JP6716499B2 - Cane for the visually impaired - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cane for the visually impaired for ensuring the safe walking of the visually impaired.

Conventionally, various devices have been considered for safely guiding visually impaired persons. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a guiding device for the visually impaired, which can safely guide even a place where a marker such as a Braille block is not provided. Specifically, the carriage main body 10 having the rotating wheels 11, the motor drive device that drives the rotating wheels 11, the pole portion 12 attached to the carriage portion 10, the grip portion 13, and the force operation of the operator are detected. The force sensor 14 for controlling the motor drive device is controlled according to the force operation of the operator by the force sensor 14, and the guidance device is moved according to the intention of the operator.

Further, Patent Document 2 discloses a guidance device for a visually impaired person who can provide more detailed information to the visually impaired person and guide them safely without relying on voice guidance. This device has a plurality of vibration actuators, and changes the vibration state of the vibration actuator to change the information to be transmitted.

Further, in Patent Document 3, a sensor is incorporated in the cane, and a sensor for detecting a step on the road surface and a display object for walking guidance laid on the road surface is provided at an intermediate portion of the cane. There is disclosed a method in which when a step is detected, an output is output from an earphone and a vibrator is vibrated to notify the step of the road surface or the presence or absence of an obstacle field.

Further, Patent Document 4 discloses a wand having a sensor, a detection unit, a diaphragm drive circuit, and a diaphragm of a piezoelectric element. In this cane, a vibration plate is provided in a portion of the cane that is held in the hand, and the vibration is transmitted to the hand, so that it is possible to reliably notify a danger by the vibration.

Further, in Patent Document 5, a device that emits infrared rays or radio waves is provided at the tip of the cane, and a switch for receiving reflection from the road or a signal from the road side is provided on the cane to reflect from the road or from the road side. When the switch is operated in response to the signal, a person who is visually impaired is notified by voice, signal, or vibration.

Further, in Patent Document 6, a vibrator is provided at a site where the little finger, forefinger, and thumb are located when holding a cane, a sensor for detecting an obstacle is provided on the cane, and the detection range of this sensor is divided into three. It is disclosed that the vibration of the vibrator is controlled by associating the three detection ranges with the position of the finger. By vibrating one of the three fingers to notify that an obstacle is detected in any of the three detection ranges, it is possible to appropriately notify the visually impaired person of the existence range of the obstacle. Is.

JP-A-2001-212189 JP, 2001-202590, A JP-A-6-343669 JP-A-5-146477 JP, 2004-118821, A JP, 2010-158472, A

The devices described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 described above have a problem that a visually impaired person needs to have a special device other than a white cane, which imposes a heavy burden on the visually impaired person.

Since the ones disclosed in Patent Documents 3 to 5 are the canes, they reduce the burden on the visually impaired and can notify dangers and the like. However, there is a problem that it is not possible to properly inform in which direction the obstacle is. Further, in Patent Document 6, since the range of the obstacle is notified by vibrating the finger, it is possible to know up to what distance range the obstacle is located. However, there is a problem in that it is not possible to intuitively know the range in which an obstacle exists, because it is necessary to remember the relationship between the three fingers and the range of distance.

The present invention has been made as a solution to the problems of the conventional device for notifying a visually impaired person of an obstacle as described above, and an object thereof is to intuitively inform the visually impaired person of the direction of the obstacle. It is possible to provide a cane for the visually impaired who is capable of appropriately avoiding danger.

A cane for the visually impaired according to the present invention is provided on a cane, and is configured to perform image recognition on image information obtained by the imager, which is provided on the cane and which is used to image the front of the cane in use. An image recognition means for detecting in which direction an obstacle including a person in the traveling direction of the user is in the walking stick, a sensor for measuring a distance to the obstacle, and a grip for holding the walking stick by the user. And a pressing means that is provided just below the tip side of the cane and applies a pressing force to the hand of the user in a direction corresponding to the direction of the obstacle from the cane, and the image recognition When the obstacle is detected by the means, the pressing force is directed by the pressurizing means in a direction corresponding to the direction of the obstacle, and has a magnitude corresponding to the distance to the obstacle obtained by the sensor. And a pressure control means for generating a pressing force .

In the cane for the visually impaired according to the present invention, the image recognition means detects the direction of the obstacle by dividing the direction of the obstacle into a straight traveling direction, a straight traveling direction to the right, and a straight traveling direction to the left, and the pressurizing means moves straight. Direction, rightward direction of straight traveling direction, leftward direction of straight traveling direction, and pressing force is applied in different directions of the walking stick, and the pressure control means detects an obstacle by the image recognition means. It is characterized in that the pressing force is generated by the pressing means according to the direction.

