Walking balance support device

Abstract

To provide a technology capable of further improving assistance in walking balance.SOLUTION: To a user's body are attached an inclined angle sensor, a wearing type stick having a stick part whose angle and length are adjustable, and a measurement control instrument. A measurement value of the inclined angle sensor is transmitted to the measurement control instrument and a body posture and an inclined angle of a floor surface or a ground surface are calculated. A walking motion feature database in which the user's walking motion feature is stored is then referred to. According to a motion mode selected by the user, the stick part's angle and length suitable for the body posture and the inclined angle of the floor surface or the ground surface are calculated before transmitting a motion command value to the wearing type stick. With a tip of the stick part, the body can be supported by pushing the floor surface or the ground surface even when a foot of a lower limb to which the wearing type stick is attached separates from the floor surface or the ground surface, which can further improve a function for assisting walking balance.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a walking balance assist device for further improving the function of assisting walking balance. [Background technology]

[0002] As wearable devices to assist walking, walking support braces that utilize springs to promote walking based on the principle of passive walking (Patent Document 1) and walking support braces that utilize electric motors to assist the movement of the lower limb joints (Patent Document 2) are known, but since these devices are primarily intended to provide power support for walking movements and do not explicitly consider balance during walking, walking balance is supplemented as necessary by using a regular walking stick in combination. In response to this, the present inventor has researched and developed walking support braces (Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2) that improve walking balance by attaching a walking stick section to a boot that is driven by an electric motor according to the load distribution on the sole of the foot with the aim of assisting walking balance.

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication 2005-230099 (P2005-230099A) [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6021124 (P6021124) [Non-Patent Document 1] Proceedings of the 2015 JSME Robotics and Mechatronics Conference, 2015, 1A1-P09. (Title: "Hands-free walking stick mechanism based on ZMP theory") [Non-Patent Document 2] Proceedings of the IEEE / RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems,pp.5445-5450,2018.(Title: "Robotic Hand-Free-Stick for Walking Balance Assistance") DISCLOSURE OF THEINVENTION [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the above-mentioned conventional technologies (Non-Patent Document 1, Non-Patent Document 2) have a mechanism that uses a single electric motor to simultaneously adjust the angle and length of the cane section, so there is a problem in that the tip of the cane section can only touch the floor or ground to assist walking balance when the foot of the lower limb wearing the walking assistance device (Non-Patent Document 1, Non-Patent Document 2) is on the floor or ground.

[0005] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a walking balance support device that further improves the walking balance assisting function by supporting the body with the tip of the cane part touching the floor or ground, whether the foot of the wearing lower limb is on or off the floor or ground. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the walking balance assistance device of the present invention comprises a wearable cane attached to the wearer's lower limbs, which has a cane section having an actuator such as an electric motor and a mechanism for adjusting the angle and length simultaneously or separately, an inclination angle sensor attached to the wearer's body (such as the left and right thighs, lower legs, feet, upper arms, forearms, hands and the front and back of the torso) and the wearable cane to measure the wearer's body posture, and a measurement and control device that receives data measured by the inclination angle sensor, calculates the angle and length of the cane section appropriate for the operating mode selected by the wearer and the wearer's body posture, and transmits operation command values ​​to the wearable cane.

[0007] If two pairs of the wearable canes are prepared, they can be worn on the left and right lower limbs.

[0008] The inclination angle sensors are attached to any part of the body as many as necessary. If necessary, they may be attached to the wearable cane and the measurement and control device.

[0009] The measurement and control device is equipped with a small computer with processing capabilities and electrical signal input / output functions, a function to calculate the inclination angle of the floor or ground from the measurement value of the inclination angle sensor, and a walking movement characteristic database that specifies how to move the cane part according to the inclination angle of the floor or ground for the operation mode selected by the wearer. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the walking balance assistance device of the present invention, the wearable cane attached to the wearer's lower limbs can support the wearer's body by having the cane portion touch the floor or ground even when the foot leaves the floor or ground, thereby further improving the walking balance assistance function and enabling the wearer to walk in the same stable manner as when walking with a regular cane in hand. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THEINVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, a walking balance assist device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] 1 is a diagram outlining the overall configuration and operation procedure of a walking balance support device 10 according to the present invention. The walking balance support device 10 is used by attaching a wearable cane 100 to the lower limbs of a wearer 1, and attaching a measurement control device 200 and an inclination angle sensor 300 to the body of the wearer 1 or to the wearable cane 100.

