JP2022109833A - Assisting device and wheelchair - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an assisting device and a wheelchair that can accurately grasp an assisted person's standing up intention in the process in which the assisted person is shifted from a seated state to a standing up state and can support appropriate standing up of the assisted person by reflecting the accurate grasp.SOLUTION: An assisting device 1 includes a seating unit 100 in which an assisted person can be seated, a state acquisition unit 110 provided in the seating unit 100 to acquire the seated state of the assisted person, and an estimation unit 120 for estimating a shift state in a standing up operation of the assisted person, on the basis of the seated state acquired by the state acquisition unit 110. Further, the assisting device 1 includes an elevating drive unit 60 for elevating and lowering the seating unit 100, and a control unit 30 capable of controlling the elevating drive unit 60. The control unit 30 can control the elevating drive unit 60 to elevate and lower the seated unit 100 on the basis of the shift state. As a result, the assisting device 1 supports standing up of the assisted person. Further, the assisting device 1 can be mounted on a wheelchair 1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

The present invention relates to assistive devices and wheelchairs. More specifically, the present invention relates to an assist device for assisting a person requiring care to stand up and a wheelchair having the assist device.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known an assistance system that assists a person to be assisted from sitting on a chair to stand up (for example, Patent Document 1). The assisting system according to the invention of Patent Document 1 uses a knee angle sensor to detect the angle of the knee joint of the assisted person seated on the seating portion of the assisting chair. The seat is pushed up and controlled. In addition, the auxiliary system according to the invention of Patent Document 1 includes at least one load sensor of a seat surface load sensor, an armrest load sensor, and a footrest load sensor. Based on this, it is determined whether or not the assisted person is about to stand up.

JP 2013-56041 A

By the way, in order to support the assisted person to stand up from the seat as described above, it is necessary to more accurately grasp the assisted person's intention to stand up in the process in which the assisted person shifts from the seated state to the standing state. There is In addition, it is necessary to support the person being assisted to stand up appropriately reflecting the intention of the person being assisted to stand up. However, the assistance system according to the invention of Patent Document 1 described above does not accurately determine the intention of the person being assisted in each process of shifting from the sitting state to the standing state. Further, the assistance system according to the invention of Patent Document 1 determines the intention of the person being assisted to stand up, and assists the person up to the stage before the person being assisted standing up (the stage at which the person is about to stand up). It does not support the overall rising operation until the rising of the is completed. Further, the auxiliary system according to the invention of Patent Document 1 is provided as an auxiliary chair and is not applied to a movable wheelchair.

Therefore, the present invention can accurately grasp the assisted person's intention to stand up in the process in which the assisted person shifts from the seated state to the standing state, and can appropriately assist the person to stand up by reflecting this. The purpose is to provide a safe assistive device and wheelchair.

(1) An assisting device of the present invention provided to solve the above-described problems is an assisting device that assists a person being assisted to stand up, and includes a seating section on which the person being assisted can sit, and a a state acquiring unit that acquires the seating state of the person being assisted; an estimating unit that estimates a transition state in the rising motion of the person being assisted based on the seated state acquired by the state acquiring unit; An elevation drive section for raising and lowering the seating section, and a control section capable of controlling the elevation drive section, wherein the control section controls the elevation drive section based on the transition state to move the seating section. It is characterized by raising and lowering.

The assist device of the present invention described above can estimate the transition state of the assisted person's stand-up motion based on the seating state of the assisted person acquired by the state acquiring unit. Therefore, it is possible to accurately estimate the change in the posture of the assisted person in the rising motion according to the transition state. Further, the auxiliary device of the present invention can control the up-and-down motion of the seating section based on the transition state estimated by the estimation section. As a result, it is possible to perform appropriate stand-up assistance that accurately reflects the assisted person's stand-up intention.

(2) In the assist device of the present invention described above, the estimating unit can stepwise estimate the transition state of the assisted person's rising motion, and the control unit, based on each stage of the transition state, It is preferable to control the elevation driving section step by step to raise and lower the seating section.

According to such a configuration, it is possible to perform elevation control of the seating section suitable for each transition state for each stage. As a result, it is possible to quickly control the stand-up assistance of the person being assisted, so that the stand-up assistance control can be performed in which the intention of the person being assisted to stand up is more accurately reflected.

Here, when the assisted person shifts from the seated state to the standing state, it is conceivable that the assisted person stops the rising motion in the middle or takes too long to stand up midway. In such a case, it is considered desirable to stop or lower the seating portion.

(3) Based on such findings, the auxiliary device of the present invention controls the elevation drive unit to cause the seating unit to It is better to stop or lower the lifting of the

According to such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the assisted person from performing the standing-up assisting operation that is not intended by the assisted person. As a result, it is possible to prevent the person being assisted from losing his/her posture.

Here, when the assisted person shifts from the seated state to the standing state, the pressure (load) that the seated portion receives from the assisted person changes sequentially for each row in the front-rear direction with respect to the seated portion. It is thought that there are many.

(4) Based on this knowledge, in the auxiliary device of the present invention, a plurality of the state acquisition units are provided along at least the width direction of the sitting portion, and the estimation unit is one of the plurality of state acquisition units. , the transition state may be estimated by arithmetically processing the obtained values of the state obtaining units provided along the width direction.

The auxiliary device described above can acquire the acquired values of the plurality of state acquisition units provided along the width direction of the seating section, and can perform arithmetic processing on the acquired values. Here, the arithmetic processing may be performed by adding each acquired value obtained along the width direction in the column direction. Accordingly, it is possible to acquire the change in the pressure (load) that the seat receives from the person being assisted in an emphasized manner along the width direction of the seat. As a result, it is possible to appropriately grasp a weak posture change in the assisted person's stand-up motion. In addition, it is possible to provide an auxiliary device capable of providing an accurate standing-up assist operation that reflects this. Here, the state acquisition unit may use various sensors such as a pressure sensor and a load sensor. Further, the state acquisition units are provided so as to form rows along the width direction of the seating portion, and the rows of the state acquisition units are formed in a plurality of rows in the depth direction (front-rear direction) of the seating portion. good.

(5) The wheelchair of the present invention provided to solve the above-described problems is characterized by having the above-described auxiliary device.

According to such a configuration, it is possible to provide a wheelchair equipped with the auxiliary device described above. Therefore, assistance for standing up of the assisted person can be used even in a wheelchair, which is a mobile body.

