Balance training system, method of controlling the same, and control program

A balance training system including a mobile plate configured to support a sole of a trainee in a standing state, a first member fixed on the mobile plate, a load distribution sensor including a plurality of sensors arranged in a matrix under the mobile plate and configured to detect a load received from the trainee riding on the mobile plate and a position of the first member, and a control unit configured to calculate a net moving amount of a center of gravity position of the trainee based on a difference between a moving amount of a center of gravity position of the load received from the trainee detected by the load distribution sensor and a moving amount of the position of the first member detected by the load distribution sensor and to control a movement of the mobile plate based on a result of the calculation.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese patent application No. 2020-021521, filed on Feb. 12, 2020, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to a balance training system, a method of controlling the same, and a control program.

The rehabilitation support device disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 6260811 includes a force plate on which a subject can stand, a load detection sensor for detecting a load of the subject applied to the force plate, center of gravity position detection means for detecting a center of gravity position of the subject from the load detected by the load detection sensor, and driving means. Here, the driving means moves the force plate in accordance with the moving direction of the center of gravity of the subject.

SUMMARY

In some rehabilitation support devices, a load detection sensor that does not move in association with a mobile plate, such as a force plate, on which a subject (trainee) rides, is provided under the mobile plate.

However, in this case, a moving amount of the mobile plate moved along with a center of gravity moving amount of the subject is included in a calculation result of the center of gravity moving amount of the subject. For this reason, the net moving amount of the center of gravity position of the subject cannot be accurately calculated. As a result, there has been a problem in the related art that the subject cannot perform effective balance training, because the movement of the mobile plate cannot be accurately controlled in association with the movement of the center of gravity of the subject.

The present disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances. An object of the present disclosure is to provide a balance training system, a method of controlling the same, and a control program capable of performing effective training.

An example aspect of the present disclosure is a balance training system including: a mobile plate configured to support a sole of a trainee in a standing state; a first member fixed on the mobile plate; a load distribution sensor including a plurality of sensors arranged in a matrix under the mobile plate and configured to detect a load received from the trainee riding on the mobile plate and a position of the first member; and a control unit configured to calculate a net moving amount of a center of gravity position of the trainee based on a difference between a moving amount of a center of gravity position of the load received from the trainee detected by the load distribution sensor and a moving amount of the position of the first member detected by the load distribution sensor and to control a movement of the mobile plate based on a result of the calculation. This balance training system can accurately control a movement of a mobile plate according to a change in the center of gravity position by calculating the net moving amount of the center of gravity position of the trainee in consideration of the moving amount of the mobile plate such as a belt. Thus, trainee can perform effective balance training.

The load distribution sensor is provided in such a way that the load distribution sensor is not moved in association with the mobile plate. Further, the first member is fixed within a range where a position of the first member can be detected by the load distribution sensor even when the mobile plate is moved.

Further, the mobile plate is a belt of a treadmill, and the load distribution sensor is provided under the belt of the treadmill.

Another example aspect of the present disclosure is a method of controlling a balance training system including: detecting, using a load distribution sensor including a plurality of sensors arranged in a matrix under a mobile plate for supporting a sole of a trainee in a standing state, a load received from the trainee riding on the mobile plate and a position of a first member fixed on the mobile plate; and calculating a net moving amount of a center of gravity position of the trainee based on a difference between a moving amount of a center of gravity position of the load received from the trainee detected by the load distribution sensor and a moving amount of the position of the first member detected by the load distribution sensor and controlling a movement of the mobile plate based on a result of the calculation. In this method of controlling the balance training system, it is possible to accurately control a movement of a mobile plate according to a change in the center of gravity position by calculating the net moving amount of the center of gravity position of the trainee in consideration of the moving amount of the mobile plate such as a belt. Thus, trainee can perform effective balance training.

Another example aspect of the present disclosure is a control program for causing a computer to execute: detecting, using a load distribution sensor including a plurality of sensors arranged in a matrix under a mobile plate for supporting a sole of a trainee in a standing state, a load received from the trainee riding on the mobile plate and a position of a first member fixed on the mobile plate; and calculating a net moving amount of a center of gravity position of the trainee based on a difference between a moving amount of a center of gravity position of the load received from the trainee detected by the load distribution sensor and a moving amount of the position of the first member detected by the load distribution sensor and controlling a movement of the mobile plate based on a result of the calculation. In this control program, it is possible to accurately control a movement of a mobile plate according to a change in the center of gravity position by calculating the net moving amount of the center of gravity position of the trainee in consideration of the moving amount of the mobile plate such as a belt. Thus, trainee can perform effective balance training.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a balance training system, a method of controlling the same, and a control program capable of performing effective balance training.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be explained through embodiments of the present disclosure. However, they are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure according to the claims. Further, all of the components/structures described in the embodiments are not necessarily indispensable as means for solving the problem. For clarifying the explanation, the following description and the drawings are partially omitted and simplified as appropriate. The same symbols are assigned to the same elements throughout the drawings and repeated explanations are omitted as appropriate.

