KR101641346B1

KR101641346B1 - Walking assistant device having a slip measurement system

Info

Publication number: KR101641346B1
Application number: KR1020140146999A
Authority: KR
Inventors: 김영우
Original assignee: 한국기계연구원
Priority date: 2014-10-28
Filing date: 2014-10-28
Publication date: 2016-07-21
Also published as: KR20160049638A

Abstract

The walking aid device includes a fixing part for holding a user or fixing the user, an extension frame extending downward from the fixing part, and a slip measurement part fixed to an end of the extension frame and contacting the ground surface. The slip measurement unit includes a cover unit, a contact unit, a photographing unit, and a light source unit. The cover portion is connected to an end of the extended frame to form a storage space therein. The contact portion is fixed to an end of the cover portion and is brought into contact with the ground and deformed according to the shape of the ground. The photographing unit is accommodated in the storage space and photographs the deformed shape of the contact portion. The light source unit is housed in the accommodating space and provides light to the contact unit.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a walking assist device,

[0001] The present invention relates to a walking aiding apparatus capable of measuring a slip, and more particularly, to a walking aiding apparatus capable of measuring slip or slip occurrence and enabling a user to measure a slip during walking.

In the case of walking aids or sticks for handicapped persons or elderly people to use for rehabilitation or simple walking, in order to improve the bearing capacity and safety of the user so far, it is necessary to include three or more frames structurally, And a technique of covering a material for raising the frictional force is applied to the portion. However, the above-described techniques are only very early technologies for improving the friction force, which is insufficient to improve the safety of the user.

For example, as described in Korean Patent Application No. 10-2011-0037053, there has been developed a technique of a support tip for improving the supporting force at the end of a cane or a crutch. However, Technology.

On the other hand, Korean Patent Application No. 10-2011-0121168 discloses a technique of adding a worm gear to the front wheel on the lower surface of the front leg portion to prevent slippage in a technique related to a multi-function electric walker for rehabilitation patients.

However, when the worm gear is added, the friction force is improved as a whole to prevent slippage, but the walking speed is decreased and the force applied by the user for walking may increase.

As described above, the slip or slip prevention technique of the walking aids developed up to now is merely a level that increases the frictional force with the ground without measuring the slip state. Accordingly, since the frictional force is increased as a whole, There is an inconvenience that unnecessary power is required to be transferred even in a situation where the vehicle is not in operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a walking assistant device capable of measuring slip and estimating slip occurrence to improve user's safety and convenience.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the walking assist device includes a fixing part for holding a user or fixing the user, an extension frame extending downward from the fixing part, And a slip measuring part which is in contact with the ground. The slip measurement unit includes a cover unit, a contact unit, a photographing unit, and a light source unit. The cover portion is connected to an end of the extended frame to form a storage space therein. The contact portion is fixed to an end of the cover portion and is brought into contact with the ground and deformed according to the shape of the ground. The photographing unit is accommodated in the storage space and photographs the deformed shape of the contact portion. The light source unit is housed in the accommodating space and provides light to the contact unit.

In one embodiment, the slip measurement unit may further include a plate portion disposed between the cover portion and the contact portion and forming a boundary between the storage space and the contact portion.

In one embodiment, the contact portion includes an elastic material, and fluid may be filled between the plate portion and the contact portion.

In one embodiment, the slip measurement unit further includes a video processing unit that receives information on the deformed shape of the contact portion from the photographing unit and calculates an area ratio between the fixed region and the contact region in the deformed shape of the contact portion .

In one embodiment, the image processing section can calculate the area ratio of the fixed area and the contact area based on the luminance difference of the photographed image of the contact part.

In one embodiment, dots may be formed on the inner surface of the contact portion at regular intervals.

In one embodiment, the control unit may further include a control panel unit for comparing the area ratio of the fixed region and the contact region calculated by the image processing unit with predetermined slip conditions stored in the database to determine a sleep state.

In one embodiment, the controller may further include a non-slip part for informing the user of the slip state at the control panel end or preventing the slip.

In one embodiment, the photographing unit may include a pair of cameras to photograph the deformed shape of the contact portion in a stereo vision manner.

According to the embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to measure or predict the sleep state of the walking aids, and in particular, it is possible to secure the safety of users who have severe side effects when they are slipped, such as the elderly, the patient or the disabled.

