JP3550087B2 - Walking sensation presentation device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a walking sensation presentation device that is used, for example, when measuring human walking ability.
[0002]
[Prior art]
BACKGROUND ART A walking sensation presentation device that presents a walking sensation to a user is used in an artificial virtual space technology such as VR (Virtual Reality) or VE (Virtual Environments). For example, a walking sensation presentation device using a treadmill is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2923493, “A walking sensation generation device”. The treadmill used for this is configured by winding an endless belt around a plurality of rollers. A user rides on the belt and moves the belt backward in accordance with the user's walking.
[0003]
In addition, an image of a virtual space corresponding to the walking of the user is displayed on the large screen in front of the user. Thereby, it is possible to simulate the state of actually walking.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the above-mentioned prior art, an image in accordance with walking is projected on the front of the user. However, since the belt at the foot is not particularly devised, there is a problem that when the user looks at the foot, a sense of discomfort occurs. .
[0005]
In order to solve such a problem, there is a method in which a simulated image is displayed in the entire visual field of the user using a head mounted display (HMD). There is a problem of causing VR sickness and the like. Further, if an attempt is made to reduce the size and weight of the HMD so as to eliminate the feeling of wearing the HMD, or to realize high-speed image processing that eliminates a delay in following the image, very expensive equipment will be required.
[0006]
An object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problem and provide a more realistic walking sensation presentation device.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention according to claim 1, wherein the support means is disposed substantially horizontally,
An endless belt shaped to be wound around the upper surface of the support means,
Projection means for projecting the road surface image on the upper surface of the belt,
The belt and the projection means are controlled, and the belt is circulated so that the upper surface of the belt moves backward, and the road surface image is changed in accordance with the movement of the upper surface of the belt, so that a user who rides on the upper surface of the belt is Control means for presenting a walking sensation,
The support means has a plurality of rollers arranged substantially horizontally,
A roller movement support unit is provided for each of the rollers, and supports each roller so as to be individually movable up and down,
The control means controls the vertical position of each roller so that the upper surface of the belt has a set predetermined road surface shape, and controls the roller movement so as to circulate the belt so that the upper surface of the belt moves backward. A walking sensation presentation device characterized by controlling a support means.
[0008]
According to the invention, the projecting means projects the road surface image that changes in accordance with the walking of the user on the upper surface of the belt. That is, the image is provided to the user as well as the surrounding image. Therefore, even when the user looks at the feet, the user does not feel discomfort, and a more realistic walking sensation presentation device can be provided.
[0009]
Further, unlike the HMD, since the image is actually projected at the foot, VR sickness due to a delay in following the image can be prevented.
[0011]
Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to form an uneven road surface shape by controlling the vertical position of the roller. Further, since the belt and the formed road surface are controlled to move backward at the same speed as the walking speed of the user, from the user's side, it is felt as if they are walking on an uneven road surface. . In this way, walking on an arbitrary road surface shape can be simulated.
[0012]
The present invention according to claim 2 has a plurality of rollers, the belt is wound around, and a belt tension adjusting means for applying a predetermined tension to the belt by adjusting an interval between the rollers is provided. I do.
[0013]
When the road surface shape is changed by adjusting the vertical position of the rollers, the length of the belt needs to be changed according to the road surface shape. In the present invention, since belt tension adjusting means having a plurality of rollers is provided, the slack of the belt is adjusted by adjusting the interval between the rollers by the belt tension adjusting means, thereby applying a predetermined tension to the belt. Can be given.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, the projecting means projects a CG image or a real image as a road surface image on the upper surface of the belt.
The projection means projects a CG (Computer Graphic) image or a real image on the belt upper surface as an image of a road surface corresponding to an environment to be simulated, for example, a rocky place or a desert, and changes the road surface image according to the movement of the belt.
[0014]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an environment simulation system using a walking sensation presentation device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The environment simulation system is a system that artificially simulates various environments, and is used, for example, when measuring the physical strength of a human walking in various environments.
[0015]
The environment simulation system generates a walking sensation presentation device 1 that presents a walking sensation according to an environment to be simulated to a user 6, a display device that displays an image according to the environment in front of or around the user, and generates sound. An environmental simulation system is constructed by combining an acoustic device, an air conditioner, a rain / snow simulator, a solar simulator, a wind tunnel, and the like.
