Seated motor function evaluation system, seated motor function evaluation method, and seated motor function evaluation program

Abstract

To provide a sitting motor function evaluation system for evaluating a motor function of a user based on a state of a user in a sitting motion.SOLUTION: A sitting motor function evaluation system 1a includes: a sitting device; a first sensor 21a for acquiring measurement data by which a thigh inclination angle of a user to sit on a seat part of the sitting device can be calculated; and an information processing device 30. The information processing device 30 includes: a thigh inclination angle calculation section 31 for calculating a thigh inclination angle of a user in a sitting motion based on the measurement data of the first sensor 21a; a sitting dynamic amount calculation section 32 for calculating a sitting dynamic amount of a user in the sitting motion based on the thigh inclination angle of a user calculated by the thigh inclination angle calculation section 31; and a sitting motor function evaluation section 33 for evaluating a motor function of a user in the sitting motion based on the sitting dynamic amount calculated by the sitting dynamic amount calculation section 32. The sitting motor function evaluation section 33 evaluates the motor function of a user in the sitting motion based on a change of a peak value of the sitting dynamic amount.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sitting motor function assessment system, a sitting motor function assessment method, and a sitting motor function assessment program for assessing the risk of needing nursing care, and in particular, to a sitting motor function assessment system, a sitting motor function assessment method, and a sitting motor function assessment program for evaluating a user's motor function during sitting based on the user's sitting motion. [Background technology]

[0002] In a super-aging society, from the perspective of extending healthy life expectancy and reducing nursing care costs, there is a strong need to evaluate the "risk of needing nursing care in the future" for nursing care prevention and frailty countermeasures. For example, the J-CHS standard, one of the representative frailty assessment methods, requires measurement of grip strength and walking speed in addition to answering a questionnaire. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare equipment and a place for physical fitness testing, and it is not easy to measure grip strength and walking speed, making it impossible to assess frailty based on the J-CHS standard.

[0003] On the other hand, focusing on movements that occur in daily life, motor function is also evaluated continuously in the user's living space, such as at home, while reducing the burden on the user. For example, the assessment of locomotive syndrome. Locomotive syndrome is assessed mainly based on the standing up movement and walking movement. It is known that a decline in all or part of the ability to stand up and walk increases the risk of needing nursing care in the future. Therefore, methods for assessing motor function by focusing on the standing up movement and walking movement have been proposed.

[0004] Among these, the following methods are known as methods for evaluating motor function by focusing on the standing up motion. For example, in Patent Document 1, a distance sensor is placed above the user's head to extract the movement trajectory of the user's head, and a foot pressure sensor is placed under the user's feet to extract the movement trajectory of the user's foot pressure center of gravity, and the user's physical ability is evaluated by combining the judgment results regarding the standing up time and the judgment results regarding the movement distance of the head and foot pressure center of gravity. In Patent Document 2, a load sensor is used on the seat on which the user sits to measure the load applied to the seat by the user's standing up motion, and the change in load is calculated to judge the user's trunk muscle function, lower limb muscle function, and balance function as motor functions. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-44295 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2020-92977 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the configuration of Patent Document 1, which detects the position of the user's head and evaluates the user's motor function based on the movement trajectory of the user's head, the position of the user's head can be continuously measured during the "standing up motion", and the movement trajectory of the user's head can be extracted from the measured position of the user's head to evaluate the motor function. However, when a person stands up, even users with healthy motor function perform various movements, such as "people who stand up quickly", "people who stand up slowly", "people who stand up with a large bend", and "people who stand up only with the strength of their legs", depending on the habit of the person. Therefore, based only on the movement trajectory of the user's head, for example, when a healthy person is evaluated as "deteriorated" based on the characteristics of the way he or she stands, it is difficult to evaluate whether the user's motor function has deteriorated, and there is a problem that the evaluation cannot be performed correctly.

[0007] Therefore, in order to improve the accuracy of the motor function evaluation system, we focused on the sitting motion and considered a method of evaluating the user's motor function from information obtained from the movement of the lower limbs during the sitting motion. In the standing motion, the hip joint extensor muscles, knee joint extensor muscles, and ankle joint plantar flexor muscles work by concentric contraction, whereas in the sitting motion, the hip joint extensor muscles, knee joint extensor muscles, and ankle joint plantar flexor muscles work by eccentric contraction. In other words, during the sitting motion, the hip joint flexion, knee joint flexion, and ankle joint dorsiflexion must be controlled by the eccentric contraction of the hip joint extensor muscles, knee joint extensor muscles, and ankle joint plantar flexor muscles. There is a difference in the muscle strength required for contraction between eccentric contraction and concentric contraction, and eccentric contraction is considered to be more difficult, so elderly people who do not have the muscle strength and sufficient range of motion of the muscles working during the sitting motion tend to sit down with a thud. Therefore, we thought that eccentric contraction may be more likely to obtain results of motor function decline.

[0008] Incidentally, Patent Document 2 describes that a load sensor is used to evaluate motor function not only during standing up but also during sitting down. However, in Patent Document 2, the load sensor is activated only when the user is in a "seated state" when he or she is in contact with the seat, and the load sensor cannot obtain biometric information when the user is away from the seat during sitting down and standing up. This means that the user's motor function cannot be continuously measured when the user is away from the seat, and there is a problem in that the user's motor function cannot be evaluated correctly.

[0009] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a seated motor function evaluation system, a seated motor function evaluation method, and a seated motor function evaluation program for evaluating a user's motor function based on the user's state during a seated motion. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The seating motor function evaluation system of the present invention includes a seating device on which a user sits, a first sensor capable of acquiring measurement data capable of calculating at least a thigh inclination angle of a user seated on a seat portion of the seating device, and an information processing device. The information processing device includes a thigh inclination angle calculation unit that calculates a thigh inclination angle of the user during a sitting motion based on the measurement data of the first sensor, a seating mechanical quantity calculation unit that calculates a sitting mechanical quantity of the user during a sitting motion based on the thigh inclination angle of the user calculated by the thigh inclination angle calculation unit, and a seating motor function evaluation unit that evaluates the motor function of the user during a sitting motion based on the sitting mechanical quantity calculated by the seating mechanical quantity calculation unit. The seating motor function evaluation unit evaluates the motor function of the user during a sitting motion based on a change in a peak value of the sitting mechanical quantity.

[0011] A preferred embodiment of the seated motor function evaluation system further includes a second sensor capable of acquiring measurement data capable of calculating at least the trunk inclination angle of the user standing up from the seat. The information processing device further includes a trunk inclination angle calculation unit that calculates the trunk inclination angle of the user during a standing up motion based on the measurement data of the second sensor, a standing up dynamics calculation unit that calculates the standing up dynamics of the user during a standing up motion based on the trunk inclination angle of the user calculated by the trunk inclination angle calculation unit, and a standing up motor function evaluation unit that evaluates the motor function of the user during a standing up motion based on the standing up dynamics calculated by the standing up dynamics calculation unit. The standing up motor function evaluation unit evaluates the motor function of the user during a standing up motion based on a change in the peak value of the standing up dynamics.

[0012] In a further preferred embodiment of the sitting motor function evaluation system, the information processing device further has an overall motor function evaluation unit that evaluates the user's overall motor function based on the evaluation result of the motor function during sitting motion evaluated by the sitting motor function evaluation unit and the evaluation result of the motor function during standing motion evaluated by the standing motor function evaluation unit.

