JP2023111031A - Motor function evaluation system, motor function evaluation method and motor function evaluation program - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a motor function evaluation system for accurately evaluating a motor function by calculating the dynamic quantity of a user's body trunk without attaching a measurement device to the user.SOLUTION: According to the present invention, a motor function evaluation system 1a includes a seating device 10, a first distance measuring device 21 attached to a seat part 11 of the seating device 10, and an information processing device 30. The information processing device 30 includes a pelvic coordinate calculation part 32 for calculating the coordinates of a pelvic part 53 of a user U on the basis of the preset length of a thigh 54 of the user U, a distance from a reference position 111 of the seat part 11 to the first distance measuring device 21, an installation angle of the first distance measuring device 21 with respect to the seat part 11, and distance data to the thigh 54 of the user U measured with time by the first distance measuring device 21, and a motor function evaluation part 34 for evaluating a motor function of at least a lower body of the user U on the basis of the coordinates of the pelvic part 53 calculated by the pelvic coordinate calculation part 32.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a motor function evaluation system, a motor function evaluation method, and a motor function evaluation program for evaluating the risk of requiring nursing care.

In the super-aging society, from the viewpoint of extending healthy life expectancy and curbing nursing care costs, it is strongly desired to evaluate the "risk of needing nursing care in the future" in order to prevent nursing care and prevent frailty. For example, in the J-CHS criteria, which is one of the typical frailty evaluation methods, it is necessary to measure grip strength and walking speed in addition to answers to questionnaires. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare equipment and place for physical fitness measurement, and it is not possible to easily measure grip strength and walking speed, and it is not possible to evaluate frailty based on the J-CHS criteria.

On the other hand, attention is paid to actions that appear in daily life, and motor functions are continuously evaluated in the user's living space, such as at home, while reducing the burden on the user. For example, determination of locomotive syndrome. Locomotive syndrome is determined primarily based on standing and walking motions. It is known that the risk of needing nursing care in the future increases when all or part of the ability to stand up and walk is impaired. Therefore, there have been proposed methods for evaluating motor function by focusing on standing up motion and walking motion.

Among these methods, the following method is known as a method of evaluating motor function by paying attention to the rising motion. For example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-100000, a user wears a measuring device to acquire measurement information such as acceleration, and the user's motor function is evaluated based on the measurement information. Further, in Patent Document 2, a load sensor provided on the seat on which the user sits is used to measure the load applied to the seat due to the user's standing up motion, and the amount of change in the load is calculated, and the motion function of the user's body is calculated. It determines trunk muscle function, leg muscle function, and balance function. Further, in Patent Document 3, a distance sensor is arranged above the user's head to extract the movement trajectory of the user's head, and a leg pressure sensor is arranged at the user's feet to extract the movement trajectory of the user's foot pressure center of gravity. is extracted, and the user's physical ability is evaluated by combining the determination result of the rise time and the determination result regarding the moving distance of the center of gravity of the head and foot pressure.

Japanese Patent No. 6448015 JP 2020-92977 A JP 2020-44295 A

However, in the method of wearing the measuring device on the user as in Patent Document 1, there is a problem that wearing the measuring device on a daily basis is a burden on the user, and it is difficult to continuously measure the motor function.

Also, when evaluating the motor function in relation to the seat surface on which the user sits, the state of the "sitting action" from the standing state to the sitting state of the user, the "sitting state" of the state of sitting and sitting, Three states are conceivable, namely, the state of "standing up" in which the user stands up from the seated state. However, in the method using the load sensor of Patent Literature 2, the load sensor operates only when the user is in contact with the seat surface, i.e., in the "sitting state", and the user is away from the seat surface during the sitting and standing motions. and the load sensor cannot acquire biological information. Therefore, there is a problem that the user's motor function cannot be continuously measured while the user is away from the seat surface, and the user's motor function cannot be evaluated correctly.

On the other hand, in the configuration of Patent Document 3 that detects the position of the user's head and evaluates the user's motor function based on the movement trajectory of the user's head, the measurement device is not worn on a daily basis. In addition, the position of the user's head can be continuously measured even during the "sitting action" or "standing action" other than the "sitting state" in which the user is in contact with the seat surface. By extracting the movement trajectory of the user's head from the measured position of the user's head and evaluating the motor function, the user's motor function can be continuously measured and evaluated. However, when it comes to standing up, for example, "people who stand up quickly", "people who stand up slowly", "people who bend over and stand up", "people who stand up with only the strength of their legs", etc. Even users with capabilities perform various actions. Therefore, it is difficult to evaluate whether or not the user's motor function is degraded based only on the movement trajectory of the user's head, and there is a problem that the evaluation cannot be performed correctly. This is because correct evaluation of the user's motor functions requires correct evaluation of the user's lower and upper body motor functions.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and a motor function evaluation system that accurately evaluates the motor function by calculating the physical quantity of the user's trunk without wearing a measuring device on the user. An object of the present invention is to provide a motor function evaluation method and a motor function evaluation program.

A motor function evaluation system of the present invention includes a seating device, a first distance measuring device attached to a seat portion of the seating device, and an information processing device. The information processing device includes the preset length of the user's thighs, the distance from the reference position of the seat to the first rangefinder, the installation angle of the first rangefinder with respect to the seat, and a pelvic coordinate calculator for calculating the coordinates of the user's pelvis based on distance data from the first rangefinder to the user's thigh measured over time by the first rangefinder; and a pelvic coordinate calculator. and a motor function evaluation unit that evaluates at least the motor function of the user based on the coordinates of the pelvic region calculated in .

In the motor function evaluation system of the preferred embodiment, the information processing device further includes a mechanical quantity calculator that calculates the mechanical quantities of the joints of the user based on the coordinates of the pelvic region calculated by the pelvic coordinate calculator. The motor function evaluation unit evaluates the user's motor function based on the dynamic quantity calculated by the mechanical quantity calculation unit.

