JP2011183976A - Welfare vehicle system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a system inhibiting movement of a welfare vehicle while an autonomous mobile robot performs getting in/out operation, in order to further improve safety. <P>SOLUTION: The mobile robot 200 with a care-receiver riding thereon gets in the welfare vehicle 100. The welfare vehicle 100 includes a getting in/out monitoring device 130 for monitoring the motion of the mobile robot 200 getting in/out of the welfare vehicle 100. The getting in/out monitoring device 130 permits the start of the welfare vehicle 100 only in a state where the mobile robot 200 safely gets in the welfare vehicle, or in a state where the mobile robot 200 is safely separated from the welfare vehicle 100. Otherwise, it inhibits the start of the welfare vehicle 100. The getting in/out monitoring device 130 locks a shift lever 160 of the welfare vehicle 100 when inhibiting the start of the welfare vehicle 100, and unlocks the shift lever 160 when permitting the start of the welfare vehicle. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle system for welfare. Specifically, the present invention relates to a system that prevents a welfare vehicle from starting erroneously while getting on and off when an electric wheelchair robot gets on and off the welfare vehicle.

In recent years, autonomous mobile robots used for nursing care have been developed. For example, electric wheelchair mobile robots are known. There is also known a welfare vehicle in which a cared person can board the entire mobile robot while riding the autonomous mobile robot.
Since the cared person can move to the welfare vehicle as it is on the autonomous mobile robot, the burden on the body is small and easy. The caregiver can easily carry the cared person while the cared person is on the mobile robot.

Of course, for the sake of safety, the welfare vehicle is stopped while the autonomous mobile robot is working on the welfare vehicle or while the autonomous mobile robot is getting off the welfare vehicle. There must be.
Therefore, the driver of the welfare vehicle pays close attention so that the welfare vehicle does not start while the autonomous mobile robot is getting on and off. And after talking to the cared person and the carer and confirming safety, the welfare vehicle is started.

  Various disabled wheelchair-type vehicles have been proposed in which disabled persons using wheelchairs load and unload wheelchairs on their own, and in some cases they drive themselves to their destinations. Patent Documents 1 to 5 propose control systems and the like that support the getting on and off operations.

JP 2003-126157 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-294075 JP 2003-275251 A JP 2005-265818 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-146128

However, a driver of a welfare vehicle or a caregiver has a great mental burden because the nerve must be used so that the autonomous mobile robot never starts moving while getting on and off.
Also, as a cared person, if I think that the welfare vehicle will start moving with some accident, I will be scared.
There is a need for a welfare vehicle system that further enhances safety and reduces the mental burden on the safety aspects of drivers and caregivers of welfare vehicles, while also increasing the sense of security for care recipients. .

The welfare vehicle system of the present invention includes:
A mobility support vehicle that travels with a cared person,
A welfare vehicle on which the movement support vehicle can board, and a welfare vehicle system for carrying a cared person,
The welfare vehicle is
A boarding / alighting monitoring device that monitors the movement of the movement support vehicle to / from the welfare vehicle,
The boarding / alighting monitoring device comprises:
Permits the start of the welfare vehicle only when the movement support vehicle is safely on the welfare vehicle or when the movement support vehicle is safely separated from the welfare vehicle. Is characterized by prohibiting the start of the welfare vehicle.

In the present invention,
The welfare vehicle has a connection device for connecting and fixing the movement support vehicle to a floor;
When the movement support vehicle is in the vehicle of the welfare vehicle and the movement support vehicle is connected and fixed to the floor by the connecting device,
It is preferable that the boarding / alighting monitoring apparatus determines that the movement support vehicle is safely on the welfare vehicle and permits the start of the welfare vehicle.

In the present invention,
The welfare vehicle and the movement support vehicle are capable of wireless communication,
The movement support vehicle has a self-position recognition unit that recognizes whether the vehicle is inside or outside the welfare vehicle,
When the wireless communication can be established, the boarding / alighting monitoring device preferably receives a result of self-position recognition from the self-position recognition unit and determines whether the movement support vehicle is inside or outside the welfare vehicle.

In the present invention,
The movement support vehicle is separated from the welfare vehicle more than a predetermined separation distance that can ensure safety,
And when the connecting device is not operating,
It is preferable that the boarding / alighting monitoring device permits the start of the welfare vehicle by judging that the movement support vehicle has safely got out of the welfare vehicle.

