JP6377403B2 - Guiding device and control method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a guidance device and a control method for guiding a user (for example, a visually impaired person).

  According to the statistics of the Japanese government in 2006, there are about 310,000 visually impaired people. The visually impaired can go out with the help of a guide helper, or go out alone using a white cane or a guide dog. Going out with the help of a guide helper is the safest and most reliable, but the number of guide helpers is not sufficient and there is a cost to hire guide helpers. In addition, the visually-impaired person feels like a guide helper and may cause mental stress to the visually-impaired person.

  For the independence and free social life of the visually impaired, a system for reducing the danger and mental stress associated with going out of the visually impaired alone and achieving safe and comfortable going out is required. In view of this, a guidance device has been proposed that guides a visually impaired person in the direction of travel, and supports route guidance and walking along the street.

  The guidance device described in Patent Literature 1 guides a user (for example, a visually impaired person). In this guidance device, when the rotating wheel is steered by the servo motor, the wheel portion turns. The behavior of the wheel part is transmitted to the grip part of the pole through the sliding part. Therefore, the user recognizes that the wheel portion has turned, and is guided by walking so as to follow the wheel portion.

JP 2004-174176 A

  However, Patent Document 1 does not describe the configuration of the sliding portion for the user to recognize the turning of the wheel portion. That is, a configuration for presenting the traveling direction of the guidance device to the user is not described.

  This invention is made | formed in view of the said subject, The objective is to provide the guidance apparatus and control method which can show a advancing direction to a user.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the guidance device includes a direction presentation shaft, a pair of wheels, a support member, a steering shaft, and a connecting means. The direction presentation shaft is gripped by the user, the support member rotatably supports the wheel, the steering shaft is fixed to the support member, and the connecting means connects the direction presentation shaft and the steering shaft. The connection means includes a first drive shaft, a second drive shaft, and a drive means. The drive means rotates the first drive shaft about the axis of the first drive shaft and rotates the second drive shaft about the axis of the second drive shaft. The steering shaft rotates about the axis of the steering shaft in response to the rotation of the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft. The direction presentation axis rotates about the axis of the direction presentation axis in response to the rotation of the first drive axis and the second drive axis.

  In the guidance device of the present invention, the connecting means is configured such that the axis of the direction presentation shaft, the axis of the steering shaft, the axis of the first drive shaft, and the axis of the second drive shaft intersect at one point. In addition, it is preferable to connect the direction presentation shaft and the steering shaft.

  The guidance device of the present invention preferably further includes a control means. The control means preferably controls the drive means to rotate the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft according to the formulas (1) and (2).

θ _roll : rotation angle of the first drive shaft around the axis θ _pitch : rotation angle of the second drive shaft around the axis θ _yaw : rotation angle of the steering shaft around the axis β: steering The angle of the direction presentation axis with respect to the axis

  It is preferable that the guidance device of the present invention further includes environment detection means for detecting the environment. Preferably, the control means determines the rotation angle of the first drive shaft and the rotation angle of the second drive shaft so as to correct the traveling direction according to the environment.

  In the guidance device according to the present invention, the control means includes a first mode in which the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft are rotated according to the formulas (1) and (2), the first drive shaft, and the first drive shaft. It is preferable to have a second mode in which the two drive shafts are rotated to make the steering shaft and the direction presentation shaft parallel.

  The guidance device of the present invention preferably further includes angle detection means for detecting an inclination angle of the steering shaft with respect to a vertical line. The control means preferably corrects the rotation angle of the first drive shaft and the rotation angle of the second drive shaft based on the tilt angle.

  In the guidance device of the present invention, the wheel is preferably a non-driven wheel that is not driven by a drive source.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the control method is a control method of the guidance device. The guidance device includes a direction presentation shaft gripped by a user, a pair of wheels, a support member that rotatably supports the wheels, a steering shaft fixed to the support member, and the direction presentation shaft and the steering shaft. It has a connection means to connect. The control method controls the driving means to rotate the first driving shaft around the axis of the first driving shaft of the connecting means, and to rotate the first driving shaft around the axis of the second driving shaft of the connecting means. A step of rotating the second drive shaft.

  According to the present invention, the user can recognize the change in the direction of the wheel, that is, the change in the traveling direction of the guidance device by recognizing the rotation of the direction presentation shaft. That is, the guidance device can present the traveling direction to the user.

It is a perspective view showing typically the guidance device concerning Embodiment 1 of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the rotation angle of the induction | guidance | derivation yaw axis | shaft of the guidance apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention, the rotation angle of a drive roll axis | shaft, and the rotation angle of a drive pitch axis | shaft. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the rotation angle of the induction | guidance | derivation yaw axis | shaft of the guidance apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention, and the rotation angle of a rod-shaped member. It is a perspective view which shows the guidance device which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the electric constitution of the guidance device which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the control method of the guidance device which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the movement locus | trajectory of the wheel of the guidance device which concerns on the Example of this invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is not repeated.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a guidance device 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The guidance device 1 guides a user (for example, a visually impaired person). The guide device 1 includes a pair of wheels 5, a support member 7, a connecting portion 11 (connecting means), a rod-shaped member 21t, a guide yaw shaft 31y, and a control portion 51 (control means). The bar-shaped member 21t functions as a direction presentation axis, and the guide yaw axis 31y functions as a steering axis.

  Each of the pair of wheels 5 can rotate independently. The pair of wheels 5 are non-driven wheels that are arranged on the rotation axis 5w and are not driven by a driving source. Since the drive source of the wheel 5 is not provided, it is possible to reduce the weight, size, and control of the guidance device 1. The support member 7 rotatably supports the pair of wheels 5.

