System, method, and program for detecting user defects

The malfunction detection system effectively identifies left-right balance defects by analyzing lower limb joint angles using independent footrests and slide mechanisms, enhancing the detection of asymmetries and imbalances in lower limb movements.

JP7729257B2Active Publication Date: 2025-08-26TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2022079407
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2022-05-13
Publication Date
2025-08-26
Estimated Expiration
2042-05-13

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing systems fail to effectively detect physical defects related to a user's left-right balance, particularly through evaluating asymmetries and imbalances in lower limb movements during exercises.

Method used

A malfunction detection system comprising a pair of left and right footrests with independent slide mechanisms, an operating mechanism, an angle detection unit, and a display unit that compares and displays angles around roll, yaw, and pitch axes of the user's lower limb joints to identify imbalances.

Benefits of technology

The system provides a comprehensive analysis of lower limb joint angles, enabling the detection of physical defects and imbalances, facilitating early identification of left-right balance issues.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

To make it possible to detect a problem of the body related to left and right balance of a user.SOLUTION: A problem detection system includes: a pair of left and right footrest parts on which a user's left and right foot parts are placed and the user performs exercise of legs; a pair of left and right slide mechanisms which slide the footrest parts in a back and forth direction relative to a seat part and has a resistance part that adds a resistance force to the slide; a motion mechanism which moves the left and right slide mechanisms and the footrest parts independently; an angle detection part which detects angles around a rolling axis, a yawing axis, and a pitching axis of the user's left and right lower limb joints; and a display part which displays the angles around the rolling axis, the yawing axis, and the pitching axis of the user's left and right lower limb joints detected by the angle detection part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1
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Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a malfunction detection system, a malfunction detection method, and a program for detecting a malfunction in a user's body. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART There is known a device that evaluates a user's balance ability using a rocking chair or the like whose seat or the like rocks (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3927340 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] On the other hand, we would like to create a system that can detect physical problems related to the user's left-right balance.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of such problems, and its main object is to provide a defect detection system, defect detection method, and program that can detect physical defects related to a user's left-right balance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the present invention is to a pair of left and right foot rests on which the user's left and right feet are placed, respectively, for the user to exercise their legs; a pair of left and right slide mechanisms that slide the footrest section in the front-rear direction relative to the seat section and include resistance sections that apply resistance to the sliding; an operating mechanism that independently operates the left and right slide mechanisms and the footrest; an angle detection unit that detects angles of the user's left and right lower limb joints around a roll axis, a yaw axis, and a pitch axis; a display unit that displays angles around a roll axis, a yaw axis, and a pitch axis of the user's left and right lower limb joints detected by the angle detection unit; A fault detection system comprising: is. In this aspect, the display unit may compare and display the sums of angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the hip joints, knee joints, and ankle joints of the user's left and right lower limbs. In this aspect, the device may further include an evaluation unit that evaluates the output balance between the left and right lower limbs of the user by comparing the sums of the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the left and right lower limb joints of the user detected by the angle detection unit. In this aspect, the evaluation unit may evaluate that the output balance between the left and right lower limbs of the user is poor when the difference between the total values ​​of the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the left and right lower limb joints of the user detected by the angle detection unit is equal to or greater than a threshold value. In this aspect, the operating mechanism may rotate the left and right footrests independently in a circular or elliptical orbit in response to the user's feet stepping on the left and right footrests. In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the present invention is to a pair of left and right foot rests on which the user's left and right feet are placed, respectively, for the user to exercise their legs; a pair of left and right slide mechanisms that slide the footrest portion in the front-rear direction relative to the seat portion; an operating mechanism that independently operates the left and right slide mechanisms and the footrest; A fault detection method for a fault detection system comprising: Detecting angles of the user's left and right lower limb joints about a roll axis, a yaw axis, and a pitch axis; displaying the detected angles of the user's left and right lower limb joints around a roll axis, a yaw axis, and a pitch axis; Fault detection methods including is. In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the present invention is to a pair of left and right foot rests on which the user's left and right feet are placed, respectively, for the user to exercise their legs; a pair of left and right slide mechanisms that slide the footrest section in the front-rear direction relative to the seat section; an operating mechanism that independently operates the left and right slide mechanisms and the footrest; A program for a fault detection system comprising: A process of detecting angles of the user's left and right lower limb joints around a roll axis, a yaw axis, and a pitch axis; a process of displaying the detected angles of the user's left and right lower limb joints around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis; A program that causes a computer to execute is. In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the present invention is to a seat configured to allow a user to sit on the seat and to be rotatable about a roll axis and a yaw axis; a pair of left and right foot rests on which the user's left and right feet are placed, respectively, for the user to exercise their legs; An operating mechanism that operates the left and right footrests in coordination; an angle detection unit that detects angles of the user's left and right lower limb joints around a roll axis, a yaw axis, and a pitch axis; a display unit that displays angles around a roll axis, a yaw axis, and a pitch axis of the user's left and right lower limb joints detected by the angle detection unit; A fault detection system comprising: is. In this aspect, the display unit may compare and display the sums of angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the hip joints, knee joints, and ankle joints of the user's left and right lower limbs. In this aspect, the device may further include an evaluation unit that compares the sums of the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the left and right lower limb joints of the user detected by the angle detection unit to evaluate a loss of trunk balance of the user. In this aspect, the evaluation unit may evaluate that the user's trunk balance is disrupted when it determines that the sum of the angles about the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the left lower limb joint of the user, detected by the angle detection unit, is greater than the sum of the angles about the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the right lower limb joint, or when it determines that the sum of the angles about the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the left lower limb joint is smaller than the sum of the angles about the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the right lower limb joint. In this aspect, when the evaluation unit determines that the sum of the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the user's left lower limb joint detected by the angle detection unit is greater than the sum of the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the user's right lower limb joint, the evaluation unit may evaluate that the user's trunk is leaning to the right and that the sitting load balance is also unbalanced to the right; and when the evaluation unit determines that the sum of the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the user's right lower limb joint is greater than the sum of the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the user's left lower limb joint, the evaluation unit may evaluate that the user's trunk is leaning to the left and that the sitting load balance is also unbalanced to the left. In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the present invention is to a seat configured to allow a user to sit on the seat and to be rotatable about a roll axis and a yaw axis; a pair of left and right foot rests on which the user's left and right feet are placed, respectively, for the user to exercise their legs; and an operating mechanism that operates the left and right footrests in coordination. Detecting angles of the user's left and right lower limb joints about a roll axis, a yaw axis, and a pitch axis; displaying the detected angles of the user's left and right lower limb joints around a roll axis, a yaw axis, and a pitch axis; a fault detection method, is. In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the present invention is to a seat configured to allow a user to sit on the seat and to be rotatable about a roll axis and a yaw axis; a pair of left and right foot rests on which the user's left and right feet are placed, respectively, for the user to exercise their legs; and an operating mechanism for operating the left and right footrests in coordination, A process of detecting angles of the user's left and right lower limb joints around a roll axis, a yaw axis, and a pitch axis; a process of displaying the detected angles of the user's left and right lower limb joints around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis; A program that causes a computer to execute is. In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the present invention is to a seat configured to allow a user to sit on the seat and to be rotatable about a roll axis and a yaw axis; a pair of left and right foot rests on which the user's left and right feet are placed, respectively, and which are configured to be rotatable around a roll axis, a yaw axis, and a pitch axis, and which allow the user to exercise their legs; An operating mechanism that operates the left and right footrests in coordination; an angle detection unit that detects angles of the user's left and right lower limb joints around a roll axis, a yaw axis, and a pitch axis; a display unit that displays angles around a roll axis, a yaw axis, and a pitch axis of the user's left and right lower limb joints detected by the angle detection unit; A fault detection system comprising: is. In this aspect, the display unit may compare and display the sum of the angles of the hip joint of the user's left lower limb about the roll axis, the yaw axis, and the pitch axis, the sum of the angles of the knee joint about the roll axis, the yaw axis, and the pitch axis, and the sum of the angles of the ankle joint about the roll axis, the yaw axis, and the pitch axis, which are detected by the angle detection unit, with the sum of the angles of the hip joint of the user's right lower limb about the roll axis, the yaw axis, and the pitch axis, the sum of the angles of the knee joint about the roll axis, the yaw axis, and the pitch axis, and the sum of the angles of the ankle joint about the roll axis, the yaw axis, and the pitch axis, which are detected by the angle detection unit. In this aspect, the sum of the angles of the hip joint of the user's left lower limb about the roll axis, the yaw axis, and the pitch axis, the sum of the angles of the knee joint about the roll axis, the yaw axis, and the pitch axis, and the sum of the angles of the ankle joint about the roll axis, the yaw axis, and the pitch axis, which are detected by the angle detection unit; The device may further include a defect identification unit that identifies a defective part of the user's body based on the difference between the sum of the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the hip joint of the right lower limb, the sum of the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the knee joint, and the sum of the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the ankle joint. In this aspect, the malfunction identifying unit may identify, as the malfunction location, a joint with an angle difference equal to or greater than a threshold value among the angle differences between the sum of the angles of the hip joint of the user's left lower limb about the roll axis, the yaw axis, and the pitch axis, the sum of the angles of the knee joint about the roll axis, the yaw axis, and the pitch axis, and the sum of the angles of the ankle joint about the roll axis, the yaw axis, and the pitch axis, which are detected by the angle detection unit, and the sum of the angles of the hip joint of the right lower limb about the roll axis, the yaw axis, and the pitch axis, the sum of the angles of the knee joint about the roll axis, the yaw axis, and the pitch axis, and the sum of the angles of the ankle joint about the roll axis, the yaw axis, and the pitch axis, which are detected by the angle detection unit. In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the present invention is to a seat configured to allow a user to sit on the seat and to be rotatable about a roll axis and a yaw axis; a pair of left and right foot rests on which the user's left and right feet are placed, respectively, and which are configured to be rotatable around a roll axis, a yaw axis, and a pitch axis, and which allow the user to exercise their legs; and an operating mechanism for operating the left and right footrests in cooperation with each other. Detecting angles of the user's left and right lower limb joints about a roll axis, a yaw axis, and a pitch axis; displaying the detected angles of the user's left and right lower limb joints around a roll axis, a yaw axis, and a pitch axis; Fault detection methods including is. In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the present invention is to a seat configured to allow a user to sit on the seat and to be rotatable about a roll axis and a yaw axis; a pair of left and right foot rests on which the user's left and right feet are placed, respectively, and which are configured to be rotatable around a roll axis, a yaw axis, and a pitch axis, and which allow the user to exercise their legs; and an operating mechanism for operating the left and right footrests in cooperation with each other, A process of detecting angles of the user's left and right lower limb joints around a roll axis, a yaw axis, and a pitch axis; a process of displaying the detected angles of the user's left and right lower limb joints around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis; A program that causes a computer to execute is. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a defect detection system, a defect detection method, and a program that can detect a physical defect related to a user's left-right balance. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a pedaling exercise machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a top view of the pedaling exercise machine shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic system configuration of a fault detection system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a comparative display of left and right joint angles obtained by adding up the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the hip joint, knee joint, and ankle joint of the left and right lower limbs. [Figure 5] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic system configuration of a fault detection system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 6] 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of a fault detection method according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7]FIG. 10 is a top view of the pedaling exercise machine according to the second embodiment. [Figure 8] 10 is a front view of an example of a seating section according to a second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of a configuration that allows a footrest to rotate around a roll axis, a yaw axis, and a pitch axis. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a schematic system configuration of a fault detection system according to a third embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of comparative display of angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the hip joint, knee joint, and ankle joint of the left and right lower limbs. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The present invention will be described below through embodiments of the invention, but the invention according to the claims is not limited to the following embodiments. Furthermore, not all of the configurations described in the embodiments are necessarily essential as means for solving the problems.

