KR20210128301A - suit type robot structure for humanoid robot - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a suit type lower body robot which comprises a foot link body in contact with a floor surface; an ankle joint part in connection with the foot link body; a knee joint part formed at an upper part of the ankle joint part; a hip joint part formed at an upper part of the knee joint part; a first link body connecting the ankle joint part and the knee joint part; a second link body connecting the knee joint part and the hip joint part; and a coxa degree of freedom compensation device formed between the first link body and the foot link body and compensating the degree of freedom in the coxa by adjusting the entire length between the foot link body and the hip joint in an extended or reduced form.

Description

Suit type robot structure for humanoid robot with hip joint freedom compensation function

The present invention relates to a suit-type lower extremity robot, and more particularly, when the wearer walks, the overall length of the robot's main frame increases or decreases, thereby compensating for the freedom of the wearer's hip joint, thereby providing convenience to the user. It is about a suit-type lower extremity robot.

In general, wearable exoskeleton systems have been developed and used for medical, commercial, and military purposes. used for In addition, in the case of commercial and military exoskeleton devices, they are being used to prevent injuries and enhance the user's strength.

Most of these wearable exoskeleton systems are configured such that a driving device is installed in the joint part such as the knee to drive the joint to enable walking and gait assistance.

However, the wearable exoskeleton system of the prior art has a limitation in implementing a more comfortable and excellent exoskeleton system, such as the degree of freedom of the human body, due to the one degree of freedom design.

Therefore, although a lot of research and development is being carried out in the field of robots such as the wearable exoskeleton system, it is difficult to expand and use it widely in human life because it can only move on a flat surface and cannot pass through non-flat surfaces such as stairs and thresholds. There was a problem.

As a prior art, the current walking robot has limitations in supporting the robot's feet on various surfaces or forming a stable walking motion of the robot by forming a natural walking motion.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2019-0005907 (published on January 16, 2019)

The present invention has been devised to solve the above-described problems, and the overall length of the robot's main frame increases or decreases while moving in the worn state, and the wearer's hip joint freedom is compensated for, thereby providing convenience to the user. Brother provides lower extremity robots.

To this end, the present invention includes a foot link body in contact with the floor surface; an ankle joint part connected to the foot link body; a knee joint portion formed on an upper portion of the ankle joint portion; a hip joint portion formed on the knee joint portion; a first link body connecting the ankle joint part and the knee joint part; a second link body connecting the knee joint part and the hip joint part; A suit-type lower extremity robot comprising a; a hip joint freedom compensation device formed between the first link body and the foot link body and adjusting the total length between the foot link body and the hip joint to increase or decrease the hip joint freedom. provides

In addition, the hip joint freedom compensator forms a rhombic-shaped compensation structure between the first link body and the foot link body, and the compensation structure has first to fourth joints at each vertex of the rhombic shape, and the It is characterized in that it has first to fourth compensation links connecting the first to fourth joints.

In addition, the compensation structure further includes an actuator that is driven using a rotation motor or the like to compensate the degree of freedom according to the movement of the user, and the compensation actuator is connected to the compensation structure through a wire structure, and according to the movement of the user, It is characterized in that the degree of freedom is compensated for by pressing or pulling the rhombic shape.

In addition, the wire structure includes a horizontal wire connecting the second joint and the third joint, and a vertical wire connecting the horizontal wire in a vertical direction from the center, connected through the actuator according to the user's movement state It is characterized in that the degree of freedom is compensated in such a way that the compensation structure is maintained as it is by not applying a tension to pull the vertical wire upward in the direction of the floor surface or applying a separate force upward in the direction of the floor surface.

Another embodiment of the present invention, a foot link body in contact with the floor surface; an ankle joint part connected to the foot link body; a knee joint portion formed on an upper portion of the ankle joint portion; a hip joint portion formed on the knee joint portion; a first link body connecting the ankle joint part and the knee joint part; a second link body connecting the knee joint part and the hip joint part; a cam structure connected to the hip joint part and the second link body and capable of rotational driving according to a user's movement state; A suit including a hip joint freedom compensation device for compensating for hip joint freedom by adjusting the total length between the foot link body and the hip joint part through a pulley actuator to increase or decrease the total length between the foot link body and the hip joint part as the support point changes according to the rotational movement of the cam structure Brother provides lower extremity robots.

