Exoskeleton and Method of Transferring a Weight of a Load from the Exoskeleton to a Support Surface

Abstract

An exoskeleton comprises at least one load-bearing element including a flexible hose, sleeve or cable having a first end portion and a second end portion opposite the first end portion. The first end portion is engageable with a load and is configured to transfer a weight of the load to the hose, sleeve or cable. The hose, sleeve or cable is configured to transfer the weight of the load from the first end portion to the second end portion, and the second end portion is configured to transfer the weight of the load to a support surface upon which the exoskeleton is supported.

Claims

1. An exoskeleton comprising: a load-bearing element including a flexible hose, sleeve or cable, the hose, sleeve or cable having a first end portion and a second end portion opposite the first end portion, wherein: the first end portion is engageable with a load; the first end portion is configured to transfer a weight of the load to the flexible hose, sleeve or cable; the flexible hose, sleeve or cable is configured to be placed in compression to transfer the weight of the load from the first end portion to the second end portion; and the second end portion is configured to transfer the weight of the load to a support surface upon which the exoskeleton is supported.

2. The exoskeleton of claim 1, wherein the load-bearing element is a mechanical control cable or a push-pull cable.

3. The exoskeleton of claim 1, wherein the load-bearing element further includes: a first hydraulic cylinder located at the first end portion; and a second hydraulic cylinder located at the second end portion, wherein the flexible hose, sleeve or cable is a hydraulic hose containing hydraulic fluid.

4. The exoskeleton of claim 3, wherein the first hydraulic cylinder, the second hydraulic cylinder and the hydraulic hose form a portion of a hydraulic circuit that further comprises a pump, wherein the pump is configured to increase an amount of hydraulic fluid in the hydraulic hose to provide power to the load-bearing element.

5. The exoskeleton of claim 4, wherein the load-bearing element constitutes a first load-bearing element, the exoskeleton further comprises a second load-bearing element and the hydraulic circuit further includes a valve having a first state in which the pump is configured to increase an amount of hydraulic fluid in the first load-bearing element, and a second state in which the pump is configured to increase an amount of hydraulic fluid in the second load-bearing element.

6. The exoskeleton of claim 4, wherein the hydraulic circuit further includes a reservoir and an accumulator.

7. (canceled)

8. The exoskeleton of claim 1, wherein the load-bearing element is configured to follow at least one line of non-extension of a wearer of the exoskeleton.

9. The exoskeleton of claim 8, wherein the load-bearing element is configured to follow the at least one line of non-extension over at least a majority of a length of the load-bearing element.

10. The exoskeleton of claim 8, wherein: the second end portion is configured to be located adjacent to a foot of the wearer; and the first end portion is configured to be located adjacent to a torso of the wearer.

11. (canceled)

12. The exoskeleton of claim 1, further comprising a textile configured to be worn by a wearer of the exoskeleton, wherein the hose, sleeve or cable is coupled to the textile.

13. The exoskeleton of claim 12, wherein the textile is form-fitting with respect to the wearer.

14. (canceled)

15. The exoskeleton of claim 1, wherein the first end portion is configured to directly contact the load and the second end portion is configured to directly contact the support surface.

16. (canceled)

17. A method of transferring a weight of a load from an exoskeleton to a support surface upon which the exoskeleton is supported, the exoskeleton comprising a load-bearing element including a flexible hose, sleeve or cable, the hose, sleeve or cable having a first end portion and a second end portion opposite the first end portion, the method comprising: transferring the weight of the load to the first end portion of the load-bearing element; placing the load bearing element in compression in transferring the weight of the load from the first end portion of the load-bearing element to the second end portion of the load-bearing element; and transferring the weight of the load from the second end portion of the load-bearing element to the support surface.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein: the load-bearing element is a mechanical control cable or a push-pull cable; transferring the weight of the load to the first end portion includes transferring the weight of the load to a first end portion of the mechanical control cable or push-pull cable; transferring the weight of the load from the first end portion to the second end portion includes transferring the weight of the load from the first end portion of the mechanical control cable or push-pull cable to a second end portion of the mechanical control cable or push-pull cable; and transferring the weight of the load from the second end portion to the support surface includes transferring the weight of the load from the second end portion of the mechanical control cable or push-pull cable to the support surface.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein: the flexible hose, sleeve or cable is a hydraulic hose containing hydraulic fluid; transferring the weight of the load to the first end portion includes transferring the weight of the load to a first hydraulic cylinder; transferring the weight of the load from the first end portion to the second end portion includes transferring the weight of the load from the first hydraulic cylinder to a second hydraulic cylinder via the hydraulic hose; and transferring the weight of the load from the second end portion to the support surface includes transferring the weight of the load from the second hydraulic cylinder to the support surface.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the first hydraulic cylinder, the second hydraulic cylinder and the hydraulic hose form a portion of a hydraulic circuit that further comprises a pump, the method further comprising: increasing an amount of hydraulic fluid in the hydraulic hose with the pump to provide power to the load-bearing element.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the load-bearing element constitutes a first load-bearing element, the exoskeleton further comprises a second load-bearing element and the hydraulic circuit further includes a valve having a first state and a second state, the method further comprising: increasing an amount of hydraulic fluid in the first load-bearing element with the pump when the valve is in the first state; and increasing an amount of hydraulic fluid in the second load-bearing element with the pump when the valve is in the second state.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein: the load-bearing element is configured to follow at least one line of non-extension of a wearer of the exoskeleton over at least a majority of a length of the load-bearing element; and transferring the weight of the load from the first end portion to the second end portion includes transferring the weight of the load along the at least one line of non-extension over at least a majority of the length of the load-bearing element.