[0013] The method for evaluating sitting motor function of the present invention includes the steps of: acquiring measurement data using a first sensor to calculate at least the thigh inclination angle of a user seated on a seat of a seating device on which the user sits; calculating the thigh inclination angle of the user during sitting based on the measurement data of the first sensor; calculating the sitting dynamics of the user during sitting based on the thigh inclination angle of the user; and evaluating the motor function of the user during sitting based on the sitting dynamics. The step of evaluating the motor function of the user during sitting is performed based on the change in the peak value of the sitting dynamics.

[0014] A preferred embodiment of the seated motor function evaluation method further includes the steps of: acquiring measurement data using a second sensor to calculate at least the trunk inclination angle of the user standing up from the seat; calculating the trunk inclination angle of the user during the standing up motion based on the measurement data of the second sensor; calculating the standing dynamics of the user during the standing up motion based on the trunk inclination angle of the user; and evaluating the motor function of the user during the standing up motion based on the standing dynamics. The step of evaluating the standing dynamics of the user during the standing up motion is performed based on a change in the peak value of the standing dynamics.

[0015] The seating motor function evaluation program of the present invention causes a computer to execute a process including the steps of: acquiring measurement data using a first sensor to calculate at least the thigh inclination angle of a user seated on a seat of a seating device on which the user sits; calculating the thigh inclination angle of the user during a sitting motion based on the measurement data of the first sensor; calculating the sitting dynamics of the user during a sitting motion based on the thigh inclination angle of the user; and evaluating the motor function of the user during a sitting motion based on the sitting dynamics. The step of evaluating the motor function of the user during a sitting motion is performed based on a change in the peak value of the sitting dynamics.

[0016] A preferred embodiment of the program for evaluating sitting motor function further causes the computer to execute a process including the steps of: acquiring measurement data using a second sensor to calculate at least the trunk inclination angle of the user standing up from the seat; calculating the trunk inclination angle of the user during standing up based on the measurement data of the second sensor; calculating the standing dynamics of the user during standing up based on the trunk inclination angle of the user; and evaluating the motor function of the user during standing up based on the standing dynamics. The step of evaluating the standing dynamics of the user during standing up is performed based on a change in the peak value of the standing dynamics. Effect of the Invention

[0017] According to the present invention, the motor function of a user can be objectively evaluated based on the state of the user during a seated motion, and the user's state of decline can be correctly understood. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view of a seated movement function evaluation system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a seated movement function evaluation system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a side view showing a human body link model generated by the seated motion function evaluation system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a flowchart showing a seating movement function evaluation method according to embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 1 is a graph showing changes over time in seating dynamics calculated by the seating motion function evaluation system according to embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a side view of a seated movement function evaluation system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a seated movement function evaluation system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing a seating movement function evaluation method according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 11 is a graph showing the time change of the orthostatic dynamics calculated by the seated motion function evaluation system according to embodiment 2 of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a side view of a seated movement function evaluation system according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a seating movement function evaluation system according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] 11 is a flowchart showing a seating movement function evaluation method according to embodiment 3 of the present invention. [Figure 13] 13 is a graph showing changes over time in seating dynamics calculated by the seating motion function evaluation system according to embodiment 3 of the present invention. [Figure 14] 13 is a graph showing the time change of the orthostatic dynamics calculated by the seated motion function evaluation system according to embodiment 3 of the present invention. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the experimental results of the embodiment, comparing peak values ​​of seating dynamic quantities. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the experimental results of the embodiment, comparing peak values ​​of standing dynamics. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. A seated motor function evaluation system according to the present invention is a system for evaluating a user's motor function by focusing on the seated movement.

[0020] [Embodiment 1] First, referring to Figs. 1 to 3, a seated motor function evaluation system 1a according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 1 is a side view of the seated motor function evaluation system 1a according to the first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the seated motor function evaluation system 1a according to the first embodiment. Fig. 3 is a side view showing a human body link model 50 generated by the seated motor function evaluation system 1a according to the first embodiment. In the following, the up-down direction (vertical direction) is defined based on the state of Fig. 1. Also, the front-rear direction is defined with the side on which the user stands when sitting on the seating device 10 being the front side. The direction perpendicular to the up-down direction and the front-rear direction is defined as the left-right direction.

[0021] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the seating motion function evaluation system 1a includes a seating device 10, a first sensor 21a, an information processing device 30, and a display device 45.

[0022] The seating device 10 includes at least a seat portion 11. The seating device 10 may include a backrest portion 12. The seating device 10 is, for example, a chair, a sofa, a toilet seat, a wheelchair, the edge of a bed, or other device on which a user sits or stands. A dedicated seating device 10 for evaluating a user's motor function may be prepared, or a device on which a user sits or stands in the user's living space may be used as the seating device 10.

[0023] The first sensor 21a is a sensor that measures the sitting motion of the user U. The first sensor 21a can acquire measurement data that can calculate at least the thigh inclination angle θL of the user U who sits on the seat 11 of the seating device 10. Here, the thigh inclination angle θL is the angle between the thigh 54 and the seat 11. The first sensor 21a is attached to the seat 11 of the seating device 10. The first sensor 21a is a distance measuring sensor such as a laser distance sensor, an ultrasonic distance sensor, or a radio wave distance sensor that can measure the distance to the thigh 54 of the user U when the user U sits or stands up. The first sensor 21a may be not only a distance measuring sensor that measures the distance to one point, but also a distance measuring sensor that captures an area.

[0024] In the first embodiment, the information processing device 30 includes a femoral inclination angle calculation unit 31, a sitting dynamics calculation unit 32, a sitting motion function evaluation unit 33, a link model generation unit 38, a storage unit 39, and a control unit 40. The information processing device 30 is, for example, a computer.

[0025] The storage unit 39 stores various information, data, programs, etc. The storage unit 39 is composed of a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory). In the first embodiment, the storage unit 39 stores the physical information of the user U, the environmental information of the seating device 10, the environmental information of the first sensor 21a, and a seating motor function evaluation program for evaluating the motor function of the user U. The storage unit 39 also stores the evaluation results of the motor function of the user U evaluated by the seating motor function evaluation program. The evaluation results of the motor function, including past evaluation results, are stored as history. The physical information and motor function evaluation results of the user U are stored for each user U.

[0026] The physical information includes, for example, the height, weight, sex, age, length of thigh 54, length of trunk 52, length of lower leg 56, etc. of user U. The length of thigh 54, length of trunk 52, and length of lower leg 56 of user U may be directly measured and stored, or may be estimated from a human body dimension database created for each age and / or sex.

[0027] The environmental information of the seating device 10 and the first sensor 21a includes the size and height of the seat 11 of the seating device 10, the installation position and installation angle of the first sensor 21a, and the distance between the heel 57 (see FIG. 3) of the user U and the seating device 10. Specifically, the installation position of the first sensor 21a is the distance from a reference position 111 of the seat 11 of the seating device 10 to the first sensor 21a. In the first embodiment, the reference position 111 is the front end of the seat 11 of the seating device 10. The reference position 111 can be set arbitrarily. The installation angle of the first sensor 21a is the angle between the seat 11 of the seating device 10 and the irradiation direction of the laser, ultrasonic wave, or radio wave of the first sensor 21a.

[0028] The link model generating unit 38 generates a human body link model 50 shown in Fig. 3 from the body information stored in the storage unit 39. The human body link model 50 is created based on the calculated positions and lengths of each part, with the head 51, pelvis 53, knees 55, and heels 57 as link joints, and the trunk 52, thighs 54, and lower legs 56 as links, by calculating the position and length of each part based on the body information. The lengths of the trunk 52, thighs 54, and lower legs 56 calculated by the link model generating unit 38 are stored in the storage unit 39 as the link lengths of each part.

