WO2025183269A1 - Wearable robot-assisted gait training system and method for controlling same - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed are a wearable robot-assisted gait training system and a method for controlling same. The system comprises a main system and a subsystem in the form of a wearable robot. The main system is provided with: a gait exercise unit having an end effector-type pedal, on which a patient steps and stands for gait training, and a main actuator, which drives the pedal; and a main control unit that controls the main actuator and conducts the gait training of the patient standing on the pedal. The subsystem is provided with: a sub-actuator having one or more sub-actuator units that are mounted on the body of the patient and are synchronized with the movement of the main actuator to assist or enforce the movement of lower joints of the patient; and a sub-control unit that controls the one or more sub-actuator units and uses a control signal from the main control unit to link or associate the movement of the one or more active joint parts with the movement of the main actuator.

Description

Wearable robot-assisted gait training system and its control method

The present disclosure relates to a wearable robot-assisted walking training device, and more particularly, to a wearable robot-assisted walking training system that induces an inappropriate walking posture to a normal walking posture during orthopedic exercise.

The Robot-Assisted Gait Training System is a rehabilitation training device for patients with walking difficulties. It is a type of gait training system used by rehabilitation professionals. This system utilizes robotic technology to help patients practice walking and perform rehabilitation exercises.

These systems can be adjusted according to the patient's physical abilities and condition, and provide gait training by simulating or assisting walking movements, and can also detect and compensate for the patient's movements to help them walk more safely and efficiently.

Robot-assisted gait training systems help patients with various physical limitations receive safe and effective rehabilitation training. This helps improve walking ability and restore independence in daily life.

However, these robotic-assisted gait training systems are so-called end-effect systems, providing a motor-driven pedal upon which the patient steps. Some patients using these systems may not adapt to the paddles' operation and may not respond or adapt to the pedals' movements. This is because the patient's lower body movements are not smooth during walking or they cannot keep up with the paddles' movements. In these cases, rehabilitation training using these systems is difficult and can lead to unexpected accidents, such as the patient falling off the footrest or pedals.

The present disclosure proposes an effective robot-assisted gait training system and control method that can minimize the intervention of a therapist when bending and extending a joint during gait rehabilitation exercise.

The present disclosure proposes a robot-assisted gait training system and control method that can enhance the rehabilitation effect by assisting the patient's movement in real time through a wearable robot linked to a main body.

Robot-assisted walking training system according to the present disclosure:

A main system comprising a walking exercise unit having an end-effector type pedal on which a patient steps for walking training and a main actuator that drives the pedal, and a main control unit that controls the main actuator to perform walking training on a patient standing on the pedal; and

A wearable robot-type subsystem is provided, comprising: a sub-actuator having one or more sub-actuator units that are mounted on the patient's body and assist or force the patient's lower body joint movement in synchronization with the movement of the main actuator; and a sub-control unit that controls the one or more sub-actuator units and links or synchronizes the movement of the one or more active joints with the movement of the main actuator by a control signal from the main control unit.

According to one or more embodiments,

The above-mentioned walking movement unit may be provided with a joint-linkage structure having a plurality of joints and links capable of linear or rotational movement with the pedals attached to the ends thereof, or a bar-linkage structure in which the pedals are attached to the ends of an operating bar and move.

According to one or more embodiments, the main actuator is a main actuator of a joint-link structure having a joint-link structure and a drive motor connected to each joint of the joint-link structure to drive the joints to realize the movement of the walking movement unit, or a main actuator of a bar-link structure having a bar-link structure and a drive motor connected to one end of the bar-link structure to drive the joints.

According to one or more embodiments, the main actuator of the bar-link structure:

An operating bar on which the above pedals are mounted;

A closed link that causes the above-mentioned operating bar to move in a form similar to a walking motion; and

It may include a drive motor that provides rotational force to the closed link.

According to one or more embodiments, the main actuator of the joint-link structure:

A second drive motor connected to the other end of the operating link and driving it while reciprocating a predetermined distance by an LM (linear motion) unit; and

A first driving motor is installed at one end of the above operating link and drives the pedal.

