JP2007334446A - Muscle load evaluation system and product design support system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily achieve the function design of a product by evaluating a load acting on muscles under consideration when a virtual human body model uses a product. <P>SOLUTION: Three-dimensional image data are generated by synthesizing the three-dimensional shapes of a product and a virtual human body model by an image synthesis means 13, and displayed at an image display device 14. As for muscles under consideration of a virtual human body model generated by a human body model image generation means 11, a torque acting on muscles in an attitude designated by an attitude designation means 17 is calculated by a torque calculation means 15. This torque is considered as a load acting on the muscles which expand and contract in the case of flexing the muscles. A torque ratio as the rate of the maximum torque specified for the muscles to the torque calculated by the torque calculation means 15 is calculated by a load calculation means 16, and the torque ratio is displayed at the image display device 14. The display method of the torque ratio at the image display means 14 is determined by an evaluation image generation means 18. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a muscle load evaluation system that evaluates a load acting on a muscle of interest according to a work performed in a virtual space by a virtual human body model displayed as a three-dimensional computer graphic image, and a virtual load in the virtual space when designing a product. The present invention relates to a product design support system that supports functional design of a product that can be used with a small load by using a product in a virtual human body model and evaluating a load acting on muscles using the muscle load evaluation system.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been proposed a technique for evaluating the movement of a human body by performing a simulation in a virtual space where a virtual human body model is arranged using a virtual human body model displayed as a three-dimensional computer graphic image. For example, by placing a virtual model of a product in a virtual space where a virtual human body model exists and performing a simulation that uses the virtual model of the product by the virtual human body model, it may be possible to show the usability of the actual product. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1). If the technology described in Patent Document 1 is adopted, verification of products suitable for individual users is performed by reflecting information on the physique and physical strength of evaluation subjects (users) who use the products in the virtual human body model. Experience becomes possible.
JP 2003-256873 A

  By the way, in Patent Document 1, the motion is corrected using physical strength information such as stride and muscle strength, and when the physical strength is insufficient, the joint rotation angle is corrected to be smaller than a specified value, thereby raising the leg. There is a description that it is possible to limit the height and height to reach. However, the degree of load on the body cannot be evaluated because the range of movement of the joint is limited only by muscular strength and the load on each part of the human body is not evaluated when the product is handled. Therefore, for purposes such as designing products so as to reduce the load on the body, or for improving the form during exercise by evaluating the load acting on the muscle according to the posture during exercise Cannot be used.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned reasons, and an object thereof is to provide a muscle load evaluation system capable of evaluating a load acting on a muscle of interest according to work of a virtual human body model, and further, muscle load An object of the present invention is to provide a product design support system that facilitates functional design of a product that can be used with a small load by evaluating a load acting on muscles when the product is used by using an evaluation system.

  The invention of claim 1 is a muscle load evaluation system for evaluating the degree of load acting on a muscle of interest using a virtual human body model displayed as a three-dimensional computer graphic image, and the height and weight of an evaluation subject Information input means for inputting information relating to body conditions including the human body model image generating means for generating three-dimensional image data of a virtual human body model corresponding to the evaluation subject based on the information input to the information input means; An image display means for displaying an image based on the three-dimensional image data, a posture designation means for designating the posture of the virtual human body model in the image displayed on the image display means, and a body condition in the posture designated by the posture designation means Torque calculation means for calculating the torque acting on the joint of interest of the virtual human body model, and the maximum torque allowed for each joint of the virtual human body model A load calculating means for calculating a load ratio acting on a muscle that expands and contracts when the target joint is bent and stretched, and a load calculation means. And an evaluation image generating means for displaying the torque ratio on the image display means.

  According to this configuration, it is possible to generate a virtual human body model that matches the body condition of the person to be evaluated using the information input by the information input means, and furthermore, it is possible to simulate a desired posture by using the posture specifying means. Therefore, the load acting on the target muscle can be evaluated according to the body condition in a state where the evaluation subject has a desired posture. That is, it is possible to obtain a posture with a small load on the muscle of interest. In addition, for the maximum torque allowed for each joint, the ratio of the torque acting on the joint in the posture designated by the posture designation means is obtained as a torque ratio, and the torque ratio is used as an evaluation value of the load acting on the muscle. Therefore, the degree of load on the muscles that expand and contract when bending and stretching each joint can be evaluated by the torque ratio, and the load acting on the muscles can be evaluated by a simple method.

