Exercise teaching device, exercise teaching system, exercise teaching method and program

Abstract

This wearable movement instruction device for giving instruction on physical movement by haptic presentation to the skin of a user comprises: a physical movement information acquisition unit for acquiring information on physical movement by a motion instructor; a plurality of stimulus elements arranged on the skin in proximity to the surface of the user's muscle; and a control unit for controlling the plurality of stimulus elements. Each of the plurality of stimulus elements applies a stimulus to the skin in proximity to the surface of the user's muscle. The control unit controls the plurality of stimulus elements so as to form, on the skin, a mechanical distribution for producing a targeted haptic sensation on the basis of the information acquired by the physical movement information acquisition unit. The interval between adjacent stimulus elements is an interval that allows instruction of spatially continuous haptic sensation. The haptic sensation induces, in the user, the bodily sensation of when the motion instructor is performing the physical movement.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an exercise teaching device, an exercise teaching system, an exercise teaching method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] In fields such as sports and craftsmanship, the transfer of highly skilled experts' skills has become an issue. It is expected that effective skill transfer would be possible if the expert's bodily sensations could be directly conveyed to the user, but no technology that makes this possible is yet known. One technology that attempts to realize this demand is a skill teaching system that can play on a head-mounted display first-person perspective video captured by a stereo camera aligned with the expert's viewpoint during an action, binaurally play back ambient sounds recorded by a binaural microphone, and install a vibration device at a position corresponding to the attachment position of an electromyographic sensor attached to the expert, vibrating the vibration device based on the signal from the electromyographic sensor attached to the expert (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Non-Patent Document 1] Atsushi Hiyama, Yusuke Tsuchiyama, Mariko Miyashita, Eisuke Ebuchi, Masazumi Seki, Michitaka Hirose: "Supporting the inheritance of traditional skills through multisensory reliving from a first-person perspective"; Transactions of the Virtual Reality Society of Japan 16(4), 643-652, 2011 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, when the skill teaching system described in Non-Patent Document 1 uses only a vibration device, it can sequentially teach the user multiple muscles that should be moved in tandem, but because the stimulation is by vibration, it tends to diffuse, and it is not possible to express a state in which the muscles remain tense and still, so it does not yet induce the physical sensations of an expert. Therefore, there is a problem in that it does not achieve a particularly superior teaching effect compared to teaching using only video information.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a wearable device that can teach a user the actions taught by the action instructor by inducing the action instructor's physical sensations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, one aspect of the present invention provides a wearable exercise instruction device for instructing a physical exercise by inducing a physical sensation in a motion instructor by presenting a force sensation to the user's skin. This exercise instruction device includes a physical exercise information acquisition unit that acquires information about the motion instructor's physical exercise, a plurality of stimulation elements that are placed on the skin in proximity to the surfaces of a plurality of the user's muscles, and a control unit that controls the plurality of stimulation elements. Each of the plurality of stimulation elements stimulates the skin in proximity to the surfaces of the user's muscles. The control unit controls the plurality of stimulation elements to form a mechanical distribution on the skin that generates a desired force sensation, based on the physical exercise information acquired by the physical exercise information acquisition unit. This force sensation induces a physical sensation in the user from the motion instructor.

[0007] In one embodiment, the exercise instruction device may include a storage unit that stores information about the body exercise of the exercise instructor. The body exercise information acquisition unit may acquire the body exercise information from the storage unit.

[0008] The stimulation element may stimulate the skin by a rotational movement, and the control unit may control the rotation angle and direction of the stimulation element.

[0009] The control unit may control the stimulation element so that the rotation angle of the stimulation element increases as the desired force sensation increases.

[0010] The stimulation element may stimulate the skin by a rotational movement, and the control unit may control the rotational speed and direction of the stimulation element.

[0011] The control unit may control the stimulation element so that the rotation speed of the stimulation element increases as the desired force sensation increases.

[0012] The stimulation element may stimulate the skin by a rotational movement, and the control unit may control the rotational torque and direction of the stimulation element.

[0013] The control unit may control the stimulation element so that the greater the desired force sensation, the greater the rotational torque of the stimulation element.

[0014] The spacing between adjacent stimulation elements may be such that the ranges of haptics provided by the adjacent stimulation elements overlap.

[0015] The stimulation elements may be placed on the skin adjacent to the surface of the muscles of the user's upper arm, forearm, wrist, finger, thigh, lower leg, ankle, toe, neck, trunk, or waist, or may be placed at a single location on the skin near the thickest part of each muscle, at each location on the skin near the tendon at either end of each muscle, or at multiple locations covering the skin on the surface of each muscle.

[0016] In addition to the rotational movement, the stimulation element may stimulate the skin by electrical stimulation.

[0017] Another aspect of the present invention is a motion teaching system. The system includes the motion teaching device and a motion instructor motion measurement device that measures information on the motion of the motion instructor in real time. The motion information acquisition unit may acquire the information on the motion of the motion instructor from the motion instructor motion measurement device.

[0018] The information on the physical movement of the motion instructor may include myoelectric potential, muscle tension, or skin deformation amount.

[0019] In one embodiment, the exercise instruction system may include a user motion measurement device that measures information on the user's physical motion in real time. The control unit may control the plurality of stimulation elements based on a difference between information on the physical motion of the motion instructor measured by the exercise instructor motion measurement device and information on the physical motion of the user measured by the user motion measurement device.

[0020] The control unit may be characterized by controlling the plurality of stimulation elements to form a mechanical distribution on the skin that generates a force sensation that increases the user's muscle activity so that the difference is small.