[0013] When the wearer 1 selects an operation mode of the walking balance support orthosis 10 that has been worn and started and then sends a start command, the measurement control device 200 receives the measurement data of the inclination angle sensor 300. Then, the measurement control device 200 transmits an operation command value to the cane unit 110 of the wearable cane 100. When the wearer 1 sends a reset command to the walking balance support orthosis 10, the cane unit 110 automatically returns to its initial state. The selection of the operation mode and the start command and the reset command may be made by operating a physical switch or by voice commands.

[0014] 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining the procedure of calculation processing in the measurement control device 200 when a pair of the wearable canes 100 are used. The measurement control device 200 collects the measurement data of the inclination angle sensors 300 and receives them as a body posture (q) 201. Then, it calculates the inclination angle (α) 202 of the floor or ground. If the inclination angle (α) 202 is positive, it is an uphill slope, and if the inclination angle (α) 202 is negative, it is a downhill slope. The inclination angle (α) is sent to a walking motion characteristics database 203, and a function F(q) 204 for calculating the angle (θ) of the cane unit 110 suitable for the walking motion of the wearer 1 and a function G(θ) 205 for calculating the length (L) of the cane unit 110 are selected. Then, an operation command value (S1) is transmitted from a first electric motor controller 206 to the wearable cane 100 in order to realize the angle (θ) of the cane section 110 calculated using the body posture (q) and function F(q), and an operation command value (S2) is transmitted from a second electric motor controller 207 to the wearable cane 100, which is required to realize the length (L) of the cane section 110 calculated using the angle θ of the cane section 110 and function G(θ).

[0015] When the wearer 1 uses the wearable cane 100 by attaching it to both legs, two measurement control devices 200 may be prepared, or the measurement control device 200 may be expanded by adding a third electric motor controller and a fourth electric motor controller.

[0016] 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the walking motion characteristics database 203. A function F(q) for calculating the angle (θ) of the cane unit 110 relative to the inclination angle (α) of the floor or ground surface, in accordance with the motion mode selected by the wearer 1, a function G(θ) for calculating the length (L) of the cane unit 110, and the like are stored as walking motion characteristics.

[0017] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining a first procedure for creating the walking motion feature database 203. The movement of the body and the everyday cane when the wearer, before wearing the walking and balance support device 10, walks holding the everyday cane in his / her hand is measured and recorded using a dedicated device for measuring body movements, such as not only an inclination angle sensor but also a motion capture system. Next, the part of the lower limb to which the wearable cane 100 is attached to the wearer 1 is determined, and the spatial trajectory of the tip of the everyday cane as viewed from the position (P) that is the rotation center of the cane part 110 is obtained. Here, the tip of the everyday cane during walking moves repeatedly in the order of [1] → [2] → [3] → [1] in the figure. Next, a straight line is drawn from the position (P) to an arbitrary point on the spatial trajectory of the tip of the everyday cane, and the inclination angle of the straight line with respect to the arbitrary point is calculated as the angle (θ) of the cane part 110, and the length of the straight line with respect to the arbitrary point is calculated as the length (L) of the cane part 110. Then, a function F(q) that calculates the angle (θ) of the cane unit 110 from the body posture (q) and a function G(θ) that calculates the length (L) of the cane unit from the angle (θ) of the cane unit 110 are designed and stored. The creation procedure is similar regardless of the inclination angle (α) of the floor or ground.

[0018] The second procedure for creating the walking motion characteristics database 203 will be described. A wearer wearing the walking and balance assisting brace 10 fixes the tip 114 of the cane portion to the tip of a regular cane held in the hand with tape or the like. Then, in a state where the power supply of the electric motor is turned off so that the angle (θ) of the cane portion 110 and the length (L) of the cane portion 110 can be freely and smoothly changed, the body posture (q), the angle (θ) of the cane portion 110, and the length (L) of the cane portion 110 when the wearer 1 walks holding the regular cane in the hand are measured and recorded in the same manner as in the first procedure, and a function F(q) for finding the angle (θ) of the cane portion 110 from the body posture (q) and a function G(θ) for finding the length (L) of the cane portion from the angle (θ) of the cane portion 110 are designed and stored.

[0019] The walking motion features stored in the walking motion feature database 203 are not limited to the motions of the body and the regular cane when the wearer 1 walks with the regular cane in hand. For example, it is possible to include motion 1 when the wearer 1 goes up and down stairs with the regular cane in hand, motion 2 when the wearer 1 stands up from a chair with the regular cane in hand, and motion 3 when the wearer 1 gets on and off a vehicle such as a car with the regular cane in hand. Then, it is possible to add motion 1, motion 2, and motion 3 to the walking motion feature database 203 as motion modes that the wearer 1 can select.

