Harvard College

Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.

Boston University

Alan Thomas Asbeck

Conor James Walsh

Ye Ding

Ignacio Galiana Bujanda

Diana A Wagner

Robert J Dyer

Michael Wehner

Kai Schmidt

Brendan Thomas Quinlivan

Stefano Marco Maria De Rossi

Arnar Freyr Larusson

Sangjun Lee

Taylor Pesek

Kathleen Elizabeth O'Donnell

Kenneth G Holt

Jaehyun Bae

Timothy Pote

Jillian Christine Cochran

Matthew W Yarri

Jack Geissinger

Sarah E Chang

Robert Joseph Dyer

Stafano Marco Maria De Rossi

An exoskeleton system and associated components are described herein. The exoskeleton system assists a user in lifting and/or bending to perform various operations. Components of the exoskeleton system can include a force device, a release mechanism, and a leg differential system. The force device includes a gas spring and a compression spring to store and release energy to assist a user of the exoskeleton system, the force device having a smooth force profile with no initial loading. The release mechanism disengages and re-engages the force device when actuated by a user. The leg differential system enables walking while wearing the exoskeleton system and equally loads different force devices of the exoskeleton system when a user's legs are displaced relative to one another.

Lift-assistance exoskeleton

In at least one aspect, there is provided a system for generating force about one or more joints including a soft exosuit having a plurality of anchor elements and at least one connection element disposed between the plurality of anchor elements. The system also includes at least one sensor to determine a force the at least one connection element or at least one of the plurality of anchor elements and to output signals relating to the force, at least one actuator configured to change a tension in the soft exosuit and at least one controller configured to receive the signals output from the at least one sensor and actuate the at least one actuator responsive to the received signals.

Soft exosuit for assistance with human motion

Systems and methods for providing assistance with human motion, including hip and ankle motion, are disclosed. Sensor feedback is used to determine an appropriate profile for actuating a wearable robotic system to deliver desired joint motion assistance. Variations in user kinetics and kinematics, as well as construction, materials, and fit of the wearable robotic system, are considered in order to provide assistance tailored to the user and current activity.

In at least some aspects, the present concepts include a method for configuring an assistive flexible suit including the acts of outfitting a person with an assistive flexible suit, monitoring an output of at least one sensor of the assistive flexible suit as the person moves in a first controlled movement environment, identifying at least one predefined gait event using the output of the at least one sensor, adjusting an actuation profile of the at least one actuator and continuing to perform the acts of monitoring, identifying and adjusting until an actuation profile of the at least one actuator generates a beneficial moment about the at least one joint to promote an improvement in gait. The at least one controller is then set to implement the actuation profile.

Assistive flexible suits, flexible suit systems, and methods for making and control thereof to assist human mobility

An exoskeleton to assist a user in moving as object comprising an upper body harness, a mid-body harness, and a lower body harness. First and second sets of elongated energy return members are located between the harnesses and are used to assist a user in moving an object.

Back exoskeleton to assist lifting

Orthopedic devices may include rigid members for coupling to portions of a limb that includes a joint, and a cable that couples to the rigid members and extends up to a powered element. The orthopedic devices are configured to produce beneficial forces using the rigid member and the cable, which beneficial forces are translated to the wearer. The orthopedic devices include control systems that generate control signals for controlling the powered element.

Orthopedic device including protruding members

A motion control system includes an actuator having an actuation member, the actuation member having a proximal end attached to the actuator on a first side of a joint and a distal end attached to an anchor element attachment point on a second side of the joint. A first sensor is configured to output signals defining a gait cycle and a second sensor is configured to output signals representing a tensile force in the at least one actuation member. A controller receives the output signals from the sensors and actuates the actuator, during a first portion of the gait cycle, to apply a force greater than a predetermined threshold tensile force to the anchor element attachment point via the actuation member to generate a beneficial moment about the joint and to automatically actuate the actuator.

Growing community of inventors

Waltham, MA, United States of America

Alan Thomas Asbeck