JP2019217182A - Walking state measurement device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a walking state measurement device including a measurement unit for acquiring walking information that is to be taken as an insole of a shoe and a walking state measurement device enabling confirmation of a walking state of an older person.SOLUTION: A walking state measurement device includes a measurement unit for measuring a walking state of a wearer, the measurement unit being to be taken as an insole of a shoe. Thereby, the measurement unit can be transferred even when the shoe has been worn away, which enables reduction in an economic load. The walking state measurement device also acquires vertical acceleration data on the wearer's foot and elevation/depression angle data on toes of the foot. The data is effective especially for evaluating a shuffling state of an older person or the like and is available for speculation or diagnosis with respect to a degree of reduction of the wearer's lower limb function (muscle power or the like).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a walking state measuring device in which a measuring unit is formed as an insole for shoes and acquires walking information when a wearer walks.

  With the advent of an aging society, the need for preventive medicine is attracting attention. In this preventive medicine, it is said that to improve QOL (quality of life), it is effective to improve lifestyle by improving lifestyle at a healthy stage before illness. With the recent health boom, there is a growing momentum for walking and jogging. In addition, many application programs such as a pedometer and a smartphone for measuring the distance and the number of steps of walking and jogging have been developed. However, these measuring machines mainly measure the distance and the number of steps as described above, and do not evaluate the walking itself. In this regard, Patent Literature 1 below discloses an invention relating to athletic shoes in which a pressure sensor is disposed at the bottom of the shoe and data on a landing shock force and a kicking force during running can be collected. .

JP-A-6-14803

  However, the invention described in [Patent Literature 1] has a problem in that the shoe body is expensive because the measuring device is built into the shoe. Further, since shoes are worn by use, it is necessary to replace them regularly, and in each case, there is a problem that it is economically burdensome to purchase shoes with a measuring device.

  In addition, especially in the elderly, a decrease in muscular strength causes raising and lowering of the feet and shortening of the stride. Therefore, by confirming the walking state of the elderly, it is possible to evaluate the degree of lowering of the lower limb function of the elderly to some extent. In addition, by confirming the walking state, it is possible to alert the user during walking and to provide accurate exercise guidance. However, the invention described in [Patent Literature 1] cannot confirm the walking state of an elderly person with weak muscle strength, so-called sliding foot walking, and further improvement is desired in this regard.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a walking state measuring device in which a measuring unit for acquiring walking information is a shoe insole. It is another object of the present invention to provide a walking state measuring device capable of confirming the walking state of the elderly.

The present invention
(1) A walking information acquisition unit 32 formed as an insole of the shoe 12 to acquire vertical acceleration data of a wearer's foot and elevation / depression angle data of a toe of the wearer, and wirelessly communicate the acceleration data and elevation / depression angle data. A measuring unit 30 having a communication unit 34 for transmitting by
The above object is achieved by providing a walking state measuring device 80, comprising: a data processing unit 50 that receives the acceleration data and the elevation / depression angle data to acquire data on a walking state of a wearer. I do.
(2) The measurement unit 30 further includes a pressure sensor for acquiring pressure data applied to the shoe sole, and the communication unit 34 further transmits the pressure data.
The problem is solved by providing the walking state measuring device 80 according to the above (1), wherein the data processing unit 50 determines a swing phase in which the foot is not touching the ground based on the pressure data. I do.
(3) The measuring unit 30 further includes a position information acquiring unit 36 for acquiring its own position information, and the communication unit 34 further transmits the position information.
The data processing unit 50 obtains the movement amount in a predetermined period from the position information, obtains the number of steps of the measurement unit 30 in the predetermined period based on the pressure data, and divides the movement amount by the number of steps. The above-mentioned problem is solved by providing the walking state measuring device 80 according to the above (2), wherein the step of the wearer is calculated.
(4) The pressure sensor is composed of a heel pressure sensor 38a that acquires heel pressure data applied to the heel of the measuring unit 30, and a toe pressure sensor 38b that acquires toe pressure data applied to the toe of the measuring unit 30,
The walking state measuring device 80 according to the above (2) or (3), wherein the data processing unit 50 acquires the ground contact state of the wearer's foot from the heel pressure data and the toe pressure data. This solves the above problem.
(5) The measuring unit 30 includes a storage layer 42 formed of a hard member, a member storage unit 42 a provided at least on an arch portion of the storage layer 42, and a storage member 42 formed of a hard member. A cover layer 44 fixed to the upper surface of the cover layer 42 and covering the member accommodating portion 42a; an upper buffer layer 46a fixed to the upper surface of the cover layer 44 and made of a flexible material; A lower buffer layer 46b made of a material,
The provision of the walking state measuring device 80 according to any one of the above (1) to (4), wherein at least the walking information acquisition unit 32 and the communication unit 34 are accommodated in the member accommodation unit 42a. To solve the above problem.
(6) The measurement unit 30 includes a rechargeable secondary battery and a flat coil 24 that charges the secondary battery,
The walking state measuring device according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the flat coil 24 charges the secondary battery by electromagnetic induction between a feeding coil connected to an external power supply. The above-mentioned problem is solved by providing the 80.