In the present invention,
The communicable area of the wireless communication is up to a predetermined separation distance that can ensure the safety,
When wireless communication cannot be established and the result of self-position recognition by the self-position recognition unit in the last communication is outside the vehicle,
It is preferable that the boarding / alighting monitoring apparatus determines that the movement support vehicle is separated from the welfare vehicle by a distance greater than or equal to a predetermined separation distance that can ensure safety.

In the present invention,
The boarding / alighting monitoring device comprises:
When prohibiting the start of the welfare vehicle, lock the shift lever of the welfare vehicle,
When permitting the start of the welfare vehicle, the shift lever is preferably unlocked.

The welfare vehicle of the present invention is
It is a welfare vehicle on which a movement support vehicle traveling with a cared person can ride,
A boarding / alighting monitoring device that monitors the movement of the movement support vehicle to / from the welfare vehicle,
The boarding / alighting monitoring device comprises:
Permits the start of the welfare vehicle only when the movement support vehicle is safely on the welfare vehicle or when the movement support vehicle is safely separated from the welfare vehicle. Is characterized by prohibiting the start of the welfare vehicle.

The figure which shows a mode that a mobile robot (movement assistance vehicle) gets into a welfare vehicle. The figure which shows a welfare vehicle from diagonally backward. The figure which shows the path | route which a mobile robot gets into the welfare vehicle 100. FIG. The system block diagram of a welfare vehicle. The figure which shows the state which has fixed the mobile robot to the floor with the connection apparatus. The figure which shows a communication area. The side view of a mobile robot. The block diagram which shows the system configuration | structure of a mobile robot. The flowchart which shows the process sequence which determines whether a shift lever is locked in a boarding / alighting monitoring apparatus, or lock release. The figure which shows the state in which the mobile robot is connected with the floor by the connection apparatus in the welfare vehicle. The figure which shows the state which the mobile robot has got in the vehicle of a welfare vehicle, but is not being fixed to the floor with the connection apparatus. The figure which shows the case where a mobile robot is boarding work in the vicinity of a welfare vehicle, or is getting off work. The figure which shows the state which the mobile robot got off from the welfare vehicle and was further separated to a safe position outside the communication area. The figure which shows the electric wheelchair which has an auxiliary wheel as a movement assistance vehicle.

Embodiments of the present invention will be illustrated and described with reference to reference numerals attached to respective elements in the drawings.
(First embodiment)
A first embodiment according to the present invention will be described.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a mobile robot (movement support vehicle) getting into a welfare vehicle.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the welfare vehicle obliquely from the rear.

  The welfare vehicle 100 is a car equipped with a mechanism that allows a person with a physical disability to get in easily and can be stably fixed in the car. Therefore, the welfare vehicle 100 is a so-called hatchback type, and includes a large opening / closing door 110 that opens upward together with the rear window at the rear of the vehicle. Furthermore, the welfare vehicle 100 has a slope device 120 for the mobile robot 200 to travel.

  The slope device 120 is, for example, a foldable type, and can be deployed outward from the entrance 111 when the opening / closing door 110 is opened. The mobile robot 200 can smoothly get on and off the welfare vehicle 100 by traveling on the road surface of the slope device 120 (FIG. 3).

FIG. 4 is a system block diagram of the welfare vehicle 100.
The welfare vehicle 100 includes a boarding / alighting monitoring device 130, a coupling device 101, a wireless communication unit 140, and a shift lock control unit 150.

The boarding / alighting monitoring device 130 is a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that performs arithmetic processing, a control program executed by the CPU, a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores arithmetic programs, and a RAM that temporarily stores processing data and the like (Random Access Memory) and the like, and the determination based on the flowchart of FIG. 9 is performed to lock / release the shift lever 160.
The operation of the boarding / alighting monitoring device 130 will be described later with reference to FIG.

The coupling device 101 is a fixing means for fixing the mobile robot 200 to the floor 170 of the welfare vehicle. The connecting device is provided on the floor 170 of the welfare vehicle 100 so that the mobile robot 200 can be connected and fixed to the floor 170 when the mobile robot 200 reaches a predetermined position.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the mobile robot 200 is fixed to the floor 170 with the connecting device 101.