[0010] In the malfunction detection system according to this embodiment, the user moves their lower limbs in a seated position, which has the advantage of making it easier to evaluate a pure kinetic chain with less influence from posture control. Note that a kinetic chain is a chain in which when movement occurs at a certain joint, the influence of that movement spreads to adjacent joints.

[0011] According to the malfunction detection system of this embodiment, the user performs lower limb exercises such as pedaling while sitting, eliminating the influence of postural control, and by evaluating the pure kinetic chain, it is possible to detect factors that deteriorate the physical performance of the lower limbs and trunk, and to detect imbalances between the left and right sides of the body.

[0012] In the following description, "left and right" are defined as left and right as seen from a user in a seated position, and "front and back" are defined as front and back as seen from a user in a seated position. Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0013] (Embodiment 1) For example, pedaling is a cyclic exercise, and in a typical pedaling exercise device, there is little difference in the movement of the left and right foot rests depending on the rotation speed, etc.

[0014] In contrast, in the pedaling exercise device of this embodiment 1, the left and right foot rests on which the user places their left and right feet operate independently, and the foot rests are configured to be able to slide freely back and forth, thereby providing greater redundancy of freedom for the user's lower limb movements.

[0015] People have the tendency to move the leg that is easier to move in the kinetic chain more. For example, an affected leg that is in pain will move less than a healthy leg, and the amount of sliding of the footrest on the affected leg will be smaller than the amount of sliding of the footrest on the healthy leg, which can result in a large difference in the movement of the two.

[0016] Furthermore, even a slight distortion of the trunk can cause asymmetry in human movement. This asymmetry is also apparent in human movement. In this embodiment, the configuration with the redundant degrees of freedom described above more effectively detects the left-right difference in body movement that arises from asymmetry in humans.