  In the walking state measuring device according to the present invention, the measuring unit that measures the walking state of the wearer is an insole of the shoe. Therefore, even when the shoes are worn, the measuring unit can be transferred, and the economical burden can be reduced. Further, the walking state measuring device according to the present invention acquires vertical acceleration data of the wearer's foot and elevation / depression angle data of the toe of the foot. These data are particularly effective for evaluating the state of the sliding feet of the elderly and the like, and can be used for estimating and diagnosing the degree of deterioration of the lower limb function (muscle strength and the like) of the wearer.

It is a figure showing composition of a walking state measuring device concerning the present invention. It is a figure showing composition of a measuring part of a walking state measuring device concerning the present invention. It is a figure showing composition of a measurement part of a walking state measuring device concerning the present invention provided with an edge.

  An embodiment of a walking state measuring device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Here, FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a walking state measuring device 80 according to the present invention. 2A is a schematic cross-sectional view of the measuring unit 30 included in the walking state measuring device 80, and FIG. 2B is a diagram of the internal configuration of the measuring unit 30 viewed from above.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the walking state measuring device 80 according to the present invention includes a measuring unit 30 formed as an insole of the shoe 12 and data for receiving data from the measuring unit 30 and acquiring walking state data. And a processing unit 50. Then, the measurement unit 30 acquires the vertical acceleration data of the wearer's foot and the elevation / depression angle data of the toe of the wearer's foot, and the walking information acquisition unit 32, and wirelessly transmits the acceleration data and the elevation / depression angle data. It has at least the communication unit 34 for transmitting and the power supply unit 20 for supplying electric power to each unit constituting the measuring unit 30.

  Further, the walking information acquisition unit 32 constituting the measurement unit 30 of the present invention can use a well-known sensor capable of detecting acceleration and inclination in at least one direction (up and down direction). Although they may be provided separately, it is particularly preferable to use an acceleration sensor with an angle detection function capable of outputting them simultaneously.

  Further, as the power supply unit 20 of the measuring unit 30, a rechargeable lithium ion battery, a thin lithium ceramic battery, or the like can be used in addition to a well-known button battery. When a rechargeable secondary battery is used for the power supply unit 20, the charging of the secondary battery may be performed by a wire via a USB terminal or another charging terminal, for example. For example, it is preferable to provide a flat coil 24 and perform charging using the flat coil 24. In this case, it is preferable to use a flat coil 24 in which an electric wire is wound in a flat shape in order to make the measuring unit 30 thin. In this configuration, a power supply coil connected to an external power supply is disposed close to and opposed to the flat coil 24, and charging of the secondary battery can be performed in a non-contact manner by electromagnetic induction between the power supply coil and the flat coil 24. It becomes possible. Therefore, it is preferable from the viewpoint of charging efficiency that the flat coil 24 has a large area and is provided on the lower surface side as much as possible.