[0016]
The walking sensation presentation device 1 includes a treadmill 2, a control device 3, and a projector 4 as projection means. The treadmill 2 has support means including a plurality of rollers closely arranged in parallel. A belt 14 is wound around the support means, and the user 6 walks on the belt 14. The control device 3 controls the treadmill 2 and the projector 4 and includes a general control computer 12 and a treadmill control device 13 that controls the treadmill 2. The integrated control computer 12 is instructed, for example, on a rocky place or a desert, as an environment to be generated, and outputs video data and walking sensation data according to the instructed environment. The CG (computer graphic) display computer 15 that has received the video data calculates a CG video to be displayed at the feet of the user 6 based on the data and outputs the CG video to the projector 4. The projector 4 projects an image according to the environment on the upper surface of the belt 14 of the treadmill 2. The image to be projected is not limited to CG, but may be a real image.
[0017]
The treadmill 2 includes a driving roller 20 for driving the belt 14, a belt tension adjusting unit 21 for adjusting the belt tension, and a hydraulic cylinder 31 (hereinafter, referred to as a cylinder) which is provided for each roller and is a lifting drive source for raising and lowering each roller. 31), a user position detecting device 10 for detecting the position of the user 6, and a load detecting device 11 for detecting a load. Further, the lifting drive source may be realized by a ball screw or the like. The treadmill control device 13 controls the treadmill 2 based on walking sensation data from the general control computer 12, user position data from the user position detection device 10, and load data from the load detection device 11.
[0018]
The drive roller 20 is controlled by the drive roller rotation speed control unit 18 of the control device 3, and the cylinder 31 is controlled by the cylinder up / down position control unit 19.
[0019]
The treadmill control device 13 divides the road surface of the environment to be generated into a surface shape and a road surface state and reproduces the road surface in the treadmill 2 based on the walking sensation data from the general control computer 12. More specifically, the treadmill control device 13 calculates surface shape data and road surface condition data from walking sensation data, calculates the walking speed of the user 6 based on the walking position detecting device 10, and calculates the load detecting device 11 Is calculated from the foot of the user 6 on the treadmill 2. Then, the surface shape data and the walking speed are given to the surface shape control unit 16.
[0020]
The surface shape control unit 16 controls the cylinder up / down position control unit 19 based on the surface shape data from the treadmill control device 13 to generate the surface shape of the road surface, and controls the drive roller rotation speed control unit 18. The belt 14 is driven at the walking speed of the user 6 and the cylinder elevating / lowering position control unit 19 is controlled so that the generated road surface shape moves rearward. In other words, the surface shape of the formed road surface moves backward at the same speed as the walking speed together with the belt 14, so that the user 6 can feel that he or she is actually walking.
[0021]
The road surface condition refers to the soil quality of the generated road surface, and the soil quality is represented by how much the ground on which the foot rests sinks. That is, the treadmill control device 13 calculates road surface condition data based on the walking sensation data from the general control computer 12, and based on the user position detection device 10, the walking speed of the user 6 and the roller at the landing point. Then, the rollers at the positions where the feet are to be raised are calculated, the loads acting on the rollers are calculated based on the load detection device 11, and these data are given to the road surface state control unit 17. The road surface state control unit 17 is based on the load acting on the roller at the position of the foot to land and the roller at the position of the foot to be stepped on, so that these rollers move up and down simulating the hardness of the set road surface state, It controls the cylinder up / down position control unit 19.
[0022]
FIG. 2 is a side view showing a use state of the treadmill 2, FIG. 3 is a plan view of the treadmill 2, and FIG. 4 is a front view of the treadmill 2. The structure of the treadmill 2 will be described in more detail with reference to these drawings.
[0023]
As shown in FIG. 2, the treadmill 2 is used while being stored in a pit 40, and is installed so that only a user walking surface on the upper surface of the belt 14 is exposed. The projector 4 is arranged in front of the treadmill 2 and projects a road surface image on the upper surface of the belt 14. This road surface image is a road surface image according to the environment to be simulated, and is controlled so that the road surface image projected in accordance with the walking speed of the user 6 calculated by the treadmill control device 13 moves backward. That is, an image in which the road surface moves rearward in accordance with the moving speed of the belt 14 is projected.