In addition, the hip joint freedom compensator is formed between the first link body and the second link body, and a pulley driving body formed to hang a wire structure connecting the connection part and the cam structure in order to transmit motion or force. and a connection part by connecting both support shafts of the first link body and the second link body through the knee joint part, fixed points on both sides supporting the pulley actuator, and a support point connecting the cam structure and the pulley actuator. It may include a horizontal support plate formed to support the pulley driving body and the cam structure.

In addition, the connection part further includes a second wire connected to the wire structure in an arc shape, and the first link body applies tension to the second wire according to the driving of the pulley driving body according to the user's moving state. to change the length of the second wire according to the applied tension.

The present invention is a wearable exoskeleton system, and when the wearer walks, the overall length of the robot's main frame increases or decreases, and the degree of freedom of the wearer's hip joint is compensated for, thereby providing user convenience.

In addition, there is an advantage that the freedom compensation of the hip joint can be implemented without power using a cam structure and a pulley actuator.

1A and 1B are schematic views showing the configuration of a suit-type lower extremity robot 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention,
2a and 2b are schematic views showing the driving state through the actuator 150 in the suit-type lower extremity robot 100 of Fig. 1,
3A to 3C are diagrams showing the form in which the foot structure 111 swings while the overall length (total length) of the main frame is increased or decreased in the moving state of the suit-type lower extremity robot 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention; ,
4A and 4B are schematic views showing the configuration of a suit-type lower extremity robot 200 according to another embodiment of the present invention,
5A to 5C are schematic diagrams illustrating a driving state through a pulley actuator 250 in the suit-type lower extremity robot 200 of FIG. 4 .

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1A and 1B are schematic views showing the configuration of a suit-type lower extremity robot 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 2A and 2B are an actuator 150 in the suit-type lower extremity robot 100 of FIG. 1 . It is a schematic diagram showing the driving state through , respectively, FIGS. 1A and 2A are the stationary state of the suit-type lower extremity robot, and FIGS. 1B and 2B are views showing the state in which the suit-type lower extremity robot is moved in the stationary state.

3a to 3c show the foot structure 111 while moving by different lengths in the direction in which the overall length (total length) of the main frame increases or decreases in the moving state of the suit-type lower extremity robot 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a diagram showing the shape of the swing.

1 to 3 , the suit-type lower extremity robot 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be configured as an exoskeleton system that can be worn on a human.

In the suit-type lower extremity robot 100 of the present invention, the main frame is configured to be worn on both legs, for example, by binding a person's jangji and an instrument in the form of a leg strap, and based on a person's calf when walking A closed link structure may be applied to implement the degree of freedom of the mechanism. In addition, the structure worn by the human body is not limited to the strap type and can be implemented in various ways based on known wearing technologies, so a description thereof is omitted in this embodiment, and the main frame and hip joint freedom compensator, which are main components of the present invention, are omitted. will be explained based on

The main frame of the suit-type lower extremity robot of the present invention includes an ankle joint 110 that contacts and supports a floor surface such as the ground, and a knee joint that is formed on the upper portion of the ankle joint 110 . , 120 , and a hip joint 130 formed on the knee joint 120 .

The ankle joint part 110 is connected to the foot link body 111 in contact with the floor surface such as the ground, and the ankle joint part 110 and the knee joint part 120 are a first link body ( 121), and the knee joint part 120 and the hip joint part 130 are connected via a second link body 131 as a connection structure.

At this time, the main frame is composed of a foot link body 111, a first link body 121, and a second link body 131, which are connected to each other rotatably relative to each other through the joint structure.