According to one or more embodiments, the LM unit:

A moving station equipped with the second driving motor;

A guide rail that supports the above moving station to move back and forth a predetermined distance;

A transfer plate that is slidably connected to the guide rail, on which the moving station is mounted;

A belt coupled to the moving station for linear reciprocating movement of the above moving station and a drive pulley and a guide pulley supporting the movement thereof; and

It comprises a third drive motor that provides rotational force to the drive pulley and a power transmission unit that transmits power from the third drive motor to the drive pulley.

According to one or more embodiments, the main actuator of the bar-link structure:

An operating bar on which the above pedals are mounted;

A closed link that allows the above bar to move in a manner similar to a walking motion; and

It may include an actuating motor that provides rotational force to the closed link.

According to one or more embodiments,

The above subsystem has a structure of a multi-joint robot in which the actuator unit has a plurality of links positioned between the patient's joints and the actuator unit is positioned between the links.

According to one or more embodiments, the main system and the subsystem are configured to exchange information with each other by wired or wireless communication so that the operation of the subsystem can be linked to the operation of the main system.

According to one or more embodiments, the subsystem comprises at least one of a first actuator unit for assisting motion of a hip joint, a second actuator unit for assisting motion of a patient's knee, and a third actuator unit for assisting motion of a patient's ankle.

According to one or more embodiments, the subsystem can force movement of each joint by the sub-actuator, and control the degree of force of the joint by the sub-actuator by at least one signal from the angle of the joint, resistance torque, and electromyography from a sensing unit installed in the sub-actuator.

According to one or more embodiments, the pedal may further include a pressure sensor that detects pressure on the pedal and transmits a pressure signal to the main control unit.

According to one or more embodiments, the subsystem can force movement of each joint by the sub-actuator, and control the degree of force of the joint by the sub-actuator by at least one signal from the angle of the joint, resistance torque, and electromyography from a sensing unit installed in the sub-actuator.

According to one or more embodiments, the sensing unit may be positioned at a joint location of the patient or at a location between joints.

A method of controlling one or more embodiments:

A gait training method using a gait training system having a main system having an end effect type pedal for gait training of a patient and a sub system having one or more sub-actuator units for controlling the movement of the patient's lower body joints,

The above main system operates an end-effector type pedal on which the patient stands according to a training plan for the individual patient, thereby performing the patient's walking movement;

A step in which the main system performs wired or wireless communication for controlling the subsystem and the subsystem; and

The sub-system may include a step of forcing movement of the patient's lower body joints by controlling the operation of the sub-actuator unit so that the movement of the patient's lower body joints matches the walking posture according to the operation of the pedals of the main system.

According to one or more control methods of the embodiments,

The above subsystem can control the force forcing the patient's joint movement by the actuator unit based on a signal from a sensing unit that detects status information related to the patient's joint movement.

According to one or more embodiments,

The above sensing unit can detect at least one signal among the angle, resistance torque, and electromyography of the corresponding joint of the patient.

According to one or more control methods of the embodiments,

The above actuator units are interconnected by a plurality of links positioned between the patient's joints, and the patient's joint movement angle can be controlled as an angle between the links on both sides connected thereto.

According to one or more control methods of the embodiments,

The above pedal can detect the pressure applied by the patient with a built-in pressure sensor and transmit it to the main control unit.

When a patient performs rehabilitation exercise using an end-effector type robot-assisted gait training system, he or she passively moves his or her joints depending on the robot's movements. However, by linking with a wearable robot, the angle of the patient's lower body joints is controlled through real-time feedback control and the patient's voluntary muscle intervention is induced. The present invention assists the patient's movement through real-time feedback control by linking an end-effector type robot-assisted gait training system with a wearable robot that forces the patient's lower body movement in a certain format. Through this, the patient's active movement (muscle movement) can be induced by increasing the patient's rehabilitation intensity, and the therapist's intervention can be minimized, making rehabilitation efficient and maximizing its effectiveness.

FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a main system in a wearable robot-assisted walking training system according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the main system in the wearable robot-assisted walking training system according to the present disclosure illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the main system in the wearable robot-assisted walking training system according to the present disclosure illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4a is a perspective view showing the structure of a reciprocating LM unit and a main actuator coupled thereto of a wearable robot-assisted walking training system according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 4b is a partially enlarged perspective view of the reciprocating LM unit and the main actuator coupled thereto of the wearable robot-assisted walking training system illustrated in FIG. 4a, viewed from another direction.

FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of a walking motion unit of a wearable robot-assisted walking training system according to the present disclosure.

Figure 6 illustrates a schematic configuration of an end-effect type gait training system by a main actuator of a bar-link structure.

Figure 7 illustrates a schematic structure of a subsystem having a wearable active joint control robot, which is an important element of the exercise system of the present disclosure, and a state in which a patient wears it.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the control relationship between the main system of the wearable robot-assisted walking training system according to the present disclosure and the subsystem having the wearable active joint control robot.

Figure 9 illustrates a scene in which a patient trains while wearing a robot-shaped sub-system in the main system of an exercise system equipped with a wearable active joint control robot, which is an important element of the exercise system of the present disclosure.

Figure 10 illustrates a normal gait cycle, showing the posture of the feet, knees, and thighs during normal walking.

Figure 11 illustrates the rules for each position in the walking pattern. And,

Figures 12a, 12b, and 12c are graphs showing normal changes in joint angles (deg), joint moments (N-in/kg), and joint powers (W/kg) at the hip, knee, and ankle during extension and flexion of the joints during one gait cycle.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the embodiments of the present invention may be modified in various different forms, and the scope of the present invention should not be construed as being limited by the embodiments described below. It is preferable to interpret that the embodiments of the present invention are provided to more completely explain the present invention to a person having average knowledge in the art. Like reference numerals denote like elements throughout. Furthermore, various elements and areas in the drawings are schematically drawn. Therefore, the present invention is not limited by the relative sizes or intervals drawn in the accompanying drawings.

While terms such as "first" and "second" may be used to describe various components, these components are not limited by these terms. These terms are used solely to distinguish one component from another. For example, a first component could be referred to as a second component, and vice versa, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

The terminology used in this application is only used to describe specific embodiments and is not intended to limit the concept of the present invention. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this application, it should be understood that the expressions “comprises” or “has” are intended to specify the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, but do not exclude in advance the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical and scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains. Furthermore, it is to be understood that commonly used terms, such as those defined in dictionaries, should be interpreted to have a meaning consistent with their meaning within the relevant technical context, and should not be interpreted in an overly formal sense unless explicitly defined herein.

In some embodiments, where the implementation is otherwise feasible, a particular process sequence may be performed in a different order than described. For example, two processes described in succession may be performed substantially simultaneously, or in a reverse order from the described order.

Hereinafter, a wearable robot-assisted walking training system and a control method thereof according to one or more embodiments are described.

FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a main system (100) in a wearable robot-assisted walking training system according to the present disclosure, FIG. 2 is a side view thereof, and FIG. 3 is a front view thereof.

The wearable robot-assisted walking training system according to the present disclosure has the main system (100) and a sub-system (200) in the form of a wearable active joint control robot as illustrated in FIG. 6 described below. The main system (100) will be described first below.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the main system (100) is a type of robot that provides walking training to a patient, and provides a walking exercise unit (105) with two left and right end-effect pedals (105a) for the patient to step on with both feet.

The above main system (100) is provided with a first base (101a) and a second base (101b) on the left and right sides that are placed on the floor and support the entire structure, and the walking movement unit (105) is located between the first and second bases (101a, 101b) on the left and right sides.

The above-mentioned walking movement unit (105) includes first and second main actuators (105L, 105R) on the left and right to which left and right pedals (105a) are respectively coupled, and each of the first main actuators (105L) and the second main actuators (105R) includes a pedal (105a), an operating link (105b) to which the pedal (105a) is operably coupled via a first driving motor (105d), and the operating link (105b) has a first driving motor (105d) that rotates the pedal (105a) within a predetermined angular range determined in advance by an individual training plan, and is connected to a second driving motor (105c) provided on each of the left and right bases (101a, 101b) and rotates by the second driving motor (105c).

The second driving motor (105c) that rotates the above-described operating link (105b) within a predetermined angular range is coupled to a moving stage (108s) of a reciprocating linear motion unit (108, see FIGS. 4a and 4b) described later, and can perform linear reciprocating motion along the corresponding base (101a, 102a). More details are provided in the description of FIGS. 4a and 4b.

