WO2018078733A1

WO2018078733A1 - Wheeled walking aid

Info

Publication number: WO2018078733A1
Application number: PCT/JP2016/081671
Authority: WO
Inventors: 文屋　潤; 有澤　浩一; 彰久横山; 拓未西山; 松田　弘文
Original assignee: 三菱電機株式会社
Priority date: 2016-10-26
Filing date: 2016-10-26
Publication date: 2018-05-03
Also published as: JPWO2018078733A1; JP6707143B2

Abstract

A wheeled walking aid is provided with: a body; wheels supported by the body; an obstacle detection unit for detecting the presence/absence of an obstacle in front of the body; a reporting unit for reporting information; and a control unit for controlling at least the reporting unit. The control unit is configured to, when an obstacle is detected, cause the reporting unit to report the presence of the obstacle.

Description

Walking assistance vehicle

The present invention relates to a walking assistance vehicle that assists a pedestrian in walking.

In Patent Document 1, a base frame extending in the left-right direction, a support column fixed to the base frame and extending upward, a left wheel provided on the left side of the base frame, a right wheel provided on the right side of the base frame, There is described a walker equipped with an inversion interlocking mechanism that inverts and interlocks the vertical movement of one of the left wheel and the right wheel caused by road surface unevenness with the movement of the other upside down direction. The document describes that the walker can prevent the walker from tilting left and right when one of the left wheel and the right wheel rides on the convex portion of the road surface or enters the concave portion. Yes.

JP2015-130933A

However, the walker of Patent Document 1 has a problem that it is not always easy to use because it cannot prevent a collision with an obstacle on the road surface such as a step in the traveling direction.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide a walking assistance vehicle that can improve usability.

A walking assistance vehicle according to the present invention includes a main body, wheels supported by the main body, an obstacle detection unit that detects the presence or absence of an obstacle in front of the main body, a notification unit that notifies information, and at least the notification A control unit that controls the unit, and the control unit is configured to cause the notification unit to notify the presence of the obstacle when the obstacle is detected.

According to the present invention, since the presence of an obstacle can be notified to the user, the walking assistance vehicle can be prevented from colliding with the obstacle. Therefore, the usability of the walking assist vehicle can be improved.

It is a side view which shows the structure of the walk auxiliary vehicle 500 which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a bottom view which shows the structure of the walk auxiliary vehicle 500 which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a front view which shows the structure of the walk auxiliary vehicle 500 which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a control block diagram which shows the structure of the walk auxiliary vehicle 500 which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the usage example of the walk auxiliary vehicle 500 which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure explaining the detection principle of the obstruction in the obstruction detection part 200 of the walk auxiliary vehicle 500 which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of the output spectrum of the obstacle detection part 200 in the walk auxiliary vehicle 500 which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of the output spectrum of the obstruction detection part 200 when there is no obstruction in the walk auxiliary vehicle 500 which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. In the walking assistance vehicle 500 which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention, the example of the relationship between the received signal level in the receiving part 220 of the obstacle detection part 200 and the distance from the obstacle detection part 200 to an obstacle is shown. It is a graph. In the walking auxiliary vehicle 500 which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention, it is a figure which shows the example of the flow of a signal until it notifies a user of presence of an obstacle after an obstacle is detected. In the walking auxiliary vehicle 500 which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention, it is a figure which shows another example of the flow of a signal until it notifies a user of presence of an obstacle after an obstacle is detected. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing executed by a control unit 420 after detecting an obstacle in the walking assist vehicle 500 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing another example of processing executed by control unit 420 after detecting an obstacle in walking assistance vehicle 500 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing still another example of processing executed by control unit 420 after detecting an obstacle in walking assistance vehicle 500 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
A walking assistance vehicle according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described. The walking assistance vehicle is a wheelbarrow for assisting walking of a pedestrian (hereinafter may be referred to as “user”), and is also called a silver car in Japan. FIG. 1 is a side view showing a configuration of a walking assistance vehicle 500 according to the present embodiment. The left side of FIG. 1 represents the front of the walking auxiliary vehicle 500, the right side of FIG. 1 represents the rear of the walking auxiliary vehicle 500, and the front direction of FIG. The back direction in FIG. 1 represents the right side of the walking assist vehicle 500. FIG. 2 is a bottom view showing the configuration of the walking assistance vehicle 500 according to the present embodiment. The lower part of FIG. 2 represents the front of the walking auxiliary vehicle 500, the upper part of FIG. 2 represents the rear of the walking auxiliary vehicle 500, the left side of FIG. The right side of FIG. 2 represents the right side of the walking assist vehicle 500. FIG. 3 is a front view showing the configuration of the walking assistance vehicle 500 according to the present embodiment. The front direction of FIG. 3 represents the front of the walking auxiliary vehicle 500, the right side of FIG. 3 represents the left side of the walking auxiliary vehicle 500, and the left side of FIG. ing. FIG. 4 is a control block diagram showing the configuration of walking assistance vehicle 500 according to the present embodiment. In the following drawings including FIG. 1 to FIG. 4, the relative dimensional relationships and shapes of the constituent members may be different from the actual ones.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the walking assistance vehicle 500 has four wheels including a left front wheel 80a, a right front wheel 80b, a left rear wheel 90a, and a right rear wheel 90b. The left front wheel 80a and the right front wheel 80b are driving wheels to which driving force from the electric motors 400a and 400b shown in FIG. 4 is transmitted. In the walking assist vehicle 500 of this example, an electric motor 400a that drives the left front wheel 80a and an electric motor 400b that drives the right front wheel 80b are provided independently. Further, the walking assistance vehicle 500 of this example is provided with a braking device 410 that brakes each of the left front wheel 80a and the right front wheel 80b independently. The two electric motors 400 a and 400 b and the braking device 410 are controlled by the control unit 420. The control unit 420 includes a microcomputer having a CPU, ROM, RAM, I / O port, and the like. Under the control of the control unit 420, the driving force of the left front wheel 80a and the driving force of the right front wheel 80b are controlled independently of each other. Further, under the control of the control unit 420, the braking force of the left front wheel 80a and the braking force of the right front wheel 80b are controlled independently of each other.