For example, between the first link body 121 and the second link body 131, the knee joint part 120 as a joint drive device to rotate the first link body 121 with respect to the second link body 131. can be configured. Also, the ankle joint unit 110 may be configured as a joint driving device between the first link body 121 and the foot link body 111 .

Here, as the joint drive device, the ankle joint unit 110 , the knee joint unit 120 , and the hip joint unit 130 may enable predetermined angle adjustment or rotational driving using, for example, a hinge shaft and a cam structure. In addition, the joint drive device is a connecting part that connects two support shafts to rotate freely, and a universal joint may be used. In addition, the first link body 121 or the foot link body 111 is configured to relatively rotate with respect to the first link body 121 or the second link body 131 using an actuator, that is, a rotation motor or the like. can do.

In particular, in the suit-type lower extremity robot of the present invention, the hip joint freedom compensation device forms a rhombus-shaped compensation structure 140 between the first link body 121 and the foot link body 111 .

The compensation structure 140 has first to fourth joints 141, 142, 143, and 144 for each vertex of the rhombic shape, and connects the first to fourth joints 141, 142, 143, 144. and first to fourth compensation links 145 , 146 , 147 , 148 .

At this time, the fourth joint 144 may be implemented in the form of replacing the ankle joint portion (110).

In addition, the first joint 141 to form a first compensation link 145 and a second compensation link 146 for connecting the second joint 142 and the third joint, respectively, and the fourth joint 144, respectively A third compensation link 147 and a fourth compensation link 148 connected to the second joint 142 and the third joint may be formed.

In addition, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B , the compensation structure may further include a compensation actuator 150 for driving the compensation structure 140 using a rotary motor or the like to compensate for the degree of freedom according to the movement of the user. At this time, the compensation actuator 150 is connected to the compensation structure 140 through the wire structure 160, and the first to fourth compensation links 145, 146, 147, 148) can compensate for the degree of freedom in the form of pressing or pulling the rhombic shape formed. That is, the wire structure 160 includes a horizontal wire 161 connecting the second joint 142 and the third joint 143, and a vertical wire connecting the horizontal wire 161 in a vertical direction from the center ( 162), and applying an input force that pulls the vertical wire 162 connected through the actuator 150 upward in the direction of the floor, or a separate force upward in the direction of the floor, depending on the user's movement state The degree of freedom may be compensated by maintaining the compensation structure 140 as it is by not applying .

In addition, if the wire structure 160 , the load cell 151 , and the actuator 150 are configured to enable operation without constraining relative movement, the connection relationship may be appropriately set according to the implementation conditions.

The above-described load cell (load cell) 151 is connected to the wire structure 160 is configured to measure the load generated and applied when the main frame moves, such as when walking, to transmit it to a controller (not shown).

The load cell 151 is configured such that when a load is applied through the wire structure 160, the portion where the wire structure and the compensation structure 140 are connected is deformed, and the amount of deformation is converted into an electric signal to be input to the controller. It is preferable to be

In addition, the actuator 150 pulls or pushes the compensation structure 140 connected to the wire structure 160 to pull or push the entire length (full length) of the main frame, that is, the length from the ankle structure 111 to the hip joint portion 130 . The degree of freedom of the hip joint can be controlled by varying the

In this way, the overall length (total length) of the main frame may be increased or decreased by using a linear actuator.

A linear actuator is a device that implements a linear motion. A linear actuator with a structure in which a rotating AC motor is stretched in a straight line, or a linear actuator using a rotary motor and a rack-and-pinion mechanism, or an electromagnet is mechanically moved. It can be configured using a solenoid type linear actuator used for

In addition, it refers to a device that connects an actuator and a wire structure in series to measure the change in the length of the electric field. It is a key factor that enables high energy efficiency through

1A and 2A show the stationary state of the suit-type lower extremity robot, by applying an input force that pulls the vertical wire 162 connected through the actuator 150 upward in the direction of the floor surface to the maximum compensation structure 140 ), apply a pulling force in the upward direction.