The left and right main actuators (105L, 105R) placed between the left and right bases (101a, 101b) move in harmony with each other in response to the movement trajectories of the left and right feet when walking, and in some cases, they may move in an intentionally disharmonious manner.

The pedals are operated by the system operating device described below to enable the patient to perform appropriate walking exercises. The patient simply stands on them and walks in accordance with the pedal movements. An ankle strap that can be installed here secures the patient's foot to the pedal, either loosely or tightly enough to allow the patient's foot to move within a certain range.

The movement of the above two pedals (105a) is controlled by the system operating device to accommodate an abnormal gait pattern while training the gait pattern to be closer to a normal gait pattern for the purpose of gait training of the patient.

In addition to the operating elements as described above, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, an assembly is provided in which a saddle (104) and a safety bar (106) thereon or a fence part (107) including the same for supporting the chest, etc. are combined into one, and this assembly is installed to a lift unit (102) via an up-down frame (103). The lift unit (102) is an assembly raising/lowering device that adjusts the height of the assembly to match the patient's physical condition. A system status display part (109) facing the patient is provided at the top of the lift unit (102).

At the front of the main system (100) viewed by the patient, a lifting or fixed support column (113a) is installed, and a system monitor (113) that displays the operating status of the entire system is connected thereto.

Figures 4a and 4b illustrate the structure and coupling relationship of the reciprocating LM unit (108) described above and the main actuators (105L, 105R) coupled thereto.

First, looking at the LM unit (108), two guide rails (108r) that are parallel in the longitudinal direction are installed on top of the base frame (108f), and a transfer plate (108c) is coupled to these two guide rails (108r) so that it can move linearly via an LM guide (108g), and a moving stage (108s) equipped with a second drive motor (105c) that drives an operating link (105b) is integrally coupled to the transfer plate (108c) so that it moves simultaneously with the transfer plate (108c).

The moving stage (108s) is an endless track type belt, for example, a transfer belt (108b), which is installed in the longitudinal direction of the base frame (108f) and in the same direction as the guide rail (108r), and for example, the transfer belt is engaged with a driven pulley (108dp) and a guide pulley (108gp), so that movement on an endless track is possible therebetween. The driven pulley (108dp) and the guide pulley (108gp) are arranged in the movement direction of the moving stage (108s), and thereby the moving stage (108s) or the transfer plate (108c) can be coupled to a part of the transfer belt (108b) whose movement is guided.

A third drive motor (108m) is installed on one side (outer side in the drawing) of the base frame (108f), and the rotational power of the third drive motor (108m) is transmitted to the driven pulley (108p1) through a powertrain unit (107t). In the present embodiment, the driven pulley (108p1) is coaxially and integrally connected with a planetary pulley (108p3) that receives power from the drive pulley (108p4) of the third drive motor (108m) through a drive belt (108b2) as an element of the powertrain unit (107t).

In this embodiment, the power transmission structure uses a pulley and a belt whose movement is guided by the pulley, but the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited by this specific power transmission structure.

Fig. 5 is a schematic perspective view of a walking motion unit (105). According to the exemplary structures of Figs. 4a and 4b, pedal movement in three directions can occur as shown in Fig. 5.

The first movement is a first rotational movement (RM1) with respect to the operating link (105b), the second movement is a second rotational movement (RM2) by the second driving motor, and a linear movement (LM) according to the linear movement of the second driving motor (105c). According to these multiple movements, the movement trajectory of the pedal (105a) can be formed to force the movement of the foot to assist the patient's walking and induce normal walking. Meanwhile, the pedal (105a) is coupled to the operating link (105b) via the first driving motor (105d) to enable a rotational movement (RM2) of a predetermined angle with respect to the operating link (105b), and a band (not shown) that can bind the patient's foot or ankle, or a clamp or cleat structure that fixes the shoe and the pedal, can be installed or provided.

Accordingly, the pedal (105a) can be rotated at an angle controlled by the first driving motor (105d) provided in the operating link (105b), and in this state, up-and-down movement and forward-and-backward movement are possible by the second driving motor (105c).