A further preferred embodiment of the motor function evaluation system further comprises a second distance measuring device attached to the backrest of the seating device. In addition to the coordinates of the pelvis, the mechanical quantity calculation unit calculates the preset depth of the seat, the vertical distance from the seat to the second rangefinder, and the backrest of the second rangefinder. Based on the installation angle with respect to the body part and the distance data from the second rangefinder to the trunk of the user measured over time by the second rangefinder, the mechanical quantity of the user's joints is calculated and the motor function is evaluated. The unit evaluates the motor functions of the user's lower body and upper body based on the mechanical quantities calculated by the mechanical quantity calculator.

Further, in the motor function evaluation system of the preferred embodiment, the information processing device includes a link model generation unit that generates a human body link model from preset physical information of the user. The length of the user's thigh is calculated based on the human body link model.

In addition, the motor function evaluation method of the present invention uses the first distance measuring device attached to the seat of the seating device on which the user sits, and measures the distance data from the first distance measuring device to the user's thighs over time. a step of acquiring the preset length of the user's thighs, the distance from the reference position of the seat to the first rangefinder, and the installation angle of the first rangefinder with respect to the seat; calculating the coordinates of the user's pelvic region based on the distance data from the first rangefinder to the user's thigh measured over time by the first rangefinder; Evaluating at least the motor function of the user's lower body based on.

A motor function evaluation method of a preferred embodiment uses a second distance measuring device attached to the backrest of a seating device, and acquires data on the distance from the second distance measuring device to the trunk of the user over time. , the coordinates of the pelvis, the preset depth of the seat, the vertical distance from the seat to the second rangefinder, the installation angle of the second rangefinder with respect to the backrest, and the second and calculating the dynamic quantity of the joint of the user based on the distance data from the second rangefinder to the trunk of the user measured over time by the two rangefinders. The step of evaluating the motor functions of the user evaluates the motor functions of the user's lower body and upper body based on the mechanical quantities calculated in the step of calculating the mechanical quantities.

In addition, the motor function evaluation program of the present invention uses a first distance measuring device attached to the seat of a seating device on which the user sits on the computer to determine the distance from the first distance measuring device to the user's thighs. A step of acquiring data over time, a preset length of the user's thigh, a distance from the reference position of the seat to the first rangefinder, and calculating the coordinates of the user's pelvis based on the installation angle and the distance data from the first rangefinder to the user's thigh measured over time by the first rangefinder; Evaluating at least the motor function of the user's lower body based on the coordinates of.

A motor function evaluation program of a preferred embodiment uses a second distance measuring device attached to the backrest of a seating device in a computer to obtain distance data from the second distance measuring device to the trunk of the user over time. step, the coordinates of the pelvis, the preset depth of the seat, the vertical distance from the seat to the second rangefinder, and the installation angle of the second rangefinder with respect to the backrest, and calculating the mechanical quantity of the user's joint based on the distance data from the second rangefinder to the trunk of the user measured over time by the second rangefinder. . The step of evaluating the motor functions of the user evaluates the motor functions of the user's lower body and upper body based on the mechanical quantities calculated in the step of calculating the mechanical quantities.

According to the present invention, the user's state can be measured in any of the states of "sitting", "sitting", and "standing" without wearing a measuring device on the user, and the user's lower body and/or upper body can be measured. can accurately assess the motor function of

1 is a side view of a motor function evaluation system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention; FIG. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the motor function evaluation system which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. FIG. 3 is a side view showing a human body link model generated by the motor function evaluation system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention; 4 is a flow chart showing a motor function evaluation method according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. It is a side view of the motor function evaluation system which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a motor function evaluation system according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention; It is a figure which shows the experimental result of Example 1, and is a figure which compared the angle which a thigh and a seat part make. It is a figure which shows the experimental result of Example 1, and is a figure which compared the x-coordinate of a pelvic part. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the experimental results of Example 1, and is a diagram comparing the y-coordinates of the pelvis. It is a figure which shows the experimental result of Example 1, and is a figure which compared the position of a pelvic part. It is a figure which shows the experimental result of Example 1, and is a figure which compared the angle of trunk|body trunks. It is a figure which shows the experimental result of Example 1, and is a figure which compared the angle of the trunk in a seated state. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of evaluation results displayed in Example 4; FIG. 12 is a diagram showing another example of evaluation results displayed in Example 4;

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The motor function evaluation system of the present invention is a system that evaluates a user's motor function by focusing on actions that appear in daily life. Here, as an example, a motor function evaluation system that evaluates motor function by standing up from a sitting device such as a chair will be described.

[Embodiment 1]
First, a motor function evaluation system 1a according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. FIG. 1 is a side view of a motor function evaluation system 1a according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the motor function evaluation system 1a according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a side view showing a human body link model 50 generated by the motor function evaluation system 1a according to the first embodiment. Below, the up-down direction (vertical direction) is defined based on the state of FIG. Further, the front-rear direction is defined with the side on which the user stands when sitting on the seating device 10 as the front side. A direction perpendicular to the up-down direction and the front-rear direction is defined as the left-right direction.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the motor function evaluation system 1a includes a seating device 10, a first distance measuring device 21, an information processing device 30, and a display device 40. FIG.

The seating device 10 comprises at least a seat 11 . The seating device 10 may comprise a backrest portion 12 . The seating device 10 is, for example, a device on which a user sits or stands, such as a chair, a sofa, a stool, a wheelchair, or the edge of a bed. A dedicated seating device 10 for evaluating the user's motor function may be prepared, or a device for the user to sit or stand in the user's living space may be used as the seating device 10 .

The first rangefinder 21 is a device that measures the distance from the first rangefinder 21 to the user's U thigh 54 (see FIG. 3). The first distance measuring device 21 is attached to the seat surface 11 of the seating device 10 so as to measure the distance to the thighs 54 of the user U when the user U sits down or stands up. The first distance measuring device 21 is, for example, a laser distance sensor, an ultrasonic distance sensor, or a radio wave distance sensor. It should be noted that the first rangefinder 21 may be a rangefinder that measures the distance from one point, and may be a rangefinder that captures a plane.

The information processing device 30 includes a link model generation unit 31 , a pelvis coordinate calculation unit 32 , a mechanical quantity calculation unit 33 , a motor function evaluation unit 34 , a storage unit 35 and a control unit 36 . The information processing device 30 is, for example, a computer.