1B and 2B are views illustrating a state of movement while being worn in a stationary state. Since a separate force is not applied upward from the floor direction, the compensation structure 140 may be maintained to compensate for the degree of freedom of the hip joint.

That is, in the moving state of the suit-type lower extremity robot 100, the overall length (total length) of the main frame is reduced and moved by a different length (L ₁ > L ₂ ), and the user can walk while wearing the suit-type lower extremity robot. It is easy and compensates for the degree of freedom of the hip joint.

For example, the degree of freedom refers to the number of independent movement directions allowed in a joint. Because the hip joint has a mortar-like shape that is inserted into the acetabulum of the pelvic bone, in addition to extension and flexion movements, it performs very free movements, such as adduction and abduction, and internal and external rotation, which are rotations.

Therefore, the movement of the pelvis and the hip joint is very important through movements related to the center and cooperation, such as squats and lunges, and thus, compensation for the freedom of the hip joint is important for similar movements such as human movement.

3A to 3C are views illustrating the swinging form of the foot structure 111 as the overall length of the main frame is increased or decreased in the moving state of the suit-type lower extremity robot 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

That is, according to the user's gait cycle, the full length of the main frame (as the total length moves by a different length in the direction of decreasing (L ₁ > L ₂ ), (a) the heel of the right leg is lifted and walking starts ( b) The heel of the right leg moves forward, (c) The heel of the right leg touches the ground and the heel lifts, resulting in a swing according to the gait cycle.

4A and 4B are schematic views showing the configuration of a suit-type lower extremity robot 200 according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 5A and 5B are a pulley driving body ( pully) 250 is a schematic diagram showing a driving state through, respectively, FIGS. 4A and 5A are the stationary state of the suit-type lower extremity robot 200, and FIGS. 4B and 5B are the suit-type lower extremity robot 200 in the stationary state. It is a drawing showing the state of being worn and moved.

4 and 5 , the suit-type lower extremity robot 200 according to another embodiment of the present invention may be configured as an exoskeleton system that can be worn on a human.

In the suit-type lower extremity robot 200 of the present invention, the main frame is configured to be worn on both legs, for example, by binding a person's long legs and an instrument in the form of a leg strap, and based on a person's calf when walking, the instrument A closed link structure may be applied to implement the degree of freedom of . In addition, the structure worn by the human body is not limited to the strap type and can be implemented in various ways based on known wearing technologies, so a description thereof is omitted in this embodiment, and the main frame and hip joint freedom compensator, which are main components of the present invention, are omitted. will be explained based on

The main frame of the suit-type lower extremity robot 200 according to another embodiment of the present invention includes an ankle joint 210 that contacts and supports a floor surface such as the ground, and an upper portion of the ankle joint 210 . It includes a knee joint portion (220) formed, and a hip joint portion (hip joint, 230) formed on the knee joint portion (220).

The ankle joint part 210 is connected to a foot link body 211 in contact with a floor surface such as the ground, and the ankle joint part 210 and the knee joint part 220 are a first link body ( 221 , and the knee joint part 220 and the hip joint part 230 are connected via a second link body 231 as a connection structure.

In this case, the main frame is composed of a foot link body 211 , a first link body 221 , and a second link body 231 , which are rotatably connected to each other through a joint structure.

For example, between the first link body 221 and the second link body 231, the knee joint part 220 as a joint drive device to rotate the first link body 221 with respect to the second link body 231. can be configured. Also, the ankle joint unit 210 may be configured as a joint driving device between the first link body 221 and the foot link body 211 .

Here, the ankle joint part 210 , the knee joint part 220 , and the hip joint part 230 as a joint drive device may enable predetermined angle adjustment or rotational driving using, for example, a hinge shaft and a cam structure. In addition, the joint drive device is a connecting part that connects two support shafts to rotate freely, and a universal joint may be used. In addition, it may be implemented using an actuator, that is, a rotary motor or the like.