[0020] 5, 6 and 7 are schematic diagrams illustrating a walking balance assist brace 10 developed for attaching a wearable cane 100 to a knee joint. The wearable cane 100 comprises a cane section 110 equipped with two electric motors and an attachment section 150 for attachment to the lower leg. A measurement control device 200 is attached by wrapping a belt around the thigh, receives measurement data wirelessly or via wire from inertial tilt angle sensors 301, 302, 303, and transmits operation command values ​​to the wearable cane 100.

[0021] The measurement and control device 200 may be used in a pouch worn around the waist, or may be attached to and integrated with the wearable cane 100. The inclination angle sensor 300 may be attached to the wearable cane 100 by wrapping it around the thigh or lower leg with a belt or the like, or may be attached to clothing with double-sided tape.

[0022] The cane part 110 is made of aluminum alloy, which is a lightweight metal. A first electric motor 111 adjusts the angle (θ) of the cane part 110, and a second electric motor 112 adjusts the length (L) of the cane part 110 by changing the angle (φ) of a first link 113a of a slider link mechanism 113 formed by connecting two links with a rotary joint. The length (L) of the cane part 110 is the distance from a rotation center position 115 of the first electric motor 111, which is the rotation center of the cane part 110, to the tip 114 of the cane part. The angle (φ) of the second link 113b is mechanically determined by the angle (φ) of the first link 113a. A rubber is attached to the tip 114 of the cane part to reduce the effect of calculation errors of the inclination angle (α) of the floor or ground and to muffle noise. The first link 113a and the second link 113b may be made of a material such as resin that deforms slightly.

[0023] The mechanism for adjusting the length of the stick part 110 is not limited to the slider link mechanism 113, but may be replaced with a translation mechanism that slides up and down and is moved by the second electric motor 112.

[0024] The attachment part 150 is composed of a base 151 for attaching the cane part 110, a cover for covering the knee joint part to which the base 151 is attached, and a belt used for attachment to the lower leg. The length of the fixing device used for attaching the cane part 110 and the base 151 is adjusted based on the positional relationship between the tip 114 of the cane part and the foot of the wearer 1 when the tip 114 is on the floor or ground.

[0025] 8, the size and shape of the cane tip 114 may be freely changed according to the needs of the wearer 1. For example, it may be enlarged cane tip 114a, curved cane tip 114b, or cane tip 114c with two, three, or four prongs.

[0026] FIG. 9 shows an example of the measurement of the body posture and the motion of a regular cane when walking with the cane in hand. The upper figure shows a line drawing of the body posture (q) of a wearer walking with a regular cane in the right hand and the three-dimensional position of the marker attached to the regular cane and measured by a motion capture system, and is a result seen from the side of the walk. The circles indicate the joint positions, and the lines indicate the body parts and the regular cane. The lower figure shows the result of the drawing assuming a state in which the wearable cane 100 is attached to the knee joint instead of the regular cane. The rotation center position 115 (P) of the cane part of the wearable cane 100 is the knee joint. The position of the tip 114 of the cane part of the wearable cane 100 is the same as the position of the tip of the regular cane.

[0027] Figure 10 is a diagram explaining the movement of the wearable cane 100 and the body based on the results of Figure 9. The horizontal axis of the diagram is the position (x) of the tip 114 of the cane part in the direction of travel, and the vertical axis is the height (z) of the tip 114 of the cane part, the angle (θ) of the cane part 110, the length (L) of the cane part 110, the inclination angle of the lower leg (q1), and the inclination angle of the upper thigh (q2). The circles indicate data used in drawing the graph.

[0028] FIG. 11 shows the result of designing a function F(q) for calculating the angle (θ) of the cane unit 110 using the body posture (q) determined by the inclination angle (q1) of the lower leg and the inclination angle (q2) of the thigh shown in FIG. 10. Note that q=(q1, q2), and the function F(q) does not have to be a polynomial. In FIG. 10, the circles indicate actual measurement data, and the asterisks indicate values ​​obtained by the function F(q), and it can be seen that they are roughly consistent. In other words, by using the designed function F(q), it is possible to calculate the angle (θ) of the cane unit 110 that changes according to the body posture (q) grasped from the measurement value of the inclination angle sensor 300 attached to the lower leg and thigh while walking.

[0029] FIG. 12 shows the result of designing a function G(θ) for calculating the length (L) of the cane part 110 using the angle (θ) of the cane part 110 calculated using the function F(q) described in FIG. 11. The function G(θ) is designed by switching between [1]-[2] and [3]-[1], which are sections where the tip 114 of the cane part leaves the floor or the ground, and [2]-[3], which is a section where the tip 114 of the cane part touches the floor or the ground. The formula used in the function G(θ) may be designed using different formulas between [1]-[2], [3]-[1], and [2]-[3], or may be designed using a common formula for all. The function G(θ) does not have to be a polynomial.