  The connecting device 101 has a pair of front and rear hooks 102 and a support bar 103, and the pair of front and rear hooks 102 are connected to the front end portion and the vicinity of the base end portion of the support bar 103. Then, the pair of hooks 102 are adapted to be hooked on the mobile robot 200 with one touch using the support bar 103 as shown in FIG. Further, tension is applied by pulling with an electric winch or the like (not shown) provided on the connecting hook 102 in order to eliminate looseness. Accordingly, the mobile robot 200 can be firmly fixed to the floor 170 of the welfare vehicle 100, and the care recipient can be safe.

The coupling device 101 is electrically connected to the boarding / alighting monitoring device 130, and the boarding / alighting monitoring device 130 can detect the operating state of the coupling device 101.
That is, the boarding / alighting monitoring device 130 includes a state in which the connecting device 101 is operated to fix the mobile robot 200 to the floor 170 (connected state) and a state in which the connecting device 101 is not used (non-connected state). It can be detected separately.

The wireless communication unit 140 can wirelessly communicate with the wireless communication unit 237 of the mobile robot 200.
Here, examples of the communicable area include the following.
First, at least in the vehicle of the welfare vehicle 100, an area including the connection position from the entrance 111 is a communicable area.

In addition, the outside of the welfare vehicle 100 is as follows.
In FIG. 6, the minimum separation distance Ls that can ensure safety even when the mobile robot 200 moves away from the rear end of the slope device 120 and the welfare vehicle 100 starts is defined as a safety separation distance Ls.
At this time, the communicable area is up to the safe separation distance Ls.
In the present embodiment, for example, in FIG. 6, about 5 m from the wireless communication unit 140 toward the rear is used as a communication area.

By setting the communication area in this manner, when the mobile robot 200 goes out of the communication area and becomes unable to communicate, it is determined that the mobile robot 200 is separated from the welfare vehicle 100 by the safe separation distance Ls or more. It will be possible.
Conversely, when the mobile robots 200 are within the communication area and can communicate with each other, it is determined that the mobile robots 200 are either securely fixed to the welfare vehicle 100 or are being boarded / exited. it can.

  The received content received by the wireless communication unit 140 is sent to the boarding / alighting monitoring device 130.

The shift lock control unit 150 locks and unlocks the shift lever 160.
Specifically, when receiving a shift lock instruction from the boarding / alighting monitoring device 130, the shift lock control unit 150 locks the shift lever 160 and prohibits the shift operation. In addition, when receiving a lock release instruction from the boarding / alighting monitoring device 130, the shift lock control unit 150 releases the lock of the shift lever 160 to enable a shift operation.

  For example, if the welfare vehicle 100 is stopped and the shift lever 160 is locked while the shift lever 160 is in the neutral position, for example, the welfare vehicle 100 cannot be started. When the shift lever 160 is unlocked, the shift lever 160 can be operated. In this state, when the driver (driver) puts the shift lever 160 into the drive, the welfare vehicle 100 can start.

Next, the mobile robot 200 will be described.
FIG. 7 is a side view of the mobile robot.
The mobile robot 200 has a vehicle body 210 and a pair of left and right coaxial wheels 220R and 220L, and travels autonomously while maintaining stability by so-called inverted pendulum control.
The vehicle body 210 has a chair shape so that a cared person can sit there.
The pair of wheels 220R and 220L are coaxially arranged on both sides in the direction orthogonal to the traveling direction of the vehicle body 210 and are rotatably supported by the vehicle body 210.
In addition, an operation lever 211 (see FIG. 8) is attached to the vehicle body 210, and by operating this operation lever 211, the mobile robot can run in any direction.
For example, when the operation lever 211 is tilted in the front-rear direction, the mobile robot 200 is moved forward or backward, and when the operation lever 211 is tilted in the left-right direction, the mobile robot 200 is swung.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of the mobile robot.
The mobile robot 200 includes an angle detection sensor 231, an attitude sensor unit 232, a pair of drive circuits 233R and 233L, a pair of drive units 234R and 234L, a pair of wheel speed sensors 235R and 235L, and cameras 236F and 236R. The wireless communication unit 237 and the control device 240 are provided.