First Embodiment

FIG. 1is an overview perspective view (view from diagonally backward left) of a balance training system100according to a first embodiment.FIG. 2is an overview side view (view from the left) of a part of the balance training system100. The balance training system100may also be referred to as a balance training device.

The balance training system100is a system for a trainee with a disability such as hemiplegia to learn to move his/her center of gravity, which the learning of moving is necessary for walking, or for a trainee with a disability in his/her ankle joint to recover the ankle joint function. For example, when a trainee900who wants to recover the ankle joint function tries to continue to stay riding on the balance training system100while maintaining his/her balance, the balance training system100can apply a load that can be expected to have a rehabilitation effect to the trainee900's ankle joint.

Specifically, the balance training system100includes a treadmill150, a load distribution sensor152, a control unit160, a handrail170, and a member (a first member) W1. Note that, in the following description, the up-down direction, the right-left direction, and the front-rear direction are directions based on the orientation of the trainee900.

The treadmill150includes at least a ring-shaped belt (mobile plate)151, a pulley153, and a motor (not shown). The load distribution sensor152is disposed at an inner side of the ring-shaped belt151(under the belt151on which the trainee900rides) in such a way that the load distribution sensor152does not move in association with the belt151.

The member W1having a predetermined weight is fixed on the belt151. The member W1may be any solid having a predetermined weight as long as a position of the member W1can be detected by the load distribution sensor152. The member W1is fixed to a position on the belt151where the member W1does not interfere with the trainee900when he/she rides on the belt151, and within a range where the position of the member W1can be detected by the load distribution sensor151even when the member W1is moved in association with the movement of the belt152.

The load distribution sensor152is composed of a plurality of sensors. The plurality of sensors are arranged in a matrix under the belt151for supporting the sole of the trainee900in a standing state. The load distribution sensor152can detect the distribution of the surface pressure received from the feet of the trainee900who rides on the belt151and the surface pressure received from the member W1fixed to the belt151using the plurality of sensors. Thus, the load distribution sensor152can detect the loads received from the feet of the trainee900who rides on the belt151and the position of the member W1.

The handrail170is provided so as to be positioned, for example, on the side of the trainee900so that it can be graped when he/she is about to lose his/her balance or when he/she feels uneasy.

The control unit160calculates the center of gravity position of the trainee900based on the load received from the trainee900detected by the load distribution sensor152, and rotates the pulley153at a speed, a direction, and an amount in accordance with a mobile vector (moving direction and moving amount) of the calculated center of gravity position, thereby rotating the ring-shaped belt151. The trainee900standing on the belt151also moves with the rotation (movement) of the belt151.

Here, the control unit160further calculates a moving amount (mobile vector) of the position of the member W1detected by the load distribution sensor152. This enables calculation of the moving amount of the belt151(mobile vector) that has moved along with the movement of the center of gravity position of the trainee900. Then, the control unit160subtracts the moving amount of the position of the member W1from the moving amount of the center of gravity position of the trainee900calculated based on the load received from the trainee900, thereby calculating the net moving amount of the center of gravity position of the trainee900. The control unit160rotates the pulley153in accordance with the net moving amount of the center of gravity position of the trainee900, thereby accurately rotating the ring-shaped belt151.

In this manner, in the balance training system100, the control unit160subtracts the moving amount of the position of the member W1detected by the load distribution sensor152from the moving amount of the center of gravity position of the trainee900calculated based on the load received from the trainee900, thereby calculating the net moving amount of the center of gravity position of the trainee900. Since the balance training system100can accurately rotate (move) the belt151using the net moving amount of the center of gravity position, the subject can perform effective balance training.

The moving amount of the belt151can also be calculated from an encoder of the motor for driving the belt151. However, there is a possibility that there may be a difference between the timing at which the information about the moving amount of the belt is acquired from the encoder and the timing at which the information about the center of gravity moving amount is acquired from the load distribution sensor152, due to a difference between amounts of delay. On the other hand, in the balance training system100, since the information about the moving amount of the belt and the information about the center of gravity moving amount are both acquired from the load distribution sensor152, there is no difference between these timings at which the information is acquired. Therefore, the balance training system100can accurately calculate the net moving amount of the center of gravity position of the trainee900.

