KR101725517B1 - Robot and method for walking assist - Google Patents

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a walking assist robot including an upper support for supporting a portion of a user's arm to an armpit; A lower support disposed at a lower portion of the upper support and formed in a semicircle shape surrounding the upper body of the user to support the upper body of the user; A linear joint including at least three shafts, each of the at least three shafts being provided with a pressure sensor for measuring a pressure applied to each axis, and a shock absorber for relieving shock caused by pressure of each shaft; And a controller for analyzing the user's walking state using the pressure measurement value of the pressure sensor and controlling the lifting and lowering operation of the buffer based on the result of the analysis of the walking state.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a walking assist robot,

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a walking assistance robot and a walking assistance method of the walking assistance robot.

Recently, the life expectancy of the elderly people is increasing with the improvement of the quality of life, and the technology supporting the basic life of the elderly is becoming a hot topic. The elderly are rapidly aging after age 65 due to aging of the body, resulting in large and small diseases. Among them, lower leg strength is an obstacle to walking.

Supporting walking is generally supported by the use of passive walking aids and walking aids. However, these aids are operated by the elderly with the additional force required to move the aids separately from the force required for walking. Therefore, the research of the walking assist robot for facilitating the walking assistance is progressing actively and it is reaching commercialization stage.

Generally, the walking-assist robot is used to assist the walking of a person who is uncomfortable in walking on his or her own, or a weak person with low leg strength, and can help rehabilitation by strengthening muscles. So that a large force is required to hold the robot's handle.

In this way, the walking-assist robot is made of a simple structure, inconvenient to move according to the ground situation, unable to cope with the fall of the patient, and has a difficult problem in getting on and off.

A related prior art is Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2012-0126934 (entitled "Intelligent Walking Assist Robot", published on November 21, 2012).

An embodiment of the present invention provides a walking assistant robot and a walking assistance method thereof that can protect a user from falling over in the event of a falling condition by analyzing a user's walking state.

An embodiment of the present invention provides a walking assist robot and a walking assistance method that can measure and provide a momentum according to a user's walking.

The problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned problem (s), and another problem (s) not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a walking assist robot including: an upper support for supporting a portion from a user's chest to an armpit; A lower support disposed at a lower portion of the upper support and formed in a semicircle shape surrounding the upper body of the user to support the upper body of the user; A linear joint including at least three shafts, each of the at least three shafts being provided with a pressure sensor for measuring a pressure applied to each axis, and a shock absorber for relieving shock caused by pressure of each shaft; And a controller for analyzing the user's walking state using the pressure measurement value of the pressure sensor and controlling the lifting and lowering operation of the buffer based on the result of the analysis of the walking state.

The controller may determine that the user's walking state is in a falling state when the pressure measurement value of any one of the at least three axes is smaller than a predetermined pressure value relative to the pressure measurement values of the other axes.

The control unit obtains angular displacement information on the current posture with reference to the forward posture using a gyro sensor, applies the angular displacement information and the pressure measurement value of the pressure sensor to a HMM (Hidden Markov Model) By analyzing the state, it is possible to determine whether the user is in a normal walking state or a falling state.

The walking assist robot according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a lifting part connected to the upper support and the lower support to move up and down.

The lifting unit may stop the user from falling when the user is in a falling state as a result of the analysis of the walking state,

The lifting unit may be an electric motor and a uniaxial actuator connected to the electric motor and including a ball screw for converting rotational motion into linear motion.

The walking assist robot according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a spherical wheel installed at the lower end of each axis of the linear joint, and when the user is in a falling state as a result of the analysis of the walking state, It is possible to prevent the user from falling down.

The spherical wheel may receive a pressure generated on a corresponding axis of the linear joint when the user is tilted as a result of the analysis of the gait state to operate the wheel brake to prevent the user from falling.

The linear joint is fastened to the shaft support via a ball joint at the lower end, and can support 360 degrees of freedom in each axis.

The linear joint includes six shafts, and at least one of the six shafts may include the pressure sensor and the shock absorber. The shock absorber may include a passive spring damper.

The controller may analyze the pressure pattern over time using the pressure measurement value of the pressure sensor, and measure the user's amount of exercise based on the analysis result of the pressure pattern.

The control unit may be installed inside the walking-assist robot or may be detachably mounted on the upper support in the form of a portable terminal.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a walking assistant method for a walking assistant robot, comprising: measuring a pressure applied to each axis of the walking assistant robot using a pressure sensor; Analyzing a user's walking state using a pressure measurement value of the pressure sensor; And controlling the lifting and lowering operation of the buffer provided on each axis of the walking-assist robot based on the analysis result of the walking state.