  The angle detection sensor 231 is attached to the rotation shaft of the operation lever 211. As the angle detection sensor 231, for example, a potentiometer, a variable capacitor structure sensor, or the like can be applied. The angle detection sensor 231 detects an operation amount and an operation direction when the operation lever 211 is rotated in a desired direction that the passenger or caregiver wants to turn. When the operation lever 211 is operated, the angle detection sensor 231 outputs an operation signal corresponding to the operation amount and the operation direction to the control device 236.

  The attitude sensor unit 232 is disposed on the vehicle body 210 and detects the pitch angle, pitch angular velocity, acceleration, and the like of the vehicle body 210 when the mobile robot 200 is traveling. The attitude sensor unit 232 includes, for example, a gyro sensor and an acceleration sensor.

The left and right wheel speed sensors 235R and 235L are disposed on the left and right wheels 220R and 220L, respectively, and detect the wheel speeds of the wheels 220R and 220L, respectively.
The wheel speed sensors 235R and 235L output the detected wheel speeds of the wheels 220R and 220L to the control device 236.

  The pair of drive circuits 233R and 233L are built in the vehicle body 210 and drive the left and right wheel drive units 234R and 234L, respectively.

The cameras 236R and 236L image the surroundings of the mobile robot 200 and send the captured image data to the control device 240.
Here, the cameras 236R and 236L provide image data for the mobile robot 200 to perform self-position recognition. For example, one camera may be provided before and after the mobile robot 200.

The wireless communication unit 237 communicates with the wireless communication unit 140 of the welfare vehicle 100.
The setting of the communicable area is basically the same as described with reference to FIG. 6, and is omitted here.

The control device 240 includes a travel control unit 241, a self-position recognition unit 242 and a communication control unit 243.
Based on the pitch angle and pitch angular velocity of the vehicle body 210 detected by the attitude sensor unit 232, the traveling control unit 241 is configured so that each of the wheel drive units 234R and 234L so that the mobile robot 200 that is a coaxial two-wheeled vehicle moves while maintaining a balance. Is controlled. At this time, the traveling control unit 241 gives a torque command to the wheel drive units 234R and 234L so as to move at a speed instructed by the operation lever 211. Thereby, the mobile robot 200 travels at a desired speed.

The self-position recognition unit 242 obtains the self-position of the mobile robot 200 based on the image data from the cameras 236F and 236R.
Here, as self-position recognition, at least whether the vehicle is inside the welfare vehicle 100 or the vehicle outside the welfare vehicle 100 can be distinguished and recognized.
Various recognition methods are conceivable.
For example, when both the front camera 236F and the rear camera 236R image the inside of the welfare vehicle 100, it can be recognized that the mobile robot 200 is inside the welfare vehicle.
When either one of the front camera 236F and the rear camera 236R images the appearance of the welfare vehicle 100, it can be recognized that the mobile robot 200 is outside the welfare vehicle.
The self-position recognition unit 242 sends the self-position recognition result to the communication control unit 243.

  The communication control unit 243 transmits the result of the self-position recognition from the wireless communication unit 237 to the wireless communication unit 140 of the welfare vehicle 100.

Next, a processing procedure for determining whether the shift lever 160 is locked or unlocked in the boarding / alighting monitoring device 130 will be described.
When the mobile robot 200 does not get on or off the welfare vehicle 100, that is, when it is not getting on or off, it is safe even if the welfare vehicle 100 starts. Therefore, the boarding / alighting monitoring device 130 determines whether the mobile robot 200 is safely on the welfare vehicle 100 or whether the mobile robot 200 is separated from the welfare vehicle 100 by a distance greater than the distance at which it can be secured. The shift lever 160 is unlocked only when it is determined to be safe.
In other cases, that is, when the mobile robot 200 is getting on and off, or when the state of the mobile robot 200 cannot be specified, the shift lever 160 is kept locked.

This will be specifically described.
FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for determining whether the shift lever 160 is locked or unlocked in the boarding / alighting monitoring device 130.
First, the boarding / alighting monitoring device 130 determines whether or not the mobile robot 200 is near the welfare vehicle 100.
Specifically, it is determined whether communication with the wireless communication unit 237 of the mobile robot 200 can be established (ST100).
The case where communication can be established (ST100: YES) is a case where the mobile robot 200 is in the communication area.
At this time, there may be a case where the mobile robot 200 is safely on the welfare vehicle and a case where the mobile robot 200 is in a boarding / exiting operation.