[0029] The thigh inclination calculation unit 31 calculates the thigh inclination angle θL of the user U during the sitting motion based on the measurement data of the first sensor 21a. Specifically, the thigh inclination angle θL of the user U is calculated based on the preset length of the thigh 54 of the user U, the distance from the reference position 111 of the seat 11 to the first sensor 21a, the installation angle of the first sensor 21a with respect to the seat 11, and distance data from the first sensor 21a to the thigh 54 of the user U measured over time by the first sensor 21a. The thigh inclination angle θL is calculated over time along the time axis along which the distance to the thigh 54 of the user U is measured by the first sensor 21a.

[0030] The sitting dynamic quantity calculation unit 32 calculates the sitting dynamic quantity of the user U during the sitting motion based on the thigh inclination angle θL of the user U calculated by the thigh inclination angle calculation unit 31. Here, the sitting dynamic quantity is, for example, the angle, angular velocity, and angular acceleration of the thigh 54 of the user U with respect to the seat 11. The sitting dynamic quantity is calculated over time along a time axis along which the first sensor 21a measures the distance to the thigh 54 of the user U.

[0031] The sitting motor function evaluation unit 33 evaluates the motor function of the user U during the sitting motion based on the sitting dynamics calculated by the sitting dynamics calculation unit 32. The sitting motor function evaluation unit 33 evaluates the motor function of the user U during the sitting motion based on the change in the peak value of the sitting dynamics. In addition, the sitting motor function evaluation unit 33 compares the result with the history of past motor function evaluation results of the user U stored in the memory unit 39 to calculate the amount of change in the motor function.

[0032] The control unit 40 is configured with a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The control unit 40 controls the operations of the femoral inclination angle calculation unit 31, the sitting dynamics calculation unit 32, the sitting motion function evaluation unit 33, the link model generation unit 38, and the storage unit 39 by executing a program.

[0033] The display device 45 is a device that displays to the user U the results of the evaluation of the motor function of the user U by the information processing device 30. Specifically, the display device 45 displays the evaluation results of the motor function evaluated by the seated motor function evaluation unit 33 and / or the amount of change in the motor function calculated by the seated motor function evaluation unit 33. The display device 45 displays the evaluation results of the motor function using at least one of visual information such as an image or video and auditory information such as a sound or melody. The display device 45 is, for example, a television monitor, a display, a speaker, etc.

[0034] Next, a seating motor function evaluation method for evaluating motor function based on the seating motor function evaluation system 1a will be described with reference to Figs. 4 and 5. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing the seating motor function evaluation method according to the first embodiment. Fig. 5 is a graph showing the time change of the sitting dynamics calculated by the seating motor function evaluation system 1a according to the first embodiment. Each process of the seating motor function evaluation method is executed by a seating motor function evaluation program stored in the information processing device 30. Here, a case where the motor function of the user U is evaluated based on the actions of the user U when sitting on the seating device 10 will be described.

[0035] First, physical information of the user U whose motor function is to be evaluated, and environmental information of the seating device 10 and the first sensor 21a are input (S10). The physical information and environmental information are input by an input device (not shown) such as a keyboard or a mouse connected to the information processing device 30. The input physical information and environmental information are stored in the storage unit 39.

[0036] The link model generating unit 38 generates a human body link model 50 based on the input body information (S12). The link lengths of the trunk 52, the thighs 54, and the lower legs 56 of the user U, which are calculated when generating the human body link model 50, are stored in the storage unit 39.

[0037] The user U starts to sit on the seating device 10. The control unit 40 judges whether the user U has started to sit, and performs a measurement start judgment (S14). The measurement start judgment is performed, for example, by judging a state in which the distance between the first sensor 21a and the thigh 54 of the user U is equal to or less than a predetermined value, a state in which a measurement start detection sensor (not shown) such as a push button or a human body detection sensor is turned ON, or the like.

[0038] When the measurement is started, the first sensor 21a acquires measurement data that can be used to calculate the thigh inclination angle θL of the user U seated on the seat 11 of the seating device 10 on which the user U sits. Specifically, the first sensor 21a measures the distance between the first sensor 21a and the thigh 54 of the user U, and obtains distance data d1 for each time t. t The acquired distance data is stored in the storage unit 39.

[0039] Next, the thigh inclination calculation unit 31 calculates the thigh inclination angle θL of the user U during the sitting motion based on the measurement data of the first sensor 21a. f , the distance L from the reference position 111 of the seat 11 to the first sensor 21a S1 , the installation angle Φ of the first sensor 21a S1 , and distance data d1 from the first sensor 21a to the thigh 54 of the user U, which is stored over time. t is acquired from the memory unit 39. The length L of the thigh 54 f is the link length stored in the memory unit 39. Note that the length L of the thigh 54 f The femoral inclination angle calculation unit 31 calculates the distance L from the reference position 111 of the seat 11 to the first sensor 21a. S1 and the length L of the thigh 54 of the user U. fand distance data d1 from the first sensor 21a to the thigh 54 of the user U measured over time by the first sensor 21a. t Based on this, the femoral inclination angle θL of the user U is calculated (S18).

[0040] More specifically, the femoral inclination angle θL at time t is calculated as follows: t Calculate.

number

[0041] Next, the sitting dynamics calculation unit 32 calculates the sitting dynamics of the user U during the sitting motion based on the thigh inclination angle θL of the user U (S20). t Based on this, the angular velocity of the knee joint of user U, ωL t is calculated as the seating dynamics quantity.

number

[0042] When the user U sits on the seating device 10, the control unit 40 determines whether or not to end the measurement (S22). The measurement end determination is performed, for example, by determining that the distance between the first sensor 21a and the thigh 54 of the user U is equal to or less than a predetermined value, or that a measurement end detection sensor (not shown) such as a push button or a human body detection sensor is turned ON.

[0043] When the measurement is completed, the seating motion function evaluation unit 33 evaluates the motion function of the user U during the seating motion based on the change in the peak value ωp of the seating dynamic quantity calculated by the seating dynamic quantity calculation unit 32 (S24).

[0044] Specifically, the motor function of the user U's sitting movement is evaluated using a combination of one or more of the following sitting movement function evaluation indexes. The sitting movement function evaluation indexes are (1) whether the peak value ωp of the sitting dynamic quantity is equal to or greater than a threshold value, (2) whether the time tp from the peak of the sitting dynamic quantity to the end of the sitting movement is equal to or greater than a threshold value, and (3) whether the peak value α of the slope of the plot from the peak of the sitting dynamic quantity to the end of the sitting movement is equal to or less than a threshold value. The peak value ωp of the sitting dynamic quantity is the minimum value of the sitting dynamic quantity for each time t. The time tp is calculated as the difference between the end time te of the sitting movement and t0, with the time t at which the peak value ωp of the sitting dynamic quantity is set to t0. The peak value α of the slope of the plot is calculated by calculating the slope of the plot for each time t from the time t at which the peak value ωp of the sitting dynamic quantity was calculated to the end time of the sitting movement, and is set to the maximum value of the slope of the plot.

[0045] The seating motor function evaluation unit 33 evaluates the motor function of the user U's seating movement by a combination of one or more of the seating motor function evaluation indexes calculated above. If the index is satisfied, the motor function is determined to be good. The evaluation result of the motor function is stored in the memory unit 39.

[0046] When the evaluation of the user U's motor function is completed, the evaluation result of the motor function is displayed on the display device 45 (S26). The evaluation result indicates whether the motor function is good or requires improvement. In addition, the current evaluation result may be compared with the previous evaluation result to indicate improvement or deterioration of the motor function. The user U checks the evaluation result of the motor function displayed on the display device 45.

