JP5119098B2 - Mobile body and control method thereof - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a moving body and a control method thereof.

  In recent years, a moving body that moves in a state where a passenger is on board has been developed (Patent Documents 1 and 2). For example, in Patent Documents 1 to 3, a force sensor (pressure sensor) is provided on a boarding surface (seat surface) on which a passenger rides. The wheels are driven by the output from the force sensor. That is, input is performed by using the force sensor as an operation means.

  The moving body of Patent Document 1 moves by applying weight in the direction in which it wants to proceed. For example, when going forward, the passenger tilts his upper body forward. That is, the passenger is in a forward leaning posture. And if it becomes a leaning posture, the force added to a boarding seat will change. Then, this force is detected by a force sensor. The spherical tire is driven by the detection result of the force sensor. In FIG. 14 of Patent Document 1, the inverted pendulum control is performed in a state where the passenger sits on the boarding seat. Patent Document 2 discloses a wheelchair-type moving body. This moving body is provided with a chair and a footrest.

  Further, Patent Document 3 discloses a moving body that actively detects a user's operation and operates autonomously in response thereto. For example, the center of gravity of the user is calculated by a plurality of pressure sensors. A wheelchair-shaped moving body operates according to the position of the center of gravity (FIG. 2).

  Further, Patent Document 4 discloses an interface device for operating a biped walking type moving body. This interface device has a chair shape. A plurality of force sensors are provided on the back surface and the seat surface of the chair. Four force sensors detect the pelvic turning of the passenger and estimate the intention to walk. And both legs are driven according to the will to walk estimated by the force sensor. The interface device is provided with a footrest.

JP 2006-282160 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-23613 JP-A-11-198075 JP-A-7-136957

  In patent documents 1-3, it is moving according to the posture of the passenger actually boarding the moving body. Thereby, operation according to the environment which is actually moving is attained. For example, the passenger can perform an operation as follows. When he wants to move forward, the passenger moves his upper body forward. That is, the passenger is in a forward leaning posture. Then, the position of the center of gravity becomes forward, and the force applied to the force sensor changes. Thereby, the sensor detects the forward input. On the other hand, when the user wants to move backward, the occupant is tilted backward. Then, the position of the center of gravity becomes backward, and a backward tilt input is detected. When moving left and right, the passenger moves the center of gravity in the left-right direction. Thereby, the turning input is detected. Thus, it can move according to the turning input, the forward input, and the backward input.

  However, a moving body in which a force sensor is provided on a boarding surface on which a passenger is boarded has the following problems. For example, it is assumed that the vehicle is traveling forward diagonally to the right. At this time, if the mechanical structure of the moving body is fixed, the passenger receives a centrifugal force. Then, the state will be diverted to the right and the speed will be accelerated. Or, there is a problem that the upper body is deviated to the outside, and it is not possible to proceed forward diagonally as expected. That is, since the input to the force sensor is not transmitted to the passenger, it is difficult to intuitively understand how much the operation has been performed. In particular, when a centrifugal force is applied, it becomes difficult to operate in the direction in which the passenger wants to move.

  Furthermore, when moving on a non-flat ground which is not flat, the seating surface is inclined. Therefore, it becomes impossible to control as intended. For example, when moving downhill, the boarding surface tilts forward. Then, as shown in FIG. 10, the occupant 19 is inclined backward with respect to the boarding surface, and therefore the force sensor 9 detects the backward input. Therefore, it becomes impossible to go downhill. Further, when moving uphill, the boarding surface tilts backward. Then, a passenger will lean forward with respect to a boarding surface. Therefore, the forward tilt input is detected more than necessary, and the hill cannot be climbed as intended. Furthermore, when there is a step on one side of the left and right, a turning input is detected, and the moving body moves to the left and right.

  Thus, the conventional mobile body has a problem that it cannot be operated as intended by the passenger.

  An object of this invention is to provide the moving body which has high operativity, and its control method.

  A moving body according to a first aspect of the present invention is added to a boarding seat on which a passenger gets on, a main body that supports the boarding seat, a moving mechanism that moves the main body, and a seating surface of the boarding seat. A sensor that outputs a measurement signal according to force, a control calculation unit that calculates a command value for driving the wheel according to the measurement signal, and a yaw axis mechanism that rotates the passenger seat around the yaw axis; A roll shaft mechanism that rotates the yaw axis drive mechanism around the roll axis, and a pitch axis mechanism that rotates the yaw axis drive mechanism around the pitch axis. As a result, the yaw axis becomes perpendicular to the passenger's buttocks. Therefore, the moment around the yaw axis can be reliably input. Therefore, operability can be improved.

  A mobile body according to a second aspect of the present invention is the mobile body described above, wherein the roll shaft mechanism is in the same direction as a force applied to a seating surface of the boarding seat by an operation of a passenger boarding the boarding seat. And the pitch axis mechanism operates. Thereby, the passenger can intuitively grasp the operation amount. Therefore, operability can be improved.

  A moving body according to a third aspect of the present invention is the moving body described above, wherein at least one of the yaw axis mechanism, the roll axis mechanism, and the pitch axis mechanism operates actively. is there. Thereby, it can control with sufficient precision.

  A mobile body according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the mobile body described above, further including a posture detection unit that detects a posture of the chassis, and the pitch axis mechanism according to an output from the posture detection unit. And the roll shaft mechanism is operated. This makes it possible to assume a predetermined posture regardless of the shape of the moving floor surface.

  A mobile body according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the mobile body described above, wherein the roll shaft mechanism and the roll shaft mechanism are arranged according to an output from the attitude detection unit so that a seating surface of the passenger seat is horizontal. The pitch axis mechanism operates. Thereby, it is possible to perform input as intended by the passenger. Therefore, operability can be improved. Moreover, riding comfort can be improved.