[0017] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a pedaling exercise machine according to the present embodiment 1. Fig. 2 is a top view of the pedaling exercise machine shown in Fig. 1. A user performs pedaling exercise on the pedaling exercise machine 2 while seated on a seating section 3. The malfunction detection system 1 according to the present embodiment detects a physical malfunction related to the output balance between the left and right of the user's lower limbs from the user's pedaling exercise on the pedaling exercise machine 2.

[0018] The malfunction detection system 1 according to the first embodiment includes a pedaling exercise device 2 used for exercising the user's lower limbs, and a seat 3 on which the user sits. The seat 3 is configured, for example, as a chair on which the user can sit. The seat 3 is disposed behind the pedaling exercise device 2. Note that the seat 3 and the pedaling exercise device 2 are configured as separate bodies, but this is not limiting, and the seat 3 and the pedaling exercise device 2 may be configured as an integrated body.

[0019] The pedaling exercise device 2 is a device for performing pedaling exercise in a seated position, and may be in the form of a chair, such as a bicycle, an exercise bike (registered trademark), or a recumbent bike. Note that in this embodiment, a lower limb exercise device such as a stepping exercise device having the same characteristics as those described above may be used instead of the pedaling exercise device 2.

[0020] 1 and 2, the pedaling exercise device 2 includes an operating mechanism 21, a pair of left and right foot rests 22, and a pair of left and right slide mechanisms 23. The operating mechanism 21 has a pair of left and right shafts 212 pivotally supported on a device body 211, and a pair of left and right cranks 213 connected to the shafts 212.

[0021] The slide mechanism 23 is connected to each crank 213 via a base portion 24. The slide mechanism 23 includes a guide body 231.

[0022] The tip of a corresponding crank 213 is connected to the front end of the base 24 so as to be able to rotate freely in pitch. A wheel 25 which can rotate freely in pitch is provided to the rear end of the base 24. The wheel 25 typically rolls on the floor on which the pedaling exercise machine 2 is placed.

[0023] The guide body 231 extends along the longitudinal direction of the base portion 24. The guide body 231 includes a rail support plate 2311 provided on the base portion 24, and a rail 2312 formed on the rail support plate 2311.

[0024] The foot resting section 22 is a portion on which the user's left and right feet rest. The foot resting section 22 may be fixed to the outsole of the shoe worn by the user by means of screws or the like. The foot resting section 22 may also have a shape that conforms to the shape of the sole of the shoe worn by the user.

[0025] The footrest 22 is connected to the rail 2312 so as to be slidable relative to the rail 2312. This allows the footrest 22 to have redundant freedom of movement in the front-to-rear direction.

[0026] The slide mechanism 23 further includes a resistance portion 232 that applies resistance to the sliding of the footrest portion 22. The resistance portion 232 is composed of an elastic body 232 such as a rubber tube, a rubber band, or a coil spring. One end of the elastic body 232 is fixed to the front end of the guide body 231, and the other end is fixed to the rear end of the guide body 231. In other words, the elastic body 232 extends from the toe-side end of the footrest portion 22 to the heel-side end.

[0027] The footrest 22 is connected to the elastic body 232 so that, when the user's feet are not placed on the footrest 22, the footrest 22 is located, for example, exactly midway between the front and rear ends of the guide body 231. When the footrest 22 moves from this neutral state toward the toe side relative to the guide body 231, the elastic body 232 is stretched between the footrest 22 and the rear end, and the elastic restoring force of the elastic body 232 pulls the footrest 22 toward the heel side relative to the guide body 231.

[0028] Similarly, when the footrest 22 moves from the neutral position toward the heel side relative to the guide body 231, the elastic body 232 is stretched between the footrest 22 and the front end, and the elastic restoring force of the elastic body 232 pulls the footrest 22 toward the toe side relative to the guide body 231.

[0029] The footrest 22 is detachably attached to the elastic body 232. With this configuration, the resistance force of the elastic body 232 can be changed depending on the direction in which the footrest 22 is moved relative to the guide body 231.

[0030] The device main body 211 is equipped with a reducer and a servo motor with an electromagnetic brake (not shown), and the servo motor with an electromagnetic brake can rotate the shaft 212 at a predetermined speed or can apply a load to the rotation of the shaft 212.

[0031] The left and right shafts 212 are configured to rotate independently. A pair of cranks 213 extend from both ends of the shaft 212 in directions opposite to each other and perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the shaft 212.

[0032] The left and right slide mechanisms 23 and the footrests 22 are configured to operate independently. The operating mechanism 21 rotates the left and right footrests 22 independently on elliptical orbits in response to the user's feet stepping on the left and right footrests 22. This allows the left and right footrests 22 to have a greater degree of redundant freedom. The operating mechanism 21 may also be configured to rotate the left and right footrests 22 independently on circular orbits in response to the user's feet stepping on the left and right footrests 22.

[0033] With the above configuration, the slide mechanism 23 and the foot rest 22 reciprocate back and forth in accordance with the rotation of the shaft 212. When the slide mechanism 23 and the foot rest 22 move forward, the front end of the base 24 passes above the shaft 212. On the other hand, when the slide mechanism 23 and the foot rest 22 move backward, the front end of the base 24 passes below the shaft 212.

[0034] For example, when the user kicks forward with their right leg, shaft 212 rotates so that the front end of base portion 24 corresponding to the right leg passes above shaft 212. Next, when the user kicks forward with their left leg, shaft 212 rotates so that the front end of base portion 24 corresponding to the left leg passes above shaft 212. The user alternately kicks forward with their right and left legs, thereby exercising the left and right lower limbs.

[0035] 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic system configuration of the malfunction detection system according to the present embodiment 1. The malfunction detection system 1 according to the present embodiment includes an angle detection unit 11 that detects angles of the joints of the left and right lower limbs of the user, and a display unit 12 that displays the angles of the joints of the left and right lower limbs of the user detected by the angle detection unit 11.

[0036] The fault detection system 1 has a hardware configuration of a typical computer, including, for example, a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), internal memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a ROM (Read Only Memory), storage devices such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive), an input / output I / F for connecting peripheral devices such as a display, and a communication I / F for communicating with devices outside the device.

[0037] The angle detection unit 11 detects the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the user's left and right lower limb joints when the user is seated on the seat 3 and pedaling on the pedaling exercise device 2. The lower limb joints include the hip joints, knee joints, and ankle joints of the lower limbs.

[0038] For example, the angle detection unit 11 generates a skeletal model from images of the hip joints, knee joints, and ankle joints of the left and right lower limbs captured by a camera, and calculates the angles of the hip joints, knee joints, and ankle joints of the left and right lower limbs around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis from the skeletal model.

