape or walking habit, and by operating the automatic button 53 instead of adjusting the variable characteristics each time, the performance of the walking aid can be adjusted according to the desired setting. For this setting, a separate button or dial may be provided in the input unit 50, but the buttons provided to adjust the variable characteristics without a separate button or dial may be manipulated according to a predetermined appointment to set and store the setting. have. A button or dial is an example, and a user interface may be configured through a structure such as a joystick or a trackball.

The user interface shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 is only an example, and a user interface may be provided to adjust variable characteristics by a touch method using a touch screen, and voice recognition to adjust the variable characteristics according to a user's voice command. The user interface may be implemented using the device. In addition, the user interface may use a motion recognition device to recognize a user's motion and adjust variable characteristics.

The input unit 50 may be implemented through various combinations of examples of the above-described user interface, and a user may select a user interface corresponding to a desired command input method and input a command.

Such an input unit 50 may be installed anywhere in the walking aid device, but may be installed on the main body as shown in FIG. 2 so that the user's hand can reach for convenience of operation, for example.

When a user inputs a command for adjusting a desired variable characteristic through the input unit 50, the processor 17 adjusts parameters that can be adjusted in connection with the adjustment of the variable characteristic in order to adjust the variable characteristic.

The walking aid device can be modeled as in Equation 1 below.

<Equation 1>

(1) V=Li+Ri+K(dq/dt)

(2) τ _m =J(d ² q/dt ² )+B(dq/dt)+τ _l

(3) τ _l =M(d ² q/dt ² )+C(dq/dt)+Gq

(4) τ _l =f(L, R, K, J, B, M, C, G) _l

Equation 1 is modeling that an actuator of a walking aid device, for example, a motor _{generates a load, that is, a torque (τ l) that rotates a joint when a voltage (V) is applied.}

V shown in (1) of Equation 1 is the input voltage applied to the motor, L is the inductance of the motor, and R is the resistance. K stands for back electromotive force. And, i means the current and q means the rotation angle of the joint. _{Τ m} shown in (2) of Equation 2 is the torque output from the motor, J is the moment of inertia of the motor, B is the coefficient of viscous friction, and τ _l is the torque acting on the load. And dq/dt means the angular velocity of the joint, and d ² q/dt ² means the angular acceleration of the joint.

In (3) of Equation 1, τ _l means the torque of the joint. M is the first parameter to reflect the mass that can be changed according to the user's posture, C is the parameter to reflect Coriolis force according to the rotation of the leg, and G is the parameter to reflect the Earth's gravity. to be. Unlike other system parameters, M, C, and Q are non-fixed and adjustable parameters.

_{The load torque τ l} generated by the actuator and acting on the joint is a function of the above-described parameters, L, R, K, J, B, M, C, and G, as shown in (4) of Equation 2. Among the parameters, except for M, C, G, L, R, K, J, and B are intrinsic variables of configurations such as the motor, reducer, and link of the actuator, and are fixed parameters set through calibration when manufacturing a walking aid. In order to adjust the performance of the gait aid device according to the user's body shape or gait habits by adjusting these fixed parameters, it is necessary to perform calibration each time before wearing the gait aid device or set an average value and use it as it is. This process may cause a lot of inconvenience in the use of the walking aid and may act as a factor that deteriorates the usability of the walking aid.

In the walking aid device according to the disclosed embodiment, by adjusting variable parameters such as M, C, and G in response to the command for adjusting the variable characteristics through the input unit 50 described above, the user can use his or her body shape without a separate calibration process. Intuitively adjust the performance of walking aids to suit your walking habits.

When a command for adjusting the variable characteristic is input through the input unit 50, the processor 17 determines a variable parameter related to the adjustment of the variable characteristic among the above-described variable parameters, and adjusts the determined variable parameter to input the input unit 50. It changes the variable characteristics in response to the control command through.

In response to the adjustment of the variable characteristic, the processor 17 adjusts the time response characteristic of the load torque, and adjusts the time response characteristic by adjusting a variable parameter constituting the time response characteristic.

8 is a diagram showing a time response to a step input of a load torque of a walking aid device according to an embodiment, FIG. 9 shows a change in overshoot according to a damping ratio, and FIG. 10 is a rise time and settling according to the natural frequency. It represents a change of time.

