KR20150113707A - Walking assist device and control method for the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a walking assistance apparatus which assists a user to walk. The walking assistance apparatus includes: a wheel driving unit which transmits power to wheels; a brake for braking the wheels; a torque sensor which is arranged on the wheels to measure the torque applied to the wheels; a gyro sensor which measures the slope of the walking assistance apparatus from the direction of the gravity and the angular velocity; a user torque calculation unit which calculates the torque due to gravity based on the slope measured by the gyro sensor and calculates the torque due to the user′s force based on the torque due to gravity and the torque measured by the torque sensor; a motion estimation unit which estimates the motion of the walking assistance apparatus based on the measured angular velocity, slope of the walking assistance apparatus, and the torque due to the user′s force; and a control unit for controlling the operation of the brake or the wheel driving unit based on the estimation result of the motion estimation unit.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a walking assist device,

The present invention relates to a walking assistance device and a walking aiding device control method, and more particularly, to a walking aiding device and a control method of a walking aiding device that can stably support a user's walking in a ramp.

A walking aiding device refers to a device that assists a user who is uncomfortable with the movement such as the elderly or the disabled. For example, a walker, a rollator, a walking frame, and a walking table assist the user in walking the device. These walking aids are evolving to support stable walking based on robot technology and control technology.

Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2013-0068555 discloses a walking assist device and its operation control method. Such a walking aid device controls the driving of the walking aiding device based on the force between the user and the first walking aiding unit and the floor reaction force measured by the second walking aiding unit.

Korean Patent Laid-Open No. 10-2006-0071507 discloses a walking aid and a method. The input walking aid recognizes the obstacle from the image data photographed by the camera, measures the distance to the obstacle, and informs the user that the obstacle is present.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2013-0068555 Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2006-0071507

An embodiment of the present invention is to provide a walking assistance device capable of stably assisting a user in walking.

An embodiment of the present invention is to provide a walking assistance device capable of stably assisting a user in walking not only on a flat surface but also on a ramp.

An embodiment of the present invention is to provide a walking assistance device capable of detecting a user's intention in a ramp using a torque sensor and a gyro sensor and coping with the intention.

An embodiment of the present invention is to provide a walking assist device capable of reducing power consumption with stable walking assistance.

Among the embodiments, the walking aiding device includes a wheel driving unit that is located on a wheel and transmits power directly to the wheel, a brake that brakes the wheel, a torque sensor that measures the torque applied to the wheel located on the wheel, A gyro sensor for measuring a tilt of the walking aid for the gyro sensor, a torque sensor for calculating a torque due to gravity on the basis of the tilt measured by the gyro sensor, and calculating a torque based on the torque measured by the torque sensor and the torque caused by the gravity A motion predictor for predicting a motion of the walking aiding device based on the measured angular velocity, the inclination of the walking aid, and the torque generated by the user force, And a control unit for controlling the driving of the wheel driving unit or the brake based on the control signal.

The user torque calculating unit may calculate the torque due to the user's force by subtracting the torque due to the gravity from the torque measured by the torque sensor when the tilt is measured by the gyro sensor.

The motion estimator may predict the possibility of rollover of the walking aid based on the measured angular velocity, the tilt of the walking aid, and the torque due to the user force.

In one embodiment, the motion predicting unit may predict a situation in which the user does not apply force on the ramp or the user does not hold the walking aid when the inclination is greater than or less than 0 and the torque due to the user force is 0 have.

If the slope is greater than or less than zero and the torque due to the user force is zero, the controller may stop driving the wheel drive unit and drive the brake. The control unit may cut off the current supplied to the coarse driving unit after the brake is driven.

