Exercise Support Device Using Intermittent Angular Velocity Sensor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing exercise support devices struggle to accurately determine foot landing during running due to sensor position shifts caused by vibrations, leading to unstable or incorrect judgments and increased power consumption from angular velocity sensors.
Innovation Solution
A processor-controlled exercise support system using sensor data from both acceleration and angular velocity sensors to determine foot landing by analyzing angular velocity data around the traveling direction, minimizing power consumption through intermittent driving of the angular velocity sensor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If an angular velocity sensor is continuously operated to accurately detect foot landing, then measurement precision is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The angular velocity sensor is operated intermittently rather than continuously. The control unit activates the sensor only at specific intervals when foot landing detection is needed, and deactivates it during periods when detection is not required. This periodic operation maintains measurement precision when needed while significantly reducing overall power consumption during exercise monitoring.
2Ease of operation
If a sensor device is worn on the waist to measure running motion, then ease of operation is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates due to vertical position shifts from vibrations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the detection task by using multiple sensors (angular velocity sensor and acceleration sensor) rather than relying on a single sensor position. The angular velocity sensor detects rotational motion while the acceleration sensor detects vertical vibrations. By processing data from both sensors, the system compensates for position shifts caused by vibrations, maintaining measurement precision while allowing convenient waist-mounted operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The acceleration sensor acts as an intermediary that detects vertical position shifts caused by vibrations. This information is used to compensate for position changes affecting the angular velocity sensor measurements. The control unit processes data from both sensors together, using the acceleration data to correct or compensate for position shifts, thereby maintaining accurate foot landing detection despite sensor movement on the vibrating waist.
3Speed
If the rotation of the chest becomes larger than the rotation of the waist at high running speeds, then the intermediate rotation point moves near the waist, but measurement precision deteriorates because the sensor position on the waist shifts vertically due to vibrations
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the detection parameters by using angular velocity data around the traveling direction (Y-axis) rather than relying solely on traditional waist rotation measurements. This parameter change allows accurate detection even when the sensor position shifts vertically, because the angular velocity component around the traveling direction remains relatively stable and characteristic of foot landing events, enabling stable foot landing judgment at high running speeds.
Data Source
AI summary
An exercise support device and an exercise support method are provided by which a judgment regarding the landing of the left and right feet of a user can be accurately made with low power consumption, so that the user can appropriately grasp and judge the balance of the use of the body in an exercise. First, based on changes in acceleration in a vertical direction with respect to the ground which has been acquired by a sensor section worn on the body during a running exercise, landing timing at which one of the left and right feet is landed is detected. Then, based on whether a difference between angular velocities around a traveling direction axis immediately after the latest landing timing and the preceding landing timing has a positive or negative value, whether the landed foot is the left foot or the right foot is judged.