  The connecting portion 11 includes a drive roll shaft 13r (first drive shaft), a drive pitch shaft 13p (second drive shaft), a drive portion 15 (drive means), a first yoke 16, and a second yoke 17. The first yoke 16 has a base portion 16a and a pair of arms 16b extending from the base portion 16a. The second yoke 17 has a base portion 17a and a pair of arms 17b extending from the base portion 17a.

The connecting portion 11 includes the rod-shaped member 21t and the guide yaw shaft so that the axis At of the rod-shaped member 21t, the axis Ay of the guide yaw shaft 31y, the axis Ar of the drive roll shaft 13r, and the axis Ap of the drive pitch shaft 13p intersect at one point. 31y is connected. Accordingly, in a state where the user holds the rod-shaped member 21t while allowing the rotation of the rod-shaped member 21t, the rotation angle θ _roll around the axis line Ar of the drive roll shaft 13r and the rotation angle around the axis line Ap of the drive pitch shaft 13p. By controlling θ _pitch , the rotation angle θ _yaw around the axis Ay of the guide yaw axis 31y can be easily set to a desired value. Further, the rotation of the rod-shaped member 21t around the axis At can be easily associated with the rotation of the guide yaw shaft 31y around the axis Ay.

  The drive roll shaft 13r is supported by one or both of the pair of arms 16b. The axis line Ar and the axis line Ay are orthogonal to each other. The axis line Ar and the axis line Ap are orthogonal to each other. The drive pitch shaft 13p is supported by one or both of the pair of arms 17b. The axis line Ap and the axis line At are orthogonal to each other.

  The position of the drive pitch axis 13p with respect to the drive roll axis 13r is constant. That is, the drive roll shaft 13r and the drive pitch shaft 13p are relatively unrotatable. For example, the drive roll shaft 13r and the drive pitch shaft 13p are joined. For example, the drive roll shaft 13r is provided on the first intermediate member, and the drive pitch shaft 13p is provided on the second intermediate member to join the first intermediate member and the second intermediate member.

  Since the position of the drive pitch axis 13p with respect to the drive roll axis 13r is constant, when the drive roll axis 13r rotates around the axis Ar, the drive pitch axis 13p also rotates around the axis Ar. Further, when the drive pitch shaft 13p rotates around the axis line Ap, the drive roll shaft 13r also rotates around the axis line Ap.

  The drive unit 15 is controlled by the control unit 51 to rotate the drive roll shaft 13r about the axis line Ar. The drive unit 15 is controlled by the control unit 51 to rotate the drive pitch shaft 13p around the axis line Ap.

  The bar-shaped member 21t is inclined toward the user with respect to the vertical line. One end portion of the rod-shaped member 21t is fixed to the base portion 17a of the second yoke 17, and the other end portion of the rod-shaped member 21t is gripped by the user. The rod-shaped member 21t rotates around the axis At in response to the rotation of the drive roll shaft 13r and the drive pitch shaft 13p. The rod-shaped member 21t is, for example, a cane (for example, a white cane).

  One end portion of the guide yaw shaft 31 y is fixed to the base portion 16 a of the first yoke 16, and the other end portion of the guide yaw shaft 31 y is fixed to the support member 7. For example, the guide yaw axis 31y is perpendicular to the ground contact surface of the wheel 5 or parallel to the vertical line. The guide yaw shaft 31y rotates about the axis Ay in response to the rotation of the drive roll shaft 13r and the drive pitch shaft 13p. Corresponding to the rotation of the guide yaw shaft 31y around the axis Ay, the direction of the pair of wheels 5 changes, and the traveling direction of the guide device 1 changes.

  Interlocking between the guide yaw shaft 31y and the rod-shaped member 21t will be described. When the drive roll shaft 13r and the drive pitch shaft 13p rotate, the first yoke 16 and the second yoke 17 rotate. This is because the drive roll shaft 13 r is supported by the first yoke 16 and the drive pitch shaft 13 p is supported by the second yoke 17. Since the guide yaw shaft 31y is fixed to the first yoke 16 and the rod-shaped member 21t is fixed to the second yoke 17, when the drive roll shaft 13r and the drive pitch shaft 13p rotate, the guide yaw shaft 31y is moved to the axis Ay. And the rod-shaped member 21t rotates around the axis At corresponding to the rotation of the guide yaw shaft 31y.

  According to the first embodiment, the rod-shaped member 21t rotates around the axis At in response to the rotation around the axis Ay of the guide yaw axis 31y. Since the direction of the wheel 5 changes corresponding to the rotation of the guide yaw shaft 31y, the user recognizes the rotation (twist) of the rod-shaped member 21t, thereby changing the direction of the wheel 5, that is, the direction of the guidance device 1 Recognize changes in the direction of travel. Thus, the guidance device 1 can present the traveling direction to the user. Further, since the guide yaw shaft 31y and the rod-shaped member 21t are interlocked, the traveling direction can be always presented to the user, and the traveling direction can be presented even when the guiding device 1 is stopped.

Control of the drive unit 15 by the control unit 51 will be described. The control unit 51 controls the drive unit 15 to rotate the drive roll shaft 13r and the drive pitch shaft 13p according to the formulas (1) and (2). The rotation angle θ _roll of the drive roll shaft 13r is expressed by Expression (1) using the rotation angle θ _yaw of the guide yaw shaft 31y and the angle β of the rod-shaped member 21t with respect to the guide yaw shaft 31y. The rotation angle θ _pitch of the drive pitch axis 13p is expressed by Expression (2) using the rotation angle θ _yaw and the angle β. The angle β may be constant without depending on the user, or may be a variable that is changed according to the user.