Among the embodiments, the method for controlling the walking aid includes the steps of measuring the torque applied to the wheel by the torque sensor, measuring the slope of the walking assist device with respect to the angular velocity and gravity direction in the gyro sensor, Calculating torque by gravity on the basis of the measured inclination, calculating a torque by a user's force based on the torque measured by the torque sensor and the torque by the gravity, calculating the measured angular velocity, Estimating a motion of the walking assist device based on the inclination of the walking aiding device and the torque generated by the user force, and controlling the driving of the wheel driving part or the brake based on the predicted motion in the control part.

In one embodiment, in the step of predicting the motion, if the slope is greater than or less than zero and the torque due to the user force is zero, the user is not giving a force on the ramp, or the user is not holding the walking aid The situation can be predicted.

In the step of controlling the driving of the wheel driving unit or the brake, when the inclination is greater than or less than 0 and the torque caused by the user force is 0, the driving of the wheel driving unit may be stopped and the brake may be driven. After the driving of the brake, in the controlling step, the current supplied to the coarse driving unit can be cut off.

The wearable information input device according to an embodiment of the present invention can recognize the movement of the body by sensing the physical change of the user's body skin.

The wearable information input device according to an embodiment of the present invention can recognize the movement of the fingers and the wrist by sensing the physical change of the wrist skin due to the change of the wrist muscle, and can input information based thereon.

The wearable information input device according to an embodiment of the present invention can control an external device based on the recognized movement of the body.

1 is a view illustrating a walking assistance apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a view showing a wheel of the walking aiding apparatus shown in Fig. 1. Fig.
Fig. 3 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of the walking aid device shown in Fig. 1. Fig.
Fig. 4 is a view for explaining the configuration of the user torque calculating section shown in Fig. 3;
5 is a view for explaining a process of calculating the torque due to gravity in the user torque calculating unit.
Fig. 6 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the wheel drive unit shown in Fig. 3;
FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a walking assistance apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The description of the present invention is merely an example for structural or functional explanation, and the scope of the present invention should not be construed as being limited by the embodiments described in the text. That is, the embodiments are to be construed as being variously embodied and having various forms, so that the scope of the present invention should be understood to include equivalents capable of realizing technical ideas. Also, the purpose or effect of the present invention should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention, since it does not mean that a specific embodiment should include all or only such effect.

Meanwhile, the meaning of the terms described in the present application should be understood as follows.

The terms "first "," second ", and the like are intended to distinguish one element from another, and the scope of the right should not be limited by these terms. For example, the first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, the second component may also be referred to as a first component.

It is to be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" to another element, it may be directly connected to the other element, but there may be other elements in between. On the other hand, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected" to another element, it should be understood that there are no other elements in between. On the other hand, other expressions that describe the relationship between components, such as "between" and "between" or "neighboring to" and "directly adjacent to" should be interpreted as well.

It is to be understood that the singular " include " or "have" are to be construed as including the stated feature, number, step, operation, It is to be understood that the combination is intended to specify that it does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof.

In each step, the identification code (e.g., a, b, c, etc.) is used for convenience of explanation, the identification code does not describe the order of each step, Unless otherwise stated, it may occur differently from the stated order. That is, each step may occur in the same order as described, may be performed substantially concurrently, or may be performed in reverse order.

The present invention can be embodied as computer-readable code on a computer-readable recording medium, and the computer-readable recording medium includes all kinds of recording devices for storing data that can be read by a computer system . Examples of the computer-readable recording medium include a ROM, a RAM, a CD-ROM, a magnetic tape, a floppy disk, an optical data storage device, and the like, and also implemented in the form of a carrier wave (for example, transmission over the Internet) . In addition, the computer-readable recording medium may be distributed over network-connected computer systems so that computer readable codes can be stored and executed in a distributed manner.

All terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs, unless otherwise defined. Commonly used predefined terms should be interpreted to be consistent with the meanings in the context of the related art and can not be interpreted as having ideal or overly formal meaning unless explicitly defined in the present application.

1 is a view illustrating a walking assistance apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Various types of walking aids have been researched and developed. Hereinafter, the present invention will be described by taking a rollator as an example for convenience of explanation.