[0021] In one embodiment, the movement instruction system may further include a learning unit that outputs a mechanical distribution that generates a desired force sensation when the physical movement information acquisition unit inputs information about the movement instructor's physical movement acquired from the movement instructor movement measurement device, by performing machine learning using information about the movement instructor's physical movement and the mechanical distribution of the movement instructor's skin estimated from the information about the physical movement as learning data.

[0022] In one embodiment, the movement instruction system may include a wearable display device that displays a first-person video captured from the viewpoint of a movement instructor.

[0023] In one embodiment, the movement instruction system may include a microphone that binaurally records ambient sounds while the movement instructor is teaching the movement, and a wearable playback device that plays back the sounds recorded by the microphone.

[0024] Another aspect of the present invention is a movement teaching method for teaching a physical movement by inducing a physical sensation in a movement instructor by presenting a force sensation to the user's skin, the method comprising the steps of acquiring information about the movement of the movement instructor, and applying stimulation to the skin adjacent to the surface of the user's muscle using a plurality of stimulation elements arranged on the skin adjacent to the surface of the user's muscle. Based on the information about the movement, the plurality of stimulation elements form a mechanical distribution on the skin that generates a desired force sensation, and this force sensation induces the physical sensation in the movement instructor.

[0025] Yet another aspect of the present invention is a program. The program causes a computer to execute a movement teaching method for teaching a physical movement by inducing a physical sensation in a movement instructor by presenting a force sensation to the user's skin, the method comprising the steps of acquiring information about the movement of the movement instructor and applying stimulation to the skin adjacent to the surface of the user's muscle using a plurality of stimulation elements placed on the skin adjacent to the surface of the user's muscle. The plurality of stimulation elements form a mechanical distribution on the skin that generates a desired force sensation based on the information about the movement, and the force sensation induces the physical sensation in the movement instructor.

[0026] Any combination of the above components, and any transformation of the present invention into an apparatus, method, system, recording medium, computer program, etc., are also valid aspects of the present invention. [Effects of the Invention]

[0027] According to the present invention, the body movement of the motion instructor can be accurately taught to the user. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] 1 is a functional block diagram of an exercise teaching device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram of an exercise teaching device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 3]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an exercise teaching device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 4] 4 is a diagram showing a user wearing the exercise instruction device of FIG. 3 as viewed from the left rear. [Figure 5] 4 is a perspective view of a stimulating element unit of the exercise teaching device of FIG. 3. FIG. [Figure 6] 10 is a graph showing a positive correlation between the intensity of exercise-based activity and stimulation intensity. [Figure 7] FIG. 22 is a functional block diagram of an exercise instruction system according to a twelfth embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 23 is a functional block diagram of an exercise instruction system according to a fourteenth embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 22 is a functional block diagram of an exercise instruction system according to a seventeenth embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 22 is a functional block diagram of an exercise instruction system according to an eighteenth embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 22 is a functional block diagram of an exercise instruction system according to a nineteenth embodiment. [Figure 12] 16 is a flowchart of an exercise teaching method according to the twentieth embodiment. [Figure 13] 10 is a graph showing a time-series signal of muscle tension when a person starts kicking up their leg. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] The present invention will be described below based on preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. In the embodiments and modified examples, identical or equivalent components, steps, and parts are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted where appropriate. The dimensions of the components in the drawings are enlarged or reduced as appropriate for ease of understanding. Some components that are not important for explaining the embodiments are omitted from the drawings. Terms including ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" are used to describe various components, but these terms are used only to distinguish one component from another and do not limit the components.

[0030] Before describing specific embodiments, the inventor has found that applying shear deformation (deformation along the direction of the skin) to the skin of the human buttocks can reproduce the sensation of acceleration induced when riding in a vehicle and the sensation of vertical movement when going over uneven terrain.

[0031] For example, when a driver accelerates, decelerates, or turns the steering wheel while seated in a car seat, a part of the driver's buttocks undergoes shear deformation in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions. The inventors focused on this phenomenon and discovered that by providing a contactor that moves front-to-back and left-to-right on the seat and applying shear deformation to the subject's buttocks, it is possible to induce and reproduce the sensation of acceleration in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions.

[0032] Furthermore, when riding in a car and going over a bump or unevenness, the body moves and displaces in the vertical direction. It has been found that the sensation of such vertical movement can also be reproduced by shear deformation of the skin. For example, when the buttocks move vertically from the seat surface, the peak of the pressure distribution near the ischial tuberosity displaces toward the tailbone. The inventors focused on this phenomenon and discovered that simply by presenting the displacement of the peak position of the pressure distribution through shear deformation of the skin on the buttocks, it is possible to induce the sensation of being pushed up from the seat surface. Furthermore, the inventors discovered that the sensation of going over unevenness can be induced and reproduced simply by presenting to the buttocks the shear force in the direction of travel that occurs when going over unevenness.

[0033] The inventor hypothesized the following reason for the induction of such sensations. First, when such shear force is applied to the skin, a distribution of mechanical quantity per unit volume, such as a distribution of strain energy (hereinafter referred to as "strain energy density distribution"), is formed on the skin. That is, when a person moves while in contact with a sheet or the like, strain occurs at various points on the skin. The temporal and spatial distribution of this strain energy density is thought to reflect the characteristics of the movement, such as the type, magnitude, and direction of the movement. The frequency of neuronal firing in mechanoreceptors inside the skin, which are responsible for the sense of force, is determined by this strain energy density distribution. Therefore, if a strain energy density distribution corresponding to various movements is formed on the skin by applying a stimulus to the skin, it is thought that it is possible to induce a sensation in the person that they are performing a certain movement, or a sensation of what kind of movement they are about to perform, without actually moving the person.

