Walking Aid Vehicle Slope Control Logic
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional walking aid vehicles face difficulties in providing smooth assistance on slopes due to insufficient force applied by users, leading to inadequate electric motor control and inefficient upslope navigation.
Innovation Solution
A walking aid vehicle equipped with driving wheels, trailing wheels, an operation part for user input detection, and inclination detection means, which shifts control modes based on slope inclination and user input to optimize motor torque generation for effective upslope climbing, preventing the vehicle from being pulled backward during normal control and enabling drag force assistance during pull control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If normal control is used on an upslope, then the vehicle generates reverse direction torque responsive to pushing the operation part forward, but the vehicle cannot provide sufficient driving force to overcome gravity and assist the user in climbing the slope
Solution Approach 1:
The control system dynamically switches between normal control and pull control based on detected operating conditions (slope angle and user input force). When pushing force exceeds a threshold on an upslope, the system transitions from normal control (generating reverse torque) to pull control (generating normal direction torque), thereby adapting the vehicle's response to provide sufficient climbing assistance while maintaining ease of operation.
2Reliability
If the vehicle generates reverse direction torque in response to pushing the operation part forward on an upslope, then the control responds to user input, but the vehicle moves backward instead of forward, failing to assist the user in climbing
Solution Approach 1:
The invention inverts the conventional control logic for upslope conditions. Instead of generating reverse direction torque in response to forward pushing (which causes backward movement), the system generates normal direction torque when pushing force exceeds the threshold on an upslope. This inversion of the torque direction resolves the contradiction by making the vehicle move forward to assist climbing while still responding reliably to user input.
3Force
If the vehicle requires sufficient pushing force to overcome gravity on a slope, then the vehicle can generate enough driving torque, but users with limited strength cannot apply sufficient force to initiate movement
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of the operating condition (slope angle and pushing force) before determining the appropriate control mode. When the user applies any pushing force on an upslope exceeding the threshold, the system proactively switches to pull control mode, which generates normal direction torque to assist climbing. This preliminary action allows the vehicle to provide assistance before the user needs to exert excessive force, making operation easier for users with limited strength.
Data Source
AI summary
A walking aid vehicle (1) includes: an operation part (3) provided on an upper portion of a vehicle body for grasping by a user in a walking posture; a detector (30) for detecting an operation force applied to the operation part; and an inclination detector (20) for detecting inclination of the vehicle body. When an advance direction inclination detected by the detector is less than threshold, a normal control (100) generates a normal direction torque in the drive motor (40L, 40R) responsive to pushing the operation part (3) forward and generates a reverse direction torque in the drive motor responsive to pulling the operation part rearward, and when the advance direction inclination is equal to or greater than threshold and pushing operation force is detected, a shift to a pull control (110) is made which generates normal direction torque in the drive motor responsive to a pulling operation force.