Patent Publication Number: US-10765586-B2

Title: Walking aid device

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the priority benefit of Taiwan application serial no. 106139272, filed on Nov. 14, 2017. The entirety of the above-mentioned patent application is hereby incorporated by reference herein and made a part of this specification. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Technical Field 
     The invention is related to a walking aid device, and more particularly to, a multifunctional walking aid device. 
     Description of Related Art 
     In response to the market demand for rehabilitation and medical care, wheelchairs or walking aids are currently available to assist people who are not at ease to walk or in post-operative (post-illness) rehabilitation. Common wheelchairs are mainly for users to ride thereon, and to drive them by electric or manual means. Common walking aids are mainly for the users to hold onto handles thereof by both hands so as to enable the users to get a support during the walking process and to push the walking aids to move forwards, thereby reducing the burden during walking. 
     However, once the wheelchairs or the walking aids are too far from the users, the users must go to the wheelchairs or the walking aids on their own, or ask others to assist in moving the wheelchairs or the walking aids to where the users are located, and this is extremely troublesome for the users who are not at ease to walk. 
     SUMMARY 
     The invention is directed to a walking aid device with excellent ease of use. 
     The walking aid device of the invention includes a moving body, a message receiving element, a positioning element and a processor. The message receiving element, the positioning element and the processor are respectively disposed at the moving body, and the message receiving element and the positioning element are respectively and electrically coupled to the processor. The message receiving element is configured to receive a message from the target, and the positioning element is configured to located a position of the moving body. When the message receiving, element receives the message from the target, the processor determines an orientation of the target according to the message, and the positioning element locates the position of the moving body. The processor produces a position data according to the orientation of the target and the position of the moving body, and controls the moving body to move to where the target is located according to the position data. 
     In one embodiment of the invention, the walking aid device further includes at least one image sensor disposed at one side of the moving body and electrically coupled to the processor. The at least one image sensor is configured to obtain an image of the target, and the processor determines a distance, an orientation or a posture of the target according the image of the target obtained by the at least one image sensor. 
     In one embodiment of the invention, the walking aid device further includes a seat and a handle respectively movably connected to the moving body. 
     In one embodiment of the invention, the walking aid device further includes a first driving element and a second driving element respectively deposed at the moving body. The first driving element is connected to the seat to drive the seat to rotate relative to the moving body, wherein the first driving element is electrically coupled to the processor. The second driving element is connected to the handle to drive the handle to rotate relative to the moving body, wherein the second driving element is electrically coupled the processor. 
     In one embodiment of the invention, the walking aid device further includes a pressure sensing element disposed at the seat and electrically coupled to the processor. When the target applies a pressure onto the pressure sensing element, the processor controls the first driving element to drive the seat to rotate relative to the moving body according to a pressure value detected by the pressure sensing element. 
     In one embodiment of the invention, the walking aid device further includes pressure sensing element disposed at the handle and electrically coupled to the processor. When the target applies a pressure onto the pressure sensing element, the processor controls the second driving element to drive the handle to rotate relative to the moving body according to a pressure value detected by the pressure sensing element. 
     In one embodiment of the invention, the walking aid device further includes a pressure sensing element disposed at the handle and electrically coupled to the processor. When the target applies a pressure onto the pressure sensing element, the processor controls the second driving element to drive the handle to rotate relative to the moving body according to a pressure value detected by the pressure sensing element and the orientation and the posture of the target. 
     In one embodiment of the invention, the walking aid device further includes a first pressure sensing element and a second pressure sensing element. The first pressure sensing element is disposed at the seat and electrically coupled to the processor. The second pressure sensing element is disposed at the handle and electrically coupled to the processor. When the target applies a pressure onto the first pressure sensing element, the processor turns off a sensing function of the second pressure sensing element according to a pressure value detected by the first pressure sensing element and controls the first driving element to drive the seat to rotate relative to the moving body along a rotation direction, and until the seat rotates into position, the processor turns on the sensing function of the second pressure sensing element again. When the target simultaneously applies pressures onto the first pressure sensing element and the second pressure sensing element, the processor controls the moving body to move according to a pressure value detected by the first pressure sensing element and a pressure value detected by the second pressure sensing element. 