  Further, as the data processing unit 50, a mobile terminal, a personal computer, or the like in which a predetermined application program is installed can be used. Among them, it is particularly preferable to use a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet. In this case, it is preferable that the communication unit 34 of the measurement unit 30 use a short-range wireless device such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or Wi-Fi that can communicate with these portable terminals with low power consumption. The communication unit 34 may include a long-distance wireless device capable of transmitting data using a commercial data communication network, in addition to the short-range wireless device. According to this configuration, each data can be transmitted to the data processing unit 50 (a personal computer or the like) via the Internet even when the wearer does not have a portable terminal. When the measurement unit 30 includes the position information acquisition unit 36, the communication unit 34 transmits its own position information using a long-distance wireless device or the like, so that the approximate position of the wearer can be grasped even from a long distance. can do. Thereby, even if the wearer gets lost, quick protection is possible.

  In addition, the measuring unit 30 obtains its own position information using a GPS (Global Positioning System), a well-known position information obtaining unit 36, and obtains the weight of the wearer by measuring the grounding state of the wearer's foot. A well-known pressure sensor that determines the presence or absence of the pressure may be provided. In addition, the installation position of the pressure sensor is preferably at the heel or toe of the measuring unit 30, and it is particularly preferable to provide the pressure sensor at both the heel and the toe. The position information obtained by the position information obtaining unit 36, the heel pressure data applied to the heel of the measuring unit 30 obtained by the heel pressure sensor 38a, and the toe pressure applied to the toe of the measuring unit 30 obtained by the toe pressure sensor 38b The data is transmitted to the data processing unit 50 via the communication unit 34 together with the acceleration data and the elevation / depression angle data.

  Next, a preferred example of the layer configuration of the measuring unit 30 will be described. A preferred layer configuration of the measurement unit 30 is, for example, a storage layer 42 formed of a hard member such as ceramics or hard plastic, and a hard layer such as a carbon fiber laminated material such as carbon fiber fixed to the upper surface of the storage layer 42. A cover layer 44 made of a flexible material, an upper buffer layer 46a fixed to the upper surface of the cover layer 44 and made of a flexible material such as rubber or urethane, and a flexible material like the rubber or urethane. A lower buffer layer 46b fixed to the lower surface of the storage layer 42. In this case, the flat coil 24, the heel pressure sensor 38a, the toe pressure sensor 38b, and the like are preferably provided between the lower surface of the storage layer 42 and the lower buffer layer 46b.

  A member accommodating portion 42a is formed at least on the arch portion of the accommodating layer 42, and the walking information acquiring section 32, the communication section 34, the position information acquiring section 36, and the like are accommodated in the member accommodating section 42a. The cover layer 44 covers and protects the upper surface of the member accommodating portion 42a. At this time, it is preferable that the arch portion where the member accommodating portion 42a is located is raised in a hill shape so that a load from the wearer's foot is not applied, and the volume of the member accommodating portion 42a is increased while the accommodation layer 42 is thinned. . Note that the member accommodating portion is preferably provided in the arch portion where the load from the foot is unlikely to be applied as described above, but may be provided in other portions as long as the protection by the cover layer 44 is sufficient. Further, it is preferable to form a through hole in the storage layer 42 as appropriate, and connect each part by passing a wiring through the through hole. Furthermore, it is preferable that the measurement unit 30 be configured to bend at this portion by, for example, dividing the hard storage layer 42 and the cover layer 44 at the base of the toe.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the measuring unit 30 is provided with an edge 40 extending upward so as to cover the heel of the wearer, and accommodates the power supply unit 20 and other components in the edge 40. May be. Since the upper surface of the edge portion 40 is exposed from the opening of the shoe 12, a switch for turning on / off the power of the measuring unit 30, a charging terminal for charging the power supply unit 20, a pilot lamp, and the like may be provided. . Further, the flat coil 24 may be provided in the edge portion 40. In this case, for example, a charger is provided with a side wall that surrounds the edge 40 of the measuring unit 30 so that the power supply coil on the charging side can be disposed close to the flat coil 24, and a power supply coil is provided on this side wall. Is preferred.

