US2024033146A1PendingUtilityA1
Autonomous robotic mobile support system for the mobility-impaired
Est. expiryOct 28, 2039(~13.3 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
A61G 5/041G05D 1/0238G05D 1/028B25J 11/009B25J 13/086B25J 5/007G01S 17/08G01S 17/58G01S 17/88B25J 15/0019G05D 2201/0206G05D 1/024G01S 17/42B25J 19/022
56
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Claims
Abstract
Disclosed is a robotic mobile support system configured to autonomously follow a subject with impaired mobility from a close but safe distance behind the subject and react to movements of the subject's torso and upper body to provide dynamic support for the subject and stop the subject from falling. The system comprises a mobile base vehicle, a robotic arm installed on the mobile base vehicle, and a LIDAR sensor for detecting the distance to a subject and the direction/speed of the subject. The robotic arm comprises one or more adjustable rear and side soft supports configured to support the subject and stop the subject from falling. The system can also comprise an onboard computer configured to process LIDAR data to control the movement of the mobile base vehicle and the robotic arm to stop the subject from falling.
Claims
exact text as granted — not AI-modifiedWe claim:
1 . A robotic mobile support system, comprising:
a mobile base vehicle; a robotic arm coupled to the mobile base vehicle and configured to support the subject in the event of a fall; a LIDAR sensor coupled to the robotic arm, wherein the LIDAR sensor is configured to undertake distance measurements between the LIDAR sensor and defined points along the subject; and an onboard computing device comprising one or more processors and memory units, wherein the one or more processors are programmed to execute instructions stored in the one or more memory units to use the distance measurements from the LIDAR sensor to generate commands to adjust at least one of a speed and direction of the mobile base vehicle to allow the robotic mobile support system to support the subject in the event of a fall.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are programmed to execute further instructions to determine a forward velocity (v x ) of the mobile base vehicle using the equation:
v x =k 1* (xlmin−dist)
wherein xlmin is a minimum distance from a set of distance measurements made by the LIDAR sensor, dist is a predefined desired distance, and k1 is a first proportional control gain.
3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more processors are programmed to execute further instructions to determine an angular velocity (co) of the mobile base vehicle using the equation:
ω
=
k
2
*
ϕ
2
+
ϕ
3
2
wherein k2 is a second proportional control gain, and ϕ 2 and 99 3 are angles of rotation of the subject determined by the equations:
ϕ
2
=
atan
[
xl
(
first
selected
defined
point
)
-
xl
(
second
selected
defined
point
)
]
[
yl
(
first
selected
defined
point
)
-
yl
(
second
selected
defined
point
)
]
ϕ
3
atan
=
[
xl
(
third
selected
defined
point
)
-
xl
(
fourth
selected
defined
point
)
]
[
yl
(
third
selected
defined
point
)
-
yl
(
fourth
selected
defined
point
)
]
wherein yl and xl represent the (y, x) position of the defined points across the dorsum region or the posterior truncal region of the subject as measured by the LIDAR sensor, wherein an origin is located at a center of the LIDAR sensor, wherein x(i) represents a distance to a selected defined point in the x-direction where the positive x-axis is directly in front of the LIDAR sensor, and wherein y(i) represents a distance to the selected defined point in the y-direction where the positive y-axis is toward a right-hand side of the subject.
4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the mobile base vehicle comprises two differentially driven wheels, wherein the one or more processors are programmed to execute further instructions to determine a right wheel angular velocity (ω R ) of a right wheel of the two differentially driven wheels and determine a left wheel angular velocity (ω L ) of a left wheel of the two differentially driven wheels, using the equations:
ω
R
=
v
x
+
h
ω
R
w
ω
L
=
v
x
-
h
ω
R
w
wherein ω is the angular velocity, wherein h is one-half of a distance separating the two differentially driven wheels, and R w is a radius of at least one of the differentially driven wheels.
5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the one or more processors are programmed to execute further instructions to determine a left wheel revolutions per minute (RPM L_Des ) of the left wheel of the two differentially driven wheels and a right wheel revolutions per minute (RPM R_Des ) of the right wheel of the two differentially driven wheels using the following equations:
R
P
M
L
_
Des
=
ω
L
*
3
0
π
R
P
M
R
_
Des
=
ω
R
*
3
0
π
wherein ω R is the right wheel angular velocity and ω L is the left wheel angular velocity.
6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein a minimum weight of the mobile base vehicle is determined by a height of the subject (H), a weight of the subject (WP), and the equation:
Minimum Weight of Mobile Base Vehicle= H*WP *sin β/( 2 h )
wherein β is a tilt angle of the subject as measured from an upright position, and h is one-half of a distance separating the two differentially driven wheels.