The storage unit 35 stores various information, data, programs, and the like. The storage unit 35 is composed of a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The storage unit 35 stores physical information of the user U, environment information of the seating device 10 and the first distance measuring device 21, and a motor function evaluation program for evaluating the user U's motor function. The storage unit 35 also stores evaluation results of the motor function of the user U evaluated by the motor function evaluation program. As for the motor function evaluation results, past evaluation results are also saved as a history. The user's U physical information and motor function evaluation results are saved for each user.

The physical information includes, for example, the user U's height, weight, sex, age, length of the thigh 54, length of the trunk 52, length of the lower leg 56, and the like. The length of the thigh 54, the length of the trunk 52, and the length of the lower leg 56 of the user U may be directly measured values stored, or may be created for each age and/or gender. A value estimated from an anthropometry database may be stored.

The environmental information includes the dimensions and height of the seat portion 11 of the seating device 10, the installation position and installation angle of the first distance measuring device 21, the distance between the heel portion 57 of the user U and the seating device 10, and the like. Specifically, the installation position of the first distance measuring device 21 is the distance from the reference position 111 of the seat portion 11 of the seating device 10 to the first distance measuring device 21 . In this embodiment, the reference position 111 is the front end of the seat portion 11 of the seating device 10 . Note that the reference position 111 can be arbitrarily set. The installation angle of the first distance measuring device 21 is the angle between the seat portion 11 of the seating device 10 and the irradiation direction of the laser, ultrasonic waves, or radio waves of the first distance measuring device 21 .

The link model generation unit 31 generates a human body link model 50 shown in FIG. 3 from the physical information stored in the storage unit 35 . The human body link model 50 uses the head 51, the pelvis 53, the knees 55 and the heels 57 as link joints, and uses the trunk 52, the thighs 54 and the lower legs 56 as links, and each part is determined based on the body information. The positions and lengths are calculated and created based on the calculated positions and lengths of each part. The lengths of the trunk 52, the thigh 54, and the crus 56 calculated by the link model generation unit 31 are stored in the storage unit 35 as the link lengths of the respective parts.

The pelvic coordinate calculator 32 calculates the preset length of the user U's thighs 54, the distance from the reference position 111 of the seat 11 to the first rangefinder 21, and the distance of the first rangefinder 21. The pelvis 53 of the user U is determined based on the installation angle with respect to the seat 11 and the distance data from the first distance measuring device 21 to the thigh 54 of the user U measured over time by the first distance measuring device 21. Calculate the coordinates of The coordinates of the pelvis 53 are calculated over time along the time axis for measuring the distance to the thighs 54 of the user U with the first distance measuring device 21 .

The mechanical quantity calculator 33 calculates the mechanical quantities of the joints of the user U based on the coordinates of the pelvis 53 calculated by the pelvic coordinate calculator 32 . Here, the joints of the user U are, for example, neck joints, waist joints, hip joints, knee joints, ankle joints, shoulder joints, elbow joints, and wrist joints. Also, the dynamic quantity is, for example, the angle of the joint of the user U, the angular velocity, and the angular acceleration. The dynamic quantity is calculated over time along the time axis for measuring the distance to the thigh 54 of the user U with the first distance measuring device 21 .

The motor function evaluation unit 34 evaluates the motor function of the user U based on the coordinates of the pelvis 53 calculated by the pelvis coordinate calculator 32 or the dynamic quantity calculated by the mechanical quantity calculator 33 . In addition, the motor function evaluation unit 34 compares with the history of past motor function evaluation results of the user U stored in the storage unit 35 to calculate the amount of change in the motor function.

The control unit 36 is configured by a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The control unit 36 controls the operations of the link model generation unit 31, the pelvis coordinate calculation unit 32, the mechanical quantity calculation unit 33, the motor function evaluation unit 34, and the storage unit 35 by executing programs.

The display device 40 is a device that displays to the user U the result of the evaluation of the motor function of the user U by the information processing device 30 . Specifically, the display device 40 displays the evaluation result of the motor function evaluated by the motor function evaluation unit 34 and/or the amount of change in the motor function calculated by the motor function evaluation unit 34 . The display device 40 displays at least one of visual information such as an image or video and auditory information such as voice or melody to display the motor function evaluation result. The display device 40 is, for example, a television monitor, display, speaker, or the like.

Next, referring also to FIG. 4, a motor function evaluation method for evaluating a motor function based on the motor function evaluation system 1a will be described. FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the motor function evaluation method according to the first embodiment. Each process of the motor function evaluation method is executed by a motor function evaluation program stored in the information processing device 30 . Here, a case will be described in which the motor function of the user U is evaluated based on the motion of the user U sitting on the seating device 10 .

First, the physical information of the user U whose motor function is to be evaluated, and the environmental information of the seating device 10 and the first distance measuring device 21 are input (S10). Physical information and environmental information are input by an input device (not shown) such as a keyboard and a mouse connected to the information processing device 30 . The input physical information and environmental information are stored in the storage unit 35 .

The link model generator 31 generates the human body link model 50 based on the input body information (S12). The link length of the trunk 52 of the user U, the link length of the thigh 54, and the link length of the lower leg 56, which are calculated when the human body link model 50 is generated, are stored in the storage unit 35. FIG.

The user U starts to sit on the seating device 10 . The control unit 36 determines whether or not the sitting motion of the user U has started, and performs measurement start determination (S14). The measurement start determination is made, for example, when the distance between the first distance measuring device 21 and the thigh 54 of the user U is less than a predetermined value, or when a measurement start detection sensor (not shown) such as a push button or a human body sensor is activated. This is done by judging the ON state.

When the measurement is started, the first distance measuring device 21 measures the distance between the first distance measuring device 21 and the thigh 54 of the user U, and acquires the distance data d1 _t for each time t over time. (S16). The acquired distance data d1 _t is stored in the storage unit 35 .