  The body condition means a condition that affects at least the height and weight, and affects the shape and movement of the virtual human body model, such as age, sex, and the presence or absence of a disorder.

  According to a second aspect of the invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the evaluation image generating means sets a torque ratio according to a section to which a torque ratio calculated by the load calculating means belongs by setting a plurality of stages for the torque ratio. The classification is performed in a plurality of stages, and the classified stages are displayed on the image display means.

  According to this configuration, since the torque ratio is not displayed continuously but is displayed in a plurality of stages, it is easy to intuitively understand the degree of load acting on the target muscle.

  In the invention of claim 3, in the invention of claim 1 or 2, the evaluation image generating means associates a color with each stage of the torque ratio, and determines the stage of the torque ratio obtained for the joint of interest. The virtual human body model displayed on the image display means is indicated by a color in association with a joint part of interest.

  According to this configuration, each stage of the torque ratio obtained for the joint of interest is indicated in color in association with the joint part, so that it is easy to grasp the part and the degree to which the load acts.

  In the invention of claim 4, in the invention of claim 1 or claim 2, the evaluation image generating means associates a color with each stage of the torque ratio, and determines the stage of the torque ratio obtained with respect to the joint of interest. The virtual human body model displayed on the image display means is indicated by a color of a muscle portion corresponding to a focused joint.

  According to this configuration, each stage of the torque ratio obtained for the joint of interest is indicated in color in association with the muscle part corresponding to the joint, so that it is easy to grasp the part and the degree to which the load acts. Become. In particular, the torque ratio is shown in association with the muscles that expand and contract during flexion of the joint, so it is possible to intuitively know which muscle is acting on the load, and the action of the virtual human body model and the target muscle This makes it easier to understand the relationship with the degree of load.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fourth aspects of the present invention, there is provided a history storage means for temporarily storing a time change of the torque ratio for every predetermined time, the history storage means storing The time change of the torque ratio is graphically displayed on the image display means.

  According to this configuration, since the torque ratio history for a certain time is displayed in a graph, the dynamic change of the load accompanying the time change of the posture of the virtual human body model can be grasped for the load acting on the muscle of interest. That is, when the posture of the virtual human body model changes with the passage of time, it is possible to grasp the maximum value and duration of the load acting on the muscle of interest. As a result, when giving a motion to the virtual human body model to perform a series of work, it is possible to easily grasp the maximum value of the load and the duration of the load, and try various operations. This makes it easier to find an operation with less load and better workability.

  The invention according to claim 6 uses the muscle load evaluation system according to any one of claims 1 to 5 while causing the designed product to be used for a virtual human body model in a virtual space when designing the function of the product. A product design support system that evaluates the degree of load acting on the target muscle and reflects the evaluated degree of load in the design conditions, in addition to the muscle load evaluation system, the three-dimensional shape of the designed product Product data storage means storing data, product image generation means for generating 3D image data of the product based on the 3D shape data read from the product data storage means, and 3 of the products generated by the product image generation means Generating three-dimensional image data by combining the three-dimensional image data and the three-dimensional image data of the virtual human body model generated by the human body model image generating means; Characterized in that it comprises an image synthesizing means for displaying the image display means.

  According to this configuration, since the product designed together with the virtual human body model is displayed on the image display means, the posture of the product can be simulated using the virtual human body model, and the ease of handling of the designed product can be improved. It can be evaluated by the degree of load acting on the muscle. For example, if the product is a bathtub and the load acting on the muscle in the posture during cleaning is evaluated by a virtual human model, the bathtub design can be modified to reduce the load acting on the muscle, It becomes possible to design a bathtub that is easy to clean.

