Integrated Hydraulic-Driven Wearable Robot for Knee Assistance

Abstract

<div><p>Age-related diseases can lead to knee joint misfunction, making knee assistance necessary through the use of robotic wearable braces. However, existing wearable robots face challenges in force transmission and human motion adaptation, particularly among the elderly. Although soft actuators have been used in wearable robots, achieving rapid response and motion control while maintaining portability remains challenging. To address these issues, we propose a soft-robotic knee brace system integrated with multiple sensors and a direct-drive hydraulic actuation system. This approach allows for controlled and rapid force output on the portable hydraulic system. The multi-sensor feedback structure enables the robotic system to collaborate with the human body through human physiological signal and body motion information. The human user tests demonstrate that the knee robot provides assistive torques to the knee joint by being triggered by the electromyography signal and under human motion control.</p></div>

与衰老过程有关的疾病可能导致膝关节功能失调, 因此需要以可穿戴机器人护膝的形式提供膝关节援助. 然而, 现有的可穿戴机器人在协助老年人的日常活动中面临着力的有效传递和适应人体运动的困难. 尽管软体驱动器已被广泛用于可穿戴机器人中, 在便携的基础上实现快速响应和运动控制仍然是一个挑战. 针对这些问题, 我们提出了一个集成多传感器和直驱液压驱动系统的软体护膝机器人系统. 我们在便携式液压系统中实现了可控和快速的力输出. 多传感器的反馈使机器人系统能够通过人的生理信号和动作信息与人体进行协作. 人类用户的测试结果验证了该膝关节机器人可以通过肌电信号触发而向膝关节提供辅助扭矩.