Referring to FIG. 1, the walking aiding device is composed of a frame and a wheel so as to assist a user in walking. The user can adjust the walking direction through the steering device provided in the frame, and control the operation (movement, stop, speed adjustment, etc.) of the walking aid through the control device.

The walking aiding device may have a plurality of wheels. Some or all of the plurality of wheels provided in the walking aiding device are directly transmitted from the wheel driving unit provided in the wheel. In one embodiment, the wheel drive may correspond to an in-wheel motor.

For example, when the walking aiding device has four wheels and two front wheels directly receive power from the wheel driving part provided on the corresponding wheel, the walking aiding device uses the power of the front two wheels, It is possible to assist the walking and adjust the walking direction. Hereinafter, for the sake of convenience of explanation, it is assumed that the walking assist device has four wheels, and the front two wheels receive power directly from the wheel driving unit provided in the wheel.

Fig. 2 is a view showing a wheel of the walking aiding apparatus shown in Fig. 1. Fig.

Referring to FIG. 2, a wheel directly receiving power through a driving unit provided on the wheel includes a wheel driving unit 210, a brake 220, and a sensor 230.

The wheel drive unit 210 is located on the wheel and transmits power directly to the wheel, and the brake 220 brakes the wheel. In one embodiment, the wheel may include a hybrid driver in which the wheel drive 210 and the brake 220 are integrated. When the wheel driving unit 210 and the brake 220 are integrally formed, the size and weight of the wheel driving unit 210 and the brake 220 can be reduced compared to a general structure in which the driving unit and the brake are independently constructed.

The sensor 230 is located on the wheel and measures the physical condition of the walking aids such as the torque, angular velocity, and tilt of the wheel. The type and number of sensors may vary depending on the type of physical condition to be measured. For example, the walking aid can predict the user's intention and the movement of the walking aiding device based on the torque, angular velocity, tilt, and the like applied to the wheel.

Fig. 3 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of the walking aid device shown in Fig. 1. Fig.

3, the gait assist device includes a first gyro sensor 312, a first torque sensor 314, a first user torque calculation unit 316, a second gyro sensor 322, a second torque sensor 324 A second user torque calculating unit 326, a motion predicting unit 330, a control unit 340, a first wheel driving unit 352, a first brake 354, a second wheel driving unit 362, (364).

In one embodiment, the first gyro sensor 312, the first torque sensor 314, the first wheel drive 352 and the first brake 354 may be provided on the left wheel and the second gyro sensor 322 The second torque sensor 324, the second wheel driver 362, and the second brake 364 may be provided on the right wheel.

The first gyro sensor 312 and the second gyro sensor 322 measure the tilt of the walking assist device with respect to the angular velocity and gravity direction in the left wheel and the right wheel, respectively. The gyro sensors 312 and 322 measure the angular velocity and integrate the angular velocity measured by the gyro sensor with time to calculate the inclination of the walking aiding device.

The first torque sensor 314 and the second torque sensor 324 measure the torque applied to each wheel from the left wheel and the right wheel, respectively, and output the measured torque as an electrical signal. At this time, the torque applied to each wheel measured through the first torque sensor 314 and the second torque sensor 324 is a sum of a torque due to the user's force and a torque applied to the walking aiding device due to gravity. Therefore, in order to obtain the torque due to the user's pure force, the torque due to gravity must be compensated at the torque measured by the torque sensors 314 and 324.

The first user torque calculating unit 316 and the second user torque calculating unit 326 calculate the torque due to the user force applied to the left wheel and the right wheel, respectively. The user torque calculating units 316 and 326 calculate the gravity torque (torque applied to the walking aiding apparatus by gravity) based on the tilt measured by the gyro sensors 312 and 314, and calculate the torque due to the calculated gravity And calculates the torque by the user's force based on the torque measured by the torque sensors 314 and 324.