For example, in all of FIG. 10, FIG. 11, and FIG. 12, the mobile robot is in the communication area.
FIG. 10 shows a state where the mobile robot 200 is connected to the floor by the connecting device 101 in the welfare vehicle. In this case, the welfare vehicle 100 may start.
On the other hand, in the case of FIG. 11 and FIG. 12, the mobile robot 200 is getting on and off, and the welfare vehicle 100 should not start.

If communication can be established (ST100: YES), the boarding / alighting monitoring device 130 subsequently determines whether or not the mobile robot 200 is in the vehicle (ST110).
Here, the mobile robot 200 recognizes whether its own position is inside the vehicle or outside the vehicle by the self-position recognition unit 242.
The boarding / alighting monitoring device 130 communicates with the mobile robot 200 via the wireless communication units 140 and 237, and receives the result of self-position recognition from the mobile robot 200.

When the position of the mobile robot 200 is in the vehicle (ST110: YES), the state of the mobile robot 200 may be the case of FIG. 10 or the case of FIG.
That is, as shown in FIG. 11, even when the mobile robot 200 is in the vehicle of the welfare vehicle 100, it may not be fixed to the floor 170 by the connecting device 101.
Therefore, next, the boarding / alighting monitoring device 130 determines whether the mobile robot 200 is safely fixed to the floor 170 (ST111).
That is, the boarding / alighting monitoring device 130 determines whether or not the connecting device 101 is operating (ST111).

When the coupling device 101 is operating and the mobile robot 200 is safely fixed to the floor 170 (ST111: YES), the mobile robot 200 is safely on the welfare vehicle 100 and is not in the boarding / exiting operation (non-working) (ST112). That is, as shown in FIG. 10, the mobile robot 200 is safely on board.
In this case, it is safe even if the welfare vehicle 100 starts.
Therefore, the boarding / alighting monitoring device 130 instructs the shift lock control unit 150 to release the lock of the shift lever 160 (ST113).
Thereby, the shift lever 160 is unlocked, and the welfare vehicle 100 can start.

Here, in ST110, when the self-position recognition by the mobile robot 200 is outside the vehicle (ST110: NO), the mobile robot 200 is in the communication area but not in the vehicle.
This state is, for example, the state shown in FIG. 12, that is, the mobile robot 200 is getting on or getting off in the vicinity of the welfare vehicle 100 (ST115: getting on and off), and in this state, the welfare vehicle 100 cannot start.
Therefore, the boarding / alighting monitoring device 130 locks the shift lever (ST116).

Further, in ST111, when connecting device 101 is not operating (ST111: NO), mobile robot 200 is in the vehicle, but is not securely fixed to floor 170.
This state is, for example, the state shown in FIG. 11, that is, the mobile robot 200 is getting on or getting off in the vehicle of the welfare vehicle 100 (ST115: getting on / off work). The vehicle 100 cannot start.
Therefore, the boarding / alighting monitoring device 130 locks the shift lever 160 (ST116).

On the other hand, when communication is not established in ST100 (ST100: NO), it is considered that mobile robot 200 is not in the communication area.
However, the case where the communication is not established may be a failure of the radio communication units 140 and 237. Therefore, when communication is not established (ST100: NO), the past communication record is searched, and it is confirmed whether or not the mobile robot 200 was outside the welfare vehicle 100 at the time of the last communication (ST120). . When the self-position recognition of the mobile robot 200 is outside the vehicle in the last communication (ST120: YES), the mobile robot 200 must get off the welfare vehicle 100 and be further separated to a safe position outside the communication area. become.
This is the state of FIG. 13, for example.

Here, the boarding / alighting monitoring device 130 confirms the state of the coupling device 101 to ensure further safety (ST121).
After confirming that coupling device 101 is not operating (ST121: NO), it is determined that mobile robot 200 is separated to a safe position outside the communication area (ST122), and shift lever 160 is unlocked. Let
Thereby, the shift lever 160 is unlocked, and the welfare vehicle 100 can start.