[0034] The area of ​​the skin to which the stimulation is applied is not limited to the buttocks, but may be any area that allows the formation of a strain energy density distribution corresponding to the desired movement, such as the back, abdomen, head, upper arm, forearm, wrist, fingers, thigh, lower leg, ankle, toes, neck, trunk, or waist. Furthermore, the distribution of mechanical quantities corresponding to the desired movement (hereinafter referred to as "mechanical distribution") is not limited to strain energy density distribution, but also includes distributions of strain (e.g., principal strain, equivalent strain, etc.), force (e.g., shear force, normal force, etc.), and stress (i.e., force per unit area, e.g., pressure, principal stress, von Mises stress, etc.).

[0035] In the following description, the sensation of muscle movement or load felt when a person moves or is about to move their body is referred to as "body sensation." Furthermore, with regard to the force sensation (force sensation) that causes a person's body sensation, presenting the magnitude and direction of that force is referred to as "presenting a force sensation."

[0036] In technical fields such as sports, playing musical instruments, driving, and craftsmanship, if a highly skilled instructor could teach a user the physical sensations of each muscle individually, the model technique could be accurately and efficiently imparted. Information on the model's physical movements can be acquired and accumulated by measuring or estimating the instructor's physical movements. Based on this information, the user can learn the correct movements and muscle usage by applying stimulation to the skin adjacent to the surface of the user's muscles to create a mechanical distribution on the skin that generates the desired force sensation. Conversely, such methods could be used to induce the instructor's physical sensations while the user is performing the movement. By understanding the user's physical sensations in this way, the instructor is expected to be able to provide more accurate guidance for the movement instruction.

[0037] [First embodiment] FIG. 1 shows functional blocks of an exercise instruction device 1 according to a first embodiment. The exercise instruction device 1 instructs a user to exercise by providing a force sensation to the skin S adjacent to the surface of the user's muscle M. The exercise instruction device 1 is wearable; that is, the user can wear the exercise instruction device 1 on their body. The exercise instruction device 1 includes n stimulation elements 11, 12, ..., 1n, a body exercise information acquisition unit 20, and a control unit 30 (n is an integer equal to or greater than 2).

[0038] The body movement information acquisition unit 20 acquires information on the body movement of the movement instructor. The body movement of the movement instructor is the muscle movement when the movement instructor demonstrates a technique, and serves as a model for the user. The body movement information acquisition unit 20 may acquire information stored in advance in a server storage device or the like, or may acquire the actual body movement of the movement instructor in real time via communication. The body movement information acquisition unit 20 transmits the acquired information to the control unit 30.

[0039] The control unit 30 controls the stimulation elements 11, 12, ..., 1n to form a mechanical distribution on the skin S that generates a desired force sensation, based on the information acquired by the body movement information acquisition unit 20. The control unit 30 may be configured using known computer hardware and software.

[0040] Stimulation elements 11, 12, ..., 1n are placed on skin S close to the surface of the user's muscle M. Each of stimulation elements 11, 12, ..., 1n stimulates skin S close to the surface of the user's muscle M. The method by which stimulation elements 11, 12, ..., 1n stimulate skin S may be a mechanical method such as rotational movement, pulling in a shear direction, pressure, or suction. Each of stimulation elements 11, 12, ..., 1n may be capable of presenting a force sensation by itself. Alternatively, a force sensation may be presented only when multiple stimuli work together to form a predetermined mechanical distribution.

[0041] The spacing between adjacent stimulation elements may be a spacing that allows for the presentation of a spatially continuous force sensation. For example, the spacing between adjacent stimulation elements may be a spacing that allows the ranges of force sensations presented by the adjacent stimulation elements to overlap. Alternatively, the spacing between adjacent stimulation elements may be a spacing that falls within the range of the two-point discrimination threshold in the region of the skin.

[0042] The force sense provided by the motion teaching device 1 causes the user to unconsciously reproduce the physical movements of the motion instructor. Although the mechanism by which the user unconsciously reproduces the physical movements of the motion instructor has not yet been elucidated in detail, it is presumed that this is due to the muscles reacting to mechanical distributions, such as strain energy density distributions, generated near each muscle, and contracting reflexly in a coordinated manner. For example, Figure 13 shows time-series signals of muscle tension in the rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, adductor magnus, and gastrocnemius for approximately two seconds when a person begins to kick their leg. Here, although each muscle begins to move almost simultaneously at the start of the movement, each muscle then individually undergoes complex contractions. In other words, a person does not consciously perform these complex muscle contractions at the individual muscle level, but rather demonstrates the skill of having acquired the entire movement of kicking. Therefore, if the user is provided with the time-series changes in mechanical distribution obtained from the physical movements of the motion instructor, the user will experience the physical sensations of the motion instructor and will most effectively master the movement.

[0043] According to this embodiment, by applying a stimulus to the user's skin, the motion instructor can effectively teach the user the physical movement.

[0044] [Second embodiment] Fig. 2 shows functional blocks of an exercise instruction device 2 according to a second embodiment. The exercise instruction device 2 also instructs a user to exercise by providing a force sensation to the skin S adjacent to the surface of the user's muscle M. The exercise instruction device 2 includes n stimulation elements 11, 12, ..., 1n, a body exercise information acquisition unit 20, a control unit 30, and a storage unit 40 (n is an integer equal to or greater than 2). That is, the exercise instruction device 2 includes the storage unit 40 in addition to the configuration of the exercise instruction device 1 in Fig. 1.