Next, an operation of the balance training system100will be described with reference toFIGS. 3 and 4.

FIGS. 3 and 4are diagrams for explaining the operation of the balance training system100.FIG. 3shows the state before the belt151is moved.FIG. 4shows the state after the belt151is moved along with the movement of the center of gravity of the trainee900shown inFIG. 3.

First, a state before the belt151is moved will be described with reference toFIG. 3.

Before the training is started, the trainee900brings his/her sole to a specified position in a central part of the belt151and thus his/her state becomes a stationary standing state. When the training is started, the trainee900performs training to maintain his/her balance by attempting to move his/her center of gravity without moving the sole from the position where the sole is brought into contact with the belt151.

The control unit160calculates the center of gravity position CP0of the trainee900in the stationary standing state before the training is started. Specifically, the control unit160calculates the center of gravity position CP0of the trainee900from the loads received from the left and right feet FT of the trainee900detected by the load distribution sensor152.

When the training is started, the control unit160periodically calculates the center of gravity position CP1of the trainee900during the balance training. In the example ofFIG. 3, during the balance training, the trainee900inclines his/her weight to forward more than when he/she is in the stationary standing state. Thus, the center of gravity position CP1is positioned forward of the initial center of gravity position CP0.

The control unit160rotates the belt151in accordance with the mobile vector (the solid arrow inFIG. 3) from the center of gravity position CP0to the center of gravity position CP1. The trainee900standing on the belt151also moves with the rotation of the belt151. In this example, the belt151can rotate only in the front-rear direction.

The X-axis shown inFIG. 3indicates the position of the center of gravity in the front-rear direction when the rear end of the rectangular load distribution sensor152is defined as a starting point. In the example ofFIG. 3, the initial position of the center of gravity CP0is the position X0, and the position of the center of gravity CP1is the position X1. The control unit160rotates the belt151forward or backward according to the difference between the positions X1and X0. In the example ofFIG. 3, the control unit160rotates the belt151forward according to the difference between the positions X1and X0. Thus, the trainee900standing on the belt151also moves forward.

Next, the state after the belt151is moved along with the movement of the center of gravity of the trainee900shown inFIG. 3will be described with reference toFIG. 4.

As shown inFIG. 4, when the belt151is moved along with the movement of the center of gravity of the trainee900, the center of gravity moving amount of the trainee900(X1−X0inFIG. 4) calculated based on the load received from the trainee900includes the moving amount of the belt151.

Thus, the control unit160further calculates the moving amount of the position of the member W1(Y1−Y0inFIG. 4) detected by the load distribution sensor152as the moving amount of the belt151which has moved along with the movement of the center of gravity of the trainee900. Then, the control unit160subtracts the moving amount of the position of the member W1(Y1−Y0) from the center of gravity moving amount of the trainee900(X1−X0) calculated based on the load received from the trainee900, thereby calculating the net moving amount of the center of gravity position of the trainee900(X1−X0′ inFIG. 4).

After that, the control unit160rotates the belt151based on the net moving amount (X1−X0′) of the center of gravity position of the trainee900.

Thus, in the balance training system100, the control unit160subtracts the moving amount of the position of the member W1detected by the load distribution sensor152from the moving amount of the center of gravity position of the trainee900calculated based on the load received from the trainee900, thereby calculating the net moving amount of the center of gravity position of the trainee900. The balance training system100can accurately rotate (move) the belt151using the net moving amount of the center of gravity position, and thus the subject can perform effective balance training.

The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiment described above, and may be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the disclosure.

In this embodiment, a case in which the control unit160rotates the belt151in the front-rear direction in accordance with the mobile vector from the center of gravity CP0(or CP0′) to the center of gravity CP1has been described as an example. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. If the belt151is configured to be rotatable not only in the front-rear direction but also in the right-left direction, the control unit160can rotate the belt151in the front-rear and right-left directions in accordance with the mobile vector from the center of gravity CP0(or CP0′) to the center of gravity CP1.

In the first embodiment, an example in which the control unit160is included in the treadmill150has been explained. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. The control unit160may be provided outside the treadmill150, or may be configured to remotely control the treadmill150.

Further, although the present disclosure has been explained in the above embodiments as a hardware configuration, the present disclosure is not limited to this. The present disclosure can be realized by causing a CPU (Central Processing Unit) to execute a computer program for controlling a balance training system.