As shown in FIG. 8, time response characteristics to a step input of load torque include overshoot, rise time, and settling time. Each of these time response characteristics is associated with the variable characteristics, and the processor 17 adjusts the time response characteristics to adjust the variable characteristics.

For example, the magnitude of the tidal force among the variable characteristics is related to the overshoot among the time-response characteristics, the response speed of the walking aid is related to the ascent time, and the smoothness of the walking aid motion is related to the settling time.

The relationship between the variable characteristic and the time response characteristic will be described in more detail based on Equation 2 below.

<Equation 2>

Among the time response characteristics, when the overshoot increases, the magnitude of the tidal force increases. As shown in Equation 2, the overshoot varies depending on the damping ratio, that is, the zeta. Referring to FIG. 9, it can be seen that the overshoot decreases as the zeta increases. Also, referring to Equation 2, the zeta can be directly adjusted by adjusting C among the variable parameters. Accordingly, when an adjustment command for increasing the magnitude of the help is input through the input unit 50, the processor 17 decreases the variable parameter C to decrease the zeta in order to increase the overshoot. Of course, it is also possible to decrease the zeta by decreasing C and increasing the other variable parameters M and G together.

If the rise time decreases among the time response characteristics, the reaction speed of the walking aid increases. As shown in Equation 2, the rise time varies depending on the natural frequency, that is, omega. Referring to FIG. 10, it can be seen that the rise time decreases as the natural frequency increases. In addition, referring to Equation 2, the natural frequency can be directly adjusted by adjusting G and M among variable parameters. Accordingly, when an adjustment command for increasing the reaction speed is input through the input unit 50, the processor 17 decreases the variable parameter M and increases G to increase the natural frequency in order to decrease the rise time.

If the settling time increases among the time response characteristics, the motion of the walking aid device becomes smoother. As shown in Equation 2, the settling time varies depending on the natural frequency, that is, omega. Referring to FIG. 10, it can be seen that the settling time increases as the natural frequency decreases. Also, referring to Equation 2, the natural frequency can be directly adjusted by adjusting G and M among variable parameters. Therefore, when an adjustment command for smoothing the motion of the walking aid device is input through the input unit 50, the processor 17 increases the variable parameter M and decreases G to decrease the natural frequency in order to increase the settling time. .

When a command to adjust variable characteristics according to a predetermined setting is input through the automatic button 53 of the input unit 50, the processor 17 adjusts the variable parameters to adjust the time response characteristics according to a predetermined setting. To adjust the performance of the walking aid.

When an adjustment command for the variable characteristic is input through the input unit 50, the processor 17 adjusts the variable parameters as described above in response to the adjustment command, and transmits a control signal to the actuator so that the actuator operates according to the adjusted variable parameter. Print it out. The actuator generates torque according to the control signal output from the processor 17 to assist the user in walking with the performance desired by the user.

The control of the variable parameter of the processor 17 and the driving of the actuator corresponding thereto are performed in real time in response to a change in the control command through the input unit 50.

11 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a walking aid device according to an exemplary embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 11, the input unit 50 receives an adjustment command for the variable characteristic (500), and the processor 17 adjusts the variable parameter in response to the adjustment command (510).

The input unit 50 has a user interface for intuitively adjusting variable characteristics related to the performance of the walking aid device. First, the user interface may display names 51 representing typical characteristics of variable characteristics to be adjusted, and at least one control button 52 capable of adjusting the state of each variable characteristic to increase or decrease is provided for each variable characteristic, or , One control dial 54 capable of adjusting the state of each variable characteristic may be provided for each variable characteristic. Alternatively, the user interface may be provided to adjust the variable characteristics by a touch method using a touch screen, use a voice recognition device to adjust the variable characteristics according to the user's voice command, or use a variable characteristic by recognizing the user's motion. You can also use a motion recognition device to control By selecting a user interface corresponding to a desired command input method and inputting a command, the user can adjust the state of the variable characteristic to be larger or smaller than the current one.

