JP5507224B2 - Walking assistance robot - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a walking assistance robot that supports the torso of a person who is paralyzed in a lower limb such as a patient with spinal cord injury from the back to assist walking and to suppress and support walking when there is a risk of falling. .

  Conventional walking aids and devices are intended to realize static walking and walk by weight relief, and are roughly classified into the following four examples.

(1) First example <Assistant who moves his / her equipment to help walking: walker, walking stick, parallel bar>
The first example is a conventional walking aid, that is, a walker, a cane, a parallel bar, and the like.
The person being assisted moves these equipments to help them walk.
Since these cannot obtain positive assistance by driving the motor, the remaining function of the person being assisted is utilized.
In addition, since the risk of falling prevention is high and the correct walking pattern cannot be obtained by the helped person, monitoring by the therapist and assistance / guidance are always required. This instrument mainly trains static walking. Static walking is a method of walking so that the center of gravity of the body is always within the ground contact range of the sole.

<Problem of the first example>
The problem of the first example is that there is a risk of falling in the first example, and the care recipient needs to balance himself, and the therapist must always be monitored.
In addition, since it tends to bend forward and it is difficult to obtain the correct posture and movement pattern, appropriate assistance and guidance from the therapist is required.
Also, fatigue may be large and long-term training may be difficult. It is not possible to train dynamic walking against static walking. Here, the dynamic walking is a normal walking by a healthy person, and the walking is performed so that the center of gravity of the body does not have to be in the ground contact range and the zero moment point is in the ground contact range. It has better mobility than static walking. Normal walking by healthy people is dynamic walking.

(2) Second example <Hanging the trunk, maintaining posture, and supporting the movement of the lower limbs from the machine side by a mechanism that exempts the body weight and grasps it on both lower limbs: stationary device>
The second example is a stationary device that can support the movement of the lower limbs from the machine side by a mechanism that lifts the trunk and maintains the posture, exempts the body weight, and grips it on both lower limbs.
There are Gait Trainer developed by Hesse et al. In Germany, Lokomat commercialized in Switzerland, and Japanese Patent Publication No. 2007-520310. The caregiver trains walking on the spot.
Another configuration example is Walk Trainer developed by Stauffer et al. (Y.Stauffer, Y.Allemand, M.Bouri, J.Fournier, R.Clavel, “Pelvic Motion Measurement During Over Ground Walking, Analysis and Implementation on the WalkTrainer Reeducation Device”, in Proc.IEEE Int. Conf.Intel. Rob. Syst. (IROS), pp.2362-2367, 2008)

<Configuration of second example>
The configuration of the second example is shown in FIG.
In FIG. 23, a second example includes a walking state measuring unit 2101 that measures a walking state, a controller 2102 that generates a command for an assisting operation during training and controls a treadmill and a drive unit with a servo system, a treadmill, The driving unit 2103 includes a trunk support unit and a lower limb driving unit.
The drive unit includes a treadmill 2104 for exercise on a belt as an alternative to body movement, a trunk support unit 2105 having a suspension mechanism such as a harness for weight-loading, and a lower limb exercise by attaching to a lower limb. The leg driving unit 2106 outputs assistance.
For example, Gait Trainer has a lower limb drive mechanism having two left and right plates fixed to the foot and moved back and forth, and does not have this because it also functions as a treadmill, but belongs to the second example as a basic structure.
Lokomat is equipped with a lower limb drive mechanism that supports and drives the entire leg, including the thigh, lower leg, and foot. This drive shaft has a total of 6 left and right axes. Also equipped with a treadmill.

<Processing of the second example>
The processing of the second example is performed by attaching a harness to the trunk and pulling the harness upward to release the load. Next, the movement of the lower limb is assisted by the lower limb drive mechanism. In Gait Trainer, the board fixed to the foot is moved back and forth alternately, creating a walking-like pattern. In Lokomat, the lower limb drive mechanism synchronizes the three rotation axes of the crotch, knee and foot to generate a walking-like pattern by alternating left and right movements. In Japanese translations of PCT publication 2007-520310, only the toes are driven. The treadmill speed is adjusted to synchronize with the lower limb walking pattern. In addition, there are some which have a separate drive mechanism for traction upward of the trunk. WalkTrainer can measure 6-degree-of-freedom swings, and can assist with hip and lower limb movements.

<Operation / Effect of Second Example>
As an operation / effect of the second example, since the trunk is supported by a harness or the like, there is high safety, in particular, a fall prevention effect.
In addition, the posture maintenance of the trunk and the movement of the lower limbs can be supported and driven by the same mechanism, so that training can be performed according to the function recovery level, and fatigue can be reduced for a long time.

<Problem of the second example>
In the second example, the first problem is that it is difficult to obtain a correct posture / motion pattern.
This is due to the fact that the plantar reaction force is not sufficient due to unloading, that the trunk or lower limbs are always strongly restrained, and that the training of the lower limbs is the main and the whole body including the upper body, arms and waist cannot be integrated. .
Secondly, there is a problem that the timing of the assisting operation to the lower limbs is not appropriate.
This is because the assisting action to the lower limbs is not synchronized with the voluntary movements of the upper body and arms. This timing needs to be adjusted by the person being assisted. Although WalkTrainer measures voluntary movements of the hips and can drive the lower limbs based on them, it cannot be applied to patients who have difficulty in voluntary movements of the hips. In addition, the mechanism is complicated and large. In order to put it into practical use, it is necessary to simplify the mechanism by focusing on the minimum necessary movement for assisting natural walking.

(3) Third example <Attaching a driving mechanism to the lower limb and integrating it with the movement of the lower limb to assist this: portable device>
The third example is a portable device, in which a drive mechanism is attached to the lower limb and integrated with the movement of the lower limb to assist this. The person being assisted can move while walking.
Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (JP 2009-000195 A, JP 2008-073506 A, JP 2008-017981, JP 2007-330299 A, JP 2007-054616 A, JP 2007-029633 A JP, 2007-020909, JP 2007-020672, JP 2007-000616, JP 2006-061460, JP 2004-344305, JP 2004-344304, JP-A-2003-135543, JP-A-2002-301124), Shibaura Institute of Technology (JP-A-2008-220635), Tokyo University of Science (JP-A-2008-278921, JP-A-2007-014698), The University of Electro-Communications (JP 2007-159971 A) etc. There is a publication.

<Configuration of third example>
As shown in FIG. 24, the configuration of the third example includes a walking state measuring unit 2201 that measures a walking state, a controller 2202 that generates a command for an assisting operation during training, and controls a drive unit with a servo system, The driving unit 2203 includes only the driving unit. The moving part provided with the wheel etc. in this invention and the part which supports a trunk are not provided.
A lower limb drive unit 2206 for driving the lower limbs is attached to drive all or part of the crotch, knees, and feet. Some also have mechanisms to drive the upper body and arms. A sensor for measuring movement, such as an electromyogram sensor or a pressure sensor, is attached to the lower limb, and the assisting operation to the lower limb is synchronized with the corresponding muscle activity. There is also a method of predicting from the motor load instead of the sensor. There is no mechanism to lift the trunk while supporting it.

<Process of the third example>
The process of the third example measures or estimates muscle activity or movement of the lower limb from sensor information such as an electromyogram arranged on the lower limb. Based on this, the timing and amount of assistance for the lower limbs are calculated and the lower limb drive mechanism is moved. In addition, there is a method in which the sensor is not arranged directly on the lower limbs, but the lower limbs driving mechanism is estimated based on the fluctuation of the load on the motor of the lower limb driving mechanism when the movement of the lower limbs is regarded as a disturbance, and the lower limb driving mechanism is moved based on this. The lower limb drive mechanism assists a part of muscle strength such as the whole of the crotch, knees, legs or the crotch with a motor.

<Operation / effect of the third example>
Assistance in consideration of the voluntary nature of the user can be provided. In addition, by giving assistance appropriately, fatigue can be reduced and exercise can be performed for a long time.

<Problem of the third example>
The problem of the third example is that it can be applied only to a person who is somewhat voluntary. That is, first, when applied to a patient who has paralysis in a body other than a healthy person, there is a risk of falling. This is because it does not have a mechanism for lifting the trunk up, so it is necessary to balance it. For this reason, if there is a risk of falling due to paralysis of the lower limbs, the therapist must always be monitored.
Secondly, it is difficult to obtain the correct posture / movement pattern. This is because the trunk or lower limbs are always strongly constrained and the range in which they can freely move is small, and it is not assumed that training is performed that integrates the entire body including the upper body, arms, and waist. In particular, it does not have a mechanism to assist the movement of the hips in coordination with the movements of the arms and legs.

(4) Fourth Example <Portable and autonomously moving cart that guides the person being assisted: Portable device>
In a fourth example, a portable and autonomously moving carriage guides the person being assisted.
Hitachi Group (JP 2001-327563 A, JP 2000-024061 A, JP 07-184966 A, JP 05-329186 A, JP 09-299420 A), Sony (JP 10-299420 A). No. 21618) and Kumagai Gumi (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-229430, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 07-184966).

<Configuration of the fourth example>
The configuration of the fourth example is shown in FIG.
The fourth example includes a walking state measuring unit 2301 that measures a walking state, a controller 2302 that generates a command for an assisting operation during training and controls the moving unit with a servo system, and a moving unit 2303.
Here, the moving part is provided with a mechanism such as a carriage for driving wheels on the walker. The controller has a built-in map and can run autonomously.

<Process of the fourth example>
In the process of the fourth example, the person being assisted holds the bar of the walker with his hand or puts his elbow on the bar. Some hold the waist with a belt. The walker moves autonomously by a built-in map or the like according to the instruction of the person being assisted, and is guided to train the walking.

<Operation / effect of the fourth example>
The action / effect of the fourth example is that training can be performed for a long time with less fatigue by grasping the bar of the walker by hand, placing the elbow on the bar, or holding the waist.
Moreover, the speed and direction of walking can be guided by the movement of the carriage, and the muscle activity of the lower limbs can be indirectly adjusted. In other words, lower limb muscle activity decreases if the speed is reduced.

<Problem of the fourth example>
In the fourth example, first, there is a risk of falling if no belt is provided on the waist. The caregiver needs to balance himself and the therapist's monitoring is always necessary.
Secondly, it is difficult to obtain the correct posture / movement pattern. The movement of the caregiver tends to have a pattern different from that of the healthy person, and it is difficult to train a dynamic walking pattern in which the upper body, arms, waist, and lower limbs move cooperatively. Furthermore, it tends to bend forward with arm fixation and elbows, and from this point of view, it is different from the exercise of healthy people, and it is difficult to realize training that integrates the whole body including the upper body, arms, and waist.
Thirdly, it is not a training that takes advantage of voluntaryness. This is because the assistance operation to the lower limbs is not synchronized with the voluntary movement of the upper body and the arm, and the part that does not require assistance such as the arm is also restrained and the voluntary movement cannot be performed.

