Human grasp assist device with exoskeleton

A grasp assist system comprising:

• a glove having:
• a plurality of fingers and a thumb;
• a force sensor positioned with respect to the glove and configured to measure a grasping force applied to an object by an operator wearing the glove;
• a plurality of phalange rings positioned with respect to the fingers, wherein each finger includes at least two phalange rings;
• and
• a plurality of flexible tendons each connected at one end to a corresponding one of the phalange rings for a given one of the fingers, and each routed through the remaining phalange rings for that finger;
• a plurality of exoskeletons, wherein each exoskeleton is connected to each of the phalange rings on a corresponding one of the fingers, and includes a plurality of hinged interconnecting members;
• a plurality of actuator assemblies each connected to another end of a corresponding one of the tendons;
• and
• a controller in communication with the force sensor, wherein the controller is configured to calculate a tensile force in response to the measured grasping force, and to command the tensile force from the actuator assemblies to pull on the tendons and thereby move the fingers;
• wherein the exoskeleton offloads some of the tensile force from the operator's fingers to the glove.

A grasp assist system comprising:

• a glove having:
• a digit, wherein the digit is one of a finger and a thumb;
• a force sensor positioned with respect to the glove and configured to measure a grasping force applied to an object by an operator wearing the glove;
• a plurality of phalange rings positioned with respect to the digit;
• a flexible tendon connected at one end to one of the phalange rings and routed through the remaining phalange rings;
• and
• an exoskeleton positioned with respect to the digit, wherein the exoskeleton is a single piece of slotted material, wherein the slots of the slotted material define adjacent segments which provide a range-limiting feature to the digit that prevents hyperextension of an operator's finger positioned within the digit;
• an actuator assembly that is connected to another end of the tendon;
• and
• a controller in communication with the force sensor, wherein the controller is configured to calculate a tensile force in response to the measured grasping force, and to command the tensile force from the actuator assembly to pull on the tendon and thereby move the digit.