Whole-body human-computer interface

Abstract

A human-computer interface system having an exoskeleton including a plurality of structural members coupled to one another by at least one articulation configured to apply a force to a body segment of a user, the exoskeleton comprising a body-borne portion and a point-of-use portion; the body-borne portion configured to be operatively coupled to the point-of-use portion; and at least one locomotor module including at least one actuator configured to actuate the at least one articulation, the at least one actuator being in operative communication with the exoskeleton.

1 . A control assembly for an interface garment, comprising:
 a pressurized fluid supply;   at least one control valve, wherein each control valve is coupled to the pressurized fluid supply; and   a controller configured to receive a user input state from a sensor package, wherein the user input state represents a sensed position, and in response operate at least one of the at least one control valve;   wherein each control valve is configured to interface with at least one fluidic actuator of the interface garment.   
     
     
         2 . The control assembly for the interface garment of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor package includes a position or angle sensor. 
     
     
         3 . The control assembly for the interface garment of  claim 2 , wherein the position or angle sensor comprises a plurality of optical, acoustic, magnetic, or radio frequency markers located on a segment of a user's body and one or more externally located devices which transduce a 3D position of the markers to a computer-interpretable form in real time. 
     
     
         4 . The control assembly for the interface garment of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor package includes a force or torque sensor. 
     
     
         5 . The control assembly for the interface garment of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor package includes a biosignal sensor. 
     
     
         6 . The control assembly for the interface garment of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor package includes an inertial sensor. 
     
     
         7 . The control assembly for the interface garment of  claim 6 , wherein the inertial sensor is an accelerometer or gyroscope. 
     
     
         8 . The control assembly for the interface garment of  claim 6 , wherein the inertial sensor is coupled to one or more segments of a segment of a user's body to measure linear and/or rotational acceleration of a portion of the user's body. 
     
     
         9 . The control assembly for the interface garment of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor package includes magnetometers placed adjacent to small permanent magnets on opposite sides of an articulation of a segment of a user's body. 
     
     
         10 . The control assembly for the interface garment of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor package includes a goniometer. 
     
     
         11 . The control assembly for the interface garment of  claim 10 , wherein the goniometer comprises a potentiometer or an encoder. 
     
     
         12 . The control assembly for the interface garment of  claim 10 , wherein the goniometer is utilized to transduce an angle or position of an actuator, actuator assembly, or articulation of a segment of a user's body to which it is attached. 
     
     
         13 . The control assembly for the interface garment of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one fluidic actuator is a plurality of fluidic actuators, wherein the at least one control valve further comprises a selector valve comprising a flow section element coupling one of the at least one control valve to a plurality of fluidic actuator ports in sequence. 
     
     
         14 . The control assembly for the interface garment of  claim 1 , wherein the pressurized fluid supply is a pressurized gas supply. 
     
     
         15 . The control assembly for the interface garment of  claim 14 , wherein the pressurized gas supply comprises carbon dioxide, helium, or air. 
     
     
         16 . The control assembly for the interface garment of  claim 1 , wherein the pressurized fluid supply is a pressurized liquid supply. 
     
     
         17 . The control assembly for the interface garment of  claim 16 , wherein the pressurized liquid supply comprises one of water, glycol, and oil. 
     
     
         18 . The control assembly for the interface garment of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least one control valve comprises an electromechanical actuator, a brushed DC motor, a brushless DC motor, an AC induction motor, an AC synchronous motor, or a voice coil actuator. 
     
     
         19 . The control assembly for the interface garment of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least one control valve comprises a contractile material.