The walking assistance vehicle 500 can be driven straight and turn left and right by controlling the driving force of the left front wheel 80a and the right front wheel 80b or the braking force of the left front wheel 80a and the right front wheel 80b. ing. Each of the left front wheel 80a and the right front wheel 80b may be provided with a rotation speed sensor that detects the rotation speed and outputs a detection signal to the control unit 420. The control unit 420 can calculate the traveling direction, speed, turning radius, and the like of the walking assist vehicle 500 by acquiring the rotational speeds of the left front wheel 80a and the right front wheel 80b. The walking assist vehicle 500 is equipped with a power supply device (not shown) that supplies electric power to the electric motors 400a and 400b, the control unit 420, and the like.

The walking auxiliary vehicle 500 also has a first frame that supports the left front wheel 80a, the right front wheel 80b, the left rear wheel 90a, and the right rear wheel 90b. The first frame includes a left frame 70a, a right frame 70b, a front frame 70c, and a rear frame 70d each having a rod-like or tubular shape, and has a frame-like shape as a whole. The front frame 70c extends in the left-right direction of the walking assistance vehicle 500, and connects the left front wheel 80a and the right front wheel 80b. The rear frame 70d extends in the left-right direction of the walking assistance vehicle 500, and connects the left rear wheel 90a and the right rear wheel 90b. Each of the left frame 70a and the right frame 70b extends in the front-rear direction of the walking assistance vehicle 500, and connects the front frame 70c and the rear frame 70d. The front frame 70c and the left frame 70a are connected by a connecting portion 350. The front frame 70c and the right frame 70b are connected by a connecting portion 351. The rear frame 70d and the left frame 70a are connected by a connecting portion 352. The rear frame 70d and the right frame 70b are connected by a connection portion 353.

Further, the walking assistance vehicle 500 includes a handle 10 for the user to operate the traveling direction, the

second frames

20a and 20b, the

third frames

30a and 30b, the

fourth frames

40a and 40b, the fifth frame 50, and the sixth frame.

Frames

60a and 60b. The

second frames

20a and 20b, the

third frames

30a and 30b, and the

fourth frames

40a and 40b are frames for connecting the handle 10 and the first frame. The fifth frame 50 is a frame for mounting luggage or the like. The sixth frames 60 a and 60 b are frames for ensuring the load resistance of the fifth frame 50. Each of the

second frames

20a, 20b, the

third frames

30a, 30b, the

fourth frames

40a, 40b, the fifth frame 50, and the

sixth frames

60a, 60b has a rod-like or tubular shape.