  In the equations (1) and (2), it is assumed that the guide yaw axis 31y is kept vertical and the rod-shaped member 21t is kept at the angle β (that is, the angle β is kept constant). . This assumption is satisfied when the user tries to keep the angle β of the bar-shaped member 21t constant while allowing the rotation of the bar-shaped member 21t. Under this assumption, the guide yaw shaft 31y and the rod-shaped member 21t are supported by the imaginary first bearing and the second bearing, respectively, and the drive roll shaft 13r, the drive pitch shaft 13p, and the drive unit 15 constitute a universal joint. Can be considered.

The control unit 51 calculates the rotation angle θ _yaw so that the wheel 5 faces the target position of the guidance device 1. And the control part 51 calculates rotation angle (theta) _roll and rotation angle (theta) _pitch based on Formula (1) and Formula (2). Further, the control unit 51 controls the drive unit 15 to rotate the drive roll shaft 13r around the axis line Ar to give the rotation angle θ _roll to the drive roll shaft 13r, and to change the drive pitch shaft 13p to the axis line Ap. The rotation angle θ _pitch is given to the drive pitch shaft 13p by rotating around. As a result, the guide yaw shaft 31y rotates about the axis Ay and the rotation angle θ _yaw is given to the guide yaw shaft 31y, and the direction of the wheel 5, that is, the traveling direction of the guide device 1 is determined.

According to the first embodiment, the control unit 51 controls the rotation angle θ _yaw of the guide yaw shaft 31 y to determine the direction of the wheel 5. Therefore, the user can receive the guidance in the traveling direction only by walking the guidance device 1 while pushing the guidance device 1 with the wheel 5 of the guidance device 1 attached to the ground. Can be induced.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between the rotation angle θ _yaw , the rotation angle θ _roll, and the rotation angle θ _pitch . The horizontal axis represents the rotation angle θ _yaw , and the vertical axis represents the rotation angle θ _roll and the rotation angle θ _pitch .

FIG. 2 shows the rotation angle θ _roll and the rotation angle θ _pitch calculated based on the equations (1) and (2) while the angle β is 135 degrees and the rotation angle θ _yaw is changed. One rotation angle θ _yaw is uniquely determined by one rotation angle θ _roll and one rotation angle θ _pitch . Therefore, the rotation angle θ _yaw can be set to a desired value by calculating the rotation angle θ _roll and the rotation angle θ _pitch based on the equations (1) and (2).

The rotation angle θ _roll is 0 degrees when the drive pitch axis 13p is parallel to the horizontal direction. When the observer views the drive roll shaft 13r from the user side in the direction along the axis Ar, the rotation angle θ _roll takes a positive value when the drive roll shaft 13r rotates clockwise.

The rotation angle θ _pitch is 0 degree when the rod-shaped member 21t is parallel to the vertical line. When the rod-shaped member 21t is inclined toward the user with respect to the vertical line, the rotation angle θ _pitch takes a negative value.

The rotation angle θ _yaw is an angle indicating the direction of the wheel 5, that is, the traveling direction of the guidance device 1. The rotation angle θ _yaw is 0 degrees when the rotation angle θ _roll is 0 degrees and the rotation angle θ _pitch is −45 degrees. When the observer views the guide yaw axis 31y from the direction along the axis Ay from the user side, the rotation angle θ _yaw takes a positive value when the guide yaw axis 31y rotates clockwise.

With reference to FIG.1 and FIG.3, the relationship between rotation of the induction | guidance | derivation yaw axis | shaft 31y and rotation (twist) of the rod-shaped member 21t is demonstrated. As shown in FIG. 1, since the guide yaw shaft 31y and the rod-shaped member 21t are connected by the connecting portion 11, the guide yaw shaft 31y rotates around the axis Ay, and the rotation angle θ _yaw is set on the guide yaw shaft 31y. When given, the rod-shaped member 21t rotates around the axis At, and the rotation angle θ _twist is given to the rod-shaped member 21t. The rotation angle θ _twist is expressed by Expression (3) using the rotation angle θ _yaw and the angle β.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between the rotation angle θ _yaw and the rotation angle θ _twist . FIG. 3 shows the rotation angle θ _twist calculated based on the equation (3) while the angle β is 135 degrees and the rotation angle θ _yaw is changed.

The rotation angle θ _yaw and the rotation angle θ _twist have a positive correlation, and the rotation angle θ _twist increases monotonously with respect to the rotation angle θ _yaw . Therefore, the user holding the rod-shaped member 21t recognizes the rotation (twist) of the rod-shaped member 21t (change in the rotation angle θ _twist ), thereby changing the direction of the wheel 5 (rotation angle θ _yaw). The degree of change in the traveling direction of the guidance device 1 can be recognized. In particular, in a small range (for example, −20 degrees to 20 degrees) of the rotation angle θ _yaw that is often used for presenting the traveling direction, the rotation angle θ _twist is substantially linear. Therefore, the user can more accurately recognize the degree of change in the traveling direction of the guidance device 1 and the traveling direction.