[0045] The configuration and operation of the stimulation elements 11, 12, ..., 1n are the same as those of the movement instruction device 1, and therefore will not be described here. The memory unit 40 stores information about the physical movements of the movement instructor. The physical movement information acquisition unit 20 acquires information about the physical movements of the movement instructor from the memory unit 40. For example, the memory unit 40 may store the ideal physical movements of the movement instructor. In this case, the user can learn the model physical movements stored in the memory unit 40. Alternatively, the memory unit 40 may store the user's physical information when the user was in the best condition. In this case, when the user falls into a slump, the user can regain the physical movements they had when they were in the best condition.

[0046] According to this embodiment, by storing information on the physical exercise of the motion instructor in the storage unit 40, the user can learn the desired physical exercise.

[0047] [Third embodiment] The stimulation elements 11, 12, ..., 1n may stimulate the skin by rotational movement, and the control unit 30 may control the rotation angle and direction of the stimulation elements 11, 12, ..., 1n.

[0048] In particular, when presenting a force sensation to the skin close to the surface of a user's muscles, it is desirable that the stimulation applied to the skin be rotational rather than suction, electrical stimulation, thermal stimulation, pressure, or translational motion along the shear direction of the skin. The reasons for this are as follows: First, in this configuration, the stimulation is assumed to be applied to the skin through clothing. In this case, direct application of stimulation such as suction, electrical stimulation, or thermal stimulation is not possible. Second, pressure stimulation hinders the user's movement and is therefore not suitable for teaching physical exercise. Third, when attempting to provide stimulation through translational motion along the shear direction of the skin, the rotational motion of the motor serving as the power source must be converted into translational motion. This results in a complex mechanism, making it difficult to apply to a configuration in which stimulation elements are densely arranged on the skin. In this regard, presenting stimulation through rotational motion can be applied to embodiments without the above-mentioned problems.

[0049] An exercise instruction device 3 according to a third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3 to Fig. 5. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the exercise instruction device 3. Fig. 4 is a view of a user wearing the exercise instruction device 3, seen from the left rear. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a stimulation element unit 50 of the exercise instruction device 3.

[0050] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the exercise instruction device 3 is attached to the left and right thighs and left and right lower legs of the user. Stimulation elements 11, 12, ..., 1n are configured as a total of 32 stimulation elements, i.e., n = 32. As shown in Figure 5, stimulation elements 11, 12, ..., 1n are grouped into one stimulation element unit in groups of four. In other words, the exercise instruction device 3 includes a total of eight stimulation element units.

[0051] The stimulator unit 50 is approximately square. Stimulators are arranged at each of the four corners of the stimulator unit 50. FIG. 5 shows the state in which stimulators 11, 12, 13, and 14 are grouped together in the stimulator unit 50. Eight stimulator units are arranged in the exercise teaching device 3. That is, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, three stimulator units of stimulators 11, 12, ..., 132 are arranged on the skin adjacent to the surfaces of the biceps femoris and quadriceps femoris on the left and right, respectively, and one stimulator unit is arranged on the skin adjacent to the surfaces of the sorrel muscles on the left and right lower legs on the left and right.

[0052] Each of the stimulation elements 11, 12, ..., 132 is disk-shaped with a diameter of 20 mm and a thickness of 5 mm. If the stimulation elements 11, 12, ..., 124 are too hard, they will not conform to the body, causing pain when the edges of the stimulation elements 11, 12, ..., 132 come into contact with the body, and the stimulation elements 11, 12, ..., 132 are likely to slip between the body and clothing. Conversely, if the stimulation elements 11, 12, ..., 132 are too soft, they will not transmit rotational force well. Taking these characteristics into consideration, an appropriate chloroprene rubber sponge is used as the material for the stimulation elements 11, 12, ..., 132.

[0053] A small servo motor is used as the actuator for rotating the stimulation elements 11, 12, ..., 132. The maximum torque that this servo motor can output is 0.2 N·m, which is sufficient to deform the skin on the back. The stimulation elements 11, 12, ..., 132 are controlled to rotate at a rotation angle of 30 degrees and a rotation speed of 60 degrees / second.

[0054] The inventor has experimentally confirmed that by appropriately controlling the rotation angle and direction of the stimulation elements 11, 12, ..., 1n, it is possible to form a mechanical distribution on the skin that generates a physical sensation. In this case, not only the rotation angle but also the time required to reach the rotation angle may be included in the control parameters.

[0055] According to this embodiment, by applying a rotational motion to the user's skin and controlling the angle and direction of the rotation, it is possible to teach physical exercise accurately and efficiently.

[0056] [Fourth embodiment] The control unit 30 may control the stimulation elements 11, 12, ..., 1n so that the rotation angle of the stimulation elements 11, 12, ..., 1n increases as the desired force sensation increases. The inventors have found that there is often a positive correlation between the magnitude of the desired force sensation (i.e., the intensity of an activity based on exercise, etc.) and strain energy density. Furthermore, it has been found that there is also a positive correlation between strain energy density and the rotation angle of the stimulation elements 11, 12, ..., 1n. Therefore, by controlling the stimulation elements 11, 12, ..., 1n so that the rotation angle of the stimulation elements 11, 12, ..., 1n increases as the desired force sensation increases, a bodily sensation can be induced.

[0057] According to this embodiment, the intensity of the exercise-based activity can be increased by increasing the rotation angle, thereby teaching physical exercise.