The handle 10 is provided at the rear portion of the walking assistance vehicle 500 so that the user can easily grasp the walking assistance vehicle 500 from behind. The left end of the handle 10 is connected to the upper end of the second frame 20a. The right end of the handle 10 is connected to the upper end of the second frame 20b. For example, the left end of the handle 10 and the upper end of the second frame 20 a are connected by the connection portion 310.

The lower end of the second frame 20a is connected to the upper end of the third frame 30a, the upper end of the fourth frame 40a, and the left end of the fifth frame 50. The lower end of the second frame 20b is connected to the upper end of the third frame 30b, the upper end of the fourth frame 40b, and the right end of the fifth frame 50. For example, the lower end of the second frame 20a, the upper end of the third frame 30a, the upper end of the fourth frame 40a, and the left end of the fifth frame 50 are connected by the connecting portion 320.

The lower end of the third frame 30a is connected to the left side portion of the rear frame 70d or the rear end of the left frame 70a. The lower end of the third frame 30b is connected to the right side portion of the rear frame 70d or the rear end of the right frame 70b. The lower end of the fourth frame 40a is connected to the left side portion of the front frame 70c or the front end of the left frame 70a. The lower end of the fourth frame 40b is connected to the right side portion of the front frame 70c or the front end of the right frame 70b.

The sixth frame 60a is provided between the left side portion of the fifth frame 50 and the intermediate portion of the fourth frame 40a. For example, the left side portion of the fifth frame 50 and the upper end of the sixth frame 60 a are connected by the connection portion 330. The lower end of the sixth frame 60a and the middle portion of the fourth frame 40a are connected by a connection portion 340. Similarly, the sixth frame 60b is provided between the right side portion of the fifth frame 50 and the intermediate portion of the fourth frame 40b.

A first frame comprising a left frame 70a, a right frame 70b, a front frame 70c, and a rear frame 70d; a

second frame

20a, 20b; a

third frame

30a, 30b; a

fourth frame

40a, 40b; a fifth frame 50; The

sixth frame

60a, 60b constitutes the main body of the walking assist vehicle 500.

The front frame 70c is provided with an obstacle detection unit 200 that detects an obstacle in front of the walking assistance vehicle 500 (that is, a predetermined angle range including the traveling direction of the walking assistance vehicle 500). The obstacle detection unit 200 detects an obstacle in front of the walking assist vehicle 500 using ultrasonic waves, millimeter waves, infrared rays, and the like, and outputs an output signal to the control unit 420. Alternatively, the obstacle detection unit 200 captures a still image or a moving image in front of the walking assist vehicle 500 and outputs the captured data to the control unit 420 as an output signal. In the control unit 420, the presence / absence of an obstacle in front of the walking assist vehicle 500 is determined based on the output signal from the obstacle detection unit 200.

The handle 10 is provided with a notification unit 100 that notifies the user of information such as the detection of an obstacle. The notification unit 100 notifies the user of information using sound, light, vibration, or the like under the control of the control unit 420.