The definition of the rotation angle θ _yaw shown in FIG. 3 is the same as the definition of the rotation angle θ _yaw shown in FIG. 2, and the rotation angle θ _yaw takes a positive value when the guide yaw axis 31y rotates clockwise. Take. The rotation angle θ _twist is 0 degrees when the rotation angle θ _yaw is 0 degrees. When the observer views the rod-shaped member 21t from the user side in the direction along the axis At, the rotation angle θ _twist takes a positive value when the rod-shaped member 21t rotates clockwise.

  Therefore, the rotation direction of the rod-shaped member 21t around the axis At matches the rotation direction of the guide yaw shaft 31y around the axis At. In addition, the clockwise rotation of the guide yaw shaft 31y corresponds to the wheel 5 turning to the right when viewed from the user, and the counterclockwise rotation of the guide yaw shaft 31y is the wheel viewed from the user. 5 corresponds to turning to the left.

  As a result, the direction of rotation (twisting) of the rod-shaped member 21t is clockwise when the guidance device 1 turns to the right as viewed from the user, and counterclockwise when the guidance device 1 turns to the left. As described above, the relationship between the direction of rotation of the bar-shaped member 21t and the direction of the guidance device 1 is the same as the relationship between the direction of rotation of a general automobile handle and the direction of the automobile. It is possible to intuitively recognize the direction presented by the rotation of the member 21t.

  The mode of the control unit 51 will be described with reference to FIG. The control unit 51 may have a first mode and a second mode. The first mode is a mode in which the control unit 51 rotates the drive roll shaft 13r and the drive pitch shaft 13p according to the equations (1) and (2). The second mode is a mode in which the drive roll shaft 13r and the drive pitch shaft 13p are rotated so that the guide yaw shaft 31y and the rod-shaped member 21t are parallel to each other.

  For example, the control unit 51 normally operates in the first mode, and operates in the second mode when the guidance device 1 moves on stairs. For example, a switch is provided in the guidance device 1, and the user switches between the first mode and the second mode by operating the switch. For example, when the sensor is provided in the guidance device 1 and the sensor detects a staircase, the control unit 51 switches the mode from the first mode to the second mode.

Further, the second mode is a mode in which the drive roll shaft 13r and the drive pitch shaft 13p are rotated so that the guide yaw shaft 31y and the rod-shaped member 21t are parallel, and the axis Ar is orthogonal to the rotation axis 5w. Good. When the axis Ar is orthogonal to the rotation axis 5w, the rotation angle θ _yaw is 0 degree, and the wheel 5 faces straight.

For example, in the second mode, the control unit 51 controls the drive unit 15 so that the rotation angle θ _roll and the rotation angle θ _pitch are such that the angle β is 180 degrees and the rotation angle θ _yaw is 0 degrees. Each is set to 0 degrees.

  According to the first embodiment, by switching the mode from the first mode to the second mode, the user moves the guidance device 1 so as to trace the surface of the stairs with the wheels 5 and grasps the shape of the stairs. It is possible to go up and down the stairs with almost the same movement as a staircase walk using a typical white cane. Since only a space corresponding to one wheel 5 is required in the traveling direction, the user can distinguish and recognize one step and one step of the stairs.

  Next, a general guidance device and the guidance device 1 according to the first embodiment will be compared. A certain guiding device includes one front wheel whose direction changes and two rear wheels whose direction does not change. Since the front wheel and the rear wheel are provided, when using this guidance device, a space corresponding to two wheels and a space corresponding to the wheel base are required in the traveling direction. Therefore, it is particularly inconvenient to use on stairs. On the other hand, according to Embodiment 1, a pair of wheels 5 are provided on the rotation axis 5w, and a plurality of wheels are not provided in the traveling direction. Therefore, it can be reduced in size and weight, and is easy to handle, so that it can be easily used on stairs.

In addition, a certain guidance device presents the traveling direction to the user using, for example, voice, vibration, electrical stimulation, or haptic presentation (for example, using a gyro moment or an eccentric disk). However, in the guidance device using these, the resolution of presentation in the traveling direction is low. Therefore, the user cannot fully recognize how much the user is guided to turn. On the other hand, according to the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, since the rotation angle θ _yaw and the rotation angle θ _twist have a positive correlation, the traveling direction can be presented with high resolution. it can.

  Furthermore, a certain guidance device intermittently presents the traveling direction only when the vehicle is turning only or when the traveling direction deviates from the guiding direction. Accordingly, the frequency of presentation of the direction of travel is low, and the user may be anxious while the direction of travel is not presented. On the other hand, according to the first embodiment, since the rod-shaped member 21t rotates in response to the rotation of the guide yaw shaft 31y, that is, the change in the direction of the wheel 5, the traveling direction is always presented. As a result, anxiety to the user can be suppressed.

  Further, in a general guidance device that presents a traveling direction using voice, if the traveling direction is frequently presented, the sound source localization by the user's hearing is obstructed or the user feels bothered. On the other hand, according to the first embodiment, the direction is presented by rotating the rod-shaped member 21t, that is, by twisting the rod-shaped member 21t, so that the sound source localization is not hindered. It can suppress feeling of annoyance.

  As described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, according to the first embodiment, the guidance device 1 can be compactly displayed while always intuitively executing the direction of travel of the guidance device 1 to the user. And weight reduction can be realized. Moreover, the presentation of the traveling direction by the rod-shaped member 21t and the guidance of the traveling direction by the guide yaw axis 31y can be executed simultaneously.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the guidance device 1 according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. The guidance device 1 guides a user H (for example, a visually impaired person). The guidance device 1 includes a guidance unit 100. The guide unit 100 includes a pair of wheels 5, a support member 7, a connecting portion 11 (connecting means), a rod-shaped member 21t, and a guide yaw shaft 31y. The bar-shaped member 21t functions as a direction presentation axis, and the guide yaw axis 31y functions as a steering axis.