7 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a leg LIDAR sensor positioned on the mobile base vehicle and configured to undertake distance measurements between the leg LIDAR sensor and defined points along a leg region of the subject.
8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the onboard computing device further comprises a wireless communication module configured to receive commands from a radio frequency (RF) transmitter, and wherein movement of the mobile base vehicle is halted in response to an emergency stop command received from the RF transmitter via the wireless communication module.
9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the LIDAR sensor is a 2D LIDAR sensor configured to emit a modulated infrared laser light at the dorsum region or the posterior truncal region of the subject.
10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the infrared laser light can have a wavelength of between about 775 nm and 795 nm.
11 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the LIDAR sensor has a scanning range of up to 8 meters.
12 . A method of supporting a subject, the method comprising:
measuring, using a LIDAR sensor, distances between the LIDAR sensor and defined points along the subject, wherein the LIDAR sensor is coupled to a robotic arm extending from a mobile base vehicle,
and wherein the mobile base vehicle, the LIDAR sensor, and the robotic arm are part of a robotic mobile support system; and
generating commands to adjust at least one of a speed and direction of the mobile base vehicle, using one or more processors of an onboard computing device of the robotic mobile support system, based on the distance measurements made by the LIDAR sensor to allow the robotic mobile support system to support the subject in the event of a fall.
13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising determining, using the one or more processors, a forward velocity (v x ) of the mobile base vehicle using the equation:
v x =k 1*(xlmin−dist)
wherein xlmin is a minimum distance from a set of distance measurements made by the LIDAR sensor, dist is a predefined desired distance, and k1 is a first proportional control gain.
14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising determining, using the one or more processors, an angular velocity (ω) of the mobile base vehicle using the equation:
ω
=
k
2
*
ϕ
2
+
ϕ
3
2
wherein k2 is a second proportional control gain, and ϕ 2 and ϕ 3 are angles of rotation of the subject determined by the equations:
ϕ
2
=
atan
[
xl
(
first
selected
defined
point
)
-
xl
(
second
selected
defined
point
)
]
[
yl
(
first
selected
defined
point
)
-
yl
(
second
selected
defined
point
)
]
ϕ
3
atan
=
[
xl
(
third
selected
defined
point
)
-
xl
(
fourth
selected
defined
point
)
]
[
yl
(
third
selected
defined
point
)
-
yl
(
fourth
selected
defined
point
)
]
wherein yl and xl represent the (y, x) position of the defined points across the dorsum region or the posterior truncal region of the subject as measured by the LIDAR sensor, wherein an origin is located at a center of the LIDAR sensor, wherein x(i) represents a distance to a selected defined point in the x-direction where the positive x-axis is directly in front of the LIDAR sensor, and wherein y (i) represents a distance to the selected defined point in the y-direction where the positive y-axis is toward a right-hand side of the subject.
15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising determining, using the one or more processors, a right wheel angular velocity (ω R ) of a right wheel of two differentially driven wheels of the mobile base vehicle and a left wheel angular velocity (ω L ) of a left wheel of the two differentially driven wheels, using the equations:
ω
R
=
v
x
+
h
ω
R
w
ω
L
=
v
x
-
h
ω
R
w
wherein ω is the angular velocity, wherein h is one-half of a distance separating the two differentially driven wheels, and R w is a radius of at least one of the differentially driven wheels.
16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising determining, using the one or more processors, a left wheel revolutions per minute (RPM L_Des ) of the left wheel of the two differentially driven wheels and a right wheel revolutions per minute (RPM R_Des ) of the right wheel of the two differentially driven wheels using the following equations:
R
P
M
L
_
Des
=
ω
L
*
3
0
π
R
P
M
R
_
Des
=
ω
R
*
3
0
π
wherein ω R is the right wheel angular velocity and ω L is the left wheel angular velocity.
17 . A robotic mobile support system, comprising:
a mobile base vehicle; a robotic arm extending from the mobile base vehicle; a first sensor coupled to the robotic arm, wherein the first sensor is configured to undertake distance measurements between the first sensor and defined points along a dorsum region or a posterior truncal region of the subject; and an onboard computing device comprising one or more processors and memory units, wherein the one or more processors are programmed to execute instructions stored in the memory units to use the distance measurements from the first sensor to generate commands to adjust at least one of a speed and direction of the mobile base vehicle to allow the robotic mobile support system to support the subject in the event of a fall.
18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the first sensor is a LIDAR sensor.
19 . The system of claim 17 , further comprising a second sensor positioned on the mobile base vehicle and configured to undertake distance measurements between the second sensor and defined points along a leg region of the subject.
20 . The system of claim 19 , wherein the second sensor is a LIDAR sensor.Join the waitlist — get patent alerts
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