[0039] The angle detection unit 11 may be configured with an attitude angle sensor arranged across the hip joints, knee joints, and ankle joints of the left and right lower limbs. The attitude angle sensor is, for example, a 3-degree-of-freedom gyro sensor or a 3-degree-of-freedom acceleration sensor, and can detect the angles of the hip joints, knee joints, and ankle joints of the left and right lower limbs around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis.

[0040] The display unit 12 compares and displays the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the hip joints, knee joints, and ankle joints of the user's left and right lower limbs detected by the angle detection unit 11. The display unit 12 is configured with a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, or the like.

[0041] For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the display unit 12 displays a graph of the right joint angle, which is the sum of the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the hip joint, knee joint, and ankle joint of the right lower limb, with the vertical axis representing angle and the horizontal axis representing time, in the upper part of the screen.

[0042] Similarly, the bottom part of the screen displays a graph of the left joint angles, which are the sum of the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the hip joint, knee joint, and ankle joint of the right lower limb.

[0043] The display unit 12 may display the left and right joint angles on the left and right sides of the screen, respectively, or may display the left and right joint angles overlapping each other. The display unit 12 may also individually display and compare the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the hip joints, knee joints, and ankle joints of the user's left and right lower limbs.

[0044] This allows the difference between the right joint angle in the upper row and the left joint angle in the lower row to be visually recognized, making it easy to recognize that the output balance between the left and right lower limbs is poor and causing physical problems. For example, it is easy to recognize which of the left and right legs has a smaller angle change, i.e., poor movement and low output. In Figure 4, the change in the left joint angle is smaller than the change in the right joint angle, making it easy to recognize that the left joint has poor movement and low output.

[0045] One of the factors that can cause the imbalance in output between the left and right lower limbs mentioned above is the difference in muscle strength between the left and right. Even if the muscle strength between the left and right is the same, factors that can cause a difference in output between the left and right are thought to be stiffness of tissues other than the muscles when moving the joints, pain, and differences in commands from the brain (the right side is more skilled than the left and can move, or signals from the brain do not reach the muscles). Differences in commands from the brain can be attributed to differences in proficiency between the left and right, or differences in the transmission of signals from the brain to the muscles.

[0046] Furthermore, the malfunction detection system 10 according to this embodiment may further include an evaluation unit 13 that evaluates the output balance between the left and right lower limbs of the user by comparing the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the joints of the left and right lower limbs of the user detected by the angle detection unit 11 (FIG. 5).

[0047] The evaluation unit 13 may evaluate that the output balance between the left and right lower limbs of the user is poor when the difference between the sum of the angles about the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the joints of the user's left lower limb detected by the angle detection unit 11 and the sum of the angles about the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the joints of the user's right lower limb is equal to or greater than a threshold. The evaluation result by the evaluation unit 13 makes it possible to more clearly recognize physical problems related to the output balance between the left and right lower limbs of the user.

[0048] The evaluation unit 13 may evaluate that the output balance between the left and right lower limbs of the user is poor when the difference between the angle of the user's left lower limb joint around the pitch axis detected by the angle detection unit 11 and the angle of the user's right lower limb joint around the pitch axis is equal to or greater than a threshold value.

[0049] The reason for focusing on the difference in angle around the pitch axis is that most of the movements of a person's legs are movements around the pitch axis, and therefore the difference in output between the left and right lower limbs is greatly manifested as a difference in angle around the pitch axis.

[0050] The evaluation results by the evaluation unit 13 may be output to the display unit 12 or another output unit 15 .

[0051] Next, a description will be given of the fault detection method according to the present embodiment 1. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of the fault detection method according to the present embodiment 1.

[0052] The angle detection unit 11 detects the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the hip joints, knee joints, and ankle joints of the user's left and right lower limbs when the user is pedaling on the pedaling exercise device 2 (step S101).

[0053] The display unit 12 compares and displays the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the hip joints, knee joints, and ankle joints of the user's left and right lower limbs detected by the angle detection unit 11 (step S102).

[0054] The evaluation unit 13 evaluates the output balance between the left and right lower limbs of the user by comparing the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the hip joints, knee joints, and ankle joints of the user's left and right lower limbs detected by the angle detection unit 11 (step S103).

[0055] As described above, the malfunction detection system 1 according to the first embodiment comprises a pair of left and right footrests 22 on which the user's left and right feet are placed respectively to allow the user to exercise their legs, a pair of left and right sliding mechanisms 23 which slide the footrests 22 in the front-to-rear direction relative to the seating section 3 and which include resistance sections 232 which apply resistance to the sliding, an operating mechanism 21 which operates the left and right sliding mechanisms 23 and the footrests 22 independently, an angle detection section 11 which detects the angles of the user's left and right lower limb joints about the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis, and a display section 12 which displays the angles of the user's left and right lower limb joints about the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis detected by the angle detection section 11.

[0056] According to the first embodiment, by focusing on the tendency of the kinetic chain to move the easier one more, the left and right footrests 22 are operated independently and further configured to be able to slide freely back and forth, thereby providing a greater degree of redundancy in the movement of the user's lower limbs. This allows the user to visually recognize the difference between the right and left joint angles displayed on the display unit 12, and easily recognize that the output balance between the left and right lower limbs is poor and causing physical problems.

[0057] (Embodiment 2) In this second embodiment, the characteristic that the mobility of the user's left and right sides is improved from the side where the center of gravity is biased is utilized to detect any physical problems related to the user's left and right balance. Fig. 7 is a top view of the pedaling exercise device according to this second embodiment.

[0058] In this embodiment 2, the seating portion 30 is rotatable around a roll axis, and if there is an imbalance in the user's center of gravity, the user will lean toward the side of the imbalance, a characteristic that is utilized to detect imbalance in the user's left and right trunk.

[0059] As described above, when the seat 30 is rotatable around the roll axis and the user performs pedaling, there will be a situation where the user has to exert effort to extend one leg. In this case, in order to pedal by rotating the hip joint and extending the leg, it becomes necessary to make the seat 30 rotatable around the yaw axis as well.

[0060] Furthermore, as described above, it is difficult to perform pedaling by independently operating the left and right footrests 22 in an unstable state where the seating section 30 is rotatable around the roll axis and yaw axis. Therefore, the operating mechanism 51 operates the left and right footrests 22 in coordination. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the left and right shafts 215 are connected directly or via gears or the like. Furthermore, the sliding mechanism 23 that slides the footrests 22 is omitted, and the footrests 22 are fixed to the base section 24 and do not slide.

[0061] As described above, the fault detection system 20 according to the present embodiment 2 has substantially the same configuration as the fault detection system 1 according to the above-described embodiment 1. However, the present embodiment 2 differs from the above-described embodiment 1 in that the seating section 30 is configured to be rotatable around the roll axis and the yaw axis, the operating mechanism 51 operates the left and right footrest sections 22 in coordination, and the slide mechanism 23 is omitted.