In the cane for the visually handicapped person according to the present invention, the image recognition means detects the size of the obstacle and the distance to the obstacle, and the pressure control means causes the obstacle detected by the image recognition means. The feature is that the magnitude of the pressing force is changed according to the size of the object and the distance to the obstacle.

In the cane for the visually handicapped person according to the present invention, when the obstacle is detected by the image recognition means and the obstacle is not detected, the pressurization control means does not generate the pressing force. It is characterized by stopping.

The cane for the visually impaired according to the present invention is characterized in that the pressurizing means transmits a pressing force from the cane to a hand by rotation of a motor provided with a flywheel.

The cane for the visually impaired according to the present invention is characterized in that the pressurizing means transmits a pressing force to a hand by a reciprocating rod of a mechanism for changing a rotational movement into a reciprocating movement.

According to the present invention, image recognition is performed on the image information obtained by the image pickup means to detect in which direction an obstacle including a person in the traveling direction of the user of the cane is located, and the cane corresponds to the direction. Since a pressing force is applied to the hand of the user in the direction of the moving direction, it is possible to intuitively inform the visually impaired that there is an obstacle in the direction of the pressed hand.

1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a cane for the visually impaired according to the present invention. It is a figure which shows the principal part of embodiment of the cane for visually impaired people who concerns on this invention, FIG.2(a) is a side view, FIG.2(b) is a front view. The block diagram which shows the principal part structure of 1st Embodiment of the cane for visually impaired people which concerns on this invention. The flowchart which shows operation|movement of embodiment of the cane for visually impaired people which concerns on this invention. The figure which shows an example of the image acquired by embodiment of the cane for visually impaired persons which concerns on this invention. FIG. 1 is a mechanism diagram showing a main part configuration of a first embodiment of a cane for the visually impaired according to the present invention.

An embodiment of a cane for the visually impaired according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In each of the drawings, the same constituents are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate description will be omitted. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the cane for the visually impaired may be provided with a guide device 20 immediately below the grip 11 of the white cane 10 used by the visually impaired.

The guiding device 20 is one in which each means is mounted in a casing 21 having a shape of a truncated pyramid as shown in, for example, FIGS. 2A and 2B. A hole 23 for inputting light to a camera 41 as an image pickup means is provided on the lower inclined surface 22 on the front surface of the housing 21, and a sensor 42 such as a radar, an ultrasonic sonar, or an infrared sensor is provided next to the hole 23. A measurement window 24 is provided for performing measurement by. The sensor 42 emits radar radio waves, ultrasonic waves, or infrared rays, receives the reflected radio waves, ultrasonic waves, or infrared rays, and determines the distance from the time between emission to reception and the speed of the radio waves, ultrasonic waves, or infrared rays. You can ask.

In the use state of the white cane 10, the inclined surface 22 in which the hole 23 and the measurement window 24 are formed is a surface substantially vertical to a horizontal line extending forward. Therefore, in this state, the camera 41 can take a horizontal front image. The measurement direction of the measurement window 24 is also the same.

The inside of the guidance device 20 is configured as shown in FIG. A battery 37 that supplies electric power to each unit is provided. Further, an image recognition device 36 which is an image recognition means, a pressurizing means 30, and a control device 35 which is a pressurizing control means are provided. A camera 41 is connected to the image recognition device 36. The camera 41 captures the front and obtains image information. The image recognition device 36 performs image recognition on the image information obtained by the camera 41, and detects in which direction an obstacle including a person in the traveling direction of the user on the white cane 10 is.

The pressing means 30 applies a pressing force to the user's hand in a direction corresponding to the direction of the obstacle from the white cane 10. In this embodiment, the pressurizing means 30 is composed of two flywheels 31, 33 and motors 32, 34 for rotating the flywheels 31, 33. The flywheels 31 and 33 can be formed by a uniform metal disk having an appropriate thickness. The flywheel 31 has a rotation axis in the vertical direction and is rotated left and right by a motor 32. When the shaft of the motor 32 is rotated in the left direction, the flywheel 31 is provided on the shaft of the motor 32 at the start of rotation, so that an inertia moment opposite to the rotation of the shaft acts on the motor 32, and 32 receives a force that rotates to the right. Such a force for rotating the motor 32 to the right is transmitted to the white cane 10 via the guidance device 20 to which the motor 32 is fixed, and corresponds to the right rotation of the white cane 10 on the hand holding the white cane 10. Pressure is applied.

When the motor 32 is rotated to the right, contrary to the above, at the start of rotation, the flywheel 31 is provided on the shaft of the motor 32, so that an inertia moment opposite to the rotation of the shaft acts on the motor 32, The motor 32 receives a force that rotates counterclockwise. Such a force that causes the motor 32 to rotate counterclockwise is transmitted to the white cane 10 via the guidance device 20 to which the motor 32 is fixed, and corresponds to the left rotation of the white cane 10 in the hand holding the white cane 10. Pressure is applied.

