JP2007319939A - Leg walking type movable body, and system for controlling the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a leg walking type movable body which improves the operability by an operator, and easily selects the landing positions of the legs on a movement plane in the future, and further to provide a system for controlling the leg walking type movable body. <P>SOLUTION: The leg walking type movable body for moving on a plane by being controlled such that the operator changes the landing positions of the legs, comprises: a boarding section on which the operator takes a seat; an image pick-up section for imaging the region in the neighborhood of the legs including the landing positions of the legs on the plane; and a display section for displaying the image picked up by means of the image pick-up section, wherein the virtual landing positions of the legs showing the landing positions in the future to be changed by the control by the operator are displayed on the display section. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a legged walking type moving body, which is controlled by an operator's operation.

  In recent years, a legged walking type moving body is being developed as a moving body whose movement is controlled by a human operation, instead of a wheel-driven moving body represented by a vehicle or the like.

And it is a moving body steered by such a pilot, and the moving body moves alone, or the pilot himself controls the moving body while riding on the moving body, and uses it as a moving means for the pilot. Something that can be developed has been developed. (For example, Patent Documents 1 and 2)
JP 2005-52897 A JP-A-2005-7496

  In the case of such a legged walking type moving body, it is preferable that the moving plane is flat, but even if the plane is a road surface with many steps and uneven parts, an area with a flat surface is selected. A stable movement (walking) is possible by grounding the bottom surface of the leg portion to the flat portion. Therefore, if there is an uneven part on the moving plane or if an obstacle is placed on the plane, the driver should avoid this and ground the leg only on a flat area on the plane. It is necessary to move the moving body while changing the ground contact position of the leg by the above operation.

  However, as described above, when walking control is performed so as to largely bypass an uneven portion or an obstacle on a plane, the degree of freedom of a path that a moving body moving on the plane can take is limited. In the case of a legged walking type mobile body, unlike a wheel type mobile body, it is difficult to perform a sudden change of direction or turn on the spot during movement. When the degree of freedom is limited, the condition of the movable plane is greatly restricted.

  Therefore, in such a legged walking type moving body, it is possible to improve the maneuverability of the moving body moving on the plane and to make the leg portion easy to ground only at a position where the surface shape of the plane is flat. It is important.

  The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and improves the maneuverability of the operator and makes it possible to easily select the ground contact position of the future leg on the moving plane. An object of the present invention is to provide a type moving body and a legged walking type moving body control system.

  The legged walking type moving body according to the present invention is capable of controlling movement on a plane by maneuvering so that the pilot changes the ground contact position of the leg, and the riding section on which the pilot is boarded And an imaging unit that captures an area in the vicinity of the leg on the plane, including a grounding position where the leg contacts the ground, and a display unit that displays an image of the area captured by the imaging unit. In addition to the image of the displayed area, a virtual grounding position indicating a future grounding position of the leg that is changed by the pilot's operation is displayed on the display unit. .

  According to the above-described leg-type walking type moving body, the pilot who has boarded can check the position where the leg part touches down next by the display part. Even if there is such a situation, the landing position of the leg can be steered so as to avoid uneven portions and steps. In this way, it becomes possible to easily select the future grounding position of the leg on the moving plane, thereby improving the maneuverability of the moving body.

  In addition, the leg-type walking type moving body may store the future grounding position of the leg part displayed on the display unit in advance or display it virtually by calculating, but the imaging unit In the area to be imaged by the above, a depiction part for visually depicting the virtual ground contact position of the leg part may be provided. Note that the virtual grounding position depicted in the area to be imaged indicates a position where the leg is estimated to be grounded when it is assumed that the surface shape of the plane on which the moving body moves is flat. . Such a virtual ground contact position may be obtained by calculation. However, when a movement pattern (walking pattern) is determined in advance, gait data for continuously determining the ground contact position of the leg portion in time series is obtained. It may be stored in advance, and the virtual ground contact position may be specified from the stored gait data. In addition, as a means for describing the virtual grounding position, a light source that emits visible light such as a laser pointer is preferably used, and only the outline of the part in contact with the plane when the leg is grounded or the entire contacted part is depicted. Are preferably used.

  In addition, in the case of such a legged walking type moving body, the vicinity of the area on the plane located vertically below the riding section on which the driver is boarded is likely to be a blind spot area from the pilot. Often includes the vicinity of the leg of the moving body (particularly in front of the leg, that is, the moving direction of the moving body). Therefore, if there are uneven portions or steps in this region, it becomes impossible for the operator who has boarded the mobile body to visually recognize these uneven portions and steps. Therefore, the area where the virtual grounding position is displayed includes a blind spot area which cannot be directly visually recognized by the driver who rides on the riding section, so that the pilot can visually recognize the virtual grounding position of the leg in the blind spot area on the display section. By doing so, the maneuverability of the moving body is greatly improved. For example, when the virtual ground contact position of the leg in the blind area such as the rear part or the side part viewed from the moving direction is displayed, the degree of freedom can be given depending on the moving direction of the moving body.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the virtual grounding positions displayed on the display unit are a plurality of virtual grounding positions continuous in time series. Since the virtual ground contact position of the leg is displayed continuously in chronological order, the operator can grasp the ground contact position from the current ground contact position to the moving position several steps ahead. When there are uneven portions or steps on the plane to be operated, it is possible to steer in advance to avoid them.

