Abstract:
In a drawing method using a commercially available radio-controlled system used as a toy, etc., aninfant, aprimary schooler, a physically-handicapped person, etc., can inexpensively draw pictures in a style near to a normal picture creative activity with a playful spirit and enjoyment. A tank  1 , etc., as a mobile object, a transmitter  2  for transmitting a control signal to the tank  1 , etc., a controller  3  for controlling the tank  1 , etc., and an IC box  4  containing a circuit for outputting the control signal to the transmitter  2  on the basis of the operation of the controller  3  are provided. A receiver  5  for receiving the control signal from the transmitter  2 , a paint brush  11 , etc., for drawing are attached to the tank  1 . A picture is drawn by the paint brush  11  attached to the tank  1 , etc., in connection with the movement of the tank  1  on the basis of the manipulation of the controller  3  by a drawer such as a primary schooler, a physically-handicapped person, etc.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. [Field of the Invention] 
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a drawing set for enabling not only able-bodied persons, but also physically-handicapped persons to easily create a design image, etc., and a drawing method using the same.  
         [0003]     2. [Description of the Related Art] 
         [0004]     There has been conventionally known a drawing system equipped with a CCD camera for picking up an image of a face of a person to obtain face image data, a composite sketch controller for processing the face image data to create line drawing data, a robot that is movable in a specific display area and performs drawing on a liquid crystal display with a pen tablet, drawing operation data creating means for creating drawing operation data for making the robot execute a drawing on the basis of the line drawing data, robot control means for controlling the movement of the robot and drawing a picture on a drawing medium, and a positioning device for positioning the robot with respect to the drawing medium.  
         [0005]     According to the drawing system, the movement robot can automatically draw a composite sketch on the basis of the image data of the face of a person whose image is picked up.  
         [0006]     Furthermore, there is also known a wall surface drawing robot system equipped with a robot main body movable while attached to the wall surface, an arm fixed to the robot main body, a coating gun movable along the arm, and a drawing controller in which drawing pictures are inputted. According to the wall surface drawing robot system, the robot main body is moved in the vertical direction, and the coating gun is moved in the horizontal direction and sprays a coating on the wall surface at a fixed pitch and draws a picture on the wall surface.  
         [0007]     Specifically, for example, Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 2003-275473 and Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. H8-118263 disclose the prior arts described above.  
         [0008]     Since it is very difficult for a person with physical handicap of his/her hands, arms, etc., to apply paint to a paint brush and draw a picture on a canvas, etc., while holding the paint brush in his/her hand, it is an actual condition that he/she finds few opportunities to perform painting activities. Furthermore, even a healthy young child may find a class of drawing and construction in school incredibly dull.  
         [0009]     According to the drawing system based on the robot described above, physically-handicapped persons and young children can make a drawing. However, in order to introduce such a system, tremendous amounts of cost and special knowledge are required, and thus it is actually very difficult to utilize this system in facilities of physically-handicapped persons, schools, etc.  
         [0010]     Furthermore, the drawing system described above is basically designed so that the robot automatically operates and draws a picture on the basis of drawing data which is electrically created in advance, and thus it is essentially different from such an artificial creative activity that a person draws a picture while holding a paint brush. Therefore, even when a physically-handicapped person, an infant, etc., draws a picture by using the drawing system described above, he/she has insufficient feeling of such accomplishment that he/she draws the picture by himself/herself, and it is not nearly as good as a human&#39;s simple creative activity.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0011]     An object of the present invention is to provide a drawing set with which a physically-handicapped person, an infant, etc., can inexpensively draw a picture with a playful spirit in a style near to a normal picture creative activity, and a method of using the drawing set.  
         [0012]     According to the invention of claim  1 , there is provided a wireless or wired radio-controlled toy including a transmitter for transmitting a control signal, and a mobile object having a receiver for receiving the control signal from the transmitter and drawing means for drawing a picture.  
         [0013]     The construction of the drawing means is not limited to a special one as long as it can draw a picture on a picture-drawn object such as paper, etc., and for example, it may be a commercially available writing article such as a paint brush, a pen, etc., or a drawing device designed for exclusive use.  