FIG. 4 is a view for explaining the configuration of the user torque calculating unit shown in FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a view for explaining a process of calculating torque by gravity in the user torque calculating unit.

Referring to FIG. 4, the user torque calculating units 316 and 326 include a gravity torque calculating unit 410 and an adding unit 420.

The gravity torque calculation unit 410 calculates a gravity-based torque (torque applied to the walking aiding apparatus by gravity) based on the tilt measured by the gyro sensors 312 and 314. Referring to FIG. 5, when the walking assist device having a mass m is climbing a slope with a slope of?, The torque applied to the walking aiding device by gravity can be calculated as mg 占 sin ?.

The addition section 420 adds the torque value measured by the torque sensors 314 and 324 and the negative value of the torque value by the gravity calculated in the gravity torque calculating section 410 to calculate the torque by the user's force. That is, the torque value by gravity is subtracted from the torque value measured by the torque sensors 314 and 324, and torque by the user's force can be calculated.

3, the motion predicting unit 330 predicts the motion of the walking aiding device based on the angular velocity, the inclination of the walking aid, and the torque due to the user's force. The motion predicting unit 330 predicts the motion of the walking aiding apparatus based on a predefined kinematics model for the walking aiding apparatus and predicts the possibility of rolling over the walking aiding apparatus based on the predicted motion. In one embodiment, the motion predicting unit 330 predefines a kinematic model in which the angular velocity, the slope, and the torque due to the user force are variables, and the gyro sensors 312 and 322 and the user torque calculating units 316 and 326 The calculated angular velocity, tilt, and torque due to user force can be input to the model to predict the movement of the walking aids.

For example, if the slope is greater than or less than zero and the torque due to the user force is zero, the motion predicting unit 330 may determine that the user is not giving a force to the ramp or the user is not holding the walking aid And it can be predicted that the walking assist device slides down the ramp.

In another example, if the slope is greater than or less than zero and the difference in torque applied to both wheels is greater than a predetermined value, the motion predicting unit 330 predicts the situation where the user applies force only to one side of the walking- It can be predicted that the walking aids are overturned.

The control unit 340 controls driving of the wheel driving units 352 and 362 or the brakes 354 and 364 based on the prediction result of the motion predicting unit 330. According to the prediction result of the motion predicting unit 330, the controller 340 may control the left wheel and the right wheel simultaneously or independently.

For example, if the slope is greater than or less than zero and the torque due to the user force is zero, or if the slope is greater than or less than zero and the difference in torque between both wheels is greater than a preset value, The driving of the driving units 352 and 354 is stopped and the brakes 354 and 364 are driven. After driving the brakes 354 and 364, the controller 340 can cut off current supplied to the wheel drivers 352 and 354 to prevent unnecessary power consumption.

In another example, if the slope is greater than or less than zero and the difference in the torque applied to both wheels is greater than a predetermined value, the control unit 340 drives the wheel driving unit such that a larger torque is applied to the wheel, Alternatively, the wheel driving unit can be driven so that a smaller torque is applied to the wheel having a large torque by the user's force.

The first wheel driver 352 and the second wheel driver 362 are located on the left wheel and the right wheel, respectively, and transmit the power directly to the corresponding wheel under the control of the controller 340. The first brake 354 and the second brake 364 are located on the left wheel and the right wheel, respectively, to brake the corresponding wheel.

Fig. 6 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the wheel drive unit shown in Fig. 3;

Referring to FIG. 6, the wheel driving unit includes a motor control unit 610 and a motor 620. The motor control unit 610 outputs a motor control signal for controlling the driving of the motor 620 based on the control of the control unit 340 and the response signal fed back from the motor 620. The motor 620 is connected to the wheel through the drive shaft, and supplies power to the wheel under the control of the motor control unit 610.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a walking assistance apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to Fig. 7, the torque sensors 314 and 324 measure the torque applied to each wheel (step S710). The gyro sensors 312 and 322 measure the inclination of the walking assist device with respect to the angular velocity and the gravity direction (step S720).