The composite movements of the two pedals (105a, 105a) of the above-mentioned walking movement unit (105) in the up-down, forward-backward, and backward directions are performed independently, but when walking, they move away from each other or come closer to each other and then intersect each other in response to the movements of the left and right feet. For this composite movement, a structure other than the specific structure described above can be applied. For example, a linear motion driving device for controlling the linear reciprocating motion of the operating link or the entire walking movement unit (105) equipped therewith, and a rotary or pivotal motion driving device for controlling the rotary motion of the operating link (105b) can be provided in various forms.

The walking motion unit (105) described above has been described very specifically as having a structure for driving a pedal (105a) including an operating link (105b), first and second driving motors (105c, 105d), and an LM unit (108), but it should be understood that the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the specific structure of the walking motion unit (105).

That is, the walking movement unit (105) for driving the end-effect type pedal directly related to the patient's walking training may be provided with a joint-linkage structure having a plurality of joints and links at the end of the pedal that are capable of linear or rotational movement in order to implement the patient's walking, or a bar-linkage structure in which the pedal is attached to the end of an operating bar and moves. In addition, for example, a guide rail-assisted bar-linkage structure in which a rail for guiding the movement of the pedal is added to the bar-linkage structure in which the pedal is attached to the end of an operating bar and moves may be adopted, and this may also be considered to fall within the scope of the present invention.

Figure 6 schematically and conceptually simplifies the schematic configuration of an end-effect type gait training system by a main actuator of a bar-link structure.

Referring to FIG. 6, the walking motion unit has two bar-link structures (302) on the left and right, and the drawing shows one structure (302). Each bar-link structure (302) has two long actuating bars, namely a first actuating bar (302c) and a second actuating bar (302d), which are directly actuated by a driving motor (307).

One end (left side in the drawing) of the first operating bar (302c) and the second operating bar (302d), which are components of a closed link, is configured to be directly operated by an operating motor (307). Here, one end of the first operating bar (302c) is rotatably connected to a rotating wheel (306a) or a rotating arm (306) that is rotated by the operating motor (307), and the second operating bar (302d) slides in contact with a rotating cam (305) that is rotated by the operating motor (307) and rotates in the up-and-down direction according to a change in the contact position with the rotating cam (305).

A short third operating rod or operating plate (302 a) on which a footrest or pedal (301) is installed is rotatably interconnected at both ends of the first bar (302c) and the second bar (302d) (right side in the drawing).

According to this structure, the rotation wheel (306a) and the rotation cam (305) are rotated by the operation motor (307), and the first operation bar and the second operation bar (302c, 302d) move in response to the movement of the rotation wheel and the movement of the cam, respectively, and accordingly, the operation plate (302a) at the front end where the footrest (301) is located moves back and forth left and right and slightly rises and falls, thereby forming the movement of the pedal (301) along a trajectory as indicated by reference number “304”, and thus the patient (1) steps on this and performs walking training.

The main actuator of the bar-link structure illustrated in Fig. 6 has a plate provided with a foothold, a closed link structure by a first bar and a second bar, and a driving motor that operates it.

The main actuator of the bar-link structure illustrated in Fig. 6 merely illustrates the basic outline of the bar-link structure, which may be modified or improved in various forms, and the technical scope of the present invention is not limited by this specific structure. Fig. 7 illustrates a schematic structure of a subsystem (200) equipped with a wearable active joint control robot, which is an important element of the exercise system of the present disclosure, and a state in which the same is worn by a patient (1).

The subsystem (200) according to the present disclosure may be designed and manufactured to enable forced training for both legs, as exemplarily illustrated in FIG. 7, but may also correspond to only one leg according to another embodiment.

A subsystem (200) having an active joint control robot structure of which only half is illustrated in FIG. 7 has a wearable band (201) that is worn or fixed to a patient's body, for example, the waist, and a first sub-actuator (200L) on the left and a second sub-actuator (200R) on the right, corresponding to the left and right legs underneath. Each of the two sub-actuators (200L, 200R) is provided underneath the wearable band (201) and has a number of links (three in the drawing) that are connected from the waist to the feet, namely, a first link (205) between the waist belt and the hip joint, a second link (206) between the hip joint and the knee, a third link (207) between the knee and the ankle joint, and optionally a foot fixing unit (208) as needed, which may be added or reduced depending on needs and design conditions. Here, the above-mentioned fixed part (208) can be designed so that the pressure of the sole of the foot is transmitted to the pedal and only the angle control of the ankle joint with respect to the third link (207) is possible.