As described above, in the first example, due to the risk of falling, the care recipient needs to balance himself / herself and always needs to be monitored by the therapist. In addition, since it tends to bend forward and it is difficult to obtain the correct posture and movement pattern, appropriate assistance and guidance from the therapist is required. Also, fatigue may be large and long-term training may be difficult. It is not possible to train dynamic walking against static walking.
In the second example, the first problem is that it is difficult to acquire a correct posture / motion pattern. This is due to the fact that the plantar reaction force is not sufficient due to unloading, that the trunk or lower limbs are always strongly restrained, and that the training of the lower limbs is the main and the whole body including the upper body, arms and waist cannot be integrated. .
Secondly, there is a problem that the timing of the assisting operation to the lower limbs is not appropriate. This is because the assisting action to the lower limbs is not synchronized with the voluntary movements of the upper body and arms. This timing needs to be adjusted by the person being assisted. Although WalkTrainer measures voluntary movements of the hips and can drive the lower limbs based on them, it cannot be applied to patients who have difficulty in voluntary movements of the hips. In addition, the mechanism is complicated and large. In order to put it into practical use, it is necessary to simplify the mechanism by focusing on the minimum necessary movement for assisting natural walking.
Thirdly, there is a problem that the apparatus is stationary and large-scale.
In the third example, the problem is that it can be applied only to a person with a certain degree of voluntaryness.
That is, first, when applied to a patient who has paralysis in a body other than a healthy person, there is a risk of falling. This is because it does not have a mechanism for lifting the trunk up, so it is necessary to balance it. For this reason, if there is a risk of falling due to paralysis of the lower limbs, the therapist must always be monitored.
Secondly, it is difficult to obtain the correct posture / movement pattern. This is because the trunk or lower limbs are always strongly constrained and the range in which they can freely move is small, and it is not assumed that training is performed that integrates the entire body including the upper body, arms, and waist. In particular, it does not have a mechanism to assist the movement of the hips in coordination with the movements of the arms and legs.
In the fourth example, first, there is a risk of falling if no belt is provided on the waist. The caregiver needs to balance himself and the therapist's monitoring is always necessary.
Secondly, it is difficult to obtain the correct posture / movement pattern. The movement of the caregiver tends to have a pattern different from that of the healthy person, and it is difficult to train a dynamic walking pattern in which the upper body, arms, waist, and lower limbs move cooperatively. Furthermore, it tends to bend forward with arm fixation and elbows, and from this point of view, it is different from the exercise of healthy people, and it is difficult to realize training that integrates the whole body including the upper body, arms, and waist.
Thirdly, it is not a training that takes advantage of voluntaryness. This is because the assistance operation to the lower limbs is not synchronized with the voluntary movement of the upper body and the arm, and the part that does not require assistance such as the arm is also restrained and the voluntary movement cannot be performed.

<Problems of conventional technology>
From the above, the prior art has the following problems (a) to (e).
(B) There is a risk of falling.
It is necessary to balance by yourself, but it cannot be applied to a caregiver who has a weak balance function. Also, the therapist's monitoring is always necessary.
(B) It is difficult to acquire the correct posture and movement pattern.
This is because the trunk or lower limbs are always strongly restrained, the plantar reaction force is not enough due to unloading, and the walking pattern is static and the dynamic walking pattern that a normal person performs in normal walking is trained This is because it is difficult to do this, or the posture tends to bend forward with arm fixation and elbows, or the integration of the whole body including the upper body, arms and waist cannot be realized.
(C) The training is not based on voluntaryness.
This is because the voluntary movements of the upper body and the arm and the assistance operation to the lower limbs are not synchronized, and a part that does not require assistance is also restrained, so that the voluntary movement cannot be performed.
(D) Extensive fatigue prevents long training.
(E) The equipment is stationary and large.

<Object of the present invention>
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve all of the above problems (a) to (e) and to provide an assistance robot capable of performing the following (f) to (nu).
(F) High safety. In particular, to prevent falls.
That is, the machine can restrain the movement of the person being assisted during a fall, such as when the balance is lost.
(G) Assist from static walking patterns to dynamic walking patterns.
In other words, the trunk and lower limbs are not restrained except during a fall, the plantar reaction force is sufficient, the dynamic walking pattern that is a normal walking pattern by a healthy person can be trained, the correct posture without bending forward can be maintained, It is possible to train with integrated movements of the upper body, arms and waist.
(H) Utilize the remaining voluntary nature.
That is, the voluntary movement of the upper body / arm and the assisting action to the lower limb are synchronized, and the part that does not require assistance can be arbitrarily exercised without being constrained.
(Li) Able to train for a long time with little fatigue.
(Nu) Mobile walking training is possible, not large scale.

JP 2008-073506 A JP 2009-000195 A JP 2001-327563 A

  This invention makes it the subject to improve the said prior art in view of the above point, and to provide the walk assistance apparatus which a care receiver can mount | wear easily by oneself and can carry out walking training.

In order to solve the above problems, the first invention of the present application relates to a walking assistance robot, and a driving unit that is attached to the body of a person being assisted and trained to walk the person being assisted;
A walking state measuring unit comprising a sensor that measures the trunk movement of the care recipient, a sensor that measures the movement of the lower limbs, and a sensor that measures the swing of the arm;
It is determined from the measurement results of each sensor whether or not the caregiver falls, and if it is determined to be “falling”, a command to prevent this is generated, and if it is determined that “not to fall”, it is normal A controller for generating a command as training, and giving the generated command to the servo system of the drive unit to control it;
A walking assistance robot having
Independent two-wheel drive drive in which the drive unit assists or suppresses the movement of the entire person in the back-and-forth / left-right turn of the person being assisted and suppresses or assists with respect to swinging including lateral movement of the person being assisted by the waist A moving part with a ring;
A trunk support unit that assists or restrains the swing including turning of the person being assisted, and assists or suppresses input by an arm swing input unit that inputs the swing of the person being assisted;
It has a lower limb drive section that assists or suppresses the movement of the lower limbs around the hip, knee and foot joints of the person being assisted.

  The second invention of the present application is the walking assistance robot according to the first invention, wherein the moving unit has two independent drive wheels, and includes a vehicle body incorporating a power source and a control part. Connected to the vehicle body, supporting a waist portion of the trunk of the person being assisted and having a rotational drive shaft in the horizontal axis direction for waist guidance, and the swing input portion of the arm is connected to the trunk support portion Connected to input the swing of the person being assisted, the lower limb drive unit is connected to the trunk support unit to drive the lower limb of the person being assisted, and further to the trunk support unit It is connected and has a crotch support part which supports the said assistant's crotch from the bottom.

According to a third invention of the present application, in the walking assistance robot according to the first invention, the trunk support unit is connected to the moving unit via a motor that rotates in the horizontal axis direction, and a motor, and the waist of the person being assisted is A bifurcated member that supports the trunk from behind and is supported at the tip of the horizontal axis,
The lower limb drive unit is connected to the bifurcated member of the trunk support unit via a pair of gears and a motor that independently drive the left and right lower limbs of the person being assisted, and the sensor of the walking state measurement unit And is equipped with an amplifier.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the walking assistance robot according to the second aspect of the invention, the crotch support portion is coupled to the trunk support portion, and a tip thereof is disposed in the crotch of the person being assisted. A support member that supports the trunk when it sinks, a sensor that measures the hip movement of the person being assisted in the support member, and a sensor that measures the front / rear / left / right / up / down movement of the lower limb thigh, And a waist swing measuring unit provided with a sensor for measuring the waist movement of the person being assisted, and an input part having a sensor for measuring the movement of the upper limb of the person being assisted.

The fifth invention of the present application is characterized in that, in the walking assistance robot of the first invention, the controller executes the following steps (1) and (2).
(1) Based on the predetermined threshold value a of each measurement value and each measurement value x acquired in the walking state measurement unit, 80% (0.8 * a) of the corresponding threshold value a and the threshold value comparing a with each measured value x and determining any of the following (A) to (C);
(A) If any sensor value x satisfies | x | <0.8a, it is determined that “the assistance operation is continued” .
(B) If any sensor value x is a> | x |> = 0.8a, it is determined that “the assisting operation is suppressed” .
(C) Further, if any one of the sensor values x is | x |> = a, it is determined that “ the operation of the driving unit is temporarily stopped” .
(2) A step of commanding the determination result to the drive unit.

The sixth invention of the present application is characterized in that, in the walking assistance robot of the first invention, the controller executes the following steps (1) to (4).
(1) determining a corresponding discrimination score from a target value of misclassification probability as a threshold value for judgment of pause, and predetermining this as a threshold value a;
(2) obtaining a discrimination score c of the measurement value based on each measurement value x acquired in the walking state measurement unit;
(3) 80% (0.8 * a) of the threshold value a corresponding to each measurement value x and the threshold value a are compared with the discrimination score c corresponding to each measurement value x , and the following (a) to (a): A step of determining any of (c),
(A) If | c | <0.8a is satisfied, it is determined that “the assistance operation is continued” .
(B) If a> | c |> = 0.8a, it is determined that “the assisting action is suppressed” .
(C) If | c |> = a, it is determined that “ the operation of the drive unit is temporarily stopped” .
(4) Commanding the determination result to the drive unit.

The seventh invention of the present application is characterized in that, in the walking assistance robot of the first invention, the controller executes the following steps (1) to (3).
(1) a step of selecting in advance measurement values relating to the feature of interest and setting each threshold value a of the measurement values;
(2) Based on the measurement value acquired in the walking state measurement unit, the threshold value a corresponding to the measurement value is compared with each measurement value x, and any one of the following (A) to (C) A step of making a decision;
(A) If all the current measurement values x satisfy | x |> a according to the threshold value a, it is determined that “ the operation of the drive unit is temporarily stopped” .
(B) If not (i), if at least one of the current measured values satisfies | x |> 0.8a, it is determined that “the assisting operation is suppressed” .
(C) If not (b), it is determined that “the assistance operation is continued” .
(3) A step of commanding the determination result to the drive unit.

The eighth invention of the present application is the walking assistance robot of the first invention, wherein the controller executes the following steps (1) to (3).
(1) A step of obtaining a moving average σ and a standard deviation sd of each measurement value based on current and past sensor information acquired by the walking state measurement unit;
(2) In at least one measurement value, the absolute value | x−σ | of the difference between the current measurement value x and the moving average σ is compared with the standard deviation sd. A step of determining any of (c),
(A) If | x−σ | <sd, it is determined that “the assistance operation is continued” .
(B) If 2sd> | x−σ |> = sd, it is determined that “the assisting action is suppressed” .
(C) If | x−σ |> = 2sd, it is determined that “ the operation of the driving unit is temporarily stopped” .
(3) A step of commanding the determination result to the drive unit.