(6) The wheelchair of the present invention described above has a footrest and a storage detection unit that detects storage of the footrest, and the control unit detects that the storage detection unit detects storage of the footrest. , it is preferable to start the control of the elevation driving section at the same time as determining that the person to be assisted has an intention to start the rising motion.

According to such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the assistance from standing up while the wheelchair is moving. As a result, it is possible to suppress unintentional standing-up assistance by the person being assisted, and it is possible to suppress the person being assisted from losing his/her posture.

According to the present invention, it is possible to accurately grasp the assisted person's intention to stand up in the process in which the assisted person shifts from the seated state to the standing state, and to appropriately assist the assisted person in standing up reflecting this. Assistive devices and wheelchairs can be provided.

1 is a perspective view of a wheelchair employing an auxiliary device according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 2 is an explanatory perspective view of the wheelchair of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of the wheelchair of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a state acquisition unit that constitutes the auxiliary device of the present invention; FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of calculation of acquired values in a state acquisition unit that constitutes the auxiliary device of the present invention; (a1) is an explanatory diagram showing the detection state of the state acquisition unit of the seating pattern 1 at MODE=0, and (a2) is an explanatory diagram showing the seating state of the assisted person at MODE=0. (b1) is an explanatory diagram showing the detection state of the state acquisition unit of the seating pattern 1 in MODE=1, and (b2) is an explanatory diagram showing the seating state (2 patterns) of the assisted person in MODE=1. be. (c1) is an explanatory diagram showing the detection state of the state acquisition unit of the seating pattern 2 in MODE=2, and (c2) is an explanatory diagram showing the seating state of the assisted person in MODE=2. (d1) is an explanatory diagram showing the detection state of the state acquisition unit of the seating pattern 3 in MODE=3, and (d2) is an explanatory diagram showing the seating state of the assisted person in MODE=3. (e1) is an explanatory diagram showing the detection state of the state acquisition unit of the seating pattern 4 in MODE=4, and (e2) is an explanatory diagram showing the seating state of the assisted person in MODE=4. (f1) is an explanatory diagram showing the detection state of the state acquisition unit of the seating pattern 5 in MODE=5, and (f2) is an explanatory diagram showing the seating state of the assisted person in MODE=5. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing criteria for determination states in FIGS. 6 to 8; FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of an example of transition patterns (MODE=3 to 4) in the auxiliary device of the present invention; 4 is a flow chart (main routine) showing an example of the operation of the auxiliary device of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 12 is a flow diagram continued from FIG. 11; FIG. 12 is a flow diagram continued from FIG. 11; FIG. 10 is a flow chart for determining a seating pattern (subroutine) in the state acquiring section that constitutes the auxiliary device of the present invention; FIG. 15 is a flowchart continued from FIG. 14; FIG. 4 is a flow chart (subroutine) for counter check in the auxiliary device of the present invention;

One embodiment of the auxiliary device 1 according to the invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9. FIG. In this embodiment, a case in which the auxiliary device 1 is incorporated in an electric wheelchair 1 (also referred to as a wheelchair 1) will be described as an example.

≪Construction of Wheelchair 1≫
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the wheelchair 1 has a body 2 which is the main body of the wheelchair 1. As shown in FIGS. The vehicle body 2 includes a rear supporting member 2a erected on the rear side, a pair of wheels 3L and 3R (also referred to as driving wheels 3L and 3R) as driving wheels rotatably supported on the rear side of the vehicle body, and a front side of the vehicle body. A pair of omnidirectional wheels 4, 4, etc. are provided as driven wheels rotatably supported on the side. Note that the wheels 3R are not shown in FIG. 1 because they are hidden by the vehicle body 2. As shown in FIG.

The vehicle body 2 includes a seating portion 100 on which a person receiving assistance such as a person requiring care can sit and board, a state acquiring portion 110 provided in the seating portion 100, and a transition state in the rising motion of the person receiving assistance. An estimation unit 120 and the like are provided. Further, the vehicle body 2 includes, for example, a pair of operation units 10L and 10R operated by a caregiver (also referred to as an operator), an operation amount acquisition unit 20 for detecting the operation force by the operator, and a seating unit 100. A footrest 70 and the like are provided below the front end side and rotatable around a fixed shaft (not shown) provided on the front end side of the vehicle body 2 .

In addition to the configuration described above, the vehicle body 2 includes wheel drive units 40L and 40R, a wheel rotation speed detection unit 50, an elevation drive unit 60 for raising and lowering the seating unit 100, an elevation drive unit 60 and various types of wheelchairs 1. A control unit 30 and the like are provided for controlling the above. 1 and 2, the wheel drive unit 40R is not shown.

The operating portions 10L and 10R are provided at both vehicle width direction end sides of the rear support member 2a. The operating portions 10L and 10R are configured by rod-shaped members. The operating portions 10L and 10R are swingably supported by the vehicle body 2 at one end thereof, and are free at the other end. The operation parts 10L and 10R are bent in the middle, and the parts supported on the vehicle body 2 side are formed so as to extend along the side surfaces of the rear support member 2a. Further, the operating portion 10 extends from the rear support member 2a toward the rear side of the vehicle body 2 and is formed to be inclined at a predetermined angle so that the operator can easily hold and operate the rear side of the vehicle body 2. ing. The operation sides of the operation portions 10L and 10R are spaced apart along the vehicle width direction so that their ends face each other. Further, the supporting sides of the operating portions 10L and 10R are supported swingably with respect to the rear supporting member 2a. Therefore, the operating portions 10L and 10R can be independently swung.

As shown in FIG. 3, operation amount acquisition units 20 are provided on the support sides of the operation units 10L and 10R, respectively. The manipulated variable acquisition unit 20 includes, for example, a pair of pressure sensors 22, 22 consisting of load cells, a signal amplifier 23 that amplifies the signals detected by the pressure sensors 22, 22, and an analog signal from the signal amplifier 23 that is converted into a digital signal. It has an A/D converter 24 and the like that The operation amount acquisition unit 20 can independently acquire the operation forces applied to the operation units 10L and 10R using the pressure sensors 22 and 22, respectively.

The control unit 30 includes wheel drive units 40L and 40R, a wheel rotation speed detection unit 50, an elevation drive unit 60, an estimation unit 120 connected to the state acquisition unit 110, and a storage unit for detecting the storage state of the footrest 70. A detection unit 71 and the like are connected. The control unit 30 can move the seating unit 100 up and down by controlling the elevation drive unit 60 . The details of the control of the elevation driving section 60 will be described later. Further, the control unit 30 outputs a set value (for example, the number of revolutions) to the wheel drive units 40L and 40R, which will be described later, based on the difference between the operation amounts acquired by the operation units 10L and 10R. The control unit 30 can control the wheelchair 1 according to the storage state of the footrest 70 detected by the storage detection unit 71 . In addition, the controller 30 can perform various controls in the wheelchair 1 in addition to the above. Note that the control unit 30 may be configured not only as a single unit but also as a plurality of units depending on the constituent members.