When a user inputs a command for adjusting a desired variable characteristic through the input unit 50, the processor 17 adjusts parameters related to the adjustment of the variable characteristic in order to adjust the variable characteristic.

The processor 17 adjusts variable parameters such as M, C, and G in response to a command for adjusting the variable characteristics through the input unit 50 described above. The processor 17 determines a variable parameter related to adjustment of the variable characteristic among the above-described variable parameters, adjusts the determined variable parameter, and changes the variable characteristic in response to an adjustment command through the input unit 50.

More specifically, the processor 17 adjusts the time response characteristic of the load torque in response to the adjustment of the variable characteristic, and adjusts a variable parameter constituting the time response characteristic in order to adjust the time response characteristic.

The time response characteristics for the step input of the load torque are overshoot, rise time, and settling time, and these time response characteristics are each related to the variable characteristics. , The processor 17 adjusts the time response characteristic to adjust the variable characteristic.

For example, if the overshoot increases among the time response characteristics, the magnitude of the tidal force increases, but the overshoot varies depending on the damping ratio, that is, the zeta. The overshoot decreases as the zeta increases, and the zeta decreases as C decreases among the variable parameters. Accordingly, when an adjustment command for increasing the magnitude of the help is input through the input unit 50, the processor 17 decreases the variable parameter C to decrease the zeta in order to increase the overshoot. Of course, it is also possible to decrease the zeta by decreasing C and increasing the other variable parameters M and G together. In addition, if the rise time of the time response characteristics decreases, the reaction speed of the walking aid increases, and the rise time varies depending on the natural frequency, that is, omega. The rise time decreases as the natural frequency increases, and the natural frequency can be directly adjusted by adjusting G and M among the variable parameters. When an adjustment command for increasing the reaction speed is input through the input unit 50, the processor 17 decreases the variable parameter M and increases G to increase the natural frequency in order to decrease the rise time. If the settling time increases among the time response characteristics, the motion of the walking aid device becomes smoother, and the settling time varies depending on the natural frequency, that is, omega. The settling time increases as the natural frequency decreases, and the natural frequency can be directly adjusted by adjusting G and M among the variable parameters. When an adjustment command for smoothing the motion of the walking aid device is input through the input unit 50, the processor 17 increases the variable parameter M and decreases G to decrease the natural frequency in order to increase the settling time.

The processor 17 generates a control signal reflecting the adjustment of the variable parameter and outputs it to the actuator (520), and the actuator generates a torque corresponding to the control signal to assist the user's walking (530). When an adjustment command for the variable characteristic is input through the input unit 50, the processor 17 adjusts the variable parameters as described above in response to the adjustment command, and transmits a control signal to the actuator so that the actuator operates according to the adjusted variable parameter. Print it out. The actuator generates torque according to the control signal output from the processor 17 to assist the user in walking with the performance desired by the user. The adjustment of the variable parameters of the processor 17 and the driving of the actuator corresponding thereto are performed in real time in response to a change in the adjustment command through the input unit 50.

1: walking aid device
2: Pedestrian assistant
10: main body
50: input
17: processor

Claims (20)