Here, in ST120, when the self-position recognition of the mobile robot 200 is not outside the vehicle at the time of the last communication (ST120: NO), for example, it is considered that the wireless communication units 140 and 237 are out of order.
In this case, the state of the mobile robot cannot be specified, and the state is unknown (ST124).
For example, there may be a state where the mobile robot 200 is in the vicinity of the welfare vehicle in a state where communication is impossible.
Therefore, in this case, the boarding / alighting monitoring device 130 locks the shift lever 160 (ST124).
In ST121, when the connecting device 101 is operating (ST121: YES), the state of the mobile robot 200 is unknown depending on whether the connecting device 101 is in trouble or the wireless communication units 140 and 237 are in trouble.
Therefore, the boarding / alighting monitoring device 130 locks the shift lever 160 and prohibits the start of the welfare vehicle 100.

According to this embodiment having such a configuration, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) The state of the mobile robot 200 is automatically determined by the boarding / alighting monitoring device 130, and the shift lever 160 can be operated only when the safety of the mobile robot 200 can be confirmed. Lock the welfare vehicle 100 so that it cannot start.
As a result, the welfare vehicle 100 does not start during the getting-on / off operation of the mobile robot 200 regardless of any accident.
Therefore, the improvement in safety can be further ensured.
In addition, since the fail-safe function as in this embodiment is provided, it is possible to reduce the mental burden on the safety aspect of the driver of the welfare vehicle 100 and the caregiver.
It also increases the sense of security for the care recipient.

(2) In this embodiment, the size of the communication area is set to the safe separation distance Ls.
Accordingly, when communication cannot be established, it can be determined that the mobile robot 200 is outside the communication area, that is, the mobile robot 200 is separated to the safe zone.
For example, by providing a laser distance sensor or the like on at least one of the welfare vehicle 100 and the mobile robot 200, the separation distance between the mobile robot 200 and the welfare vehicle 100 is specifically obtained, thereby determining whether or not it is a safe separation distance. Although it is conceivable to make the determination, the equipment becomes expensive and the calculation processing increases.
In this regard, according to the configuration of the present embodiment, the equipment is simple and no complicated calculation is required.

(3) In this embodiment, even when communication cannot be established, the last communication log is confirmed (ST120), and the operating state of the coupling device 101 is also confirmed (ST121), and then the shift lever 160 is unlocked. Let
Thereby, for example, misjudgment caused by wireless communication troubles can be prevented.

(4) In this embodiment, when the start is prohibited, the movement of the shift lever 160 is locked.
Thereby, start of a welfare vehicle can be prohibited simply and reliably.
For example, the start of the welfare vehicle can be prohibited by controlling the parts other than the shift lever, such as a brake device, an engine, and an accelerator device, but the control may be difficult.
In addition, when starting is prohibited by controlling parts that are not visible to the driver, such as brake devices, engines, and accelerator devices, it is difficult for the driver to know whether starting is prohibited by the boarding / alighting monitoring device or whether the vehicle is malfunctioning. .
In this respect, it is relatively easy to lock the movement of the shift lever 160 as in this embodiment because it can be realized by a mechanical mechanism.
If the shift lever 160 is locked and does not move when attempting to start accidentally, the driver can instantly know that the start is prohibited by the boarding / alighting monitoring device.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be changed as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
Although the boarding / alighting monitoring device has been described for the case where the start of the welfare vehicle is prohibited by locking the shift lever, various means can be taken as long as the starting can be permitted only during non-boarding / alighting.
For example, the brake may be released only when the passenger is not getting on or off, or the accelerator may be depressed only when the passenger is not getting on or off.
Alternatively, instead of locking / releasing the operation of the shift lever, the power and the axle may be connected only when the passenger is not getting on and off regardless of the movement of the shift lever.

In the above embodiment, the communication area is limited to the safe separation distance Ls, and if the mobile robot is out of the communication area, it can be determined that the mobile robot is safely separated from the welfare vehicle.
In addition, for example, the communicable area may be further widened, and the mobile robot may measure the distance from the welfare vehicle.
As a configuration for the mobile robot to measure the distance from the welfare vehicle, for example, a laser distance measuring device may be provided.
Then, it may be possible to determine whether or not the mobile robot is separated to the safe distance based on the distance measurement, and a step of determining whether or not the mobile robot is separated to the safe distance may be added after ST100.