  Next, the operation of the walking state measuring device 80 according to the present invention will be described. Here, an example in which a mobile terminal is used as the data processing unit 50 will be described. First, when the power supply unit 20 is a secondary battery, the measuring unit 30 is set in a dedicated charger. In this charger, a feeding coil is arranged at a position facing the flat coil 24 of the measuring unit 30. That is, when the flat coil 24 is provided on the bottom side of the measuring unit 30, the feeding coil is provided on the mounting surface of the measuring unit 30, and when the flat coil 24 is provided on the edge 40. In the first embodiment, the feeding coil is provided on a side wall surrounding the edge portion 40. Then, after setting the measuring unit 30 in the charger, the power of the charger is turned on. Thereby, the power supplied from an external power supply such as a commercial power supply is converted into a high-frequency voltage of, for example, 100 kHz and applied to the power supply coil. As a result, an induced current flows through the flat coil 24 due to electromagnetic induction between the flat coil 24 and the power feeding coil, and the power supply unit 20 is charged.

  Then, after the power supply unit 20 is sufficiently charged, the measuring unit 30 is inserted into the shoe 12 of the wearer as an insole. It is preferable that the measuring unit 30 is attached to either the left or right shoe 12, and a dummy insole having substantially the same shape and weight as the measuring unit 30 is inserted into the other shoe 12. Next, the wearer puts on the shoe 12 and turns on the power of the measuring unit 30. In addition, the data processing unit 50 of the portable terminal of the wearer (or accompanying person) is activated. Thereby, the communication unit 34 (short-range wireless device) of the measurement unit 30 and the data processing unit 50 are wirelessly connected. Next, when the wearer walks, the walking information acquisition unit 32 outputs acceleration data and elevation / depression angle data corresponding to the walking state of the wearer, and the communication unit 34 transmits these data to the data processing unit 50.

  Here, the relationship between the acceleration data and the elevation / depression angle data of a healthy person with sufficient muscular strength during walking will be briefly described. First, when a person walks, the center of gravity is shifted to the front foot and the heel of the rear foot is lifted (heel off). Thereby, the toe and the toe ball portion bend. At this time, the toes of the feet fall downward as viewed from the ankle side, and the elevation / depression angle data shows a negative value with the horizontal plane as zero. Next, the knee joint of the rear foot is slightly bent to lift the foot off the heel. As a result, the toe of the rear foot separates from the ground (toe release), and the rear foot floats in the air to enter the swing phase. Next, the knee joint and the hip joint of the foot are bent, and the thigh is raised. As a result, the feet in the swing phase are lifted diagonally upward. At this time, the acceleration data indicates an upward positive value. Next, the knee joint is extended and the foot swings forward. At this time, usually, the toes face obliquely upward with the swing of the feet, and the elevation / depression angle data shows a positive value with respect to the horizontal plane. Then, the foot touches the heel (heel touchdown). Next, the hip joint extends and the thigh rotates, the torso of the wearer moves forward, and the entire sole of the foot touches the ground (plantar touchdown).

  On the other hand, for example, an elderly person whose muscle strength has decreased has a weak force of the thigh muscle for bending the knee joint and the large psoas muscle for bending the hip joint, and the lifting of the foot during the swing phase is small. This is reflected in the upward acceleration data during the swing phase. Then, the smaller the value of the upward acceleration data is, the smaller the lift amount of the foot is, and it is understood that the walking state is closer to the sliding foot. Elderly people with reduced muscular strength have weak triceps muscles to lift the toes, and the toes that are obliquely upward when turning out the feet may be horizontal or downward. In this case, the elevation / depression angle data in the swing phase is near zero or a negative value. When the upward acceleration data in the swing leg period is small and the elevation / depression angle data has a negative value, the wearer wears a small amount of foot, and the toe is facing down, and the wearer wears it. It can be said that the person is in a walking state in which the person easily trips and the risk of falling is high.