The wheel drive unit 40 is formed by, for example, an in-wheel motor, a motor driver, etc., and is connected to each of the wheels 3L and 3R. The wheel driving units 40L and 40R can rotate the wheels 3L and 3R independently. The wheel driving units 40L and 40R are independently driven and controlled based on the set values (for example, the number of revolutions) output from the control unit 30. FIG. Thereby, the wheelchair 1 can be advanced by driving the wheels 3L and 3R by the wheel drive units 40L and 40R, and can turn in each direction by the omnidirectional wheels 4 and 4 (see FIG. 1).

The wheel rotation speed detection unit 50 is provided on the wheels 3L and 3R as drive wheels, and can detect the wheel rotation speed of each of the wheels 3L and 3R. An encoder or the like that detects an angle is used for the wheel rotation speed detection unit 50, for example. In addition, the wheel rotation speed detection unit 50 can be provided at various locations, such as those provided on the wheel shaft or the wheel drive unit 40, as long as the rotation speed of the wheels 3 can be detected. .

The elevation driving section 60 is provided below the seating section 100 as shown in FIG. The elevation driving unit 60 includes a motor for driving the seating portion 100 up and down, rails (not shown) provided along the vertical direction of the rear support member 2a, and the seating portion 100 provided on the seating portion 100 so as to slide freely on the rails. slider 61 and the like. In addition, the elevation driving section 60 is connected to the control section 30 and controlled according to commands from the control section 30 . The elevation driving section 60 can raise and lower the seating section 100 between position 1 (also referred to as P1) on the lower end side and position 4 (also referred to as P4) on the upper end side. In this embodiment, a position 2 (also referred to as P2) and a position 3 (also referred to as P3), which will be described later, are set between the positions 1 and 4 (see FIG. 7).

In addition, the elevation driving section 60 can raise and lower the armrest section 103 integrally with the seat surface section 101 as the seating section 100 is raised and lowered. Therefore, when the person being assisted stands up, the load on the person being assisted can be distributed by the seat surface portion 101 and the armrest portion 103, thereby making it easier for the person being assisted to stand up.

The footrest 70 is rotatably supported around a fixed shaft (not shown) provided on the front end side of the vehicle body 2 . The footrest 70 is rotatable between a flip-up state, which is a stowed state, and a flat state, which is a state where the person being assisted puts his or her feet on it. The rocking motion of the footrest 70 can be performed by the person being assisted or the helper. Further, the footrest 70 is provided with a sensor serving as a storage detection unit 71, and can detect that the footrest 70 has been stored (has been flipped up). In this embodiment, when it is detected that the footrest 70 has been stowed, the driving support by the operation unit 10 of the wheelchair 1 is not performed. In addition, in this embodiment, when it is detected that the footrest 70 has been retracted by the retraction detection unit 71, it is determined that the assisted person intends to start the rising motion, and control of the elevation driving unit 60 is started. can be done.

Next, the details of the seating portion 100 on which the assisted person sits will be described with reference to FIG. The seating portion 100 has a seat surface portion 101 on which the person to be assisted sits, a backrest portion 102 to support the back of the person to be assisted, and armrest portions 103R and 103L (armrest portion 103) that serve as the elbow rests of the person to be assisted. is doing. A plurality of state acquisition units 110 are provided for each of the seat surface portion 101 , the backrest portion 102 , and the armrest portion 103 . Each state acquisition unit 110 is connected to the estimation unit 120 .

The state acquisition unit 110 is composed of, for example, a sensor such as a pressure sensor. The state acquisition unit 110 also has a signal amplifier 111 that amplifies the signal detected by the sensor, an A/D converter 112 that converts an analog signal from the signal amplifier 111 into a digital signal, and the like. The state acquisition unit 110 can detect the load (pressure) applied when the assisted person is seated. In the following description, the state acquisition unit 110 may be referred to as sensors a, b, and s depending on the position at which it is arranged. Further, the sensors a, b, and s may be referred to by adding numbers to alphabetical symbols according to their respective positions.

A plurality of sensors s are arranged on the seat surface portion 101 . Sensors s11 to s41, s12 to s42, and s13 to s43 are arranged in rows along the width direction (longitudinal direction in the drawing) of the wheelchair 1 on the seat portion 101 . Each row of sensors s11 to s41, s12 to s42, and s13 to s43 are sequentially arranged from the front end side of the seat surface portion 101 toward the rear end side (also referred to as the front-rear direction or the depth direction).

A plurality of sensors b are arranged on the backrest portion 102 . On the backrest portion 102, sensors b11 and b21 and sensors b12 and b22, which are arranged in rows along the width direction of the wheelchair 1, are arranged in order from the lower end side to the upper end side of the backrest portion 102. It is

Sensors a11 and a12 are arranged along the front-rear direction of the wheelchair 1 on the armrest portion 103R. Further, sensors a21 and a22 are arranged along the front-rear direction of the wheelchair 1 on the armrest portion 103L. Here, the sensors a11 and a21 and the sensors a12 and a22 form rows along the width direction of the wheelchair 1, respectively.

The estimator 120 is connected to each of the sensors a, b, and s described above. The estimating unit 120 can estimate the transition state of the assisted person's stand-up motion step by step from the acquired values acquired by the sensors a, b, and s. The estimation unit 120 is also connected to the control unit 30 and transmits the estimated transition state to the control unit 30 . Note that the transition state to be estimated may be continuous rather than stepwise. Also, the estimation unit 120 may be a separate device, or may be performed by the control unit 30 .

Next, the arithmetic processing of the output values (acquired values) of the sensors a, b, and s of the state acquisition unit 110 and the thresholds used to determine the seating state of the person being assisted will be described with reference to FIG. .

≪Calculation processing and threshold value of output value in each sensor≫
First, in estimating the transition state of the assisted person's rising motion, the output values of the sensors a, b, and s in the state acquisition unit 110 are acquired. As a result of intensive studies by the present inventors, it has been found that the output value changes from the rear side toward the front side in the traveling direction of the wheelchair 1 as the person being assisted stands up.

