Design of flexible knee-joint protection exoskeleton and walking assistance method

doi:10.3785/j.issn.1008-973X.2021.02.001

Journal of ZheJiang University (Engineering Science)

2021, Vol. 55

Issue (2): 213-221 DOI: 10.3785/j.issn.1008-973X.2021.02.001

Design of flexible knee-joint protection exoskeleton and walking assistance method

Can-jun YANG1,2(

),Zhen-zhe PENG2,Ling-hui XU2,Wei YANG1,2,*(

)

1. Ningbo Research Institute, Zhejiang University, Ningbo 315100, China
2. College of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China

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Abstract

A wearable flexible knee-joint protection exoskeleton was designed, which is used for knee-joint load reduction and force assistance during body motion. The flexible knee joint was designed using solid isotropic material with penalization (SIMP) model and finite element analysis based on biomechanics features of lower limbs. The exoskeleton joint is rigid during stance period to help reduce the body weight load on the knee joint, and it shows flexibility during swing period to adapt to physiological joint kinematic characteristics of body. Therefore no extra force is loaded on the body joint. The walking assistance module was designed and added on the basis of this wearable flexible knee-joint exoskeleton mechanism. The corresponding assisting force control method was researched to realize walking assistance. The performance tests show that the knee joint protection exoskeleton can reduce the knee joint load up to 110 N. The weight of the wearable exoskeleton is 639 g, therefore the weight loss ratio is significant. The exoskeleton system with walking assistance module weights 4.8 kg. The walking test proves that the system has the ability to assist walking.

Key words： flexible exoskeleton wearable exoskeleton knee-joint protection weight reduction and support walking assistance

Received: 11 October 2020 Published: 09 March 2021

CLC:

TP 242.6

Fund: 国家自然科学基金资助项目(51805469)；浙江省食品药品监管系统科技计划资助项目(2020016)

Corresponding Authors: Wei YANG E-mail: ycj@zju.edu.cn;zjuaway@163.com

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Cite this article:

Can-jun YANG,Zhen-zhe PENG,Ling-hui XU,Wei YANG. Design of flexible knee-joint protection exoskeleton and walking assistance method. Journal of ZheJiang University (Engineering Science), 2021, 55(2): 213-221.

URL:

http://www.zjujournals.com/eng/10.3785/j.issn.1008-973X.2021.02.001 OR http://www.zjujournals.com/eng/Y2021/V55/I2/213

柔性膝关节保护外骨骼及其行走助力方法设计

设计柔性可穿戴式膝关节保护外骨骼，用于实现人体运动过程中膝关节负载减重及行走助力功能. 根据人体生物力学特点，使用固体各向同性材料惩罚（SIMP）模型与有限元分析设计柔性外骨骼膝关节，该柔性关节在行走运动支撑期具有刚性，能够减轻膝关节体重负载，在摆动期柔性较强，能适应人体生理关节运动特性，不对膝关节造成额外载荷. 在柔性可穿戴式膝关节外骨骼结构的基础上，配套设计行走助力模块，研究相应的助力控制方法可以实现步行助力. 性能测试实验表明，单侧膝关节保护外骨骼最大能减轻110 N的膝关节负载，外骨骼结构自身质量为639 g，减重比大；带行走助力模块的外骨骼系统质量为4.8 kg，能实现步行运动的助力功能.

关键词： 柔性外骨骼, 穿戴式外骨骼, 膝关节保护, 减重支撑, 行走助力

Fig.1 Human motion surface and distribution of lower limb freedom

Tab.1 Motion range of each lower limb joint

Tab.2 Physical parameters of human body

Fig.2 Generalized material density nephogram of flexible joint

Fig.3 Design sketch of flexible exoskeleton joint

Fig.4 Simulation and verification of SIMP method

Fig.5 Stress and deformation nephogram after optimization

Fig.6 Structure design of wearable exoskeleton

Fig.7 Design of hip-joint assist mechanism

Fig.8 Cable displacements and joint angles for hip joint and knee joint force assistance

Fig.9 Wearing effect of exoskeleton system

Fig.10 Stress equivalent sample and test data

Fig.11 Test while wearing knee-joint protection exoskeleton

Fig.12 Relationship between knee-joint rotation and exo-joint strain

Tab.3 Load results of exoskeleton joint under different conditions

Fig.13 Output current and rope ends displacement before and after adding one-side load


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