  A plurality of consecutive virtual grounding positions to be displayed may be visually different for each grounding position, or may be the same display regardless of the grounding position. It is preferable to display visually stronger as it is closer to. By displaying the ground contact position of the leg in this manner, the operator can know the ground contact position where the leg moves next, so that the maneuverability is further improved.

  In addition, the legged walking type moving body according to the present invention is such that a pilot rides and the pilot who boarded changes the grounding position of the leg, and can move and control on the plane and is grounded. You may provide the description part which describes visually the virtual grounding position which shows the future grounding position of the leg part changed by a pilot's maneuvering on the plane of the leg vicinity.

  In such a legged walking type mobile body, when the passenger visually recognizes the virtual grounding position by the depiction part, the grounding position of the leg part will be in the future when there is an uneven part or a step in the position where the passenger can visually recognize it. Therefore, it is possible to easily determine whether or not to contact those uneven portions or steps. Therefore, it is possible to perform maneuvering that avoids uneven portions and steps, and the maneuverability is improved.

  The leg-type walking type mobile body control system according to the present invention includes a leg-type walking type mobile body that can move on a plane by changing a grounding position of the leg portion, and the leg-type walking type mobile body that is operated by a driver. And a control device for remotely operating the movable body, and the legged walking moving body images an area in the vicinity of the leg portion on the plane including a grounding position where the leg portion touches the ground. And a display unit that displays an image of the area imaged by the imaging unit, and a leg that is changed by the pilot's operation in accordance with the image of the displayed area. A virtual grounding position indicating a future grounding position of the unit is displayed on the display unit.

  According to the above-described leg-type walking-type moving body control system, a pilot who remotely operates the moving body can check the grounding position where the leg of the moving body is next grounded on the display unit. Therefore, even if there are uneven parts or steps on the plane on which the moving object moves, the movement of the moving object is controlled so that the ground contact position of the legs avoids the uneven parts or steps by the operator's operation. can do. In this way, since the future contact position of the leg on the moving plane can be easily selected, the maneuverability of the moving body can be improved.

  The above-described leg-type walking-type moving body control system may include a depiction unit that visually describes the virtual ground contact position of the leg in the region imaged by the imaging unit included in the moving body. . As a means for depicting such a virtual grounding position, a light source that emits visible light such as a laser pointer is preferably used. In addition, such a light source may be attached to the moving body or provided separately from the moving body, and the virtual grounding position of the leg portion is depicted by estimating the movement of the moving body. Also good.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the virtual grounding positions displayed on the display unit are a plurality of virtual grounding positions continuous in time series. Since the virtual ground contact position of the leg is displayed continuously in chronological order, the operator can grasp the ground contact position from the current ground contact position to the moving position several steps ahead. When there are uneven portions or steps on the plane to be operated, it is possible to steer in advance to avoid them.

  A plurality of consecutive virtual grounding positions to be displayed may be visually different for each grounding position, or may be the same display regardless of the grounding position. It is preferable to display visually stronger as it is closer to. By displaying the ground contact position of the leg in this manner, the operator can know the ground contact position where the leg moves next, so that the maneuverability is further improved.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the legged walking type moving body that improves the maneuverability of the operator and makes it possible to easily select the ground contact position of the future leg on the moving plane, and the leg type A walking type moving body control system can be provided.

Embodiment 1 of the Invention
A legged walking type moving body (hereinafter simply referred to as a moving body) according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which a driver who controls a moving body gets on the moving body and uses it as a moving means of the driver himself.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic view schematically showing a state in which the mobile body 10 is viewed from the side (rightward when facing the direction in which the mobile body moves). A state in which the pilot 75 is boarding the mobile body 10. Represents. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the moving body 10 shown in FIG. 1 is viewed from the rear. In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, for convenience of explanation, the direction in which the moving body 10 travels (front-rear direction) is the x-axis, and the direction in which the moving body 10 travels is perpendicular to the horizontal direction (left-right direction). The direction (vertical direction) extending in the vertical direction of the moving body is defined as the z-axis, and a description will be given using a coordinate system composed of these three axes.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the moving body 10 includes a riding part 100 on which a pilot 75 rides, a waist part 64 coupled to the riding part 100, and a leg part 12 fixed to the waist part 64 so as to be rotatable. The robot is a biped walking type robot, and its movement is controlled by the operation of the operator 75. Details will be described below.