     In one embodiment of the invention, the walking aid device further includes a switch element disposed at the handle and electrically coupled to the processor. After the switch element is activated, the processor turns off the sensing function of the second pressure sensing element and stops the moving body from moving, and then controls the first driving element to drive the seat to rotate relative to the moving body along a direction opposite to the rotation direction, and until the seat rotates into position and the pressure applied onto the first pressure sensing element is removed, the processor turns on the sensing function of the second pressure sensing element again. 
     In one embodiment of the invention, after the processor determines the distance, the orientation and the posture of the target according to the image of the target obtained by the at least one image sensor while the message receiving element receives a command sent out by the target, the processor controls the moving body to move along the target according to the command. 
     In one embodiment of the invention, the moving body includes an active body, a driven body and a driving element, and the driven body is pivoted on the active body. The driving element is connected to the driven body and the active body, the driving element is electrically coupled to the processor. The driving element is configured to drive the driven body to rotate relative to the active body so as to adjust an expansion angle between the driven body and the active body. 
     In one embodiment of the invention, the walking aid device further includes a pair of drive assemblies connected to the active body and electrically coupled to the processor. The pair of drive assemblies operates under a control of the processor to drive the active body to move. 
     In one embodiment of the invention, the walking aid device further includes a proximity sensing element disposed at the active body and electrically coupled to the processor. The proximity sensing element is configured to detect obstacles around the moving body. 
     In one embodiment of the invention, the walking aid device further includes a tilt sensing element disposed at the active body and electrically coupled to the processor. The tilt sensing element is configured to detect obstacles around the moving body. 
     In one embodiment of the invention, the position data includes a map information around the target and the moving body. 
     In view of the above, the walking aid device of the invention can be controlled by the message from the target (e.g., a user) to move automatically from the far away to where the target is located, and thus is extremely convenient to use. On the other hand, the walking aid device of the invention may have a tracking function for moving along with the target (e.g., the user). 
     To make the aforementioned more comprehensible, several embodiments accompanied with drawings are described in detail as follows. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the disclosure, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram illustrating a walking aid device according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram illustrating the walking aid device of  FIG. 1  moving to where a user is located. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram illustrating the walking aid device of  FIG. 2  assisting the user standing. 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram illustrating the user walking with an assist of the walking aid device of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  through  FIG. 7  illustrate a process of the user in  FIG. 4  moving with respect to the walking aid device. 
         FIG. 8  and  FIG. 9  illustrate a process of the user riding on the walking aid device. 
         FIG. 10  is a schematic diagram illustrating the user in  FIG. 9  moving to any side of the walking aid device. 
         FIG. 11  is a schematic diagram illustrating the walking aid device of  FIG. 1  transforming to a storage mode. 
         FIG. 12  is a schematic diagram illustrating the walking aid device under a different mode according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram showing a walking aid device according to an embodiment of the invention. Referring to  FIG. 1 , in the present embodiment, the walking aid device  100  can be used to carry a user (i.e., target  10 , please refer to  FIG. 9 ) or to guide the user (i.e., target  10 , please refer to  FIG. 4 ) to walk, and use modes thereof can be switched depending on actual needs of the user (i.e., target  10 , please refer to any one of  FIG. 2  through  FIG. 10 ). The walking aid device  100  includes a moving body  110 , a message receiving element  120 , a positioning element  130  and a processor  140 , wherein the message receiving element  120 , the positioning element  130  and the processor  140  are respectively disposed at the moving body  110 , and the message receiving element  120  and the positioning element  130  are respectively electrically coupled to the processor  140 . 
