Control system for a mobility aid

A method for controlling an exoskeleton worn by a user and having one or more actuators associated with various body members of the exoskeleton each corresponding to a body part of the user, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving input data indicative of a desired movement sequence;
• obtaining from memory pre-programmed movement data indicative of one or more sequential instructions required to effect the movement sequence, said sequential instructions comprising at least a landing foot instruction to control the placement of a landing foot onto terrain supporting the exoskeleton, wherein each instruction being associated with relative actuator movements for performing the instruction;
• updating the relative actuator movements according to stored adjustment data indicative of a current terrain state;
• moving the one or more actuators according to the updated relative actuator movements for each instruction;
• sensing contact of the landing foot with terrain with at least one contact sensor;
• receiving data indicative of a change in terrain state during the execution of the landing foot instruction based on the sensed contact of the landing foot and the terrain during the execution of the landing foot instruction;
• moving the one or more actuators to determine a current terrain state;
• and
• updating the adjustment data indicative of the change in terrain state;
• wherein an underside of the landing foot comprises at least four corner regions and at least one of said contact sensor in each of the at least four corner regions;
• wherein a terrain sub-system configured to adjust the landing foot instruction is triggered in the event that at least one but not all of said contact sensors sense contact of the underside of the landing foot with the terrain, thereby providing said data indicative of the change in terrain slope;
• and
• wherein the terrain sub-system is configured to adjust the landing foot instruction when one corner region is sensed to be in contact with the terrain by at least one of said contact sensor.

A method for controlling an exoskeleton worn by a user and having one or more actuators associated with at least a foot member of the exoskeleton corresponding to a foot of the user to adjust the foot member to a change in terrain slope, the method comprising the steps of:

• sensing contact of the foot member with terrain with at least one contact sensor during execution of a landing instruction associated with the foot member;
• receiving data indicative of a change in terrain slope during the execution of the landing instruction based on the sensed contact of the foot member and the terrain during the execution of the landing instruction;
• moving one or more of the actuators that are associated with the foot member to pivot the foot member towards a maximum allowable slope angle;
• and
• terminating movement of the one or more actuators associated with the foot member upon receiving input indicative of alignment of the foot member with the slope;
• wherein an underside of the foot member comprises at least four corner regions and at least one of said contact sensor in each of the at least four corner regions;
• wherein a terrain sub-system configured to adjust the landing instruction is triggered in the event that at least one but not all of said contact sensors sense contact of the underside of the foot member with the terrain, thereby providing said data indicative of the change in terrain slope;
• and
• wherein the terrain sub-system is configured to adjust the landing instruction when one corner region is sensed to be in contact with the terrain by at least one of said contact sensor.

A control system for controlling an exoskeleton worn by a user and having one or more actuators associated with various body members of the exoskeleton each corresponding to a body part of the user, the control system comprising:

• a user interface for receiving input data indicative of a desired movement sequence;
• a memory component for storing pre-programmed movement data indicative of one or more sequential instructions comprising at least a landing foot instruction, the one or more sequential instructions required to effect the movement sequence, each instruction being associated with relative actuator movements for performing the instruction;
• an actuator controller for moving the one or more actuators according to the relative actuator movements for each instruction;
• and
• a terrain sub-system for receiving a sensor output from at least one contact sensor indicative of a terrain state during the execution of the landing foot instruction and adjusting the actuator movements based upon a detected change in terrain state during the execution of the landing foot instruction;
• wherein an underside of a landing foot member comprises at least four corner regions and at least one of said contact sensor in each of the at least four corner regions;
• wherein the terrain sub-system is configured to adjust the landing foot instruction and is triggered in the event that at least one but not all of said contact sensors sense contact of the underside of the landing foot member with the terrain, thereby providing said data indicative of the terrain state;
• and
• wherein the terrain sub-system is configured to adjust the landing foot instruction when one corner region is sensed to be in contact with the terrain by at least one of said contact sensor.