  The leg 12 for bipedal walking is composed of a right leg 14 and a left leg 15. Specifically, the right leg 14 includes a right hip joint 16, an upper right thigh 18, a right knee joint 20, a right lower thigh 22, a right ankle joint 24, and a right foot tip 26. Similarly, the left leg 15 includes a left hip joint 13 and a left upper thigh 17. A left knee joint 25, a left lower leg 19, a left ankle joint 21, and a left foot tip 23. Since the right leg 14 and the left leg 15 have substantially the same configuration, only the right leg 14 will be described, and the description of the left leg 15 will be omitted.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the right leg 14 includes a right hip joint 16, a crotch yoke 28, a crotch cross shaft 30, a crotch x-axis rotation drive mechanism 32, a crotch y-axis rotation drive mechanism 33, and a crotch z-axis rotation drive mechanism. 34 etc. are provided. The crotch yoke 28 is formed in a substantially U shape that opens downward. As shown in FIG. 3, the crotch cross shaft 30 is formed in a cross shape, and the crotch yoke 28 and the upper right thigh 18 are connected via the crotch cross shaft 30. Further, the crotch cross shaft 30 is configured to be rotatable with respect to the crotch yoke 28 and the upper right thigh 18, and as a result, the upper right thigh 18 has an angle about the x axis and the y axis with respect to the crotch yoke 28. Is configured to be variable.

  The crotch x-axis rotation drive mechanism 32 includes a crotch x-axis motor 40, a crotch x-axis motor side pulley 38, a hip joint side x-axis pulley 43, and a belt 39. The crotch x-axis motor 40 is fixed to the yoke 28. The crotch x-axis motor side pulley 38 is attached to the drive shaft 40 a of the crotch x-axis motor 40. The hip joint side x-axis pulley 43 is fixed to the crotch cross shaft 30. The belt 39 is wound around the crotch x-axis motor side pulley 38 and the hip joint side x-axis pulley 43. When the crotch x-axis motor 40 rotates and the crotch x-axis motor side pulley 38 rotates, the hip joint side x-axis pulley 43 also rotates via the belt 39. When the hip joint side x-axis pulley 43 rotates, the angle around the x axis of the hip cross shaft 30 fixed thereto changes. For this reason, the joint angle around the x-axis of the right hip joint 16 changes. By rotating the crotch x-axis motor 40 forward or backward, the upper right thigh 18 is lifted to the right or lifted to the left.

  The crotch y-axis rotation drive mechanism 33 includes a crotch y-axis motor 46, a crotch y-axis motor side pulley 49, a hip joint side y-axis pulley 50, and a belt 52. The crotch y-axis motor 46 is fixed to the upper right thigh 18, and the crotch y-axis motor side pulley 49 is attached to the drive shaft of the crotch y-axis motor 46. The hip joint side y-axis pulley 50 is fixed to the hip cross shaft 30, and the belt 52 is wound around the hip y axis motor side pulley 49 and the hip joint side y axis pulley 50. With such a configuration, when the crotch y-axis motor 46 rotates, the crotch y-axis motor side pulley 49 rotates, and when the crotch y-axis motor side pulley 49 rotates, the hip joint-side y-axis pulley 50 rotates via the belt 52. To do. Further, as the hip joint side y-axis pulley 50 rotates, the angle of the hip cross shaft 30 around the y axis, that is, the joint angle of the right hip joint 16 around the y axis can be changed. Thus, by rotating the crotch y-axis motor 46 forward or backward, the right upper thigh 18 can be lifted forward or backward about the right hip joint 16.

  As shown in detail in FIG. 3, the crotch z-axis rotation drive mechanism 34 includes a crotch z-axis motor 54, a crotch z-axis motor side pulley 56, a hip joint side z-axis pulley 58, a belt 60, and the like. The crotch z-axis motor 54 is fixed to the waist portion 64 via a bracket 62. Although described later in detail, the waist portion 64 is coupled to the seat portion 100. The crotch z-axis motor side pulley 56 is attached to the drive shaft of the crotch z-axis motor 54. The hip joint side z-axis pulley 58 is connected to the crotch yoke 28 by a shaft 66. For this reason, the crotch yoke 28 rotates around the z axis together with the hip joint side z axis pulley 58. The shaft 66 is rotatably supported by a bearing (not shown) provided in the waist portion 64. The belt 60 is wound around the crotch z-axis motor side pulley 56 and the hip joint side z-axis pulley 58. When the crotch z-axis motor 54 rotates, the crotch z-axis motor side pulley 56 rotates. When the hip z-axis motor side pulley 56 rotates, the hip joint side z-axis pulley 58 rotates via the belt 52. The hip yoke 28 rotates with the rotation of the hip joint side z-axis pulley 58, and the joint angle of the right hip joint 16 about the z axis changes. When the crotch z-axis motor 54 rotates forward or backward, the joint angle around the z-axis of the right hip joint 16 changes in one direction or changes in the other direction. If the joint angle around the z-axis of the right hip joint 16 changes in one direction or changes in the other direction, the right leg 14 becomes an inner thigh or an outer thigh.