The pelvic coordinate calculation unit 32 calculates the length L _f of the thighs 54 of the user U, the distance L _S1 from the reference position 111 of the seat 11 to the first rangefinder 21 , and the installation angle Φ of the first rangefinder 21 . _S1 and the distance data _d1t from the first distance measuring device 21 to the thigh 54 of the user U stored over time are acquired from the storage unit 35 . The length L _f of the thigh 54 is the link length stored in the storage unit 35 . The length L _f of the thigh 54 may be body information data. Then, the pelvic coordinate calculation unit 32 calculates the distance L _S1 from the reference position 111 of the seat 11 to the first rangefinder 21, the length _Lf of the thighs 54 of the user U, and the first rangefinder 21 The coordinates of the pelvis 53 of the user U are calculated based on the distance data d1 _t from the first distance measuring device 21 to the thigh 54 of the user U measured over time (S18).

ここで、θ1_tは、時刻tにおける大腿部５４と座部１１とのなす角度である。 Specifically, the coordinates (x _t , y _t ) of the pelvis 53 at time t are calculated by the following method. The coordinates of the pelvis 53 are calculated as coordinates from the origin, with the center of the reference position 111 of the seat 11 in the left-right direction as the origin.

Here, θ1 _t is the angle formed by the thigh 54 and the seat 11 at time t.

なお、微分式の算出においては、前方差分又は後方差分などの近似解法で算出してもよい。 The mechanical quantity calculator 33 calculates the mechanical quantities of the joints of the user U based on the coordinates of the pelvis 53 (S20). Here, the angular velocity ω1 _t and the angular acceleration α1 _t of the knee joint of the user U are calculated based on the angle θ1 _t between the thigh 54 and the seat 11 .

In addition, in calculating the differential equation, an approximate solution method such as a forward difference or a backward difference may be used.

When the user U sits on the seating device 10, the control unit 36 determines the end of measurement (S22). The measurement end determination is made, for example, when the distance between the first distance measuring device 21 and the thigh 54 of the user U is less than a predetermined value, or when a measurement end detection sensor (not shown) such as a push button or a human body sensor is activated. This is done by judging the ON state.

After the measurement is completed, the motor function evaluation unit 34 evaluates the user's motor function based on the pelvis coordinates calculated by the pelvis coordinate calculation unit 32 or the mechanical quantity calculated by the mechanical quantity calculation unit 33 (S24).

また、運動機能評価値Ｐ１は、以下に示す大腿部５４と座部１１とのなす角度θ1_tの角加速度α1_tの最大値で算出することもできる。

Specifically, the motor function evaluation value P1 is calculated by the following method, and the motor function of the user U is evaluated based on the motor function evaluation value P1. The motor function evaluation value P1 is a value for evaluating the motor function of the user's U lower body. Let Δt be the sampling period, t−Δt be the time one sample before time t, and t−2Δt be the time two samples before time t. The motor function evaluation value P1 is calculated from the maximum value of acceleration of the coordinates (x _t , y _t ) of the pelvis 53 shown below.

Further, the motor function evaluation value P1 can also be calculated from the maximum value of the angular acceleration α1 _t of the angle θ1 _t formed by the thigh 54 and the seat 11 shown below.

The motor function evaluation unit 34 evaluates the motor function of the lower body of the user U by comparing the motor function evaluation value P1 calculated above with a predetermined value. For example, when the motor function evaluation value P1 is larger than a predetermined value, it is evaluated that the motor function of the user U's lower body is degraded. The evaluation result of motor function is stored in the storage unit 35 .

When the evaluation of the motor function of the user U ends, the evaluation result of the motor function is displayed on the display device 40 (S26). The evaluation result may be indicated by the motor function evaluation value P1, or may be compared with a predetermined value to indicate whether the motor function is good or needs improvement. Further, improvement or deterioration of the motor function may be indicated by comparing the evaluation result of this time with the evaluation result of the previous time. The user U checks the motor function evaluation results displayed on the display device 40 .

[Embodiment 2]
Next, a motor function evaluation system 1b according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. FIG. 5 is a side view of the motor function evaluation system 1b according to Embodiment 2. FIG. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a motor function evaluation system 1b according to Embodiment 2. As shown in FIG. In the following, regarding the second embodiment, matters different from the first embodiment will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the motor function evaluation system 1b includes a seating device 10, a first distance measuring device 21, a second distance measuring device 22, an information processing device 30, and a display device 40. . The seating device 10 comprises a seat portion 11 and a backrest portion 12 .

The second rangefinder 22 is a device that measures the distance from the second rangefinder 22 to the trunk 52 of the user U (see FIG. 3). The second distance measuring device 22 is attached to the backrest portion 12 of the seating device 10 so as to measure the distance to the trunk 52 of the user U when the user U sits down, stands up, or is in a seated state. . The second rangefinder 22 is, for example, a laser range sensor, an ultrasonic range sensor, or a radio wave range sensor. It should be noted that the second rangefinder 22 may be a rangefinder that measures the distance from a single point, and may be a rangefinder that captures a plane.

The storage unit 35 stores various information, data, programs, and the like. The storage unit 35 stores the physical information of the user U, the environmental information of the seating device 10, the environmental information of the first distance measuring device 21, the environmental information of the second distance measuring device 22, and the exercise data for evaluating the exercise function of the user U. A functional evaluation program is stored. The environmental information includes the dimensions, height and depth of the seat portion 11 of the seating device 10, the installation position and installation angle of the first rangefinder 21, the installation position and installation angle of the second rangefinder 22, the user U and the distance between the heel portion 57 and the seating device 10 . Specifically, the installation position of the second rangefinder 22 is the vertical distance from the seat portion 11 of the seating device 10 to the second rangefinder 22 . The installation angle of the second rangefinder 22 is the angle formed by the backrest portion 12 of the seating device 10 and the irradiation direction of the laser, ultrasonic waves, or radio waves of the second rangefinder 22 .

In addition to the coordinates of the pelvis 53 calculated by the pelvis coordinate calculation unit 32, the mechanical quantity calculation unit 33 calculates the preset depth of the seat 11 and the distance from the seat 11 to the second rangefinder 22. The vertical distance, the installation angle of the second rangefinder 22 with respect to the backrest portion 12, and the distance from the second rangefinder 22 measured over time by the second rangefinder 22 to the trunk 52 of the user U Based on the distance data, the mechanical quantity of the joint of the user U is calculated. The dynamic quantity is calculated over time along the time axis for measuring the distances to the thighs 54 and the trunk 52 of the user U with the first rangefinder 21 and the second rangefinder 22 .