Particularly, since the slip measurement unit capable of directly measuring the slip state is fixed to the end of the walking aids where actual slip occurs, it is possible to secure the safety of the user from the accurate measurement of the slip state.

Also, since the slip measurement unit can directly determine the slip state from an image or an image of a deformed shape of the contact unit, it is possible to accurately measure the slip state.

Particularly, since the area ratio between the fixed region and the contact region can be directly calculated from the contact image or the image of the contact portion by the luminance difference, the speed of the calculation for determining the sleep state increases and the user can be informed of the sleep state, It is possible to provide a time margin for the operation of the safety device of FIG.

Further, since the dots are formed on the contact portion, the area ratio can be calculated by the ratio of the number of dots, so that the speed of the calculation of the image processing unit is improved and the accuracy of the calculation is also improved.

In addition, since the photographing unit includes a pair of cameras and photographs the deformed shape of the contact portion in a stereo vision manner, the accuracy of the photographed image is improved, and the slip state can be measured more accurately.

On the other hand, it is possible to provide an alarm to the user on the basis of the measured sleep state or to prevent slippage through a separate sleep prevention system, thereby improving the safety of the user.

1 is a perspective view illustrating a walking aid according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged internal perspective view of the slip measurement unit of FIG. 1. FIG.
Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the contact portion of Fig. 2. Fig.
4 is a plan view showing a state in which the contact portion of Fig. 2 is in contact with the ground.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the sleep preventing system of the walking aiding apparatus of FIG. 1;
6 is a perspective view illustrating a walking aid according to another embodiment of the present invention.

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention. Like reference numerals are used for like elements in describing each drawing. The terms first, second, etc. may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms.

The terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. The terminology used in this application is used only to describe a specific embodiment and is not intended to limit the invention. The singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In the present application, the term "comprises" or "comprising ", etc. is intended to specify that there is a stated feature, figure, step, operation, component, But do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, parts, or combinations thereof.

Unless defined otherwise, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries are to be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the contextual meaning of the related art and are to be interpreted as either ideal or overly formal in the sense of the present application Do not.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a perspective view illustrating a walking aid according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1, the walking aiding apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment includes a fixed portion 12, an elongate frame 11, and a slip measuring portion 100.

In FIG. 1, the fixing part 12 is shown as an example of a knob that a user grasps. However, in the case of a user having a weak grip, the fixing part 12 may be deformed into a form capable of resting on the body or fixing the body.

The extension frame 11 extends downward from the fixing part 12 and can be formed of a material having high rigidity to support the weight of the user. 1, two pairs of the extended frames 11 extend from the fixed portion 12, but the number and structure of the extended frames 11 can be variously modified.

The slip measuring unit 100 is fixed to an end of the elongate frame 11 and when the elongate frame 11 has four elongated frames as shown in FIG. Respectively.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged internal perspective view of the slip measurement unit of FIG. 1. FIG. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the contact portion of Fig. 2. Fig.

2, the slip measurement unit 100 includes a cover unit 110, a photographing unit 120, a light source unit 130, a plate unit 140, a contact unit 150, and an image processing unit 160 .

The cover 110 is connected to an end of the extension frame 11 and extends in the direction of the paper surface, and forms a storage space 111 therein.

For example, when the elongated frame 11 is formed in a generally long pipe shape, the cover portion 110 also extends like a pipe in the same shape as the outer shape of the elongated frame 11, 111 form a space similar to a cylindrical inner space.

The contact portion 150 is fixed to an end of the cover portion 110, and the contact portion 150 has a hemispherical shape as a whole, and contacts the ground.

The accommodating space 111 and the contact portion 150 formed by the cover portion 110 are separated from each other by the plate portion 140. That is, the contact portion 150 has a hemispherical shape from the plate portion 140 and extends downward to be in contact with the ground.

The outer surface of the contact portion 150 is made of a material having an elastic force so that the outer surface of the contact portion 150 is deformed according to the contact force or contact direction of the contact portion 150 with the ground.

Meanwhile, since the contact portion 150 should ultimately bear the weight of the user supported by the walking aids 10, it is preferable that the outer surface of the elastic material has a relatively high strength.

Meanwhile, the contact portion 150 may be formed of a transparent material. Accordingly, as will be described later, the light provided through the inner light source 130 can be transmitted through the contact portion 150 and emitted to the outside.