  The right knee joint 20 includes a shaft 70 and a knee joint drive mechanism 72. The shaft 70 connects the upper right thigh 18 and the right lower thigh 22 so as to be rotatable about the y axis. The knee joint drive mechanism 72 includes a knee motor 74, a knee motor side pulley 78, a knee joint side pulley 76, and a belt 79. The knee motor 74 is fixed to the upper right thigh 18. The knee motor side pulley 78 is attached to the drive shaft of the knee motor 74. The knee joint side pulley 76 is fixed to the right lower leg 22. The belt 79 is wound around the knee motor side pulley 78 and the knee joint side pulley 76. When the knee motor 74 rotates, the knee motor side pulley 78 rotates. When the knee motor side pulley 78 rotates, the knee joint side pulley 76 rotates via the belt 79. When the knee joint side pulley 76 rotates, the joint angle around the y axis of the right knee joint 20 changes. Thus, by rotating the knee motor 74 forward or backward, the right lower leg 22 can be lifted forward or backward about the right knee joint 20.

  When the right lower leg 22 is lifted forward around the right knee joint 20, the upper right thigh 18 and the right lower leg 22 are opened toward the front side (the front side of the extension line of the upper right thigh 18 and the right lower leg 22 In the state of rotating around the right knee joint 20), the so-called "bird leg state". In the present embodiment, the moving body 10 is illustrated as one that can take such a “bird's foot state”, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the upper right thigh, like a human being, is not limited thereto. 18 and a state where the right lower leg 22 is open toward the rear side (a state where the right lower leg 22 is rotated around the right knee joint 20 on the rear side with respect to the extension line of the upper right thigh 18). .

  The right ankle joint 24 includes an ankle yoke 80, an ankle cross shaft 82, an ankle x-axis rotation drive mechanism 83, and an ankle y-axis rotation drive mechanism 84. The ankle yoke 80 is formed in a substantially U-shape that opens upward. The ankle cross shaft 82 is formed in a cross shape like the crotch cross shaft 30. The ankle yoke 80 and the right lower leg 22 are connected via an ankle cross shaft 82. The right foot tip 26 is fixed to the ankle yoke 80. Since the right lower leg 22 and the right foot 26 are thus connected via the right ankle joint 24, the angle of the right foot 26 around the x-axis and the y-axis with respect to the right lower leg 22 is variable.

  The ankle x-axis rotation drive mechanism 83 includes an ankle x-axis motor 88, an ankle x-axis motor side pulley 85, an ankle joint side x-axis pulley 87, and a belt 86. The ankle x-axis motor 88 is fixed to the right lower leg 22. The ankle x-axis motor side pulley 85 is attached to the drive shaft of the ankle x-axis motor 88. The ankle joint side x-axis pulley 87 is fixed to the ankle cross shaft 82, and the belt 86 is wound around the ankle x-axis motor side pulley 85 and the ankle joint side x-axis pulley 87. With such a configuration, when the ankle x-axis motor 88 rotates, the ankle x-axis motor side pulley 85 rotates, and when the ankle x-axis motor side pulley 86 rotates, the ankle joint side x-axis pulley 87 passes through the belt 86. Rotate. As the ankle joint side x-axis pulley 87 rotates, the angle of the ankle yoke 80 and the ankle yoke 80 around the x-axis changes. That is, by rotating the ankle x-axis motor 88 forward or backward, the direction of the toe of the right foot tip 26 can be controlled up and down.

  The ankle y-axis rotation drive mechanism 84 includes an ankle y-axis motor 89, an ankle y-axis motor side pulley 90, an ankle joint side y-axis pulley 91, and a belt 92. The ankle y-axis motor 89 is fixed to the right lower leg 22. The ankle y-axis motor side pulley 90 is attached to the drive shaft of the ankle y-axis motor 89. The ankle joint side y-axis pulley 91 is fixed to the ankle cross shaft 82, and the belt 92 is wound around the ankle y-axis motor side pulley 90 and the ankle joint side y-axis pulley 91. Therefore, when the ankle y-axis motor 89 rotates, the ankle y-axis motor side pulley 90 rotates, and when the ankle y-axis motor side pulley 90 rotates, the ankle joint side y-axis pulley 91 rotates via the belt 92. When the ankle joint side y-axis pulley 91 rotates, the angle around the y-axis of the right ankle yoke 80 together with the ankle cross shaft 82 changes. By rotating the ankle y-axis motor 89 forward or backward, the direction of the toe of the right foot tip 26 can be controlled to the left or right.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the left leg 15 includes a left hip joint 13, a left upper thigh 17, a left knee joint 25, a left lower leg 19, a left ankle joint 21, and a left foot tip 23. Since the configuration of the leg 15 is substantially the same as the configuration of the right leg 14 described above, detailed description thereof is omitted.