The ninth invention of the present application is the walking assistance robot according to any one of the fifth to eighth inventions , wherein the controller is
(1) If it is determined that the operation is suppressed, one or more of the following (A) to (E) are performed,
(A) Decreasing the moving speed of the moving part,
(B) Decreasing the speed of hip swinging by the moving part and trunk support part,
(C) Increasing the viscosity of the rotation shaft of the crotch support part,
(D) Increasing the viscosity of the movement of the member gripped by the hand of the person being assisted in the arm swing input unit;
(E) Decrease the speed of the lower limb movement of the lower limb drive unit,
(2) If the operation is determined to be paused, perform one or more of the following (to) to (nu),
(F) Stop the movement of the moving part,
(G) Stop hip swinging by the moving part and trunk support part,
(H) fixing the rotation of the crotch support part,
(I) fixing the movement of the member gripped by the hand of the person being assisted in the arm swing input unit;
(Nu) Stop the lower limb movement of the lower limb drive unit,
(3) When it is determined that the operation is to be continued , the next (Le) is performed. (Le) The arm so as to assist the two-dimensional swinging of the hip of the person being assisted in the frontal plane and the lateral movement. Based on the input to the swing input unit, the walking period of the person being assisted is estimated, and in synchronization with this, the moving unit of the driving unit, the trunk support unit, and the lower limb driving unit are operated in a coordinated manner.
It is characterized by that.

The tenth invention of the present application is the walking assistance robot of the fourth invention,
The arm swing input unit includes an arm swing input bar for gripping with the hand of the person being assisted, a rotation shaft that couples the arm swing input bar to the trunk support unit, and an angle sensor connected to the rotation shaft. And a brake, and the movement of the arm swing input bar is restricted by the brake to suppress the swing of the arm.

The eleventh invention of the present application is the walking assistance robot of the fourth invention,
The crotch support unit is coupled to the trunk support unit via a torsion bar, and includes an angle sensor and a brake coaxially, and measures the posture of a member that supports the waist by the angle sensor, and pressure / acceleration・ A sensor for measuring any one of the contact pressures is provided at a plurality of locations near the rotation axis of the member that supports the waist, and the two-dimensional swing and load of the waist in the frontal plane turning and lateral movement are measured, It is characterized by restraining the posture change of the member that supports the waist by the brake.

The twelfth invention of the present application is the walking assistance robot of the fourth invention,
The waist swing measurement unit is
A waist belt provided in front of the trunk of the person being assisted ,
Each airbag provided to the waist belt and the trunk support member;
A pressure controller that adjusts the pressure of each airbag according to a command from the controller;
And a pressure sensor disposed on each surface of the airbag.

The thirteenth invention of the present application is the walking assistance robot according to any one of the fifth to eighth inventions and the twelfth invention , wherein the controller is
If it is determined that the operation is to be continued , a command is generated to the lower limb drive unit so as to reduce the pressure of the airbag and perform flexible control according to the measurement value of the pressure sensor measured by the waist swing measurement unit. And
If the action is determined to be suppressed, generate a command to the lower limb drive unit to increase the pressure of the airbag and suppress flexible control,
When the operation is determined to be paused, a command to the lower limb drive unit is generated so as to further increase the pressure of the airbag and stop the flexible control.

The 14th invention of the present application is the walking assistance robot of the 12th or 13th invention,
The moving part has an on-site turning function by the driving wheel and is expressed by flexible control that realizes a flexible model composed of a spring / damper system based on pressure information measured by the pressure sensor. The turning function turns left and right as if it had a mechanism.

The fifteenth invention of the present application is the walking assistance robot of the fourteenth invention,
The moving unit detects the pressure p1 applied to the left and the pressure p2 applied to the right by the pressure sensor, obtains a torque T with respect to the turning center of the moving unit based on a pressure difference p1-p2 between the left and right, and The turning angle θ is obtained from the flexible model, and each driving wheel of the moving unit is driven based on the moving unit turning command value θ.

The 16th invention of the present application is the walking assistance robot of the 1st invention,
The trunk support part is
Supported by the moving unit, each of which includes a first parallel link and a second parallel link that operate in a horizontal plane, and each link is independently driven by one drive motor,
Assisting the trunk of the person being assisted with the first parallel link in the lateral direction , turning the second parallel link in a horizontal plane,
Realizing a rectilinear movement in the lateral direction by the movement of the moving unit that moves in the front-rear direction in synchronization with the operation of the first parallel link and moves to cancel the movement in the front-rear direction caused by the movement of the first parallel link. It is characterized by.

The 17th invention of the present application is the walking assistance robot of the 16th invention,
When the controller operates the moving unit, the trunk support unit, and the lower limb driving unit in the driving unit in a coordinated manner, the waist movement of the person being assisted changes according to the ground contact state of the foot. Pay attention to the ground contact state of the person being assisted,
(1) During the middle stage of stance (right leg ground contact), the left turn on the hip horizontal plane, the left turn on the front face, and the assisting action for swinging to the right side are executed simultaneously.
(2) During the middle stage of stance (left leg ground contact), simultaneously perform a right turn on the horizontal surface of the waist, a right turn on the frontal face and a swinging motion to the left,
(3) During both legs support period
(A) If the middle stage of the stance is the left leg ground contact, the left turn on the horizontal plane, the left turn on the front face, and the absence of side swing,
(B) If the immediately preceding middle stance is the right leg ground contact, it is characterized in that an assist operation is performed for a right turn on the horizontal plane, a right turn on the frontal plane, and no side swing.

The eighteenth invention of the present application is the walking assistance robot according to any one of the fifth to eighth inventions and the twelfth invention .
The controller is
At the rotation angle of the swing input bar of the arm that is held by the caregiver, which is an input value to the arm swing input unit , the phase of the swing motions of the front and back of each other is between one arm and the lower limb on the same side. A command to the drive unit is generated so as to be shifted by 180 degrees.

The nineteenth invention of the present application is the walking assistance robot of the first invention ,
A drive unit that is worn on the body of the person being assisted and trained to walk the person being assisted;
A walking state measuring unit comprising a sensor that measures the trunk movement of the care recipient, a sensor that measures the movement of the lower limbs, and a sensor that measures the swing of the arm;
It is determined from the measurement results of each sensor whether or not the caregiver falls, and if it is determined to be “falling”, a command to prevent this is generated, and if it is determined that “not to fall”, it is normal A walking assistance robot having a controller for generating a command as training, and providing the generated command to a servo system of the drive unit to control the command,
An independent two-wheel drive drive wheel in which the drive unit assists or suppresses the movement of the entire person in the forward / backward / left / right turn of the person being assisted and also assists or suppresses part of the swing of the person's waist. A moving part comprising a vehicle with
A trunk support unit that assists or restrains another part of the person's waist swing and assists or suppresses input by an arm swing input unit that inputs the swing of the person being assisted;
A lower limb drive unit that assists or suppresses the movement of the lower limbs around the hip, knee, and foot joints of the person being assisted;
It has a crotch support part connected to the trunk support part to support the crotch of the person being assisted from below,
The drive wheels are provided on both sides of the vehicle, and inverted control is performed.
The trunk support portion has a shape in which the rotation shaft and its tip are divided into two forks, the waist of the care recipient is fixed between the forks, and the opposite side of the rotation shaft is attached to the vehicle,
The arm swing input part is provided in the bifurcated part,
The lower limb drive unit includes a frame that surrounds the thigh of the person being assisted, an airbag that is attached to the frame and that holds the front and back of the thigh, and the frame is swung around the hip joint of the person being assisted A swing member, and a motor that swings the swing member, and the motor is attached to the trunk support portion;
The crotch support portion supports a waist portion of the person being assisted by a connecting belt that connects between a waist belt, a thigh belt, and the belts, and the waist belt is supported by a horizontal plane rotation shaft with an angle sensor and a vertical with an angle sensor and a brake. It attaches to the said trunk | body support part through an in-plane rotating shaft, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  According to the above invention, high safety, in particular, can prevent falls, assist from static walking pattern to dynamic walking pattern, can take advantage of the remaining voluntary, can train for a long time with less fatigue, It is possible to obtain a walking assistance robot that enables mobile walking training instead of large scale.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall system configuration of a walking assistance robot according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the functions of the drive unit, the walking state measurement unit, and the controller. FIG. 3 is a conceptual side view showing a state where the person being assisted P is using the walking assistance robot shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the configuration of the moving unit. 5A and 5B are views for explaining the shape of the trunk support portion. FIG. 5A is a front view of the trunk support portion 130, and FIG. 6A and 6B are views for explaining the shape of the lower limb drive unit, where FIG. 6A is a plan view of the lower limb drive unit, and FIG. 6B is a front view thereof. 7A and 7B are diagrams for explaining the operation principle of the lower limb drive unit, where FIG. 7A is an exploded perspective view of the lower limb drive unit, FIG. 7B is a plan view of a thigh support unit attached to the distal end of the lower limb drive unit, and FIG. It is a figure explaining the mechanism which promotes a bend of a caregiver's crotch and a knee, (a) represents the time of standing up and (b) represents the time of walking. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the overall configuration of the walking state measurement unit. 9 is a diagram for explaining the crotch support portion of FIG. 8, (A) is a conceptual diagram for explaining the configuration of the crotch support portion, (B) is a diagram for explaining the arrangement of the rotation axis of the crotch support portion, and (C) is a crotch It is explanatory drawing of the sensor attachment position of the waist | hip support member which comprises the main body of a support part, (A) is a front view, (B) is a side view. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing details of the waist swing measurement unit. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing details of the arm swing measurement unit. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a first example of the fall determination method. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a second example of the fall determination method. FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a third example of the fall determination method. FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a fourth example of the fall determination method. FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a first example of dealing with a fall. FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating a second example of dealing with a fall. FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a first example of an assistance method during normal training. FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating an operation example of the first example of the assistance method during normal training. FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating a mechanism example of a trunk support portion for hip / left / right / rotation swing in a second example of the assistance method during normal training. FIGS. 21A and 21B are diagrams for explaining a third example of the assistance method during normal training. FIG. 21A is a diagram showing the relationship between the ground contact state of the foot and hip swinging, and FIG. It is a figure. A fourth example of the assistance method during normal training will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 23 is a diagram showing a configuration of a second example of a conventional walking aid. FIG. 24 is a diagram showing a configuration of a third example of a conventional walking aid. FIG. 25 is a diagram showing a configuration of a fourth example of a conventional walking aid.

The overall system configuration of the walking assistance robot according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
<Overall system configuration of walking assistance robot according to the present invention>
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall system configuration of a walking assistance robot according to the present invention.
In FIG. 1, the walking assistance robot according to the present invention allows walking training while supporting the waist from the rear side so that a person who is a patient who needs walking training does not fall, and there is no risk of falling. In this case, both lower limbs are driven alternately to assist forward, backward and left / right turning, and when there is a possibility of falling, the assisting operation is suppressed and the operation is not performed.
The entire system includes a walking assistance robot 10 and a person to be worn on the body by the person being assisted in order to use the walking assistance robot 10.
Hereinafter, these will be described.