[0047] [Embodiment 2] Next, a seated motor function evaluation system 1b according to embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 6 and Fig. 7. Fig. 6 is a side view of the seated motor function evaluation system 1b according to embodiment 2. Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the seated motor function evaluation system 1b according to embodiment 2. Below, differences between embodiment 2 and embodiment 1 will be described.

[0048] 6 and 7, the seating motion function evaluation system 1b includes a seating device 10, a first sensor 21a, a second sensor 22b, an information processing device 30, and a display device 45. The seating device 10 includes a seat portion 11 and a backrest portion 12.

[0049] The second sensor 22b is a sensor that measures the standing-up motion of the user U. The second sensor 22b can acquire measurement data that can calculate at least the trunk inclination angle θB of the user U standing up from the seat 11. Here, the trunk inclination angle θB is the angle of the trunk 52 with respect to an axis extending vertically from the pelvis 53. The second sensor 22b is attached to the backrest 12 of the seating device 10. The second sensor 22b is a distance measuring sensor, such as a laser distance sensor, an ultrasonic distance sensor, or a radio wave distance sensor, that can measure the distance to the trunk 52 of the user U when the user U sits down, stands up, or is in a seated state. The second sensor 22b may be not only a distance measuring sensor that measures the distance to one point, but also a distance measuring sensor that captures an area.

[0050] In the second embodiment, the information processing device 30 includes a thigh inclination angle calculation unit 31, a sitting dynamics calculation unit 32, a sitting motor function evaluation unit 33, a trunk inclination angle calculation unit 34, a standing dynamics calculation unit 35, a standing motor function evaluation unit 36, a total motor function evaluation unit 37, a link model generation unit 38, a storage unit 39, and a control unit 40. The information processing device 30 is, for example, a computer.

[0051] The storage unit 39 stores various information, data, programs, and the like. In the second embodiment, the storage unit 39 stores the body information of the user U, the environmental information of the seating device 10, the environmental information of the first sensor 21a, the environmental information of the second sensor 22b, and a seating motor function evaluation program for evaluating the motor function of the user U. The environmental information of the seating device 10, the first sensor 21a, and the second sensor 22b includes the dimensions, height, and depth of the seat 11 of the seating device 10, the installation position and installation angle of the first sensor 21a, the installation position and installation angle of the second sensor 22b, and the distance between the heel 57 (see FIG. 3) of the user U and the seating device 10. Specifically, the installation position of the second sensor 22b is the distance from the seat 11 of the seating device 10 to the second sensor 22b. The installation angle of the second sensor 22b is the angle between the backrest 12 of the seating device 10 and the direction of irradiation of the laser, ultrasonic wave or radio wave of the second sensor 22b. Note that, depending on the sensor, one sensor may be used as both the first sensor 21a and the second sensor 22b.

[0052] The trunk calculation unit 34 calculates the trunk inclination angle θB of the user U during the standing up motion based on the measurement data of the second sensor 22b. Specifically, the trunk inclination angle θB of the user U is calculated based on the preset length of the thighs 54 of the user U, the distance from the reference position 111 of the seat 11 to the first sensor 21a, the installation angle of the first sensor 21a with respect to the seat 11, the distance data from the first sensor 21a to the thighs 54 of the user U measured over time by the first sensor 21a, the depth of the seat 11, the vertical distance from the seat 11 to the second sensor 22b, the installation angle of the second sensor 22b with respect to the backrest 12, and the distance data from the second sensor 22b to the trunk 52 of the user U measured over time by the second sensor 22b. The trunk inclination angle θB is calculated over time along the time axis along which the distance to the trunk 52 of the user U is measured by the second sensor 22b.

[0053] The standing up dynamics calculation unit 35 calculates the standing up dynamics of the user U during the standing up motion, based on the trunk inclination angle θB of the user U calculated by the trunk inclination angle calculation unit 34. Here, the standing up dynamics is, for example, the angle, angular velocity, and angular acceleration of the trunk 52 of the user U with respect to the vertical axis. The standing up dynamics is calculated over time along a time axis along which the first sensor 21a and the second sensor 22b measure the distances to the thighs 54 and trunk 52 of the user U.

[0054] The standing motor function evaluation unit 36 ​​evaluates the motor function of the user U during the standing up movement based on the standing up dynamic amount calculated by the standing up dynamic amount calculation unit 35. The standing up motor function evaluation unit 36 ​​evaluates the motor function of the user U during the standing up movement based on the change in the peak value of the standing up dynamic amount. In addition, the standing up motor function evaluation unit 36 ​​compares the result with the history of past motor function evaluation results of the user U stored in the memory unit 39 to calculate the amount of change in the motor function.

[0055] The overall motor function evaluation unit 37 evaluates the overall motor function of the user U based on the evaluation result of the motor function during the sitting motion evaluated by the sitting motor function evaluation unit 33 and the evaluation result of the motor function during the standing motion evaluated by the standing motor function evaluation unit 36. In addition, the overall motor function evaluation unit 37 compares the evaluation result with the history of the past motor function evaluation results of the user U stored in the memory unit 39 to calculate the amount of change in the motor function.

[0056] Next, a motor function evaluation method for evaluating motor function based on the seating motor function evaluation system 1b will be described with reference to Figs. 8 and 9. Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the seating motor function evaluation method according to the second embodiment. Fig. 9 is a graph showing the time change of the standing dynamics calculated by the seating motor function evaluation system 1b according to the second embodiment. Here, a case where the motor function of the user U is evaluated based on the movement of the user U when standing up from the seating device 10 will be described. Note that the seating motor function evaluation system 1b can also evaluate the motor function of the user U based on the movement of the user U when sitting on the seating device 10 in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

[0057] First, physical information of the user U whose motor function is to be evaluated, and environmental information of the seating device 10, the first sensor 21a, and the second sensor 22b are input (S30). The physical information and environmental information are input by an input device (not shown) such as a keyboard or a mouse connected to the information processing device 30. The input physical information and environmental information are stored in the storage unit 39.

[0058] The link model generation unit 38 generates a human body link model 50 shown in Fig. 3 based on the input body information (S32). The link lengths of the trunk 52, thighs 54, and lower legs 56 of the user U, which were calculated when generating the human body link model 50, are stored in the storage unit 39.

[0059] The user U starts standing up from the seating device 10. The control unit 40 judges whether the user U has started standing up and performs a measurement start judgment (S34). The measurement start judgment is performed, for example, by judging a state in which the distance between the second sensor 22b and the trunk 52 of the user U is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, or a measurement start detection sensor (not shown) such as a push button or a human body detection sensor is turned ON, or the like.

[0060] When the measurement is started, the first sensor 21a acquires measurement data from which a thigh inclination angle θL of the user U seated on the seat 11 of the seating device 10 on which the user U is seated can be calculated. At the same time, the second sensor 22b acquires measurement data from which a trunk inclination angle θB of the user U standing up from the seat 11 can be calculated. Specifically, the first sensor 21a measures the distance between the first sensor 21a and the thigh 54 of the user U, and generates distance data d1 for each time t. t At the same time, the second sensor 22b measures the distance between the second sensor 22b and the trunk 52 of the user U, and obtains distance data d2 t The acquired distance data is stored in the storage unit 39.