In addition, the handle 10 is provided with a button 110 that can be pressed by the user. The button 110 is pressed by the user when the user recognizes information notified by the notification unit 100, for example. The pressing of the button 110 is an example of a specific operation by the user. When the button 110 is pressed, a button pressing signal is output from the button 110 to the control unit 420. The control unit 420 that has received the button press signal can determine that the user has recognized the information notified to the notification unit 100.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a usage example of the walking assistance vehicle 500 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the user 600 holds the handle 10 of the walking assistance vehicle 500 and walks on the ground 800 while pushing the walking assistance vehicle 500 from the rear. In the state shown in FIG. 5, the surface of the ground 800 where the user 600 and the walking assistance vehicle 500 are currently located and the ground 810 in the traveling direction of the user 600 and the walking assistance vehicle 500 are convex with respect to the ground 800. A step 700 (an example of an obstacle) exists. That is, in the state shown in FIG. 5, the user 600 and the walking assistance vehicle 500 are traveling in the direction toward the step 700. If the walking assistance vehicle 500 travels as it is and the wheels, the main body, and the like of the walking assistance vehicle 500 collide with the step 700, the user 600 may lose the balance of the body due to the impact of the collision. For this reason, the control unit 420 of the walking assistance vehicle 500 grasps the position of the step 700 in advance based on the output signal output from the obstacle detection unit 200 and informs the notification unit 100 that the step 700 is approaching. The user 600 is notified. In addition, the control unit 420 controls the braking device 410 or the electric motors 400a and 400b as necessary to change the traveling direction of the walking assistance vehicle 500 so as to avoid the step 700, or to assist walking in front of the step 700. The vehicle 500 is decelerated or stopped. Furthermore, the control unit 420 may perform control to temporarily increase the driving force of the electric motors 400a and 400b after alerting the user 600 when getting over the step 700. Thereby, the user 600 and the walking assistance vehicle 500 can smoothly travel from the ground 800 to the ground 810.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining an obstacle detection principle in the obstacle detection unit 200 of the walking auxiliary vehicle 500 according to the present embodiment. Here, it is assumed that the obstacle detection unit 200 of this example is an ultrasonic sensor. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the obstacle detection unit 200 is provided adjacent to the transmission unit 210 that transmits the ultrasonic wave 230 in front of the walking assistance vehicle 500, and the obstacle (for example, the step 700). And a receiving unit 220 that receives the ultrasonic wave 240 reflected by. Thereby, the obstacle detection unit 200 can detect the presence or absence of an obstacle in front of the walking assist vehicle 500. As an obstacle other than the step 700, for example, a utility pole, a fire hydrant, a vehicle, and the like are assumed. The obstacle detection unit 200 is operating at least when the walking assistance vehicle 500 is moving forward. The obstacle detection unit 200 may be activated only when the walking assistance vehicle 500 is moving forward.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of an output spectrum of the obstacle detection unit 200 in the walking assistance vehicle 500 according to the present embodiment. The horizontal axis of FIG. 7 represents the propagation distance of the ultrasonic wave calculated by the time from the transmission to the reception of the ultrasonic wave. The vertical axis represents the reception signal level at the reception unit 220 of the obstacle detection unit 200. As shown in FIG. 6, a part of the ultrasonic wave 230 transmitted from the transmission unit 210 is reflected by an obstacle (for example, a step 700), and returns to the reception unit 220 as the ultrasonic wave 240. When the distance from the obstacle detection unit 200 to the obstacle is X, the distance that the ultrasonic wave propagates is about 2X. Therefore, in the output spectrum of the obstacle detection unit 200, a high level received signal is observed at point A corresponding to a distance of about 2X from the origin. That is, in the output spectrum of the obstacle detection unit 200, if the distance from the origin to the point A where the received signal level is maximum is Y, Y = 2X. Therefore, the actual distance X from the obstacle detection unit 200 to the obstacle can be expressed by X = Y / 2.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of an output spectrum of the obstacle detection unit 200 when there is no obstacle in the walking assistance vehicle 500 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, when there is no obstacle near the obstacle detection unit 200, a mountain as shown in FIG. 7 is not observed in the output spectrum of the obstacle detection unit 200.

As described above, the control unit 420 can determine the presence / absence of an obstacle and the distance to the obstacle based on the output spectrum output from the obstacle detection unit 200. For example, a threshold value of a received signal level (for example, an absolute value) is stored in advance in the ROM of the control unit 420. The control unit 420 determines that there is no obstacle in the output spectrum of the obstacle detection unit 200 when there is no mountain having a received signal level equal to or higher than the threshold, and there is a mountain having a received signal level equal to or higher than the threshold. If so, it is determined that there is an obstacle. In addition, when it is determined that there is an obstacle, the control unit 420 can obtain the distance X from the obstacle detection unit 200 to the obstacle based on the output spectrum of the obstacle detection unit 200.

FIG. 9 shows an example of the relationship between the reception signal level at the reception unit 220 of the obstacle detection unit 200 and the distance from the obstacle detection unit 200 to the obstacle in the walking assistance vehicle 500 according to the present embodiment. It is a graph to show. The horizontal axis in FIG. 9 represents the distance from the obstacle detection unit 200 to the obstacle. The vertical axis represents the received signal level at the point where the received signal level is maximum in the output spectrum of the obstacle detection unit 200. As shown in FIG. 9, the received signal level at the obstacle detection unit 200 increases as the distance from the obstacle detection unit 200 to the obstacle becomes shorter, even if the obstacle is the same. The smaller the distance from the obstacle to the obstacle, the smaller. Therefore, the above threshold value for determining the presence or absence of an obstacle may be changed based on the distance from the obstacle detection unit 200 to the obstacle.