<Configuration of trunk support unit 130 of walking assistance robot 10>
The driving unit of the walking assistance robot 10 includes a vehicle body 120 (described later) that is a moving unit having drive wheels 12W on the left and right sides, and a trunk support unit that is rotatably mounted by a motor 13M provided on the top of the vehicle body 120. 130 and a lower limb drive unit 140 (described later). The trunk support portion 130 is divided into left and right forks by a connecting arm 13B at the opposite end of the motor 12M, and arms (left arm 13L and right arm 13R) are formed at both ends of the fork, and the ends of the left arm 13L and right arm 13R are formed. An abdomen belt 18B with a hook-and-loop fastener is attached to each.

<< Fixing the trunk of the person being assisted >>
An airbag 18A with a pressure sensor 18P is provided inside each of the abdomen belt 18B, the bifurcated arms 13R and 13L, and the connecting arm 13B, and the trunk (mainly waist) of the person P is connected to the abdomen belt 18B and the bifurcated arms. When the abdomen belt 18B with a hook-and-loop fastener is placed inside the arms 13R and 13L, and the airbag 18A is inflated, the trunk of the person P can be fixed inside the bifurcated arm, The pressure sensor 18P measures the pressure at the site.

<< Fixing the thigh of the person being assisted >>
On the other hand, geared motors 14M / G are attached to the outer sides of the bifurcated arms 13R and 13L, respectively, and L-shaped links 14L fixed to the motor shaft extend downward and extend inward from each other. A thigh support portion 170 is attached to a site where the thigh of the assistant P is located.
The thigh support portion 170 has a U-shaped plastic frame having a U-shaped cross section surrounding the thigh and thigh belts 17B with hook-and-loop fasteners attached to the U-shaped both end frames. In addition, airbags 17A are attached to the front and rear of the plastic U-shaped frame. Therefore, the person being assisted P puts his thigh inside the plastic U-shaped frame, and the thigh fasteners of both thigh belts 17B are overlapped with each other to lightly fix the thigh to the thigh support portion 170, and then the airbag 17A By inflating the thigh, the thigh can be firmly fixed to the inside of the thigh support part 170.
Thus, the thigh fixed to the thigh support part 170 is forcibly moved back and forth by rotating the geared motor 14M back and forth.
Thus, the lower limb drive unit 140 is configured from the geared motor 14M / G to the thigh support unit 170.

<Definition of body name>
Here, the definition about the name of the body used for description of this invention is described.
The “lower limb” is a part of the body that extends from the crotch to the knee to the foot.
“Inseam” is a base portion common to the left and right thighs.
The “thigh” is a part of the lower limb that extends from the crotch to the knee.
The “upper limb” is a part of the body that extends from shoulder to arm to finger.

《Supporting the inseam of the caregiver P》
The crotch support portion 160 includes a cloth-mounted waist belt 16B, a thigh belt 16D, and an attachment portion 163 including a connecting belt 16R that connects both of them, and a waist support member 180 provided on the back side of the attachment portion 163 (see FIG. 9) through a rotary shaft 162 (hereinafter referred to as a vertical plane rotary shaft 162) having an angle sensor and a brake that rotates in a vertical plane and freely in a horizontal plane connected to the vertical plane rotary shaft 162. A rotating shaft 161 (hereinafter referred to as a horizontal plane rotating shaft 161) that rotates and has an angle sensor is finally attached to the lower side of the trunk support portion 130. The crotch support portion 160 can freely move the waist of the person being assisted P in the horizontal and vertical directions.
Further, locking portions 16F are provided on both waist sides of the belt to be engaged, and the waist portion of the person P is fixed by engaging with the locking holes 13F provided in the upper portions of the bifurcated arms 13R and 13L of the walking assistance robot 10. doing.

《Exercise of Pee ’s arm》
On the bifurcated arms 13R and 13L, a swing input unit 190 of the arm of the person being assisted P is provided. The arm swing input unit 190 has a lever shape and has a rotation shaft at the base side thereof, and is fixed to the bifurcated arms 13R and 13L via an angle sensor and a brake. The person being assisted P can input the swing of the person being assisted by holding the lever and moving it back and forth while walking.
The above is the overall system configuration of the walking assistance robot according to the present invention.

Next, the function of each part constituting the entire system will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the functions of the drive unit 100, the walking state measurement unit 200, and the controller 300.
(1) The driving unit 100 includes a moving unit 120, a trunk support unit 130, and a lower limb driving unit 140. Based on the determination result of the controller 300, the moving unit 120, the trunk supporting unit 130, and the lower limb driving unit 140, respectively. Are optimally driven.
(2) The walking state measurement unit 200 measures the walking state of the person being assisted P from each sensor and obtains a measurement result.
(3) The controller 300 receives the measurement result of the walking state measuring unit 200, determines whether or not the person being assisted falls, and generates a command to prevent the fall when it is determined that the person falls. And sent to the driving unit 100. When it is determined that “no fall” (non-fall), a command for normal training is generated and sent to the drive unit 100.
The functions of the drive unit 100, the walking state measurement unit 200, and the controller 300 will be described in more detail.

<Function of driving unit 100>
As shown in FIG. 2, the drive unit 100 includes (1) a moving unit 120, (2) a trunk support unit 130, and (3) a lower limb drive unit 140. Each component constitutes a servo system.

(1) << Function of moving unit 120 >>
The moving unit 120 includes two independent two drive wheels 12W (FIG. 4).
(A) Assistance (when not falling) and restraining (when judged to fall) assisting person P to move back and forth and turning left and right;
Further, (b) assistance (when not falling) and restraining (when it is determined to fall) that the person P is to swing (up and down, left and right).

<< Moving unit 120 is "inverted control" by two wheels >>
The moving unit 120 performs so-called “inverted control” using two wheels.
The technology of “inverted control” is, for example, the technology described in “Research and development of original robots” (Yamato et al., Yokendo, P13-15) and can be easily realized by implementing upright posture control. It is. However, in the case of realizing in the present embodiment, it is necessary to invert and maintain the balance in the form of including the person being assisted P, the trunk support unit 130, the lower limb driving unit 140, and the person being assisted. For this reason, it sets so that it may become an inversion equilibrium point in the state in which the body of the care receiver P was standing upright. Moreover, the fluctuation | variation of the load by a body movement becomes a disturbance with respect to inversion. Two-wheel thrust is generated to apply feedback control to cancel this disturbance.

(2) << Function of trunk support part 130 >>
The trunk support part 130 assists (when not falling) and restrains (when it is determined to fall) (c) swinging (left / right / turning) the waist of the person being assisted.
In addition, (d) assistance (when not falling) and suppression (when it is determined that the person falls) are assisted by swinging the arm of the person being assisted.

(3) << Function of Lower Extremity Driving Unit 140 >>
The lower limb drive unit 140 assists (when not falling) and suppresses (when it is determined to fall) the movements of the lower limbs around the hip, knee, and foot joints of the person being assisted (e).

<Function of walking state measuring unit 200>
In the walking state measuring unit 200, the walking state is detected by each sensor from (a) the trunk (mainly waist) movement, (b) the lower limb (left and right thighs) movement, and (c) the arm swing. And the measurement results of these walking states are output to the controller 300.

<Function of controller 300>
In the controller 300, it is determined from the measurement result of the walking state measuring unit 200 whether or not the person being assisted falls.
(A) If it is determined that the vehicle has fallen, a command for preventing this is generated.
(B) If it is determined that “no falls”, a command for normal training is generated.
Then, based on the generated command, an operation command in which the components (1) to (3) of the drive unit 100 operate cooperatively is generated and input to the drive unit 100.

<Configuration of Drive Unit 100>
Next, the structure of the drive part 100 is demonstrated based on FIGS.
FIG. 3 is a conceptual side view showing a state where the person being assisted P is using the walking assistance robot shown in FIG.
In FIG. 3, driving by the moving unit 120 having a vehicle body having two independent driving wheels and a built-in power source and a control portion with respect to the person being assisted, and the trunk of the person being assisted by connecting to the moving unit 120. In particular, driving by the trunk support unit 130 that supports the waist and has a horizontal rotational drive shaft for waist guidance, and the lower limbs of the person being assisted by the trunk support unit 130, that is, the left and right thighs, respectively. Driven by the lower limb drive unit 140 having a pair of drive shafts that are independently driven, the trunk and lower limb of the person being assisted P are assisted (when not falling) or suppressed (when determined to fall).
The crotch support unit 160 is connected to the trunk support unit 130 and supports the crotch of the person being assisted P from below. The crotch support portion 160 here is characterized by being coupled to the trunk support portion 130 via the torsion bar 16T (Example 2).
The arm swing input unit 190 is connected to the trunk support unit 130 and inputs the arm swing of the person being assisted P.

<< Configuration of Moving Unit 120 >>
FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the configuration of the moving unit 120.
4 shows the moving unit 120 of FIG. 3 as viewed from the left side of the drawing, and the other parts (the trunk support unit 130 and the lower limb driving unit 140) of FIG. 4 are viewed from the same direction as FIG. Each figure is easy to understand.
The vehicle body 120, which is a moving unit, connects the gear 12G and the motor 12M to the left and right drive wheels 12W, sends an amplifier 12A that drives the motor 12M, and sends a control signal to the amplifier 12A. Built in itself.
When detection signals sent from the respective sensors of the walking state measuring unit 200 enter the controller 300, the controller 300 performs various determinations described later, and drives left and right of the moving unit (vehicle body) 120 behind the person being assisted. The left and right tires 12W are driven through the motor 12M, the gear 12G, and the shaft 12S via the left and right amplifiers 12A separately based on the determination results of the wheels 12W.
Thereby, the speed of the vehicle body 120 can be increased, delayed, turned right, or turned left.
In FIG. 4, when the controller 300 makes various determinations and the control of the trunk support unit 130 becomes necessary, the trunk support unit 130 is controlled via the motor 13M and the gear 13G via the amplifier 13A. To do.
In FIG. 4, when the controller 300 makes various determinations and the control of the lower limb drive unit 140 is necessary, the lower limb drive unit 140 is controlled via the amplifier 14A and the motor 14M and the gear 14G.

<< Shape and function of trunk support part 130 >>
5A and 5B are views for explaining the shape of the trunk support portion 130, wherein FIG. 5A is a front view of the trunk support portion 130, and FIG. 5B is a plan view thereof. The trunk support portion 130 is connected to a motor 13M and a gear 13G that are rotationally driven in the horizontal axis direction at the top of the vehicle, whose shaft portion 13S is the moving portion 120 (FIGS. 1, 3, and 4).
The trunk support portion 130 is formed as a connecting arm 13B at the tip of the shaft portion 13S as viewed in a plan view (B), and is bifurcated into left and right, and bifurcated arms 13R and 13L are formed from both ends thereof. The bifurcated arms 13R and 13L are parallel to each other, and the trunk (waist) is supported between the bifurcated arms 13R and 13L (the open side is the abdominal side and the connecting arm 13B side is the back side). An abdominal belt 18B (described later, FIG. 10) is provided on the open side.
Therefore, when detection signals from the respective sensors of the walking state measurement unit 200 (FIGS. 2 and 4) enter the controller 300 (FIGS. 2 and 3), the controller 300 performs various determinations described later, and the trunk support unit When control 130 is required, a motor drive signal is sent to the motor 13M via the amplifier 13A (FIG. 3) in the moving unit 120 (FIGS. 2 and 3).
The motor 13M is fixed to the upper part of the vehicle body (moving part) 120 (FIGS. 1 and 4). When the motor 13M turns, the shaft 13S is turned by a predetermined angle via the gear 13G, thereby being fixed to the shaft 13S. The trunk support portion 130 also turns and can impart axial rotation to the trunk of the person being assisted P (FIGS. 1 and 3) fixed thereto.