[0061] Next, the thigh inclination calculation unit 31 calculates the thigh inclination angle θL of the user U during the sitting motion based on the measurement data of the first sensor 21a. f , the distance L from the reference position 111 of the seat 11 to the first sensor 21a S1 , the installation angle Φ of the first sensor 21a S1 , and distance data d1 from the first sensor 21a to the thigh 54 of the user U, which is stored over time. t is acquired from the memory unit 39. The length L of the thigh 54 f is the link length stored in the memory unit 39. Note that the length L of the thigh 54 f The femoral inclination angle calculation unit 31 calculates the distance L from the reference position 111 of the seat 11 to the first sensor 21a in the same manner as in the first embodiment. S1 and the length L of the thigh 54 of the user U. f and distance data d1 from the first sensor 21a to the thigh 54 of the user U measured over time by the first sensor 21a. t The thigh inclination angle θL of the user U is calculated based on the above.

[0062] Next, the trunk inclination calculation unit 34 calculates the trunk inclination angle θB of the user U during the standing-up motion based on the measurement data of the second sensor 22b. Specifically, the trunk inclination calculation unit 34 calculates the coordinates of the pelvis 53 based on the thigh inclination angle θL, and in addition to the calculated coordinates of the pelvis 53, calculates the depth length L of the seat 11 that is preset in the storage unit 39 and acquired from the storage unit 39. C , the vertical distance L from the seat 11 to the second sensor 22b S2 , and the installation angle Φ of the second sensor 22b with respect to the backrest portion 12. S2 , and distance data d2 from the second sensor 22b to the trunk 52 of the user U measured over time by the second sensor 22b t Based on this, the trunk inclination angle θ B of the user U is calculated (S38).

[0063] More specifically, the trunk inclination angle θB at time t is calculated in the following manner. First, the coordinates (xt ,y t ) is calculated.

number

number

[0064] The standing-up dynamics calculation unit 35 calculates the standing-up dynamics of the user U during the standing-up motion based on the trunk inclination angle θB of the user U (S40). Here, the angle θB between the trunk 52 and a vertical axis starting from the pelvis 53 t Based on this, the angular velocity of the hip joint of user U, ωB t is calculated as the standing dynamics.

number

[0065] When the user U stands up from the seating device 10, the control unit 40 determines whether or not the measurement has ended (S42). The measurement end determination is performed, for example, by determining that the distance between the second sensor 22b and the trunk 52 of the user U is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, or that a measurement end detection sensor (not shown) such as a push button or a human body detection sensor has been turned ON, or the like.

[0066] When the measurement is completed, the standing up movement function evaluation unit 36 ​​evaluates the motor function of the user U during the standing up movement based on the change in the peak value ωp of the standing up movement dynamics calculated by the standing up movement dynamics calculation unit 35 (S44).

[0067] Specifically, the motor function of user U is evaluated using a combination of one or more of the following standing motor function evaluation indexes. The standing motor function evaluation indexes are (1) whether the peak value ωp of the standing dynamics is equal to or greater than a threshold, (2) whether the time tp from the start of the standing movement to the peak of the standing dynamics is equal to or less than a threshold, and (3) whether the peak value α of the slope of the plot from the start of the standing movement to the peak of the standing dynamics is equal to or greater than a threshold. The peak value ωp of the standing dynamics is the maximum value of the standing dynamics for each time t. The time tp is calculated as the difference between the start time ts of the standing movement and the time t at which the peak value ωp of the standing dynamics is calculated. The peak value α of the slope of the plot is calculated as the maximum value of the slope of the plot for each time t from the start time of the standing movement to the time t at which the peak value ωp of the standing dynamics is calculated.

[0068] The standing motor function evaluation unit 36 ​​evaluates the motor function of the user U in the standing movement by a combination of one or more of the standing motor function evaluation indexes calculated above. If the index is satisfied, the motor function is determined to be good. The evaluation result of the motor function is stored in the storage unit 39.

[0069] When the evaluation of the motor function of the user U is completed, the evaluation result of the motor function is displayed on the display device 45 (S46). The evaluation result indicates whether the motor function is good or needs improvement. At this time, the evaluation of the motor function during the sitting motion may be performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment, and the evaluation result of the motor function during the sitting motion and the evaluation result of the motor function during the standing motion may be displayed respectively. In addition, the overall motor function evaluation unit 37 may multiply the evaluation result of the motor function during the sitting motion and the evaluation result of the motor function during the standing motion by a predetermined coefficient, respectively, and add them together to display the overall evaluation result of the motor function. In addition, the current evaluation result may be compared with the previous evaluation result to indicate improvement or deterioration of the motor function. The user U checks the evaluation result of the motor function displayed on the display device 45.

[0070] [Embodiment 3] Next, a seated motor function evaluation system 1c according to embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 10 and Fig. 11. Fig. 10 is a side view of the seated motor function evaluation system 1c according to embodiment 3. Fig. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the seated motor function evaluation system 1c according to embodiment 3. Below, differences between embodiment 3 and embodiments 1 and 2 will be described.

[0071] 10 and 11, the seating motion function evaluation system 1c includes a seating device 10, a first sensor 21c, a second sensor 22c, an information processing device 30, and a display device 45. The seating device 10 may be composed of only a seat portion 11, or may include the seat portion 11 and a backrest portion 12.

[0072] In the third embodiment, the first sensor 21c and the second sensor 22c are depth sensors that can measure the distance to the thighs 54 of the user U and the distance to the trunk 52 of the user U when the user U sits down or stands up. Here, the depth sensor is a sensor that can obtain an image (distance image) in which each pixel value has distance information, such as Kinect (manufactured by Microsoft). In the third embodiment, the first sensor 21c and the second sensor 22c are each configured with one depth sensor. The first sensor 21c and the second sensor 22c are configured with a distance L that can capture an image of the entire body of the user U performing a sitting down or standing up motion. D The camera is positioned at a position separated from the seating apparatus 10 by a certain distance so as to be able to capture an image of the entire body of the user U taking a seating motion or standing up motion.

[0073] In the third embodiment, the information processing device 30, like the second embodiment, includes a thigh inclination angle calculation unit 31, a sitting dynamics calculation unit 32, a sitting motor function evaluation unit 33, a trunk inclination angle calculation unit 34, a standing dynamics calculation unit 35, a standing motor function evaluation unit 36, a total motor function evaluation unit 37, a link model generation unit 38, a storage unit 39, and a control unit 40. The information processing device 30 is, for example, a computer.

[0074] The storage unit 39 stores various information, data, programs, and the like. In the third embodiment, the storage unit 39 stores the physical information of the user U and a seated motor function evaluation program for evaluating the motor function of the user U. The storage unit 39 also includes analysis software for extracting the motion of the user U from the distance images acquired by the first sensor 21c and the second sensor 22c. On the other hand, the storage unit 39 does not need to store the environmental information of the seating device 10, the first sensor 21c, and the second sensor 22c. Furthermore, the storage unit 39 stores the evaluation result of the motor function of the user U evaluated by the seated motor function evaluation program. The evaluation result of the motor function, including past evaluation results, is stored as a history. The physical information and motor function evaluation result of the user U are stored for each user U.

[0075] Next, a seating motor function evaluation method for evaluating motor function based on the seating motor function evaluation system 1c will be described with reference to Figs. 12 to 14. Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing the seating motor function evaluation method according to the third embodiment. Fig. 13 is a graph showing the time change of the sitting dynamics calculated by the seating motor function evaluation system 1c according to the third embodiment. Fig. 14 is a graph showing the time change of the standing dynamics calculated by the seating motor function evaluation system 1c according to the third embodiment. Each process of the seating motor function evaluation method is executed by a seating motor function evaluation program stored in the information processing device 30. Here, a case where the motor function of the user U is evaluated based on the actions of the user U when sitting on the seating device 10 and when standing up from the seating device 10 will be described.