[0058] [Fifth embodiment] In one embodiment, stimulation elements 11, 12, ..., 1n that stimulate the skin by rotational motion may be used, and by appropriately controlling the rotational speed and direction of these stimulation elements, a mechanical distribution that generates a somatic sensation may be formed on the skin. In this case, not only the rotational speed but also the time it takes to reach that rotational speed may be included as a control parameter.

[0059] According to this embodiment, by applying a rotational motion to the user's skin and controlling the speed and direction of the rotation, it is possible to teach physical exercise accurately and efficiently.

[0060] [Sixth embodiment] The control unit 30 may control the stimulation elements 11, 12, ..., 1n so that the rotational speed of the stimulation elements 11, 12, ..., 1n increases as the desired force sensation (i.e., the intensity of the activity based on exercise, etc.) increases. It has also been found that the strain energy density has a positive correlation with the rotational speed of the stimulation elements 11, 12, ..., 1n. Therefore, by controlling the stimulation elements 11, 12, ..., 1n so that the rotational speed of the stimulation elements 11, 12, ..., 1n increases as the desired force sensation increases, a bodily sensation can be induced.

[0061] According to this embodiment, the intensity of the exercise-based activity can be increased by increasing the rotation speed, thereby teaching physical exercise.

[0062] [Seventh embodiment] In one embodiment, by using stimulation elements 11, 12, ..., 1n that stimulate the skin by rotational motion, a mechanical distribution that generates a somatic sensation may be formed on the skin by appropriately controlling the rotational torque and rotational direction of these stimulation elements. In this case, not only the rotational torque but also the time required to reach the rotational torque may be included as a control parameter.

[0063] According to this embodiment, by applying a rotational motion to the user's skin and controlling the torque and direction of the rotation, it is possible to teach physical exercise accurately and efficiently.

[0064] [Eighth embodiment] The control unit 30 may control the stimulating elements 11, 12, ..., 1n so that the rotational torque of the stimulating elements 11, 12, ..., 1n increases as the desired force (i.e., the intensity of the exercise-based activity, etc.) increases. It has also been found that strain energy density has a positive correlation with the rotational torque of the stimulating elements 11, 12, ..., 1n. Therefore, by controlling the stimulating elements 11, 12, ..., 1n so that the rotational torque of the stimulating elements 11, 12, ..., 1n increases as the desired force increases, a bodily sensation can be induced. In particular, when a user wearing the exercise teaching device 3 exercises, the stimulating electrodes may slip or shift between the user's skin and the stimulating electrodes. In such cases, control based on the rotation angle or rotation speed results in inaccurate control. In contrast, control based on the rotational torque enables accurate control even when the stimulating electrodes slip or shift between the user's skin and the stimulating electrodes during exercise.

[0065] According to this embodiment, the intensity of the exercise-based activity can be increased by increasing the rotational torque, thereby teaching physical exercise.

[0066] In the fourth, sixth, and eighth embodiments, control was performed by utilizing the positive correlation between the target force sensation (i.e., the intensity of the activity based on the movement) and the rotation angle, rotation speed, and rotation torque of the stimulation element (i.e., the stimulation intensity). Figure 6 shows an example of the positive correlation between the intensity of the activity based on the movement and the stimulation intensity.

[0067] [Ninth embodiment] 1 and 2, the spacing between adjacent stimulation elements may be such that the ranges of the force sensations presented by the adjacent stimulation elements overlap. The inventors have found that by providing such spacing between adjacent stimulation elements, it is possible to more reliably present a spatially continuous force sensation.

[0068] [Tenth embodiment] In the above-described embodiment, the stimulation elements are placed on the skin adjacent to the surface of the muscles in the user's thighs and lower legs. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the stimulation elements may be placed on any part of the user's upper arm, forearm, wrist, fingers, ankles, toes, neck, torso, waist, or the like, where the muscles that control movement are located nearby. This embodiment can broaden the range of application to the user's body parts.

[0069] [Eleventh embodiment] The stimulation element may stimulate the skin by electrical stimulation in addition to rotational motion. That is, the stimulation element combines rotational stimulation and electrical stimulation to create a force sensation on the skin that generates a more realistic sensation of physical movement. According to this embodiment, physical movement can be taught accurately.

[0070] [Twelfth embodiment] FIG. 7 shows functional blocks of a motion teaching system 4 according to a twelfth embodiment. The motion teaching system 4 includes the motion teaching device 1 according to the first embodiment and a motion instructor motion measurement device 60. The motion instructor motion measurement device 60 measures the motion instructor's physical motion information in real time. The physical motion information acquisition unit 20 acquires the motion instructor's physical motion information from the motion instructor motion measurement device 60. The motion instructor motion measurement device 60 is, for example, a biosensor attached to various parts of the motion instructor's body. The control unit 30 forms a dynamic distribution on the user's skin based on the motion instructor's physical motion information acquired by the physical motion information acquisition unit 20 from time to time. This allows the user to learn the motion instructor's physical motion in real time. Note that the motion teaching system 4 includes the motion teaching device 1 in the above example, but is not limited thereto. The motion teaching device may be any of the above-described embodiments.

[0071] [Thirteenth embodiment] The physical movement information of the motion instructor may include the motion instructor's myoelectric potential, muscle tension, skin deformation, etc. In this case, the motion instructor motion measuring device 60 includes a myoelectric potential sensor, a muscle strength measuring device, a skin strain measuring device, etc. According to this embodiment, the physical movement information of the motion instructor can be obtained from various biological information.

