US 12,251,355 B2
Modular exoskeleton systems and methods
Robert Stuart, Arcata, CA (US); Linus Park, Pacifica, CA (US); Ashley Swartz, Daly City, CA (US); Giancarlo Nucci, Seattle, WA (US); Kyle Lamson, Berkeley, CA (US); Kevin Conrad Kemper, San Francisco, CA (US); and Timothy Alan Swift, Walnut Creek, CA (US)
Assigned to ROAM ROBOTICS INC., San Francisco, CA (US)
Filed by ROAM ROBOTICS INC., San Francisco, CA (US)
Filed on May 27, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/332,860.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/058,825, filed on Jul. 30, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/030,586, filed on May 27, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0370496 A1, Dec. 2, 2021
Int. Cl. A61H 3/00 (2006.01); A61H 1/02 (2006.01); B25J 9/00 (2006.01); B25J 9/16 (2006.01); G16H 40/67 (2018.01)
CPC A61H 3/00 (2013.01) [A61H 1/024 (2013.01); B25J 9/0006 (2013.01); B25J 9/1602 (2013.01); G16H 40/67 (2018.01); A61H 2003/007 (2013.01); A61H 2201/0214 (2013.01); A61H 2201/1238 (2013.01); A61H 2201/1261 (2013.01); A61H 2201/164 (2013.01); A61H 2201/1642 (2013.01); A61H 2201/165 (2013.01); A61H 2201/1652 (2013.01); A61H 2201/1671 (2013.01); A61H 2201/5002 (2013.01); A61H 2201/5007 (2013.01); A61H 2201/501 (2013.01); A61H 2201/5012 (2013.01); A61H 2201/5025 (2013.01); A61H 2201/5046 (2013.01); A61H 2201/5048 (2013.01); A61H 2201/5058 (2013.01); A61H 2201/5097 (2013.01); A61H 2203/0406 (2013.01); A61H 2203/0431 (2013.01); A61H 2205/102 (2013.01); A61H 2230/00 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of operating a modular exoskeleton system, the method comprising:
monitoring, by an electronic exoskeleton device of the modular exoskeleton system, for one or more leg actuator units being operably coupled to or removed from the modular exoskeleton system, the modular exoskeleton system comprising:
a left and right leg actuator unit configured to be respectively coupled to a left leg and a right leg of a user and configured to be operably coupled and removed from the modular exoskeleton system, the left and right leg actuator units each including:
an upper arm and a lower arm that are rotatably coupled via a joint, the joint positioned at a knee of the user with the upper arm coupled about an upper leg portion of the user above the knee and with the lower arm coupled about a lower leg portion of the user below the knee,
a bellows actuator that extends between the upper arm and lower arms, and
one or more sets of lines including at least a fluid line coupled to the bellows actuator configured to introduce fluid to the bellows actuator to cause the bellows actuator to expand and move the upper arm and lower arm and a sensor line configured to obtain data from one or more sensors of the leg actuator unit, the one or more sets of lines configured to be removably operably coupled to the modular exoskeleton system via one or more line couplings;
determining, by the electronic exoskeleton device of the modular exoskeleton system, that the left leg actuator unit has been operably coupled to the modular exoskeleton system via the one or more line couplings while the right leg actuator unit was already operably coupled to the modular exoskeleton system and coupled to the right leg of the user;
determining, by the electronic exoskeleton device of the modular exoskeleton system, that the left leg actuator unit has been coupled to the left leg of the user;
determining, by the electronic exoskeleton device of the modular exoskeleton system, a first new operating configuration based at least in part on the determination that the left leg actuator unit has been operably coupled to the modular exoskeleton system via the one or more line couplings while the right leg actuator unit was already operably coupled to the modular exoskeleton system and coupled to the right leg of the user, the first new operating configuration including a dual-knee operating configuration;
setting, by the electronic exoskeleton device of the modular exoskeleton system, the dual-knee operating configuration for the modular exoskeleton system in place of a single-right-knee operating configuration that was previously set based at least in part on the right leg actuator unit being operably coupled to the modular exoskeleton system and determined as being coupled to the right leg of the user;
determining, by the electronic exoskeleton device of the modular exoskeleton system, that the left leg actuator unit has been operably de-coupled from the modular exoskeleton system via the one or more line couplings while the right leg actuator unit remains operably coupled to the modular exoskeleton system and coupled to the right leg of the user;
determining, by the electronic exoskeleton device of the modular exoskeleton system, a second new operating configuration based at least in part on the determination that the left leg actuator unit has been operably de-coupled from the modular exoskeleton system via the one or more line couplings while the right leg actuator unit remains operably coupled to the modular exoskeleton system and coupled to the right leg of the user, the second new operating configuration including the single-right-knee operating configuration; and
setting, by the electronic exoskeleton device of the modular exoskeleton system, the single-right-knee operating configuration for the modular exoskeleton system in place of the dual-knee operating configuration.