[0076] First, physical information of the user U whose motor function is to be evaluated is input (S50). The physical information is input by an input device (not shown) such as a keyboard or a mouse connected to the information processing device 30. The input physical information is stored in the storage unit 39.

[0077] The link model generation unit 38 generates a human body link model 50 shown in Fig. 3 based on the input body information (S52). The link lengths of the trunk 52, thighs 54, and lower legs 56 of the user U, which were calculated when generating the human body link model 50, are stored in the storage unit 39.

[0078] When evaluating the motor function of the user U based on the movement of the user U when sitting on the seating device 10, the control unit 40 judges whether the user U has started to sit down and performs a measurement start judgment (S54). The measurement start judgment is performed, for example, by judging a state in which a measurement start detection sensor (not shown) such as a push button or a human body detection sensor is turned ON. If the posture of the user U can be detected by analyzing the distance image acquired by the first sensor 21c in real time, the measurement start may be judged when it is detected that the user U has taken a specific posture before starting to sit down.

[0079] When the measurement is started, the first sensor 21c acquires distance images capturing the sitting motion of the user U over time (S56). The acquired distance images are stored in the storage unit 39.

[0080] When the user U sits on the seating device 10, the control unit 40 determines whether or not the measurement has ended (S58). The measurement end determination is performed, for example, by determining whether a measurement end detection sensor (not shown), such as a push button or a human body detection sensor, has turned ON. If the posture of the user U can be detected in real time by analyzing the distance image acquired by the first sensor 21c, the measurement may be determined to be ended when it is detected that the user U has taken a specific posture when seated.

[0081] When the measurement is completed, the thigh inclination angle calculation unit 31 uses analysis software for extracting the movement of the user U from the distance image stored in the storage unit 39 based on the distance image acquired by the first sensor 21c to calculate the thigh inclination angle θL of the user U, which is the angle between the thigh 54 and the seat 11 at time t. t(S60). Thereafter, similarly to the first embodiment, the sitting dynamics calculation unit 32 calculates the sitting dynamics of the user U during the sitting motion (S62), and the sitting motor function evaluation unit 33 evaluates the motor function of the user U during the sitting motion (S64). The evaluation result of the motor function is stored in the storage unit 39.

[0082] When evaluating the motor function of the user U based on the movement of the user U when standing up from the seating apparatus 10, the control unit 40 judges whether the user U has started standing up and performs a measurement start judgment (S54). The measurement start judgment is performed, as in the case of the sitting down movement, by judging a state in which a measurement start detection sensor (not shown) such as a push button or a human body detection sensor is turned ON. When the posture of the user U can be detected by analyzing the distance image acquired by the second sensor 22c in real time, the measurement start may be judged to be when it is detected that the user U has assumed a specific posture before starting to stand up.

[0083] When the measurement is started, the second sensor 22c acquires distance images capturing the standing-up movement of the user U over time (S56). The acquired distance images are stored in the storage unit 39.

[0084] When the user U stands up from the seating device 10, the control unit 40 determines whether the measurement has ended (S58). The measurement end determination is performed, as in the case of the sitting down motion, by determining whether a measurement end detection sensor (not shown), such as a push button or a human body detection sensor, has turned ON. If the posture of the user U can be detected in real time by analyzing the distance image acquired by the second sensor 22c, the measurement end may be determined when it is detected that the user U has taken a specific posture when standing up.

[0085] When the measurement is completed, the trunk inclination angle calculation unit 34 uses analysis software for extracting the movement of the user U from the distance image stored in the storage unit 39 based on the distance image acquired by the second sensor 22c to calculate the trunk inclination angle θB of the user U, which is the angle of the trunk 52 with respect to the axis extending vertically from the pelvis 53 at time t. t(S60). Thereafter, in the same manner as in the second embodiment, the standing up mechanics calculation unit 35 calculates the standing up mechanical amount of the user U during the standing up motion (S62), and the standing up motor function evaluation unit 36 ​​evaluates the motor function of the user U during the standing up motion (S64). The evaluation result of the motor function is stored in the storage unit 39.

[0086] A graph showing the change over time of the sitting dynamic amount calculated by the sitting dynamic amount calculation unit 32 is shown in Fig. 13. Also, a graph showing the change over time of the standing dynamic amount calculated by the standing dynamic amount calculation unit 35 is shown in Fig. 14.

[0087] When the evaluation of the motor function of the user U is completed, the evaluation result of the motor function is displayed on the display device 45 (S66). The evaluation result indicates whether the motor function is good or needs improvement. In this case, if the evaluation of the motor function during both the sitting down motion and the standing up motion is performed, the evaluation result of the motor function during the sitting down motion and the evaluation result of the motor function during the standing up motion may be displayed separately. In addition, the overall motor function evaluation unit 37 may multiply the evaluation result of the motor function during the sitting down motion and the evaluation result of the motor function during the standing up motion by a predetermined coefficient, respectively, and add them together to display the overall evaluation result of the motor function. In addition, the current evaluation result may be compared with the previous evaluation result to indicate improvement or deterioration of the motor function. The user U checks the evaluation result of the motor function displayed on the display device 45. EXAMPLES

[0088] Next, the motor function evaluation systems 1a, 1b, and 1c according to the first to third embodiments will be specifically described with reference to examples.

[0089] In this example, the seated motor function evaluation system 1b of embodiment 2 is used to evaluate motor function during sitting and standing movements. Here, an occupational therapist with specialized knowledge of human body movement is asked to simulate two characteristic sitting movements and two characteristic standing movements shown below nine times each, and motor function is evaluated. The peak value ωp of the sitting dynamics (angular velocity ωL) was used as the seated motor function evaluation index, and the peak value ωp of the standing dynamics (angular velocity ωB) was used as the standing motor function evaluation index.

[0090] The two types of sitting motions and the two types of standing motions are as follows. Sitting down motion A: How a healthy person sits (sitting down at a constant speed) Sitting motion B: Sitting motion where the body weight is not supported and the seat lands flat on the ground (a sitting motion that shows signs of decline) Standing up movement A: How a healthy person stands up (standing up while shifting the center of gravity using the trunk) Standing up B: Standing up using the back muscles when the core muscles are weakened (standing up when weakened)

[0091] The physical information and the environmental information of the seating device 10, the first sensor 21a and the second sensor 22b are as follows. <Physical information> Length of thigh 54 L f :366mm <Environmental information> Distance L from the reference position 111 of the seat 11 to the first sensor 21a S1 :130mm Installation angle Φ of the first sensor 21a S1 :63.5° Seat depth length L C :550mm Distance L from the seat 11 to the second sensor 22b S2 :465mm Installation angle Φ of second sensor 22b S2 :90° Sampling period Δt of the first sensor 21a and the second sensor 22b: 0.033 sec

[0092] The occupational therapist performed the sitting motion A, the sitting motion B, the standing motion A, and the standing motion B, and calculated the peak value ωp of the sitting dynamic quantity (angular velocity ωL) and the peak value ωp of the standing dynamic quantity (angular velocity ωB) as shown in the above-mentioned embodiment 1 and embodiment 2. The results are shown in Table 1, Table 2, Fig. 15, and Fig. 16. Table 1 shows the results of the sitting motion A and the sitting motion B performed by the occupational therapist 9 times each. Table 2 shows the results of the standing motion A and the standing motion B performed by the occupational therapist 9 times each. Fig. 15 is a diagram showing the experimental results of this embodiment, comparing the peak values ​​ωp of the sitting dynamic quantity (angular velocity ωL). Fig. 16 is a diagram showing the experimental results of this embodiment, comparing the peak values ​​ωp of the standing dynamic quantity (angular velocity ωB). Figs. 15 and 16 show the data shown in Tables 1 and 2 in box and whisker plots.