         [0014]     As the mobile object may be used various kinds of commercially available articles, for example, radio-controlled toys such as a racing car, a bulldozer, a hovercraft, a tank, etc. Further more, a commercially available article integrally equipped with a controller for manipulating the mobile object may be used as a transmitter.  
         [0015]     The drawing radio-controlled toy of claim  1  may be basically manufactured by using a commercially available radio-controlled toy, and thus it can be manufactured readily and inexpensively.  
         [0016]     According to the invention of claim  2 , there is provided a wireless or wired drawing radio-controlled toy including a transmitter for transmitting a control signal, a mobile object having a receiver for receiving the control signal from the transmitter and drawing means for drawing a picture, and a manipulation facilitating controller that is separately connected to the transmitter and facilitates the manipulation.  
         [0017]     According to the drawing radio-controlled toy of claim  2 , a manipulation facilitating controller is further connected to the transmitter, so that not only an infant or a primary schooler, even a person having a handicap of his/her hands, fingers, etc., can easily manipulate the transmitter and move the mobile object at his/her own free will.  
         [0018]     According to the invention of claim  3 , there is provided a drawing set including the drawing radio-controlled toy according to claim  1 , and a barricade frame for regulating movement of the mobile object within the range on a drawing sheet in the drawing radio-controlled toy.  
         [0019]     According to the invention of claim  4 , there is provided a drawing set including the drawing radio-controlled toy according to claim  2 , and a barricade frame for regulating movement of the mobile object within the range on a drawing sheet in the drawing radio-controlled toy.  
         [0020]     The invention of claim  5 , in the drawing set of claim  3  or  4 , includes a color sample for selecting a color of paint to be used by the drawing means.  
         [0021]     The invention of claim  6  is characterized in that the drawing method uses the drawing set of claim  3  or  4 , a barricade frame is placed onto a drawing sheet, and the mobile object is traveled within the barricade frame to draw a picture on the drawing sheet by the drawing means of the mobile object.  
         [0022]     According to the drawing method of claim  6 , the traveling of the mobile object is limited to on the drawing sheet within the barricade frame. In this case, the drawing is performed in connection with the movement of the mobile object such as a racing car, a bulldozer, a hovercraft, etc., and thus the picture drawing can be performed with enjoyment. In addition, unlike the picture drawing using a conventional large-scale mechanical apparatus, the picture drawing can be performed in a style near to the normal picture creative activity.  
         [0023]     According to the invention of claim  7 , there is provided a drawing method using the drawing set according to claim  5  and characterized in that a plurality of kinds of mobile objects, a plurality of drawing means and a plurality of paints are prepared, selections of a mobile object, drawing means and a color on a color sample that are to be used for drawing by a drawer are performed, a barricade frame is placed onto a drawing sheet, and a picture is drawn on the drawing sheet by the drawing means of the mobile object.  
         [0024]     According to the drawing method of claim  7 , in addition to the same effect as the invention of claim  6 , even an infant and a physically-handicapped person who hardly issue an utterance due to difficulty in speech can easily select the color which he/she wishes to use from the color sample paint. In cooperation between the above effects, an infant, a primary schooler, a physically-handicapped person, etc., can perform a picture creative activity substantially and with enjoyment. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0025]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a part of a drawing set according to an embodiment;  
         [0026]      FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram showing a tank in the embodiment;  
         [0027]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing a color sample;  
         [0028]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view showing a barricade frame, a ground board, and a sheet, etc.;  
         [0029]      FIG. 5  is a diagram showing another example of the mobile object;  
         [0030]      FIG. 6  is a diagram showing still another example of the mobile object;  
         [0031]      FIG. 7  is a diagram showing another example of the mobile object;  
         [0032]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view showing another example of a controller;  
         [0033]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view showing still another example of the controller;  
         [0034]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view showing a type of a paint brush;  
         [0035]      FIG. 11  is a flowchart showing an example of a drawing method;  
         [0036]      FIG. 12  is a diagram showing a drawing situation;  
         [0037]      FIG. 13  is a partially notched front view showing another example of the paint brush;  
         [0038]      FIG. 14  is a diagram showing an example of a wired remote controller; and  
         [0039]      FIG. 15  is a circuit diagram showing the transmission side. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0040]     Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the subject matter of the present invention.  