<< Shape and Function of Lower Limb Drive Unit 140 >>
6A and 6B are views for explaining the shape of the lower limb drive unit 140. FIG. 6A is a plan view of the lower limb drive unit 140, and FIG. 6B is a front view thereof.
The lower limb drive unit 140 (FIGS. 1, 2, and 4) is respectively connected to the thigh support unit 170 (FIGS. 1, 4, and 6) via a pair of gears 14G and a motor 14M that independently drive the left and right lower limbs. The trunk support part 130 is connected to the bifurcated arms 13R and 13L.
Therefore, when detection signals from the respective sensors of the walking state measuring unit 200 (FIGS. 2 and 4) enter the controller 300 (FIGS. 2 and 4), the controller 300 performs various determinations to be described later and performs the thigh support unit 170. When the control of (FIG. 1) becomes necessary, a motor drive signal is sent to the motor 14M via the amplifier 14A (FIG. 4) in the moving unit 120 (FIG. 4). When the motor 14M is turned, the L-shaped link 14L is turned by a predetermined angle via the gear 14G, whereby the thigh support portion 170 (FIG. 1) fixed to the L-shaped link 14L is also turned, and the assisted being fixed thereto. A back and forth motion can be given to the thigh of the person P (FIGS. 1 and 3).

<< Operation Principle of Lower Limb Drive Unit 140 >>
7A and 7B are diagrams for explaining the operation principle of the lower limb drive unit 140 (FIGS. 1 to 4 and 6). FIG. 7A is an exploded perspective view of the lower limb drive unit 140, and FIG. FIG. 6C is a plan view of the thigh support 170 to be attached, and FIG. 8C is a diagram for explaining a mechanism for promoting flexion of the crotch and knee of the person being assisted in the second example of the lower limb drive unit 140. (B) represents walking.
In FIG. 7A, the lower limb drive unit 140 includes a geared motor 14M / G attached to the outside of the bifurcated arms 13R and 13L (FIG. 1) and the gear 14M / G as described in FIG. The shaft 14S is connected, the L-link 14L is further connected to the shaft 14S, and the thigh support 170 is attached to the tip of the L-link 14L that extends downward and toward the inside.
As shown in FIG. 7B, the thigh support portion 170 includes a plastic frame 17H having a cross-sectional “U” shape surrounding the thigh, hook-and-loop fasteners 17F1 and 17F2 provided at both ends of the open side of the U-shaped plastic frame 17H, It consists of airbags 17A1 and 17A2 provided at both inner ends of the letter-shaped plastic frame 17H (to contact the front and back sides of the thigh Pd of the person being assisted P).
The length of the L-shaped link 14L matches the length when the airbags 17A1, 17A2 come into contact with the thigh Pd when the motor shaft 14S matches the hip joint Pc of the thigh Pd of the person being assisted.
The L-shaped link 14L is composed of two L-shaped links 14L as shown in FIG. 7C so that it can be deformed into a parallelogram shape. The corners are hinged so that they can be deformed.
Of course, the U-shaped plastic frame 17H at the tip of the L-shaped link 14L can be deformed into a parallelogram, and the corners may be hinged.

<< Operation Principle of Lower Limb Drive Unit 140 >>
When the thigh Pd of the person being assisted P is put into the thigh support part 170 having the above configuration and the airbags 17A1 and 17A2 are inflated, the thigh Pd is attached to the thigh support part 170 as shown in FIG. It can be restrained inside. In the state where the person being assisted stands on the floor (ground) (A), the geared motor 14M / G puts the link 17L to which the airbags 17A1 and 17A2 are attached into the state shown in the figure.
When it is desired to promote flexion of the hips and knees, the lower side of the shaft 14S (that is, centering on the hip joint Pc) is connected to the lower side of the link 14L as shown in FIG. The thigh Pd fixed to the thigh support part 170 is forcibly lifted forward to promote the flexion of the crotch and knee of the person being assisted, and the foot is advanced before being raised.
At that time, if the size of the front and rear airbags 17A2 and A1 is changed so that the front airbag 17A2 is inflated when the thigh Pd is lifted and the rear airbag 17A1 is contracted, the airbag 17 exhibits cushioning properties. And it becomes gentle to thigh Pd.

<< Difference between Inseam Support 160, Thigh Belt 16D, and Thigh Support 170 >>
As described above, the thigh support part 170 is for driving the lower limbs back and forth, and is made of plastic or a hard material, and is connected to the motor / gear 14M / G (FIG. 1) or the like.
On the other hand, the thigh belt 16D is a part constituting the crotch support portion 160, and is used to support the body when it is determined to fall, and is made of a soft material such as cloth. It is connected to the waist belt 16B (FIG. 1) by a connecting belt 16R. The waist belt 16 </ b> B has a locking portion 16 </ b> F that engages with the locking holes 13 </ b> F in the left and right arms 13 </ b> L and 13 </ b> R of the trunk support portion 130 and is connected to the trunk support portion 130. When the controller 300 (FIG. 2) determines that the vehicle has fallen, the motor 13M constituting the crotch support unit 160 turns to raise the falling arm out of the left and right arms 13L and 13R. The arm moves upward and the arm pulls up the waist belt 16B, and the waist belt 16B is also lifted accordingly, thereby preventing a fall.
As an image of use, first, the waist belt 13K and the thigh belt 16D are attached before the training is started, the thigh support part 170 is attached as it is, and the training is started.

<Overall configuration of walking state measuring unit 200>
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the overall configuration of the walking state measurement unit 200 (FIG. 2).
The walking state measurement unit 200 includes a crotch measurement unit 210 provided on the crotch support unit 160 (FIGS. 1 and 2), a waist swing measurement unit 220, and an arm swing measurement unit 230.
The crotch support unit 160 is connected to the trunk support unit 130 via a horizontal plane rotation shaft 161 (FIG. 9) and a vertical plane rotation shaft 162 (FIG. 9), and is coupled to the trunk support unit 130. This is a member that is placed in the crotch and supports the lower back Ph of the person being assisted by stumbling or the like.
A crotch measuring unit 210 is configured by providing the trunk support unit 130 with sensors that measure the back and forth, left and right, and up and down movements of the waist Ph and thigh Pd of the person being assisted P.
The waist swing measurement unit 220 includes a sensor that measures the movement of the waist Ph of the person being assisted at the portion of the trunk support part 130 that supports the waist Ph of the person being assisted P.
The arm swing measurement unit 230 includes a sensor that measures the movement of the upper limb Pa of the person being assisted P.

《Detection of tipping down front, back, left and right》
The state of falling to the front, back, left, and right is detected by the movement of the waist Ph.
For example, the crotch support unit 160 is provided with any one of a triaxial pressure sensor, an acceleration sensor, an angle sensor, and a contact sensor to detect a waist motion. In addition, the trunk support unit 130 may be provided with a triaxial acceleration sensor to detect a hip motion.
If it is not in the fall state, the assistance operation is continued as normal training. For example, the crotch support unit 160 and the trunk support unit 130 are provided with pressure sensors or acceleration sensors, and swinging of the waist to the left and right is measured, and the arm swing measurement unit 230 is provided with an angle sensor or a pressure sensor, Measure the swing. The assistance operation is calculated based on these information.

<< Description of Inseam Support 160>
9A and 9B are diagrams illustrating the crotch support unit 160 in FIG. 8. FIG. 9A is a conceptual diagram illustrating the configuration of Example 2 of the crotch support unit 160, and FIG. 9B is a diagram illustrating Example 1 of the crotch support unit 160. Explanatory drawing of rotation axis arrangement, (C) is an explanatory view of the sensor mounting position of the waist support member 180 constituting the main body of Example 2 of the crotch support portion 160, (A) is a front view, (B) is a side view. is there.
As shown in FIG. 9A, the waist support member 180 is a member that supports the waist Ph and is disposed on the waist Ph. When the waist Ph is lowered when it is determined that the person being assisted P has fallen, this is used. A torsion bar 16T that suppresses rotation, an angle sensor 16A that measures a rotation angle, and a brake 16BR that stops rotation are provided on the rotation axis.
As shown in FIG. 9B, the crotch support unit 160 connected to the trunk support unit 130 via the two rotation shafts 161 and 162 has two rotation shafts. That is, it includes a rotation shaft 161 that rotates freely in a horizontal plane and has an angle sensor, and a rotation shaft 162 that rotates in a vertical plane and has an angle sensor and a brake and is connected to the waist support member 180.
Further, as shown in FIG. 9C, pressure or acceleration or contact sensors 18S1, 18S2, and 18S3 (for example, pressure sensors) are arranged on the upper left and right side surfaces of the waist support member 180, and are applied in the vertical and horizontal directions. Measure the pressure. Through the operation of the waist support member 180, the state of falling forward / backward / left / right / down is detected by the motion of the waist. For example, the swinging of the waist Ph to the left and right, that is, the motion state of the thigh in the front-rear direction is estimated by the detection value of the angle sensor 131 provided on the in-horizontal rotation shaft 161 (FIG. 9B). Is possible.
Further, the angle sensor 132 provided on the vertical in-plane rotating shaft 162 (FIG. 9B) and the pressure or acceleration sensors 18S1 to 18S3 provided on the waist support member 180 can measure the swing of the waist Ph in the front-rear and up-down directions. .
The above sensor values are used for the fall determination described later with reference to FIGS.

<< Explanation of waist swing measurement unit 220 >>
FIG. 10 is a plan view showing details of the waist swing measurement unit 220 (FIG. 8).
The waist swing measurement unit 220 is configured to surround the trunk waist Ph in the front-rear and left-right directions by the connecting arm 13B of the trunk support unit 130, the left and right bifurcated arms 13L and 13R, and the waist belt 13K. The airbag 13A1 to 13A4 is provided between the waist swing measurement unit 220 and the waist Ph, and the waist Ph can be gripped by the trunk support unit 130 by increasing the air pressure. Further, pressure sensors 13S1 to 13S4 are arranged between the airbags 13A1 to 13A4 and the waist Ph, respectively, and the pressure applied around the waist Ph is measured.
This information is used in the fall determination and assistance during regular training described below.

