Inverted Pendulum Vehicle Rider Detection via Motor Current
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inverted pendulum type vehicles face challenges in accurately determining whether a rider is on board, leading to inconvenient travel control due to erroneous state determinations caused by inadequate weight distribution on load sensors.
Innovation Solution
The vehicle employs a control unit that estimates the presence of a rider based on the observation value of the electric motor's energizing current, without the need for a dedicated sensor, and adjusts travel control accordingly, using additional current command values and reference current values to enhance estimation reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a load sensor is used to detect rider presence, then the occupied state can be detected, but the detection reliability deteriorates when the rider's weight is not sufficiently applied to the sensor due to varying mounting positions or postures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical load sensor detection system with an electrical current-based detection system. The control unit estimates rider presence by observing the energizing current of the electric motor, which changes depending on the total mass being moved. This substitution eliminates the need for direct mechanical weight measurement, thereby resolving the reliability issue caused by varying rider positions and postures on the load sensor.
2Adaptability or versatility
If gain value for feedback control is adjusted according to load sensor detection, then the control can adapt to occupied/unoccupied states, but erroneous determination leads to inconvenient travel control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the control unit continuously monitors the energizing current of the electric motor and uses this information to determine rider presence. Based on this determination, the control unit automatically adjusts the gain value for feedback control to match the appropriate operating state (occupied or unoccupied). This closed-loop feedback system ensures accurate state detection and appropriate control adaptation, eliminating the inconvenience caused by erroneous determinations.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is an inverted pendulum type vehicle capable of properly estimating whether or not a rider is thereon and controlling the travel of the vehicle by reflecting the result of the estimation. An inverted pendulum type vehicle 1, in which a traveling unit is driven by electric motors 31R, 31L, includes an occupied/unoccupied estimating unit (a first estimating unit) 62, which estimates whether or not a rider is on the vehicle 1 based on the observation values of the energizing currents of the electric motors 31R, 31L. A control unit 50 controls the operations of the electric motors 31R, 31L according to the estimation result of the estimating unit 62.