  A moving body according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is added to a boarding seat on which a passenger gets on, a main body that supports the boarding seat, a moving mechanism that moves the main body, and a seating surface of the boarding seat. A sensor that outputs a measurement signal corresponding to the force, a control calculation unit that outputs a command value for driving the wheel according to the measurement signal, and the seating surface of the passenger seat approaches the horizontal. A roll axis mechanism that rotates the boarding seat around the roll axis; and a pitch axis mechanism that rotates the boarding seat around the pitch axis so that a seating surface of the boarding seat approaches the horizontal. Thereby, it is possible to perform input as intended by the passenger. Therefore, operability can be improved. Moreover, riding comfort can be improved.

  A mobile body according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is the mobile body described above, wherein at least one of a roll shaft mechanism and a pitch shaft mechanism operates actively. Thereby, the level can be maintained with high accuracy.

  A movable body according to an eighth aspect of the present invention is the movable body described above, wherein a posture detection unit that detects a posture of the movable body, and the pitch axis mechanism according to an output from the posture detection unit, And the roll shaft mechanism is operated. Thereby, level can be maintained reliably.

  A mobile body control method according to a ninth aspect of the present invention includes a boarding seat on which a passenger gets on, a main body part that supports the boarding seat, a moving mechanism that moves the main body part, and a seat on the boarding seat. A sensor that outputs a measurement signal according to the force applied to the surface; a control calculation unit that calculates a command value for driving the wheel according to the measurement signal; and a yaw that rotates the passenger seat around the yaw axis A moving body control method comprising: an axis mechanism; a roll axis mechanism that rotates the yaw axis drive mechanism around a roll axis; and a pitch axis mechanism that rotates the yaw axis drive mechanism around a pitch axis, A step of calculating a command value for driving the yaw axis mechanism based on the moment around the yaw axis detected by a sensor; and the pitch based on the moment around the pitch axis detected by the sensor. Shaft mechanism Calculating a command value for moving, based on the moments of the roll shaft about which is detected by the sensor, in which and a step of calculating a command value for driving the roll axis mechanism. Thereby, since a passenger | crew can grasp | ascertain the operation amount intuitively, operativity can be improved.

  A moving body control method according to a tenth aspect of the present invention includes a boarding seat on which a passenger gets on, a main body that supports the boarding seat, a moving mechanism that moves the main body, and the chassis. Control calculation for outputting a command value for driving the wheel according to the measurement signal, a sensor for outputting a measurement signal corresponding to the force applied to the seating surface of the passenger seat, and a wheel provided rotatably A posture detecting unit that detects an angle corresponding to the posture of the moving body, a roll shaft mechanism that rotates the passenger seat around a roll axis, and a pitch axis mechanism that rotates the passenger seat around a pitch axis; And a step of driving the roll shaft mechanism based on an angle around the roll axis detected by the posture detection unit, and a pitch axis detected by the posture detection unit. The pitch based on the angle of In which and a step of driving mechanism. Thereby, since a posture can be maintained in a desired state, operability can be improved.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the moving body which has high operativity, and its control method can be provided.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of a small vehicle according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. In addition, for clarity of explanation, the following description and drawings are simplified as appropriate.

Embodiment 1 of the Invention
A moving body 1 according to Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a front view schematically showing the configuration of the moving body 1, and FIG. 2 is a side view schematically showing the configuration of the moving body 1. 1 and 2 show an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system. The Y axis indicates the left-right direction of the moving body 1, the X axis indicates the front-rear direction of the moving body 1, and the Z axis indicates the vertical direction. Therefore, the X axis corresponds to the roll axis, the Y axis becomes the pitch axis, and the Z axis becomes the yaw axis. In FIG. 1 and FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the moving body 1 has a riding section 3 and a chassis 13. The chassis 13 is a main body of the moving body 1 and supports the riding section 3. The chassis 13 includes an attitude detection unit 4, wheels 6, a footrest 10, a housing 11, a control calculation unit 51, a battery 52, and the like. The wheel 6 includes a front wheel 601 and a rear wheel 602. Here, a three-wheeled moving body 1 composed of one front wheel 601 and two rear wheels 602 will be described.

  The boarding unit 3 includes a boarding seat 8 and a force sensor 9. And the upper surface of the boarding seat 8 becomes the seat surface 8a. That is, the moving body 1 moves on the seat surface 8a in a state where the passenger is on the seat surface 8a. The seating surface 8a may be a flat surface or may have a shape that matches the shape of the collar. Further, a backrest may be provided on the boarding seat 8. That is, the boarding seat 8 may have a wheelchair shape. In order to improve riding comfort, the passenger seat 8 may be cushioned. When the moving body 1 is on a horizontal plane, the seating surface 8a is horizontal. The force sensor 9 detects the weight shift of the passenger. That is, the force sensor 9 detects the force applied to the seat surface 8 a of the passenger seat 8. The force sensor 9 outputs a measurement signal corresponding to the force applied to the seating surface 8a. The force sensor 9 is disposed below the passenger seat 8. That is, the force sensor 9 is disposed between the chassis 13 and the passenger seat 8.

As the force sensor 9, for example, a 6-axis force sensor can be used. In this case, as shown in FIG. 3, the translational forces (SFx, SFy, SFz) in the three-axis directions and the moments (SMx, SMy, SMz) around each axis are measured. These translational forces and moments are values with the center of the force sensor 9 as the origin. If the measurement signals output to the sensor processing unit of the moving body 1 are moments (Mx, My, Mz) and the control coordinate origins of those moments are (a, b, c) shown in FIG. 2, Mx, My, Mz Can be expressed as follows.
Mx = SMx + c · SFy−b · SFz
My = SMy + a · SFz−c · SFx
Mz = SMz + b.SFx-a.SFy
FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining each axis. Any force sensor 9 that can measure moments (Mx, My, Mz) may be used. A triaxial force sensor capable of measuring moments (SMx, SMy, SMz) around each axis may be arranged at the control coordinate origin to directly measure Mx, My, Mz. Three uniaxial force sensors may be provided. Furthermore, an analog joystick using a strain gauge or a potentiometer may be used. That is, it is only necessary to be able to measure moments around three axes directly or indirectly. The force sensor 9 outputs three moments (Mx, My, Mz) as measurement signals.