The details of other embodiments are included in the detailed description and the accompanying drawings.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a user is allowed to recognize a falling condition by analyzing a user's walking condition, and by driving a hydraulic automatic control device that automatically reacts through a pressure generated in a falling condition, The lifting and lowering operation of the shock absorber can be controlled to prevent the user from falling over.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the lifting function of the lifting unit is controlled by a single-shaft actuator of a ballscrew structure driven by an electric motor by driving the hydraulic automatic control device to protect the user from falling down .

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the braking operation of the spherical wheel is controlled by driving the hydraulic automatic control device to stop the walking operation of the walking-assist robot, thereby protecting the user from falling.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a gait sensor signal can be used to detect a falling condition of a pedestrian, thereby controlling a walking operation for preventing a user from falling over.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the degree of support of the patient's walking-assist robot can be measured through the pressure sensor mounted on each axis of the linear joint, and the accurate exercise amount of the patient can be measured and provided.

1A is a perspective view of a walking-assistance robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.
1B is a plan view of a walking-assistance robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2A is a diagram illustrating a use state of a walking-assistance robot according to a user's walking situation in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
FIG. 2B is a view illustrating a configuration of a lifting unit, a linear joint, and a spherical wheel according to a use state of the walking-assist robot in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
3 is a flowchart illustrating a walking assistance method of a walking-assistance robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are views showing an example of an inclined walking operation of the walking-assist robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The advantages and / or features of the present invention, and how to accomplish them, will become apparent with reference to the embodiments described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but is capable of many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, To fully disclose the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art, and the invention is only defined by the scope of the claims. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1A is a perspective view of a walking assistant robot according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a plan view of a walking assistant robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1, the walking-assist robot 100 includes an upper support 110, a lower support 120, a lifting unit 130, a linear joint 140, a shaft support 145, A control unit 150, a portable terminal 160, and a spherical wheel 170.

The upper support 110 serves to support a portion of the user (patient) from the chest to the armpit. For this, the upper support 110 may be curved in a rounded shape.

Further, the upper support 110 may be disposed at the uppermost portion of the walking-assist robot 100, and the height of the upper support 110 may be adjusted by lifting and lowering the lifting unit 130 described later.

The lower support 120 is disposed at a lower portion of the upper support 110 and is formed in a semicircular shape to surround a part of the upper body of the user to support the upper body of the user.

The lower support 120 may be connected to the other end of the lifting part 130 to which one end of the lower support 120 is connected. The lower support 120 may be spaced apart from the upper support 110 by a predetermined distance in the vertical direction through the lifting unit 130.

In accordance with this structure, the lower support 120 can support the upper support 110 through the lifting part 130, thereby supporting the upper body of the user and supporting the upper support 110 Thereby supporting the region from the user's chest to the armpit.

Meanwhile, the lower support 120 may be provided with a handle 122. The handle 122 may help the user to walk more stably. The handle 122 may be formed of a soft material such as a sponge or rubber.

The lifting unit 130 may be installed between the upper support 110 and the lower support 120 to move up and down. That is, the lifting unit 130 is connected to the upper support 110, and the lower end of the lifting unit 130 is connected to the lower support 120 to move up and down, It can be moved up and down.

The lifting unit 130 may be provided with a protector 132 for covering the entire body while protecting the upper body at a portion contacting the upper body of the user. The protector 132 may be fastened to a belt, which is an additional device, to cover the entire body of the user. At this time, the belt may be detachably attached to the protector 132 in the form of a velcro. In this way, the protector 132 can securely cover the entire body of the user.

The lifting unit 130 may move up and down according to the analysis result of the user's walking state to prevent the user from falling down. For example, if the user is in a falling state as a result of the analysis of the walking state, the lifting unit 130 can prevent the user from falling down by stopping the lifting operation to a predetermined height.

Here, the analysis result of the gait state may be output by the controller 150, which will be described later, and the lifting unit 130 may perform the up / down operation based on the analysis result of the gait state.

To this end, the lifting unit 130 may be realized as a single-axis actuator including an electric motor and a ball screw, which is connected to the electric motor and converts rotational motion into linear motion . A more detailed description of the configuration of the lifting portion 130 will be described later with reference to FIG. 2B.

The lifting portion 130 may be used not only when the user is in a falling state but also when the user is up or sitting in daily life. For example, the lifting unit 130 may be lifted and lowered to allow the user to sit on the toilet when the user uses the toilet.