[0062] In the second embodiment, the same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0063] The pedaling exercise device 50 according to the second embodiment is the same as the pedaling exercise device 2 according to the first embodiment. However, as described above, the pedaling exercise device 50 according to the second embodiment does not include the slide mechanism 23, and the foot rest 22 is directly supported by the crank 213 via the base 24. The left and right shafts 215 are also directly connected.

[0064] 8 shows a front view of an example of the seating unit according to the second embodiment. The seat portion 311 of the seating unit 30 is configured to be rotatable around the roll axis and the yaw axis. This allows for an effective kinetic chain between the lower limbs and the trunk during pedaling exercise.

[0065] For example, when pedaling on a normal chair, the hip joints do not move, so hip joint rotation, flexion, and extension are not possible. However, as described above, by configuring the chair to be rotatable around the roll axis and yaw axis, and allowing for freedom of left and right swing in the roll axis direction and left and right rotation in the yaw axis direction, a chain reaction of hip joint movement can be generated in association with pedaling.

[0066] 8, the seating section 30 includes a movable section 31, a support section 32, a restoring unit 33, and a backrest section 34. The movable section 31 includes a seat section 311 on which a user sits. The support section supports the movable section 31 so that it can move left and right.

[0067] The restoring unit 33 biases the movable part 31 toward a neutral position on the left and right. The support part 32 supports the movable part 31 so that the movable part 31 descends as the movable part 31 moves away from the neutral position. The support part 32 includes two rails 321.

[0068] Each rail 321 defines a trajectory for the left and right movement of the movable part 31. Each rail 321 is curved so as to be convex upward, thereby supporting the movable part 31 so as to roll around the roll axis.

[0069] The movable part 31 includes a seat part 311 , a movable part main body 312 , a universal joint 313 , a coil spring 314 , and a pair of coupling units 315 .

[0070] The pair of coupling units 315, the movable body 312, and the seat 311 are arranged in this order in the direction away from the floor. The universal joint 313 and the coil spring 314 are arranged between the movable body 312 and the seat 311. The pair of coupling units 315 are provided on the underside of the movable body 312. The coupling units 315 are slidably coupled to the rails 321.

[0071] The seat 311 and the movable body 312 are connected by a universal joint 313. Therefore, the seat 311 is supported by the movable body 312 so as to be rotatable around the yaw axis.

[0072] In this way, the seat 311 is configured to be rotatable around the roll axis by the movable main body 312 and the support part 32, and also rotatable around the yaw axis by the universal joint 313. Note that the configuration of the seat 30 described above is one example, and is not limited to this, and any configuration may be used as long as the seat 311 is configured to be rotatable around the roll axis and the yaw axis.

[0073] In the second embodiment, the user performs pedaling exercise on the pedaling exercise device 50 while seated on the seat 30 that is rotatable around the roll axis and the yaw axis.

[0074] The angle detection unit 11 detects the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the hip joints, knee joints, and ankle joints of the user's left and right lower limbs when the user is seated on the seating unit 30, which can rotate around the roll axis and yaw axis, and performing pedaling exercises on the pedaling exercise equipment 50.

[0075] The display unit 12 may comparatively display a left joint angle, which is the sum of the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the hip joint, knee joint, and ankle joint of the user's left lower limb detected by the angle detection unit 11, and a right joint angle, which is the sum of the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the hip joint, knee joint, and ankle joint of the user's right lower limb. This allows the difference between the right joint angle and the left joint angle to be visually recognized, and makes it easy to recognize that a physical problem has occurred in the user, such as a loss of balance between the left and right trunk.

[0076] The display unit 12 may comparatively display, at the top and bottom or left and right of the screen, a left joint angle obtained by adding up the angles of the hip joint, knee joint, and ankle joint of the left lower limb about the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis, and a right joint angle obtained by adding up the angles of the hip joint, knee joint, and ankle joint of the right lower limb about the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis.

[0077] Furthermore, the display unit 12 may superimpose and comparatively display on the screen a left joint angle obtained by adding up the angles of the hip joint, knee joint, and ankle joint of the left lower limb about the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis, and a right joint angle obtained by adding up the angles of the hip joint, knee joint, and ankle joint of the right lower limb about the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis.

[0078] As described above, when the seating section 30 is configured to be rotatable around the roll axis and swings left and right, under such dynamic balance, a difference in the left and right of the trunk will result in a strong side and a weak side. The cause of the weak side may be, for example, weak muscles that make it difficult to exert muscle performance.

[0079] For example, if the right joint angle is larger overall than the left joint angle, the user's center of gravity is shifted to the left side, resulting in a left-biased trunk, and as a result of the seating portion 30 swinging to the left, the distance between the user and the right footrest portion 22 increases, resulting in a larger pedaling motion of the right leg.

[0080] In this way, the comparative display on the display unit 12 allows the difference between the right joint angle and the left joint angle to be visually recognized, and the loss of balance between the left and right trunk of the user can be easily recognized.

[0081] The evaluation unit 13 evaluates imbalance of the user's trunk based on the difference between the sums of the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the hip joints, knee joints, and ankle joints of the user's left and right lower limbs detected by the angle detection unit 11. This makes it possible to easily evaluate imbalance of the user's trunk on the left and right sides by utilizing the characteristic that mobility is improved on the side opposite to the side where the center of gravity is biased.

[0082] For example, the evaluation unit 13 may evaluate that the user's trunk balance is disrupted when it determines that the sum of the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the hip joint, knee joint, and ankle joint of the user's left lower limb detected by the angle detection unit 11 is greater than the sum of the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the hip joint, knee joint, and ankle joint of the right lower limb, respectively.

[0083] The evaluation unit 13 may evaluate that the user's trunk balance is disrupted when it determines that the sum of the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the hip joint, knee joint, and ankle joint of the user's left lower limb detected by the angle detection unit 11 is smaller than the sum of the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the hip joint, knee joint, and ankle joint of the right lower limb, respectively.

[0084] If the evaluation unit 13 determines that the sum of the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the hip joint, knee joint, and ankle joint of the user's left lower limb detected by the angle detection unit 11 is greater than the sum of the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the hip joint, knee joint, and ankle joint of the user's right lower limb, the evaluation unit 13 may evaluate that the user's trunk is tilted to the right and that the sitting load balance is also disrupted to the right.

[0085] If the evaluation unit 13 determines that the sum of the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the hip joint, knee joint, and ankle joint of the user's right lower limb detected by the angle detection unit 11 is greater than the sum of the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the hip joint, knee joint, and ankle joint of the user's left lower limb, the evaluation unit 13 may evaluate that the user's trunk is tilted to the left and that the sitting load balance is also disrupted to the left.

[0086] In this way, the seating section 30 is configured to be rotatable around the roll axis and yaw axis, and by utilizing the characteristic of improving mobility on the side opposite to the side where the center of gravity is biased, it is possible to easily evaluate the imbalance of the user's trunk.