[0072] [Fourteenth embodiment] FIG. 8 shows functional blocks of an exercise instruction system 5 according to a fourteenth embodiment. The exercise instruction system 5 includes the exercise instruction device 1 according to the first embodiment, a motion instructor motion measurement device 60, and a user motion measurement device 70. The user motion measurement device 70 measures the user's physical motion information in real time. The physical motion information acquisition unit 20 controls the stimulation elements 11, 12, ..., 1n based on the difference between the motion instructor's physical motion information measured by the motion instructor motion measurement device 60 and the user's physical motion information measured by the user motion measurement device 70. The user motion measurement device 70 is, for example, a biosensor attached to various parts of the user's body.

[0073] The more inexperienced the user, the greater the difference between the user's physical movement and the physical movement of the movement instructor. By measuring this difference in real time and controlling the stimulation elements based on this difference, the user's physical movement can be corrected and brought closer to ideal physical movement. In this embodiment, the control unit 30 forms a mechanical distribution on the user's skin based on the difference between the physical movement of the movement instructor and the user, which changes from moment to moment. This allows the user to learn the desired physical movement by correcting their own physical movement based on the physical movement of the movement instructor as a model. Note that, although an example has been described in which the movement instruction system 5 includes the movement instruction device 1, this is not limited thereto, and the movement instruction device may be any of the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0074] [Fifteenth embodiment] The control unit 30 controls the stimulation elements 11, 12, ..., 1n to form a dynamic distribution on the skin that generates a force sensation that increases the user's muscle activity, so that the difference between the physical movement information of the motion instructor measured by the motion instructor motion measurement device 60 and the physical movement information of the user measured by the user motion measurement device 70 is reduced. That is, the control unit 30 forms a dynamic distribution on the user's skin that generates a physical sensation that makes the user move their muscles more strongly or faster, in order to make the user's physical movement closer to that of the motion instructor. This allows the user to learn the desired physical movement by modifying their own physical movement to move their muscles more strongly or faster than the physical movement of the motion instructor they are modeling.

[0075] [Sixteenth embodiment] The control unit 30 controls the stimulation elements 11, 12, ..., 1n to form a dynamic distribution on the skin that generates a force sensation that causes the user to stop muscle activity, so that the difference between the physical movement information of the motion instructor measured by the motion instructor motion measurement device 60 and the physical movement information of the user measured by the user motion measurement device 70 is reduced. That is, the control unit 30 forms a dynamic distribution on the user's skin that generates a physical sensation that causes the user to stop the muscles that the user is currently exercising, in order to make the user's physical movement closer to the physical movement of the motion instructor. This allows the user to learn the target physical movement by modifying their own physical movement to stop their muscles relative to the physical movement of the motion instructor that they are modeling.

[0076] [Seventeenth embodiment] FIG. 9 shows functional blocks of a motion teaching system 6 according to a seventeenth embodiment. The motion teaching system 6 includes the motion teaching device 1 according to the first embodiment, a motion instructor motion measurement device 60, a learning unit 80, and a dynamic distribution estimation unit 21. The learning unit 80 has two motion modes: a first motion mode and a second motion mode. Here, the first motion mode is a learning mode, and the second motion mode is a control mode. In the learning mode, the learning unit 80 performs machine learning on a large amount of learning data, using the motion instructor's body motion information and the dynamic distribution of the motion instructor's skin estimated by the dynamic distribution estimation unit 21 from the body motion information. The dynamic distribution may be directly observed using an electromyographic sensor or the like as a motion instructor motion measurement device, or it may be estimated from the state of skin deformation using a finite element method or the like. On the other hand, in the control mode, when the physical movement information of the motion instructor acquired by the physical movement information acquisition unit 20 from the motion instructor motion measurement device 60 is input, the learning unit 80 outputs a dynamic distribution estimated based on the learning results to the control unit 30. The control unit 30 controls each stimulation element on the user's skin to form the dynamic distribution on the user's skin, thereby inducing a physical sensation of the motion instructor in the user. The conversion from the dynamic distribution to the control amount of each stimulation element is performed using a table that shows the relationship between the two in advance.

[0077] Machine learning may be performed by a known AI. The specific AI technique is not particularly limited, but neural networks such as a convolutional neural network (CNN), a recurrent neural network (RNN), or a long short-term memory (LSTM) network may be used. In this case, different neural networks may be mixed for each computational model while sharing a common input layer. In this embodiment, a large number of pairs of presented haptics and dynamic distributions that generate the haptics are prepared, and these are used as learning data for the AI ​​to learn. This allows the AI ​​to output a dynamic distribution that generates a desired haptic when the body movement information of the action instructor is input.

[0078] According to this embodiment, by using machine learning, it is possible to estimate with high accuracy a dynamic distribution that generates a desired force sensation from the physical movement information of the motion instructor.

[0079] [Eighteenth embodiment] FIG. 10 shows functional blocks of an exercise instruction system 7 according to an eighteenth embodiment. The exercise instruction system 7 includes the exercise instruction device 1 according to the first embodiment, a motion instructor motion measurement device 60, a camera 90, and a display device 92. The camera 90 captures images of the physical exercise of the motion instructor. The display device 92 is a wearable display device that displays images captured by the camera 90 to the user. The camera 90 may be, for example, a high-definition camera or a stereo camera. The display device 92 may be, for example, an HMD (head-mounted display). According to this embodiment, by combining skin stimulation by stimulation elements 11, 12, ..., 1n with visual stimulation by the display device 92, it is possible to teach physical sensations with a greater sense of realism.