The motor function evaluation unit 34 evaluates the user U's motor function based on the dynamic quantity calculated by the dynamic quantity calculation unit 33 . In addition, the motor function evaluation unit 34 compares with the history of past motor function evaluation results of the user U stored in the storage unit 35 to calculate the amount of change in the motor function.

Next, a motor function evaluation method for evaluating motor function based on the motor function evaluation system 1b will be described. Since the flowchart of the motor function evaluation method is the same as that of the first embodiment, the motor function evaluation method will be described with reference to FIG. Here, a case of evaluating the motor function of the user U based on the motion of the user U standing up from the seating device 10 will be described. Note that the motor function evaluation system 1b can also evaluate the user U's motor function based on the motion of the user U sitting on the seating device 10 in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

First, the physical information of the user U whose motor function is to be evaluated, and the environment information of the seating device 10, the first distance measuring device 21, and the second distance measuring device 22 are input (S10). Physical information and environmental information are input by an input device (not shown) such as a keyboard and a mouse connected to the information processing device 30 . The input physical information and environmental information are stored in the storage unit 35 .

The link model generator 31 generates the human body link model 50 based on the input body information (S12). The link length of the trunk 52 of the user U, the link length of the thigh 54, and the link length of the lower leg 56, which are calculated when the human body link model 50 is generated, are stored in the storage unit 35. FIG.

The user U starts standing up from the seating device 10 . The control unit 36 determines whether or not the standing motion of the user U has started, and determines to start measurement (S14). Measurement start determination is made, for example, when the distance between the second rangefinder 22 and the trunk 52 of the user U is greater than or equal to a predetermined distance, and when a measurement start detection sensor (not shown) such as a push button or a human body sensor is turned on. It is performed by judging the state of becoming.

When the measurement is started, the first distance measuring device 21 measures the distance between the first distance measuring device 21 and the thigh 54 of the user U, and acquires the distance data d1 _t for each time t over time. (S16). At the same time, the second range finder 22 measures the distance between the second range finder 22 and the trunk 52 of the user U, and acquires the distance data d2 _t for each time t (S16). The acquired distance data d1 _t and d2 _t are stored in the storage unit 35 .

The pelvic coordinate calculation unit 32 calculates the length L _f of the thighs 54 of the user U, the distance L _S1 from the reference position 111 of the seat 11 to the first rangefinder 21 , and the installation angle Φ of the first rangefinder 21 . _S1 and the distance data _d1t from the first distance measuring device 21 to the thigh 54 of the user U stored over time are acquired from the storage unit 35 . The length L _f of the thigh 54 is the link length stored in the storage unit 35 . The length L _f of the thigh 54 may be body information data. Then, similarly to the first embodiment, the pelvic coordinate calculator 32 calculates the distance L _S1 from the reference position 111 of the seat 11 to the first rangefinder 21 and the length L _f of the thighs 54 of the user U. and the distance data _d1t from the first rangefinder 21 to the thigh 54 of the user U measured over time by the first rangefinder 21, the coordinates of the pelvis 53 of the user U are calculated. (S18).

In addition to the coordinates of the pelvis 53, the mechanical quantity calculation unit 33 calculates the depth L _C of the seat 11 preset in the storage 35 and obtained from the storage 35, and the second distance measurement from the seat 11. The vertical distance L _S2 to the device 22, the installation angle Φ _S2 of the second rangefinder 22 with respect to the backrest 12, and the second rangefinder 22 measured over time by the second rangefinder 22. Based on the distance data d2 _t to the trunk 52 of the user U, the mechanical quantities of the joints of the user U are calculated (S20).

ここで、d3_tは、時刻tにおける、体幹部５２と第２測距装置２２の照射軸との交点と、骨盤部５３との水平方向距離であり、d4_tは、時刻tにおける、体幹部５２と第２測距装置２２の照射軸との交点と、骨盤部５３との鉛直方向距離である。 Specifically, the mechanical quantity at time t is calculated by the following method. Here, first, based on the coordinates of the pelvis 53, the angle _.theta.2t of the trunk 52 with respect to the axis extending vertically from the pelvis 53 is calculated.

Here, d3 _t is the horizontal distance between the intersection of the trunk 52 and the irradiation axis of the second rangefinder 22 and the pelvis 53 at time t, and d4 _t is the trunk at time t. 52 and the irradiation axis of the second distance measuring device 22 and the vertical distance between the pelvis 53 and the intersection point.

なお、微分式の算出においては、前方差分又は後方差分などの近似解法で算出してもよい。 Based on the angle .theta.2 _t of the trunk 52, the angular velocity .omega.2 _t and the angular acceleration .alpha.2 _t of the waist joint of the user U are calculated.

In addition, in calculating the differential equation, an approximate solution method such as a forward difference or a backward difference may be used.

When the user U stands up from the seating device 10, the control section 36 determines the end of measurement (S22). Measurement end determination is made, for example, when the distance between the second distance measuring device 22 and the trunk 52 of the user U is greater than or equal to a predetermined distance, and when a measurement end detection sensor (not shown) such as a push button or a human body sensor is turned on. It is performed by judging the state of becoming.

After the measurement is completed, the motor function evaluation unit 34 evaluates the user's motor function based on the mechanical quantity calculated by the mechanical quantity calculator 33 (S24).

このとき、起立時の重力方向を考慮して、以下の補正を行うと、より精度よく運動機能評価値Ｐ２が求められる。

Specifically, the motor function evaluation value P2 is calculated by the following method, and the motor function of the user U is evaluated based on the motor function evaluation value P2. The motor function evaluation value P2 is a value for evaluating the motor function of the user U's upper body. The motor function evaluation value P2 is calculated from the maximum value of the angular acceleration α2 _t of the trunk 52 shown below.

At this time, if the following correction is performed in consideration of the direction of gravity when the person stands up, the motor function evaluation value P2 can be obtained with higher accuracy.