Therefore, in the auxiliary device 1 (wheelchair 1) of the present invention, the total S1 of the sensor front rows s11 to s41 formed along the width direction of the seat portion 101, the total S2 of the sensor middle rows s12 to s42, and the sensor rear row s13 A total S3 of ∼s43 is obtained. In addition, in the backrest portion 102, a total B1 of the lower sensor rows b11 and b21 formed along the width direction and a total B2 of the upper sensor rows b12 and b22 are obtained. Further, in the armrest portions 103R and 103L, the total A1 of the sensor front rows a11 and a21 formed along the width direction and the total A2 of the sensor rear rows a12 and a22 are obtained. The details of the specific calculation processing method and the setting of the threshold will be described below.

The sums S1, S2 and S3 of the sensor output values in the seat surface portion 101 are obtained by the following (Equation 1), (Equation 2) and (Equation 3) respectively.

S1=s11+s21+s31+s41 (Formula 1)
S2=s12+s22+s32+s42 (Formula 2)
S3=s13+s23+s33+s43 (Formula 3)

A seating state determination threshold S1thr and a high pressure determination threshold S1Hthr are set for the total S1. A seating state determination threshold value S2thr is set for the total S2, and a seating state determination threshold value S3thr is set for the total S3.

Further, the sums A1 and A2 of the sensor output values in both armrest portions 103R and 103L are obtained by the following (Equation 4) and (Equation 5), respectively.

A1=a21+a11 (Formula 4)
A2=a22+a12 (Formula 5)

A seating state determination threshold A1thr and a high pressure determination threshold A1Hthr are set for the total A1. A seating state determination threshold value A2thr is set for the total A2.

Further, the totals B1 and B2 of the sensor output values at the backrest portion 102 are obtained by the following (Equation 6) and (Equation 7), respectively.

B1=b21+b11 (Formula 6)
B2=b22+b12 (Formula 7)

A seating state determination threshold value B1thr is set for the total B1, and a seating state determination threshold value B2thr is set for the total B2. Here, the seating state determination threshold described above is a threshold for determining that the person being assisted is seated. When the person is seated, the sum of the sensor output values of each row is sufficiently greater than or equal to the threshold. . Further, the high pressure determination threshold is a threshold for detecting that a stronger pressure is applied to each sensor than when the person being assisted sits down while standing up.

Therefore, in the front row of the seat portion 101, the relationship between the seating state determination threshold value S1thr and the high pressure determination threshold value S1Hthr is such that the seating state determination threshold value S1thr<the high pressure determination threshold value S1Hthr. In addition, in the front row of the armrest portion 103, the relationship between the seating state determination threshold A1thr and the high pressure determination threshold A1Hthr is such that the seating state determination threshold A1thr<the high pressure determination threshold A1Hthr.

As described above, the auxiliary device 1 of the present invention acquires values of the plurality of sensors s, a, and b provided along the width direction of the seating section 100 for each sensor row along the width direction of the seating section 100. It can be obtained by adding Therefore, changes in the pressure (load) that the seating section 100 receives from the person being assisted can be acquired in an emphasized manner along the width direction of the seating section 100 . As a result, it is possible to appropriately grasp a weak posture change in the assisted person's stand-up motion. In addition, since the change in the pressure received from the assisted person that changes along the front-rear direction (depth direction) of the seating section 100 can be sequentially grasped for each of the plurality of sensor rows, the change in the posture of the assisted person during the rising motion can be detected. can be properly grasped.

Next, the estimation of the transition state in the rising motion of the assisted person will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 6 to 9. FIG. 6 to 8, (a1) to (f1) shown on the upper side are explanatory diagrams showing states of sensors s, a, and b in seating patterns 1 to 4, respectively. 6 to 8, (a2) to (f2) shown on the lower side are explanatory diagrams showing each stage (MODE=0 to 5) of the transition state in the standing motion of the assisted person. .

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing the reference output states of the sensors s, a, and b in FIGS. 6 to 8 and the thresholds used for determining the seating pressure. In the drawing, the output states of the sensors s, a, and b are represented by hatching densities, and the higher the hatching density, the higher the sensor output. Moreover, the output values of the sensors surrounded by broken lines are not involved in the determination (not involved). This is because it does not affect transition state estimation. Further, the output values of the sensors s, a, and b are added for each column and output as described above. The seating pressure is determined by comparing the total sensor output values S1 to S3, A1 to A2, and B1 to B2 for each row with a threshold value.

FIG. 6(a2) shows a transition state in which the assisted person is seated on the seat portion 100 of the wheelchair 1, and the transition state is set as MODE=0 (also referred to as MODE0). In MODE 0, each sensor s in the seat surface portion 101 outputs the seating pressure (see FIG. 9) of the seating pattern as shown in FIG. 6(a1). The seating pressure pattern in MODE0 is set as seating pattern 1 . In the seating pattern 1, all sensor output values in the seating surface portion 101 are output as the seating pressure state (see FIG. 9). The seating state of the seat portion 100 in the seating patterns 1 to 4 is determined based on the seating state determination threshold values S1thr to S3thr, A1thr, A2thr, B1thr and B2thr and the high pressure determination threshold values S1Hthr and A1Hthr. A specific determination will be explained in the operation flow described later.

The transition state on the left side of FIG. 6(b2) represents a state in which the footrest 70 of the wheelchair 1 is retracted, and the transition state on the right side of the drawing is a transition state where the assisted person starts to stand up (from the backrest portion 102 to the backrest portion 102). The back of the assistant is separated). Both of these transition states are set as MODE=1 (also referred to as MODE1). In MODE 1, each sensor s in the seat surface portion 101 outputs the seating pressure (see FIG. 9) of the seating pattern as shown in FIG. 6(b1). The seating pattern output in MODE 1 is set as seating pattern 1 . Since the determination of the seating pressure state is the same as described above, the description is omitted.

FIG. 7(c2) shows a transition state in which the assisted person starts to stand up and pressure is applied to the sensors a11 and a21 in the front row of the armrest portion 103. FIG. It also shows a transition state in which the seating section 100 is moved up and down from position 1 (P1) to position 2 (P2). The transition state is set as MODE=2 (also referred to as MODE2). In MODE 2, each sensor s in the seat surface portion 101 outputs the seating pressure (see FIG. 9) of the seating pattern as shown in FIG. 7(c1). Further, the sensors a11 and a22 in the armrest portion 103 output the seating pressure of the seating pattern as shown in FIG. 7(c1). The seating pattern output in MODE 2 is set as seating pattern 2 . In the seating pattern 2, all sensor output values in the seat surface portion 101 are output as the seating pressure state (see FIG. 9), and the output values of the front row sensors a11 and a21 in the armrest portion 103 are output as the seating pressure state.