  As described above, particularly in confirming the walking state of the elderly, it can be said that the acceleration data and the elevation / depression angle data during the swing phase are particularly important. Therefore, it is preferable to obtain the data by determining the swing phase during walking. It is preferable that the determination of the swing leg period be made by determining whether or not the wearer's weight is applied to the shoes 12 using the pressure sensor as described above, that is, whether or not the shoes 12 are in contact with the ground. When the measurement unit 30 has both the heel pressure sensor 38a and the toe pressure sensor 38b, the data processing unit 50 performs a period in which both the heel pressure data and the toe pressure data are smaller than a preset threshold, that is, the heel pressure data. The period during which the wearer's weight is not applied to the toe is also determined as the swing period, the upward acceleration data during this period is used as the amount of lifting of the foot, and the elevation and depression angle data is used as the toe angle at the time of the swing leg. I do. Note that the determination of the swing leg period can be made by using only one of the heel pressure sensor 38a and the toe pressure sensor 38b. However, in the case of using only the heel pressure sensor 38a, the period from the heel release to the toe release is also determined to be the swing phase. In the case of using only the toe pressure sensor 38b, the period from the heel contact to the sole contact is also determined as the swing phase. Therefore, it is necessary to exclude this data so that it is not recognized as the data of the walking state in the swing phase.

  In the configuration including the heel pressure sensor 38a, the toe direction at the time of heel contact can be acquired from the elevation / depression angle data at the time of heel contact. This is one of the factors for determining whether the wearer is touching the ground from the heel or touching the ground with the sliding foot. Further, in a configuration including both the heel pressure sensor 38a and the toe pressure sensor 38b, the wearer takes off from the ground, the contact state at the time of contact, that is, the takeoff with the toe, based on the numerical values of the heel pressure data and the toe pressure data. Further, it is possible to acquire the data of the walking state of whether or not the heel is touching the ground in more detail. In addition, in this configuration, it is possible to determine when the heel is off, when the toe is off, and when the heel is in contact. You can get the toe direction. Thereby, the state of the sliding foot of the wearer can be grasped in detail. Further, in the configuration including the toe pressure sensor 38b, the force at the time of swinging the foot, that is, the speed of swinging the foot, can be obtained indirectly by the numerical value of the toe pressure data at the time of toe release. This is one of the factors for determining the muscle strength level of the wearer. Then, the data processing unit 50 acquires these data as a part of the walking state data, so that the walking state of the wearer can be represented in more detail.

  In the configuration in which the swing leg period is determined by the pressure sensor, the number of steps (the number of steps of one leg of the wearer) of the measuring unit 30 can be obtained by counting the swing leg period. In this configuration, the step of the wearer can be calculated from the position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit 36. For example, the position information acquisition unit 36 acquires the position information of itself (wearer) at predetermined time intervals, for example, every 5 seconds, and transmits it to the data processing unit 50. The data processing unit 50 integrates the linear distances between the acquired pieces of position information and sets the sum as a movement amount in a predetermined period. Further, the data processing unit 50 determines the swing period from the pressure data acquired from the measuring unit 30 and counts the number of steps in this period. Then, the movement amount in the above-described predetermined period is divided by the number of steps in this period. Thereby, the stride (average value) of the wearer can be obtained. Further, in the configuration including the position information acquisition unit 36, the walking speed of the wearer can be acquired by dividing the amount of movement by time. By acquiring these data as a part of the walking state data, the data processing unit 50 can represent the walking state of the wearer in more detail.

  Next, the operation of the data processing unit 50 will be described. When the data processing unit 50 is a portable terminal, each data (acceleration data, elevation / depression angle data, pressure data, position information, etc.) from the measurement unit 30 is temporarily recorded, and the recording medium of itself or a computer is appropriately recorded. It is preferable to transmit the data to an online storage or the like, accumulate the data, and perform processing on a personal computer or a portable terminal at a later date.

  The processing performed by the data processing unit 50 includes, for example, displaying the acquired acceleration data and elevation / depression angle data in a time-series graph as the walking state data as it is. At this time, it is preferable to compare and display the graph of the acceleration data and the elevation / depression angle data at the time of walking of a person having sufficient muscle strength recorded in advance. Further, at this time, for example, acceleration data and elevation / depression angle data during the swing phase, the stride length, the walking speed, the toe angle at each time point (the state of squeezing and the like), and the like may be displayed as numerical values, image images, or the like. Then, the wearer or the evaluator checks these graphs and evaluates the walking state of the wearer.