An input unit receiving a command for adjusting the variable characteristics of the walking aid device through at least one user interface;
A processor for adjusting a variable parameter related to the adjustment of the variable characteristic in response to the adjustment of the variable characteristic through the input unit; And
Including; and an actuator for outputting a changed assist power (assist power) in response to the adjustment of the variable parameter so that the variable characteristic is changed, and
The input unit includes a user interface for intuitively adjusting the variable characteristic, the user interface includes at least one of a voice recognition device and a motion recognition device, and the variable through a user interface corresponding to the input method selected by the user Receives a command to adjust the characteristics,
The variable characteristic includes at least one of the magnitude of the assistance, the reaction speed of the walking assistance device, and the smoothness of the motion of the walking assistance device,
The variable parameter includes at least one of a parameter that reflects a mass that changes according to a user's posture, a parameter that reflects a Coriolis force according to a rotation of a leg, and a parameter that reflects Earth's gravity,
The processor,
In response to the adjustment of the variable characteristic, a time response characteristic of a load torque related to the adjustment of the variable characteristic is adjusted, and the time response characteristic is an overshoot, a rise time, and a settling time. ) Walking aids comprising at least one of. delete delete The method of claim 1,
The walking aid device including a user interface for adjusting the variable characteristic in a touch manner using a touch screen of the input unit. The method of claim 1,
The walking aid device comprising a user interface for adjusting the variable characteristics according to a user's voice command through the input unit through a voice recognition device. The method of claim 1,
The walking aid device comprising a user interface for adjusting the variable characteristic by recognizing a user's motion through the input unit. delete delete delete The method of claim 1,
The input unit includes an automatic button for automatically adjusting the variable characteristic according to a predetermined setting,
When a command through the automatic button is input, the processor adjusts a variable parameter related to at least one of the magnitude of assistance, the response speed of the walking assistance device, and the smoothness of the walking assistance device motion among the variable characteristics according to a predetermined setting. Auxiliary device. Receiving a command for adjusting the variable characteristics through at least one user interface from the input unit;
Adjusting, in a processor, a variable parameter related to the adjustment of the variable characteristic in response to the command for adjusting the variable characteristic; And
Including, in the actuator, outputting a changed assistance in response to the adjustment of the variable parameter,
The variable characteristic includes at least one of the magnitude of the assistance, the reaction speed of the walking assistance device, and the smoothness of the motion of the walking assistance device,
The variable parameter includes at least one of a parameter that reflects a mass that changes according to a user's posture, a parameter that reflects a Coriolis force according to a rotation of a leg, and a parameter that reflects the earth's gravity,
The step of receiving the input of the adjustment command of the variable characteristic,
And a user interface for intuitively adjusting the variable characteristic, the user interface including at least one of a voice recognition device and a motion recognition device, and the variable characteristic through the user interface corresponding to the input method selected by the user. Including the step of receiving an adjustment command,
Adjusting the variable parameter,
And adjusting a time response characteristic of the load torque related to the adjustment of the variable characteristic in response to the adjustment command of the variable characteristic in the processor, wherein the time response characteristic is an overshoot, a rise time, and a settling time. Control method of a walking aid device comprising at least one of (settling time). delete delete The method of claim 11,
The step of receiving an input of the adjustment command of the variable characteristic,
A control method of a walking aid device receiving the control command of the variable characteristic by a touch method using a touch screen. The method of claim 11,
The step of receiving an input of the adjustment command of the variable characteristic,
A control method of a walking aid device receiving a command for adjusting the variable characteristic according to a user's voice command through a voice recognition device. The method of claim 11,
The step of receiving an input of the adjustment command of the variable characteristic,
A control method of a walking aid device that recognizes a user's motion through a motion recognition device and receives a command for adjusting the variable characteristic. The method of claim 11,
Adjusting the variable parameter,
Adjusting, in the processor, a parameter reflecting the Coriolis force that changes according to the rotation of the joint among the variable parameters in response to a command for adjusting the magnitude of the tidal force among the variable characteristics;
Adjusting, in the processor, a parameter reflecting a mass or gravity that changes according to the rotation of the joint among the variable parameters in response to a command for adjusting the reaction speed of the walking aid device among the variable characteristics; And
In response to a command for adjusting motion smoothness of the walking aid device among the variable characteristics, the processor adjusting a parameter reflecting the mass or gravity that changes according to the rotation of the joint among the variable parameters; . delete The method of claim 11,
Adjusting the variable parameter,
Adjusting an overshoot of the time response characteristics in response to a command for adjusting the magnitude of the assistance among the variable characteristics, by the processor;
Adjusting, in the processor, a rise time among the time response characteristics in response to a command for adjusting the reaction speed of the walking aid device among the variable characteristics; And
And adjusting, in the processor, a settling time among the time response characteristics in response to a command for adjusting the smoothness of the motion of the walking aid device among the variable characteristics. The method of claim 11,
The step of receiving an input of the adjustment command of the variable characteristic,
Receives a command for automatically adjusting the variable characteristics according to a predetermined setting through an automatic button, and when a command through the automatic button is input, the amount of assistance among the variable characteristics, the response speed of the walking aid, and walking assistance A method of controlling a walking aid device for adjusting a variable parameter related to at least one of the smoothness of the device motion according to a predetermined setting.

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