US 11,986,033 B2
Robotic exoskeleton glove system
Pinhas Ben-Tzvi, Blacksburg, VA (US); Bijo Sebastian, Blacksburg, VA (US); Eric M. Refour, Blacksburg, VA (US); Wenda Xu, Blacksburg, VA (US); Sarthak Pradhan, Blacksburg, VA (US); and Yunfei Guo, Blacksburg, VA (US)
Assigned to VIRGINIA TECH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES, INC., Blacksburg, VA (US)
Filed by VIRGINIA TECH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES, INC., Blacksburg, VA (US)
Filed on Jun. 1, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/888,993.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/855,967, filed on Jun. 1, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2020/0375287 A1, Dec. 3, 2020
Int. Cl. A61F 5/01 (2006.01); A41D 19/00 (2006.01); A61F 2/58 (2006.01); A61F 4/00 (2006.01); A61H 1/02 (2006.01); G06F 3/01 (2006.01); A61F 2/76 (2006.01)
CPC A41D 19/0027 (2013.01) [A61F 2/586 (2013.01); A61F 4/00 (2013.01); A61F 5/0118 (2013.01); A61F 5/013 (2013.01); A61H 1/0288 (2013.01); G06F 3/014 (2013.01); G06F 3/016 (2013.01); A61F 2002/587 (2013.01); A61F 2002/7625 (2013.01); A61F 2002/7635 (2013.01); A61F 2005/0141 (2013.01); A61F 2005/0144 (2013.01); A61F 2005/0151 (2013.01); A61F 2005/0155 (2013.01); A61F 2005/0179 (2013.01); A61F 2005/0188 (2013.01); A61H 2205/067 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An assistive system for a hand of an individual, comprising:
a brace mount;
a finger brace comprising a seat platform mechanically coupled to the brace mount, the finger brace further comprising a plurality of brace links, a plurality of constraint links, and an actuation lever;
an actuator mechanically coupled to the actuation lever and configured to articulate the finger brace over a predetermined range of motion;
a feedback system configured to monitor motion of the finger brace, the feedback system comprising a target encoder mounted to the actuator and an offset encoder mounted to the finger brace; and
a control system configured to:
receive applied force feedback from the feedback system;
calculate a metric of applied force on the finger brace based on the applied force feedback and an elastic constant of an elastic element in the actuator; and
direct the actuator for an autonomous grasp adjustment based on the metric of applied force.