[0087] The evaluation unit 13 may evaluate the imbalance of the user's trunk balance by comparing the angles around the pitch axis of the hip joints, knee joints, and ankle joints of the user's left and right lower limbs detected by the angle detection unit 11. This is because most of the movements of a person's legs are movements around the pitch axis, and therefore the difference in output between the left and right lower limbs appears significantly as a difference in angle around the pitch axis.

[0088] For example, if the evaluation unit 13 determines that the angles of the hip joint, knee joint, and ankle joint of the user's left lower limb around the pitch axis detected by the angle detection unit 11 are greater than the angles of the hip joint, knee joint, and ankle joint of the right lower limb around the pitch axis, respectively, the evaluation unit 13 may evaluate that the user's trunk balance is disrupted.

[0089] Similarly, if the evaluation unit 13 determines that the angles around the pitch axis of the hip joint, knee joint, and ankle joint of the user's left lower limb detected by the angle detection unit 11 are greater than the angles around the pitch axis of the hip joint, knee joint, and ankle joint of the user's right lower limb, the evaluation unit 13 may evaluate that the user's trunk is tilted to the right and that the sitting load balance is also out of balance to the right.

[0090] As described above, the malfunction detection system 20 according to the second embodiment includes a seating section 30 on which a user can sit and which is configured to be rotatable around the roll axis and the yaw axis, a pair of left and right footrest sections 22 on which the user's left and right feet are placed respectively and which allow the user to exercise their legs, an operating mechanism 51 which operates the left and right footrest sections 22 in coordination, an angle detection section 11 which detects the angles of the user's left and right lower limb joints around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis, and a display section 12 which displays the angles of the user's left and right lower limb joints around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis detected by the angle detection section 11.

[0091] According to the second embodiment, the seating section 30 is configured to be rotatable around the roll axis and the yaw axis, taking advantage of the fact that the mobility of the user's left or right side is improved on the side opposite to the side where the center of gravity is biased. As a result, if the user's center of gravity is biased, the user will lean toward the biased side. This allows the user to visually recognize this tilt as the difference between the right joint angle and the left joint angle displayed on the display section 12, making it easy to recognize imbalances in the user's left and right trunk and to easily detect physical problems related to left and right balance.

[0092] (Embodiment 3) In the third embodiment, when there is a problem with the stiffness of the muscles at each joint, poor coordination of the kinetic chain occurs, and movement slows down. This characteristic is utilized to detect physical problems related to the user's left-right balance.

[0093] When observing the movement of the kinetic chain of the lumbar vertebrae, hip joints, knee joints, and ankle joints, it is preferable that the body moved using the pedaling exercise equipment is not restricted in its movement by being fixed to something.

[0094] For example, as described above, by configuring the seat 30 to be rotatable around the roll axis and yaw axis, and providing the freedom to oscillate left and right along the roll axis and rotate left and right along the yaw axis, a kinetic chain is generated in the hip joints as the pedaling motion occurs. To transmit this kinetic chain to the feet, the foot rests must have mechanical degrees of freedom, including degrees of freedom in plantar flexion and dorsiflexion, degrees of freedom in pronation and supination, and degrees of freedom in abduction and adduction.

[0095] In contrast, the malfunction detection system according to the third embodiment has substantially the same configuration as the malfunction detection system according to the second embodiment. However, the third embodiment differs from the second embodiment in that the foot rests are configured to be rotatable around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis. As a result, the third embodiment is configured to impose even less restriction on the degree of freedom of joint movement of the feet than the second embodiment, and therefore the kinetic chain generated in the hip joints during pedaling can be reliably transmitted to the feet.

[0096] In this third embodiment, the same parts as those in the first and second embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0097] 9 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration that allows the footrest to rotate around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis. A fixed part 40 is fixed to the base part 24. A joint part 42 is provided between the footrest part 41 and the fixed part 40.

[0098] The joint unit 42 connects the footrest unit 41 and the fixed unit 40 so that the footrest unit 41 can rotate around the pitch axis, roll axis, and yaw axis relative to the fixed unit 40. The footrest unit 41 may be fixed to the outsole of the shoe worn by the user by means of screws or the like. Note that while FIG. 9 shows the left side of the foot-pedaling exercise device 60, the right side has a similar configuration.

[0099] With the above configuration, during lower limb movement, the mechanical freedom of the footrest 41 can be realized, which includes degrees of freedom in the plantar flexion and dorsiflexion directions, degrees of freedom in the pronation and supination directions, and degrees of freedom in abduction and adduction directions. Note that the above configuration is an example and is not limiting, and any configuration may be used as long as the footrest 41 is configured to be rotatable around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis.

[0100] In this embodiment 3, as described above, the user sits on the seating section 30, which can rotate around the roll axis and yaw axis, and performs a pedaling exercise by stepping on the foot rest section 41, which can rotate around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis, of the pedaling exercise device 60.

[0101] 10 is a block diagram showing a schematic system configuration of a fault detection system according to the present embodiment 3. A fault detection system 60 according to the present embodiment 3 may have a fault identification unit 14 instead of the evaluation unit 13 according to the above-described embodiment 2.

[0102] The angle detection unit 11 detects the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the hip joints, knee joints, and ankle joints of the user's left and right lower limbs when the user is seated on the seating unit 30, which can rotate around the roll axis and yaw axis, and performing a pedaling exercise by stepping on the foot rest unit 41, which can rotate around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis, on the pedaling exercise equipment.

[0103] The display unit 12 compares and displays the sum of the angles of the hip joint of the user's left lower limb about the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis, the sum of the angles of the knee joint about the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis, and the sum of the angles of the ankle joint about the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis, which are detected by the angle detection unit 11, with the sum of the angles of the hip joint of the right lower limb about the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis, the sum of the angles of the knee joint about the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis, and the sum of the angles of the ankle joint about the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis, which are detected by the angle detection unit 11.

[0104] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 11, the display unit 12 may comparatively display the angles of the hip joints, knee joints, and ankle joints of the left and right lower limbs around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis for each axis and each joint.

[0105] In this way, the comparative display on the display unit 12 allows the difference between the right joint angle and the left joint angle to be visually recognized, and the user can easily recognize the troubled part of his body.

[0106] For example, the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the hip joints, knee joints, and ankle joints of the user's left and right lower limbs displayed on the display unit 12 are compared. Here, a difference between the left and right joints occurs in the hip joints, knee joints, and ankle joints that move poorly. Therefore, the joints where the difference between the left and right joints occurs can be easily identified as the problem area.