  A chassis 13 that is a main body portion of the moving body 1 is provided with an attitude detection unit 4, wheels 6, a footrest 10, a housing 11, a control calculation unit 51, a battery 52, and the like. The housing 11 has a box shape, and the front lower side protrudes. And the footrest 10 is arrange | positioned on this protruding part. The footrest 10 is provided on the front side of the passenger seat 8. Therefore, in the state where the passenger has boarded the boarding seat 8, both feet of the passenger are placed on the footrest 10.

  The housing 11 includes a drive motor 603, an attitude detection unit 4, a control calculation unit 51, and a battery 52. The battery 52 supplies power to each electric device such as the drive motor 603, the attitude detection unit 4, the control calculation unit 51, and the force sensor 9. The posture detection unit 4 includes, for example, a gyro sensor or an acceleration sensor, and detects the posture of the moving body 1. That is, when the chassis 13 is tilted, the posture detection unit 4 detects the tilt angle and the tilt angular velocity. The posture detection unit 4 detects the inclination angle of the posture around the roll axis and the inclination angle of the posture around the pitch axis. Then, the posture detection unit 4 outputs a posture detection signal to the control calculation unit 51.

  Wheels 6 are rotatably attached to the housing 11. Here, three wheels 6 on the disk are provided. A part of the wheel 6 protrudes below the lower surface of the housing 11. Therefore, the wheel 6 is in contact with the floor surface. The two rear wheels 602 are provided at the rear part of the housing 11. The rear wheel 602 is a drive wheel and is rotated by a drive motor 603. That is, when the drive motor 603 is driven, the rear wheel 602 rotates around the axle. The rear wheels 602 are provided on both the left and right sides. The rear wheel 602 has a built-in encoder for reading its rotational speed. The two rear wheels 602 are arranged on the same axis. The axle of the left rear wheel 602 and the axle of the right rear wheel 602 are arranged on the same straight line.

  Further, the wheel 6 includes a front wheel 601. One front wheel 601 is provided at the center of the front portion of the housing 11. Accordingly, the front wheel 601 is disposed between the two rear wheels 602 in the Y direction. A passenger seat 8 is provided between the axle of the front wheel 601 and the axle of the rear wheel 602 in the X direction. The front wheel 601 is a driven wheel (auxiliary wheel), and rotates according to the movement of the moving body 1. That is, the front wheel 601 rotates according to the moving direction and speed by the rotation of the rear wheel 602. Thus, by providing the front wheel 601 that is an auxiliary wheel in front of the rear wheel 602, it is possible to prevent the vehicle from falling. The front wheel 601 is provided below the footrest 10.

  The control calculation unit 51 is an arithmetic processing unit having a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a communication interface, and the like. The control calculation unit 51 includes a removable HDD, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, etc., stores various programs and control parameters, and supplies the programs and data to a memory (not shown) or the like as necessary. To do. Of course, the control calculation unit 51 is not physically limited to one configuration. The control calculation unit 51 performs processing for controlling the operation of the drive motor 603 in accordance with the output from the force sensor 9. Further, processing for controlling the tilt of the chassis 13 is performed in accordance with the output from the posture detection unit 4. That is, the posture of the moving body 1 changes according to the inclination of the chassis 13. A mechanism for changing the posture is built in the housing 11. This configuration will be described later.

  Next, a control system for moving the moving body 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a control system for moving the moving body 1. First, the force applied to the seating surface 8a is detected by the force sensor 9. The sensor processing unit 53 processes the measurement signal from the force sensor 9. That is, arithmetic processing is performed on measurement data corresponding to the measurement signal output from the force sensor 9. Thereby, the input moment value input to the control calculation unit 51 is calculated. The sensor processing unit 53 may be built in the force sensor 9 or may be built in the control calculation unit 51.

  In this manner, the moments (Mx, My, Mz) measured by the force sensor 9 are converted into input moment values (Mx ′, My ′, Mz ′) around each axis. The input moment value becomes an input value that is input to operate each rear wheel 602. Thus, the sensor processing unit 53 calculates an input value for each axis. The magnitude of the input moment value is determined according to the magnitude of the moment. The sign of the input moment value is determined by the measured moment. That is, when the moment is positive, the input moment value is also positive, and when the moment is negative, the input moment value is also negative. For example, when the moment Mx is positive, the input moment value Mx ′ is also positive. Therefore, this input moment value becomes an input value corresponding to the operation intended by the passenger.

  The control calculation unit 51 performs control calculation based on the input moment value. Thereby, a command value for driving the drive motor 603 is calculated. Of course, the command value increases as the input moment value increases. This command value is output to the drive motor 603. In the present embodiment, since the left and right rear wheels 602 are drive wheels, two drive motors 603 are illustrated. Then, one drive motor 603 rotates the right rear wheel 602, and the other drive motor 603 rotates the left rear wheel 602. The drive motor 603 rotates the rear wheel 602 based on the command value. That is, the drive motor 603 gives a torque for rotating the rear wheel 602 that is a drive wheel. Of course, the drive motor 603 may give a rotational torque to the rear wheel 602 via a reduction gear or the like. For example, when a command torque is input as a command value from the control calculation unit 51, the drive motor 603 rotates with the command torque. Thereby, the rear wheel 602 rotates and the moving body 1 moves in a desired direction at a desired speed. Of course, the command value is not limited to torque, and may be a rotation speed or a rotation speed.