23. (canceled)

24. The method of claim 22, wherein transferring the weight of the load from the first end portion to the second end portion further includes at least one of: transferring the weight of the load to a location adjacent the foot of the wearer; and transferring the weight of the load from a location adjacent a torso of the wearer.

25-26. (canceled)

27. The method of claim 17, wherein at least one of: transferring the weight of the load to the first end portion includes directly contacting the load with the first end portion; and transferring the weight of the load from the second end portion to the support surface includes directly contacting the support surface with the second end portion.

28. (canceled)

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0021] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dummy showing lines of non-extension;

[0022] FIG. 2 is perspective view of a portion of an exoskeleton load-bearing assembly and an exoskeleton wearer in accordance with the present invention;

[0023] FIG. 3 is a side view of a test setup used as a proof of concept of the present invention;

[0024] FIG. 4 illustrates potential failure modes of a load-bearing element coupled to a leg of a wearer by a textile;

[0025] FIG. 5 is a rear view of the load-bearing assembly and wearer of FIG. 2;

[0026] FIG. 6 shows two timing diagrams for an exoskeleton in accordance with the present invention;

[0027] FIG. 7 is a hydraulic circuit schematic of a load-bearing assembly in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; and

[0028] FIG. 8 is a hydraulic circuit schematic of a load-bearing assembly in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0029] Detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein. However, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale, and some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the present invention.

[0030] The structure used to achieve a parallel load path in exoskeletons of the prior art is the primary contributor to their metabolic cost and is necessary only to prevent buckling of the structure, not to support the underlying load. Typical loads carried by a soldier (e.g., 75 lb) do not require large amounts of material for support due to pure tensile or compressive loads. The additional material is required to prevent what would otherwise be a thin structure from buckling. For example, a 75 lb load could be borne by a inch diameter fiberglass rod, including a generous factor of safety, if buckling was not a problem. The additional material needed to prevent the exoskeleton structure from buckling does not help a wearer (i.e., a user) of the exoskeleton in any way, yet it adds most of the mass of the exoskeleton. It is possible to avoid this if a thin, light structure is tightly coupled to the wearer in the way that scaffolding is coupled to a building. The wearer can prevent buckling of the structure while the structure bears the load.

[0031] Tightly coupling the structure to the wearer, however, is complicated by both the bending and linear motion of the person such that the structure must not be rigid. In the prior art, as documented above, exoskeletons have used rigid, outboard structure that crudely approximates the bending and stretching of the underlying person. Such structures are unwieldy, contribute significantly to metabolic cost and are unnatural to use. However, scientists, faced with the problem of keeping a flexible pressure suit from bulging off a person in a vacuum, have determined that there exist lines of non-extension over the human body along which the skin does not appreciably stretch during motion. See, e.g., Iberall, A. S., The Experimental Design of a Mobile Pressure Suit, Journal of Basic Engineering, Vol. 92.2, (1970), pp. 251-264.

