US 9,351,900 B2Granted

Soft exosuit for assistance with human motion

AssigneePresident and Fellows of Harvard College

InventorsConor Walsh, Alan Thomas Asbeck, Ignacio Galiana Bujanda, Ye Ding, Robert Joseph Dyer, Arnar Freyr Larusson, Brendan Thomas Quinlivan, Kai Schmidt, Diana Wagner, Michael Wehner

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Abstract

In at least one aspect, there is provided a system for generating force about one or more joints including a soft exosuit having a plurality of anchor elements and at least one connection element disposed between the plurality of anchor elements. The system also includes at least one sensor to determine a force the at least one connection element or at least one of the plurality of anchor elements and to output signals relating to the force, at least one actuator configured to change a tension in the soft exosuit and at least one controller configured to receive the signals output from the at least one sensor and actuate the at least one actuator responsive to the received signals.

Claims44

Dependent claims

A wearable soft exosuit comprising:

a first anchor element configured for positioning at or near a first body part of a person wearing the wearable soft exosuit;
a second anchor element configured for positioning at or near a second body part of the person wearing the wearable soft exosuit;
an actuation member coupled to the second anchor element configured to be behind an ankle joint of the person;
a plurality of connection elements extending between and connected directly or indirectly to the first anchor element and the actuation member, and at least one of the plurality of connection elements spanning at least one joint disposed between the first anchor element and the second anchor element;
at least one actuator;
and
at least one controller configured to actuate the at least one actuator at a predetermined time during movement of the at least one joint to generate a beneficial moment about the at least one joint,
wherein each of the plurality of connection elements comprise webbing, a strap, a cord, a functional textile, fabric, a wire, a cable, or a composite material,
wherein the at least one actuator comprises at least one motor driven actuator, at least one pneumatic actuator, or at least one hydraulic actuator,
wherein the second anchor element comprises a footwear anchor element,
wherein the first anchor element comprises a waist belt anchor element,
wherein the at least one actuator is configured to apply a tensile force to the second anchor element via the actuation member,
wherein the plurality of connection elements comprise a first connection element on a first side of the waist belt anchor element configured to extend from the waist belt to a position adjacent a center of the wearer's first thigh, a second connection element on the first side of the waist belt anchor element configured to extend from the waist belt to a position adjacent a center of the wearer's second thigh, a third connection element on a second side of the waist belt anchor element configured to extend from the waist belt to a position adjacent a center of the wearer's second thigh, and a fourth connection element on the second side of the waist belt anchor element configured to extend from the waist belt to a position adjacent a center of the wearer's first thigh,
wherein the first connection element and the fourth connection element are connected to form a first node at the position adjacent the center of the wearer's first thigh, and
wherein the second connection element and the third connection element are connected to form a second node at the position adjacent the center of the wearer's second thigh.

12 more elements

A wearable soft exosuit comprising:

a first anchor element configured for positioning at or near a first body part of a person wearing the wearable soft exosuit;
a second anchor element configured for positioning at or near a second body part of the person wearing the wearable soft exosuit;
an actuation member coupled to the second anchor element configured to be behind an ankle joint of the person;
a plurality of connection elements extending between and connected directly or indirectly to the first anchor element and the actuation member, and at least one of the plurality of connection elements spanning at least one joint disposed between the first anchor element and the second anchor element;
at least one actuator;
and
at least one controller configured to actuate the at least one actuator at a predetermined time during movement of the at least one joint to generate a beneficial moment about the at least one joint,
wherein at least some of the plurality of connection elements are connected to form at least one node,
wherein each of the plurality of connection elements comprise webbing, a strap, a cord, a functional textile, fabric, a wire, a cable, or a composite material,
wherein the at least one actuator comprises at least one motor driven actuator, at least one pneumatic actuator, or at least one hydraulic actuator,
wherein the second anchor element comprises a footwear anchor element,
wherein the first anchor element comprises a waist belt anchor element,
wherein the at least one actuator is configured to apply a tensile force to the second anchor element via the actuation member,
wherein the plurality of connection elements comprise a first connection element on a first side of the waist belt anchor element configured to extend from the waist belt to a position adjacent a center of the wearer's first thigh, a second connection element on the first side of the waist belt anchor element configured to extend from the waist belt to a position adjacent a center of the wearer's second thigh, a third connection element on a second side of the waist belt anchor element configured to extend from the waist belt to a position adjacent a center of the wearer's second thigh, and a fourth connection element on the second side of the waist belt anchor element configured to extend from the waist belt to a position adjacent a center of the wearer's first thigh,
wherein the first connection element and the fourth connection element are connected to form a first node at the position adjacent the center of the wearer's first thigh, and
wherein the second connection element and the third connection element are connected to form a second node at the position adjacent the center of the wearer's second thigh.