[0024]
As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of rollers 41 are densely arranged substantially horizontally on the upper surface of the treadmill 2. In the embodiment, about 40 rollers 41 having an outer diameter of 50 mmφ and a length of about 1.2 m are arranged, and the user walking surface of the treadmill 2 has a width W = 1.2 m and a length L = 2. 0.0m.
[0025]
As shown in FIG. 4, both ends of each roller 41 are supported by the cylinder 31. Each cylinder 31 is erected on a gantry 42, and the height of the cylinder 31 is detected by a cylinder position detector 42. As the cylinder position detector 42, a potentiometer or a magnetostrictive sensor can be used, and the cylinder position detector 42 may be integrated with the cylinder. The cylinder elevation position control unit 19 controls the height position of each roller 41 based on the cylinder position detector 42.
[0026]
By individually adjusting the height position of each roller 41 by the cylinder 31, an arbitrary road surface shape can be formed. For example, if a certain level difference is continuously formed, the belt 14 can simulate a front-rear sloping road surface. In addition, a combination of a horizontal surface and a step can simulate a staircase or an uneven road surface.
[0027]
The end of the roller 41 is connected to the tip of the piston rod of the cylinder 31 so as to be angularly displaceable. Therefore, by changing the height position of the left and right cylinders 31, the roller 41 can be inclined left and right. Thereby, a road surface shape inclined left and right can also be formed.
[0028]
Further, on both sides of each roller 41, a user position detecting device 10 is provided. The user position detecting device 10 includes an optical sensor 45, and has a light emitting element 45a and a light receiving element 45b. The light from the light emitting element 45a is received by the light receiving element 45b. When the foot of the user 6 is placed, the light is shut off, whereby the foot position of the user 6 can be detected. In this way, the user position is detected for each roller 41. The user position detecting device 10 is not limited to a method of arranging optical sensors to detect an ankle position, but also a method of photographing a user with a camera and analyzing the image to detect the user position, and attaching a magnetic sensor to the user. Alternatively, a method of detecting the user position may be used.
[0029]
Further, a belt holding roller 46 for holding the belt 14 is attached to both ends of each roller 41. The belt is held between the belt pressing roller 46 and the roller 41. With such a configuration, when the rollers 41 are individually moved up and down to change the road surface shape, it is possible to prevent the belt 14 from floating from the rollers 41.
[0030]
A drive roller 20 is provided at a rear portion of the treadmill 2, and a belt tension adjusting means 21 is provided at a front portion. The drive roller 20 and the belt tension adjusting means 21 are disposed below the user's walking surface and at positions not exposed during use. The drive roller 20 is a large-diameter roller having an outer diameter of about 30 cm, and the roller 20 is rotationally driven by a servomotor 47. The drive source is not limited to the electric motor, and may be a hydraulic motor.
[0031]
The endless belt 14 is wound around the belt tension adjusting means 21 from the driving roller 20 via the upper surface of each roller 41. The road surface shape is set by adjusting the height position of the roller 41. When the road surface shape is changed, the length of the belt required to stretch the belt with a predetermined tension on the user's walking surface is also determined. Change. Therefore, a belt tension adjusting means 21 is provided to adjust the required length of the belt and apply a predetermined tension to the belt 14 following the change in the road surface shape.
[0032]
The belt tension adjusting means 14 has a roller 50 having the same diameter as the roller 41, and includes a movable roller set 51 composed of a plurality of rollers, here four rollers 50, and a fixed roller set 52 composed of five rollers 50. You. The movable roller set 51 is configured integrally with four parallel rollers 50, and the fixed roller set 52 is configured such that five rollers 50 are arranged in parallel. The fixed roller set 52 is fixedly arranged on the gantry 42, and the movable roller set 51 is arranged above the fixed roller set 52, and the movable roller set 51 is fixed by the cylinder 53 fixed to the gantry 42. Is driven to approach / separate from the object.
[0033]
The belt 14 stretched on the user walking surface of the treadmill 2 is alternately wound around each roller 50 of the fixed roller set 52 and each roller 50 of the movable roller set 51 of the belt tension adjusting means 21. . That is, the belt 14 is bent a plurality of times by the belt tension adjusting means 21 and then extends to the rear under the user walking surface, is wound around the drive roller 20, and continues to the belt on the user walking surface.