  According to the configuration of the muscle load evaluation system of the present invention, by performing a simulation of a desired posture using a virtual human body model that matches the body condition of the person to be evaluated, the load acting on the muscle of interest in the posture is determined by the body. Since the evaluation is performed according to the conditions, there is an advantage that the relationship between the posture of the evaluation subject and the load acting on the muscle can be easily grasped. In addition, since the torque ratio for the joint of interest is used as an evaluation value of the load acting on the muscle with respect to the posture of the virtual human body model, the degree of load on the muscle that expands and contracts when each joint is bent and stretched is evaluated by a simple method. There is an advantage that you can.

  Further, according to the configuration of the product design support system of the present invention, in addition to the effects of the above-described muscle load evaluation system, the posture of the designed product is simulated using a virtual human body model. There is an advantage that the ease of handling can be evaluated by the degree of load acting on the muscle.

  In the present embodiment, the following functions are realized by using an application program that can be executed by a computer such as a personal computer. However, the following functions can be realized by dedicated hardware instead of a combination of a computer and a program.

  The present embodiment is an example in which a product design support system that supports functional design of a product is constructed using a muscle load evaluation system 10 (see FIG. 1) that evaluates a load acting on muscles using a virtual human body model. As shown. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, it is necessary to display a product as a three-dimensional computer graphic image out of the shape and dimensions of the product designed by a product designer using a CAD (Computer Aided Design) device 30. 3D shape data is stored in the product data storage means 21. The product data storage means 21 uses a hard disk drive device because a large capacity storage device is required. An example of the product is a bathtub, and the posture of the virtual human body model is an example of the posture when cleaning the bathtub. However, the types and attitudes of the products are shown as an example rather than limiting.

  The product data storage means 21 may store three-dimensional shape data for a plurality of products. However, since the present invention is used for the purpose of supporting product design, only the three-dimensional shape data of the product at the design stage is used. Store. However, three-dimensional shape data of a product designed in the past for reference may be stored in the product data storage unit 21.

  Product image generation means 22 is provided to perform screen display using the three-dimensional shape data of the product stored in the product data storage means 21, and the product image generation means 22 stores the product data from the product data storage means 21. The three-dimensional shape data is read out and three-dimensional image data (hereinafter referred to as “product image data”) of the product for screen display is generated. When product image data is used as image data to be displayed on a display device, a three-dimensional image of the product is displayed on the screen of the display device.

  The purpose of this embodiment is to evaluate the load acting on the muscle in the posture during use of the product at the design stage. Therefore, a three-dimensional image of a virtual human body model that simulates the user (evaluation target person) together with the product. It is necessary to display on the screen of the display device. Therefore, three-dimensional image data (hereinafter referred to as “virtual human body model image data”) for displaying an image of the virtual human body model is generated by the human body model image generation means 11 separately from the product image data. Since the body condition varies depending on the user who is the evaluation target, the information input means 12 is provided so that the user's body condition can be set in various ways. As physical conditions, at least height and weight can be input, and age, sex, presence / absence of physical disability and type can be optionally input as necessary.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the virtual human body model 2 includes a plurality (18 in the illustrated example) segment Sg corresponding to the skeleton of the human body and a plurality (16 in the illustrated example) of joints Jn corresponding to the joints of the human body. The skin (surface attribute) is mapped so as to give a human body appearance when displaying an image. The number of segments Sg and joints Jn is an example.

  The attribute of the segment Sg is a length and is determined according to the height. That is, since the average value of the length of each bone with respect to the height is known, when the height is input from the information input unit 12, the human body model image generation unit 11 automatically determines the length of the segment Sg. The

  The attributes of the joint Jn are an angle (an angle in the coordinate system set in the virtual human body model), a movable range, a torque, and a maximum torque. In addition, the angle of each joint Jn in the posture in which the virtual human body model is upright is used as the initial value of the angle. The initial value of the angle changes with age, and when the muscle strength of the muscle supporting the joint decreases with age, the angle formed by the segments Sg connected by some joints Jn corresponding to the knees and waist changes (for example, The angle changes from the vicinity of 180 degrees to become smaller by bending the straightly extending part).

  By using the initial value of the angle, for example, it is possible to represent a state where the waist and knees are bent in an upright initial posture. Similarly, since the movable range of the joint Jn becomes smaller as the elderly age, the reach range of the limb can be expressed by considering the movable range of the joint Jn. The torque and maximum torque will be described later.