  Next, the riding section 100 placed on the leg 12 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 4. The boarding unit 100 includes a seat 106 on which the pilot 75 is seated, an operation unit 108 (right operation unit 108 a and left operation unit 108 b) operated by the pilot, and an imaging unit that captures an area near the leg 12. 150, a display unit 160 that displays an area in the vicinity of the leg obtained by the imaging unit 150, and a laser beam irradiation unit 170 as a depiction unit. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the riding section 100 includes a first frame 102 and a second frame 104, and the first frame 102 has a shape along the lower surface of the seating surface of the seat 106 and the rear surface of the backrest. The second frame 104 is coupled to the first frame 102 and is disposed on the left and right sides of the seat 106 and the lower front portion. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the first frame 102 is coupled to the waist 64 via a bracket 112 below the seat 106. The seat 106 is coupled to the bracket 112 via a coupling member 114.

  Further, box-shaped storage portions 120 a and 120 b are provided on the back of the seat 106 and fixed to the first frame 102, and the control portion 130 that controls the operation of the robot 10 is provided in the storage portion 120 a. However, a battery or the like (not shown) is accommodated in the accommodating portion 120b.

  The imaging unit 150 is fixed to the vicinity of the bottom surface of the seat 106, visually captures an external environment near the toes of the leg 12, and outputs a captured information as video data. Composed. On the other hand, the display unit 160 is a display that is fixedly or movably attached to a position near the seat 106 where the operator 75 can visually recognize the video data (image) captured by the imaging unit 150 with an appropriate resolution. It has the function to display with. In addition, the operation unit 108 is a steering means including an operation element such as a general joystick, and is configured so that the angle of the operation element can be tilted steplessly in any direction including front and rear, left and right. . The operation unit 108 includes a right operation unit 108a and a left operation unit 108b. The driving amount of the leg unit 12 is determined according to the inclination angle of the operation element of each operation unit inclined by the operation of the operator 75. The driving pattern is changed to control the movement of the moving body 10.

  In addition, the laser beam irradiation unit 170 is attached to the bottom surface of the seat 106, and a future grounding position (on the plane of the feet 12 (the right feet 26 and the left feet 23) of the legs 12 that is changed by the operation of the operator 75) A virtual ground position) is schematically depicted on a plane. In detail, although not shown in the drawings, the laser light irradiation unit 170 includes two laser light sources visually depicted on a plane that moves in a shape that is substantially equal to the bottom shape of the right foot tip 26 and the left foot tip 23, and these laser light sources. And an actuator for changing the laser light source position and / or orientation. This actuator enables the laser light source to rotate about two axes in the x-axis direction and the y-axis direction. By these actuators, the bottom shape of the foottip that is visually depicted on a plane (ie, virtual The position of the grounding position can be changed.

  Note that the virtual grounding position depicted by the laser beam irradiation unit 170 is preferably depicted in an area that is a blind spot from the operator 75 (a blind spot area), and an area imaged by the imaging unit 150 is also included. The region including this blind spot region is preferable. This blind spot area varies depending on the attitude of the pilot 75, the height of the line of sight, and the like, but generally corresponds to the vicinity of the area located in the vicinity of the leg portion 12 on the plane and vertically below the seat 106. In other words, the imaging unit 150 is in a region that is difficult for the operator 75 to avoid even if there is an obstacle or the like, such as the vicinity of the lower part of the seat 106 where the operator 75 is seated. Take an image.

  In addition, a control unit 130 for driving the leg 12 based on the result of the operator 75 operating the operation unit 108 inside the accommodating unit 120 a provided near the backrest of the seat constituting the riding unit 100. Is incorporated. As shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 130 drives the leg 12 and reads a gait data for storing gait data for moving the moving body 10, and reads the gait data stored in the storage area 131. An arithmetic processing unit 132 and a motor driving unit 132 that drives a motor included in the leg unit 12 are provided. Each of these components operates by being supplied with electric power from a battery (not shown) provided inside the accommodating portion 120b.

  The gait data stored in the storage area 131 is associated with the amount of movement of the leg 12 specified by the signal sent from the operation unit 108, and the foot of the leg 12 (the right toe 26 and the left toe 23). The position and the position of the moving body main body (the riding section 100 in the present embodiment) are indicated over time in a coordinate system (for example, an xyz coordinate system) that defines a space in which the moving body moves.

