APPARATUS FOR AID AT WALKING WITH SYSTEM FOR DETERMINATION OF DESIRABLE STEP PARAMETERS IN ENVIRONMENT WITH OBSTACLES Russian patent published in 2017 - IPC A61H3/00 A61H3/02 

FIELD: medicine.

SUBSTANCE: device contains left and right handholds equipped with inclinometers and tactile sensors mounted on the support ends of the handholds, and a lower limb exoskeleton containing a pelvic link, left and right leg supports, each containing a femoral link, a shin link and a lower link in the form of foot, hip, knee and ankle joints, elements for fastening to the user's body parts mounted on each link, one sensor of the rotation angle and one sensor of angular velocity of each joint, a torso angle sensor, a stereocamera mounted on the exoskeleton and configured to generate a range of data about the objects in the field of view of the stereocamera, a foot reaction force sensor of each leg support in the vertical direction, a power supply system and a device control unit with operation mode setting panel, power system. In addition, the first and second lines of the light emitting marker elements with predetermined and non-coincident radiation colours and predetermined distances to the reference ends of the handholds are mounted on the left and right handholds. Each ankle joint is configured to rotate the foot around three coordinate axes. The foot reaction force sensors of each leg support are configured to measure the reaction force of the foot of each leg support in addition in the longitudinal direction. The stereocamera is configured to generate a colour data matrix of the image elements of the objects in the field of view of the stereocamera mounted on the exoskeleton with a possibility to ensure that a part of the handhold with marker elements placed thereon falls within the field of view of the stereocamera. The device control unit is configured to generate data on the desired geometric parameters of the step, the desired length of step and the desired height of the exoskeleton heel, and to generate control signals tp perform movement, taking into account the mass inertial characteristics of thighs and legs of the lower limbs and the torso of the user's body and all exoskeleton links.

EFFECT: independent movement of a person along a horizontal and inclined support surface, as well as up and down stair flights with previously unknown height and depth of steps and passage through obstacles with unknown height and length.

16 cl, 9 dwg