Between each of the above links, active joint control elements for active joint control, i.e., actuator units (202, 203, 204), are provided. These actuator units, i.e., actuators, may be provided in the form of various actuators such as rotary motors or reciprocating fluid cylinders, and may include a sensing unit for measuring joint angles, resistance torques, electromyography, etc. The actuator units actively control the angles of the upper and lower links, for example, the angle of the lower link with respect to the upper link. This control is flexible and forces the joints therebetween to be maintained within a certain range. These active joint control elements are controlled by the control unit of the main system, and their operation is synchronized to match the movement of the pedals, e.g., the gait cycle pattern, but may also be intentionally controlled not to be synchronized depending on the training method.

Figure 8 is a block diagram showing the control relationship between the main system (100) and the subsystem (200) equipped with the wearable active joint control robot.

As shown, the main system (100) and the subsystem (200) are connected through a communication unit (198) so that a command (instruct) from the main system (100) is transmitted to the subsystem (200) and the result is returned to the main system (100).

The above communication unit (198) can be applied to various short-range communication methods, for example, Bluetooth can be applied. The illustrated communication unit (198) is provided as a representative communication unit as an element of symbolic meaning, and the main control unit and the sub-control unit can be connected through this communication unit.

The first sensing unit (212), the second sensing unit (213), and the third sensing unit (214) measure the patient's joint angle, joint resistance torque, electromyography, etc., and transmit the measured values to the main control unit through the communication unit.

The above first, second, and third sensing units (212, 213, 214) may be provided for each of the actuator units (202, 203, 204), and according to another embodiment, may be provided between each of the actuator units.

The sub-control unit (210) controls the actuator units (202, 203, 204) of the sub-actuators (200L, 200R) that force the angle of the lower body joint of the patient (1) as described above. The actuators control the first actuator unit (202) for forcing the hip joint, the second actuator unit (203) for controlling the knee joint, and the third actuator unit (204) for controlling the ankle joint, and these actuator units, i.e., actuators, can be increased or decreased as needed and designed.

FIG. 9 illustrates a scene in which a patient (1) is trained while wearing a robot-shaped sub-system (200) in the main system (100) according to the present disclosure. As illustrated in FIG. 9, for example, in the case of a severely ill patient, the patient (1) can perform gait training while wearing the sub-system (200), i.e., the wearable robot, and holding the safety bar (106) without being on the saddle (104). Depending on the condition of the patient (1), for example, in the case of a mildly ill patient, the saddle (104) can be folded, and thus the patient (1) can perform gait training without relying on the saddle (104), and this can follow a training plan planned according to the condition of the patient.

The pedal (105a) is operated by the system operating device to force the patient to walk regardless of the patient's will. At this time, pressure sensors, etc. are installed on the saddle (104) and the pedal (105a) to detect the load applied to the saddle (104) and the load applied to the pedal during walking training. In particular, multiple pressure sensors are provided before and after the pedal to detect the local pressure applied to the pedal, thereby detecting the degree of pressure applied to the sole of the foot against the pedal or whether there is contact.

In this process, the sub-system (200) forces the movement of one or more joints using the units of the sub-actuator along with the patient's training progress by the main system (100), and as one of the results, the degree of force of the corresponding joint can be adjusted by at least one signal from the sensing unit among the angle, resistance torque, and electromyography of at least one joint.

Figure 10 illustrates a normal gait cycle, showing the posture of the feet, knees, and thighs during normal gait, and Figure 11 illustrates the regulations for each position in the gait pattern.

Referring to Figure 10, in one gait cycle, the stance phase is the section where the foot touches the ground, and the swing phase is the section where the foot is lifted off the ground.

Within each gait cycle, there are three tasks:

1. Weight Acceptance

This period has two parts: Initial contact (when the foot first touches the ground) and Loading response (when the sole of the foot touches the ground).

2. Single Limb Support

This period is the mid-stance where the sole of the foot touches the ground, the foot of the opposite leg leaves the ground, and the heel rises and the opposite leg swings.

3. Limb Advancement

This period is the period when the other foot is planted, and includes the free swing, where the toes of the front foot lift off the ground as the back foot leaves the ground; the mid swing, where the foot that was in contact with the ground earlier begins to lift off while the feet are together; and the terminal swing, where the heel of the front foot begins to touch the ground as the back foot pushes off the ground.