  The arithmetic processing unit 132 reads out gait data that changes based on a signal from the operation unit 108, and joints of the legs 12 necessary to realize the posture of the moving body 10 specified by the read out gait data. The angle is calculated, and a signal based on the calculated joint angle is transmitted to the motor driving unit 133. Based on the signal transmitted from the arithmetic processing unit 132, the motor driving unit 133 is configured to output each motor (the crotch x-axis motor 40, the crotch y-axis motor 46, the crotch z-axis motor 54, the knee motor 74, the ankle x-axis motor 88, The drive amount of an ankle y-axis motor 89 etc. is specified, and the motor drive signal for driving a motor with these drive amounts is transmitted to each motor. Thereby, the driving amount of the leg portion 12 is changed, and the movement of the moving body 10 is controlled.

  In addition to instructing the motor to be driven based on the read gait data, the arithmetic processing unit 132 receives a signal from a sensor S such as a gyroscope or an accelerometer incorporated in the moving body 10, and Adjust the drive amount. As described above, the movable body 10 is maintained in a stable state by adjusting the joint angle of the leg 12 according to the external force acting on the movable body 10 detected by the sensor S, the posture of the movable body 10, and the like. Can do.

  Further, the arithmetic processing unit 132 moves the moving body 10 on the reference point of the foot tip (right foot tip 26, left foot tip 23) of the leg 12 specified by the read gait data or a sensor such as a gyroscope. It is specified by spatial coordinates (xyz coordinates). Then, the arithmetic processing unit 132 is configured so that the virtual grounding positions of the right and left toes drawn by being irradiated by the laser light irradiation unit 170 are drawn by the laser light source based on the reference point. To control the driving amount.

  5, the imaging unit 150 images the region R including the virtual grounding position depicted by the laser light irradiation unit 170 as described above and the legs at the time of imaging (the right foot tip 26 and the left foot tip 23). A state in which the captured image is displayed on the display unit 160 is shown. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that a virtual ground position next to the right foot tip 26 and a virtual ground position next to the left foot tip 23 are depicted as virtual ground positions.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the virtual grounding positions 173 a and 173 b depicted by the laser beam irradiation unit 170 are from the positions of the foot tips (the right foot tip 26 and the left foot tip 23) of the leg 12 imaged by the imaging unit 150. The next (virtual) grounding position of the toe specified according to the operation state of the operation unit 108 is shown. As shown in this figure, since the virtual grounding position 173a of the right foot tip 26 is located closer to the leg than the virtual grounding position 173b of the left foottip 23, the virtual grounding position 173a is closer to the virtual grounding position 173b. Is also depicted visually strongly. As a technique of drawing strongly visually, there are used means such as darkening the drawn color, increasing the intensity of the laser beam to be irradiated, and increasing the brightness.

  Further, FIG. 5 described above represents a screen displayed on the display unit 160 when the convex portion 180 serving as an obstacle exists in the region R on the imaged plane. As shown in FIG. 5, the virtual grounding position 173a indicating the grounding position of the next leg (right foot tip) from the grounding position of the leg 12 at the time of imaging does not overlap the convex part 180 in the region R. Furthermore, a virtual grounding position 173b indicating the grounding position of the next leg (left foot tip) overlaps the convex part 180. It is highly likely that the pilot 75 sees such an image displayed on the display unit 160, and in the future, the leg 12 of the moving body 10 steps on the convex part 180 and becomes unstable. Can be recognized.

  Next, from the state shown in FIG. 5, the operator 75 operates the operation unit 108 to drive the leg 12, thereby imaging the state in which the virtual grounding position of the leg 12 has been changed. The state of the display unit displaying the results is shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 6, in the region R, a state in which the virtual grounding positions 173 a and 173 b are not overlapped with the convex portion 180 by the operation of the operator 75 is displayed on the display unit 160. The pilot 75 recognizes such a state of the leg 12 (future position of the toe) displayed on the display unit 160, and controls the mobile body 10 to move stably. Is easily possible.

  In this embodiment, as an example of displaying the virtual ground position on the display unit, an example in which the virtual ground position is visually depicted in a region actually captured by the imaging unit has been shown. It is not limited to this. That is, based on gait data and the like, the current ground contact position of the leg is obtained, and the ground contact position (virtual ground position) where the leg 12 will move next is obtained from the amount of operation of the operation section by calculation. You may make it display a position on a display part virtually. In this case, the laser beam irradiation unit as described above is not required as the depiction unit, the virtual ground position of the leg is obtained by arithmetic processing, and the virtual ground position is virtually depicted on the display unit. What is necessary is just to provide the hardware as a description means containing a predetermined | prescribed program.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the virtual ground positions of the right foot tip and the left foot tip are depicted one by one as the depiction unit is described, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the virtual grounding position of each toe may be depicted for several steps, and a plurality of virtual grounding positions depicted on the display unit may be displayed. In this way, the operator can know in advance the ground contact position of the leg of the moving body in advance, so that the operability is further improved.