[0107] The malfunction identification unit 14 identifies a malfunctioning part of the user's body based on the difference between the sum of the angles of the hip joint of the user's left lower limb about the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis, the sum of the angles of the knee joint about the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis, and the sum of the angles of the ankle joint about the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis, detected by the angle detection unit 11, and the sum of the angles of the hip joint of the right lower limb about the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis, the sum of the angles of the knee joint about the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis, and the sum of the angles of the ankle joint about the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis. This makes it possible to easily identify a malfunctioning part of the user's body related to left-right balance.

[0108] The malfunction identification unit 14 may identify, as a malfunction location, a joint with an angle difference equal to or greater than a threshold among the angle differences between the sum of the angles of the hip joint of the user's left lower limb about the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis, the sum of the angles of the knee joint about the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis, and the sum of the angles of the ankle joint about the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis, detected by the angle detection unit 11, and the sum of the angles of the hip joint of the right lower limb about the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis, the sum of the angles of the knee joint about the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis, and the sum of the angles of the ankle joint about the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis. In this way, a joint with a large angle difference equal to or greater than the threshold can be identified as a malfunction location.

[0109] Furthermore, the results of the identification by the defect identification unit 14 may be output to the display unit 12 or other output unit.

[0110] As described above, the malfunction detection system 60 according to the third embodiment includes the seating section 30 on which a user can sit and which is configured to be rotatable about the roll axis and the yaw axis, a pair of left and right footrest sections 41 on which the user's left and right feet can rest, respectively, which are configured to be rotatable about the roll axis, the yaw axis, and the pitch axis and which allow the user to exercise their legs, an operating mechanism 51 which operates the left and right footrest sections 41 in coordination, an angle detection section 11 which detects the angles of the user's left and right lower limb joints about the roll axis, the yaw axis, and the pitch axis, and a display section 12 which displays the angles of the user's left and right lower limb joints about the roll axis, the yaw axis, and the pitch axis detected by the angle detection section 11.

[0111] According to the third embodiment, focusing on the characteristic that problems with muscle stiffness at each joint result in poor coordination of the kinetic chain and slower movement, the seating section 30 is configured to be rotatable around the roll axis and yaw axis, and the footrest section 41 is configured to be rotatable around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis. This configuration eliminates constraints on the movement of the kinetic chain of the hip joint, knee joint, and ankle joint, ensuring the generation of the kinetic chain. This allows the user to visually recognize which of the hip joint, knee joint, and ankle joint has poor movement as the difference between the right joint angle and the left joint angle displayed on the display section 12, and easily identify the joint where this difference occurs as a problem area in the body.

[0112] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents as defined in the claims.

[0113] The present invention can also be realized by causing a processor to execute a computer program to perform the processing shown in FIG. 6, for example.

[0114] The program can be stored and supplied to a computer using various types of non-transitory computer readable media. Non-transitory computer readable media include various types of tangible storage media. Examples of non-transitory computer readable media include magnetic recording media (e.g., flexible disks, magnetic tapes, hard disk drives), magneto-optical recording media (e.g., magneto-optical disks), CD-ROMs (Read Only Memory), CD-Rs, CD-R / Ws, and semiconductor memories (e.g., mask ROMs, PROMs (Programmable ROMs), EPROMs (Erasable PROMs), flash ROMs, and RAMs (Random Access Memory)).

[0115] The program may be provided to the computer by various types of transitory computer-readable media. Examples of transitory computer-readable media include electrical signals, optical signals, and electromagnetic waves. The transitory computer-readable media can provide the program to the computer via a wired communication path such as an electrical wire or optical fiber, or via a wireless communication path.

[0116] Each component of the fault detection system according to each of the above-described embodiments can be realized not only by a program, but also in part or in whole by dedicated hardware such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array). [Explanation of symbols]

[0117] 1 Fault detection system, 2 Pedal exercise equipment, 3 Seat, 10 Fault detection system, 11 Angle detection unit, 12 Display unit, 13 Evaluation unit, 14 Fault identification unit, 20 Fault detection system, 21 Operating mechanism, 22 Foot rest, 23 Slide mechanism, 24 Base unit, 25 Wheel, 30 Seat, 31 Seat, 31 Movable unit, 32 Support unit, 33 Restoration unit, 34 Backrest, 40 Fixed unit, 41 Foot rest, 42 Joint unit, 50 Pedal exercise equipment, 51 Operating mechanism, 60 Fault detection system, 211 Equipment body, 212 Shaft, 213 Crank, 215 Shaft, 231 Guide body, 232 Elastic body, 311 Seat, 312 Movable body, 313 Universal joint, 314 Coil spring, 315 Coupling unit, 321 rail, 2311 rail support plate, 2312 rail

Claims

1. a pair of left and right foot rests on which the user's left and right feet are placed, respectively, for the user to exercise their legs; a pair of left and right slide mechanisms that slide the footrest section in the front-rear direction relative to the seat section and include resistance sections that apply resistance to the sliding; an operating mechanism that independently operates the left and right slide mechanisms and the footrest; an angle detection unit that detects angles of the user's left and right lower limb joints around a roll axis, a yaw axis, and a pitch axis; a display unit that displays angles around a roll axis, a yaw axis, and a pitch axis of the user's left and right lower limb joints detected by the angle detection unit; A system for detecting user defects, comprising:

2. 2. A system for detecting user malfunctions according to claim 1, comprising: the display unit compares and displays total values ​​of angles around a roll axis, a yaw axis, and a pitch axis of the hip joints, knee joints, and ankle joints of the left and right lower limbs of the user. A system for user fault detection.

3. 3. A system for detecting user problems according to claim 1 or 2, comprising: an evaluation unit that evaluates the output balance of the left and right lower limbs of the user by comparing the sums of the angles around the roll axis, the yaw axis, and the pitch axis of the left and right lower limb joints of the user detected by the angle detection unit; A system for user fault detection.

4. 4. A system for detecting user problems according to claim 3, comprising: the evaluation unit evaluates that the output balance between the left and right lower limbs of the user is poor when a difference between total values ​​of angles about a roll axis, a yaw axis, and a pitch axis of the left and right lower limb joints of the user detected by the angle detection unit is equal to or greater than a threshold. A system for user fault detection.

5. 3. A system for detecting user problems according to claim 1 or 2, comprising: The operating mechanism rotates the left and right footrests independently in a circular or elliptical orbit in response to the user's feet stepping on the left and right footrests. A system for user fault detection.

6. a pair of left and right foot rests on which the user's left and right feet are placed, respectively, for the user to exercise their legs; a pair of left and right slide mechanisms that slide the footrest section in the front-rear direction relative to the seat section; an operating mechanism that independently operates the left and right slide mechanisms and the footrest; A method performed by a system for detecting user malfunctions, comprising: an angle detection unit detecting angles of the user's left and right lower limb joints around a roll axis, a yaw axis, and a pitch axis; a display unit displaying the detected angles of the user's left and right lower limb joints around a roll axis, a yaw axis, and a pitch axis; A method comprising:

7. a pair of left and right foot rests on which the user's left and right feet are placed, respectively, for the user to exercise their legs; a pair of left and right slide mechanisms that slide the footrest section in the front-rear direction relative to the seat section; an operating mechanism that independently operates the left and right slide mechanisms and the footrest; A program for a system for detecting user problems, comprising: A process of detecting angles of the user's left and right lower limb joints around a roll axis, a yaw axis, and a pitch axis; a process of displaying the detected angles of the user's left and right lower limb joints around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis; A program that causes a computer to execute the following.

