Abstract
With the rapid development of Rehabilitation Lower Extremity Robotic Exoskeletons (RLEEX) technology, significant advancements have been made in Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) methods. These include traditional physical HRI methods that are easily recognizable and various bio-electrical signal-based HRI methods that can visualize and predict actions. However, most of these HRI methods are contact-based, facing challenges such as operational complexity, sensitivity to interference, risks associated with implantable devices, and, most importantly, limitations in comfort. These challenges render the interaction less intuitive and natural, which can negatively impact patient motivation for rehabilitation. To address these issues, this paper proposes a novel non-contact gesture interaction control method for RLEEX, based on RGB monocular camera depth estimation. This method integrates three key steps: detecting keypoints, recognizing gestures, and assessing distance, thereby applying gesture information and augmented reality triggering technology to control gait movements of RLEEX. Results indicate that this approach provides a feasible solution to the problems of poor comfort, low reliability, and high latency in HRI for RLEEX platforms. Specifically, it achieves a gesture-controlled exoskeleton motion accuracy of 94.11\% and an average system response time of 0.615 seconds through non-contact HRI. The proposed non-contact HRI method represents a pioneering advancement in control interactions for RLEEX, paving the way for further exploration and development in this field.
Abstract (translated)
随着康复下肢外骨骼机器人（RLEEX）技术的迅速发展，人机交互（HRI）方法取得了显著进展。这些方法包括易于识别的传统物理人机交互方式和基于生物电信号的人机交互方式，后者可以实现动作的可视化与预测。然而，大多数现有的人机交互方法都是接触式的，面临操作复杂、易受干扰、植入式设备风险以及最重要的是舒适度差等问题。这些问题使互动显得不够直观自然，从而可能影响患者的康复积极性。为了解决这些问题，本文提出了一种基于RGB单目摄像头深度估计的非接触手势控制RLEEX的新方法。该方法整合了三个关键步骤：检测关键点、识别手势和评估距离，利用手势信息与增强现实触发技术来控制RLEEX的姿态动作。 实验结果表明，这种方法为解决RLEEX平台人机交互中舒适度差、可靠性低以及延迟高的问题提供了可行的解决方案。具体而言，通过非接触式的人机互动方式，该方法实现了94.11%的手势控制外骨骼运动精度，并达到了平均系统响应时间为0.615秒的效果。 所提出的非接触人机交互方法代表了RLEEX控制互动领域的开创性进展，为这一领域进一步的探索和开发铺平了道路。
URL
https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.01888