  A support member 7 is disposed between the pair of wheels 5. The support member 7 includes a cylindrical support portion 7a and a base portion 7b. The support part 7a is arrange | positioned between a pair of wheels 5, and supports each of the wheel 5 on the rotating shaft 5w so that rotation is possible. The base portion 7b is fixed to the support portion 7a.

  The configuration of the connecting portion 11 is the same as the configuration of the connecting portion 11 according to the first embodiment. However, the connecting portion 11 further includes a servo motor 15r (first drive source) and a servo motor 15p (second drive source) that constitute a part of the drive portion 15. The servo motor 15r has a rectangular parallelepiped case 20r, and the servo motor 15p has a rectangular parallelepiped case 20p.

  The rotation shaft of the servo motor 15r is a drive roll shaft 13r and protrudes from the wall portion of the case 20r. The servo motor 15r rotates the drive roll shaft 13r around the axis line Ar. The tip end portion of the drive roll shaft 13r is fixed to one of the pair of arms 16b. The axis line Ar and the axis line Ay are orthogonal to each other, and the axis line Ar and the axis line Ap are orthogonal to each other.

  The rotation axis of the servo motor 15p is a drive pitch axis 13p and protrudes from the wall portion of the case 20p. The servo motor 15p rotates the drive pitch shaft 13p around the axis line Ap. The tip of the drive pitch shaft 13p is fixed to one of the pair of arms 17b. The axis line Ap and the axis line At are orthogonal to each other.

  The case 20r and the case 20p are joined by a pair of connecting members 32 so that the axis line Ar and the axis line Ap are orthogonal to each other. Since the case 20r and the case 20p are joined to each other, they cannot relatively rotate. Therefore, the position of the drive pitch axis 13p with respect to the drive roll axis 13r is constant.

  Of the wall portions of the case 20p, the wall portion facing the other of the pair of arms 16b is supported by the other of the pair of arms 16b so that the case 20r and the case 20p can rotate about the axis Ar. Of the wall portions of the case 20p, the wall portion facing the other of the pair of arms 17b is supported by the other of the pair of arms 17b so that the case 20r and the case 20p can rotate around the axis Ap.

  The rod-shaped member 21t is gripped by the user H, and rotates around the axis At corresponding to the rotation of the drive roll shaft 13r and the drive pitch shaft 13p, as in the first embodiment.

  The guide yaw shaft 31y includes a column portion 31a and a base portion 31b. The base end part of the column part 31a is fixed to the base part 7b. For example, the column 31 a is perpendicular to the ground contact surface of the wheel 5 or parallel to the vertical line. The distal end portion of the column portion 31a is fixed to the base portion 31b. The base portion 31 b is fixed to the base portion 16 a of the first yoke 16 and supports the connecting portion 11. Similarly to the first embodiment, the guide yaw shaft 31y rotates about the axis Ay in accordance with the rotation of the drive roll shaft 13r and the drive pitch shaft 13p.

  According to the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the rod-shaped member 21t rotates around the axis At corresponding to the rotation around the axis Ay of the guide yaw shaft 31y. Therefore, the user can always recognize the change in the traveling direction of the guidance device 1 by recognizing the rotation (twist) of the rod-shaped member 21t. Thus, the guidance device 1 can always present the traveling direction to the user. Moreover, the guidance device 1 can present the traveling direction to the user even when the guidance device 1 is stopped.

  FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the guidance device 1. The guidance device 1 further includes a control unit 50. The control unit 50 includes a control unit 51, a storage unit 53, a motor driver 55r, a motor driver 55p, and a power source 57. The motor driver 55r and the motor driver 55p constitute a part of the drive unit 15. The control unit 50 is arranged at a position away from the guidance unit 100. For example, the control unit 50 is carried by the user H. However, all or some of the components of the control unit 50 may be arranged in the guidance unit 100.

  The control unit 51 is, for example, a microcontroller, and the storage unit 53 is, for example, a semiconductor memory and / or a hard disk drive. The storage unit 53 may be mounted on the control unit 51. The storage unit 53 stores various data such as a computer program and map data.

  The control unit 51 executes a computer program stored in the storage unit 53, controls the motor driver 55r and the motor driver 55p, and drives the servo motor 15r and the servo motor 15p. The motor driver 55r drives the servo motor 15r and rotates the drive roll shaft 13r about the axis line Ar. The motor driver 55p drives the servo motor 15p and rotates the drive pitch axis 13p around the axis line Ap.

  The power supply 57 supplies a power supply voltage to the control unit 51, the storage unit 53, the motor driver 55r, the motor driver 55p, the servo motor 15r, and the servo motor 15p.

  The induction unit 100 further includes an environment detection unit 41 (environment detection unit) and an angle detection unit 43 (angle detection unit) to which a power supply voltage is supplied from the power source 57. The environment detection unit 41 detects the environment of the guidance unit 100 and outputs information indicating the environment of the guidance unit 100 (hereinafter referred to as “environment information”) to the control unit 51.

  For example, the environment detection unit 41 includes a laser distance measuring sensor. The laser distance measuring sensor measures the distance between the surrounding object of the guidance unit 100 and the guidance unit 100 and outputs distance information as environmental information to the control unit 51. For example, the environment detection unit 41 includes a camera. The camera images the surrounding environment of the guidance unit 100 and outputs image data as environment information to the control unit 51.