13 more elements

A wearable soft exosuit comprising:

a first anchor element configured for positioning at or near a first body part of a person wearing the wearable soft exosuit;
a second anchor element configured for positioning at or near a second body part of the person wearing the wearable soft exosuit;
an actuation member coupled to the second anchor element configured to be behind an ankle joint of the person;
a plurality of connection elements extending between and connected directly or indirectly to the first anchor element and the actuation member, and at least one of the plurality of connection elements spanning at least one joint disposed between the first anchor element and the second anchor element;
at least one actuator;
and
at least one controller configured to actuate the at least one actuator at a predetermined time during movement of the at least one joint to generate a beneficial moment about the at least one joint,
wherein at least some of the plurality of connection elements are connected to form at least one node,
wherein each of the first anchor elements and second anchor element comprise at least one footwear anchor element, waist belt anchor element, shoulder strap anchor element, or node,
wherein each of the plurality of connection elements comprise webbing, a strap, a cord, a functional textile, fabric, a wire, a cable, or a composite material,
wherein the at least one actuator comprises at least one motor driven actuator, at least one pneumatic actuator, or at least one hydraulic actuator,
wherein the second anchor element comprises a footwear anchor element,
wherein the first anchor element comprises a waist belt anchor element,
wherein the at least one actuator is configured to apply a tensile force to the second anchor element via the actuation member,
wherein the plurality of connection elements comprise a first connection element on a first side of the waist belt anchor element configured to extend from the waist belt to a position adjacent a center of the wearer's first thigh, a second connection element on the first side of the waist belt anchor element configured to extend from the waist belt to a position adjacent a center of the wearer's second thigh, a third connection element on a second side of the waist belt anchor element configured to extend from the waist belt to a position adjacent a center of the wearer's second thigh, and a fourth connection element on the second side of the waist belt anchor element configured to extend from the waist belt to a position adjacent a center of the wearer's first thigh,
wherein the first connection element and the fourth connection element are connected to form a first node at the position adjacent the center of the wearer's first thigh, and
wherein the second connection element and the third connection element are connected to form a second node at the position adjacent the center of the wearer's second thigh.

14 more elements

A wearable soft exosuit comprising:

a first anchor element configured for positioning at or near a first body part of a person wearing the wearable soft exosuit;
a second anchor element configured for positioning at or near a second body part of the person wearing the wearable soft exosuit;
an actuation member coupled to the second anchor element configured to be behind an ankle joint of the person;
a plurality of connection elements extending between and connected directly or indirectly to the first anchor element and the actuation member, and at least one of the plurality of connection elements spanning at least one joint disposed between the first anchor element and the second anchor element;
at least one actuator;
and
at least one controller configured to actuate the at least one actuator at a predetermined time during movement of the at least one joint to generate a beneficial moment about the at least one joint,
wherein at least some of the plurality of connection elements are connected to form at least one node,
wherein each of the first anchor elements and second anchor element are formed from at least one of webbing, a strap, a cord, a functional textile, fabric, a wire, a cable, or a composite material,
wherein each of the plurality of connection elements comprise webbing, a strap, a cord, a functional textile, fabric, a wire, a cable, or a composite material,
wherein the at least one actuator comprises at least one motor driven actuator, at least one pneumatic actuator, or at least one hydraulic actuator,
wherein the second anchor element comprises a footwear anchor element,
wherein the first anchor element comprises a waist belt anchor element,
wherein the at least one actuator is configured to apply a tensile force to the second anchor element via the actuation member,
wherein the plurality of connection elements comprise a first connection element on a first side of the waist belt anchor element configured to extend from the waist belt to a position adjacent a center of the wearer's first thigh, a second connection element on the first side of the waist belt anchor element configured to extend from the waist belt to a position adjacent a center of the wearer's second thigh, a third connection element on a second side of the waist belt anchor element configured to extend from the waist belt to a position adjacent a center of the wearer's second thigh, and a fourth connection element on the second side of the waist belt anchor element configured to extend from the waist belt to a position adjacent a center of the wearer's first thigh,
wherein the first connection element and the fourth connection element are connected to form a first node at the position adjacent the center of the wearer's first thigh, and
wherein the second connection element and the third connection element are connected to form a second node at the position adjacent the center of the wearer's second thigh.

14 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/371,675Filed 17 Sep 2013 · us provisional application
Priority: 17 Sep 2012
Published: US 2015/0173993 A125 Jun 2015
Granted: 31 May 2016
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification38 codes

A61F 2/68
Prostheses not implantable in the body: operating or control means
A61H 3/00
Appliances for aiding patients or disabled persons to walk about
A63B 23/03508
For limbs, i.e. upper or lower limbs, e.g. simultaneously: for a single arm or leg,
A63B 23/0355
For limbs, i.e. upper or lower limbs, e.g. simultaneously: a single apparatus used for either upper or lower limbs, i.e. with a set of support…

Family

Application61/701,970Us provisional application · filed 17 Sep 2012
Application61/829,686Us provisional application · filed 31 May 2013
Application61/873,433Us provisional application · filed 4 Sep 2013
US 2015/0173993 A1Pre-grant publication · published 25 Jun 2015
US 9,351,900 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.