The motor function evaluation unit 34 compares the motor function evaluation value P2 calculated above with a predetermined value to evaluate the motor function of the user U's upper body. For example, when the motor function evaluation value P2 is smaller than a predetermined value, it is evaluated that the motor function of the upper body of the user U is degraded. The evaluation result of motor function is stored in the storage unit 35 .

When the evaluation of the motor function of the user U ends, the evaluation result of the motor function is displayed on the display device 40 (S26). The evaluation result may be indicated by the motor function evaluation value P2, or may be compared with a predetermined value to indicate whether the motor function is good or needs improvement. Further, improvement or deterioration of the motor function may be indicated by comparing the evaluation result of this time with the evaluation result of the previous time. The user U checks the motor function evaluation results displayed on the display device 40 .

Next, the motor function evaluation systems 1a and 1b according to Embodiment 1 or Embodiment 2 will be specifically described with examples. Below, the user U is called a test subject.

<Example 1>
In the present Example 1, the precision of calculation of the dynamic quantity of the motor function evaluation system 1b of Embodiment 2 is verified. Verification of accuracy is performed by simultaneously measuring with an existing skeleton detection system (Kinect).

The subject is an elderly, non-disabled female. The body information of the subject and the environment information of the seating device 10, the first rangefinder 21 and the second rangefinder 22 are as follows.
Physical information Thigh 54 length L _f : 391mm
Environmental Information Distance L _S1 from the reference position 111 of the seat 11 to the first rangefinder 21: 150 mm
Installation angle Φ _S1 of the first rangefinder 21: 63.5°
Seat depth L _C : 425mm
Distance L _S2 from seat 11 to second rangefinder 22: 450 mm
Installation angle Φ _S2 of the second rangefinder 22: 90°
The length of the thigh 54 is a value calculated from the subject's height, weight, age, and sex based on the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology AIST human body size/shape database.

First, using only the first distance measuring device 21, the subject is asked to perform a sitting motion, and the coordinates of the pelvis 53 of the subject are calculated. First, based on the distance data d1 _t from the first distance measuring device 21 to the subject's thigh 54 measured by the first distance measuring device 21, the thigh 54 and the seat 11 are calculated using the above formula. and the angle between the thigh ₅₄ and the seat 11 obtained from the Kinect are compared. A comparison result is shown in FIG.

Next, the coordinates (x _t , y _t ) of the pelvis 53 are calculated based on the calculated angle θ1 _t and compared with the coordinates similarly obtained from the Kinect. The comparison results are shown in FIGS. 8 to 10. FIG. FIG. 8 is a diagram comparing movements of the x-coordinate with respect to time t, and FIG. 9 is a diagram comparing movements of the y-coordinate with respect to time t. Moreover, FIG. 10 is a diagram comparing the positions of the pelvis 53 in the sitting motion.

7 to 10, both the angle θ1 _t between the thighs 54 and the seat 11 and the coordinates (x _t , y _t ) of the pelvis 53 approximately match the values measured by the Kinect. was confirmed. Therefore, using the above formula, both the angle θ1 _t between the thigh 54 and the seat 11 and the coordinates (x _t , y _t ) of the pelvis 53 can be calculated accurately enough to evaluate the physical function. I understand.

Secondly, using the first rangefinder 21 and the second rangefinder 22, the subject is asked to stand up, and the subject's physical quantity is calculated. As a mechanical quantity, the angle of the hip joint of the subject, that is, the angle θ2 _t of the trunk 52 with respect to the axis extending vertically from the pelvis 53 is calculated.

The test subject is asked to stand _up . An angle θ1 _t between the thigh 54 and the seat 11 is calculated. Based on the calculated angle θ1 _t , the coordinates (x _t , y _t ) of the pelvis 53 are calculated. Then, based on the calculated coordinates (x _t , y _t ) of the pelvis 53 and the distance data d2 _t from the second rangefinder 22 to the trunk 52 of the subject measured by the second rangefinder 22 , compare the angle .theta.2 _t of the trunk 52 calculated using the above formula with the angle of the trunk 52 obtained from the Kinect. FIG. 11 shows the results of the comparison.

Referring to FIG. 11, it was confirmed that the angle .theta.2 _t of the trunk 52 approximately matches the value measured by Kinect. Therefore, it can be seen that the angle .theta.2 _t of the trunk 53 can be calculated accurately enough to evaluate the body function using the above equation.

Also, the exercise function evaluation system 1b of the second embodiment can be used to evaluate the exercise function in the sitting state, for example, the degree of hunched back in the sitting state. A hunched back refers to a state in which the spine falls forward, which leads to a decline in motor functions such as walking ability and balance ability. The angle .theta.2 _t of the trunk 52 in the seated state can be calculated using the same calculation method as for the standing motion. The results of calculation of the subject's angle θ2 _t in a seated state are compared with the trunk angle obtained from Kinect. FIG. 12 shows the results of the comparison.

Referring to FIG. 12, it was confirmed that the angle .theta.2 _t of the trunk 52 in the seated state generally matches the value measured by Kinect. Therefore, for example, when the calculated angle θ2 _t or the motor function evaluation value P2 calculated using the angle θ2 _t is greater than or equal to a certain threshold value, it can be determined that there is a hunched tendency.

<Example 2>
In Example 2, the motor function evaluation system 1a of Embodiment 1 is used to evaluate the motor function of three subjects. Here, each subject is asked to perform a sitting motion, and the motor function of the subject's lower body is evaluated based on the acceleration of the coordinates (x _t , y _t ) of the pelvis 53 .

Subjects 1 and 2 are elderly females without disabilities. Subject 3 is a young adult male, non-disabled. The physical information of each subject is as follows.
Physical information of subject 1 Length of thigh 54 L _f : 391 mm
Physical information of subject 2 Length of thigh 54 L _f : 391 mm
Physical information of subject 3 Length of thigh 54 L _f : 411 mm
The length of the thigh 54 is a value calculated from the subject's height, weight, age, and sex based on the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology AIST human body size/shape database.