The linear joint 140 is composed of six shafts and can balance the walking-assist robot 100.

As shown in Fig. 4 (downhill road) and Fig. 5 (uphill road) at the inclined road such as an inclined downhill road or an uphill road, the linear joint 140 is provided on the side of the walking- It helps to maintain balance.

The linear joint 140 may include a pressure sensor for measuring the pressure applied to each of the six shafts, and a shock absorber for relieving the shock caused by the pressure of the shafts. A more detailed description of the configuration of the linear joint 140 will be given later with reference to Fig. 2B.

In the present embodiment, the linear joint 140 is configured to have six axes. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be realized by three or more axes. In addition, the linear joint 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention may have a Stuart platform structure, but is not limited thereto.

The linear joint 140 is coupled to the shaft supporting part 145 through a lower ball joint 142 to support a 360 degree degree of freedom in each axis. At this time, pressure is generated on each axis of the reefer joint 140 according to the load of the user, and the pressure sensor measures the pressure generated in each axis and transmits it to the controller 150 described later.

Here, the shaft support part 145 may be formed in the same or similar shape as the lower support part 120. That is, as shown in the drawing, the shaft supporting portion 145 may be formed in a circle shape in which the shaft supporting portion 145 is not connected to the user for opening and closing.

The axes of the linear joints 140 may be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance, and the axes of the linear joints 140 may be fastened through the ball joints 142. In this embodiment, since the linear joint 140 has six shafts, the shafts can be disposed on the shaft support 145 at intervals of 60 degrees with respect to the center of the shaft support 145. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and various other arrangements are possible as long as the six axes of the linear joint 140 have a degree of freedom of 360 degrees.

The controller 150 analyzes the walking state of the user using the pressure measurement values of the pressure sensors provided on the respective axes of the linear joint 140, 140) of the shock absorber provided on each axis.

For example, when the pressure measurement value of any one of the axes of the linear joint 140 is smaller than a predetermined pressure value relative to the pressure measurement values of the other axes, the control unit 150 determines the walking state of the user It can be judged as a fall condition. Accordingly, the control unit 150 controls the operation of the shock absorber provided on the corresponding axis of the linear joint 140 so that the corresponding axis of the linear joint 140 is moved up and down, have.

In addition, the controller 150 obtains angular displacement information about the current position using the gyro sensor and applies the angular displacement information and the pressure measurement value of the pressure sensor to a HMM (Hidden Markov Model) The user can determine whether the user is in a normal walking state or a falling state by analyzing the user's walking state. At this time, the controller 150 recognizes the direction of the user's fall and can control the operation of the shock absorber provided on the axis of the corresponding linear joint 140 to move the corresponding axis of the linear joint 140 The user can be prevented from falling down.

Meanwhile, the controller 150 analyzes the pressure pattern over time using the pressure measurement values of the pressure sensors provided on the respective axes of the linear joint 140, Can be measured.

For this, the controller 150 stores a database in which an amount of exercise matched to each pressure pattern is recorded in an internal memory, and measures a momentum according to a pressure measurement value of the pressure sensor by referring to the database. The controller 150 may transmit the measurement result of the momentum to the portable terminal 160 described later.

The control unit 150 may be installed inside the walking-assist robot 100 or may be detachably mounted on the upper support 110 in the form of a portable terminal. That is, the control unit 150 may be mounted on the portable terminal 160 described later.

The portable terminal 160 may display a measurement result of the amount of exercise transmitted from the controller 150 on the screen. Accordingly, the user can confirm the result of the momentum measurement of the user displayed on the portable terminal 160. Accordingly, the user can walk while adjusting the amount of exercise.

In addition, the portable terminal 160 may display detailed information on the ward in which the patient is hospitalized, on the screen, as well as the measurement result (momentum information) of the exercise amount.

The spherical wheel 170 may be installed at the lower end of each axis of the linear joint 140 to move the walking-assist robot 100. Specifically, the spherical wheel 170 may be installed at a lower portion of the shaft supporting portion 145 which is fastened to the lower end of each axis of the linear joint 140, thereby providing mobility in a direction in which the user is walking .

The spherical wheel 170 may include a wheel brake. When it is determined by the controller 150 that the user is in a state of falling, the wheel brake may be operated to prevent the user from falling down. have.

At this time, the spherical wheel 170 receives a pressure generated on a corresponding axis of the linear joint 140 (the axis in which pressure is generated corresponding to the falling direction), operates the wheel brake corresponding to the axis on which the pressure is generated It is possible to prevent the user from falling over.