The flywheel 33 is provided on a shaft of a motor 34 having a rotation axis in a lateral direction, and the shaft of the motor 34 rotates from the front side to the side or from the side to the side. When the shaft of the motor 34 is rotated from the front side to the opposite side (clockwise in FIG. 3), at the start of rotation, the flywheel 33 is provided on the shaft of the motor 34. An inertia moment opposite to the rotation acts, and the motor 32 receives a force that rotates (counterclockwise) from the front side to the front side. Such a force that the motor 34 rotates from the opposite side to the front side (counterclockwise rotation) is transmitted to the white cane 10 via the guidance device 20 to which the motor 34 is fixed, and the hand holding the white cane 10 in the hand. Pressure corresponding to the rotation (counterclockwise rotation) of the white cane 10 from the opposite side to the front side is applied.

When the shaft of the motor 34 is rotated from the opposite side to the front side (counterclockwise rotation in FIG. 3), at the start of rotation, the flywheel 33 is provided on the shaft of the motor 34. An inertial moment opposite to the rotation acts, and the motor 34 receives a force that rotates (rotates right) from the front side to the side. Such a force that causes the motor 34 to rotate (to the right) from the near side to the opposite side is transmitted to the white cane 10 via the guidance device 20 to which the motor 34 is fixed, and is then transferred to the hand holding the white cane 10. Pressure corresponding to the rotation (right rotation) of the white cane 10 from the near side to the opposite side is applied.

The control of the above rotation is performed by the control device 35 which is a pressurizing control means. Further, a sensor 42 is connected to the control device 35, and information on the distance to the obstacle is given from the sensor 42 to the control device 35. The image recognition device 36 performs image recognition on the image information obtained by the camera 41, detects which direction of the obstacle in the white cane 10 including a person in the traveling direction of the user is, and controls the direction information. Send to 35. Here, it is assumed that the direction of the obstacle is divided into a straight traveling direction, a straight traveling direction to the right, and a straight traveling direction to the left, and detected, and the direction information is sent to the control device 35. In the detection of the straight-ahead direction, the image recognition device 36 recognizes the Braille block BK when the road condition is as shown in FIG. 5, and the extending direction is set as the straight-ahead direction. If the braille block BK does not exist, the boundary line of the road shoulder and the boundary stone S are recognized, the boundary line of the road shoulder and the extension line of the boundary stone S are obtained, and the line parallel to the above line from the current position of the visually impaired person. The direction is detected as a straight direction.

The control device 35 receives the above-mentioned direction information and divides it into a direction corresponding to the straight traveling direction, the straight traveling direction to the right, and the straight traveling direction to the left, and applies a pressing force to different directions of the white cane 10. Take control. That is, when the obstacle is in the straight traveling direction, the flywheel 33 controls the shaft of the motor 34 coupled to the shaft to rotate (counterclockwise) from the facing side to the front side, and holds the white cane 10. The hand is controlled so that a pressure corresponding to the rotation (right rotation) of the white cane 10 from the front side to the side is applied.

Further, when the obstacle is in the rightward direction in the straight traveling direction, the flywheel 31 rotates the shaft of the motor 32 coupled to the shaft counterclockwise, and the portion of the white cane 10 where the guide device 20 is provided rotates clockwise. The force exerted is controlled so that the hand holding the white cane 10 is applied with the pressure of clockwise rotation. When the obstacle is in the leftward direction in the straight direction, the flywheel 31 rotates the shaft of the motor 32 coupled to the shaft to the right, and the portion of the white cane 10 where the guide device 20 is provided rotates to the left. The force exerted is controlled so that the hand holding the white cane 10 is applied with the pressure of left rotation.

The cane for the visually impaired configured as described above performs the processing as shown in the flowchart of FIG. That is, the visually handicapped person holds the white cane 10 for use (S11). At this time, the front of the camera 41 is imaged (S12). Although the imaging direction of the camera 41 changes depending on the use of the white cane 10, an image having a wide angle is created as a whole, and the image recognition device 36 as an image recognition means performs image recognition to detect the direction of the obstacle (S13).

The control device 35 waits for the arrival of the direction information of the obstacle (S14), and when the direction information arrives, the corresponding motor is rotated to apply the pressure of the white cane 10 moving toward the obstacle to the hand holding the white cane 10. Control (S15). As described above, it is possible to intuitively inform the visually impaired person that there is an obstacle in the direction of the pressed hand. In the example of FIG. 5, people W are on the braille block BK in the front, and this is notified as an obstacle. Further, since the trash can D is left on the left side in front of the people W, this is notified as an obstacle.