<< Description of Arm Swing Measurement Unit 230 >>
FIG. 11 is a diagram showing details of the arm swing measurement unit 230 (FIG. 8).
The arm swing measurement unit 230 includes an arm swing input bar 23B gripped by the arm Pa and the hand Pt of the person being assisted, a rotary shaft 23J for rotating the input bar 23B, and an input bar 23B coupled thereto. An angle sensor 23A for measuring the rotation of the brake 23B and a brake 23BR. The brake 23BR functions to suppress the rotation of the input bar 23B. These are fixed to the trunk support part 130.
Among the functions of the mechanism configuration using these sensors, the methods 1 to 4 for determining a fall are shown in FIGS. 12 to 15, and the measures 1 and 2 for falling are shown in FIGS. 16 and 17. Methods 1 to 4 will be described with reference to FIGS.

<Falling judgment method 1>
FIG. 12 shows a first example of the fall determination method.
The first example of the fall determination method is to compare with each threshold value based on information acquired from various sensors, and to determine fall if any one is exceeded.
A simple and quick response is an advantage of the first example, but there is a lot of noise (misrecognition), so care should be taken.
In FIG. 12, after the start of determination (S121), each threshold value a corresponding to each measured value x is set as a threshold value for determining suspension (S122).
In the walking state measurement unit 200 (FIG. 2), the measurement value x is acquired from each sensor of the sensor provided in the waist swing measurement unit illustrated in FIG. 8 and the sensor provided in the crotch support unit 160 illustrated in FIG. 9 (S123). ). As each sensor, an acceleration sensor, a touch sensor, an angle sensor, an angular velocity sensor, and a pressure sensor are used.
The controller 300 (FIG. 2) acquires the information from the walking state measurement unit 200 (FIG. 2) (S124), and performs the following countermeasures according to each acquired measurement value x and its threshold value a (S125).
80% of each threshold value a (that is, 0.8 * a) and the threshold value a are compared with each measured value x. If any sensor value x satisfies | x | <0.8 * a, the assistance operation is continued. .
Otherwise, any at least one sensor value x is | x |> = 0.8a and | x | <a
Then stop the assistance operation and suppress the operation.
At this time, depending on how close the sensor value that satisfies this condition is to the threshold value, for example, 80% or more is evaluated as having a high degree of fall risk, 20 to 80% is evaluated as medium, and less than that is evaluated as being small.
This is used to cope with the fall shown in FIG. Otherwise, if any at least one sensor value x is | x |> = a, the operation of the device is paused.
Next, these determination results are commanded to the drive unit (S126).
Further, if the stop switch is pressed or the temporary stop is released, the process ends. If not, the above process is continued, and the process returns to the process S124 (S127).

<Falling judgment method 2>
FIG. 13 shows a second example of the fall determination method.
In the second example of the fall determination method, a plurality of sensor information is combined by so-called discriminant analysis based on information acquired from various sensors, and it is determined whether or not a fall has occurred.
The advantage of the second example is that erroneous determination can be prevented by combining a plurality of pieces of information.
In addition, the determination probability can be set in advance.
In FIG. 13, after the start of determination (S131), a corresponding determination score is obtained from the target value of the erroneous determination probability as a threshold value for determination of suspension, and this is set as a threshold value a (S132).
The measurement value x from each sensor is acquired in the walking state measurement unit 200 (FIG. 2) (S133). As each sensor, an acceleration sensor, a touch sensor, an angle sensor, an angular velocity sensor, and a pressure sensor are used.
The controller 300 (FIG. 2) acquires the information from the walking state measurement unit 200 (FIG. 2) (S134), calculates the discrimination score c from each acquired measurement value x (S135), and according to the threshold value a. The following measures are implemented (S136).
80% of the threshold value a corresponding to the discrimination score c (that is, 0.8 * a) and the threshold value a are compared with each measured value x,
If | x | <0.8a is satisfied, the assistance operation is continued.
Otherwise, if | x |> = 0.8a and | x | <a, the assistance operation is stopped and the operation is suppressed. At this time, depending on the ratio of sensor values satisfying this condition, the degree of risk of falling is evaluated as being large, medium, or small.
Otherwise, if | x |> = a, the operation of the device is paused.
Next, these determination results are commanded to the drive unit (S137).
Further, if the stop switch is pressed or the temporary stop is released, the process ends. If not, the above process is continued, and the process returns to the process S134 (S138).

<Falling judgment method 3>
FIG. 14 shows a third example of the fall determination method.
In the third example of the fall determination method, the fall is determined based on the information acquired from various sensors when conditions relating to characteristics such as a faster foot before the fall are met.
The advantage of this third example is that it is possible to determine with high accuracy according to the characteristics to be set.
In FIG. 14, after the start of determination (S141), measurement values relating to the feature of interest are selected in advance, and each threshold value a of these measurement values is set (S142). For example, in the walking state measurement unit 200 (FIG. 2), the waist swings in the left-right direction from the sensors provided in the crotch support unit 160 shown in FIG. 9 and the sensors provided in the waist swing measurement unit shown in FIG. Attention is paid to the angle sensor value provided on the horizontal axis of rotation (reference numeral 161 in FIG. 9B) of the sensor that captures the crotch, that is, the crotch support 160.
In the walking state measuring unit 200, the measurement value x from each sensor is acquired (S143). As each sensor, an acceleration sensor, a touch sensor, an angle sensor, an angular velocity sensor, and a pressure sensor are used.
The controller 300 (FIG. 2) acquires such information from the walking state measurement unit 200 (FIG. 2) (S144).
The controller 300 performs the following measures according to each measured value x and its threshold value a from the acquired information (S145).
That is, if all of the current measurement values x satisfy | x |> a according to the threshold value a, the process is temporarily stopped.
Otherwise, if at least one of the current measured values satisfies | x |> 0.8a, the assistance operation is stopped and the operation is suppressed.
At this time, depending on the ratio of sensor values satisfying this condition, the degree of risk of falling is evaluated as being large, medium, or small.
Otherwise, continue assistance.
These determination results are commanded to the drive unit (S146).
Further, if the stop switch is pressed or the temporary stop is released, the process ends. If not, the above process is continued, and the process returns to the process S144 (S148).

<Fall judging method 4>
FIG. 15 shows a fourth example of the fall determination method.
In the fourth example of the fall determination method, a moving average is obtained based on information acquired from various sensors, a standard deviation obtained at the same time is compared as a threshold value, and a fall is determined when the standard deviation is deviated.
It is an advantage of the fourth example that a sudden change in the sensor value is determined to fall while taking into account the temporal change in the state.
In FIG. 15, after the start of determination (S151), the measurement value x from each sensor is acquired in advance in the walking state measurement unit 200 (FIG. 2) (S152). As each sensor, an acceleration sensor, a touch sensor, an angle sensor, an angular velocity sensor, and a pressure sensor are used.
The controller 300 (FIG. 2) acquires such information from the walking state measurement unit 200 (FIG. 2) (S153).
Each time the controller 300 acquires sensor information, the controller 300 obtains a moving average σ of each measurement value and a standard deviation sd corresponding thereto (S154).
The absolute value | x−σ | of the difference between the current measured value x and the moving average σ is compared (S155).
Here, if at least one of the current measured values is | x−σ | <sd, the assistance operation is continued.
Otherwise, if at least one of the current measured values is | x−σ |> = sd and | x−σ | <2sd, the assistance operation is stopped and the operation is suppressed.
At this time, depending on the ratio of sensor values satisfying this condition, the degree of risk of falling is evaluated as being large, medium, or small.
Otherwise, for all the measured values this time, | x−σ |> = 2sd, the operation of the device is temporarily stopped, and the determination result is instructed to the drive unit (S156).
Further, if the stop switch is pressed or the temporary stop is released, the process ends. If not, the above process is continued, and the process returns to the process S153 (S157).

<Countermeasures for falls 1>
FIG. 16 shows a first example of dealing with a fall.
A first example of dealing with a fall is performed upon receiving the fall decision. For this reason, the stability of walking motion is improved by keeping the cycle of the walking pattern low and limiting the movable range. For example, a decrease in the command speed to the moving unit 120, a decrease in the command speed of hip swinging by the moving unit 120 and the trunk support unit 130 and limitation of the hip swing range, an improvement in the viscosity of the arm swing measuring unit 190, a lower limb driving unit 140 reduces the command speed of assistance to lower limb movement and limits the range of motion of the joint.
These measures are further divided according to the risk of falling.
When it is determined that the risk of falling is moderate, the moving speed of the moving unit 120 is decreased, the speed of hip swinging by the moving unit 120 and the trunk support unit 130 is decreased, and the viscosity of the rotation shaft of the crotch support unit 160 is decreased. The arm swing measurement unit 230 (FIG. 8) increases the viscosity of the operation of the arm swing input unit 190 held by the hand of the person being assisted P, and decreases the speed of the lower limb motion of the lower limb drive unit 140.
When it is determined that the risk of falling is large, the movement of the moving unit 120 is stopped, the hip swinging by the moving unit 120 and the trunk support unit 130 is stopped, the rotation of the crotch support unit 160 is fixed, and arm swing measurement is performed. The movement of the member gripped by the hand of the person being assisted P in the unit 230 is fixed, and the lower limb movement of the lower limb drive unit 140 is stopped.
If it is determined that the risk of falling is small, the assistance person's P's based on the input to the arm swing measurement unit 230 so as to assist the assistance person in three-dimensional swinging back and forth, left and right, and up and down. In synchronization with the walking cycle, the moving unit 120, the trunk support unit 130, and the lower limb drive unit 140 are operated in cooperation.
Further, an arm swing input bar 23B held by the person being assisted by the hand Pt, a rotation shaft 23J that couples the arm swing input bar 23B to the trunk support portion 130, and an angle sensor 23A provided on the rotation shaft 23J. And the brake 23BR, the movement of the arm swing input bar 23B is restricted by the brake 23BR, thereby suppressing the swing of the arm Pa of the person being assisted P. This also monitors and restricts the strength at which the brake is applied and the angle at which the arm can be swung according to the evaluation result of the fall risk.