In particular, in the suit-type lower extremity robot according to another embodiment of the present invention, the hip joint freedom compensating device is formed between the first link body 221 and the second link body 231 and includes the knee adjustment unit 220 . a rod-shaped connecting body 240 as a connecting part by connecting both the supporting shafts of the first link body 221 and the second link body 231 through; a cam structure 270 connected to the hip joint part 230 and the second link body 231 and capable of rotational driving according to a user's movement state; a pulley driving body 250 formed to hang a wire structure 260 connecting the rod-shaped connecting body 240 and the cam structure 270 in order to transmit motion or force; Both fixed points 233 for supporting the pulley actuator 250 and support points 271 for connecting the cam structure 270 and the pulley actuator 250 are formed to form the pulley actuator 250 and the pulley actuator 250 . A horizontal support plate 232 for supporting the cam structure 270 is provided.

At this time, according to the user's movement state, the cam structure 270 connected to the hip joint part 230 rotates according to the movement state of FIG. 4B from the stationary state of FIG. 4A, and the cam structure and the pulley actuator 250. By moving the supporting point 271 to which is connected in the right direction from the center, the overall length (full length) of the entire main frame changes in the direction of gravity. Here, the cam structure 270 is formed in an elliptical shape with different lengths from the center of the rotation axis to the major axis and the minor axis so that the wire structure 260 connected at the support point 271 can easily change the length according to the positional movement in the direction of gravity. it is preferable At this time, the cam structure is not limited to an elliptical shape, and if the length is not constant at the center of the rotation shaft in a circular shape, a rectangular structure in a rectangular bar shape is also possible.

In addition, the pulley actuator 250 drives the wire structure 260 according to the change in the support point 271 to pull or push the connected rod-type connector 240 to the full length (full length) of the main frame, that is, the ankle structure ( By varying the length from 211 to the hip joint part 230, the degree of freedom of the hip joint can be adjusted.

In this way, the pulley driving body 250 is connected to the wire structure 160 to move by a different length in the direction in which the overall length (total length) of the main frame is increased or decreased.

Unlike the actuator described in FIG. 2 , this is a cam structure type, so it has the advantage of being able to do it without power.

4A and 5A (enlarged view FIG. 5B) show the stationary state of the suit-type lower extremity robot, the tension in which the wire structure 260 connected through the pulley driving body 250 pulls the rod-shaped connection part 240 is in the direction of gravity It is in a state of being fixed and maintained through the support point 271 of the axial center and the fixing points 233 of both sides.

Then, as shown in FIGS. 4B and 5C, when the support point 271 moves from the center of the axis to the right according to the rotational movement of the cam structure 270 (when the user kicks in front according to the movement), The wire structure 260 connected through the pulley driving body 250 generates tension to keep the rod-shaped connection part parallel, thereby lifting the rod-shaped connection part 240 .

4b and 5c, it is a view showing a state in which it is worn and moved in a stationary state, and in the moving state of the suit-type lower extremity robot 200, it moves by a different length in the direction in which the overall length (total length) of the main frame decreases. (L ₁ > L ₂ ), the user can easily walk while wearing the suit-type lower extremity robot and compensate for the degree of freedom of the hip joint.

As shown in FIGS. 5B and 5C , the rod-shaped structure 240 has a second wire 241 connected to the external wire structure 160 and the inside in an arc shape, and the second wire 241. The first link body 221 is provided as a connection part that applies tension according to the driving of the pulley driving body 250 according to the user's moving state. In addition, the first rod-shaped structure 240 is connected to the support point 271 on the hip support plate 232 and the fixing point 233 on the side through the first wire 260 of the outside, and the second wire 241 inside ) is connected to the first wire 260 so that the radius of curvature of the second wire 241 is changed according to the driving of the pulley actuator 250 according to the rotational movement of the cam structure 270 and the overall length is also changed. do.

That is, FIG. 5B is an enlarged view of the stationary state of FIG. 5A, and in the stationary state, the degree of bending of the internal second wire 241 does not change significantly (no change in length), and FIG. 5C is the second wire in the moving state As the tension of 241 increases, the degree of bending increases, and the length of the second wire 241 also changes with a large inclination at both sides from the center, thereby increasing the length.