The environment information of the first rangefinder 21 is as follows.
Environmental Information Distance L _S1 from the reference position 111 of the seat 11 to the first rangefinder 21: 150 mm
Installation angle Φ _S1 of the first rangefinder 21: 63.5°
Sampling period Δt of first rangefinder 21: 0.033 sec

First, as in the first embodiment, the coordinates (x _t , y _t ) of the pelvis 53 of each subject are calculated. Based on the calculated coordinates (x _t , y _t ) of the pelvis 53 and the maximum value of acceleration of the coordinates (x _t , y _t ) of the pelvis 53, the motor function evaluation value P1 is calculated using the above formula. do. Table 1 shows the calculated results. Table 1 shows the results of each subject performing the sitting motion five times.

In general, when the motor function of the lower body declines, there is a tendency to "sit down". At this time, the maximum value of the calculated acceleration increases. Therefore, it can be determined that the greater the maximum value of the calculated acceleration, the lower the motor function. Based on this, the motor function evaluation value P1 is scored using the following determination formula. A score of 100 is given when the motor function is high, and a score of 0 is given when the motor function is low.
P1 is less than 27,000: 100 points P1 is 27,000 or more and less than 55,000: (55,000-P1)/280) points P1 is 55,000 or more: 0 points Exercise of each subject using the above judgment formula Functions are scored and evaluated. Table 2 shows the evaluation results.

From Table 2, it can be seen that the evaluation of Subject 1 is low. Accordingly, it was confirmed that deterioration of the motor function of the subject 1 can be evaluated using the motor function evaluation system 1a.

<Example 3>
In Example 3, the motor function evaluation system 1b of Embodiment 2 is used to evaluate the motor function of three subjects. Here, each subject is asked to stand up, and the motor function of the subject's upper body is evaluated based on the angular acceleration of the trunk 52 at the angle θ2 _t . The motor function evaluation system 1b of the second embodiment can also evaluate the motor function of the lower body of the subject in the same manner as in the second embodiment.

Each subject and the physical information of each subject are the same as in Example 2. The environment information of the seating device 10, the first rangefinder 21 and the second rangefinder is as follows.
Environmental Information Distance L _S1 from the reference position 111 of the seat 11 to the first rangefinder 21: 150 mm
Installation angle Φ _S1 of the first rangefinder 21: 63.5°
Seat depth L _C : 425mm
Distance L _S2 from seat 11 to second rangefinder 22: 450 mm
Installation angle Φ _S2 of the second rangefinder 22: 90°
Sampling period Δt of first rangefinder 21 and second rangefinder 22: 0.033 sec

First, as in the first embodiment, the coordinates (x _t , y _t ) of the pelvis 53 of each subject are calculated. Based on the calculated coordinates (x _t , y _t ) of the pelvis 53, the angle θ2 _t of the trunk 52 is calculated. Next, the angular acceleration α2 _t of the trunk 52 is calculated using the above formula, and the motor function evaluation value P2 is calculated using the above formula. Table 3 shows the calculated results. Table 3 shows the results of each subject performing the standing motion five times. Averages are rounded off to the nearest whole number.

In general, when the motor function of the upper body declines, there is a tendency to "stand up without using the trunk as much as possible". At this time, the maximum value of the calculated acceleration becomes small. Therefore, it can be determined that the smaller the calculated maximum value of acceleration, the lower the motor function. Based on this, the motor function evaluation value P2 is scored using the following determination formula. A score of 100 is given when the motor function is high, and a score of 0 is given when the motor function is low.
P2 is 5,000 or more: 100 points P2 is 1,000 or more and less than 5,000: (P2-1,000)/40 points P2 is less than 1,000: 0 points Motor function of each subject using the above judgment formula are scored and evaluated. Table 4 shows the evaluation results. The score of the evaluation result is rounded off to the nearest whole number.

From Table 4, it can be seen that the evaluations of subjects 1 and 2, who are elderly, are low. As a result, it was confirmed that deterioration of the motor functions of the subjects 1 and 2 could be evaluated using the motor function evaluation system 1b. Referring to the evaluation results of Examples 2 and 3, Subject 2 had a lower body motor function evaluation of 83 points, while an upper body motor function evaluation of 67 points. is low, and it can be estimated that the motor function of only the upper body is declining.

<Example 4>
Example 4 shows an example of displaying the evaluation results of Examples 2 and 3. FIG. Here, the evaluation results of motor function are displayed as a result of carrying out Examples 2 and 3, that is, the result of performing "an action of sitting on the seating device 10 once and then standing up from the seating device 10".

As a first display example, the average score of the scored evaluation results is displayed as it is. A display example is shown in FIG.

As a second display example, an example in which the evaluation result of the motor function is displayed with easy-to-understand words such as "good" and "needs improvement" or an image is shown. At this time, for example, 80 points is used as a threshold value, and "good" and "improvement required" are determined as follows.
80 points or more: Good/smiling image Under 80 points: Needs improvement/tired expression image A display example is shown in FIG.

By displaying in this way, it becomes easier for the subject (user U) to understand his or her current state of motor function. As can be seen from these display examples, in the present invention, the subject can understand his or her current level of motor function as a specific numerical value, at least from the evaluation results of the lower body. In addition, by adding the evaluation results of the upper body to the evaluation results of the lower body, the subject can understand his/her current level of motor function more accurately than in the case of only the evaluation results of the lower body. For example, for Subject 1, the evaluation results for the lower body show that the performance improves with a little effort, but the evaluation results for the upper body show that it is more important to improve the upper body than the lower body. This allows the subject 1 to more efficiently understand the future course of action to improve the upper body. In addition, although the evaluation result of the lower body of the subject 2 is good, judging from the specific numerical values, it can be understood that the present condition should be maintained at least. Furthermore, the results of the evaluation of the upper body show that the upper body requires improvement, and it is more important to take measures to improve the upper body than to maintain the lower body. Subject 3 is relieved because both the lower body and the upper body are in good condition.

As described above, in the motor function evaluation systems 1a and 1b of the present invention, the first distance measuring device 21 and/or the second distance measuring device 22 attached to the seating device 10 are used to calculate the physical quantity of the user U. ing. This eliminates the need to attach the measuring device to the user U.