         [0041]     As shown in  FIG. 1 , a radio-controlled toy according to the embodiment has a tank ( 1 ) as a mobile object, a transmitter ( 2 ) for transmitting a control signal to the tank ( 1 ), a controller ( 3 ) for controlling the tank ( 1 ), and an IC box ( 4 ) containing a circuit for outputting a control signal to the transmitter ( 2 ).  
         [0042]     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , as in the case of a commercially available radio controller, the tank ( 1 ) is equipped with a receiver ( 5 ) for receiving the control signal from the transmitter ( 2 ), a servo ( 6 ) for moving the tank ( 1 ) on the basis of the control signal received by the receiver ( 5 ), a power supply portion ( 7 ) such as a battery, a dry cell, etc. Further, a paint brush ( 11 ) is mounted via a holder ( 9 ) provided to the rear portion of the tank ( 1 ).  
         [0043]     When the traveling speed of the tank ( 1 ), etc., are not performed, the servo ( 6 ) may be omitted.  
         [0044]     The holder ( 9 ) is fixed to the tank ( 1 ) at the base portion ( 9   a ) thereof, and is equipped with a grip portion ( 9   b ) for the paint brush ( 11 ) at the tip side thereof. However, the holder ( 9 ) is not limited to the above structure, and any structure may be adopted as long as the paint brush ( 11 ) is attached to the holder ( 9 ). For example, even gum tape, etc., may be used.  
         [0045]     The controller ( 3 ) is used for an infant or a physically-handicapped person. It is designed as a switch type movable in the front-and-rear direction and the right-and-left direction, and commercially available.  
         [0046]     In addition to the radio-controlled toy described above, the drawing set of this embodiment is further equipped with a color sample ( 12 ) shown in  FIG. 3  which is used by a drawer to select the color of paint to be applied to the paint brush ( 11 ), a barricade frame ( 13 ) shown in  FIG. 4  for regulating the moving range of the tank ( 1 ), a rectangular ground board ( 15 ) that is designed to have the size corresponding to the barricade frame ( 13 ) and on which a sheet ( 14 ) for picture drawing is placed, and masking tape ( 16 ) for masking the four side edge portions on the surface of the sheet ( 14 ).  
         [0047]     The color sample ( 12 ) is used to express the drawer&#39;s will as to what color of paint he/she wishes to use. The sample color ( 12 ) is designed like a board as a whole, and different color paints ( 17 ) are coated on the upper portion of the sample color ( 12 ) so as to be spaced from one another at fixed intervals, and the color name ( 32 ) of each paint is affixed at the lower side of the corresponding paint ( 17 ). However, the color names ( 32 ) of the paints ( 17 ) may be omitted. In this case, a drawer such as an infant, a physically-handicapped person, etc.,points his/her finger at a target paint ( 17 ) which he/she wishes to use without saying the color name ( 32 ) of the target paint ( 17 ).  
         [0048]     The barricade frame ( 13 ) is constructed by connecting the end portions of the respective adjacent plate-shaped members of front and rear plate-shaped members ( 13 A)( 13 A) and right and left plate-shaped members ( 13 B)( 13 B) with screws, etc., and it is designed to have the rectangular shape corresponding to the ground board ( 15 ) as a whole.  
         [0049]     The ground board ( 15 ) is constructed by a coated plywood board, for example, and it is laid down so that the surface of the sheet ( 14 ) on which a picture is drawn is flat at all times. However, it may be omitted when the drawing is performed in a room whose floor is flat like P-tiles, a wooden floor, etc.  
         [0050]     In order to draw, paints, a palette, a bucket, etc., are also prepared.  