[0080] [19th embodiment] FIG. 11 shows functional blocks of an exercise instruction system 8 according to a nineteenth embodiment. The exercise instruction system 8 includes the exercise instruction device 1 according to the first embodiment, a motion instructor motion measurement device 60, a microphone 94, and a playback device 96. The microphone 94 records audio accompanying the physical exercise of the exercise instructor. The playback device 96 is a wearable playback device that plays back the audio recorded by the microphone 94 to the user. The microphone 94 may be, for example, a stereo microphone such as a binaural microphone. The playback device 96 may be, for example, headphones. According to this embodiment, by combining skin stimulation by stimulation elements 11, 12, ..., 1n with auditory stimulation by the playback device 96, it is possible to teach physical sensations with a higher sense of realism.

[0081] [Twentieth embodiment] FIG. 12 shows the processing flow of a movement teaching method according to a twentieth embodiment. This movement teaching method includes step S1 of acquiring information about the physical movement of a movement instructor, and step S2 of applying stimulation to the skin adjacent to the surface of the user's muscle using a plurality of stimulation elements placed on the skin adjacent to the surface of the user's muscle. The plurality of stimulation elements form a mechanical distribution on the skin that generates a desired force sensation based on the physical movement information. The spacing between adjacent stimulation elements is such that a spatially continuous force sensation can be taught. The force sensation induces a physical sensation in the user when the movement instructor is performing the physical movement.

[0082] In step S1, this movement teaching method acquires information on the physical movement of the movement instructor. The physical movement of the movement instructor is the muscle movement when the movement instructor demonstrates a technique, and serves as a model for the user. In step S1, information stored in advance in a storage device or the like may be acquired, or the actual physical movement of the movement instructor may be acquired in real time.

[0083] In step S2, the exercise teaching method uses a plurality of stimulation elements placed on the skin adjacent to the surface of the user's muscle to stimulate the skin adjacent to the surface of the muscle. The stimulation elements may stimulate the skin by mechanical methods such as rotational movement, pulling in a shear direction, compression, or suction. Each stimulation element may be capable of presenting a force sensation by itself. Alternatively, a plurality of stimuli may work together to form a predetermined mechanical distribution, which is the first time that a force sensation is presented.

[0084] The spacing between adjacent stimulation elements is a spacing that allows for the presentation of a spatially continuous force sensation. If the spacing between stimulation elements is too far, the force sensation will be spatially discontinuous. In this case, it will be impossible to form a force distribution on the skin that will generate the desired force sensation. The spacing between adjacent stimulation elements may be, for example, a spacing that allows the ranges of force sensation presented by the adjacent stimulation elements to overlap. Alternatively, the spacing between adjacent stimulation elements may be a spacing that is within the range of the two-point discrimination threshold in the region of the skin.

[0085] The force sense induces in the user a physical sensation when the movement instructor is performing the movement. In other words, the force sense presented by this movement teaching method allows the user to accurately obtain a sense of which muscles to move and at what intensity, including changes over time, in order to reproduce the movement of the movement instructor (i.e., to perform ideal movement).

[0086] According to this embodiment, by applying a stimulus to the user's skin, the motion instructor can accurately teach the user the physical movement.

[0087] [Twenty-first embodiment] The 21st embodiment is a program. This program causes a computer to execute the exercise instruction method according to the 20th embodiment. According to this embodiment, highly realistic physical exercise instruction can be realized as software.

[0088] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above. These embodiments are merely examples, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the claims of the present invention, and that such modifications and changes also fall within the scope of the claims of the present invention. Therefore, the descriptions and drawings in this specification should be treated as illustrative rather than restrictive.

[0089] [Variations] The following describes the modified examples. In the drawings and descriptions of the modified examples, the same or equivalent components and members as those in the embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals. Explanations that overlap with the embodiment will be omitted as appropriate, and the description will focus on the configurations that differ from the first embodiment.

[0090] The mechanical distribution formed on the skin by the stimulation elements may be a strain energy density distribution. Alternatively, the mechanical distribution may be a strain distribution, which may be a principal strain or equivalent strain. Alternatively, the mechanical distribution may be a force distribution, which may be a shear force or a normal force. Furthermore, the mechanical distribution may be a stress distribution, which may be a pressure, a principal stress, or a von Mises stress.

[0091] These modifications each provide the same functions and effects as the embodiment.

[0092] Any combination of the above-described embodiments and modifications is also useful as an embodiment of the present invention. A new embodiment resulting from the combination has the combined effects of each of the combined embodiments and modifications. [Industrial Applicability]

[0093] The present invention is industrially applicable as an exercise teaching device, an exercise teaching system, an exercise teaching method, and a program. [Explanation of symbols]

[0094] 1. Motion teaching device 2. Motion teaching device 3. Motion teaching device 4. Motion teaching system 5. Motion teaching system 6. Motion teaching system 7. Motion teaching system 8. Motion teaching system 11. Stimulator 12. Stimulator 13. Stimulator 14. Stimulator 1n··Stimulation element 20...Physical exercise information acquisition department 30 Control section 40...Storage section 50 stimulator units 60··Movement instructor motion measurement device 70. User movement measurement device 80··Learning Department 90··Camera 92·Display device 94··Microphone 96...Playback device M··Muscle S··Skin S1: Step to acquire information on the physical movements of the instructor S2. Applying stimulation to the skin adjacent to the surface of the user's muscle using a plurality of stimulation elements positioned on the skin adjacent to the surface of the user's muscle.