[0034]
Since the belt 14 is bent a plurality of times by the belt tension adjusting means 21, the movable roller set 51 is moved to change the interval between the movable roller set 51 and the fixed roller set 52, thereby changing the amount of belt folding. The length of the belt that is unwound onto the user's walking surface can be greatly adjusted. For example, when forming a road surface shape with large unevenness, a large number of belts are required on the user's walking surface. Therefore, the movable roller set 51 is lowered to reduce the amount of belt folding, and conversely, in the case of a flat road surface, , The movable roller set 51 is raised to increase the amount of belt folding. In this way, the belt on the user's walking surface can always be kept at a predetermined tension regardless of the road surface shape.
[0035]
In the treadmill 2 of the present invention, by adjusting the vertical position of the roller 41, a road surface having an arbitrary uneven shape can be formed, and, for example, a rocky road, a mountain path over which tree roots protrude, and the like can be simulated. From the projector 4, an image of a rocky road or a mountain road is projected on a user walking surface according to the simulated road surface. For example, control is performed such that an image of a tree root or a rock is projected on a portion formed to simulate a tree root or a rock. The projector 4 projects from the front at an angle at which the light source does not enter the field of view of the user. However, if projection is performed only from the front, shadows can be formed due to unevenness of the road surface. Good, thereby, it is possible to reduce the shadow due to the unevenness, and to provide a more realistic image.
[0036]
The formed road surface shape is controlled to move backward at the walking speed of the user, and accordingly, the belt 14 is also moved backward at the walking speed of the user. Furthermore, the projected image is controlled so that the road surface moves backward at the walking speed. This makes it possible to simulate a state close to actual walking. Further, when the road surface to be simulated is a sandy ground, the sandy image is projected on the belt, the load of the user 6 is detected, and the roller 41 is lowered accordingly to simulate the sinking of the foot. Can be. Thereby, a more realistic walking sensation can be provided. Furthermore, by combining the surrounding image, the temperature, the humidity, the wind, the atmospheric pressure, the smell, the air conditioning such as rain, snow and solar radiation, and the weather environment in accordance with the simulated environment, the sense of reality can be further enhanced.
[0037]
In the above-described embodiment, the support means around which the belt is wound is configured by a plurality of rollers. However, the present invention is not limited to such a column, and any structure may be used as long as the belt can slide on the upper surface. It may be a flat plate.
[0038]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, since the projection means projects the road surface image that changes in accordance with the walking of the user on the upper surface of the belt, the image is provided not only to the surrounding image but also to the feet to the user. Is done. Therefore, even when the user looks at the feet, the user does not feel discomfort, and a more realistic walking sensation presentation device can be provided.
[0039]
Further, unlike the HMD, since the image is actually projected on the foot, VR sickness due to a delay in following the image due to a change in the user's line of sight can be prevented.
[0040]
Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to simulate walking of an arbitrary road surface shape by controlling the belt and the formed road surface to move backward at the same speed as the walking speed of the user.
[0041]
Further, according to the present invention, since the belt tension adjusting means is provided, the slack of the belt is adjusted by adjusting the interval between the rollers by the belt tension adjusting means, whereby a predetermined tension is always applied to the belt. be able to.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a walking sensation presentation device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side view of the treadmill 2. FIG.
FIG. 3 is a plan view of the treadmill 2. FIG.
4 is a front view of the treadmill 2. FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 walking sensation presentation device 2 treadmill 3 control device 4 projector 14 belt 21 belt tension adjusting means 41 roller

Claims (3)

Supporting means arranged substantially horizontally,
An endless belt shaped to be wound around the upper surface of the support means,
Projection means for projecting the road surface image on the upper surface of the belt,
The belt and the projection means are controlled, and the belt is circulated so that the upper surface of the belt moves rearward. Control means for presenting a walking sensation,
The support means has a plurality of rollers arranged substantially horizontally,
A roller moving support unit is provided for each of the rollers, and supports each roller so as to be individually movable up and down,
The control means controls the vertical position of each roller so that the upper surface of the belt has a set predetermined road surface shape, and controls the roller movement so that the belt is circulated so that the upper surface of the belt moves rearward. A walking sensation presentation device characterized by controlling a support means. The walking sensation presentation according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of rollers, wherein the belt is wound around, and a belt tension adjusting means for applying a predetermined tension to the belt by adjusting an interval between the rollers is provided. apparatus. 3. The walking sensation presentation device according to claim 1, wherein the projection unit projects a CG image or a real image as a road surface image on an upper surface of the belt.

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