  For example, the environment detection unit 41 includes a position detection unit. The position detection unit detects the position of the guidance unit 100 and outputs the position information of the guidance unit 100 to the control unit 51 as environment information. For example, the position detection unit includes a satellite navigation device and / or an autonomous navigation device, detects the absolute position and / or relative position of the guidance unit 100, determines the position of the guidance unit 100, and sends position information to the control unit 51. Output. The satellite navigation device includes, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System).

The angle detector 43 detects the inclination angle θiy of the guide yaw axis 31 y with respect to the vertical line, and outputs a signal corresponding to the inclination angle θii to the controller 51. The tilt angle θiy is an angle that correlates to the tilt angle θiy itself or the tilt angle θiy. For example, the angle detector 43 is disposed on the guide yaw axis 31y and detects the tilt angle θiy. Therefore, the control unit 51 can recognize the inclination angle θiy. The control unit 51, the inclination angle Shitaiy, the rotation angle theta _roll, and by using the rotation angle theta _pitch, it calculates an angle β of the rod 21t on induction yaw axis 31y.

  For example, the angle detection unit 43 is disposed on the bar-shaped member 21t and detects the inclination angle θit of the bar-shaped member 21t with respect to the vertical line. When the angle β is held constant, the control unit 51 can recognize the tilt angle θii since the tilt angle θit indicates the tilt angle θii. Further, when the guide yaw axis 31y is kept vertical, the control unit 51 can calculate the angle β after the change using the inclination angle θiiy even if the angle β changes.

Similarly to the first embodiment, the control unit 51 rotates the drive roll shaft 13r and the drive pitch shaft 13p according to the formulas (1) and (2). Therefore, the control unit 51 based on the inclination angle Shitaiy, to correct the rotation angle theta _roll and the rotation angle theta _pitch drive pitch axis 13p of the drive roll shaft 13r. Therefore, the rotation angle θ _yaw can be controlled more accurately. For example, the control unit 51 corrects the expressions (1) and (2) based on the inclination angle θiy. For example, the control unit 51 corrects the angle β in the expressions (1) and (2) based on the inclination angle θiy.

  With reference to FIGS. 4-6, the control method of the guidance apparatus 1 by the control part 51 is demonstrated. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling the guidance device 1. The control part 51 performs the process of step S1-step S15 by running a computer program, and controls the guidance apparatus 1. FIG. As a result, the drive roll shaft 13r and the drive pitch shaft 13p rotate, and the guide yaw shaft 31y and the rod-shaped member 21t rotate.

  In step S <b> 1, the control unit 51 recognizes the environment (including the current position) of the guidance unit 100 based on the environment information output by the environment detection unit 41. In step S3, the control unit 51 calculates a route from the departure point (current position) to the destination based on the environment (including the current position) of the guidance unit 100 and map data.

In step S5, the control unit 51 sets a target position on the route, and calculates the turning radius ρ of the guidance unit 100 based on the current position and the target position of the guidance unit 100. The relationship between the turning radius ρ and the rotation angle θ _yaw of the guide yaw shaft 31y can be expressed by a two-wheeled vehicle model when the wheel 5 is regarded as a front wheel and the user H is regarded as a rear wheel. That is, the turning radius ρ is expressed by Expression (4) using the distance L between the wheel 5 and the user H. The distance L corresponds to the wheel base of the guidance unit 100.

In step S7, the control unit 51 calculates the rotation angle θ _yaw based on the equation (4) using the turning radius ρ. In step S9, the control unit 51 calculates the rotation angle θ _roll using the rotation angle θ _yaw based on the equation (1) described in the first embodiment. In step S11, the control unit 51 calculates the rotation angle θ _pitch based on the equation (2) described in the first embodiment using the rotation angle θ _yaw . Note that the order of step S9 and step S11 is arbitrary, and step S9 and step S11 may be executed simultaneously.

In step S <b> 13, the control unit 51 controls the drive unit 15 to rotate the drive roll shaft 13 r about the axis line Ar and to rotate the drive pitch axis 13 p about the axis line Ap. Specifically, in step S13, the control unit 51 controls the drive unit 15 to give the rotation angle θ _roll calculated based on the formula (1) to the drive roll shaft 13r, and based on the formula (2). The rotation angle θ _pitch calculated in this way is given to the drive pitch axis 13p.

  In step S15, the control unit 51 determines whether the guidance unit 100 has arrived at the destination. If the determination is positive (Yes in Step S15), the control unit 51 ends the process. If the determination is negative (No in Step S15), the control unit 51 advances the process to Step S1. The control unit 51 repeats the routine (the processing of step S1 to step S15) until the guidance unit 100 arrives at the destination.

Each time the routine is executed, the turning radius ρ is calculated based on the environment of the guidance unit 100, and the rotation angle θ _yaw is recalculated, so that feedback control of the drive roll shaft 13r and the drive pitch shaft 13p is realized. That is, the control unit 51 determines the rotation angle θ _roll and the drive pitch axis of the drive roll shaft 13r so as to correct the traveling direction of the guide unit 100 (guidance device 1) according to the environment of the guidance unit 100 (guidance device 1). A rotation angle θ _{pitch of} 13p is determined. As a result, the user H can be accurately guided to the destination.