In other words, when the pressure of the spherical wheel 170 falls on the corresponding axis due to the user's fall, the wheel brake can be automatically operated through a pressure brake or the like to ensure stability of the user.

FIG. 2A is a diagram illustrating a use state of a walking-assistance robot according to a user's walking situation in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2A, the walking-assist robot 100 includes an output signal (a tablet PC gyro sensor signal) of a gyro sensor mounted on the portable terminal 160, The walking state analysis and the momentum measurement are performed 210 by analyzing the output signal of the installed pressure sensor (Stuart platform 6 axis tension sensor signal).

At this time, the walking-assist robot 100 can analyze the output signals of the gyro sensor and the pressure sensor to a hidden markov model (HMM) of a pedestrian to determine whether the walking state is a natural walking state, an abnormal walking state, (220).

The walking assist robot 100 may move the lifting unit 130 by using a single-axis motor (an electric motor and a single-axis actuator) of the lifting unit 130 as a result of the analysis of the walking state, (230). In this way, the user can be prevented from falling down.

In addition, the walking-assist robot 100 can prevent the user from falling down by driving the wheel brake of the spherical wheel 170 through automatic braking of the hydraulic brake according to the output signal of the pressure sensor.

Meanwhile, the walking-assist robot 100 may assist the walking of the patient by controlling the one-axis motor of the lifting unit 130 according to the user's walking state (natural / abnormal walking). In addition, the walking-assist robot 100 may control the one-axis motor of the lifting unit 130 to assist the user in getting up / down when the user moves up / down (240).

In the case of the above general walking situation (natural / abnormal walking and wing / getting off assistance), the six-axis pressure of the linear joint 140 may be in a non-braking state. That is, the walking-assist robot does not drive the wheel brake of the spherical wheel 170 regardless of the six-axis pressure signal of the linear joint 140 when the robot is in the general gait state, The braking state can be maintained (240).

FIG. 2B is a view illustrating a configuration of a lifting unit, a linear joint, and a spherical wheel according to a use state of the walking-assist robot in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG.

Referring to FIG. 2B, the lifting unit 130 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an electric motor and has a ball & screw structure. The lifting unit 130 supports the patient in an up / down / So that the rotational power of the electric motor can be converted into the linear power by having the ball screw structure.

In addition, the linear joint 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention may have a passive spring damper structure as a shock absorber, and may further include a pressure sensor. At this time, the linear joint 140 is lowered as the load of the user is applied through the passive spring damper, and the load is lifted as the load is removed. Accordingly, smooth operation and stability can be realized at the same time, The pressure applied to the linear joint 140 is measured and transmitted to the control unit 150, so that the patient's momentum can be measured. If the linear joint 140 is a Stuart platform structure, the pressure sensor measures pressure on each of six axes of the Stuart platform and transmits the pressure to the control unit 150. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the linear joint 140 may not have a Stuart platform structure, and the pressure sensor and the shock absorber may be provided in only a part of six axes of the linear joint 140, Or may be provided for all.

On the other hand, the spherical wheel 170 receives the pressure generated in the corresponding axis of the linear joint 140 (the axis in which the pressure is generated in correspondence with the falling direction) and automatically operates the wheel brake corresponding to the pressure- Thereby preventing the user from falling down, which can be configured to be hydraulic or electronic.

3 is a flowchart illustrating a walking assistance method of a walking-assistance robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, in step 310, pressure applied to each axis of the walking-assist robot 100 is measured using a pressure sensor.

Here, the pressure sensor can measure and output the pressure applied to each of six axes of the linear joint 140 of the walking-assist robot 100.

Next, in step 320, the user's walking state is analyzed using the pressure measurement value of the pressure sensor.

Next, in step 330, based on the results of the analysis of the walking state, control of the lifting and lowering operations of the buffer provided on each axis of the walking-assist robot 100 is performed.

For example, when the pressure measurement value of one of the axes of the linear joint 140 is smaller than a preset pressure value relative to the pressure measurement values of the other axes, the control unit 150 of the walking- , It can be determined that the user's walking state is in a falling state. Accordingly, the control unit 150 controls the operation of the shock absorber provided on the corresponding axis of the linear joint 140 so that the corresponding axis of the linear joint 140 is moved up and down, have.