Further, the control unit 420 is based on the relationship between the reception signal level at the point where the reception signal level is maximum in the output spectrum of the obstacle detection unit 200 and the distance from the obstacle detection unit 200 to the obstacle. The size of the obstacle (for example, the height from the ground) can be estimated. Thereby, the control unit 420 determines that the walking assistance vehicle 500 is based on the estimated size of the obstacle and information stored in the ROM in advance (for example, information such as the diameter of the left front wheel 80a and the right front wheel 80b). It can be determined whether or not an obstacle can be overcome. The obstacle detection unit 200 may include a plurality of sets of transmission units 210 and reception units 220 arranged at different height positions. Thereby, since the presence or absence of an obstacle can be detected for every arrangement height of the set of the transmission unit 210 and the reception unit 220, the overall height of the obstacle can be estimated more accurately.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a signal flow from when an obstacle is detected until the user is notified of the presence of the obstacle in the walking assistance vehicle 500 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 10, the obstacle detection unit 200 first generates a spectrum as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 based on the reception signal from the reception unit 220. The spectrum generated by the obstacle detection unit 200 is output from the obstacle detection unit 200 to the obstacle determination unit 941 via the first signal transmission unit 931 (for example, a signal line). The obstacle determination unit 941 is a functional block realized by the control unit 420 executing a predetermined program, for example. For example, the obstacle determination unit 941 determines that there is no obstacle when there is no mountain having a reception signal level equal to or higher than a preset threshold in the output spectrum of the obstacle detection unit 200. If there is a mountain having a received signal level of, it is determined that an obstacle exists.

When the obstacle determination unit 941 determines that an obstacle is present, the obstacle determination unit 941 outputs, for example, a high-level signal to the notification unit 100 via the second signal transmission unit 951 (for example, a signal line). On the other hand, when the obstacle determination unit 941 determines that there is no obstacle, the obstacle determination unit 941 outputs, for example, a low level signal to the notification unit 100 via the second signal transmission unit 951. The threshold level of the signal transmitted to the second signal transmission means 951 may be changed.

When the notification unit 100 receives, for example, a high-level signal from the obstacle determination unit 941, the notification unit 100 notifies the user of the presence of the obstacle by sound, light, vibration, or the like. Thereby, since the user can recognize the presence of an obstacle, the walking assistance vehicle 500 can be prevented from coming into contact with the obstacle. Therefore, usability of the walking assist vehicle 500 can be improved.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating another example of a signal flow from when an obstacle is detected until the user is notified of the presence of the obstacle in the walking assistance vehicle 500 according to the present embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 11, a third signal transmission means 961 and a braking device 410 are added as compared with the example shown in FIG. In this example, when the obstacle determination means 941 determines that an obstacle is present, not only the notification unit 100 but also the third signal transmission means 961 (for example, a signal line) is used for the braking device 410. For example, a high level signal is output. When the obstacle determination unit 941 determines that no obstacle exists, the obstacle determination unit 941 applies not only to the notification unit 100 but also to the braking device 410 via the third signal transmission unit 961, for example, a low level. The signal is output. The threshold levels of the signals transmitted to the second signal transmission unit 951 and the third signal transmission unit 961 may be changed to the same value or different values, respectively. Further, the obstacle determination means 941 may output the high level or low level signal to the electric motors 400a and 400b as necessary.

When the braking device 410 receives, for example, a high level signal from the obstacle determination means 941, the braking device 410 brakes the left front wheel 80a and the right front wheel 80b, and decelerates the speed of the walking assistance vehicle 500. Thereby, it can avoid more reliably that the walk auxiliary vehicle 500 contacts an obstruction. In addition, when the walking assistance vehicle 500 decelerates, the presence of an obstacle can be notified to the user.

In the above description, the determination of the presence or absence of an obstacle, the determination of the distance to the obstacle, and the determination of whether or not the obstacle can be overcome are performed based on the output of the obstacle detection unit 200 using ultrasonic waves. ing. However, these determinations may be performed based on the output signal of the obstacle detection unit 200 using millimeter waves or infrared rays, or based on the output signal of the obstacle detection unit 200 that captures a still image or a moving image. It may be done.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing executed by the control unit 420 after detecting an obstacle in the walking assistance vehicle 500 according to the present embodiment. In step S <b> 1 of FIG. 12, the control unit 420 determines whether or not the walking assistance vehicle 500 can get over the obstacle based on the output spectrum of the obstacle detection unit 200. If it is determined that the walking assistance vehicle 500 cannot get over the obstacle, the process proceeds to step S2.