  Furthermore, each of the drive motors 603 includes an encoder 603a. The encoder 603a detects the rotational speed of the drive motor 603 and the like. Then, the detected rotation speed is input to the control calculation unit 51. The control calculation unit 51 performs feedback control based on the current rotation speed and the target rotation speed. For example, the command value is calculated by multiplying the difference between the target rotational speed and the current rotational speed by an appropriate feedback gain. Of course, the command values output to the left and right drive motors 603 may be different values. That is, when going straight forward or backward, the left and right rear wheels 602 are controlled to have the same rotational speed, and when turning left and right, the left and right rear wheels 602 have different rotational speeds in the same direction. Control to be. Further, when turning on the spot, the left and right rear wheels 602 are controlled to rotate in opposite directions.

  For example, when the occupant assumes a forward leaning posture, a force around the pitch axis is applied to the passenger seat 8. Then, the force sensor 9 detects a moment of + My (see FIG. 3). Based on this + My moment, the sensor processing unit 53 calculates an input moment value My ′ for translating the moving body 1. Similarly, the sensor processing unit 53 calculates an input moment value Mx ′ based on Mx, and calculates an input moment value Mz ′ based on Mz. That is, the sensor processing unit 53 converts the measurement value into an input moment value. These are calculated independently of each other. That is, Mx ′ is determined only by Mx, My ′ is determined only by My, and Mz ′ is determined only by Mz. Thus, Mx ′, My ′, and Mz ′ are independent of each other.

  The control calculation unit 51 calculates a command value based on the input moment value and the encoder reading. As a result, the left and right rear wheels 602 rotate at a desired rotational speed. Similarly, when turning rightward, the passenger moves weight to the right. Thereby, a force around the roll axis is applied to the passenger seat, and the force sensor 9 detects a moment of + Mx. Based on this + Mx moment, the sensor processing unit 53 calculates an input moment value Mx ′ for turning the moving body 1 in the right direction. That is, the steering angle corresponding to the direction in which the moving body 1 moves is obtained. Then, the control calculation unit 51 calculates a command value according to the input moment value. Depending on this command value, the left and right rear wheels 602 rotate at different rotational speeds. That is, the left rear wheel 602 rotates at a higher rotational speed than the right rear wheel 602.

  Thus, the component for the translational movement in the front-rear direction is obtained based on My ′. That is, the driving torque for driving the left and right rear wheels 602 in the same direction at the same rotational speed is determined. Therefore, the larger My ′, that is, My, the faster the moving speed of the moving body 1. Based on Mx ′, a component with respect to the moving direction, that is, the steering angle is obtained. That is, the rotational torque difference between the left and right rear wheels 602 is determined. Therefore, the difference in rotational speed between the left and right rear wheels 602 increases as Mx ′, that is, Mx increases.

  Based on Mz ′, a component for in-situ turning is determined. That is, a component for turning on the spot by rotating the left and right rear wheels 602 in the opposite direction is obtained. Accordingly, the larger Mz ′, that is, Mz, the greater the rotational speed in the opposite direction of the left and right rear wheels 602. For example, when Mz ′ is positive, a driving torque for turning in the counterclockwise direction as viewed from above is calculated. That is, the right rear wheel 602 rotates forward and the left rear wheel 602 rotates rearward at the same rotational speed.

  Then, the three components calculated based on the respective input moment values Mx ′, My ′, and Mz ′ are combined to calculate a command value for driving the two rear wheels 602. Thereby, the command values for the left and right rear wheels 602 are respectively calculated. Driving torque, rotation speed, etc. are calculated as command values. That is, the command value for the left and right rear wheels 602 is calculated by combining the values calculated for each component corresponding to the input moment values Mx ′, My ′, and Mz ′. Thus, the moving body 1 moves by the input moment values Mx ′, My ′, Mz ′ calculated based on the measured moments Mx, My, Mz. That is, the moving direction and moving speed of the moving body 1 are determined by the moments Mx, My, Mz due to the weight movement of the passenger.

  Thus, the input for moving the mobile body 1 is performed by the operation of the passenger. That is, a moment around each axis is detected by a change in the posture of the passenger. Based on the measured values of these moments, the moving body 1 moves. Thereby, the passenger can operate the moving body 1 simply. That is, operations such as a joystick and a handle are not necessary, and an operation can be performed only by weight shift. For example, if you want to move forward diagonally to the right, put your weight on the right front. Also, if you want to move diagonally to the left, put your weight on the left rear. As a result, the position of the center of gravity of the occupant changes, and input corresponding to the amount of change is performed. That is, an intuitive operation can be performed by detecting a moment corresponding to the movement of the center of gravity of the passenger.

  Next, the structure for changing the attitude | position of the mobile body 1 is demonstrated using FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration of a mechanism for changing the posture, and shows an internal configuration of the chassis 13. As shown in FIG. 5, the chassis 13 is provided with a frame portion 2 for controlling the posture. The frame unit 2 is disposed in the housing 11. In the frame portion 2, the first parallel link mechanism 201 and the second parallel link mechanism 202 are coupled in a T-shape in plan view so as not to restrict mutual rotation at the intersection.

The first parallel link mechanism 201 is arranged in the front-rear direction. The first parallel link mechanism 201 includes four horizontal links 201a and front and rear vertical links 201b.
The horizontal links 201a are all equal in length. Although not shown in the figure, both ends of the horizontal link 201a are formed with fitting holes for fitting the connecting shaft with the vertical link 201b. The two horizontal links 201a are arranged up and down, and the two horizontal links 201a are arranged on the left and right sides of the vertical link 201b so as to sandwich the vertical link 201b.