  As described above, according to the body condition input from the information input unit 12, the human body model image generation unit 11 causes the length of each segment Sg constituting the virtual human body model 2, the initial value of the angle of each joint Jn, and the movable range. And the maximum torque are determined. Further, when the presence / absence and type of a physical disorder are input, the posture and the movable range of the virtual human body model 2 are adjusted according to the disordered part. With regard to gender, since the range of movement of the joint is generally larger for women, when the gender is designated, the range of movement of the joint Jn is adjusted. The virtual human body model image data displays a three-dimensional image on the display device, similarly to the product image data.

  By the way, since the segment Sg corresponds to the skeleton, it can be said that it corresponds to a muscle group that expands and contracts when the joint bends and stretches. In addition, when the skin is mapped, the segment Sg and the joint Jn are not explicitly displayed in the image. Therefore, in the following, in the virtual human body model 2, the part corresponding to the segment Sg is referred to as the muscle Sg and the part corresponding to the joint Jn is referred to as the joint. Called Jn. Accordingly, the muscle Sg generally means a muscle group in which a plurality of types of muscles are combined instead of a single type of muscle.

  The product image data generated by the product image generation means 22 and the virtual human body model image data generated by the human body model image generation means 11 are input to the image composition means 13 so that images of the product and the virtual human body model are displayed. Three-dimensional image data synthesized so as to be displayed on one screen of the apparatus is generated. The three-dimensional image data obtained by the image synthesizing unit 13 displays a three-dimensional image on the image display unit 14 composed of a display device.

  The image displayed on the image display means 14 is an image obtained by simply combining the product image data and the virtual human body model image data, and the orientation displayed on the initial screen and the relative position of both are preset initial values. Is used. In addition, image selection means 23 is provided so that one of the product and the virtual human body model can be selectively specified in the image displayed on the image display means 14.

  When a product is selected by the image selection means 23, the viewpoint position for viewing the entire image displayed on the image display means 14 can be changed. That is, the entire three-dimensional image synthesized by the image synthesizing unit 13 can be viewed from the designated viewpoint position. By making the viewpoint position changeable in this way, the product can be viewed from various directions in the virtual space where the virtual human body model 2 is arranged, and a blind spot generated when the viewpoint position is fixed. Can be prevented.

  On the other hand, when the virtual human body model is selected by the image selection means 23, the relative position of the virtual human body model 2 to the product and the angle of a specific joint Jn of the virtual human body model 2 can be changed. For example, when cleaning a bathtub, since the position of the virtual human body model 2 with respect to the bathtub (product) 1 (see FIG. 3) must be changed, the relative position of the virtual human body model 2 to the bathtub 1 can be changed. It has become.

  By the way, the torque acting on the joint Jn bent and stretched by the expansion and contraction of the muscle Sg is used for evaluating the load acting on the muscle Sg of interest. Torque means a moment of force acting around the joint Jn around the joint Jn of interest. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the torque acting on the hip joint Jn based on gravity is obtained by determining the total mass m (mass of a region surrounded by a square) and the position of the center of gravity G from the waist. It can be calculated by obtaining a moment of force due to gravity mg (g is gravitational acceleration) acting on the center of gravity G around the joint Jn.

  When a force other than the subject's own weight acts, the torque may be obtained in consideration of the force, but here, when a load by other members acts on the virtual human body model 2, or a virtual human body The case where the model 2 exerts a force on other members is not particularly considered, and the torque for each joint Jn is determined only by the posture of the virtual human body model 2. Torque acting on each joint Jn can be obtained by the torque calculating means 15 when the posture of the virtual human body model 2 is determined.

  The torque obtained by the torque calculating means 15 is considered to reflect the load acting on the muscle Sg that bends and stretches the joint Jn. Therefore, the torque acting on each joint Jn is determined to correspond to the joint Jn. The load acting on the muscle Sg can be evaluated. For example, it is assumed that the torque of the heel joint Jn corresponds to the load of the lower leg muscle Sg, and the torque of the knee joint Jn corresponds to the load of the thigh muscle Sg. Since all the joints Jn require expansion and contraction of the muscles Sg when bending and stretching, it is possible to associate the muscles Sg with the respective joints Jn. However, the joint Jn and the muscle Sg are associated with each other only at the site of interest (there may be a single location, but usually a plurality of locations).