8. a seat configured to allow a user to sit on the seat and to be rotatable about a roll axis and a yaw axis; a pair of left and right foot rests on which the user's left and right feet are placed, respectively, for the user to exercise their legs; An operating mechanism that operates the left and right footrests in coordination; an angle detection unit that detects angles of the user's left and right lower limb joints around a roll axis, a yaw axis, and a pitch axis; a display unit that displays angles around a roll axis, a yaw axis, and a pitch axis of the user's left and right lower limb joints detected by the angle detection unit; A system for detecting user defects, comprising:

9. 9. A system for detecting user malfunctions according to claim 8, comprising: the display unit compares and displays total values ​​of angles around a roll axis, a yaw axis, and a pitch axis of the hip joints, knee joints, and ankle joints of the left and right lower limbs of the user. A system for user fault detection.

10. 10. A system for detecting a user's fault according to claim 8 or 9, comprising: an evaluation unit that compares the sums of angles around the roll axis, the yaw axis, and the pitch axis of the left and right lower limb joints of the user detected by the angle detection unit to evaluate a loss of trunk balance of the user; A system for user fault detection.

11. 11. A system for detecting user malfunctions according to claim 10, comprising: The evaluation unit When it is determined that the sum of the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the left lower limb joint of the user detected by the angle detection unit is larger than the sum of the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the right lower limb joint, or when it is determined that the sum of the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the left lower limb joint is smaller than the sum of the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the right lower limb joint, it is evaluated that the trunk balance of the user is lost. A system for user fault detection.

12. 11. A system for detecting user malfunctions according to claim 10, comprising: The evaluation unit when it is determined that the sum of the angles about the roll axis, the yaw axis, and the pitch axis of the left lower limb joint of the user detected by the angle detection unit is greater than the sum of the angles about the roll axis, the yaw axis, and the pitch axis of the right lower limb joint of the user, it is evaluated that the trunk of the user is tilted to the right and that the sitting load balance is also out of balance to the right, When it is determined that the sum of the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the joint of the right lower limb of the user is greater than the sum of the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the joint of the left lower limb of the user, it is determined that the trunk of the user is tilted to the left side and that the sitting load balance is also out of balance to the left side. A system for user fault detection.

13. a seat configured to allow a user to sit on the seat and to be rotatable about a roll axis and a yaw axis; a pair of left and right foot rests on which the user's left and right feet are placed, respectively, for the user to exercise their legs; and an operating mechanism for operating the left and right footrests in coordination. an angle detection unit detecting angles of the user's left and right lower limb joints around a roll axis, a yaw axis, and a pitch axis; a display unit displaying the detected angles of the user's left and right lower limb joints around a roll axis, a yaw axis, and a pitch axis; A method comprising:

14. a seat configured to allow a user to sit on the seat and to be rotatable about a roll axis and a yaw axis; a pair of left and right foot rests on which the user's left and right feet are placed, respectively, for the user to exercise their legs; and an operating mechanism for operating the left and right footrests in coordination. A process of detecting angles of the user's left and right lower limb joints around a roll axis, a yaw axis, and a pitch axis; a process of displaying the detected angles of the user's left and right lower limb joints around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis; A program that causes a computer to execute the following.

15. a seat configured to allow a user to sit on the seat and to be rotatable about a roll axis and a yaw axis; a pair of left and right foot rests on which the user's left and right feet are placed, respectively, and which are configured to be rotatable around a roll axis, a yaw axis, and a pitch axis, and which allow the user to exercise their legs; An operating mechanism that operates the left and right footrests in coordination; an angle detection unit that detects angles of the user's left and right lower limb joints around a roll axis, a yaw axis, and a pitch axis; a display unit that displays angles around a roll axis, a yaw axis, and a pitch axis of the user's left and right lower limb joints detected by the angle detection unit; A system for detecting user defects, comprising:

16. 16. A system for detecting user malfunctions according to claim 15, comprising: The display unit a sum of angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of a hip joint of the user's left lower limb, a sum of angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of a knee joint, and a sum of angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of an ankle joint, which are detected by the angle detection unit; The sum of the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the hip joint of the right lower limb, the sum of the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the knee joint, and the sum of the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the ankle joint, Compare and display the A system for user fault detection.

17. 17. A system for detecting user problems according to claim 15 or 16, comprising: a sum of angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of a hip joint of the user's left lower limb, a sum of angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of a knee joint, and a sum of angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of an ankle joint, which are detected by the angle detection unit; The sum of the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the hip joint of the right lower limb, the sum of the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the knee joint, and the sum of the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the ankle joint, and a defect identification unit that identifies a defect location in the user's body based on the difference between the A system for user fault detection.

18. 18. A system for detecting user malfunctions according to claim 17, comprising: The defect identification unit a sum of angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of a hip joint of the user's left lower limb, a sum of angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of a knee joint, and a sum of angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of an ankle joint, which are detected by the angle detection unit; The sum of the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the hip joint of the right lower limb, the sum of the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the knee joint, and the sum of the angles around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis of the ankle joint, Among the angle differences, a joint having an angle difference equal to or greater than a threshold is identified as the defective portion. A system for user fault detection.

19. a seat configured to allow a user to sit on the seat and to be rotatable about a roll axis and a yaw axis; a pair of left and right foot rests on which the user's left and right feet are placed, respectively, and which are configured to be rotatable around a roll axis, a yaw axis, and a pitch axis, and which allow the user to exercise their legs; and an operating mechanism for operating the left and right footrests in cooperation with each other. an angle detection unit detecting angles of the user's left and right lower limb joints around a roll axis, a yaw axis, and a pitch axis; a display unit displaying the detected angles of the user's left and right lower limb joints around a roll axis, a yaw axis, and a pitch axis; A method comprising:

20. a seat configured to allow a user to sit on the seat and to be rotatable about a roll axis and a yaw axis; a pair of left and right foot rests on which the user's left and right feet are placed, respectively, and which are configured to be rotatable around a roll axis, a yaw axis, and a pitch axis, and which allow the user to exercise their legs; and an operating mechanism for operating the left and right footrests in cooperation with each other. A process of detecting angles of the user's left and right lower limb joints around a roll axis, a yaw axis, and a pitch axis; a process of displaying the detected angles of the user's left and right lower limb joints around the roll axis, yaw axis, and pitch axis; A program that causes a computer to execute the following.

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