  Although not shown from the left and right side portions of the vertical link 201b, the connecting shaft with the horizontal link 201a protrudes in the left-right direction in an arrangement in which the vertical links 201b face each other with an equal interval in the vertical direction. The connecting shaft is fitted as a rotating shaft between the horizontal link 201a and the vertical link 201b in a fitting hole of the horizontal link 201a via a bearing or the like.

  The vertical link 201b on the front side of the present embodiment is formed in an L shape. The horizontal link 201a is rotatably connected to the upper and lower ends of the vertical piece of the vertical link 201b via a connecting shaft. A free caster is provided as the wheel 6 at the tip of the horizontal piece of the vertical link 201b. When the moving direction of the moving body 1 changes, the direction of the caster rotates according to the change. The rear vertical link 201b includes a protruding portion that protrudes downward from the lower horizontal link 201a. Although not shown in the drawings, the connecting shaft with the second parallel link mechanism 202 protrudes in the front-rear direction from both the front and rear side portions of the protrusion. Further, although not shown from the portion between the upper and lower horizontal links 201a on both the front and rear side portions of the rear vertical link 201b, the connecting shaft with the second parallel link mechanism 202 is arranged in the front-rear direction in a mutually opposed arrangement. Protruding.

The second parallel link mechanism 202 is disposed in the left-right direction. The second parallel link mechanism 202 includes four horizontal links 202a and left and right vertical links 202b.
The horizontal links 202a are all equal in length. Although not shown in the drawings, both ends of the horizontal link 202a are formed with fitting holes for fitting the connecting shaft with the vertical link 202b. Further, although not shown, a fitting hole for fitting a connecting shaft with the first parallel link mechanism 201 is formed at a substantially central position in the longitudinal direction of the horizontal link 202a. The two horizontal links 202a are arranged vertically, and the two horizontal links 202a are taken as a set, and the vertical link 202b and the vertical link 201b on the rear side of the first parallel link mechanism 201 are sandwiched therebetween. The longitudinal link 202b and the longitudinal link 201b on the rear side of the first parallel link mechanism 201 are disposed on both front and rear sides. The connecting shaft protruding from the longitudinal link 201b on the rear side of the first parallel link mechanism 201 is a rotational axis between the first parallel link mechanism 201 and the second parallel link mechanism 202, and is located at a substantially central position of the lateral link 202a. The fitting hole is fitted through a bearing or the like.

  Although not shown from the front and rear side portions of the vertical link 202b, the connecting shaft with the horizontal link 202a protrudes in the front-rear direction in an arrangement in which the vertical links 202b face each other at equal intervals in the vertical direction. The connecting shaft is fitted as a rotating shaft between the horizontal link 202a and the vertical link 202b in a fitting hole at an end of the horizontal link 202a via a bearing or the like.

  As a result, the first parallel link mechanism 201 can be rotated in the front-rear direction without being constrained by the second parallel link mechanism 202. On the other hand, the second parallel link mechanism 202 is configured to be rotatable in the left-right direction without being constrained by the first parallel link mechanism 201.

  The boarding unit 3 is provided on the posture detection unit 4 and interlocks with the rotation of the frame unit 2. Specifically, the riding section 3 is connected to the upper and lower horizontal links 201 a of the first parallel link mechanism 201 via the support shaft 301. Although not shown from the left and right sides of the upper and lower portions of the support shaft 301, a connecting shaft with the upper and lower horizontal links 201 a of the first parallel link mechanism 201 protrudes in the left-right direction. Although not shown, a fitting hole for fitting the connecting shaft protruding from the support shaft 301 is formed at a substantially central position in the longitudinal direction of the horizontal link 201a of the first parallel link mechanism 201. The support shaft 301 is inserted between the horizontal links 201a arranged on the left and right of the vertical link 201b so as to sandwich the vertical link 201b. The connecting shaft protruding from the support shaft 301 is fitted into the fitting hole of the first parallel link mechanism 201 via a bearing or the like. As a result, when the first parallel link mechanism 201 rotates in the front-rear direction, the support shaft 301 and the vertical link 201b are interlocked while maintaining a parallel state.

  When the driving unit 5 is driven, the frame unit 2 operates. Thereby, the attitude | position of the mobile body 1 changes. The angle of the riding section 3 changes as the chassis 13 tilts. The drive unit 5 is provided with a yaw axis mechanism 501 that rotates around the yaw axis, a pitch axis mechanism 502 that rotates around the pitch axis, and a roll axis mechanism 503 that rotates around the roll axis. The yaw shaft mechanism 501 is provided between the support shaft 301 and the posture detection unit 4, for example. That is, the yaw axis mechanism 501 is provided closest to the riding section 3 among the three mechanisms. The yaw axis mechanism 501 is a turning joint that turns the riding part 3 around the yaw axis, and the pitch axis mechanism 502 and the roll axis mechanism 503 are rotary joints that rotate the riding part 3 around the axis.

  Next, a control system for controlling the attitude will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration for controlling the posture. The posture detection unit 4 detects the posture of the frame unit 2. The posture detection unit 4 includes a posture sensor 401 and a processing unit 402 as shown in FIG. The posture sensor 401 includes a gyro sensor or an acceleration sensor. The processing unit 402 includes an arithmetic circuit 402a and a storage unit 402b. The arithmetic circuit 402a is composed of a microcomputer (CPU). The storage unit 402b includes a program memory, a data memory, and other RAMs and ROMs.

  The attitude sensor 401 is provided in the frame unit 2. Then, the inclination of the frame unit 2 in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction is detected (sensed), and the detection signal is output to the arithmetic circuit 402a. The arithmetic circuit 402 a calls a program stored in the storage unit 402 b, calculates the level of the frame unit 2, and outputs a signal indicating the calculation result to the control calculation unit 51.