The space between the plate portion 140 and the outer surface of the contact portion 150 can be maintained such that the contact portion 150 is in contact with the ground surface at a predetermined pressure . For this, although not shown, a pressure holding portion for keeping the pressure of the air at a constant level can be provided in the storage space 111.

Alternatively, the space between the plate portion 140 and the outer surface of the contact portion 150 may be filled with the fluid 151 at a predetermined pressure. In this case as well, a pressure holding portion for keeping the pressure of the fluid 151 constant can be provided in the receiving space 111, and the fluid 151 can pressurize the outer surface of the contact portion 150 at a constant pressure .

Since the contact portion 150 is filled with a material having a predetermined pressure such as air or fluid, the contact portion 150 is in contact with the ground at a constant pressure, and the shape deformed by the contact force with the ground It can be kept constant depending on the magnitude and direction of the contact force.

Referring to FIG. 3, dots arranged at regular intervals may be formed on the inner surface of the contact portion 150 with a predetermined dot pattern 152.

Thus, the image processing unit 160 compares the arrangement of the dots before deformation of the contact unit 150 with the arrangement of the dots of the contact unit deformed by the contact between the ground and the deformed shape of the contact unit 150, can do.

The plate portion 140 includes a transparent material similar to the contact portion 150 so that light is supplied to the contact portion 150 without being reflected by the light source portion 130.

The photographing unit 120 is housed in the storage space 111 and photographs a shape deformed as the outer surface of the contact unit 150 contacts the ground. In this case, the photographing unit 120 may photograph the shape of the deformed contact unit 150 by moving images or photographs, and the photographed image or image is provided to the image processing unit 160.

The camera 120 may be a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. The camera 120 may include a pair of cameras. The deformed shape of the contact unit 150 may be a stereo And can be processed in a stereo vision manner. Accordingly, the deformed shape of the contact portion 150 can be more accurately processed, and the image or image can be more easily aligned in the process of integrating a plurality of images or images.

The light source unit 130 provides light in a downward direction in which the contact unit 150 is located and in this embodiment the cover unit 110 forms a cylindrical storage space 111 as a whole, Is disposed in a circular plate shape so as to be spaced apart from the outer circumferential surface of the cover unit 110 by a predetermined distance in a state where the photographing unit 120 is positioned at the center as shown in FIG.

In this case, although not shown, a plurality of light sources may be disposed on the lower surface of the light source 130 so as to be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance to provide light having a predetermined brightness in the direction of the contact unit 150. The plurality of light sources may be point light sources such as LEDs.

The light provided through the light source unit 130 passes through the plate part 140 of a transparent material and is transmitted to the contact part 150 through the fluid 151 or the air.

The image processing unit 160 processes an image or an image related to the deformed shape of the contact unit 150 photographed from the photographing unit 120.

4 is a plan view showing a state in which the contact portion of Fig. 2 is in contact with the ground.

Generally, when the tangential force acting on the friction surface is smaller than the friction resistance on the friction surface, no slip occurs. On the contrary, when the tangential force is greater than the friction resistance, .

Hereinafter, a region of the friction surface when the tangential force on the friction surface is kept smaller than the frictional resistance as the former is defined as a stick region. In this case, the fixing region is defined as a minimum area where slip does not occur, and is different from the actual contact area.

For example, when a user grasps a cup with his / her hand, the user can not lift the cup because the user's hand and the cup come into contact with each other. That is, a minimum contact area for lifting the cup is required for the user to lift the cup by hand, and a contact area where the hand and the cup are in contact with each other when the user holds the cup by hand has a minimum area As shown in Fig.

This is also applied to the slip of the walking aiding device 10 of the present embodiment. Even if the contact portion 150 and the ground surface are in contact with each other, slip may occur, and the minimum value for preventing the contact portion 150 from slipping The contact portion 150 does not slip when the fixed region is included in the contact region.

On the other hand, the area of the minimum fixing area can be determined by measuring or predicting the tangential force and the frictional resistance on the friction surface. Generally, the force applied by the user to the walking aids 10, The force required to support the back and the frictional resistance between the contact portion 150 and the ground can be predicted. In this case, the structure of the walking aids 10 and the number of the extension frames 11 must be considered simultaneously.