Further, in the motor function evaluation systems 1a and 1b of the present invention, physical information of the user U, environment information of the first rangefinder 21 and/or the second rangefinder 22, and the first rangefinder 21 and/or Distance data from the first rangefinder 21 to the thigh 54 of the user U and/or distance data from the second rangefinder 22 to the trunk 52 of the user U measured by the second rangefinder 22 are used. Therefore, the mechanical quantity of the user U's joints can be calculated accurately. In this way, since the dynamic amount of the joints of the user U can be calculated accurately, even if each user U stands or sits in a different way, the joints of the user U can be calculated regardless of how the user U stands or sits. The motor function of the user U can also be accurately evaluated based on the dynamic quantity. By accurately evaluating the motor function in this manner, the risk that the user U will need nursing care can be accurately determined.

Further, by constructing the motor function evaluation systems 1a and 1b using the seating device 10 on which the user U sits and stands in daily life, the user U can always grasp his own motor function. In addition, the user U can try to improve the motor function by reviewing the evaluation results of his/her own motor function, and can reduce the risk of becoming in need of nursing care due to the deterioration of the motor function. In particular, in the motor function evaluation systems 1a and 1b of the present invention, the storage unit 35 also stores past motor function evaluation results. Thereby, the user U can confirm the evaluation result of the motor function by comparing it with the past evaluation result, and can confirm the continuous change of the motor function. can be used effectively.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

For example, in the above embodiment, the calculation of the pelvis coordinates and the calculation of the dynamic quantity are performed while the user U is performing a sitting motion or a standing motion, but this configuration is not necessarily required. For example, the user U may finish the sitting motion or the standing motion and calculate the pelvic coordinates and the mechanical quantity after the measurement is finished.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the information processing apparatus 30 includes the link model generation unit 31, but the link model generation unit 31 does not necessarily have to be provided. In this case, step S<b>12 for generating the human body link model 50 is not performed, and the motor function of the user U is evaluated based on the physical information stored in the storage unit 35 .

1a, 1b motor function evaluation system 10 seating device 11 seat portion 12 backrest portion 21 first distance measuring device 22 second distance measuring device 30 information processing device 31 link model generation unit 32 pelvis coordinate calculation unit 33 dynamic quantity calculation unit 34 motor function Evaluation unit 50 Human body link model 52 Trunk 53 Pelvis 54 Thigh U User

Claims (8)

a seating device;
a first distance measuring device attached to the seat of the seating device;
and an information processing device,
The information processing device is
The preset length of the user's thighs, the distance from the reference position of the seat to the first rangefinder, the installation angle of the first rangefinder with respect to the seat, and the a pelvis coordinate calculation unit that calculates the coordinates of the user's pelvis based on distance data from the first rangefinder to the user's thigh measured over time by the first rangefinder;
A motor function evaluation system, comprising: a motor function evaluation unit that evaluates the motor function of at least the lower body of a user based on the coordinates of the pelvis calculated by the pelvic coordinate calculation unit. The information processing device further includes a mechanical quantity calculator that calculates the mechanical quantity of the user's joints based on the coordinates of the pelvic region calculated by the pelvic coordinate calculator,
The motor function evaluation system according to claim 1, wherein the motor function evaluation unit evaluates the user's motor function based on the mechanical quantity calculated by the mechanical quantity calculator. further comprising a second rangefinder attached to the backrest of the seating device;
The mechanical quantity calculation unit calculates, in addition to the coordinates of the pelvis, a preset depth of the seat, a vertical distance from the seat to the second rangefinder, and the 2 Based on the installation angle of the distance measuring device with respect to the backrest and the distance data from the second distance measuring device to the trunk of the user measured over time by the second distance measuring device, the joints of the user Calculate the mechanical quantity,
3. The motor function evaluation system according to claim 2, wherein the motor function evaluation unit evaluates the motor functions of the user's lower body and upper body based on the mechanical quantity calculated by the mechanical quantity calculator. The information processing device includes a link model generation unit that generates a human body link model from preset user physical information,
The motor function evaluation system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the thigh length of the user is calculated based on the human body link model. using a first distance measuring device attached to the seat of a seating device on which the user sits, acquiring data on the distance from the first distance measuring device to the user's thighs over time;
The preset length of the user's thighs, the distance from the reference position of the seat to the first rangefinder, the installation angle of the first rangefinder with respect to the seat, and the calculating the coordinates of the user's pelvis based on distance data from the first rangefinder to the user's thigh measured over time by the first rangefinder;
and evaluating the motor function of at least the lower body of the user based on the coordinates of the pelvic region. using a second distance measuring device attached to the backrest portion of the seating device to obtain distance data from the second distance measuring device to the trunk of the user over time;
coordinates of the pelvis, preset depth of the seat, vertical distance from the seat to the second rangefinder, and installation of the second rangefinder with respect to the backrest calculating the mechanical quantity of the joint of the user based on the angle and the distance data from the second rangefinder to the trunk of the user measured over time by the second rangefinder; prepared,
6. The motor function evaluation method according to claim 5, wherein the step of evaluating the motor function of the user evaluates the motor functions of the user's lower body and upper body based on the mechanical quantity calculated in the step of calculating the mechanical quantity. to the computer,
using a first distance measuring device attached to the seat of a seating device on which the user sits, acquiring data on the distance from the first distance measuring device to the user's thighs over time;
The preset length of the user's thighs, the distance from the reference position of the seat to the first rangefinder, the installation angle of the first rangefinder with respect to the seat, and the calculating the coordinates of the user's pelvis based on distance data from the first rangefinder to the user's thigh measured over time by the first rangefinder;
and evaluating the motor function of at least the lower body of the user based on the coordinates of the pelvic region. to the computer;
using a second distance measuring device attached to the backrest portion of the seating device to obtain distance data from the second distance measuring device to the trunk of the user over time;
coordinates of the pelvis, preset depth of the seat, vertical distance from the seat to the second rangefinder, and installation of the second rangefinder with respect to the backrest calculating the mechanical quantity of the user's joint based on the angle and the distance data from the second rangefinder to the user's trunk measured over time by the second rangefinder. let the process run further,
8. The motor function evaluation program according to claim 7, wherein the step of evaluating the motor function of the user evaluates the motor function of the user's lower body and upper body based on the mechanical quantity calculated in the step of calculating the mechanical quantity.

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