<Countermeasures for falls 2>
FIG. 17 shows a second example of dealing with a fall.
The second example of dealing with a fall is also implemented upon receiving the fall decision. For this reason, the movement of the body is suppressed and the stability is increased by increasing the degree of body fixing to the device of the present invention. That is, the brake 16BR of the crotch support part 160 of the trunk support part 130 of FIG. 17A is strongly applied, and the built-in airbags 13A1 to 13 of the waist swing measurement part 220 of the trunk support part 130 of FIG. This is to increase the pressure of 13A4 and to increase the pressure of the built-in airbags 17A1 and 17A2 of the lower limb drive unit 140 in FIG.
Specifically, in the crotch support portion 160 of FIG. 17A, it is coupled to the trunk support portion 130 via the torsion bar 16T, and the angle sensor 16A and the brake 16BR are provided coaxially, and the waist is supported by the brake 16BR. The posture change of the member 180 is restrained. Thereby, the rapid fall of the waist Ph can be prevented.
Also, in the waist swing measurement unit 220 of FIG. 17B, a trunk support unit 130 that supports the movement of the waist Ph of the person being assisted from the left and right and the rear, and a waist belt 13K provided in front of the trunk. A plurality of airbags 13A1 to 13A4 provided in the waist belt 13K and the trunk support member 130 are provided. Here, the pressure of each of the airbags 13A1 to 13A4 is adjusted by a command from the controller 300 (FIG. 2). The adjustment is performed by the values of pressure sensors 13S1 to 13S4 arranged on each surface of the airbag by a pressure controller (not shown).
When it is determined that the risk of falling is small, the pressures of the airbags 13A1 to 13A4 are reduced by a command from the controller 300 to the pressure controller. In addition, a command to the lower limb drive unit 140 is generated to perform so-called flexible control according to the measurement values of the pressure sensors 13S1 to 13S4 measured by the waist swing measurement unit 220 (FIG. 17B).
When the risk of falling is moderate or higher, the pressure of the airbags 13A1 to 13A4 is increased by a command from the controller 300 to the pressure controller. In addition, a command to the lower limb drive unit 140 is generated so as to stop the flexible control.

<Assistance method 1 during normal training>
Here, the flexible control will be described with reference to FIGS. 18 and 19.
A first example of the assistance method during normal training will be described with reference to the mechanism configuration in FIG. 18 and the operation example in FIG. In this first example, a restraint is softly restrained with respect to the waist, a load in the left-right direction of the waist is detected, and a flexible operation following this is realized.
In the mechanism configuration of FIG. 18, the moving unit 120 includes driving wheels 12W and 12W of independent two-wheel drive, a trunk support unit 130, and a moving unit 120 that turns left and right.
The trunk support part 130 supports the waist part Ph that is the trunk of the person being assisted P through the airbags 13A1 to 13A4 and the waist belt 13K. The independent two-wheel drive driving wheels 12W and 12W have a turning function on the spot by the driving wheels. Here, based on the pressure information measured by the pressure sensors 13S1 to 13S4, a left and right turn is performed as if it has a mechanism expressed by the flexible models 1800 and 1800 configured by a spring / damper system.

Here, a method for realizing the flexible model 1800 will be described with reference to FIG.
In step S191 of FIG. 19, the pressure sensors 13S1 and 13S3 (FIG. 18) detect the pressures p1 and p2 applied to the left and right.
Based on the left-right pressure difference p1-p2, a torque T with respect to the turning center of the moving unit 120 is obtained (S192).
The turning angle θ of the moving part is obtained from the obtained torque T and the flexible model equation T = B · dΘ / dt + K · Θ (S193).
Based on the obtained turning command value θ of the moving unit, the moving unit driving wheel is driven (S194).

<Assistance method 2 during regular training>
The second example of the assistance method at the time of normal training is shown as another example of the mechanism configuration in FIG. 18 and the operation in FIG. An example of the mechanism of the trunk support unit 130 will be described.
In FIG. 20, the parallel link mechanism supported by the moving unit 120 is composed of two parallel links A (200A) and parallel links B (200B) that operate in a horizontal plane. These parallel link mechanisms are independently driven by one drive motor 20MA, 20MB. The link A (200A) is deformed by the drive motor 20MA, and the waist portion Ph of the trunk is moved laterally in the horizontal plane.
The drive motor 20MB is deformed by the link B (200B), and the waist Ph is rotated in a horizontal plane. At this time, it is possible to keep the lower limb drive unit 140 in a posture that is always parallel to the front direction 130F of the trunk support unit 130. A natural walking motion can be realized by the movement of these lower back and lower limbs. Details of the movement are described below.

<Assistance method 3 during regular training>
The third example of the assistance method during normal training is an example in which the waist swings in synchronism with the movements in the three axial directions of up / down, left / right, and rotation.
FIG. 21 is a diagram for explaining a third example of the assistance method during normal training. FIG. 21A is a diagram showing the relationship between the ground contact state of the foot and hip swinging. FIG. FIG. The period of the waveform of (A) is synchronized with walking, and the left and right amplitudes are set such that the center of the waist does not protrude from the sole. The horizontal axis is time t.
Looking at the relationship between the ground contact state of the foot and the waist swing in FIG. 21 (A), assistance is provided through the trunk support unit 130 so that the waist swings left and right in a cycle synchronized with walking. That is, in the controller 300 (FIG. 2), the trunk support unit 130 (FIG. 2) and the lower limb drive unit 140 (FIG. 2) of the moving unit 120 (FIG. 2) of the drive unit 100 (FIG. 2) operate in cooperation. Let At that time, in the movement of the waist of the person being assisted, the swinging of the waist is assisted as shown in FIG. 21B so that a natural walking motion is performed according to the ground contact state of the foot.
That is, in the middle of the second stance from the top in FIG. 21 (B) (right leg ground contact), an assist operation for swinging the hips left on the horizontal surface of the waist, turning left on the frontal plane, and swinging to the right. Are executed at the same time.
In addition, in the middle of the fourth stance from the top in FIG. 21 (B) (left leg ground contact), the assisting operation for the right turn on the horizontal surface of the waist, the right turn on the frontal plane, and the swinging to the left side. Are executed at the same time.
Also, in the top both-leg support period in FIG. 21 (B), if the immediately preceding middle stance phase is the left leg contact, there is no left turn on the horizontal plane, left turn on the front face, and no side swing. Assistance for this is executed.
In addition, if the right middle of the stance in the third leg from the top in FIG. 21 (B) is a right leg contact, the right turn on the horizontal plane, the right turn on the frontal plane, and no side swing Perform assistance actions.

<Assistance method 4 during regular training>
A fourth example of the assistance method during normal training will be described with reference to FIG.
The operation of FIG. 22 and the operation of FIG. 21 are performed in synchronization.
In the controller 300 (FIG. 2), control is performed so as to assist the cooperative operation of the whole body. The arm swinging motion synchronizes the crotch bending and stretching motion and the swing of the waist. That is, the input value to the arm swing measurement unit 230 (FIG. 8), that is, the rotation angle of the bar gripped by the hand is measured. A command to the drive unit 100 (FIG. 2) is generated so that the phases of the swinging motions of the front and back of each arm and the lower limb on the same side are shifted by 180 degrees (see the diagram of FIG. 22). FIG. 22 shows how the angles of the front and rear directions of the right shoulder and the right crotch are synchronized. The left shoulder and left crotch angles are also synchronized. However, the right side and the left side are out of phase by a half period.
Note that a reaction force can be generated by incorporating a motor in the arm swing measurement unit 230. In so-called robot engineering, the arm swing measurement unit 230 is a master, and the trunk support unit 130 (FIG. 2) and the lower limb drive unit 140 (FIG. 2) of the moving unit 120 (FIG. 2) that the controller 300 controls cooperatively are slaves. Master / slave control or bilateral control can be realized. That is, the arm swing measurement unit 230 can be moved while feeling a part of the reaction force when the waist and thighs are assisted.
Even in the care recipient P who has lost the sense of the lower back and lower limbs by this reaction force, the movement of the lower back and lower limbs can be felt by the reaction force on the arms.

  As described above, according to the present invention, high safety, in particular, a fall can be prevented, the static walking pattern to the dynamic walking pattern can be assisted, and the remaining voluntary property can be utilized, and fatigue is reduced for a long time. Thus, a walking assistance robot that can perform mobile walking training instead of large-scale training can be obtained.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Walking assistance robot 12A Amplifier 12G Gear 12M Motor 12S Shaft 12W Drive wheel 13B Connecting arm 13F Locking hole 13L Left arm 13R of bifurcated arm Right arm 13M of bifurcated arm Motor 14L L type link 14S Shaft 14M / G Motor 16A with gear Rotation Angle sensor 16BR that measures the angle Brake 16B that stops rotation Waist belt 16D Thigh belt 16F Locking portion 16R Connection belt 16T Torsion bar 17A Airbag 17B Thigh belt 17F Hook fastener 17H U-shaped plastic frame 18A Airbag 18B Abdominal belt 18P Pressure Sensor 18S Pressure or acceleration sensor 23A Angle sensor 23B Input bar 23BR Brake 23J Rotating shaft 100 Driving unit 120 Car body 130 as moving unit Trunk support unit 131 Angle sensor 132 Degree sensor 140 Lower limb drive unit 160 Inseam support unit 161 Rotation shaft 162 that rotates freely in a horizontal plane and has an angle sensor Rotation shaft 163 that rotates in a vertical plane and has an angle sensor and a brake Adhering unit 170 Thigh support unit 180 Waist Support member 190 Arm swing input unit 200 Walking state measurement unit 210 Inseam measurement unit 220 Hip swing measurement unit 300 Controller P Assisted person Pd Thigh Ph Waist Pt Hand Pa Upper limb

Claims (19)