  Incidentally, the posture detection unit 4 in the illustrated example is disposed between the riding unit 3 and the support shaft 301, but may be provided on the vertical link 201 b of the first parallel link mechanism 201 that is linked to the support shaft 301. good. In short, the posture detection unit 4 only needs to be provided at a position where the level of the frame unit 2 and thus the riding unit 3 can be detected.

  The control calculation unit 51 performs control calculation based on a signal indicating the calculation result of the attitude detection unit 4, and outputs a drive command value of each mechanism to the drive unit 5. And the drive part 5 rotationally drives the parallel link mechanisms 201 and 202 so that the boarding part 3 may become substantially horizontal. The drive unit 5 is provided with a yaw axis mechanism 501, a pitch axis mechanism 502, and a roll axis mechanism 503. The yaw axis mechanism 501, the pitch axis mechanism 502, and the roll axis mechanism 503 are active joints, and are provided with a motor, a speed reducer, and the like. For example, the roll axis mechanism 503 rotates the first parallel link mechanism 201 and the pitch axis mechanism 502 rotates the second parallel link mechanism 202.

  The pitch axis mechanism 502 and the roll axis mechanism 503 are driven based on the drive command value. Thereby, each parallel link mechanism 201,202 rotates and the level of the riding part 3 is maintained. The yaw axis mechanism 501, the pitch axis mechanism 502, and the roll axis mechanism 503 are provided with encoders 501a, 502a, and 503a, respectively. The encoder 501a detects the rotation angle of the yaw shaft mechanism 501 and the like. Similarly, the encoder 502a detects the rotation angle of the pitch shaft mechanism 502 and the encoder 503a detects the rotation angle of the roll shaft mechanism 503 and the like. The reading values of the encoders 501a, 502a, and 502a are input to the control calculation unit 51. The control calculation unit 51 may perform feedback control based on the reading value of the encoder and the level of the riding unit 3. For example, feedback control can be performed based on the difference between the rotation angle based on the reading value of the encoder and the target angle for leveling.

  In this way, the pitch axis mechanism 502 and the roll axis mechanism 503 are driven so that the riding section 3 approaches the horizontal. That is, the passenger always gets on the horizontal seating surface 8a. Therefore, even when the inclined surface is moved, the same operation and control as when the flat surface is moved can be performed. That is, it is possible to prevent the posture of the passenger from being inclined with respect to the force sensor 9.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 7, when moving on the downward inclined surface F, the pitch axis mechanism 502 rotates. Thereby, the level of the seating surface 8a of the boarding seat 8 is maintained. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10, it is possible to prevent the backward input from being detected. Therefore, it is possible to move uphill at a speed according to the intention of the passenger. Similarly, in the case of an uphill, it is possible to prevent detection of forward input more than necessary. Therefore, it is possible to climb uphill at a speed intended by the passenger. As shown in FIG. 8, when the left and right inclined surfaces F are moved, the roll shaft mechanism 503 rotates. Thereby, the level of the seating surface 8a of the boarding seat is maintained. In this way, the pitch axis mechanism 502 and the roll axis mechanism 503 are rotated by the inclination angle of the floor surface.

  Since the level of the seating surface 8a can be maintained even when it is desired to move the inclined surface, the moving body 1 travels as intended by the passenger. Therefore, even an inclined surface can be operated without changing from a flat surface. The operability of the operation unit using the force sensor 9 can be improved. In other words, the passenger can move as intended, and can travel in a desired direction at a desired speed. Further, it is not necessary to change the control of the wheel 6 according to the measurement result of the posture detection unit 4. That is, the inclined surface can be made to travel by the same control as when moving on a flat surface. In other words, it is not necessary to change the arithmetic processing in the sensor processing unit 53 depending on the posture of the moving body 1. Therefore, the traveling control of the mobile body 1 can be easily performed. Furthermore, since the seat surface 8a is horizontal, the ride comfort of the passenger can be improved. Of course, it does not have to be completely level. That is, operability and riding comfort can be improved by operating each mechanism so as to approach the horizontal.

  In the above description, the yaw axis mechanism 501, the pitch axis mechanism 502, and the roll axis mechanism 503 are active joints, but may be passive joints. For example, in the pitch axis mechanism 502 and the roll axis mechanism 503, elastic bodies such as springs are provided at both ends of each parallel link. At the same time, the vertical link and the horizontal link are rotatably supported at the center of each parallel link. And when moving the horizontal plane, it arrange | positions so that each vertical link and horizontal link may become horizontal. When the chassis 13 tilts, the parallel link rotates by receiving a force from the elastic body. For example, when the chassis 13 is inclined, one elastic body contracts and the other elastic body expands. Then, the vertical links and the horizontal links approach the horizontal due to the restoring force of the elastic body. Therefore, the seating surface 8a can be brought closer to the horizontal. That is, even when the inclined surface is moved, the inclination of the seat surface can be relaxed. Thereby, since the input which a passenger does not intend can be suppressed, operativity can be improved.

  In the present embodiment, the yaw axis mechanism 501 may not be provided. Further, even in the case of an inclined surface that exceeds the movable range of the pitch axis mechanism 502 and the roll axis mechanism 503, it can be made to be almost horizontal. In addition, since it becomes impossible to maintain level when it exceeds the movable range, the processing by the sensor processing unit 53 and the control calculation unit 51 may be changed. That is, when the range of motion is exceeded, the control mode may be switched.

Embodiment 2 of the Invention
The moving body 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a control system of the moving body 1 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 9 is a block diagram corresponding to FIG. 6 of the first embodiment. In the present embodiment, the detection result of the force sensor 9 is used to drive each mechanism. That is, the control calculation unit 51 calculates the target angle based on the detection result of the force sensor 9 instead of the detection result of the posture detection unit 4. In addition, since the basic structure of the moving body 1 is the same as that of Embodiment 1, description is abbreviate | omitted. For example, the overall configuration of the moving body 1 is the same as that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and the internal configuration of the moving body 1 is the same as that shown in FIG.