  In the above embodiment, the case of the coaxial two-wheeled mobile robot that performs the inversion control is illustrated, but for example, as shown in FIG. 14, an electric wheelchair 300 having auxiliary wheels may be used.

100 ... welfare vehicle, 101 ... coupling device, 102 ... hook, 103 ... support bar, 110 ... opening / closing door, 111 ... entrance / exit, 120 ... slope device, 130 ... boarding / exiting monitoring device, 140 ... wireless communication unit, 150 ... shift lock Control unit, 160 ... shift lever, 170 ... floor, 200 ... mobile robot, 210 ... vehicle body, 211 ... control lever, 220R, 220L ... wheel, 231 ... angle detection sensor, 232 ... attitude sensor unit, 233R, 223L ... drive circuit , 234 ... Communication control unit, 234R, 234L ... Drive unit, 235R, 235L ... Wheel speed sensor, 236 ... Control device, 236F, 236R ... Camera, 237 Wireless communication unit, 240 ... Control device, 241 ... Travel control unit, 242 ... Self-position recognition unit, 243 ... Communication control unit, 300 ... Electric wheelchair.

Claims (7)

A mobility support vehicle that travels with a cared person,
A welfare vehicle on which the movement support vehicle can board, and a welfare vehicle system for carrying a cared person,
The welfare vehicle is
A boarding / alighting monitoring device that monitors the movement of the movement support vehicle to / from the welfare vehicle,
The boarding / alighting monitoring device comprises:
Permits the start of the welfare vehicle only when the movement support vehicle is safely on the welfare vehicle or when the movement support vehicle is safely separated from the welfare vehicle. The welfare vehicle system is characterized in that start of the welfare vehicle is prohibited. In the vehicle system for welfare according to claim 1,
The welfare vehicle has a connection device for connecting and fixing the movement support vehicle to a floor;
When the movement support vehicle is in the vehicle of the welfare vehicle and the movement support vehicle is connected and fixed to the floor by the connecting device,
The said boarding / alighting monitoring apparatus judges that the said movement assistance vehicle is riding on the welfare vehicle safely, and permits the start of the said welfare vehicle. The welfare vehicle system characterized by the above-mentioned. In the welfare vehicle system according to claim 2,
The welfare vehicle and the movement support vehicle are capable of wireless communication,
The movement support vehicle has a self-position recognition unit that recognizes whether the vehicle is inside or outside the welfare vehicle,
When the wireless communication can be established, the boarding / alighting monitoring device receives a result of self-position recognition from the self-position recognition unit and determines whether the movement support vehicle is inside or outside the welfare vehicle. Welfare vehicle system. In the welfare vehicle system according to claim 3,
When the movement support vehicle is separated from the welfare vehicle more than a predetermined separation distance that can ensure safety, and the connecting device is not operating,
The boarding / alighting monitoring apparatus judges that the movement support vehicle has safely got out of the welfare vehicle, and permits the start of the welfare vehicle. In the welfare vehicle system according to claim 4,
The communicable area of the wireless communication is up to a predetermined separation distance that can ensure the safety,
When wireless communication cannot be established and the result of self-position recognition by the self-position recognition unit in the last communication is outside the vehicle,
The said boarding / alighting monitoring apparatus judges that the said movement assistance vehicle is separated from the said welfare vehicle more than the predetermined separation distance which can ensure safety. The welfare vehicle system characterized by the above-mentioned. In the welfare vehicle system according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The boarding / alighting monitoring device comprises:
When prohibiting the start of the welfare vehicle, lock the shift lever of the welfare vehicle,
When the start of the welfare vehicle is permitted, the shift lever is unlocked. It is a welfare vehicle on which a movement support vehicle traveling with a cared person can ride,
A boarding / alighting monitoring device that monitors the movement of the movement support vehicle to / from the welfare vehicle,
The boarding / alighting monitoring device comprises:
Permits the start of the welfare vehicle only when the movement support vehicle is safely on the welfare vehicle or when the movement support vehicle is safely separated from the welfare vehicle. The welfare vehicle is characterized by prohibiting the start of the welfare vehicle.

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