Therefore, the minimum fixing area where the slip does not occur and the entire contact area in this case can be defined by experiments, simulations, or the like in consideration of the structure of the actual walking aiding device 10 and the weight of the user, It is possible to predict whether or not the slip of the walking aiding device 10 occurs by measuring the area of the fixed area and the contact area in this embodiment based on the information about the area of the fixed area and the entire contact area .

In particular, the information about the area of the fixation area and the entire contact area defined through the above-described experiment or simulation is stored in a database 171 described later.

That is, when the area ratio of the stick region (S _S ) and the contact region (S _C ) is defined as a stick ratio (φ) according to the following formula (1) The slip does not occur.

Fixation ratio (φ) = fixed region (S _S ) / contact region (S _C ) Equation (1)

On the other hand, when the fixing ratio is decreased from 1 and becomes smaller than a specific value as approaching 0, slip of the walking aids 10 occurs.

In this case, whether or not the slip occurs when the fixation ratio reaches exactly the value is determined by experimenting or predicting whether a slip occurs according to the ratio of the fixed region and the contact region under the actual walking condition have.

That is, in the present embodiment, the image processing unit 140 calculates the value of the fixation ratio from the image or the image photographed by the photographing unit 120 during actual walking, and outputs the value of the fixation ratio thus calculated to the database Is compared with the value of the stiffness ratio in the case where a predetermined slip is generated on the slippery surface 171 to predict whether or not slip occurs in the actual walking state or the possibility of slip occurrence.

The photographing unit 120 photographs the deformed shape of the contact unit 150 in contact with the ground and the image or the image photographed by the photographing unit 120 is provided to the image processing unit 140 do.

For example, the image taken by the photographing unit 120 can be obtained as shown in FIG. 4. Referring to FIG. 4, the area where the contact unit 150 contacts the ground surface is fixed Can be divided into a region (X) and a contact region (Y).

In this case, light is supplied to the contact unit 150 by the light source unit 130, and light provided from the light source unit 130 is reflected when the contact unit 150 contacts the ground. Accordingly, the brightness of the reflected light of the light provided by the light source unit 130 changes according to the state that the contact unit 150 is in contact with the ground, and the brightness difference of the reflected light is detected by the image captured by the photographing unit 120 Image.

That is, since the contact portion 150 is formed of a transparent material, the image of the contact portion 150 photographed when the contact portion 150 is in contact with the ground surface has a relatively low luminance. In the case where there is no contact with the ground surface, The image of the contact portion 150 having a relatively high brightness.

On the other hand, as described above, the fixing region A is relatively in contact with the ground with a high frictional force, and the contact region B is a region with a low frictional force and relatively low frictional force with the ground. .

Particularly, since the contact portion 150 has an elastic force including an elastic material, the reflected light reflected by the contact portion 150 contacting the ground has a very low luminance in the fixing region A, (B) has a relatively high luminance.

Since the fixed region A must maintain a frictional force of a predetermined magnitude or more, the reflected light reflected from the fixed region A maintains a very low luminance constantly, but the reflected light reflected by the contact region B The luminance increases as the distance from the fixing region A increases.

That is, in the present embodiment, the image processing unit 140 detects a boundary where the brightness difference occurs in the photographed image of the contact unit 150, judges the region where the brightness is kept very low as the fixed region A And a region in which the luminance gradually increases is determined as the contact region (B). The image processing unit 140 calculates the ratio of the area determined as the fixed area A and the area determined as the contact area B to calculate the fixing ratio.

However, as described above, by forming dots at uniform intervals on the inner surface of the contact portion 150 and simply calculating the number of dots in the fixed region and the number of dots in the contact region, The fixation ratio which is the ratio of the area of the fixation area and the contact area in the image processing unit 140 can be easily calculated.

Alternatively, although not shown, a mesh shape having a uniform gap is formed on the inner surface of the contact portion 150, and the number of regions divided by the mesh is simply calculated, so that the fixing ratio is easily calculated It is possible.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the sleep preventing system of the walking aiding apparatus of FIG. 1;

5, the walking aiding apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment further includes a control panel end 170, a database 171, and a non-skid portion 180.

As described above, the minimum fixing area in which slip does not occur in consideration of the structure of the actual walking aiding device 10 and the weight of the user, and the entire contact area in this case can be defined through experiments or simulations, Information about the area of the fixation area and the entire contact area defined in this manner is stored in the database 171.