[0030] FIG. 13 shows the result of calculating the angle (φ) of the first link 113a from the length (L) of the cane portion 110 calculated using the function G(θ) described in FIG. 12, using the conversion equations (Equation 1) and (Equation 2). (Number 1)

[0031] φ=acos{((L1)×(L1)+(La)×(La)―(L2)×(L2)) / (2×L1×La)}×(180 / π) (Number 2)

[0032] La = L - L0 + L1 × sqrt(3)

[0033] Here, (Equation 1) and (Equation 2) are mathematical expressions that can be geometrically derived in accordance with the slider link mechanism 113 of the cane part 110.

[0034] The object of the present invention can also be achieved with a wearable cane with one electric motor. For example, FIG. 14 shows a wearable cane in which a bearing 116 is attached instead of the first electric motor 111 that adjusts the angle of the cane part, and a mechanism for freely rotating the cane part 110 is adopted. The angle (θ) of the cane part is changed by the rotational force generated by gravity and walking. The angle (θ) of the cane part 110 can be calculated using the measured value by attaching an inclination angle sensor 304 to the cane part 110. Then, using the same operation procedure as the wearable cane 100 using two electric motors shown in FIG. 5, the length (L) of the cane part 110 is found using the function G(θ), and the length (L) of the cane part 110 is adjusted by the second electric motor 112. [Industrial Applicability]

[0035] The walking balance support device of the present invention allows the wearer to walk with both hands free, and therefore can be used as a means of reducing the workload of workers who need to use their hands while standing by assisting their walking balance. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0036] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the overall configuration and operation procedure of a walking balance assistance device according to the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining a procedure for performing calculation processing in a measurement control device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a walking action characteristics database. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating a procedure for creating a walking movement characteristics database. [Diagram 5] 1 is a schematic diagram of a walking balance assistance device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the walking balance assistance device according to the present embodiment when tilted. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a wearable cane. [Figure 8] 13 is a diagram for providing additional explanation regarding the size and shape of the tip of the cane part. [Figure 9]FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of measurements of body posture and movement of a cane when walking with the cane in hand. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a wearable cane and how the body moves. [Figure 11] This is the result of designing a function F(q) to calculate the cane angle (θ) using the body posture (q). [Figure 12] This is the result of designing a function G(θ) to calculate the length (L) of the cane part using the angle (θ) of the cane part. [Figure 13] This is the result of calculating the angle (φ) of the first link from the length (L) of the cane part calculated using the function G(θ). [Figure 14] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a wearable cane having one electric motor in a walking balance assistance device according to this embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 1. Wearer 10. Walking and balance support devices 100 Wearable Cane 110 Cane Section 111 First electric motor 112 Second electric motor 113 Slider link mechanism 113a Link 1 113b 2nd link 114, 114a, 114b, 114c Tip of the cane 115 Rotation center of the cane part 116 Bearing 150 Mounting part 151 Foundation 200 Measurement and control equipment 203 Walking Motion Characteristics Database 300 Tilt Angle Sensor 301, 302, 303, 304 Inertial tilt angle sensor

Claims

1. A device for attaching to the wearer's lower limbs; A wand part rotatably provided with respect to the mounting part; an actuator that rotates the cane part relative to the mounting part and adjusts the angle of the cane part relative to the mounting part and the length of the cane part; An inclination angle sensor for measuring the body posture of the wearer; A wearable cane comprising: Calculating the angle and length of the cane part relative to the attachment part based on the body posture measured by the inclination angle sensor; Controlling the actuator based on the angle and length of the wand portion; A wearable cane that switches between a section where the tip of the cane part is off the floor or ground and a section where the tip of the cane part touches the floor or ground.

2. A wearable cane as described in Claim 1, characterized in that it has a walking motion characteristic database used to calculate the angle and length of the cane part relative to the wearing part based on the body posture measured by the inclination angle sensor.

3. The walking motion characteristic database stores, as walking motion characteristics, a function prepared for calculating the angle of the cane part from the body posture of the wearer and a function prepared for calculating the length of the cane part. The wearable cane according to claim 2 .

4. The function is designed so that the position of the tip of the cane part of the wearable cane coincides with the position of the tip of the cane for everyday use with respect to the center of rotation of the cane part of the cane part of the wearable cane, using data on the body posture and the tip position of the cane for everyday use that are measured in advance when the wearer performs an action using the cane for everyday use. The wearable cane according to claim 3 .

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