  The above-mentioned maximum torque means the maximum value allowed among the torques at each joint Jn. A calculation formula for the maximum torque is known. When a physical condition is given to the virtual human body model 2, the maximum torque allowed for each joint Jn can be obtained using the calculation formula. The maximum torque is associated with each joint Jn of the region of interest in the human body model image generation means 11.

  Since the magnitude of the torque calculated by the torque calculating means 15 described above varies depending on each joint Jn, the load calculating means 16 determines a torque ratio (= torque / maximum torque) that is a ratio to the maximum torque for each joint Jn. ) And standardize. The absolute value of the torque ratio is usually a value in the range of 0 to 1 (0 to 100%). However, in calculation, the absolute value of the torque may exceed the maximum torque that is the upper limit value. In this case, the torque value is determined as an abnormal value. For example, FIG. 4 shows abnormal values in which the values corresponding to “ankle” and “knee” exceed 100%. Thus, an abnormal value exceeding 100% is treated as 100% (= 1). The torque may be a negative value when the direction of rotation is opposite to the initial position, but the torque ratio is a positive value using an absolute value.

  By the way, since the torque of each joint Jn of the virtual human body model 2 is determined by the posture of the virtual human body model 2, it is necessary to change the posture of the virtual human body model 2. Therefore, posture specifying means 17 capable of supporting the posture of the virtual human body model 2 is provided. The posture designation means 17 displays a pointer P (see FIGS. 3 and 4) coupled to a desired part of the virtual human body model 2 in the virtual space displayed on the image display means 14, and changes the position of the pointer P. Thus, the position of a desired part of the virtual human body model 2 can be changed. For example, when the pointer P is coupled to the hand of the virtual human body model 2, the position of the hand can be changed by dragging the pointer P using a pointing device such as a mouse.

  When the posture of the virtual human body model 2 is changed, if the angles of the joints Jn are individually specified, it takes a lot of time and the posture of the virtual human body model 2 may become unnatural. Therefore, when the position of the desired part of the virtual human body model 2 is changed by the posture specifying means 17, the human body model image generating means 11 changes each position of the other part in conjunction with the change of the position of the part. The interlocking relationship of the joint Jn is defined.

  Accordingly, when the pointer P is coupled to a specific part of the virtual human body model 2 such as a hand or a foot and the position of the pointer P is changed, the joint Jn of the other part of the virtual human body model 2 follows the change in the position of the pointer P. The angle is changed in conjunction with this. The interlocking relationship is limited so that the virtual human body model 2 does not have an unnatural posture. That is, in the human body model image generation means 11, a rule group in which the position of the pointer P is associated with the angle of each joint Jn is set, and each time the position of the pointer P changes, the rule group is collated. The angle of each joint Jn is determined.

  As described above, when the posture of the virtual human body model 2 is changed, the torque acting on each joint Jn in each posture changes. The torque ratio, which is the ratio between the torque and the maximum torque, is obtained only for the target joint Jn, and the torque ratio for each target joint Jn is displayed on the image display means 14. When displaying the torque ratio on the image display means 14, the torque ratio obtained by the load detection means 19 is input to the image composition means 13 via the evaluation image generation means 18. The evaluation image generating means 18 can select a plurality of types of methods as methods for displaying the torque ratio on the screen of the image display means 14.

  When grasping the torque ratio as a numerical value, as shown in the lower left part of FIG. 4, on the screen of the image display means 14, the joint name Nm of the joint Jn of interest, the obtained torque value Tr, and the maximum torque Value Tm and the torque ratio Rt are displayed in association with each other. If this display is performed, the torque ratio can be recognized by a specific numerical value.