The above gait pattern is a normal gait pattern, and patients are trained to acquire this normal gait pattern. However, in patients who have difficulty walking normally, the patient's feet may exhibit misalignment during gait training, which does not match each cycle. For example, during the mid-stance cycle, the heel of the rear foot may not lift off when it should, but remain on the floor. This is because the patient's body does not follow the normal gait pattern. The robotic subsystem (200) of the present disclosure can forcibly bend the knee or ankle joint during this period to match the patient's gait pattern, thereby lifting the heel of the rear foot off the floor. All of these forced joint movements can be performed during the cycle, and through this, patients undergoing gait training can be forced to have a similar, if not normal, gait pattern despite their physical limitations.

In the graphs of Figures 12a, 12b, and 12c, IC is heel initial contact, OT is opposite toe off in, HR is heel rise, and OI is opposite heel initial contact.

The average normal values at each step in one gait cycle shown in Figure 9 are as follows.

a. Initial contact (heel strike)

1. The angle of the hip joint is approximately 30 degrees (flex).

B. Loading Response

1. Hip joint: around 25 degrees (flex)

2. Knee joint: about 10 degrees (flex)

3. Ankle joint: approximately 10 degrees (plantar flexion)

D. Mid stance

1. Hip joint: 25 degrees (flex) ~ 10 degrees (ext)

2. Knees: Peak (flex) ~ approximately 0 degrees

3. Ankle: changing to dorsiflexion

A. Heel Rise, Heel Off

1. Hip joint: -10 degrees (continues to extension.)

2. Knee: Extension peak

3. Ankle: 0 degrees

Toe Off, Terminal Contact

1. Hip joint: -20 to 20 degrees (Continues to flex)

2. Knee joint: 20 degrees (Continues to flex)

3. Ankle joint: Plantar flexion peak

Bar. Initial Swing (Initial Swing~Mid Swing)

1. Hip joint: 20 to 30 degrees (continues to flex)

2. Knee: 60 degrees (flex peak) ~ 30 degrees

3. Ankle: 10 to 0 degrees

That is, in the present invention, the wearable robot is used to forcibly control the knee joint angle in synchronization with the operation of the walking movement unit of the main system, for example, by forcibly bending and extending the patient's joint by considering the normal bending and extension angles, thereby preventing the so-called back-knee phenomenon and enhancing the effect of rehabilitation. In addition, by forcibly controlling the angle of the patient's knee, which is not normal, to a normal range, the phenomenon of the heel coming off the ground early in the midstance can be prevented.

Here, the robot conceptually illustrated in FIG. 7 can be implemented in various forms, and can be implemented in any form that can force at least one of the patient's lower body joints in compliance with the control of the main system, and such actual implementation naturally falls within the scope of the present invention as long as it has the above-mentioned control structure. In addition, as described above, the walking motion unit for driving the end-effect type pedal may have a structure in which the pedal has an operating link, a first and a second driving motor, and an LM unit, etc., as described above, and according to another embodiment, the walking motion unit may adopt a bar-connection structure in which the pedal is attached to the end of an operating bar and moves, or a rail-supported bar-connection structure in which a rail for guiding the movement of the pedal is added to the bar-connection structure, and this also naturally falls within the scope of the present invention.

While exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and variations may be made to the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Therefore, modifications to future embodiments of the present invention will not depart from the scope of the invention.

Claims (17)