[0032] FIG. 1 shows such lines of non-extension (one of which is labeled 100) over the surface of a dummy 105. In connection with the present invention, these lines of non-extension represent locations to which it is possible to attach a structural element that is flexible (because the lines bend) but compressively stiff (because the lines do not extend). Specifically, along these lines of non-extension, it is possible to attach flexible load-bearing elements such as mechanical control cables (or push-pull cables) that are lithe, low-weight and capable of handling more than 100 lb of force in compression. In such embodiments, the load-bearing element includes a cable or flexible bearing assembly inside a thin, low-friction sleeve. Flexball, manufactured by DURA Automotive System GmbH of Germany, is one such cable, but many similar control assemblies are available. In a preferred arrangement, an alternative structure can be fabricated by connecting two hydraulic cylinders with a length of hydraulic hose containing hydraulic fluid. Such embodiments allow a designer more control over the load-bearing element and have actuation benefits, which will be discussed below. Also, the hydraulic fluid is not used simply to transmit power, although it can, as will be discussed below. Instead, the fluid itself is also used as the structural load bearing element with the hose constraining and containing the fluid. That is, the pressure in the fluid is the load divided by the cross-sectional area of the fluid. Returning to flexible load-bearing elements more generally, linear masses for such assemblies are on the order of less than 1 kg per meter. As a result, it is possible to build a two leg solution for approximately 2 kg, which is significantly less than the prior art exoskeleton designs. Additionally, the resulting system can bear the weight of a soldier's ruck and armor without needing electrical power.

[0033] With reference now to FIG. 2, a portion of a load-bearing assembly in accordance with the present invention is shown. Slender, flexible hoses 200 and 201 hold an incompressible fluid and are wrapped tightly against the body of a wearer 205. Preferably, hoses 200 and 201 are arranged along lines of non-extension, as discussed above. However, in order to better illustrate the concept, the routing of hoses 200 and 201 does not exactly follow lines of non-extension in FIG. 2. A form-fitting textile (not shown) is preferably worn by wearer 205 to hold hoses 200 and 201 in place and prevent buckling. Hydraulic cylinders 210-213 are provided at the ends of hoses 200 and 201, although cylinder 213 is not visible in FIG. 2 but is present in FIG. 5. Cylinders 210-213 provide an interface between hydraulic fluid in hoses 200 and 201 and the ground or a load. While no load is shown in FIG. 2, cylinders 210 and 212 connect to the load when present, as will be described below. In some embodiments, further interfacing between the load and cylinders 210 and 212 is required. Also, in some embodiments, push-pull cables are used rather than the hydraulic cables. In addition, the routing of hoses 200 and 201 (or the push-pull cables) can vary from embodiment to embodiment to follow the different lines of non-extension.

[0034] FIG. 3 illustrates a test setup that was used as a proof of concept of the present invention. A flexible push-pull cable 300 is used to transfer a load (a 25 lb weight 305) around a human stand-in (an aluminum rod 310). Push-pull cable 300 is coupled to rod 310 by a plurality of cable ties, one of which is labeled 315. However, as noted above and as will be discussed below, flexible load-bearing elements of the present invention are preferably coupled to a wearer via a form-fitting textile. Push-pull cable 300 circles halfway around rod 310 in order to demonstrate that it is not necessary for the load to be perfectly positioned above the portion of a support surface to which the load is transferred. Typically, the support surface is the surface upon which a wearer is standing, e.g., a floor or the ground. Accordingly, rod 310 terminates on a floor 320. However, push-pull cable 300 terminates on a scale 325 for purposes of illustrating the present invention. Specifically, scale 325 reads 25 lb, thereby demonstrating that the load from weight 305 is transferred by push-pull cable 300 to any support surface contacted by push-pull cable 300. As used in this test setup, push-pull cable 300 is a Flexball ball bearing control cable available from VPS Control Systems.

[0035] Referring back to the embodiment of FIG. 2, it is important that buckling of hoses 200 and 201 is prevented in order to prevent buckling of the hydraulic fluid column. Since hoses 200 and 201 can buckle if left unsupported for more than a few inches, hoses 200 and 201 are tightly coupled to wearer 205, as noted above. In particular, the load-bearing elements (e.g., hoses 200 and 201) are coupled to a textile in a continuous fashion, with the textile providing a connection to the wearer by virtue of the textile being worn by the wearer. In practice, the textile should resist several failure modes, illustrated in FIG. 4, including: failure of the textile; motion of the textile relative to the wearer; and deformation of the tissue of the wearer's body. The textile failure modes are illustrated around a leg 400 of a wearer, with the textile labeled 405 and the load-bearing element labeled 410. Although there are many ways of addressing such textile failures, in a preferred embodiment, tearing failures are prevented through use of appropriate high-strength fibers. Also, motion of the textile relative to the wearer is controlled by using tensile structures that cross the line or lines of non-extension along which the load-bearing elements are arranged (at a generally perpendicular angle, for example) in order to couple the load-bearing elements to the wearer's limbs in a manner similar to the cable ties shown in FIG. 3. Deformation of the wearer's tissue is controlled by incorporating semi-rigid elements in areas of concern. Preferably, the textile is sized to an individual wearer. However, in some embodiments, it is possible to adjust the size of the textile with buckles, webbing triglides, Velcro and other fabric adjustment methods known in the art.