  However, if the torque ratio is expressed numerically, the torque at each joint Jn cannot be intuitively grasped although it is concrete, and it is also understood in which direction the torque acts around each joint Jn. Can not do it. Therefore, the evaluation image generating means 18 can display an arc Cr with an arrow in the vicinity of each joint Jn and indicate the direction in which the torque acts by an arrow (see FIG. 4). In this display, a plurality of sections are set for the torque ratio, and the torque ratios are classified according to the section to which the torque ratio calculated by the load calculating means 16 belongs. Each classified section is associated with a color, and an arc Cr with an arrow is colored differently for each section of the torque ratio. For example, the torque ratio is divided into three stages, and the arc Cr is colored in blue, yellow, red, etc. in association with the sections where the torque ratio is small, medium, and large. This display makes it possible to intuitively grasp the direction of torque and the magnitude of the torque ratio. The number of sections is not limited to three sections, and may be four or more stages.

  In the display method using the arc Cr with an arrow, although the position of each joint Jn of interest, the magnitude of the torque ratio, and the direction of the torque can be intuitively grasped, the load actually acts. Since it is not the joint Jn but the muscle Sg, it is difficult to understand the correspondence with the muscle Sg on which the load is applied in the arc Cr. Further, when the number of joints Jn to be focused on increases, the arc Cr may overlap and the display may be difficult to read.

  Therefore, as another display method of the evaluation image generating means 18, a display of coloring the muscle Sg region associated with each joint Jn in a color corresponding to each section of the torque ratio (in FIG. 4, the shaded region is indicated by the shaded portion). Is also available. That is, as in the case of displaying with the arc Cr, the torque ratio is classified into a plurality of stages and color-coded according to which section it belongs to. However, the portion to be colored is not the arc Cr but the muscle Sg associated with the joint Jn, and this display makes it possible to intuitively understand how much load is acting on which muscle Sg. .

  The display method described above represents only the torque ratio corresponding to the posture of the virtual human body model 2 displayed on the screen of the image display means 14, but when the virtual human body model 2 is accompanied by an operation, the operation is performed with respect to the torque ratio. Sometimes you want to know the history of the route. Therefore, history storage means 19 is provided for temporarily storing a torque ratio for a fixed time (for example, 5 seconds), and the time change of the torque ratio stored in the history storage means 19 in the evaluation image generation means 18 is displayed as image display means. If the graph is displayed on 14, it becomes easy to grasp the time change of the torque ratio. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the time change of the torque ratio for each joint Jn is displayed on a graph with time as the horizontal axis and the vertical axis as the torque ratio (expressed as a percentage). In the actual display on the screen of the image display means 14, the joint name described at the right end of FIG. 5 and the line representing the torque ratio in the graph are associated with each other by color. In FIG. 5, although there are 8 joint names, only 5 curves are shown in the graph. This is because the remaining 3 lines overlap with the line where the torque ratio is 0%. Because.

  When the graph display as described above is performed, the maximum value of the torque ratio during the operation of the virtual human body model 2 can be easily grasped, and the period during which the torque ratio is large during the operation of the virtual human body model 2 continues. It is possible to intuitively recognize whether or not

  Each of the display methods described above can be used alone, but can also be used in appropriate combination. When a plurality of types of display methods are used in combination, the information lacking in each display method can be complemented with each other, and the design of the product 1 that can be used with less load for the user when designing the function of the product 1 Can help.

  By the way, when a plurality of users having different body conditions take the same posture, it may be desired to compare and evaluate how much load acts on the focused muscle Sg. For this purpose, the posture of one virtual human body model 2 can be copied to another virtual human body model 2. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, the angle of each joint Jn of the replication source virtual human body model 2 is applied to the replication destination virtual human body model 2 (in the illustrated example, the right side virtual human body model 2 is the replication source). Yes, the virtual human body model 2 on the left is the copy destination). Here, when the height and weight of the two virtual human body models 2 are different, the load acting on each muscle Sg also changes, so that the torque ratio also changes between the replication source and the replication destination (in the illustrated example, the replication source). The weight is larger than the duplication destination, and the torque ratio of the thigh and waist is larger at the duplication source). That is, when the posture is duplicated by duplicating the angle of the joint Jn, a torque ratio corresponding to the body condition (attribute) of each virtual human body model 2 is obtained, and the torque ratio is applied to the virtual human body model 2 as the duplication destination. The

  Similarly, when replicating the posture, it may be desired to compare and evaluate what kind of load acts on the muscle Sg of interest when a plurality of users make the same movement. For such a purpose, it is required to duplicate the operation of one virtual human body model 2 to another virtual human body model 2. Therefore, in the case of duplicating the motion, the motion history of the virtual human body model 2 (history of the time change of the angle of each joint Jn) is stored, and the motion history is duplicated to the other virtual human body model 2.

