Standing/sitting motion assist system, standing/sitting motion assist method, standing/sitting motion assist robot, and non-transitory computer-readable recording medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9844481-B2
Application number	US-201615184994-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 16, 2016
Priority date	Jul 13, 2015
Publication date	Dec 19, 2017
Grant date	Dec 19, 2017

Abstract

A holding mechanism holds a care-receiver, a traction mechanism that is connected to the holding mechanism, and the traction mechanism pulls the holding mechanism so that the holding mechanism draws a predetermined path. On the basis of a position of the holding mechanism detected by a position sensor and a force detected by a force sensor, if the position of the holding mechanism is not on the predetermined path, a controller controls the traction mechanism so that the holding mechanism draws the predetermined path by changing the position of the holding mechanism to a position on the predetermined path at a time after the time at which the position is detected.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A robot system comprising:
a holding mechanism that holds a user;
a traction mechanism that is connected to the holding mechanism and that pulls the holding mechanism so that a position of the holding mechanism draws a predetermined path;
a position sensor that measures the position of the holding mechanism on the predetermined path;
a force sensor that measures a first force that is applied to the traction mechanism when the position of the holding mechanism is measured by the position sensor; and
a controller that (a) estimates the position of the holding mechanism after a predetermined time on the basis of the first force and the position of the holding mechanism measured by the position sensor and, (b) if the estimated position of the holding mechanism is not on the predetermined path, controls a motion of the traction mechanism so that the position of the holding mechanism after the predetermined time lies on the predetermined path on the basis of the first force and the position of the holding mechanism.

2. The robot system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the position sensor measures the position of the holding mechanism at the present time, and
wherein the controller (a) estimates the position of the holding mechanism after the predetermined time from the present time on the basis of the first force and the position of the holding mechanism measured by the position sensor.

3. The robot system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller (b) changes a velocity with which the traction mechanism pulls the holding mechanism so that the position of the holding mechanism after the predetermined time lies on the predetermined path.

4. The robot system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the predetermined path is a path that is convexly curved in a forward direction from the user and that includes a first position and a second position, and
wherein the first position is below the second position.

5. The robot system according to claim 4 ,
wherein the controller (b) changes only a velocity in a height direction with which the traction mechanism pulls the holding mechanism so that the position of the holding mechanism after the predetermined time lies on the predetermined path.

6. The robot system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller controls the motion of the traction mechanism on the basis of a predetermined motion information database that stores motion information of the traction mechanism, the motion information including correspondence among a time, the position of the holding mechanism, a velocity of the holding mechanism in a horizontal direction, and a velocity of the holding mechanism in a height direction, and
wherein the controller
(b1) calculates a position of the holding mechanism in the height direction after the predetermined time on the basis of the motion information in the motion information database and the first force,
(b2) calculates a position of the holding mechanism in the horizontal direction on the predetermined path corresponding to the position of the holding mechanism in the height direction after the predetermined time,
(b3) calculates a velocity of the holding mechanism in the horizontal direction that is used to locate the traction mechanism at the calculated position of the holding mechanism in the horizontal direction after the predetermined time, and
(b4) moves the traction mechanism by using the calculated velocity of the holding mechanism in the horizontal direction instead of using the velocity of the holding mechanism in the horizontal direction that is stored in the motion information database.

7. The robot system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an operation device that receives an operation input to the traction mechanism,
wherein the controller controls the motion of the traction mechanism so that the position of the holding mechanism draws the predetermined path while the operation device continues receiving the operation input.

8. The robot system according to claim 4 ,
wherein the controller controls the motion of the traction mechanism so that a velocity with which the traction mechanism pulls the holding mechanism from the first position to a predetermined position on the predetermined path is less than a velocity with which the traction mechanism pulls the holding mechanism from the predetermined position to the second position.

9. The robot system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the predetermined path is a path along which the user stands up and the user sits down.

10. The robot system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the traction mechanism includes an arm mechanism and a plurality of wheels, the arm mechanism including a plurality of joints, the wheels being disposed on a lower part of the arm mechanism.

11. A holding mechanism for holding a user of a robot system including
a traction mechanism that is connected to the holding mechanism and that pulls the holding mechanism so that a position of the holding mechanism draws a predetermined path;
a position sensor that measures the position of the holding mechanism on the predetermined path;
a force sensor that measures a first force that is applied to the traction mechanism when the position of the holding mechanism is measured by the position sensor; and
a controller that estimates the position of the holding mechanism after a predetermined time on the basis of the position of the holding mechanism and the first force and, (b) if the estimated position of the holding mechanism is not on the predetermined path, controls a motion of the traction mechanism so that the position of the holding mechanism after the predetermined time lies on the predetermined path on the basis of the first force and the position of the holding mechanism,
the holding mechanism comprising:
a first holder that holds a neck or a back of the user;
a second holder that holds a waist of the user; and
a connector that is placed on a chest of the user and that connects the first holder and the second holder to each other on a front side of the user,
wherein the holding mechanism is attachable to and removable from the traction mechanism via the connector.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program that is executed by a computer of a robot system including
a holding mechanism that holds a user,
a traction mechanism that is connected to the holding mechanism and that pulls the holding mechanism so that a position of the holding mechanism draws a predetermined path,
a position sensor that measures the position of the holding mechanism on the predetermined path, and
a force sensor that measures a first force that is applied to the traction mechanism when the position of the holding mechanism is measured by the position sensor,
the program causing the computer to execute:
(a) estimating the position of the holding mechanism after a predetermined time on the basis of the first force and the position of the holding mechanism measured by the position sensor; and,
(b) if the estimated position of the holding mechanism is not on the predetermined path, controlling a motion of the traction mechanism so that the position of the holding mechanism after the predetermined time lies on the predetermined path on the basis of the first force and the position of the holding mechanism.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing the program according to claim 12 ,
wherein the position sensor measures the position of the holding mechanism at the present time, and
wherein, in the step (a), the position of the holding mechanism after the predetermined time from the present

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Tsusaka Yuko
• Fudaba Yudai
• Okazaki Yasunao

Classifications

• B25J13/085 Primary

  Force or torque sensors (B25J13/082, B25J13/084 take precedence) · CPC title

• B25J9/1633

  compliant, force, torque control, e.g. combined with position control · CPC title

• B25J5/007

  mounted on wheels · CPC title

• A61G7/10 Primary

  Devices for lifting patients or disabled persons, e.g. special adaptations of hoists thereto · CPC title

• B25J11/009

  Nursing, e.g. carrying sick persons, pushing wheelchairs, distributing drugs · CPC title