[0036] It is also important to prevent pressure rupture of the hydraulic hoses (e.g., hoses 200 and 201 of FIG. 2) by using conventional hydraulic hoses. In some embodiments using a large 8 size hydraulic hose, the pressure developed when supporting 75 lb is 382 psi. In other embodiments, a smaller 4 hose is used, resulting in a pressure of 1552 psi. Hydraulic hoses typically feature working pressure up to 3,000 to 5,000 psi, which provides a comfortable factor of safety. While many types of hydraulic hose are known in the art, hoses featuring tight bend radii and fibrous exteriors that can be integrated into a textile are preferred.

[0037] Turning to FIG. 5, the load-bearing assembly of FIG. 2 is shown in combination with a load 500 as wearer 205 takes a step. In particular, a right leg 505 of wearer 205 is in stance, and a left leg 506 is in swing. Hose 200, which is coupled to the stance leg (i.e., right leg 505), bears the weight of load 500 because cylinder 211 contacts the ground. Hose 201, which is coupled to the swing leg (i.e., left leg 506), does not bear the weight of load 500 because cylinder 213 is not in contact with the ground. Therefore, because the left load-bearing element is not in contact with the ground, the left load-bearing element does not support load 500, and a piston 512 of cylinder 212 falls away from load 500. In a preferred embodiment, springs (not shown) bias pistons 510-513 of cylinders 210-213 so that cylinders 210-213 do not lose contact with load 500, but the effect is exaggerated here for illustration. In some embodiments, the load-bearing assembly will further include a fluid reservoir (not shown) to allow resizing, and pressure sensors (not shown) to record system loading. In addition, it should be understood that hoses 200 and 201 are the same length, with hose 201 simply appearing foreshortened in this perspective.

[0038] There are many possible embodiments of the present invention, resulting in a continuum of systems. For some applications, such as helping a soldier at a checkpoint who is wearing armor, load-bearing with a passive system (such as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5) is sufficient. The passive embodiment is advantageous because it is very simple and requires neither a battery nor a computer to operate. However, simply reducing the effective weight (but not the mass) of the trunk can have a metabolic benefit, this benefit is generally not sufficient for all applications. In order to improve agility during a multi-hour march or to move at a high rate of speed, some transfer of energy to the soldier is highly desirable. Therefore, in a preferred powered embodiment, hydraulic fluid is selectively pumped into the load-bearing elements so that the load-bearing elements push directly against the ground and load. The hydraulic power unit used to provide this assistance can take any of a number of forms well known in the art, with certain preferred arrangements being detailed below. Such embodiments can provide a propulsive assistance at toe-off that, while analogous to ankle actuation, is considered to be far more effective because the resultant is not simply applied to the shank but instead the load being carried. It is also possible to provide powered assistance when using a push-pull cable by pushing on the ends of the push-pull cable, for example with an electric motor at the upper end of the load bearing element. It is also possible to use hydraulic load bearing elements and push on the ends with one or more electric motors. However, depending on the application, it can be simpler, and therefore preferable, to plumb a hydraulic power unit into the hydraulic lines, as will be discussed below.

[0039] A timing diagram for a powered embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 6. In particular, a timing diagram for walking is shown at 600, and a timing diagram for running is shown at 605. The upper portion of each diagram represents steps or strides taken with one leg (e.g., a left leg), while the lower portion of each diagram represents steps or strides taken with the other leg (e.g., a right leg). As can be seen in FIG. 6, passive support (i.e., load bearing) occurs during any stance cycle in walking or running. By injecting power into the load-bearing elements late in the stance cycle, the powered embodiment also provides propulsion during walking or running. It should be noted that, as shown in FIG. 6, powered propulsion occupies a greater percentage of the gait cycle during running because of the greater propulsive requirements of running. It is also important to note that the power can be injected hydraulically, as will be discussed below, or by using one or more electric motors and mechanical linkages connected to the load bearing elements.