FIG. 7(d2) shows a transition state in which the assisted person is in the process of standing up and a strong pressure is applied to the sensors a11 and a21 in the front row of the armrest portion 103. FIG. It also shows a transition state in which the seating section 100 is moved up and down from position 2 (P2) to position 3 (P3). The transition state is set as MODE=3 (also referred to as MODE3). In MODE 3, each sensor s in the seat surface portion 101 outputs a seating pressure in a seating pattern as shown in FIG. 7(d1). Further, the sensors a11 and a22 in the armrest portion 103 output the seating pressure of the seating pattern as shown in FIG. 7(d1). The seating pattern output in MODE 3 is set as seating pattern 3 . In seating pattern 3, the sensor output value of the front row of the seat surface portion 101 and the armrest portion 103 is output as a high pressure state (see FIG. 9), and the sensor output value of the center row in the front-rear direction of the seat surface portion 101 is output as the seating pressure state. be.

FIG. 8(e2) shows a transitional state in which the person being assisted is in the final stage of the rising motion, sits on the front end side of the seat portion 101, and puts a hand on the front end side of the armrest portion 103 strongly. That is, it represents a transition state in which a strong pressure is applied to the front end sides of the seat surface portion 101 and the armrest portion 103 . At this time, the sensor rows s11 to s41 on the seat surface portion 101 and the sensors a11 and a21 on the armrest portion 103 are strongly pressed. Also, a transition state in which the seating section 100 is moved up and down from position 3 to position 4 is shown. The transition state is set as MODE=4 (also referred to as MODE4). In MODE 4, each sensor s in the seat surface portion 101 outputs a seating pressure in a seating pattern as shown in FIG. 8(e1). Further, the sensors a11 and a22 in the armrest portion 103 output the seating pressure of the seating pattern as shown in FIG. 8(e1). The seating pattern output in MODE 4 is set as seating pattern 4 . In seating pattern 4, the output values of the front row of sensors s11 to s41 on the seat surface portion 101 and the sensors a11 and a21 on the front row of the armrest portion 103 are output as a high pressure state (see FIG. 9).

FIG. 8( f 2 ) shows a transition state in which the assisted person is just before completing the standing-up motion and lightly puts his or her hand on the front end side of the armrest portion 103 . That is, it represents a transition state in which a light pressure is applied to the front end side of the armrest portion 103 . At this time, a light pressure is applied to the sensors a11 and a21 in the armrest portion 103 . Also, a transition state in which the seating section 100 is positioned at position 4 is shown. The transition state is set as MODE=5 (also referred to as MODE5). In MODE 5, the sensors a11 and a22 in the armrest portion 103 output the seating pressure of the seating pattern as shown in FIG. 8(f1). The seating pattern output in MODE 5 is set as seating pattern 5 . In the seating pattern 5, the output values of the front row sensors a11 and a21 in the armrest portion 103 are output as the seating pressure state (see FIG. 9).

As described above, the assist device 1 of the present invention can estimate the transition state of the assisted person's stand-up motion based on the seating state of the assisted person acquired by the state acquiring unit 110 . Therefore, it is possible to accurately estimate the change in the posture of the assisted person in the rising motion according to the transition state. Further, the auxiliary device 1 of the present invention can control the up-and-down motion of the seating section 100 based on the transition state estimated by the estimation section 120 . As a result, it is possible to perform appropriate stand-up assistance that accurately reflects the assisted person's stand-up intention.

<<Example of transition from MODE3 to MODE4>>
Next, a specific example of MODE transition will be described with reference to FIG. 10, taking the transition from MODE3 to MODE4 as an example. The upper three stages in the drawing indicate that there are three patterns for shifting to MODE3 to MODE4. In addition, the middle part of the drawing shows changes in the counter value over time. Further, the lower part of the drawing shows the change in the position of the seat surface portion 101 (also referred to as the seat 101) over time.

≪In the case of MODE transition while the seat is rising≫
First, the case of shifting to MODE3-MODE4 while the seat 101 is rising (P2-P3) will be described. When MODE 3 starts, the seat 101 rises proportionally from P2 to P3 as time elapses. Also, the counter value increases from 0 to 3. Here, the counter value 3 is a timeout value when a predetermined time has passed in MODE4. Further, the seating pattern 3 shifts to the seating pattern 4 as the seat 101 rises from P2 to P3. MODE 3 is switched to MODE 4 as the seating pattern 3 shifts to the seating pattern 4 . The MODE switching is performed by the estimation unit 120 . MODE switching may be performed by the control unit 30 .

≪In the case of MODE transition after completion of seat lifting≫
Next, the case where the seat 101 moves to MODE3 to MODE4 after the seat 101 is raised to P3 will be described. When MODE 3 starts, the seat 101 rises proportionally from P2 to P3 as time elapses. Also, the counter value increases from 0 to 3. After the seat 101 has finished rising to P3, MODE3 is switched to MODE4 as the seating pattern 3 shifts to the seating pattern 4. FIG. The MODE switching is performed by the estimation unit 120 . MODE switching may be performed by the control unit 30 .

<<When transitioning to MODE after the time is up>>
Next, a description will be given of MODE transition when a predetermined time has passed (time is up) after the seat 101 has been raised to P3. When MODE 3 starts, the seat 101 rises proportionally from P2 to P3 as time elapses. After the sheet 101 reaches P3, a counter value 3 is set when a predetermined time elapses. When the counter value is set to 3, MODE3 is returned to the initial state (MODE0). That is, the sheet 101 is lowered from P3 to P1, and the counter value is reset to zero. Alternatively, the sheet 101 may be stopped without being lowered. The MODE switching is performed by the estimation unit 120 . MODE switching may be performed by the control unit 30 . Thus, when the seat 101 reaches a predetermined position and a predetermined time elapses, the seat 101 is lowered or stopped, thereby suppressing the assisted person from losing his or her posture.

The above is an example of switching from MODE3 to MODE4, but this illustration is also executed by a similar method for switching to other MODEs. Next, the operation of the auxiliary device 1 (wheelchair 1) of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 11 to 16. FIG.

<<About operation flow>>
As shown in FIG. 11, when the control of the auxiliary device 1 is started, first, in step S100, the seating pattern is discriminated (subroutine S100). Hereinafter, first, the processing in subroutine S100 will be described with reference to FIG.