Claims

1. A wearable exercise teaching device for teaching a user physical exercise by presenting a force sensation to the skin in proximity to the user's muscles, comprising: a memory unit that stores information on model physical movements; a physical exercise information acquisition unit that acquires information on the model physical exercise from the storage unit; a learning unit that performs machine learning using the information on the model body movement and a dynamic distribution estimated from the information on the model body movement as learning data, and outputs a dynamic distribution that generates a desired force sensation when the information on the model body movement acquired by the body movement information acquisition unit from the storage unit is input; a plurality of stimulation elements positioned on the skin adjacent to a surface of the user's muscle; a control unit that controls the plurality of stimulation elements, each of the plurality of stimulation elements applies stimulation to skin adjacent to a surface of the user's muscle; the control unit controls the plurality of stimulation elements to form a dynamic distribution on the skin that generates a desired force sensation based on the information acquired by the body movement information acquisition unit; The motion teaching device is characterized in that the force sense induces a physical sensation in the user when a motion instructor is performing a physical movement.

2. The stimulation element stimulates the skin by a rotational movement, The exercise teaching device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls a rotation angle and a rotation direction of the stimulation element.

3. 3. The exercise teaching device according to claim 2, wherein the control unit controls the stimulation element so that the rotation angle of the stimulation element increases as the desired force sense increases.

4. The stimulation element stimulates the skin by a rotational movement, The exercise teaching device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls a rotation speed and a rotation direction of the stimulation element.

5. 5. The exercise teaching device according to claim 4, wherein the control unit controls the stimulation element so that the rotation speed of the stimulation element increases as the target force sense increases.

6. The stimulation element stimulates the skin by a rotational movement, 3. The exercise teaching device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls a rotational torque and a rotational direction of the stimulation element.

7. 7. The exercise teaching device according to claim 6, wherein the control unit controls the stimulation element so that the rotational torque of the stimulation element increases as the target force sense increases.

8. 8. The exercise teaching device according to claim 1, wherein the interval between adjacent stimulation elements is such that a spatially continuous force sensation can be presented by the adjacent stimulation elements.

9. 9. The exercise teaching device according to claim 1, wherein the stimulation element is placed on the skin adjacent to the surface of a muscle in the user's upper arm, forearm, wrist, finger, thigh, lower leg, ankle, toes, neck, torso, or waist.

10. 8. The exercise teaching device according to claim 2, wherein the stimulation element stimulates the skin by electrical stimulation in addition to rotational movement.

11. An exercise teaching device according to any one of claims 1 to 10; a motion measuring device for measuring information on the physical motion of the motion instructor in real time; The motion teaching system is characterized in that the body movement information acquisition unit acquires information on the body movement of the motion instructor from the motion instructor motion measurement device.

12. 12. The movement teaching system according to claim 11, wherein the information on the physical movement of the movement instructor includes myoelectric potential, muscle tension, or skin deformation.

13. a user motion measurement device that measures information on the user's physical motion in real time; The motion instruction system described in claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the control unit controls the multiple stimulation elements based on the difference between the information on the physical movement of the motion instructor measured by the motion instructor motion measurement device and the information on the physical movement of the user measured by the user motion measurement device.

14. The exercise instruction system of claim 13, wherein the control unit controls the plurality of stimulation elements to form a mechanical distribution on the skin that generates a force sensation that increases muscle activity in the user so that the difference is reduced.

15. The exercise instruction system of claim 13, wherein the control unit controls the plurality of stimulation elements to form a mechanical distribution on the skin that generates a force sensation that causes the user to stop muscle activity so that the difference is reduced.

16. A movement instruction system described in any one of claims 11 to 15, characterized in that the learning unit performs machine learning using information on the physical movement of the movement instructor and a mechanical distribution estimated from the information on the physical movement as learning data, and when the physical movement information acquisition unit receives information on the physical movement of the movement instructor acquired from the movement instructor motion measurement device, outputs a mechanical distribution that generates the desired force sensation.

17. a wearable display device that displays a first-person video of the motion instructor captured from a viewpoint position of the motion instructor; The exercise teaching system according to any one of claims 11 to 16, comprising:

18. a microphone for recording ambient sounds during the physical exercise of the movement instructor; a wearable playback device that plays back the audio recorded by the microphone; The exercise teaching system according to any one of claims 11 to 16, comprising:

19. 1. A computer-based exercise teaching method for teaching a user physical exercise by presenting a force sensation to the user's skin, comprising: a step of causing the computer to perform machine learning using information on a model body movement and a dynamic distribution estimated from the information on the model body movement as learning data; acquiring information on the model body movement by the computer and outputting a dynamic distribution that generates a desired force sensation; applying stimulation to the skin adjacent to the surface of the user's muscle using a plurality of stimulation elements positioned on the skin adjacent to the surface of the user's muscle; The plurality of stimulation elements form the mechanical distribution on the skin based on an output from the computer; The movement teaching method is characterized in that the force sense induces a physical sensation in the user when a movement instructor is performing a physical movement.

20. A step of causing a computer to perform machine learning using information on a model body movement and a mechanical distribution estimated from the information on the model body movement as learning data; acquiring information on the model body movement by the computer and outputting a dynamic distribution that generates a desired force sensation; applying stimulation to the skin adjacent to the surface of the user's muscle using a plurality of stimulation elements positioned on the skin adjacent to the surface of the user's muscle; the plurality of stimulation elements form a mechanical distribution on the skin that generates the desired force sensation based on an output from the computer; A program that causes a computer to execute a method characterized in that the force sense induces a physical sensation in the user when a motion instructor is performing a physical movement.

Images