[0040] Although there are a number of possible powered hydraulic embodiments of the present invention, FIG. 7 shows one relatively simple embodiment in which a selector valve 700 connects one load-bearing element at a time to a pump 705 and connects the other load-bearing element to a reservoir 710. The load-bearing elements are shown schematically as pairs of hydraulic cylinders each connected by a hose. Specifically, a right loading-bearing element 715 includes hose 200, cylinders 210 and 211 and pistons 510 and 511, while a left load-bearing element 716 includes hose 201, cylinders 212 and 213 and pistons 512 and 513. In addition, FIG. 7 shows a pressure indicator 720, check valves 725 and 726 and motors 730 and 731, which drive selector valve 700 and pump 705, respectively. As a result, motor 731 can drive pump 705 to cause hydraulic fluid to be sent to load-bearing elements 715, for example, thereby providing propulsive assistance through movement of piston 511.

[0041] FIG. 8 shows another powered hydraulic embodiment in accordance with the present invention. In addition to those components shown in FIG. 7, a high-pressure accumulator 800 is included. As a result, the load on hydraulic pump 705 is evened out since pump 705 need only make the average pressure in the system. In addition to the valve states shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, if desired, a third valve state can be provided that does not permit any flow from reservoir 710 so that neither of load-bearing elements 715 and 716 is pressurized. Also, selector valve 700 can take other forms and be actuated in other ways. For example, selector valve 700 can take the form of a rotary valve or be actuated by a solenoid rather than motor 730.

[0042] With reference to the present invention more generally, in some embodiments, there is no payload, and the upper ends of the flexible load-bearing elements push against the torso of the wearer or a harness that is connected to the wearer. In such embodiments, the present invention reduces the effective weight of the wearer, which can help reduce joint injuries. This effective weight reduction is also useful during rehabilitation from an injury.

[0043] In general then, the present invention is directed to an exoskeleton comprising at least one flexible load-bearing element. The load-bearing element includes a flexible hose, sleeve or cable having a first end (or end portion) and a second end (or end portion), the second end being opposite the first end. The first end is engageable with a load and transfers a weight of the load to the hose, sleeve or cable. The hose, sleeve or cable transfers the weight of the load from the first end to the second end, and the second end transfers the weight of the load to a support surface upon which the exoskeleton is supported. In other words, the hose, sleeve or cable transmits a compressive load from the exoskeleton to the support surface.

[0044] In one embodiment, the load-bearing element is a mechanical control cable or a push-pull cable. In another embodiment, the load-bearing element includes a first hydraulic cylinder located at the first end and a second hydraulic cylinder located at the second end. In this embodiment, the hose, sleeve or cable is a hydraulic hose containing hydraulic fluid. Furthermore, the first hydraulic cylinder, the second hydraulic cylinder and the hydraulic hose form a portion of a hydraulic circuit. The hydraulic circuit further includes a pump, which selectively increases the amount of hydraulic fluid in the hydraulic hose. As a result, power is provided to the load-bearing element in the form of propulsive assistance for the wearer of the exoskeleton. The hydraulic circuit also includes a valve having a first state and a second state. In the first state, the pump increases the amount of hydraulic fluid in a first load-bearing element, and, in the second state, the pump increases the amount of hydraulic fluid in a second load-bearing element.

[0045] Preferably, the load-bearing element follows one or more lines of non-extension of the wearer. Specifically, the load-bearing element follows the one or more lines of non-extension over at least a majority (i.e., greater than 50%) of the length of the load-bearing element. In one embodiment, the first end is located adjacent the torso of the wearer, and the second end is located adjacent a foot of the wearer. In such an embodiment, the load-bearing element preferably follows one or more lines of non-extension from the wearer's torso to the wearer's foot. In certain embodiments, the first end directly contacts the load, and the second end directly contacts the support surface. Alternatively, the first and second ends indirectly contact the load and support surface through load-transmitting structures such that the compressive load is still transferred from the exoskeleton to the support surface through the load-bearing element.

[0046] The exoskeleton further comprises a textile configured to be worn by the wearer. The hose, sleeve or cable is coupled to the textile. Preferably, the textile is form-fitting with respect to the wearer, i.e., the textile fits tightly against the wearer's body. This allows the load-bearing element to transmit the compressive load to the support surface without buckling of the load-bearing element, which is otherwise sufficiently flexible so as to buckle under the load.

[0047] Based on the above, it should be readily apparent that the present invention provides an exoskeleton that helps a wearer bear the weight of a load through the use of flexible structures that also provide propulsive assistance. Although described with reference to preferred embodiments, it should be readily understood that various changes or modifications could be made to the invention without departing from the spirit thereof. In general, the invention is only intended to be limited by the scope of the following claims.