As described above with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6, according to the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the user H is always always intuitively presented with the direction of travel of the guidance device 1. However, the guidance device 1 can be reduced in size and weight. Moreover, the presentation of the traveling direction by the rod-shaped member 21t and the guidance of the traveling direction by the guide yaw axis 31y can be executed simultaneously. Furthermore, as described with reference to FIG. 6, according to the second embodiment, the control unit 51 determines the rotation angle θ _yaw of the guide yaw shaft 31 y, that is, the direction of the wheel 5 so as to reach the destination. Control. Accordingly, the user H can receive guidance in the traveling direction and can be guided to the destination. In addition, according to the second embodiment, since the guidance device 1 has the same configuration as the guidance device 1 according to the first embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment are achieved.

  Next, the present invention will be specifically described based on examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

  An embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 4, 5, and 7. In this example, the guidance device 1 according to the second embodiment was used. However, the environment detection unit 41 and the angle detection unit 43 were not mounted.

While the guidance unit 100 is guiding the user H (that is, the subject) at a rotation angle θ _yaw of 0 degrees, the servo motor 15r and the servo motor 15p are controlled to determine an angle predetermined for the guidance yaw axis 31y. _Is given as the rotation angle θ _yaw . And the movement locus | trajectory of the wheel 5, ie, the guidance locus by the guidance unit 100, was confirmed. The position of the wheel 5 being guided (moving) was measured with a motion capture camera, and the movement locus of the wheel 5 was calculated.

The 15 degrees rotation angle theta _yaw gave induced yaw axis 31y induction, and perform the induction given to induce yaw axis 31y of 45 degrees rotation angle theta _yaw, and calculates the moving locus of the wheel 5.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a movement locus of the wheel 5. The horizontal axis indicates the position in the x direction, and the vertical axis indicates the position in the y direction orthogonal to the x direction. A solid line a15 and a solid line a45 indicate actual measurement values. A solid line a15 indicates the movement locus of the wheel 5 corresponding to the rotation angle θ _yaw (15 degrees), and a solid line a45 indicates the movement locus of the wheel 5 corresponding to the rotation angle θ _yaw (45 degrees).

An alternate long and short dash line b15 and an alternate long and short dash line b45 indicate predicted values. An alternate long and short dash line b15 corresponds to the rotation angle θ _yaw (15 degrees) and is a part of a circle having a turning radius ρ calculated using the equation (4) described in the second embodiment (a locus based on a predicted value). . The turning radius ρ indicated by the alternate long and short dash line b15 was 3.73 m. The alternate long and short dash line b15 is shown at a position slightly shifted from the solid line a15.

Comparing the solid line a15 and the dashed line b15, the movement trajectory of the wheel 5 corresponding to the rotation angle theta _yaw (15 °) is, the turning radius ρ trajectory based on the predicted value corresponding to the rotation angle theta _yaw (15 °) It was confirmed that they were almost identical.

An alternate long and short dash line b45 corresponds to the rotation angle θ _yaw (45 degrees) and is a part of a circle having a turning radius ρ calculated using Expression (4) (a trajectory based on a predicted value). The turning radius ρ indicated by the alternate long and short dash line b45 was 1.00 m. The alternate long and short dash line b45 is shown at a position slightly shifted from the solid line a45.

Comparing the solid lines a45 and dashed line b45, the movement trajectory of the wheel 5 corresponding to the rotation angle theta _yaw (45 °) is, the turning radius ρ trajectory based on the predicted value corresponding to the rotation angle theta _yaw (45 °) It was confirmed that they were almost identical.

  Next, various conditions in the present embodiment will be described. The wheel 5 is a lightweight EVA (Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate) material wheel used for baby strollers or silver cars. The rod-shaped member 21t is a white cane for the visually impaired. Each of the servo motor 15r and the servo motor 15p is a robot servo motor (DYNAMIXEL (registered trademark) AX-12), and the holding torque is 1.65 Nm. The power source 57 is a lithium ion battery (9 V, 1000 mAh) for mobile devices.

  The weight of the induction unit 100 is 760 g, excluding the power source 57, and is less than 1 kg. The guide unit 100 is heavier than a general white cane of about 200 g, but the members other than the rod-shaped member 21 t are positioned almost directly above the support member 7, so that the load is applied to the wheel 5. Therefore, the guidance unit 100 is supported by the ground reaction force received by the wheels 5, and the burden on the user H is reduced.

  The weight of the power source 57 is 290 g, and the length of the rod-shaped member 21t is 1100 mm. The height of the guiding unit 100 from the ground when the rod-shaped member 21t stands up parallel to the vertical line is 1300 mm. The diameter of each wheel 5 is 175 mm, and the distance between the grounding part of one wheel 5 and the grounding part of the other wheel 5 is 100 mm. The outer surface of one wheel 5 and the outer surface of the other wheel 5 The distance between is 130 mm.

  User H is a sighted person and blindfolded. The user H was given an outline of the guidance device 1 and requested to walk along the guidance of the guidance unit 100 with the rod-shaped member 21t so as to allow rotation (twist) around the axis At of the rod-shaped member 21t.

  In order to control the servo motor 15r and the servo motor 15p according to the equations (1) and (2) described in the first embodiment, the angle β is necessary, and the turning radius ρ according to the equation (4) described in the second embodiment. The distance L was necessary to evaluate The user H was naturally gripped by the rod-shaped member 21t, and the angle β and the distance L were measured. In this example, the angle β was about 135 degrees, and the distance L was about 1.00 m.

  The embodiments and examples of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and examples, and can be carried out in various modes without departing from the gist thereof (for example, (1) to (3 shown below) )). In order to facilitate understanding, the drawings schematically show each component as a main component, and the thickness, length, number, and the like of each component shown in the drawings are different from the actual for convenience of drawing. In some cases. Moreover, the shape, dimension, etc. of each component shown by said embodiment are an example, Comprising: It does not specifically limit, A various change is possible in the range which does not deviate substantially from the effect of this invention.