The user torque calculating units 316 and 326 calculate the torque due to the gravity based on the measured slope and calculate the torque by the user force based on the calculated torque by the gravity and the torque measured by the torque sensors 314 and 324 (Step S730). Based on the torque of the user's force, the motion predicting unit 330 can grasp the user's intention and predict the motion of the gait assistant.

The motion predicting unit 330 predicts the motion of the walking assist device based on the angular velocity, the inclination of the walking assist device, and the user's force (step S740), and the control unit 340 determines, based on the predicted motion, 352, and 362 or the brakes 354 and 364 (step S750).

In one embodiment, if the slope is greater than or less than zero and the torque due to the user force is zero, the motion estimator 330 may determine that the user is not exerting a force on the ramp or that the user is not holding the walking aid It can be predicted that the walking assist device slides on the ramp in the situation.

In this case, the control unit 340 may stop the driving of the wheel driving units 352 and 362 and may drive the brakes 354 and 364. After the brake is driven, the control unit 340 blocks current supplied to the wheel drivers 352 and 362, thereby efficiently managing power consumption.

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 and scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims It can be understood that

312: first tilt sensor 314: first torque sensor
316: first user torque calculating section 322: second tilt sensor
324: second torque sensor 326: second user torque calculating section
330: motion prediction unit 340:
352: first wheel driving section 354: first brake
362: second wheel driving part 364: second brake

Claims (10)

A walking assistance device for assisting a user in walking, comprising:
A wheel driving unit positioned on the wheel and transmitting power directly to the wheel;
A brake for braking the wheel;
A torque sensor located on the wheel and measuring torque applied to the wheel;
A gyro sensor for measuring a tilt of the walking assist device with respect to an angular velocity and a direction of gravity;
A user torque calculating unit for calculating a torque due to gravity based on the tilt measured by the gyro sensor and calculating a torque by a user's force based on the torque measured by the torque sensor and the torque caused by the gravity;
A motion predictor for predicting a motion of the walking aid based on the measured angular velocity, the tilt of the walking aid, and the torque by the user force; And
And a control unit for controlling driving of the wheel driving unit or the brake based on the prediction result of the motion prediction unit. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user torque calculation unit
Wherein when the tilt is measured by the gyro sensor, the torque due to the gravity is subtracted from the torque measured by the torque sensor to calculate a torque due to the user's force. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the motion estimator
And estimates the possibility of rollover of the walking aid based on the measured angular velocity, the inclination of the walking aid, and the torque by the user force. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the motion estimator
And when the inclination is greater than or less than 0 and the torque due to the user force is 0, the user is not giving a force to the ramp, or the user is predicting that the user is not holding the walking aid. 5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the control unit
And stops the driving of the wheel driving unit and drives the brake. 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the control unit
And blocks current supplied to the driving unit after the brake is driven. A method of controlling a walking aiding apparatus,
Measuring a torque applied to the wheel from the torque sensor;
Measuring the tilt of the walking aid relative to the angular velocity and gravity direction in the gyro sensor;
Calculating a torque by gravity on the basis of the measured inclination in a user torque calculating unit, calculating a torque by a user force based on the torque measured by the torque sensor and the torque by the gravity;
Estimating a motion of the walking assist device based on the measured angular velocity, the tilt of the walking aid, and the torque by the user force; And
And controlling the driving of the wheel drive unit or the brake based on the predicted motion in the control unit. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein predicting the motion comprises:
Wherein when the inclination is greater than or less than zero and the torque due to the user force is 0, the user is not giving a force to the ramp or the user is not holding the walking aid. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the controlling
Wherein when the inclination is greater than or equal to zero and the torque due to the user force is zero, the driving of the wheel driving unit is stopped and the brake is driven. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the controlling
And after the brake is driven, a current supplied to the driving unit is cut off.

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