In addition, the controller 150 obtains angular displacement information about the current position using the gyro sensor and applies the angular displacement information and the pressure measurement value of the pressure sensor to a HMM (Hidden Markov Model) The user can determine whether the user is in a normal walking state or a falling state by analyzing the user's walking state. At this time, the controller 150 recognizes the direction of the user's fall and can control the operation of the shock absorber provided on the axis of the corresponding linear joint 140 to move the corresponding axis of the linear joint 140 The user can be prevented from falling down.

Meanwhile, the controller 150 analyzes the pressure pattern over time using the pressure measurement values of the pressure sensors provided on the respective axes of the linear joint 140, Can be measured.

Embodiments of the present invention include computer readable media including program instructions for performing various computer implemented operations. The computer-readable medium may include program instructions, local data files, local data structures, etc., alone or in combination. The media may be those specially designed and constructed for the present invention or may be those known to those skilled in the computer software. Examples of computer-readable media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks and magnetic tape, optical recording media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs, magneto-optical media such as floppy disks, and ROMs, And hardware devices specifically configured to store and execute the same program instructions. Examples of program instructions include machine language code such as those produced by a compiler, as well as high-level language code that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter or the like.

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be practical exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be determined by the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments, but, on the contrary, Modification is possible. Accordingly, the spirit of the present invention should be understood only by the appended claims, and all equivalent or equivalent variations thereof are included in the scope of the present invention.

110: upper support
120: lower support
122: Handle
130: lifting part
132: Protector
140: Linear joint
142: ball joint
145:
150:
160: Portable terminal
170: spherical wheel

Claims (13)

An upper support for supporting a portion of the user's arm to the armpit;
A lower support disposed at a lower portion of the upper support and formed in a semicircle shape surrounding the upper body of the user to support the upper body of the user;
A linear joint including at least three shafts, each of the at least three shafts being provided with a pressure sensor for measuring a pressure applied to each axis, and a shock absorber for relieving shock caused by pressure of each shaft; And
A controller for analyzing the walking state of the user by using the pressure measurement value of the pressure sensor and controlling the lifting and lowering operation of the buffer based on the result of the analysis of the walking state,
Lt; / RTI >
The control unit
Wherein the controller determines that the walking state of the user is in a falling state when the pressure measurement value of any one of the at least three axes is smaller than a predetermined pressure value relative to the pressure measurement values of the other axes, .
delete The method according to claim 1,
The control unit
The angular displacement information on the current posture is obtained on the basis of the static attitude using the gyro sensor, and the angular displacement information and the pressure measurement value of the pressure sensor are applied to the HMM (Hidden Markov Model) Thereby determining whether the user is in a normal walking state or a falling state.
The method according to claim 1,
And a lifting and lowering part connected to the upper support and the lower support,
Further comprising: a walking assistant robot (10)
5. The method of claim 4,
The lifting portion
Wherein when the user is in a falling state as a result of the analysis of the walking state, the walking assist robot stops the user from falling down to a predetermined height and then stops the user.
5. The method of claim 4,
The lifting portion
Wherein the actuator is a single-axis actuator including an electric motor, and a ball screw connected to the electric motor and converting a rotational motion into a linear motion.
The method according to claim 1,
And a spherical wheel provided at a lower end of each axis of the linear joint
Further comprising:
The spherical wheel
Wherein when the user is in a falling state as a result of the analysis of the walking state, the wheel brake is operated to prevent the user from falling down.
The method according to claim 1,
The linear joint
Wherein the support shaft is coupled to the shaft support via a ball joint at the lower end to support 360 degrees of freedom in each axis.
The method according to claim 1,
The linear joint
Wherein at least one of the six shafts is provided with the pressure sensor and the shock absorber.
10. The method of claim 9,
The buffer
And a passive spring damper.
The method according to claim 1,
The control unit
Wherein the controller analyzes the pressure pattern over time using the pressure measurement value of the pressure sensor and measures the user's momentum based on the analysis result of the pressure pattern.
The method according to claim 1,
The control unit
Wherein the walking assist robot is installed inside the walking assist robot or is detachably mounted on the upper support in the form of a portable terminal.
A walking assistance method for a walking-assist robot,
Measuring pressure applied to each axis of the walking-assist robot using a pressure sensor;
Analyzing a user's walking state using a pressure measurement value of the pressure sensor; And
Controlling the lifting and lowering operation of the buffer provided on each axis of the walking-assist robot based on the analysis result of the walking state
Lt; / RTI >
The step of controlling
Wherein the controller determines that the walking state of the user is in a falling state when the pressure measurement value of any one of the at least three axes is smaller than a predetermined pressure value relative to the pressure measurement values of the other axes, Of the walking aids.

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