In step S2, the control unit 420 causes the notification unit 100 to notify the presence of an obstacle. Thereby, the presence of an obstacle can be recognized by the user. In addition to the notification of the presence of an obstacle, the notification unit 100 may perform notification that prompts the user to perform a specific operation when the notification content is recognized. Specific operations include, for example, pressing the button 110, decelerating or stopping the walking assist vehicle 500, changing the traveling direction of the walking assist vehicle 500 so as to avoid obstacles, and the like.

Next, in step S3, the control unit 420 determines whether or not the specific operation is performed by the user within a predetermined time after the notification by the notification unit 100 is performed. If it is determined that a specific operation has been performed, the process ends. This is because, when a specific action is performed, it can be determined that the user recognizes the presence of an obstacle that the walking assist vehicle 500 cannot get over. When the user recognizes the presence of an obstacle, it is possible to avoid the walking assistance vehicle 500 from contacting the obstacle without the need for the walking assistance vehicle 500 to perform a special support operation. On the other hand, if it is determined that the specific operation is not performed, the process proceeds to step S4.

In step S4, the control unit 420 determines whether or not the distance from the obstacle detection unit 200 to the obstacle is less than a preset distance C. When it is determined that the distance from the obstacle detection unit 200 to the obstacle is less than the distance C, the braking device 410 starts to decelerate the walking assist vehicle 500 (step S5). Thereby, the speed of the walking auxiliary vehicle 500 becomes slow, for example, as it approaches an obstacle.

Next, in step S6, the control unit 420 determines whether or not the distance from the obstacle detection unit 200 to the obstacle is less than a preset distance D. Here, the distance D is a distance longer than 0 m and shorter than the distance C (0 m <D <C). When it is determined that the distance from the obstacle detection unit 200 to the obstacle is less than the distance D, a process of forcibly stopping the walking assist vehicle 500 by the braking device 410 is performed (step S7). Thereby, even if it is a case where the user has not recognized the presence of the obstacle which the walk auxiliary vehicle 500 cannot get over, the walk auxiliary vehicle 500 can be stopped before the walk auxiliary vehicle 500 contacts the obstacle. . Since the backward movement is allowed even when the walking assistance vehicle 500 is forcibly stopped, the walking assistance vehicle 500 can avoid an obstacle by the user's operation.

If it is determined in step S1 that the walking assistance vehicle 500 can get over the obstacle, the process proceeds to step S8.

In step S8, as in step S2, the control unit 420 causes the notification unit 100 to notify the presence of an obstacle. Thereby, the presence of an obstacle can be recognized by the user. In addition to the notification of the presence of an obstacle, the notification unit 100 may perform notification that prompts the user to perform a specific operation when the notification content is recognized. Specific operations include, for example, pressing the button 110, decelerating or stopping the walking assist vehicle 500, changing the traveling direction of the walking assist vehicle 500 so as to avoid obstacles, and the like.

Next, in step S9, as in step S3, the control unit 420 determines whether or not the specific operation has been performed by the user within a predetermined time after the notification by the notification unit 100 is performed. If it is determined that a specific operation has been performed, the process ends. This is because, when a specific action is performed, it can be determined that the user recognizes the presence of an obstacle that the walking assist vehicle 500 can get over. When the user recognizes the presence of an obstacle, the walking assistance vehicle 500 can get over the obstacle by the user's operation, without the walking assistance vehicle 500 performing a special support operation. If it is determined that the specific operation is not performed, the process proceeds to step S10.

In step S10, the control unit 420 determines whether or not the distance from the obstacle detection unit 200 to the obstacle is less than the distance C. If it is determined that the distance from the obstacle detection unit 200 to the obstacle is less than the distance C, the braking device 410 starts to decelerate the walking assistance vehicle 500 (step S11). Thereby, the speed of the walking auxiliary vehicle 500 becomes slow, for example, as it approaches an obstacle. By forcibly decelerating the walking assistance vehicle 500, the user can be made aware of the presence of an obstacle.