A main system comprising a walking exercise unit having an end-effector type pedal on which a patient steps for walking training and a main actuator that drives the pedal, and a main control unit that controls the main actuator to perform walking training on a patient standing on the pedal; and A robot-assisted walking training system comprising a wearable robot-type subsystem, comprising: a sub-actuator having one or more sub-actuator units that are mounted on the patient's body and assist or force the patient's lower body joint movement in synchronization with the movement of the main actuator; and a sub-control unit that controls the one or more sub-actuator units and links or synchronizes the movement of the one or more active joints with the movement of the main actuator by a control signal from the main control unit. In the first paragraph, The above-mentioned walking exercise unit is a robot-assisted walking training system having a joint-linkage structure having a plurality of joints and links capable of linear or rotational movement with the pedals attached to the ends thereof to implement the patient's walking, or a bar-linkage structure in which the pedals are attached to the ends of an operating bar and move. In the first paragraph, The above main actuator is a robot-assisted walking training system, wherein the main actuator is a joint-link structure having a joint-link structure and an operating motor connected to each joint of the joint-link structure to drive the joint-link structure in order to realize the movement of the walking movement unit, or a bar-link structure having a bar-link structure and a driving motor connected to one end of the bar-link structure to drive the joint-link structure. In the third paragraph, The main actuator of the above joint-link structure: An operating link having a first driving motor installed at one end for driving the pedal; A moving station equipped with a second driving motor connected to the other end of the above-mentioned operating link and driving it; A guide rail that supports the above moving station to move back and forth a predetermined distance; A transfer plate that is slidably connected to the guide rail, on which the moving station is mounted; and A robot-assisted walking training system comprising an LM unit having a belt coupled to a moving station for linear reciprocating movement of the moving station, a drive pulley and a guide pulley supporting the movement thereof, a third drive motor providing rotational force to the drive pulley, and a power transmission unit transmitting power from the third drive motor to the drive pulley. In the third paragraph, The main actuator of the above bar-link structure: The above pedal is mounted; A closed link that allows the above bar to move in a manner similar to a walking motion; and A robot-assisted walking training system comprising an actuating motor that provides rotational force to the closed link. In the first paragraph, The above subsystem is a robot-assisted walking training system having a structure of a multi-joint robot having a plurality of links positioned between the patient's joints and the actuator unit positioned between the links. In the first paragraph, A robot-assisted walking training system, wherein the main system and the subsystem are configured to exchange information with each other through wired or wireless communication so that the operation of the subsystem can be linked to the operation of the main system. In paragraph 6, A robot-assisted walking training system, wherein the subsystem comprises at least one of a first actuator unit for assisting movement of a hip joint, a second actuator unit for assisting movement of a patient's knee, and a third actuator unit for assisting movement of a patient's ankle. In paragraph 7, A robot-assisted walking training system in which the sub-system forces movement of each joint by the sub-actuator and controls the degree of force of the joint by the sub-actuator by at least one signal among the angle of the joint, resistance torque, and electromyography from a sensing unit installed in the sub-actuator. In paragraph 9, A robot-assisted walking training system further comprising a pressure sensor for detecting pressure on the pedal and transmitting a pressure signal to the main control unit. In the first paragraph, A robot-assisted walking training system in which the sub-system forces movement of each joint by the sub-actuator and controls the degree of force of the joint by the sub-actuator by at least one signal among the angle of the joint, resistance torque, and electromyography from a sensing unit installed in the sub-actuator. In paragraph 10, A robot-assisted walking training system, wherein the sensing unit is positioned at the patient's joint location or at a location between joints. A gait training method using a gait training system having a main system having an end effect type pedal for gait training of a patient and a sub system having one or more sub-actuator units for controlling the movement of the patient's lower body joints, The above main system operates an end-effector type pedal on which the patient stands according to a training plan for the individual patient, thereby performing the patient's walking movement; A step in which the main system performs wired or wireless communication for controlling the subsystem and the subsystem; and A control method for a robot-assisted walking training system, comprising: a step of forcing movement of the patient's lower body joints by controlling the operation of a sub-actuator unit so that the movement of the patient's lower body joints matches the walking posture according to the operation of the pedals of the main system. In paragraph 13, The above subsystem is a control method for a robot-assisted walking training system, which controls a force for forcing a patient's joint movement by the actuator unit based on a signal from a sensing unit that detects status information related to the patient's joint movement. In paragraph 14, A control method for a robot-assisted walking training system, wherein the sensing unit detects at least one signal among the angle, resistance torque, and electromyography of the corresponding joint of the patient. In any one of the 13th to 15th clauses, A control method for a robot-assisted walking training system having a structure of a multi-joint robot, wherein the above-mentioned operating unit is interconnected by a plurality of links positioned between the patient's joints, and the patient's joint movement angle is controlled as the angle between the links on both sides connected thereto. In paragraph 13, A control method for a robot-assisted walking training system, wherein the pedal detects pressure applied by a patient using a built-in pressure sensor and transmits the pressure to the main control unit.