In this way, the pulley driving body 250 pulls the first wire 260 in the horizontal direction according to the rotational movement of the cam structure 270 , so that tension is also applied to the second wire 241 to a bent state (curvature). radius) is increased and the length of the second wire 241 is increased to compensate for the degree of freedom of the hip joint.

As described above, the technical ideas described in the embodiments of the present invention may be implemented independently or in combination with each other. In addition, although the present invention has been described through the embodiments described in the drawings and detailed description of the invention, these are merely exemplary, and those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains may make various modifications and equivalent other embodiments therefrom. possible. Accordingly, the technical protection scope of the present invention should be defined by the appended claims.

100,200: suit-type lower extremity robot
110, 210: ankle joint part
120, 220: knee joint part
130, 230: hip joint part

Claims (7)

a foot link body in contact with the bottom surface;
an ankle joint part connected to the foot link body;
a knee joint portion formed on an upper portion of the ankle joint portion;
a hip joint portion formed on the knee joint portion;
a first link body connecting the ankle joint part and the knee joint part;
a second link body connecting the knee joint part and the hip joint part;
and a hip joint freedom compensation device that is formed between the first link body and the foot link body and compensates the hip joint freedom by adjusting the overall length between the foot link body and the hip joint part to increase or decrease. Suit-type lower extremity robot. According to claim 1,
The hip joint freedom compensator forms a rhombus-shaped compensation structure between the first link body and the foot link body,
The compensation structure includes first to fourth joints at each vertex of the rhombic shape, and first to fourth compensation links connecting the first to fourth joints. 3. The method of claim 2,
The compensation structure further includes an actuator for driving using a rotary motor, etc. to compensate for the degree of freedom according to the movement of the user,
The compensation actuator is connected to the compensation structure through a wire structure, and the suit-type lower extremity robot, characterized in that it compensates the degree of freedom in the form of pressing or pulling the diamond shape according to the movement of the user. 4. The method of claim 3,
The wire structure includes a horizontal wire connecting the second pipe and the third joint, and a vertical wire connecting the horizontal wire in a vertical direction from the center,
According to the user's movement state, the degree of freedom is compensated in a way that maintains the compensation structure as it is by not applying a tension that pulls the vertical wire connected through the actuator upward from the floor direction or applying a separate force upward from the floor direction according to the user's movement state. Suit-type lower extremity robot, characterized in that. a foot link body in contact with the bottom surface;
an ankle joint part connected to the foot link body;
a knee joint portion formed on an upper portion of the ankle joint portion;
a hip joint portion formed on the knee joint portion;
a first link body connecting the ankle joint part and the knee joint part;
a second link body connecting the knee joint part and the hip joint part;
a cam structure connected to the hip joint part and the second link body and capable of rotational driving according to a user's movement state;
Including a hip joint freedom compensation device for compensating for hip joint freedom by adjusting the total length between the foot link body and the hip joint part through a pulley actuator to increase or decrease the total length between the foot link body and the hip joint part while the support point changes according to the rotational movement of the cam structure. A suit-type lower extremity robot that features. 6. The method of claim 5,
The hip joint freedom compensation device,
A pulley driving body formed to hang a wire structure connecting the connection part and the cam structure in order to transmit motion or force;
a connection part formed between the first link body and the second link body and connecting both support shafts of the first link body and the second link body through the knee joint part;
A chute-type lower extremity comprising a horizontal support plate for supporting the pulley driving body and the cam structure by forming both fixing points for supporting the pulley driving body and supporting points connecting the cam structure and the pulley driving body robot. 7. The method of claim 6,
The connection part further comprises a second wire connected to the wire structure in an arc shape,
The first link body applies a tension to the second wire according to the driving of the pulley driving body according to the user's movement state, and the length of the second wire is changed according to the applied tension. robot.

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