Next, in step S12, the control unit 420 determines whether or not the distance from the obstacle detection unit 200 to the obstacle is less than the distance D. Here, the distance D is longer than 0 m and shorter than the distance C in step S10 (0 m <D <C). However, the distance D in step S12 is not necessarily the same as the distance D in step S6. If it is determined that the distance from the obstacle detection unit 200 to the obstacle is less than the distance D, the obstacle getting-over assist is executed (step S13). The obstacle climbing assist is an operation for assisting the user when the walking assistance vehicle 500 gets over the obstacle. As a specific example of the obstacle climbing assistance, there is an operation of temporarily increasing the driving force of the electric motors 400a and 400b. By executing the obstacle climbing assist, the user's operation load necessary for the walking assistance vehicle 500 to get over the obstacle is reduced.

According to the processing of steps S10 to S13, the presence of an obstacle can be detected by forcibly decelerating the walking assistance vehicle 500 even for a user who cannot recognize the presence of the obstacle only by notification by the notification unit 100. Can be recognized more reliably. Further, when the walking assistance vehicle 500 gets over an obstacle, the user can be assisted by the obstacle getting-over assist.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing another example of processing executed by control unit 420 after detecting an obstacle in walking assistance vehicle 500 according to the present embodiment. Steps S21 to S33 in FIG. 13 are the same as steps S1 to S13 in FIG.

In the example shown in FIG. 13, if it is determined in step S29 that a specific operation has been performed, the process proceeds to step S34. In step S34, the control unit 420 determines whether or not the distance from the obstacle detection unit 200 to the obstacle is less than the distance D. If it is determined that the distance from the obstacle detection unit 200 to the obstacle is less than the distance D, the process proceeds to step S35.

In step S35, the control unit 420 determines whether or not to execute the obstacle climbing assist. For example, the user may be able to select whether or not the obstacle over assistance is necessary, and the control unit 420 may determine whether or not to execute the obstacle over assistance based on the user's selection. . If it is determined that the obstacle over assistance is to be executed, the process proceeds to step S36, and the obstacle over assistance is executed. On the other hand, if it is determined not to execute the obstacle climbing assist, the process is terminated as it is.

According to the example shown in FIG. 13, even if the user can recognize the presence of an obstacle by notification from the notification unit 100, the obstacle getting over assistance can be executed as necessary.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing still another example of processing executed by the control unit 420 after detecting an obstacle in the walking assistance vehicle 500 according to the present embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 14, when the control unit 420 determines that the walking assistance vehicle 500 cannot get over the obstacle (No in step S41), the same steps S42 to S45 as steps S4 to S7 in FIG. Perform the process. On the other hand, when it is determined that the walking assistance vehicle 500 can get over the obstacle (Yes in step S41), the control unit 420 performs the processing in steps S46 to S49 similar to steps S10 to S13 in FIG. That is, in the example illustrated in FIG. 14, the notification of the presence of an obstacle in the notification unit 100 and the determination as to whether a specific operation has been performed by the user can be omitted. Therefore, since the notification unit 100 and the button 110 can be omitted, the configuration of the walking assist vehicle 500 can be further simplified.

As described above, the walking assistance vehicle 500 according to the present embodiment includes the main body (for example, the first frame, the

second frames

20a and 20b, the

third frames

30a and 30b, the

fourth frames

40a and 40b, and the fifth frame. 50, the

sixth frame

60a, 60b), the wheels supported by the main body (for example, the left front wheel 80a, the right front wheel 80b, the left rear wheel 90a, the right rear wheel 90b), and the presence or absence of an obstacle in front of the main body The obstacle detection unit 200 that performs the notification, the notification unit 100 that notifies the information, and the control unit 420 that controls at least the notification unit 100 are provided. The control unit 420 is configured to cause the notification unit 100 to notify the presence of an obstacle when an obstacle is detected.

According to this configuration, since the user can be notified of the presence of an obstacle, the walking assistance vehicle 500 can be prevented from colliding with the obstacle. Therefore, usability of the walking assist vehicle 500 can be improved.

The walking assistance vehicle 500 according to the present embodiment further includes a braking device 410 that brakes the wheels. The control unit 420 determines whether or not a specific operation has been performed after informing the notification unit 100 of the presence of an obstacle, and determines that the specific operation has not been performed. The brake device 410 is configured to be controlled based on the distance.

When a specific operation is not performed by the user, it can be determined that the user has not recognized the presence of the obstacle even though the notification unit 100 performs the notification. Therefore, according to this configuration, even if the user does not recognize the presence of the obstacle, the walking auxiliary vehicle 500 can be decelerated or stopped before the walking auxiliary vehicle 500 collides with the obstacle.