That is, the database 171 stores information on how much the slip occurs when the fixing ratio defined by Equation (1) is smaller than a certain value. For example, the database 171 may store information about occurrence of slip when the fixing ratio is 0.5 or less.

Information about the fixing ratio of the walking aids 10 in the actual walking environment calculated through the image processor 160 is provided to the control panel end 170 and the control panel end 170 is provided with the image The information about the fixation ratio calculated through the processing unit 160 is compared with the information about the fixation ratio generated by the slip stored in the database 171. [

When the fixed ratio calculated by the image processing unit 160 is greater than the fixing ratio at which the slip occurs, the control panel end unit 170 determines that the slip does not occur. However, When the fixing ratio is smaller than the fixing ratio at which the slip occurs, the control panel end portion 170 determines that slip occurs.

Alternatively, the control panel end 170 may predict the occurrence of a slip based on the transition of the fixing ratio value calculated by the image processing unit 160. [

As described above, the control panel end 170 can determine or predict the sleep state of the walking aiding device 10. If the walking aiding device 10 is in the sleep state or is expected to slip, Thereby preventing the walking aids 10 from slipping.

As a result of the control panel end 170 determining that the walking assist device 10 is in a sleeping state or in a state where sleeping is expected, the non-skid portion 180 may be configured to notify the user of the situation have.

Alternatively, although not shown, it is possible to limit the driving or movement of the walking aids 10 including the braking structure of the walking aids 10.

6 is a perspective view illustrating a walking aid according to another embodiment of the present invention.

6, in the walking aiding apparatus 20 according to the present embodiment, one extension frame 21 is extended from a fixing part 22 which can be supported or gripped by the user, and the end of the extension frame 21 And a slip measuring part 100 is fixed to an end of the additional extension frame 23. The slip measuring part 100 is fixed to the end of the additional extension frame 23. [

In this case, the structure of the slip measurement unit 100 and the slip determination method are the same as those described with reference to Figs. 1 to 5. However, since the structure of the walking aids 20 is modified in this embodiment, The value of the fixing ratio at which the slip is stored in the database 171 is stored as a changed value through another experiment or simulation and based on this, the slip state of the walking aiding device 100 at the control panel end 170 .

According to the present embodiment as described above, it is possible to measure or predict the sleeping state of the walking aiding device, and in particular, it is possible to secure the safety of the users with severe side effects when the user slips, such as the elderly, the patient, or the disabled.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims. It can be understood that it is possible.

The walking aiding device according to the present invention has industrial applicability that can be used as a walking aiding device assisting the patient, the elderly or the disabled.

10, 20: a walking aid device 11, 21: extension frame
12, 22: fixing part 100: slip measuring part
110: cover part 111: storage space
120: photographing unit 130:
140: plate portion 150: contact portion
152: dot pattern 160: image processing section
170: control panel end 171: database
180: Non-slip portion

Claims

A fixing part for fixing the user or holding the user, an extension frame extending downward from the fixing part, a slip measurement part fixed to the end of the extension frame and contacting the ground, and a control panel end,
Wherein the slip measurement unit comprises:
A cover part connected to an end of the elongate frame to form a storage space therein;
A contact portion which is fixed to an end of the cover portion and is deformed according to the shape of the ground surface in contact with the ground surface;
A photographing unit housed in the storage space for photographing a deformed shape of the contact portion;
A light source housed in the storage space and providing light to the contact portion; And
And an image processing unit which receives information on the deformed shape of the contact portion from the photographing unit and calculates an area ratio between the fixed region and the contact region in the deformed shape of the contact portion,
Wherein the control determining unit determines the sleep state by comparing the area ratio of the fixed area and the contact area calculated by the image processing unit with predetermined slip conditions stored in the database.

The apparatus according to claim 1,
Further comprising a plate portion disposed between the cover portion and the contact portion to form a boundary between the storage space and the contact portion.

3. The method of claim 2,
The contact portion includes an elastic material,
Wherein a fluid is filled between the plate portion and the contact portion.

delete

The image processing apparatus according to claim 1,
And calculates the area ratio of the fixed area and the contact area based on the luminance difference of the photographed image of the contact part.

6. The method of claim 5,
And dots are formed on the inner surface of the contact portion at regular intervals.

delete

The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising a non-slip part for informing a user of the slip state at the end of the control panel or preventing slippage.

The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the photographing unit includes a pair of cameras, and photographs the deformed shape of the contact unit in a stereo vision manner.