SpringActive, Inc. Patent applications |
Patent application number | Title | Published |
20160113831 | System and Method of Bidirectional Compliant Joint Torque Actuation - A joint actuation device for adding torque to a joint of a user includes an actuation system having an actuator and a spring. A lever is configured to couple to the user's leg and to the actuation system. The lever configured to rotate at a device joint with respect to the actuation system. A first sensor measures a position of the device joint. A second sensor measures deflection in a spring. The actuator is positioned based on the position of the device joint and deflection in the spring. The actuator is configured to deflect the spring to apply a torque the device joint. The device joint aligns with the user's joint to add a torque to the user's joint during a gait activity. The actuator disengages the spring during a non-gait activity. The lever is configured to disengage from the actuator when the device joint exceeds a predetermined angle. | 04-28-2016 |
20160023350 | Gravitational Load Support System - A load support device has a first link assembly coupled to a load and a first foot of a user. A first damping element is coupled to the first link assembly. The first damping element includes a double acting piston configured to provide uni-directional damping. A first sensor is disposed on a first limb of the user. A physical characteristic of the first limb is measured with the first sensor. A damping constant of the first damping element is selected based on the physical characteristic of the first limb. A second link assembly is coupled to the load and to a second foot of the user. A second damping element is coupled to the second link assembly between the load and the second foot. The load is alternately supported by the first link assembly and damping element and the second link assembly and damping element throughout a gait cycle. | 01-28-2016 |
20140259798 | Systems and Methods for Gravitational Load Support - A load support device includes a first link coupled to a load. A second link is configured to couple to footwear. The second link is pivotally coupled to the first link. The first and second link comprise a link assembly. A first compliant member is disposed between the load and the second link. The first compliant member includes a tension spring or a compression spring. The link assembly further includes a tension cable coupled to the first compliant member. A first actuator is coupled to the first compliant member to control a stiffness of the first compliant member. A sensor is configured to couple to a user to measure a physical state of the user. A control system controls the first actuator based on a gait activity. The first actuator is actuated based on the physical state of the user. The load support device is tuned based on the load. | 09-18-2014 |
20140200680 | Control Systems and Methods for Gait Devices - A method of controlling a gait device includes a first sensor disposed on a first mobile body. A physical state of the first mobile body is measured using the first sensor to obtain a first physical state measurement. A second sensor is disposed on a second mobile body. A physical state of the second mobile body is measured using the second sensor to obtain a second physical state measurement. The first and second physical state measurements are conditioned by pseudo integration. A reference function is based on a gait activity. A reference function is determined by measuring a physical state of an able-bodied human and correlating an output position of the actuator to the physical state of the able-bodied human. A command is generated by inputting the first and second physical state measurements into the reference function to control an actuator of the gait device to match the output position. | 07-17-2014 |
20140074243 | Robotic Device and Method of Using a Parallel Mechanism - A parallel kinematically redundant device includes a base body portion and a movable portion. The movable portion includes first, second, and third joints. A first actuator is coupled to the first joint of the movable portion and to the base body portion. A second actuator is coupled in parallel with the first actuator between the second joint of the movable portion and the base body portion. A linking member is rotationally coupled to the third joint of the movable portion to provide an output for the first and second actuators. A housing is coupled to the base body portion and fits onto a user. A prosthetic joint device includes a base portion and a movable portion. An actuator is rotationally coupled to the movable portion and base portion. A compliant element is coupled in parallel with the actuator between the movable portion and base portion. | 03-13-2014 |
20130218295 | CONTROL SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR GAIT DEVICES - Methods for controlling gait devices include measuring kinematic and/or loading states of limb or robotic segments; conditioning the resulting state measurement by any combination or order of integration, differentiation, filtering, and amplification; transforming conditioned state measurements by coordinate transformation; optionally conditioning the transformed state measurements a second time in a manner similar to the first conditioning step; and using the transformed or conditioned transformed state measurements as independent variables in a predetermined reference function to calculate a desired reference command for any number of actuators. | 08-22-2013 |
20130118287 | ACTIVE COMPLIANT PARALLEL MECHANISM - An active compliant parallel device includes a movable body; a base body; and a plurality of linking members. The plurality of linking members are coupled to the movable body and the base body by a plurality of joints and include at least one compliant linking member, having a compliant element, and at least one actuating linking member, having an actuating element. The device may further include at least one damping linking member having a damping element and/or at least one passive linking member. The actuating, compliant, passive, and/or damping linking members are arranged in a parallel arrangement or structure such that each linking member makes a connection, using a connection element, such as a joint, with the base body and the movable body. The potential configurations of the device allow for movement and positioning of one or more unrestricted and externally loaded elements in space. | 05-16-2013 |