Embodiment 2 of the Invention
Next, a legged walking type moving body (hereinafter simply referred to as a moving body) 10a according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The moving body 10a according to this embodiment has substantially the same configuration as that of the moving body 10 described in the first embodiment, and the description of the overlapping configuration is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the moving body 10a representing the second embodiment has substantially the same configuration as the moving body 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, but differs in the following points. In other words, in this embodiment, the laser beam irradiation unit 170 is configured to depict the virtual ground positions (173a, 173b) in a region that is visible to the operator 75. This visible area varies depending on the attitude of the pilot 75, the height of the line of sight, etc., but the pilot 75 is seated on the seat 106, including the vicinity of the front of the leg 12 (the traveling direction of the moving body 10a). This corresponds to the area near the leg 12 that can be visually recognized in the state.

  The moving body 10a configured as described above can depict a virtual grounding position in the vicinity of the front of the moving direction of the moving body 10a. Therefore, when there is an obstacle or the like on the front (moving direction) on the moving plane, the pilot 75 visually recognizes whether or not the obstacle can be avoided as the moving body 10a moves. Can be easily determined. In addition, when the virtual grounding position overlaps an obstacle, it is possible to easily move to avoid the obstacle by operating the operation unit so that the virtual grounding position does not overlap the obstacle.

Embodiment 3 of the Invention
Next, a legged walking type moving body control system according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. Unlike the above-described embodiment, this leg-type walking type mobile body control system does not have a pilot on board the mobile body, and the pilot operating the mobile body remotely moves the mobile body at a position away from the mobile body. The movement of the moving object is controlled by maneuvering. The moving body 10b included in the present embodiment is obtained by removing the portion corresponding to the riding section from the moving body included in the above-described embodiment. It is assumed that the same configuration as that described in the embodiment is provided. Details will be described below.

  As shown in FIG. 8, a legged walking type mobile body control system (hereinafter simply referred to as a mobile body control system) 200 according to Embodiment 3 is operated by a mobile body 10b and a pilot (not shown). And a control device 210.

  The moving body 10b is a walking robot that includes a leg 12 that operates in the same configuration as the legs included in the moving body described in the above embodiment, and a moving body main body 130a that is placed on the leg 12. It is comprised so that it may walk by moving the leg part 12 alternately. The moving body main body 130a is provided with a storage area (not shown) for storing gait data. By reading out the gait data from the storage area, the leg 12 that allows the moving body 10b to move stably. The position of the toe can be obtained over time.

  The mobile body 130a is composed of a trunk, a head, two arms, and the like to which the leg portion 12 is rotatably attached, and has an overview as a humanoid robot. These leg portions 12 and the moving body main body are controlled to move in a predetermined manner by operating an operation portion 211 of a control device 210 described later.

  In addition, an imaging unit 150 and a laser beam irradiation unit 170 are provided on the body portion of the moving body main body 130a, and the imaging unit 150 captures an image on a plane in front of the moving body 10b in the moving direction. The laser beam irradiation unit 170 draws the contours of the toes at positions corresponding to the virtual grounding positions 173a and 173b of the legs 12 (the toes 26 and 23) in the area imaged by the imaging unit 150. The virtual ground position depicted by the laser beam irradiation unit 170 is determined based on gait data stored in the mobile body 130a. Then, the laser beam irradiation unit 170 is driven so as to describe the virtual grounding position at the position determined based on the gait data.

  The control device 210 transmits a control signal for controlling movement by a wired or wireless communication means to the moving body 10b, and includes an operation unit 211, a control device main body 212 to which the operation unit 211 is connected, A signal transmission unit 213 and a display unit 214 are provided. The control device main body 212 includes an arithmetic processing unit and the like, and generates a control signal for controlling the moving body main body 10b based on an operation amount of the operation unit 211 operated by the operator 75. In the present embodiment, known operation means such as a joystick is used as the operation unit 211, and the arithmetic processing unit included in the control device main body 212 operates the operation unit 211 to move the moving body 10b. It is assumed that a control signal for instructing movement speed, movement start / stop, work using an arm, or the like is generated. In addition, the image captured by the image capturing unit 150 is displayed on the display unit 214, and the operator 75 controls the moving body 10b while visually recognizing the video displayed on the display unit 214.