A drive unit that is worn on the body of the person being assisted and trained to walk the person being assisted;
A walking state measuring unit comprising a sensor that measures the trunk movement of the care recipient, a sensor that measures the movement of the lower limbs, and a sensor that measures the swing of the arm;
It is determined from the measurement results of each sensor whether or not the caregiver falls, and if it is determined to be “falling”, a command to prevent this is generated, and if it is determined that “not to fall”, it is normal A controller for generating a command as training, and giving the generated command to the servo system of the drive unit to control it;
A walking assistance robot having
Independent two-wheel drive drive in which the drive unit assists or suppresses the movement of the entire person in the back-and-forth / left-right turn of the person being assisted and suppresses or assists with respect to swinging including lateral movement of the person being assisted by the waist A moving part with a ring;
A trunk support unit that assists or restrains the swing including turning of the person being assisted, and assists or suppresses input by an arm swing input unit that inputs the swing of the person being assisted;
A walking assistance robot, comprising: a lower limb driving unit that assists or suppresses movement of a lower limb around a joint of a hip, knee, and foot of the person being assisted. The moving part has independent two driving wheels, and is composed of a vehicle body incorporating a power source and a control part,
The trunk support unit is connected to the vehicle body and has a horizontal axis rotation drive shaft for supporting the waist of the person being supported to support the waist of the person being supported;
The arm swing input unit is connected to the trunk support unit, and inputs the swing of the person being assisted,
The lower limb drive unit is connected to the trunk support unit to drive the lower limb of the person being assisted;
The walking assistance robot according to claim 1, further comprising a crotch support unit that is coupled to the trunk support unit and supports the crotch of the person being assisted from below. The trunk support unit is connected to the moving unit via a gear and a motor that rotationally drives in the horizontal axis direction, and supports a bifurcated member that supports the waist of the person being supported from the left and right and supports the trunk from the rear. At the end of the shaft,
The lower limb drive unit is connected to the bifurcated member of the trunk support unit via a pair of gears and a motor that independently drive the left and right lower limbs of the person being assisted, and the sensor of the walking state measurement unit walking aid robot according to claim 1, wherein the mounting the amplifier and. The crotch support unit is coupled to the trunk support unit, and a support member that supports the crotch of the person being assisted when the tip thereof is disposed in the crotch of the person being assisted and the crotch of the person being assisted sinks;
The support member includes a sensor for measuring the waist movement of the person being assisted and a sensor for measuring the front / rear / left / right / up / down movements of the lower limb thighs,
A waist swing measuring unit provided with a sensor for measuring the waist movement of the caregiver of the trunk support unit;
The walking assistance robot according to claim 2, further comprising an arm swing input unit including a sensor for measuring a movement of an upper limb of the person being assisted. The walking assistance robot according to claim 1, wherein the controller executes the following steps (1) and (2).
(1) Based on the predetermined threshold value a of each measurement value and each measurement value x acquired in the walking state measurement unit, 80% (0.8 * a) of the corresponding threshold value a and the threshold value comparing a with each measured value x and determining any of the following (A) to (C);
(A) If any sensor value x satisfies | x | <0.8a, it is determined that “the assistance operation is continued” .
(B) If any sensor value x is a> | x |> = 0.8a, it is determined that “the assisting operation is suppressed” .
(C) Further, if any one of the sensor values x is | x |> = a, it is determined that “ the operation of the driving unit is temporarily stopped” .
(2) A step of commanding the determination result to the drive unit. The walking assist robot according to claim 1, wherein the controller executes the following steps (1) to (4).
(1) determining a corresponding discrimination score from a target value of misclassification probability as a threshold value for judgment of pause, and predetermining this as a threshold value a;
(2) obtaining a discrimination score c of the measurement value based on each measurement value x acquired in the walking state measurement unit;
(3) 80% (0.8 * a) of the threshold value a corresponding to each measurement value x and the threshold value a are compared with the discrimination score c corresponding to each measurement value x , and the following (a) to (a): A step of determining any of (c),
(A) If | c | <0.8a is satisfied, it is determined that “the assistance operation is continued” .
(B) If a> | c |> = 0.8a, it is determined that “the assisting action is suppressed” .
(C) If | c |> = a, it is determined that “ the operation of the drive unit is temporarily stopped” .
(4) Commanding the determination result to the drive unit. The walking assistance robot according to claim 1, wherein the controller executes the following steps (1) to (3).
(1) a step of selecting in advance measurement values relating to the feature of interest and setting each threshold value a of the measurement values;
(2) Based on the measurement value acquired in the walking state measurement unit, the threshold value a corresponding to the measurement value is compared with each measurement value x, and any one of the following (A) to (C) A step of making a decision;
(A) If all the current measurement values x satisfy | x |> a according to the threshold value a, it is determined that “ the operation of the drive unit is temporarily stopped” .
(B) If not (i), if at least one of the current measured values satisfies | x |> 0.8a, it is determined that “the assisting operation is suppressed” .
(C) If not (b), it is determined that “the assistance operation is continued” .
(3) A step of commanding the determination result to the drive unit. The walking assistance robot according to claim 1, wherein the controller executes the following steps (1) to (3).
(1) A step of obtaining a moving average σ and a standard deviation sd of each measurement value based on current and past sensor information acquired by the walking state measurement unit;
(2) In at least one measurement value, the absolute value | x−σ | of the difference between the current measurement value x and the moving average σ is compared with the standard deviation sd. A step of determining any of (c),
(A) If | x−σ | <sd, it is determined that “the assistance operation is continued” .
(B) If 2sd> | x−σ |> = sd, it is determined that “the assisting action is suppressed” .
(C) If | x−σ |> = 2sd, it is determined that “ the operation of the driving unit is temporarily stopped” .
(3) A step of commanding the determination result to the drive unit. The controller is
(1) If it is determined that the operation is suppressed, one or more of the following (A) to (E) are performed,
(A) Decreasing the moving speed of the moving part,
(B) Decreasing the speed of hip swinging by the moving part and trunk support part,
(C) Increasing the viscosity of the rotation shaft of the crotch support part,
(D) Increasing the viscosity of the movement of the member gripped by the hand of the person being assisted in the arm swing input unit;
(E) Decrease the speed of the lower limb movement of the lower limb drive unit,
(2) If the operation is determined to be paused, perform one or more of the following (to) to (nu),
(F) Stop the movement of the moving part,
(G) Stop hip swinging by the moving part and trunk support part,
(H) fixing the rotation of the crotch support part,
(I) fixing the movement of the member gripped by the hand of the person being assisted in the arm swing input unit;
(Nu) Stop the lower limb movement of the lower limb drive unit,
(3) When it is determined that the operation is to be continued , the next (Le) is performed. (Le) The arm so as to assist the two-dimensional swinging of the hip of the person being assisted in the frontal plane and the lateral movement. Based on the input to the swing input unit, the walking period of the person being assisted is estimated, and in synchronization with this, the moving unit of the driving unit, the trunk support unit, and the lower limb driving unit are operated in a coordinated manner.
The walking assistance robot according to any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein the walking assistance robot is characterized. The arm swing input unit includes an arm swing input bar for gripping with the caregiver's hand, a rotation shaft for coupling the arm swing input bar to the trunk support unit, and an angle sensor on the rotation shaft. The walking assistance robot according to claim 4 , further comprising: a brake and a brake, wherein the movement of the arm swing input bar is restricted by the brake to suppress the swing of the arm. The crotch support unit is coupled to the trunk support unit via a torsion bar, and includes an angle sensor and a brake coaxially, and measures the posture of a member that supports the waist by the angle sensor, and pressure / acceleration・ A sensor for measuring any one of the contact pressures is provided at a plurality of locations near the rotation axis of the member that supports the waist, and the two-dimensional swing and load of the waist in the frontal plane turning and lateral movement are measured, The walking assistance robot according to claim 4, wherein a posture change of a member that supports the waist is restrained by the brake. The waist swing measurement unit is
A waist belt provided in front of the trunk of the person being assisted ,
Each airbag provided to the waist belt and the trunk support member;
A pressure controller that adjusts the pressure of each airbag according to a command from the controller;
The walking assistance robot according to claim 4 , further comprising a pressure sensor disposed on each surface of the airbag. The controller is
If it is determined that the operation is to be continued , a command is generated to the lower limb drive unit so as to reduce the pressure of the airbag and perform flexible control according to the measurement value of the pressure sensor measured by the waist swing measurement unit. And
If the action is determined to be suppressed, generate a command to the lower limb drive unit to increase the pressure of the airbag and suppress flexible control,
The command to the lower limb drive unit is generated to further increase the pressure of the airbag and stop the flexible control when the operation is determined to be temporarily stopped . walking aid robot according (1). The moving part has an on-site turning function by the driving wheel, and is expressed by flexible control that realizes a flexible model composed of a spring / damper system based on pressure information measured by the pressure sensor. The walking assistance robot according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the turning function turns left and right as if having a mechanism. The moving unit detects the pressure p1 applied to the left and the pressure p2 applied to the right by the pressure sensor, obtains a torque T with respect to the turning center of the moving unit based on a pressure difference p1-p2 between the left and right, and The walking assistance robot according to claim 14 , wherein a turning angle θ is obtained from the flexible model and each driving wheel of the moving unit is driven based on the moving unit turning command value θ. The trunk support part is
Supported by the moving unit, each of which includes a first parallel link and a second parallel link that operate in a horizontal plane, and each link is independently driven by one drive motor,
Assisting the trunk of the person being assisted with the first parallel link in the lateral direction , turning the second parallel link in a horizontal plane,
Realizing a rectilinear movement in the lateral direction by the movement of the moving unit that moves in the front-rear direction in synchronization with the operation of the first parallel link and moves to cancel the movement in the front-rear direction caused by the movement of the first parallel link. The walking assistance robot according to claim 1 . The controller is
Paying attention to the fact that the movement of the lower back of the person being assisted changes in accordance with the ground contact state when the moving part, the trunk support part and the lower limb driving part in the driving part are operated in a coordinated manner. Depending on the ground contact state of the caregiver ’s foot,
(1) During the middle stage of stance (right leg ground contact), the left turn on the hip horizontal plane, the left turn on the front face, and the assisting action for swinging to the right side are executed simultaneously.
(2) During the middle stage of stance (left leg ground contact), simultaneously perform a right turn on the horizontal surface of the waist, a right turn on the frontal face and a swinging motion to the left,
(3) During both legs support period
(A) If the middle stage of the stance is the left leg ground contact, the left turn on the horizontal plane, the left turn on the front face, and the absence of side swing,
(B) If the middle stage of the immediately preceding stance is the right leg ground contact, an assisting operation is performed for a right turn on the horizontal plane, a right turn on the frontal plane, and no side swing. The described walking assistance robot. The controller is
At the rotation angle of the swing input bar of the arm that is held by the caregiver, which is an input value to the arm swing input unit , the phase of the swing motions of the front and back of each other is between one arm and the lower limb on the same side. The walking assistance robot according to any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein a command to the driving unit is generated so as to be shifted by 180 degrees. A drive unit that is worn on the body of the person being assisted and trained to walk the person being assisted;
A walking state measuring unit comprising a sensor that measures the trunk movement of the care recipient, a sensor that measures the movement of the lower limbs, and a sensor that measures the swing of the arm;
It is determined from the measurement results of each sensor whether or not the caregiver falls, and if it is determined to be “falling”, a command to prevent this is generated, and if it is determined that “not to fall”, it is normal A walking assistance robot having a controller for generating a command as training, and providing the generated command to a servo system of the drive unit to control the command,
An independent two-wheel drive drive wheel in which the drive unit assists or suppresses the movement of the entire person in the forward / backward / left / right turn of the person being assisted and also assists or suppresses part of the swing of the person's waist. A moving part comprising a vehicle with
A trunk support unit that assists or restrains another part of the person's waist swing and assists or suppresses input by an arm swing input unit that inputs the swing of the person being assisted;
A lower limb drive unit that assists or suppresses the movement of the lower limbs around the hip, knee, and foot joints of the person being assisted;
A crotch support part connected to the trunk support part to support the crotch of the person being assisted from below;
The drive wheels are provided on both sides of the vehicle, and inverted control is performed.
The trunk support portion has a shape in which the rotation shaft and its tip are divided into two forks, the waist of the care recipient is fixed between the forks, and the opposite side of the rotation shaft is attached to the vehicle,
The arm swing input part is provided in the bifurcated part,
The lower limb drive unit includes a frame that surrounds the thigh of the person being assisted, an airbag that is attached to the frame and that holds the front and back of the thigh, and the frame is swung around the hip joint of the person being assisted A swing member, and a motor that swings the swing member, and the motor is attached to the trunk support portion;
The crotch support portion supports a waist portion of the person being assisted by a connecting belt that connects between a waist belt, a thigh belt, and the belts, and the waist belt is supported by a rotation axis in a horizontal plane with an angle sensor and a vertical with an angle sensor and a brake. The walking assistance robot according to claim 1, wherein the walking assistance robot is attached to the trunk support portion via an in-plane rotation axis.

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