[0093] [Table 1]

[0094] [Table 2]

[0095] Generally, the quadriceps muscles, which perform eccentric contraction, are evaluated in the sitting motion, and when the quadriceps muscles weaken, they are unable to support the weight of the upper body, resulting in a characteristic of the person landing with a thud on the seat 11. The same phenomenon also occurs when the center of gravity is shifted backwards due to poor posture or other factors, resulting in loss of balance. On the other hand, the trunk muscles, which perform concentric contraction, are evaluated in the standing motion, and when the trunk muscles weaken, a characteristic of the person standing up by using the back muscles to gain momentum to compensate for the shift in the center of gravity appears.

[0096] In the seating motion, for example, the threshold value of the peak value ωp of the seating dynamic quantity is set to -100. As described in the above embodiment 1, if the peak value ωp of the seating dynamic quantity is equal to or greater than the threshold value, it can be evaluated as no weakening (◯), and if it is less than the threshold value, it can be evaluated as weakening (×). Based on this, referring to the results of Table 1 and Fig. 15, it can be confirmed that seating motion A can be evaluated as no weakening, and seating motion B can be evaluated as weakening.

[0097] In the standing up movement, for example, the threshold value of the peak value ωp of the standing up dynamic quantity is set to 60. As shown in the above embodiment 2, if the peak value ωp of the standing up dynamic quantity is equal to or greater than the threshold value, it can be evaluated as no weakening (◯), and if it is less than the threshold value, it can be evaluated as having weakening (×). Based on this, referring to the results of Table 2 and Fig. 16, it can be confirmed that the standing up movement A can be evaluated as having no weakening, and the standing up movement B can be evaluated as having weakening.

[0098] On the other hand, comparing Figures 15 and 16, the average difference in the standing up motion is smaller than the average difference in the sitting down motion. Furthermore, as can be seen from Table 2, when standing up motion B is performed, there is a tendency to gain momentum when using the back muscles to stand up, and the variation in ωp increases depending on the amount of force used at that time. This shows that the evaluation based on the standing up dynamics has a higher probability of erroneous evaluation and lower accuracy than the evaluation based on the sitting down dynamics. From the above, it was confirmed that it is easier to obtain results on the decline of motor function with the sitting down motion.

[0099] Next, a specific example of a comprehensive evaluation that combines the evaluation results of motor function during sitting and standing will be described.

[0100] Combining sitting down motion A, sitting down motion B, standing up motion A and standing up motion B, there are four types of motions. That is, there are cases where there is no decline in sitting down motion and standing up motion, cases where there is decline in either sitting down motion or standing up motion, and cases where there is decline in both sitting down motion and standing up motion. When the evaluation results of sitting down motion and standing up motion are expressed as ○ for no decline and × for decline, examples of people who correspond to the four types of motion are as shown in Table 3.

[0101] [Table 3]

[0102] As an example of a comprehensive evaluation, the four types of evaluation shown in Table 3 can be evaluated on a four-point scale as follows. · When there is no decline in both sitting and standing movements (○): No decline (◎) When sitting down is not impaired (○) but standing up is impaired (×): There is no impairment, but care must be taken when standing up (○) When the sitting down movement is weakened (×) and the standing up movement is not weakened (○): There is some weakening (△) When both sitting and standing movements are weakened (×): Weakened (×) The results of the overall evaluation performed in this manner are shown in Table 4.

[0103] [Table 4]

[0104] As another example of the overall evaluation, the evaluation results of the motor function during the sitting down motion and the evaluation results of the motor function during the standing up motion can be scored and evaluated, taking into consideration that there is a difference in the muscle strength required for the contraction between eccentric contraction and concentric contraction, and that eccentric contraction is more difficult. Specifically, for the evaluation results of the motor function during the sitting down motion and the evaluation results of the motor function during the standing up motion, for example, ○ = 100 points for no decline, × = 0 points for decline, and a coefficient of 0.7 is set for the evaluation results of the motor function during the sitting down motion and a coefficient of 0.3 is set for the evaluation results of the motor function during the standing up motion. The overall evaluation can be calculated by multiplying the score of the evaluation results of the motor function during the sitting down motion by the coefficient, multiplying the score of the evaluation results of the motor function during the standing up motion by the coefficient, and then adding them together. The results of the overall evaluation performed in this manner are shown in Table 5.

[0105] [Table 5]

[0106] By displaying the data as in Table 4 or Table 5, the user U can easily understand the current state of his / her motor function.

[0107] As described above, the seated motor function evaluation systems 1a, 1b, and 1c of the present invention mainly focus on the seated motion, and evaluate the motor function by measuring the state of the user U during the seated motion. This allows the evaluation of the motor function of the user U to be performed by focusing on the eccentric contraction, which is the dynamic muscle contraction consisting of eccentric contraction and concentric contraction and is the one whose weakening is easily visible. As a result, the motor function of the user U can be accurately evaluated. By accurately evaluating the motor function in this way, the risk of the user U needing nursing care can be accurately determined.

[0108] Furthermore, in the seating motor function evaluation systems 1a, 1b, and 1c of the present invention, the sitting mechanical quantity and / or standing mechanical quantity of the user U are calculated using the first sensor 21a and / or the second sensor 22b attached to the seating device 10, or the first sensor 21c and / or the second sensor 22c provided away from the seating device 10. This eliminates the need to attach a measuring device to the user U. As a result, not only can measurements be easily performed in daily life, but even when measurements are taken as an examination, the user U can act in a relaxed manner similar to daily life, and the motor function of the user U can be evaluated more accurately.

[0109] In addition, by constructing the motor function evaluation system 1a, 1b, 1c using the seating device 10 on which the user U sits and stands in daily life, the user U can always understand his / her own motor function. The user U can also try to improve his / her motor function by looking back at the evaluation results of his / her motor function, and can reduce the risk of becoming in need of care due to a decline in motor function. In particular, in the motor function evaluation system 1a, 1b, 1c of the present invention, past evaluation results of motor function are also stored in the storage unit 39. This allows the user U to compare the evaluation results of motor function with past evaluation results and check continuous changes in motor function, which can be effectively used to maintain or improve motor function.

[0110] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0111] For example, in the above embodiment, distance measuring sensors or depth sensors are used for the first sensors 21a, 21c and the second sensors 22b, 22c, but this configuration is not necessarily required. For example, video cameras, motion sensors, optical motion capture, etc. can be used for the first sensors 21a, 21c and the second sensors 22b, 22c. When a video camera is used, a skeletal analysis is performed from a moving image acquired by the video camera using AI technology or the like, and the sitting dynamics and standing dynamics are calculated. When a motion sensor is used, a device incorporating an acceleration sensor or a gyro sensor is attached to each part of the user U's body, and the thigh tilt angle θL and the trunk tilt angle θB are calculated from the movement of the user U detected by the motion sensor. When an optical motion capture is used, markers are attached to each part of the user U's body, and the marker positions are traced by a camera installed in the vicinity to calculate the sitting dynamics and standing dynamics.

[0112] When a distance sensor, a depth sensor, or a video camera is used as the first sensors 21a, 21c and the second sensors 22b, 22c, the sensors can be configured as non-wearable sensors and can be used casually. On the other hand, when a motion sensor or an optical motion capture is used as the first sensors 21a, 21c and the second sensors 22b, 22c, highly accurate measurements can be performed, and the motor function of the user U can be evaluated more accurately. When any of the sensors is used as the first sensors 21a, 21c and the second sensors 22b, 22c, the motor function of the user U can be evaluated, and the risk of physical deterioration of the user U can be adequately evaluated.

