A61H1/0285

Wearable apparatus for assisting muscular strength

Provided is a wearable apparatus for assisting muscular strength including a first rotary member, a first side of which is located at an upper portion of a shoulder of a wearer and a second side of which is located at a back thereof, a second rotary member, a first side of which is coupled to the second side of the first rotary member and a second side of which moves upward and downward, a first connecting part, a first side of which is coupled to the second side of the second rotary member, and a second side of which is located at an outer side surface of the wearer, a third rotary member, a first side of which is coupled to the second side of the first connecting part, and a fourth rotary member, a first side of which is coupled to the second side of the third rotary member.

METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING AND CONTROLLING REHABILITATION GLOVE BASED ON BIDIRECTIONAL DRIVER OF HONEYCOMB IMITATING STRUCTURE
20230139608 · 2023-05-04 ·

A rehabilitation glove based on a bidirectional driver of a honeycomb imitating structure, including five bidirectional drivers and a cotton glove. The drivers are fixed to a back of the glove through hook and loop fasteners. Each driver includes a hollow buckling air bag in a continuous bent state, a middle guide layer in a continuous bent state and a hollow stretching air bag. The buckling air bag and the middle guide layer are symmetrically arranged, and the stretching air bag in a straightened state is arranged below the middle guide layer. A novel bidirectional driver of a honeycomb imitating structure is provided, which may provide a patient with rehabilitation training in two degrees of freedom: buckling and stretching. A control algorithm of the bidirectional driver is further provided to perform force control output for the driver, which may better help the patient recover hand functions.

WHOLE-BODY HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERFACE
20230205315 · 2023-06-29 ·

A human-computer interface system having an exoskeleton including a plurality of structural members coupled to one another by at least one articulation configured to apply a force to a body segment of a user, the exoskeleton comprising a body-borne portion and a point-of-use portion; the body-borne portion configured to be operatively coupled to the point-of-use portion; and at least one locomotor module including at least one actuator configured to actuate the at least one articulation, the at least one actuator being in operative communication with the exoskeleton.

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING INDIRECT MOVEMENT FEEDBACK DURING SENSORIMOTOR FUNCTION REHABILITATION AND ENHANCEMENT

A rehabilitation feedback system is used during rehabilitation of one or more body appendages of a user. The system includes four finger tracking elements and a thumb tracking element supported for movement relative to one another so as to allow a user to perform a gripping motion when the elements are coupled to the fingers and thumb of a user. A biasing member provides a resistance force acting to urge each tracking element towards a starting position thereof. A visual barrier is adapted to hide the hand of the user at a first side of the visual barrier from direct visual sight by the user at a second side of the visual barrier. A sensor at the first side of the visual barrier detects movements of the tracking elements and communicates with an indicator element detectable by the user from a second side of the visual barrier.

Robotic forearm orthosis using soft fabric-based helical actuators
11510841 · 2022-11-29 ·

A robotic orthosis device for assisting users to rotate their wrist with a pair of fabric-based helical actuators and a sleeve or rigid interfaces configured to attach to a user's forearm. Each of the helical actuators includes a cylinder and a pneumatic bladder configured to inflate the cylinder. Each cylinder includes an anisotropic sheet material and a base sheet material running the length of the cylinder. The anisotropic sheet material comprises elastomeric strands that enable the material to stretch in a direction parallel to the orientation of the elastomeric strands, but different than the longitudinal axis of the cylinder. The base sheet material, which is affixed to the anisotropic sheet material, is strain-limiting along the longitudinal axis. When the bladder is pressurized, the expansion of the bladder causes the cylinder to stretch and twist, thus generating a helical force on the user' wrist relative to the elbow.

Motion assisting apparatus

A motion assisting apparatus includes a multijoint structure having links in series rotatably connected in a relative manner, the links being integrally deformed in a bendable manner, a linear member inserted through each of the links, wherein one end is fixed to the link in front and another end is elongated via the link in rear, a sliding/holding part which fixes an elongated portion of the linear member, and slidably guides the rear link in a connecting direction between each of the links, a drive unit which drives the rear link to slide toward the sliding/holding part and causes the multijoint structure, through which the linear member has been inserted, to engage in an extending or flexing motion, and a control unit which drive-controls the drive unit so that a sliding direction, a sliding speed and a sliding position of the rear link will become an intended state.

REHABILITATION TRAINING APPARATUS

Disclosed is a rehabilitation training apparatus including a pair of first tracks that are arranged in parallel at an interval, a second track that is perpendicular to the pair of first tracks and is movably connected to the pair of first tracks, a hand holder that is movably provided in the second track and on which a hand of the user is held, a holder driving unit that reciprocally moves the hand holder along the second track, and a track driving unit that reciprocally moves the second track along the pair of first tracks.

Management of wireless transmission rate of control signals for power assistive devices

A system and method for transmission of a signal for a powered assistive device has a sensor node with a wireless transmitter adapted for digitally transmitting a transmitted signal, the sensor node adapted for receiving and monitoring a sensor signal from a sensor attached to a user, and a master node with a controller and a wireless receiver for receiving the transmitted signal from the wireless transmitter. The master node processes the transmitted signal and communicates a control signal to the powered assistive device. The wireless transmitter transmits the transmitted signal at a first rate when the wireless transmitter adapted to transmit the transmitted signal at a first rate when the sensor signal is indicative of the rest state and to transmit the transmitted signal at a second rate when the sensor signal is indicative of the active state, the second rate being greater than the first rate.

EXOSKELETON ROBOTIC EQUIPMENT FOR TENODESIS GRASP AND RELEASE TRAINING

An exoskeleton robotic equipment for tenodesis grasp and release training includes an exoskeleton mechanism and a control device. The exoskeleton mechanism includes a fixing seat worn on a forearm, an actuating device mounted to the fixing seat, and a transmission module connected to the fixing seat and pivotally connected to the actuating device and cooperating with the fixing seat and the actuating device to form a four-bar linkage mechanism. The actuating device is controlled by the control device to drive the transmission module to move relative to the fixing seat to change the transmission module into a release state and into a grasp state so as to move the index finger and the middle finger away from and toward the thumb.

Adaptive exoskeleton, control system and methods using the same

Exoskeleton technology is described herein. Such technology includes but is not limited to exoskeletons, exoskeleton controllers, methods for controlling an exoskeleton, and combinations thereof. The exoskeleton technology may facilitate, enhance, and/or supplant the natural mobility of a user via a combination of sensor elements, processing/control elements, and actuating elements. User movement may be elicited by electrical stimulation of the user's muscles, actuation of one or more mechanical components, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the exoskeleton technology may adjust in response to measured inputs, such as motions or electrical signals produced by a user. In this way, the exoskeleton technology may interpret known inputs and learn new inputs, which may lead to a more seamless user experience.