Although the distance to the obstacle detected by the sensor 42 is not taken into consideration in the above, the distance to the obstacle detected by the sensor 42 is used, or the image recognition device 36, which is an image recognition means, performs image recognition. The distance or size to the obstacle may be used. Specifically, the controller 35 obtains a distance (for example, an average value if obtained from both) obtained by the sensor and the image recognition, and the control device 35 controls the fly according to the closeness of the distance and the size of the obstacle. The magnitude of the pressing force may be changed by changing the rotation speed of rotating the wheel. That is, as the distance becomes shorter and the size of the obstacle increases, the rotation speed for rotating the flywheel may be increased to increase the pressing force.

Further, when the state in which the obstacle is detected by the image recognition device 36 which is the image recognition means is changed to the state in which the obstacle is not detected, the control device 35 which is the pressurization control means does not generate the pressing force. It may be stopped. Further, the control device 35, which is the pressurizing control means, applies the pressing force in the direction opposite to the straight traveling direction by the pressurizing control means when the image recognition device 36 which is the image recognition means detects a predetermined state. May be executed. In addition, all or part of the guiding device 20 (for example, a pressing unit) may be provided in the white cane 10.

Further, the pressurizing means 30 may be a mechanism for transmitting a pressing force to a hand by means of a reciprocating rod of a mechanism that changes a rotational movement into a reciprocating movement. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, in the grip portion 11, the outer skin portion 51 is made of deformable flexible plastic so that the outermost portion is covered with a non-slip cloth or skin, and the motor 52A is internally provided. A crank 54A connected to the rotary shaft 53A is provided. A slider 56A that slides in the sliding tube 55A is connected between the crank 54A and the slider 56A by a connecting rod 57A. When the slider 56A jumps out, pressure is applied to the hand through the outer skin portion 51 to inform the direction of the obstacle.

The motor 52A, the crank 54A, the sliding tube 55A, the slider 56A, and the connecting rod 57A have a structure that notifies the direction to the right of the straight traveling direction. The motor 52B, the crank 54B, the sliding tube 55B, the slider 56B, and the connecting rod 57B have a structure for notifying the leftward direction of the straight traveling direction. The same structure as that shown in FIG. 6 is provided inside the grip portion 11 so that two sliders can move in a front direction and a rear direction. Thereby, similarly to the embodiment of the cane for the visually impaired described in the embodiment of FIG. 3, it is possible to intuitively inform the visually impaired that there is an obstacle in the direction of the pressed hand. ..

10 White Cane 11 Grip Part 12 Pole Part 20 Guidance Device 21 Housing 22 Slope 23 Hole 24 Measuring Window 30 Pressurizing Means 31, 33 Flywheels 32, 34 Motor 35 Control Device 36 Image Recognition Device 37 Battery 41 Camera 42 Sensor 51 Outer skin 52A, 52B Motor 53A Rotating shafts 54A, 54B Cranks 55A, 55B Sliding pipes 56A, 56B Sliders 57A, 57B Link rods

Claims (6)

Imaging means provided on the cane and for imaging the front in the usage state of the cane;
Image recognition means provided on the cane for performing image recognition on image information obtained by the imaging means, and detecting in which direction an obstacle including a person in the traveling direction of the user is located.
A sensor to measure the distance to the obstacle,
Pressurizing means provided directly below the cane tip side of a grip portion for the user to grip the cane, and applying a pressing force to the user's hand in a direction corresponding to the direction of the obstacle from the cane ,
An obstacle obtained by the sensor, which is provided on the walking stick and is a pressing force directed by the pressurizing means in a direction corresponding to the direction of the obstacle when the image recognition means detects the obstacle. And a pressurization control means for generating a pressing force having a magnitude corresponding to the distance to the visually impaired cane. The image recognition means detects the direction of the obstacle by dividing it into a straight traveling direction, a straight traveling direction to the right, and a straight traveling direction to the left,
The pressurizing means divides into a direction corresponding to a straight traveling direction, a straight traveling direction to the right, and a straight traveling direction to the left, and applies a pressing force to the cane in different directions.
The walking stick for a visually handicapped person according to claim 1, wherein the pressurizing control unit causes the pressing unit to generate a pressing force according to a direction in which the obstacle is detected by the image recognizing unit. The image recognition means is for detecting the size of the obstacle, the distance to the obstacle,
The visual sense according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pressurization control unit changes the magnitude of the pressing force according to the size of the obstacle detected by the image recognition unit and the distance to the obstacle. Cane for the disabled. The pressurization control means stops the generation of the pressing force when the obstacle is detected by the image recognition means and the obstacle is no longer detected by the image recognition means. The cane for the visually impaired according to any one of 3 above . The cane for a visually handicapped person according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the pressurizing means transmits a pressing force from the cane to a hand by rotation of a motor provided with a flywheel . 5. The visually impaired person according to claim 1, wherein the pressurizing means transmits a pressing force to a hand by a reciprocating rod of a mechanism that changes a rotary motion into a reciprocating motion . Cane.