  In such a moving body control system 200, when the operator 75 operates the operation unit 211 of the control device 210, an instruction is given to move the leg portion 12 of the moving body 10b, the arm portion of the moving body main body 130a, or the like. Can be given. Even when the moving body 10b moves outside the visual region of the pilot 75, the ground contact position of the leg of the moving body is determined in consideration of obstacles or steps on the plane on which the moving body moves. It becomes possible to steer as easily determined.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment about this invention was described, in above-mentioned Embodiment 1-3, this invention is not limited to this. For example, an operation unit such as a joystick is exemplified as the operation unit, but instead, an image captured by the imaging unit is displayed on the touch panel, and the operator touches the virtual part by touching the touch panel in the touch panel. It is also possible to use a device that determines the ground contact position. In this way, the operator moves the virtual grounding position so that the leg (toe) moves to the most suitable position (position where there is no obstacle or step) in the area in front of the displayed moving body. Can be selected easily.

  In the above-described embodiment, an example of a biped walking type legged mobile body has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the present invention can be widely applied to a mobile body that moves by legged walking, whether it is a mobile body of a quadruped walking type or a mobile body that has more legs.

It is the schematic which represents a mode that the leg type walk type mobile object concerning a 1st embodiment was seen from the right side (the direction to which a mobile object moves, and right). It is the schematic showing a mode that the leg type walking type mobile body shown in FIG. 1 was seen from back. It is sectional drawing showing the detail about a part of leg part of the leg type walking type mobile body shown to FIG. It is a block diagram which shows roughly the structure about the control part with which the leg type walking type mobile body shown to FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a virtual grounding position depicted by a laser beam irradiation unit and a leg part at the time of imaging are displayed in the legged walking type moving body shown in FIGS. It is the schematic which shows a mode that the virtual grounding position drawn by the laser beam irradiation part was changed by operation of a pilot. It is the schematic which represents a mode that the leg type walk type mobile object concerning a 2nd embodiment was seen from the right side (the direction which the mobile object moves, and right). It is the schematic which represented the leg type walk type moving body control system concerning a 3rd embodiment roughly.

Explanation of symbols

10, 10a, 10b ... Leg type walking type moving body (moving body)
12 ... leg 75 ... pilot 100 ... boarding part 150 ... imaging part 160, 214 ... display part 170 ... description part (laser beam irradiation part)
173a, 173b ... virtual grounding position 200 ... legged mobile control system 210 ... control device

Claims (13)

It is a legged walking type mobile body that can move and control on the plane by maneuvering the pilot to change the ground contact position of the leg,
A boarding section for boarding the pilot;
An imaging unit for imaging a region in the vicinity of the leg on the plane, including a grounding position where the leg is grounded;
A display unit that displays an image of a region imaged by the imaging unit,
In addition to the image of the displayed area, a virtual grounding position indicating a future grounding position of the leg that is changed by the pilot's operation is displayed on the display unit. Moving body.   2. The legged walking type moving body according to claim 1, further comprising a depiction unit that visually depicts the virtual ground contact position in a region imaged by the imaging unit.   The legged walking type moving body according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a region imaged by the imaging unit includes a blind spot region that is not directly visible to a driver who is on the boarding unit.   The legged walking type moving body according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the virtual grounding positions displayed on the display unit are a plurality of virtual grounding positions that are continuous in time series.   The legged walking type moving body according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of displayed virtual ground contact positions are displayed visually stronger as being closer to the ground contact position of the leg at the time of imaging. A legged walking type mobile body on which a pilot boarded, piloted on board, piloted so as to change the ground contact position of the leg, and can be moved and controlled on a plane,
It is provided with a depiction part that visually describes a virtual grounding position indicating a future grounding position of the leg that is changed by the pilot's operation on a plane near the leg to be grounded. Legged walking type moving body.   The legged walking type moving body according to claim 6, wherein the virtual ground contact position is depicted in a visible area on the plane that is visible to a pilot who has boarded the vehicle.   The legged walking type moving body according to claim 7, wherein the virtual ground contact positions are a plurality of virtual ground contact positions continuous in time series.   The legged walking type moving body according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of virtual ground contact positions are visually depicted more strongly as they are closer to the ground contact position of the leg at the time of depiction. A legged walking type movable body that can move on a plane by changing the ground contact position of the leg, and a control device for remotely operating the legged walking type movable body by the operation of the operator A legged walking type moving body control system,
The leg-type walking moving body includes an imaging unit that captures an area in the vicinity of the leg on the plane including a grounding position where the leg contacts the ground,
The control device includes a display unit that displays an image of a region imaged by the imaging unit;
In addition to the image of the displayed area, a virtual grounding position indicating a future grounding position of the leg that is changed by the pilot's operation is displayed on the display unit. Mobile control system.   The legged walking type moving body control system according to claim 11, further comprising a depiction unit that visually depicts the virtual ground contact position in a region imaged by the imaging unit.   The legged walking type moving body control system according to claim 12, wherein the depiction unit depicts a plurality of virtual ground contact positions that are continuous in time series.   14. The legged walking type moving body control system according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of depicted virtual ground contact positions are depicted visually stronger as a position closer to the ground contact position of the leg portion at the time of depiction.

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