<<Determination of Seating Pattern (Subroutine S100)>>
When the seating pattern discrimination is started, sensor values are acquired by the state acquisition unit 110 (step S101). Subsequently, the seating pattern flag is initialized (reset) (step S102). Here, for example, the seating pattern is set to 0.

Subsequently, the sensor outputs of the sensors s11 to s41 in the front row of the seat portion 101 are added based on (Equation 1) to obtain a total S1 (step S103). Further, the sensor outputs of the sensors s12 to s42 in the middle row of the seat portion 101 are added based on (Equation 2) to obtain a total S2 (step S104). Further, the sensor outputs of the sensors s13 to s43 in the rear row of the seat portion 101 are added based on (Equation 3) to obtain a total S3 (step S105).

Further, the sensor outputs of the sensors a11 and a21 in the front row of the armrest portion 103 are added based on (Equation 4) to obtain the total A1 (step S106). Further, the sensor outputs of the sensors a12 and a22 in the rear row of the armrest portion 103 are added based on (Equation 5) to obtain the total A2 (step S107).

Further, the sensor outputs of the sensors b11 and b21 in the lower row of the backrest portion 102 are added based on (Equation 6) to obtain a total B1 (step S108). Further, the sensor outputs of the sensors b12 and b22 in the upper row of the backrest portion 102 are added based on (Equation 7) to obtain a total B2 (step S109). After the process of step S109 is executed, the process proceeds to step S120 shown in FIG.

In step S120, a specific determination of the seating pattern is performed based on the output of each sensor array obtained in steps S103 to S109. That is, in step S120, first, the state of the sensor output in the front row of the seat portion 101 is determined. Also, in step S120, the total S1 is compared with each threshold value. Specifically, cases are classified according to three conditions: S1thr<S1<S1Hthr, S1Hthr<S1, and S1<S1thr. Seating pattern 1 or 2 is set under the condition of S1thr<S1<S1Hthr. Also, under the condition of S1thr<S1, seating pattern 3 or 4 is set. Further, seating pattern 5 is set under the condition of S1<S1thr. The above three conditions will be described below while classifying cases.

<<S1thr<S1<S1Hthr (setting of seating pattern 1 or 2)>>
If it is determined in step S120 that S1thr<S1<S1Hthr, it is determined whether S2thr<S2 and S3thr<S3 (step S130). That is, it is determined whether or not S2 and S3 exceed the seating state determination threshold value (see FIG. 9). Here, when S2 and S3 exceed the seating state determination threshold, a seating pattern flag 1 is set (also referred to as setting) as step S131 (see FIG. 6(a1)). In step S130, if S2 and S3 do not exceed the seating state determination threshold value, the process returns to the main routine shown in FIG.

Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the sensor output from the armrest portion 103 satisfies the conditions A1thr<A1<A1Hthr and A2<A2thr (step S132). Here, if A1 and A2 do not satisfy the above conditions, the process returns to the main routine shown in FIG. If A1 and A2 satisfy the conditions, it is determined whether or not the sensor output in the backrest portion 102 satisfies the conditions B1<B1thr and B2<B2thr (step S133). Here, if B1 and B2 satisfy the above conditions, the seating pattern flag 2 is set in step S134 (see FIG. 7(c1)) and the process returns to the main routine shown in FIG. 11 (step S100). If the condition is not satisfied in step S133, the process returns to the main routine (step S100) shown in FIG.

<<S1Hthr<S1 (setting of seating pattern 3 or 4)>>
If it is determined in step S120 that S1Hthr<S1 (S1 exceeds the high pressure determination threshold value), whether the sensor output of the armrest portion 103 satisfies the conditions of A1Hthr<A1 and A2<A2thr. is determined (step S140). Here, when A1 and A2 satisfy the above conditions, it is determined whether or not the sensor output in the backrest portion 102 satisfies the conditions of B1thr<B1 and B2<B2thr (step S141). In step S140, if the above conditions are not met, the process returns to the main routine (step S100) shown in FIG.

In step S141, when B1 and B2 satisfy the above condition, it is determined whether or not the sensor output of the middle row of the seat portion 101 satisfies the condition of S2thr<S2 (step S142). That is, in step S141, it is determined whether or not the total S2 exceeds the seating state determination threshold. If the condition is satisfied in step S142, it is determined whether or not the sensor output of the rear row of the seat portion 101 satisfies the condition of S3<S3thr (step S143). That is, it is determined whether or not the total S3 exceeds the seating state determination threshold.

In step S143, if the above condition is satisfied, the seating pattern flag 3 is set in step S144 (see FIG. 7(d1)) and the process returns to the main routine (step S100) shown in FIG. If the condition is not satisfied in step S143, the process returns to the main routine (step S100) shown in FIG.

If the condition is not satisfied in step S142, it is determined whether or not the sensor output of the rear row of the seat portion 101 satisfies the condition of S3<S3thr (step S145). That is, it is determined whether or not the total S3 exceeds the seating state determination threshold.

In step S145, if the above condition is satisfied, the seating pattern flag 4 is set in step S146 (see FIG. 8(e1)), and the process returns to the main routine (step S100) shown in FIG. In step S145, if the above conditions are not met, the process returns to the main routine (step S100) shown in FIG.

<<S1<S1thr (setting of seating pattern 5)>>
If it is determined in step S120 that S1<S1thr, it is determined whether or not S2<S2thr and S3<S3thr (step S150). That is, it is determined whether or not S2 and S3 have exceeded the seating state determination threshold value. Here, if S2 and S3 do not exceed the seating state determination threshold, it is determined whether or not the sensor output from the armrest portion 103 satisfies the conditions A1thr<A1<A1Hthr and A2<A2thr (step S151). . Here, if A1 and A2 do not satisfy the above conditions, the process returns to the main routine (step S100) shown in FIG.

If A1 and A2 satisfy the conditions in step S151, it is determined whether or not the sensor output in the backrest 102 satisfies the conditions B1<B1thr and B2<B2thr (step S152). Here, if B1 and B2 satisfy the above conditions, the seating pattern flag 5 is set in step S153 (see FIG. 8(f1)) and the process returns to the main routine (step S100) shown in FIG. If the condition is not satisfied in step S152, the process returns to the main routine (step S100) shown in FIG.

The above is the details of the determination of the seating pattern in step S100 as a subroutine. Next, the flow following step S100 in the main routine will be described with reference to FIG.