         [0051]     Furthermore, in addition to the tank ( 1 ), some different objects such as a racing car ( 21 ) shown in  FIG. 5 , a hovercraft ( 22 ) shown in  FIG. 6 , a scraper ( 23 ) shown in  FIG. 7 , etc., are prepared as mobile objects. Commercially available radio-controlled toys are used and the paint brush ( 11 ) is attached via the holder ( 9 ) to each of all mobile objects.  
         [0052]     The switch type controller ( 3 ) may be changed to another one in accordance with the preference of an infant or the handicap condition of a physically-handicapped person as a drawer. Specifically, it may be replaced by a button type controller ( 25 ) having four buttons ( 24 ) for instructing the movement in the front-and-rear and right-and-left directions of the mobile object as shown in  FIG. 8 , a lever controller ( 26 ) having a lever ( 26   a ) shown in  FIG. 9 , etc. Commercially available articles may be used as these controllers ( 25 )( 26 ).  
         [0053]     Furthermore, various kinds of articles may be used as the paint brush ( 11 ) as shown in  FIG. 10 . For example, a narrow paintbrush ( 11 A), a thick paint brush ( 11 B), a flat paint brush ( 11 C), etc. may be used.  
         [0054]     The circuit construction of the transmission side according to this embodiment will be described. As shown in  FIG. 15 , ( 41 ) represents a controller portion such as a lever controller ( 26 ), etc., and ( 42 ) represents a transmitting portion constituting a transmitter ( 2 ). All parts other than the controller portion ( 41 ) and the transmitting portion ( 42 ) serve as a controller constituting an IC box ( 4 ).  
         [0055]     The controller portion ( 41 ) has four switches of UP, DOWN, LEFT and RIGHT, for example. The transmitting portion ( 42 ) transmits control signals indicating the advancement of a left motor, the reverse of the left motor, the advancement of a right motor and the reverse of the right motor.  
         [0056]     The controller has an IC chip ( 43 ) and a voltage transducer ( 44 ). The IC chip ( 43 ) executes the processing for the left motor advancement, the right motor reverse, etc., on the basis of an input in the controller portion ( 41 ). The control signal is then transmitted from the transmitting portion ( 42 ) according to the processing results in the IC chip ( 43 ). The voltage transducer ( 44 ) varies the voltage of a battery installed in the transmitter ( 2 ) to a voltage suitable for the IC chip ( 43 ).  
         [0057]     Next, the drawing method using the drawing set described above will be described. As shown in  FIG. 11 , the drawer first selects one of the tank ( 1 ) of  FIG. 1 , the racing car ( 21 ) of  FIG. 5 , the hovercraft ( 22 ) of  FIG. 6  and the scraper ( 23 ) of  FIG. 7  as the mobile object to be used for picture drawing by the drawer (step S 0001 ). In accordance with the drawer&#39;s request, the drawer selects what he/she wishes to use among the switch type controller ( 3 ) shown in  FIG. 1 , the button type controller ( 25 ) of  FIG. 8  and the lever type controller ( 26 ) of  FIG. 9  (step S 0002 ). Furthermore, the drawer selects what he/she wishes to use as the paint brush ( 11 ) among the narrow paint brush ( 11 A), the thick paint brush ( 11 B), the flat paint brush ( 11 C), etc., shown in  FIG. 10  (step S 0003 ). The order of the foregoing steps (step S 0001 ) to (step S 0003 ) may be arbitrary.  