  In addition, although the example which builds a product design support system was shown in the embodiment mentioned above, the muscle load evaluation system 10 can be used alone, and if the muscle load evaluation system 10 is used alone, the posture of the person to be evaluated is evaluated. Accordingly, it is possible to grasp the load acting on the muscles according to the situation, and it is possible to use it for the purpose of motion analysis or the like.

It is a block diagram which shows embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the human body model used for the same as the above. It is a figure which shows the example of calculation of the torque in the same as the above. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of the screen in the same as the above. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of the screen in the same as the above. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of the screen in the same as the above.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Product 2 Virtual human body model 10 Muscle load evaluation system 11 Human body model image generation means 12 Information input means 13 Image composition means 14 Image display means 15 Torque calculation means 16 Load calculation means 17 Posture designation means 18 Evaluation image generation means 19 History storage means 21 Product data storage means 22 Product image generation means 23 Image selection means Jn Joint
P pointer Sg segment (muscle)

Claims (6)

  A muscle load evaluation system that evaluates the degree of load acting on a muscle of interest using a virtual human body model displayed as a three-dimensional computer graphic image, wherein information on body conditions including the height and weight of an evaluation subject is obtained. An information input means for inputting, a human body model image generating means for generating three-dimensional image data of a virtual human body model corresponding to the evaluation subject based on information input to the information input means, and an image based on the three-dimensional image data are displayed. Image display means, posture designation means for designating the posture of the virtual human body model in the image displayed on the image display means, and a joint to which the virtual human body model is focused using body conditions in the posture designated by the posture designation means Focus on the torque calculation means for calculating the torque acting on the body and the maximum torque allowed for each joint of the virtual human body model Load calculation means for calculating the torque ratio, which is the ratio of the torque acting on the node to the maximum torque, as an evaluation value of the load acting on the muscle that expands and contracts when the joint is bent and stretched; An muscular load evaluation system comprising: an evaluation image generation unit displayed on the unit.   The evaluation image generation means sets a plurality of stages for the torque ratio, classifies the torque ratio into a plurality of stages according to a section to which the torque ratio calculated by the load calculation means belongs, and displays each classified stage as an image. The muscle load evaluation system according to claim 1, wherein the muscle load evaluation system is displayed on a means.   The evaluation image generation means associates a color with each stage of the torque ratio, and associates the stage of the torque ratio obtained for the focused joint with the focused joint part of the virtual human body model displayed on the image display means. The muscle load evaluation system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the muscle load evaluation system is indicated by a color.   The evaluation image generating means associates a color with each stage of the torque ratio, and determines the torque ratio stage obtained for the joint of interest as a muscle corresponding to the joint of interest of the virtual human body model displayed on the image display means. The muscle load evaluation system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the muscle load evaluation system is indicated by the color of the region.   A history storage unit that temporarily stores a time change of the torque ratio for every predetermined time is provided, and the history storage unit displays the time change of the stored torque ratio in a graph on the image display unit. The muscle load evaluation system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.   In designing the function of a product, the designed product is used for a virtual human body model in a virtual space, and acts on a target muscle by using the muscle load evaluation system according to any one of claims 1 to 5. A product design support system for evaluating the degree of load to be applied and reflecting the evaluated degree of load on design conditions, and in addition to the muscle load evaluation system, a product data storage storing three-dimensional shape data of the designed product Means, product image generation means for generating 3D image data of the product based on the 3D shape data read from the product data storage means, product 3D image data and human body model image generated by the product image generation means Three-dimensional image data obtained by synthesizing the three-dimensional image data of the virtual human body model generated by the generation unit is generated and displayed on the image display unit Product design support system characterized by comprising an image synthesizing means for.

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