(1) In the first and second embodiments, the axis line At, the axis line Ay, the axis line Ar, and the axis line Ap intersect at one point, but they do not have to intersect at one point, and the rotation angle θ _roll and the rotation angle θ _pitch are controlled. It is not necessary to be based on Formula (1) and Formula (2). The guide yaw shaft 31y (the column portion 31a) may not be perpendicular to the ground contact surface of the wheel 5 or parallel to the vertical line.

  (2) The drive unit 15 according to the first embodiment may include the servo motor 15r and the servo motor 15p according to the second embodiment.

  (3) If the axis line Ar and the axis line Ap are orthogonal to each other and the position of the drive pitch shaft 13p with respect to the drive roll shaft 13r is constant, the configuration of the connecting portion 11 is not particularly limited, and the arrangement of the drive portion 15 is not particularly limited. .

  For example, in the second embodiment, the servo motor 15r is disposed on the inner surface side of the arm 16b, and the servo motor 15p is disposed on the inner surface side of the arm 17b, but the servo motor 15r is fixed to the outer surface of the arm 16b. And / or the servo motor 15p may be fixed to the outer surface of the arm 17b. In the second embodiment, the drive roll shaft 13r is a rotation shaft of the servo motor 15r, and the drive pitch shaft 13p is a rotation shaft of the servo motor 15p. However, the drive roll shaft 13r and the rotation shaft of the servo motor 15r are connected. The drive pitch shaft 13p and the rotation shaft of the servo motor 15p may be connected by a connecting member.

  The present invention can be used in the field of guidance devices for guiding a user (for example, a visually impaired person).

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Guide device 5 Wheel 5w Rotation axis 7 Support member 11 Connection part (connection means)
13r Drive roll shaft (first drive shaft)
13p Drive pitch axis (second drive axis)
15 Drive unit (drive means)
15r servo motor (first drive source)
15p servo motor (second drive source)
16 First yoke 16a Base 16b Arm 17 Second yoke 17a Base 17b Arm 21t Bar-shaped member (direction presenting shaft)
31y induction yaw axis (steering axis)
41 Environment detection unit (environment detection means)
43 Angle detection unit (angle detection means)
51 Control unit (control means)
Ar axis line Ap axis line At axis line Ay axis line

Claims (8)

A direction presentation axis gripped by the user;
A pair of wheels;
A support member for rotatably supporting the wheel;
A steering shaft fixed to the support member;
A connecting means for connecting the direction presentation shaft and the steering shaft;
The connecting means includes
A first drive shaft;
A second drive shaft;
Drive means for rotating the first drive shaft about the axis of the first drive shaft and rotating the second drive shaft about the axis of the second drive shaft;
The steering shaft rotates about the axis of the steering shaft in response to the rotation of the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft,
The directional presentation axis in response to rotation of said second drive shaft and the first drive shaft to rotate about the axis of the direction presented shaft,
The guide device , wherein the axis of the first drive shaft and the axis of the second drive shaft are orthogonal to each other, and the position of the second drive shaft with respect to the first drive shaft is constant .   The connecting means includes the direction presentation shaft such that the axis of the direction presentation shaft, the axis of the steering shaft, the axis of the first drive shaft, and the axis of the second drive shaft intersect at one point. The guidance device according to claim 1, wherein the guidance device is connected to the steering shaft. 3. The induction according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit that controls the driving unit to rotate the first driving shaft and the second driving shaft according to the formulas (1) and (2). apparatus.

θ _roll : rotation angle of the first drive shaft around the axis θ _pitch : rotation angle of the second drive shaft around the axis θ _yaw : rotation angle of the steering shaft around the axis β: steering The angle of the direction presentation axis with respect to the axis It further comprises an environment detection means for detecting the environment,
The guidance device according to claim 3, wherein the control unit determines the rotation angle of the first drive shaft and the rotation angle of the second drive shaft so as to correct a traveling direction according to the environment. The control means includes
A first mode in which the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft are rotated according to the equations (1) and (2);
5. The guidance device according to claim 3, further comprising: a second mode in which the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft are rotated so that the steering shaft and the direction presentation shaft are parallel to each other. Angle detecting means for detecting an inclination angle of the steering shaft with respect to a vertical line;
6. The control unit according to claim 3, wherein the control unit corrects the rotation angle of the first drive shaft and the rotation angle of the second drive shaft based on the tilt angle. 7. Guidance device.   The guidance device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the wheel is a non-driven wheel that is not driven by a drive source. A method for controlling a guidance device,
The guidance device includes a direction presentation shaft gripped by a user, a pair of wheels, a support member that rotatably supports the wheels, a steering shaft fixed to the support member, and the direction presentation shaft and the steering shaft. Connecting means for connecting
The control method is:
The drive means is controlled to rotate the first drive shaft about the axis of the first drive shaft of the connecting means, and the second drive shaft about the axis of the second drive shaft of the connection means viewing including the step of rotating,
The steering shaft rotates about the axis of the steering shaft in response to the rotation of the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft,
The direction presentation axis rotates about an axis of the direction presentation axis in response to rotation of the first drive axis and the second drive axis,
The control method, wherein the axis of the first drive shaft and the axis of the second drive shaft are orthogonal to each other, and the position of the second drive shaft with respect to the first drive shaft is constant .

Images