When the processing of the subroutine in step S100 is completed, it is determined whether or not the seating pattern is 1 (step S1). If it is determined in step S1 that the seating pattern is not 1, determination of the seating pattern is performed in step S100. If the seating pattern 1 is determined in step S1, MODE0 (see FIG. 6(a2)) is set (step S2).

Subsequently, MODE determination is performed (step S3). In step S3, it is determined whether or not the MODE is any of 0 to 4, and whether or not the counter is 5 or not. Details of the determination of each of the conditions described above will be described below while classifying cases.

<<When the judgment result is MODE0>>
In step S3, if the mode is MODE 0 (see FIG. 6(a2)), the storage detector 71 (see FIG. 1) determines whether the footrest 70 (see FIG. 1) is stored (step S10). If it is determined in step S10 that the footrest 70 is retracted, MODE1 (see FIG. 6(b2)) is set (step S11).

Subsequently, a travel assist prohibition flag is set (step S12). Here, the traveling assistance prohibition flag is a condition variable for not performing operation assistance (driving assistance) of the operation unit 10 in the wheelchair 1 . By setting the traveling assistance prohibition flag, it can be determined that the assisted person has an intention to start the rising motion, and the operation assistance for traveling of the wheelchair 1 is stopped. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the running assistance of the wheelchair 1 from being carried out while the stand-up assistance is being carried out. As a result, it is possible to prevent the wheelchair 1 from being assisted in traveling unintended by the person being assisted, and it is possible to prevent the person being assisted from losing his or her posture.

After step S12 is executed, the process returns to step S3 to determine MODE. At this time, since MODE1 has already been set in the MODE judgment in step S3, control of the elevation driving section 60 is started in the subsequent operations. On the other hand, if it is detected in step S10 that the footrest 70 is not retracted, the process returns to step S3 to determine MODE. That is, in a state in which the footrest 70 is not retracted, the operation support for running the wheelchair 1 is continued.

<<When the judgment result is MODE1>>
In step S3, if the mode is MODE 1 (see FIG. 6B2), the process proceeds to step S100 (seating pattern determination) as a subroutine. Since the processing of step S100 is as described above, the description is omitted.

When the processing in step S100 is completed, it is determined whether or not it is the seating pattern 2 (see FIG. 7(c1)) (step S20). If the seating pattern 2 is determined in step S20, MODE2 (see FIG. 7(c2)) is set (step S21).

Subsequently, the seat 101 starts to rise (step S22). Also, the counter 2 (see FIG. 10) is started (step S23). After step S23 is executed, the process returns to step S3 to determine MODE. At this time, since MODE2 has already been set in the MODE judgment in step S3, the process of MODE2 is consequently started in subsequent operations.

<<When the judgment result is MODE2>>
If it is MODE 2 (see FIG. 7(c2)) in step S3, as shown in FIG. 12, it is determined whether or not the position of the seat 101 has reached position 2 (P2) (step S30). . When the seat 101 reaches the position P2, the seat 101 is stopped (step S31). After step S31 is executed, the process proceeds to step S100 (seating pattern discrimination) as a subroutine. Since the processing of step S100 is as described above, the description thereof is omitted. On the other hand, even if the position of the seat 101 has not reached P2 in step S30, the process proceeds to step S100 as a subroutine.

When the processing in step S100 is completed, it is determined whether or not it is the seating pattern 3 (see FIG. 7(d1)) (step S32). If it is determined in step S32 that the seating pattern is 3, MODE 3 (see FIG. 7(d2)) is set (step S33).

Subsequently, the seat 101 starts to be lifted (step S34). Also, the counter 3 (see FIG. 10) is started (step S35). When step S35 is executed, it is checked as a subroutine whether or not the counter is 2 (step S200). The processing in step S200 as a subroutine will be described later. On the other hand, even if it is determined in step S32 that the seating pattern is not 3, the process of step S200 as a subroutine is performed. When the process of step S200 is completed, the process returns to step S3 (see FIG. 11) to determine the MODE.

<<When the judgment result is MODE3>>
In step S3, if it is MODE3 (see FIG. 7(d2)), as shown in FIG. 12, it is determined whether or not the position of the seat 101 has reached position 3 (P3) (step S40). . When the seat 101 reaches the position P3, the seat 101 is stopped (step S41). After step S41 is executed, the process proceeds to step S100 (seating pattern determination) as a subroutine. Since the processing of step S100 is as described above, the description thereof is omitted. On the other hand, even if the position of the seat 101 has not reached P3 in step S40, the process proceeds to step S100 as a subroutine.

When the processing in step S100 is completed, it is determined whether or not it is the seating pattern 4 (see FIG. 8(e1)) (step S42). If it is determined in step S42 that the seating pattern is 4, MODE 4 (see FIG. 8(e2)) is set (step S43).

Subsequently, the seat 101 starts to rise (step S44). Also, a counter 4 is started (step S45). When step S45 is executed, it is checked as a subroutine whether or not the counter is 3 (see FIG. 10) (step S200). The processing in step S200 as a subroutine will be described later. On the other hand, even if it is determined in step S42 that the seating pattern is not 4, the processing of step S200 as a subroutine is performed. When the process of step S200 is completed, the process returns to step S3 (see FIG. 11) to determine the MODE.

<<When the judgment result is MODE4>>
If it is MODE 4 (see FIG. 8(e2)) in step S3, it is determined whether or not the seat 101 has reached position 4 (P4) as shown in FIG. 13 (step S50). . When the seat 101 reaches the position P4, the seat 101 is stopped (step S51). After step S51 is executed, the process proceeds to step S100 (seating pattern determination) as a subroutine. Since the processing of step S100 is as described above, the description is omitted. On the other hand, even if the position of the seat 101 has not reached P4 in step S50, the process proceeds to step S100 as a subroutine.

When the processing in step S100 is completed, it is determined whether or not it is the seating pattern 5 (see FIG. 8(f1)) (step S52). If it is determined in step S52 that there is seating pattern 5, MODE 5 (see FIG. 8(f2)) is set (step S53).

Subsequently, the seat 101 starts to be lifted (step S54). Also, a counter 5 is started (step S55). When step S55 is executed, it is checked as a subroutine whether or not the counter is 4 (step S200). The processing in step S200 as a subroutine will be described later. On the other hand, even if it is determined in step S52 that the seating pattern is not 5, the processing of step S200 as a subroutine is performed. When the process of step S200 is completed, the process returns to step S3 (see FIG. 11) to determine the MODE.