  In the present embodiment, the yaw axis mechanism 501, the pitch axis mechanism 502, and the roll axis mechanism 503 are driven according to the force received by the force sensor 9. For example, it is assumed that the force sensor 9 detects a moment Mz around the yaw axis. Then, the control calculation unit 51 calculates the target angle of the yaw axis mechanism 501 according to the moment Mz measured by the force sensor 9. Thereby, the seat surface 8a rotates around the yaw axis. Here, the yaw axis mechanism 501 rotates in the direction opposite to the moment Mz. That is, the rotation direction of the yaw axis mechanism 501 is opposite to the measured moment Mz. More specifically, the yaw axis mechanism 501 applies torque in the direction in which the moment Mz increases. When the positive moment Mz is detected, the control calculation unit 51 causes the yaw axis mechanism 501 to torque in the minus direction around the yaw axis. Then, the riding part 3 turns in the minus direction. Therefore, the moment around the yaw axis applied to the force sensor 9 is further increased. Of course, the yaw axis mechanism 501 may be driven in the same direction as the direction of the moment Mz.

  Further, the rotation angle is set according to the magnitude of the moment Mz. For example, the rotation angle of the yaw axis mechanism is set according to the magnitude of the moment Mz. Thereby, a passenger receives the force according to the operation amount of the passenger from the seating surface 8a. Therefore, it is possible to intuitively grasp the operation amount that the passenger is operating on his / her own.

  Further, it is assumed that the force sensor 9 detects a moment My around the pitch axis. Then, the control calculation unit 51 calculates the target angle of the pitch axis mechanism 502 according to the moment My measured by the force sensor 9. Thereby, the boarding seat 8 rotates around the pitch axis, and the inclination angle of the seating surface 8a changes. That is, the seat surface 8a is inclined in the front-rear direction. The pitch axis mechanism 502 may rotate in the same direction as the moment My, or may rotate in the opposite direction. For example, when the pitch axis mechanism 502 rotates in the same direction as the moment My, when the occupant tilts forward, the passenger seat 8 falls forward. That is, the seat surface 8a is inclined forward. The pitch axis mechanism 502 operates in the same direction as the force applied to the seating surface 8a of the passenger seat 8 by the operation of the passenger boarding the passenger seat 8.

  Alternatively, the moment My and the rotation direction of the pitch axis mechanism 502 may be reversed. In this case, when the passenger leans forward, the passenger seat 8 falls to the rear side. That is, the seat surface is inclined backward. In either case, the rotation angle is preferably set according to the magnitude of the moment My. That is, the magnitude of the rotation angle is determined according to the magnitude of the moment My. Thereby, the operation amount (input amount) which the passenger operates by himself / herself can be grasped intuitively.

  Similarly, it is assumed that the force sensor 9 detects a moment Mx around the roll axis. Then, the control calculation unit 51 calculates a target angle of the roll shaft mechanism 503 according to the moment Mx measured by the force sensor 9. Thereby, the boarding seat 8 rotates around the roll axis, and the inclination angle of the seating surface 8a changes. That is, the seat surface 8a is inclined in the left-right direction. The roll shaft mechanism 503 may rotate in the same direction as the moment Mx, or may rotate in the opposite direction. For example, when the roll shaft mechanism 503 rotates in the same direction as the moment Mx, when the passenger moves his / her weight to the right side, the boarding seat 8 falls to the right side. That is, the seating surface 8a is inclined to the right side. The roll shaft mechanism 503 operates in the same direction as the force applied to the seating surface 8a of the passenger seat 8 by the operation of the passenger who has boarded the passenger seat 8.

  Alternatively, the moment Mx and the rotation direction of the roll shaft mechanism 503 may be reversed. In this case, when the passenger moves his / her weight to the right side, the boarding seat 8 falls to the left side. That is, the seat surface 8a is inclined to the left side. In any case, the rotation angle of the roll shaft mechanism 503 is preferably set according to the magnitude of the moment Mx. That is, the magnitude of the rotation angle is determined according to the magnitude of the moment Mx. Thereby, the operation amount (input amount) which the passenger operates by himself / herself can be grasped intuitively.

  When obtaining the rotation angle of each mechanism from the magnitude of the moment, a conversion table may be set in advance. That is, a conversion table for converting the moment value into the rotation angle is stored in the memory of the control calculation unit 51 or the like. Thereby, a rotation angle can be calculated | required rapidly. Alternatively, the moment may be converted into a rotation angle using a conversion formula. In addition, the rotation angle can be easily obtained by converting the moment into the rotation angle independently for each axis.

  Thus, the seat surface is inclined according to the input in the roll axis direction and the pitch axis direction. Further, in the present embodiment, the yaw axis mechanism 501 is disposed closest to the riding section 3 side. That is, the yaw axis mechanism 501 rotates around the pitch axis and the roll axis in conjunction with the rotation of the pitch axis mechanism 502 and the rotation of the roll axis mechanism 503. On the other hand, even if the yaw axis mechanism 501 rotates, the roll axis mechanism 503 and the pitch axis mechanism 502 do not rotate around the yaw axis. As a result, the yaw axis is always perpendicular to the passenger's buttocks. That is, even if the roll axis and the pitch axis are tilted, the yaw axis is always perpendicular to the collar portion. And the seating surface 8a always opposes a passenger | crew's buttocks. On the other hand, when the roll axis mechanism 503 and the pitch axis mechanism 502 are between the yaw axis mechanism 501 and the riding section 3, when the roll axis mechanism 503 and the pitch axis mechanism 502 rotate, the yaw axis depends on the rotation angle. The shaft tilts in the direction perpendicular to the buttocks. Then, the moment around the yaw axis cannot be detected accurately. That is, it becomes difficult to detect the moment Mz around the yaw axis. Therefore, the input around the yaw axis can be reliably performed, and the vehicle can move in the direction and speed intended by the passenger.