[0113] In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment 3, the first sensor 21c and the second sensor 22c are configured as one depth sensor, but this configuration is not necessarily required. For example, the first sensor 21c and the second sensor 22c may be configured as two separate depth sensors. The depth sensor is arranged so that the user U can be photographed, but by configuring the first sensor 21c and the second sensor 22c as separate depth sensors, the first sensor 21c can be arranged to photograph the lower body of the user U, and the second sensor 22c can be arranged to photograph the upper body of the user U. As a result, the distance L between the seating apparatus 10 and the first sensor 21c and the second sensor 22c can be adjusted. D The length can be shortened, and the seated motion function evaluation system 1c can be used even in a small space.

[0114] In the above-mentioned first and second embodiments, the calculation of the thigh inclination angle θL, the calculation of the sitting dynamic amount, the calculation of the trunk inclination angle θB, and the calculation of the standing dynamic amount are performed while the user U is performing the sitting or standing motion, but this is not necessarily the case. For example, the calculation of the thigh inclination angle θL, the calculation of the sitting dynamic amount, the calculation of the trunk inclination angle θB, and the calculation of the standing dynamic amount may be performed after the user U finishes the sitting or standing motion and the measurement is completed. Conversely, in the third embodiment, the calculation of the thigh inclination angle θL, the calculation of the sitting dynamic amount, the calculation of the trunk inclination angle θB, and the calculation of the standing dynamic amount are performed after the user U finishes the sitting or standing motion, but if the posture of the user U can be detected in real time by analyzing the distance images acquired by the first sensor 21c and the second sensor 22c, the calculation of the thigh inclination angle θL, the calculation of the sitting dynamic amount, the calculation of the trunk inclination angle θB, and the calculation of the standing dynamic amount may be performed while the user U is performing the sitting or standing motion.

[0115] In the above embodiment, the information processing device 30 includes the link model generation unit 38, but does not necessarily include the link model generation unit 38. In this case, steps S12, S32, and S52 for generating the human body link model 50 are not performed, and the motor function of the user U is evaluated based on the physical information stored in the storage unit 39. [Explanation of symbols]

[0116] 1a,1b Seated movement function evaluation system 10 Seating device 11 Seat 12 Backrest 21a, 21c First sensor 22b, 22c Second sensor 30 Information processing device 31 Thigh inclination calculation section 32 Seating dynamics calculation unit 33. Seated Movement Function Assessment Department 34 Trunk angle calculation unit 35 Orthostatic dynamics calculation unit 36. Standing Function Assessment Section 37 Gross Motor Function Assessment Department U User

Claims

1. A seating device on which a user sits; A first sensor is provided at a distance from a user and is capable of acquiring measurement data that can be used to calculate at least a thigh inclination angle of the user seated on a seat portion of the seating device; An information processing device, The information processing device includes: a thigh inclination angle calculation unit that calculates a thigh inclination angle of the user from a standing state to a sitting state during a sitting motion based on the measurement data of the first sensor; a seating dynamics calculation unit that calculates a seating dynamics of the user at the time of a seating motion based on the thigh inclination angle of the user calculated by the thigh inclination angle calculation unit; and a sitting motor function evaluation unit that evaluates a motor function related to the continuity of eccentric contraction in the thigh of the user from a standing state to a sitting state during a sitting motion based on the sitting mechanical quantity calculated by the sitting mechanical quantity calculation unit, The sitting motor function evaluation system is characterized in that the sitting motor function evaluation unit evaluates the motor function related to the continuity of eccentric contraction in the thigh during the sitting motion from a standing position to sitting based on the change in the peak value of the sitting mechanical quantity.

2. Further comprising a second sensor provided at a distance from the user and capable of acquiring measurement data from which at least a trunk inclination angle of the user standing up from the seat can be calculated; The information processing device includes: a trunk inclination calculation unit that calculates a trunk inclination angle of the user during a stand-up motion based on the measurement data of the second sensor; a standing-up dynamics calculation unit that calculates a standing-up dynamics of the user during a standing-up motion based on the trunk inclination angle of the user calculated by the trunk inclination angle calculation unit; and a standing-up motor function evaluation unit that evaluates the motor function of the user during a standing-up movement based on the standing-up dynamic amount calculated by the standing-up dynamic amount calculation unit. The seated motor function evaluation system according to claim 1, characterized in that the standing motor function evaluation unit evaluates the motor function during the standing movement of the user based on a change in a peak value of the standing dynamic quantity.

3. The sitting motor function evaluation system of claim 2, further comprising an overall motor function evaluation unit that evaluates the user's overall motor function based on the evaluation result of the motor function related to the continuity of eccentric contraction in the thigh from the user's standing state to sitting during the sitting motion evaluated by the sitting motor function evaluation unit, and the evaluation result of the motor function during the standing motion evaluated by the standing motor function evaluation unit.

4. A step of acquiring measurement data using a first sensor provided away from a user, from which at least a thigh inclination angle of a user seated on a seat portion of a seating device on which the user sits can be calculated; calculating a thigh inclination angle of the user from a standing state to a sitting state during a sitting motion based on the measurement data of the first sensor; Calculating a sitting dynamics of the user during a sitting motion based on the thigh inclination angle of the user; and evaluating a motor function related to the continuity of eccentric contraction in the thigh during a sitting motion from a standing state to a sitting state based on the sitting dynamics. A method for evaluating seated motor function, characterized in that the step of evaluating the user's motor function during seated movement is performed based on a change in peak value of the seated dynamic quantity.

5. A step of acquiring measurement data using a second sensor provided away from the user, from which at least a trunk inclination angle of the user standing up from the seat can be calculated; calculating a trunk inclination angle of the user during a stand-up motion based on the measurement data of the second sensor; calculating a standing dynamic amount of the user during a standing-up motion based on the trunk inclination angle of the user; and evaluating the motor function of the user during a standing-up motion based on the standing-up dynamics.

5. The seated movement function evaluation method according to claim 4, wherein the step of evaluating the standing dynamics of the user during the standing movement is performed based on a change in a peak value of the standing dynamics.

6. On the computer, acquiring measurement data from which at least a thigh inclination angle of a user seated on a seat portion of the seating device on which the user sits can be calculated using a first sensor provided at a distance from the user; calculating a thigh inclination angle of the user from a standing state to a sitting state during a sitting motion based on the measurement data of the first sensor; Calculating a sitting dynamics of the user during a sitting motion based on the thigh inclination angle of the user; and evaluating a motor function related to the continuity of eccentric contraction in the thigh during a sitting motion from a standing state to a sitting state based on the sitting dynamics. A seating motor function evaluation program, characterized in that the step of evaluating the user's motor function during a seating motion is performed based on a change in peak value of the seating dynamics.

7. The computer includes: acquiring measurement data from which at least a torso inclination angle of the user standing up from the seat portion can be calculated using a second sensor provided at a distance from the user; calculating a trunk inclination angle of the user during a stand-up motion based on the measurement data of the second sensor; calculating a standing dynamic amount of the user during a standing-up motion based on the trunk inclination angle of the user; and evaluating the motor function of the user during a standing-up motion based on the standing-up dynamics.

7. The seated movement function evaluation program according to claim 6, wherein the step of evaluating the standing-up dynamics of the user during the standing-up movement is performed based on a change in a peak value of the standing-up dynamics.

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