  Further, the data processing unit 50 may classify the specific data into a plurality of thresholds set in advance, and display an evaluation result, a precaution, an exercise instruction, and the like corresponding to the rank. In addition, the data of the walking state of the wearer is applied to a plurality of data models of the walking state which are set in advance, and the evaluation results, notes, exercise instruction, etc. corresponding to the data model of the closest walking state are displayed. May be.

  Then, the wearer or the evaluator confirms the displayed contents, grasps the walking state of the wearer, and estimates or diagnoses the degree of decrease in the lower limb function (muscle strength or the like) of the wearer. Then, it is used for alerting against falling, guidance for exercise, setting guidelines for rehabilitation, and the like.

  As described above, in the walking state measuring device 80 according to the present invention, the measuring unit 30 that measures the walking state of the wearer is the insole of the shoe 12. For this reason, it becomes possible to measure with the shoes 12 which the wearer is used to. Further, even when the shoes 12 are worn, the measuring unit 30 can be transferred, and the economical burden can be reduced. Furthermore, by using the measurement unit 30 repeatedly, one measurement unit 30 can measure the walking state of a plurality of persons.

  In addition, the walking state measuring device 80 according to the present invention acquires vertical acceleration data of the wearer's foot and elevation / depression angle data of the toe of the foot. These data are particularly effective data for evaluating the state of a sliding foot of an elderly person or the like. Thereby, it is possible to estimate or diagnose the degree of lowering of the lower limb function (muscle strength or the like) of the wearer. Then, it is possible to perform alerts for falling, exercise guidance, setting of rehabilitation guidelines, and the like.

  Note that the configuration, mechanism, design, each sensor used, acquired data, and the like of each unit of the measuring unit 30 shown in the present example are merely examples, and the present invention may be modified and implemented without departing from the gist of the present invention. Is possible.

12 shoes
24 Flat coil
30 Measurement unit
32 Walking information acquisition unit
34 Communication unit
36 Location information acquisition unit
38a Heel pressure sensor
38b Toe pressure sensor
42 storage layers
42a Member storage section
44 cover layer
46a Upper buffer layer
46b Lower buffer layer
50 Data processing unit
80 Walking state measuring device

Claims (6)

A walking information acquisition unit formed as a shoe insole, for acquiring vertical acceleration data of the wearer's foot and elevation / depression angle data of the toe of the wearer, and a communication unit for wirelessly transmitting the acceleration data and the elevation / depression angle data. A measuring unit having:
A walking state measuring device, comprising: a data processing unit that receives the acceleration data and the elevation / depression angle data to obtain data of a walking state of the wearer. The measurement unit further includes a pressure sensor that acquires pressure data applied to the sole, and the communication unit further transmits the pressure data,
The walking state measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the data processing unit determines a swing leg period in which the foot is not touching the ground based on the pressure data. The measurement unit further has a position information acquisition unit for acquiring its own position information, and the communication unit further transmits the position information,
The data processing unit obtains the movement amount for a predetermined period from the position information, obtains the number of steps of the measurement unit in the predetermined period based on the pressure data, and divides the movement amount by the number of steps. The walking state measuring device according to claim 2, wherein the step of the wearer is calculated. The pressure sensor is configured with a heel pressure sensor that acquires heel pressure data applied to the heel of the measurement unit, and a toe pressure sensor that acquires toe pressure data applied to the toe of the measurement unit,
The walking state measuring device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the data processing unit acquires a contact state of a wearer's foot from the heel pressure data and the toe pressure data. The measurement unit includes a storage layer formed of a hard member, a member storage unit provided at least on an arch portion of the storage layer, and a member storage unit formed of a hard member and fixed to an upper surface of the storage layer. A cover layer covering the portion, an upper buffer layer fixed to the upper surface of the cover layer and made of a flexible material, and a lower buffer layer fixed to the lower surface of the storage layer and made of a flexible material. ,
The walking state measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein at least a walking information acquisition unit and a communication unit are accommodated in the member accommodation unit. The measuring unit includes a chargeable secondary battery and a flat coil that charges the secondary battery,
The walking state measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the flat coil charges the secondary battery by electromagnetic induction between the power supply coil and an external power supply.

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