In the walking assistance vehicle 500 according to the present embodiment, the control unit 420 is configured not to control the braking device 410 when it is determined that a specific operation has been performed.

When a specific action is performed by the user, it can be determined that the user recognizes the presence of an obstacle. Therefore, according to this configuration, it is possible to avoid the walking assist vehicle 500 from colliding with an obstacle by the user's operation without needing to control the braking device 410.

The walking assistance vehicle 500 according to the present embodiment further includes a braking device 410 that brakes the wheels. The control unit 420 determines whether or not the obstacle can be overcome based on the output signal of the obstacle detection unit 200. If the control unit 420 determines that the obstacle cannot be overcome, the braking device is based on the distance to the obstacle. 410 is configured to be controlled.

According to this configuration, when the obstacle cannot be overcome, the walking assistance vehicle 500 can be decelerated or stopped before the walking assistance vehicle 500 contacts the obstacle.

The walking auxiliary vehicle 500 according to the present embodiment further includes motors (for example, electric motors 400a and 400b) that drive wheels. When it is determined that the obstacle 420 can be overcome, the control unit 420 is configured to control the motor so as to support the obstacle.

According to this configuration, it is possible to reduce a user's operation load necessary for the walking assistance vehicle 500 to get over an obstacle.

In the walking assistance vehicle 500 according to the present embodiment, the notification unit 100 may notify the presence of an obstacle using sound, light, or vibration. In the walking assistance vehicle 500 according to the present embodiment, the obstacle detection unit 200 may detect the presence or absence of an obstacle using ultrasonic waves, millimeter waves, infrared rays, a still image, or a moving image.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, the front wheel-driven walking auxiliary vehicle 500 in which the left front wheel 80a and the right front wheel 80b are driven has been described as an example. Applicable.

In the above embodiment, the walking assistance vehicle 500 including the braking device 410 that brakes the left front wheel 80a and the right front wheel 80b is taken as an example, but the braking device 410 is not limited to the left front wheel 80a and the right front wheel 80b. The left rear wheel 90a and the right rear wheel 90b may also be braked.

10 handle, 20a, 20b second frame, 30a, 30b third frame, 40a, 40b fourth frame, 50 fifth frame, 60a, 60b sixth frame, 70a left frame, 70b right frame, 70c front frame, 70d rear frame, 80a left front wheel, 80b right front wheel, 90a left rear wheel, 90b right rear wheel, 100 notification unit, 110 button, 200 obstacle detection unit, 210 transmission unit, 220 reception unit, 230, 240 ultrasound, 310 320, 330, 340, 350, 351, 352, 353, connection unit, 400a, 400b, electric motor, 410 braking device, 420 control unit, 500 walking auxiliary vehicle, 600 user, 700 step, 800, 810 ground, 931 1st 941 signal transmission means Harm object determining unit, 951 second signal transmitting means, 961 a third signal transmission means.

Claims

The body,
Wheels supported by the body;
An obstacle detection unit for detecting the presence or absence of an obstacle in front of the main body;
An informing unit for informing information;
A control unit that controls at least the notification unit,
The control unit is a walking assistance vehicle configured to cause the notification unit to notify the presence of the obstacle when the obstacle is detected.
A brake device for braking the wheel;
The controller is
Determining whether a specific operation has been performed after notifying the notification unit of the presence of the obstacle,
The walking auxiliary vehicle according to claim 1, wherein when it is determined that the specific operation is not performed, the braking device is controlled based on a distance to the obstacle.
The walking auxiliary vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the control unit does not control the braking device when it is determined that the specific operation is performed.
A brake device for braking the wheel;
The controller is
Determine whether or not the obstacle can be overcome based on the output signal of the obstacle detection unit,
The walking assistance vehicle according to claim 1, wherein when it is determined that the obstacle cannot be overcome, the braking device is controlled based on a distance to the obstacle.
A motor for driving the wheel;
The controller is
The walking auxiliary vehicle according to claim 4, wherein, when it is determined that the obstacle can be overcome, the motor is controlled so as to support the obstacle.
The walking assistance vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the notification unit notifies the presence of the obstacle using sound, light, or vibration.
The walking assistance vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the obstacle detection unit detects the presence or absence of the obstacle using ultrasonic waves, millimeter waves, infrared rays, a still image, or a moving image.