         [0058]     Thereafter, the drawer views paints on the color sample ( 12 ), and selects the color of a paint which the drawer wishes to use, by saying the color name ( 32 ) for the paint to an assistant for drawing, or by pointing his/her finger at the paint ( 17 ) on the color sample ( 12 ) in the case of an infant or a physically-handicapped person having difficulty in speech (step S 0004 ). Subsequently, the drawing assistant applies the selected paint to the paint brush ( 11 ) on the palette (step S 0005 ), and attaches the paint brush ( 11 ) to the holder ( 9 ) of the mobile object such as the tank ( 1 ), etc., (step S 0006 ). Thereafter, the drawer manipulates the switch type controller ( 3 ), etc., (step S 0007 ) to move the mobile object such as the tank ( 1 ), etc., in the front-and-rear and right-and-left directions or rotates the mobile object, whereby the paint is coated on the sheet ( 14 ) by the paint brush ( 11 ) with the paint. In this case, as shown in  FIG. 12 , the drawer moves the tank ( 1 ), etc., in the front-and-rear direction and the right-and-left direction or rotates the tank ( 1 ), whereby each movement forms a locus of the paint brush ( 11 ) and the locus is drawn. As a result, lines, curved lines, zigzag lines, etc., irregularly cross one another. In addition, when the paint applied to the paint brush ( 11 ) runs short during the traveling of the tank ( 1 ), etc., and blurriness of the paint occurs, a design drawn picture having artistic quality as a whole can be completed.  
         [0059]     Furthermore, if a masking tape ( 16 ) is attached to the four side peripheral portions of the sheet ( 14 ), the paint is not coated on the corresponding masking portion even when the tank ( 1 ), etc., passes over the masking portion. Therefore, at the picture completion time, the four side peripheral portions of the sheet ( 14 ) are kept as a belt-shaped white sheet portion, thereby obtaining a visual frame effect. In addition, even when a physically-handicapped person expresses his/her will of a partial completion of a drawing, by attaching the masking tape ( 16 ) to that portion, even when the tank ( 1 ), etc., afterwards travels on that portion, the drawing is prevented from being superimposed on that portion. Furthermore, in the drawing method, a more colorful drawing can be performed when the speed of the mobile object such as the tank ( 1 ), etc., can be changed.  
         [0060]     In the above drawing method, when only one mobile object such as the tank ( 1 ), etc., is provided, only one switch type controller ( 3 ), etc., is provided as the controller to be used and further only one type of paint and only one type of paint brush are provided, the steps S 0001  to S 0004  are properly omitted.  
         [0061]     Furthermore, when the drawer wants a different color paint on the color sample ( 12 ) or a different paint brush ( 11 ) during the drawing operation, the drawing assistant changes the paint or the paint brush on the basis of the drawer&#39;s wish.  
         [0062]     Furthermore, this embodiment is constructed so that a paint is applied to the paint brush ( 11 ). However, as shown in  FIG. 13 , if this embodiment is modified so that a cartridge ( 20 ) filled with ink (I) is installed in a stem portion ( 31   a ) of an ink brush ( 31 ) and ink infiltrates from the cartridge ( 20 ) into the brush ( 31   b ) of the ink brush ( 31 ), the step S 0005  of applying a paint to the paint brush ( 31 ) can also be omitted.  
         [0063]     Still furthermore, in this embodiment, the drawing method using the wirelessly-operated radio-controlled set as the mobile object has been described. However, a mobile object which is moved by wired operation may be used. Specifically, a tank ( 31 ), an IC box ( 32 ), the switch type controller ( 3 ), the button type controller ( 25 ), the lever type controller ( 26 ), etc., are used as shown in  FIG. 14 .  
         [0064]     In  FIG. 14 , ( 33 ) represents a connector for connecting a line from the IC box ( 32 ) to a line from the tank ( 31 ).  
         [0065]     Furthermore, in this embodiment, the controllers ( 3 ), ( 25 ) ( 36 ) and the IC box ( 4 ) are used so that the drawer can easily operate the mobile object. However, when the drawer does not wish easy operation, a communicator (having a controller) used in a commercially available radio-controlled set may be directly used without using the controllers ( 3 ) ( 25 ) ( 26 ) and the IC box ( 4 ). That is, in this case, the commercially radio-controlled set may be directly used, and the drawing means such as a paint brush, etc., may be attached to a tank or racing car as a mobile object.  
         [0066]     The drawing means is not limited to a member having one color paint, and it may contain a plurality of color paints or may be equipped with a mechanism for properly blending a plurality of color paints.