Methods of operating an exoskeleton for gait assistance and rehabilitation

1. A method of operating an exoskeleton device configured for gait assistance, the method comprising:

connecting a bilateral structural frame that includes multiple joints to a pulley system using multiple cables;

attaching the pulley system to a drive shaft that is connected to an actuation system,

wherein the actuation system includes individual motors that are each responsible for controlling one of the multiple joints, and

wherein the individual motors are arranged such that a main drive motor can independently actuate a pulley drive shaft corresponding to a particular individual motor and a particular joint;

receiving feedback information from sensors that are embedded within the multiple joints of the bilateral structural frame and within a flexible textile that at least partially envelops the bilateral structural frame;

based on the feedback information, selectively engaging, by the actuation system, the particular individual motor to actuate the pulley drive shaft,

wherein engagement of the pulley drive shaft causes a tension to be applied to a particular cable connected to the particular joint of the bilateral structural frame, and

wherein the tension causes extension or flexion of the particular joint of the bilateral structural frame to be modified.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensors include accelerometers, force-sensitive resistors, potentiometers, inertial measurement units, gyroscopes, biological sensors, or a combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the drive shaft and the actuation system are modularly attachable to the pulley system.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the particular joint of the bilateral structural frame is substantially immovable prior to the tension being applied to the particular cable.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the individual motors are connected to the actuation system via a clutch system.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the clutch system uses servo-actuated pawls to independently engage and disengage pulley drive shafts connected to the individual motors.

7. A method of operating an exoskeleton device, the method comprising:

connecting a structural frame that includes multiple joints to a pulley system using multiple cables,

wherein the structural frame includes sensors that are embedded within the multiple joints or within a flexible textile that at least partially envelops the structural frame;

attaching the pulley system to a drive shaft that is connected to an actuation system,

wherein the actuation system includes individual drive train systems that are responsible for controlling the multiple joints, and

wherein the individual drive train systems are arranged such that a main drive train can independently actuate pulley drive shafts corresponding to particular joints of the structural frame;

continually receiving feedback information from the sensors;

determining, by a control system, whether to engage an individual drive train system by the actuation system based on the feedback information;

in response to determining the individual drive train system should be engaged, actuating a particular joint of the structural frame by

supplying power to a main drive motor that is connected to the main drive train,

causing the main drive train to selectively engage the individual drive train system,

causing a clutch system to engage the pulley drive shaft corresponding to the individual drive train system, and

causing the pulley drive shaft to apply a tension to a particular cable corresponding to the particular joint of the structural frame.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the main drive motor is powered by a battery, a green energy source, an electric source, a hydraulic or pneumatic pressure system, or a combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein an amount of power supplied to the main drive motor is based on the feedback information received from the sensors.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the clutch system uses servo-actuated pawls to independently engage and disengage the pulley drive shaft of each individual drive train system.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the clutch system is a dual-clutch system.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the individual drive train system includes worm gears that have a non-backdriving feature.