<<When the judgment result is MODE5>>
If it is MODE 5 (see FIG. 8(f2)) in step S3, as shown in FIG. 13, it is checked whether the counter is 5 or not as a subroutine (step S200). The processing in step S200 as a subroutine will be described later. When the process of step S200 is completed, the process returns to step S3 (see FIG. 11) to determine the MODE.

The contents of the processing in MODEs 0 to 5 have been described above. Next, the flow of step S200 (subroutine) relating to the counter check in MODEs 0 to 5 will be described below with reference to FIG.

<<Processing of step S200 (subroutine)>>
When step S200 is started, it is determined whether or not the counter has reached the timeout value (step S201). If the counter has not reached the timeout value, it is counted up (step S202). After step S202 is executed, the process returns to step S200 of the main routine in each MODE, and the process following step S200 is performed.

In step S201, if the counter has reached the timeout value, a warning sound such as "the sheet will be lowered" is issued (step S203). That is, the warning sound is issued when the assisted person has stopped the rising motion for a certain period of time. As a result, it is possible to prevent the assisted person from being assisted to stand up unintentionally.

Subsequently, the sheet 101 starts to be lowered (step S204). When step S204 is executed, it is determined whether or not the position of the seat 101 has reached position 1 (P1) (step S205). In step S205, if the position of the seat 101 has reached P1, the seat 101 is stopped (step S206). After step S206 is executed, the process returns to the start shown in FIG. 11 and the process is repeated. On the other hand, if the position of the seat 101 has not reached P1 in step S205, step S205 is repeatedly executed. That is, the sheet 101 is lowered until the position of the sheet 101 reaches P1.

The above is the embodiment of the auxiliary device 1 of the present invention, but the auxiliary device 1 of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made.

In this embodiment, the case where the auxiliary device 1 is a wheelchair was illustrated, but the auxiliary device 1 can be used not only for being mounted on a wheelchair, but also for various items such as chairs and beds. In addition, the auxiliary device 1 may be used in various vehicles such as wheelchairs, electric vehicles, and self-driving vehicles.

In this embodiment, the wheelchair 1 has the footrest 70 and the storage detection unit 71 that detects storage of the footrest 70, but the wheelchair 1 may not have the footrest 70 or the storage detection unit 71. . Further, in the present embodiment, when the retraction detection unit 71 detects that the footrest 70 is retracted, the control unit 30 determines that the assisted person intends to start the rising motion, and controls the elevation driving unit 60. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the intention to start can be determined by various mechanisms and devices other than detection of the storage of the footrest 70 . For example, by operating a switch provided on the seating section 100, the assisted person's intention to start the rising motion may be determined.

The seating portion 100 can have various shapes and sizes according to the body shape of the person being assisted. Further, in this embodiment, the seating portion 100 has a seat surface portion 101, a backrest portion 102, and an armrest portion 103, but these are integrally configured according to the body shape of the person being assisted. It's okay to be.

The state acquisition unit 110 is not limited to the sensors described above, and various devices can be used as long as they can detect changes in the posture of the person being assisted. In addition, in the present embodiment, a plurality of state acquisition units 110 are arranged for each of the seat surface portion 101, the backrest portion 102, and the armrest portion 103, but a single state acquisition unit 110 is arranged for each portion. It may be something that is done. In addition, sensors in the state acquisition unit 110 can be arranged at various positions as long as they can detect changes in the posture of the person being assisted. For example, the arrangement of sensors need not be in rows.

In the present embodiment, the estimating unit 120 divides the transition state of the assisted person's rising motion into MODEs 0 to 5 and estimates them step by step, but the number of MODE stages is not limited to the above. do not have. For example, MODE may have 6 or more stages or MODE may have 5 or less stages. In this embodiment, the estimating unit 120 estimates the transition state of the assisted person's rising motion step by step. It can be. In such a case, the control section 30 may continuously control the elevation driving section 60 to raise and lower the seating section 100 based on the continuous transition state. Further, in the present embodiment, among the plurality of state acquisition units 110, the transition state is estimated by performing arithmetic processing on the acquired values of each of the state acquisition units 110 provided along the width direction. , the method of arithmetic processing is not limited to the one described above, and various methods can be used.

The elevation drive unit 60 in the present embodiment is not limited to the embodiment described above, and various elevation mechanisms can be employed. Further, in the present embodiment, the control unit 30 controls the elevation drive unit 60 to stop or lower the seating unit 100 when the predetermined time set for each stage of the transition state has elapsed. However, it is also possible to stop the elevation of the seating section 100 or not to lower it. The above is the embodiment and modification of the auxiliary device 1 of the present invention.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to those exemplified in the above-described embodiments and modifications, and those skilled in the art will recognize that other embodiments can be made from the teachings and spirit of the invention without departing from the scope of the claims. easy to understand.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The assisting device of the present invention can be used for various objects and devices, such as a chair, that require assistance in standing up of a person being assisted. Further, the auxiliary device of the present invention can be used in various vehicles such as wheelchairs.

1: Auxiliary device (wheelchair)
2: Vehicle body 2a: Rear support member 3: Wheel (driving wheel)
3L: wheel (driving wheel)
3R: Wheel (driving wheel)
4: Omnidirectional wheel (driven wheel)
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10: operation unit 10L: operation unit 10R: operation unit 20: operation amount acquisition unit 30: control unit 40: wheel drive unit 40L: wheel drive unit 40R: wheel drive unit 50: wheel rotation speed detection unit 60: elevation drive unit 70 : Footrest 71 : Storage detection unit 100 : Seating unit 101 : Seat surface (seat)
102: Backrest portion 103: Armrest portion 103L: Armrest portion 103R: Armrest portion 110: State acquisition portion (sensor)
120: estimation unit

Claims (2)

An assist device for assisting a person being assisted in standing up,
a seating portion on which the assisted person can sit;
a state acquisition unit provided in the seating unit for acquiring the seating state of the person being assisted;
an estimating unit for estimating a transition state in the standing motion of the assisted person based on the seating state acquired by the state acquiring unit;
an elevation driving unit that raises and lowers the seating portion;
a control unit capable of controlling the lifting drive unit,
The estimating unit is capable of estimating in stages a transition state of the assisted person's rising motion,
The auxiliary device according to claim 1, wherein the control section controls the elevation driving section step by step based on each stage of the transition state to raise or lower the seating section. 3. The control unit controls the elevation driving unit to stop or lower the seating unit when a predetermined time set for each stage of the transition state has elapsed. Auxiliary device according to 1.

Images