  Thereby, operability can be improved. That is, by driving the mechanism around each axis, it is possible to intuitively understand how much operation is being performed. The difference between the actual operation amount and the intended operation amount can be recognized. Therefore, the shift of the actual operation amount with respect to the intended operation amount can be suppressed. Further, even when the occupant is receiving centrifugal force, an operation for performing the intended movement is possible. That is, it is possible to prevent the speed from being increased more than necessary or the speed from being decreased more than necessary. Thereby, the mobile body 1 with high operability can be realized.

  In the first and second embodiments, each mechanism has been described as an active joint that actively operates, but may be a passive joint that operates passively. That is, an elastic body such as a spring is provided on each link so that the restoring force of the elastic body acts in the direction opposite to the moments Mx, My, Mz. Specifically, when tilted up and down or left and right, the elastic body repels to restore the tilt. Thereby, operability can be improved. Of course, a passive joint and an active joint may be used in combination. For example, when one mechanism is a passive joint, two mechanisms are active joints. Moreover, it is preferable that one or more mechanisms be active joints. Thereby, control with higher accuracy becomes possible.

  The present invention is not limited to the wheel-type moving body 1 but can be applied to a walking-type moving body. That is, it is only necessary that a moving mechanism for moving the main body such as the chassis 13 with respect to the floor surface is provided. Furthermore, Embodiments 1 and 2 may be combined. For example, the control according to the second embodiment is performed when moving on a flat ground, and the control according to the first embodiment is performed when moving on an inclined surface. The posture detection unit 4 may determine whether it is flat or inclined.

It is a front view which shows typically the mobile body concerning Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a side view which shows typically the mobile body concerning Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the operation | movement around each axis | shaft. It is a block diagram which shows the control system for moving a moving body. It is a perspective view which shows the structure for changing the attitude | position of a moving body. It is a block diagram which shows the control system for changing the attitude | position of a moving body. It is a side view which shows the attitude | position of the mobile body which is moving the downhill. It is a front view which shows the attitude | position of the moving body which is moving the inclined surface of a horizontal direction. FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a control system for changing the posture of a moving object according to a second embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating an attitude | position when a moving body is moving the downhill.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Mobile body 2 Frame part 3 Riding part 4 Attitude | position detection part 5 Drive part 501 Yaw axis mechanism 501a Encoder 502 Pitch axis mechanism 502a Encoder 503 Roll axis mechanism 503a Encoder 603 Drive motor 603a Encoder 6 Wheel 601 Front wheel 602 Rear wheel 603 Drive motor 603 Encoder 8 Passenger seat 8a Seat surface 9 Force sensor 10 Footrest 11 Housing 13 Chassis 51 Control calculation unit 52 Battery 53 Sensor processing unit 201 First parallel link mechanism 201a Lateral link 201b Vertical link 202 Second parallel link mechanism 202a Lateral link 202b Vertical link 301 Support shaft

Claims (7)

The boarding seat where the passenger boarded,
A main body for supporting the boarding seat;
A moving mechanism for moving the main body,
A sensor that outputs a measurement signal corresponding to the force applied to the seating surface of the passenger seat;
A control calculation unit for calculating a command value for driving the moving mechanism according to the measurement signal;
A yaw axis mechanism for rotating the boarding seat about the yaw axis;
A roll shaft mechanism that rotates the yaw shaft drive mechanism around a roll axis;
A pitch axis mechanism that rotates the yaw axis drive mechanism around the pitch axis, and
The control calculation unit is
Based on the moment around the yaw axis detected by the sensor, a command value for driving the yaw axis mechanism is calculated,
Based on the moment around the pitch axis detected by the sensor, a command value for driving the pitch axis mechanism is calculated,
A moving body that calculates a command value for driving the roll shaft mechanism based on a moment around the roll shaft detected by the sensor .   2. The movement according to claim 1, wherein the roll shaft mechanism and the pitch shaft mechanism operate in the same direction as a force applied to a seating surface of the passenger seat by an operation of a passenger boarding the passenger seat. body. 2. The movement according to claim 1, wherein the roll shaft mechanism and the pitch shaft mechanism operate in a direction opposite to a force applied to a seating surface of the passenger seat by an operation of a passenger who has boarded the passenger seat. body. The moving body according to claim 1, 2, or 3 , wherein at least one of the yaw axis mechanism, the roll axis mechanism, and the pitch axis mechanism operates actively. A posture detecting unit for detecting the posture of the chassis;
The moving body according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the pitch axis mechanism and the roll axis mechanism are operated in accordance with an output from the attitude detection unit. The moving body according to claim 5 , wherein the roll shaft mechanism and the pitch shaft mechanism operate according to an output from the posture detection unit so that a seating surface of the boarding seat is horizontal. The boarding seat where the passenger boarded,
A main body for supporting the boarding seat;
A moving mechanism for moving the main body,
A sensor that outputs a measurement signal corresponding to the force applied to the seating surface of the passenger seat;
A control calculation unit for calculating a command value for driving the moving mechanism according to the measurement signal;
A yaw axis mechanism for rotating the boarding seat about the yaw axis;
A roll shaft mechanism that rotates the yaw shaft drive mechanism around a roll axis;
A pitch axis mechanism that rotates the yaw axis drive mechanism about a pitch axis, and a control method for a moving body,
Calculating a command value for driving the yaw axis mechanism based on a moment around the yaw axis detected by the sensor;
Calculating a command value for driving the pitch axis mechanism based on a moment around the pitch axis detected by the sensor;
And a step of calculating a command value for driving the roll shaft mechanism based on a moment around the roll shaft detected by the sensor.

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