     The moving body  110  may include an active body  111 , a driven body  112  and a driving element  113 , wherein the active body  111  and the driven body  112  are pivoted to each other and can rotate relative to each other, and the active body  111  can provide a power source for guiding the driven body  112  to move together. The message receiving element  120 , the positioning element  130  and the processor  140  are respectively disposed at the active body  111 , wherein the driving element  113  is electrically coupled to the processor  140  and disposed at the active body  111 . Furthermore, the driving element  113  is connected to the driven body  112  and the active body  111 , so that the driven body  112  can be driven by the driving element  113  to rotate relative to the active body  111 , so as to adjust an expansion angle between the driven body  112  and the active body  111 . For example, the driving element  113  may be a motor, a combination of motor and gear, a combination of motor, gear and rack, or a combination of motor, pulley and drive belt, and can be operated under a control of the processor  140 . The aforementioned motor may be a stepping motor, a DC motor or a servomotor, but the invention is not limited thereto. 
     On the other hand, the walking aid device  100  further includes a pair of drive assemblies  150  (i.e., two oppositely disposed drive assemblies  150 ) connected to the active body  111 . Each of the drive assemblies  150  may be a combination of motor and wheel set, a combination of motor, gear and wheel set, or a combination of motor, pulley, drive belt and wheel set. The two drive assemblies  150  are respectively disposed at two opposite sides of the active body  111 , and are respectively electrically coupled to the processor  140 . Furthermore, the two drive assemblies  150  can respectively controlled by the processor  140  to operate independently to drive the active body  111  to move, and the driven body  112  is being guided by the active body  111  to move together. Because the two drive assemblies  150  can respectively be controlled by the processor  140  to operate independently, the moving body  110  can be changed in direction by controlling a rotation speed difference between the two drive assemblies  150 , and is not limited to moving forward and backward. 
     The message receiving element  120  is configured to receive a message (e.g., sound) from the (i.e., target  10 , please refer to  FIG. 2 ), and the positioning element  130  is configured to locate a position of the moving body  110 . In the present embodiment, the processor  140  is, for example, a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a System on Chip (SOC), other programmable general purpose or special purpose microprocessor, a Digital Signal Processor, (DSP), a programmable controller, an Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC), a Programmable Logic Device (PLD), other similar processing device or a combination thereof. On the other hand, the moving body  110  may be configured with a storage device (not shown) therein, such as a Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), a Flash memory or a Non-Volatile Random Access Memory (NVRAM), etc. and the storage device (not shown) and the processor  140  are electrically coupled and are configured to store the information described in each embodiment of the invention (such as, sound information, image information, position data or other information) for the processor  140  to access, calculate and execute. 
     The message receiving element  120  may include a plurality of directional microphones respectively facing towards different directions and configured to receive sounds from all directions. After the message receiving element  120  receive the message (e.g., sound) from the user (i.e., target  10 , please refer to  FIG. 2 ), the processor  140  can perform an analyzing operation to the message (e.g., sound) so as to obtain an orientation of the user (i.e., target  10 , please refer to  FIG. 2 ), and information regarding the orientation of the user (i.e., target  10 , please refer to  FIG. 2 ) can be stored in the storage device (not shown). On the other hand, the positioning element  130  can locate a position of the moving body  110  through positioning technology such as Global Positioning System (GPS), Wi-Fi, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), ultrasound, ZigBee, Bluetooth or infrared, and information regarding the position of the moving body  110  can be stored in the storage device (not shown). Afterwards, the processor  140  can access the information stored in the storage device (not shown) and perform calculation according to the orientation of the user (i.e., target  10 , please refer to  FIG. 2 ) and the position of the moving body  110  so as to produce position data, and control the moving body  110  to move to where the user (i.e., target  10 , please refer to  FIG. 2 ) is located according to the position data. 
     For example, the position data may be map information around the user (i.e., target  10 , please refer to  FIG. 2 ) and the moving body  110 , and based on the map information, the processor  140  can calculate and plan a best moving route. Next, the processor  140  can control the operation of the drive assembly  150  and drives the moving body  110  to move, thereby enabling the moving body  110  to move to where the user (i.e., target  10 , please refer to  FIG. 2 ) is located according to the best moving route. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  again, the walking aid device  100  further includes at least one image sensor  160 , a seat  161 , a handle  162 , a proximity sensing element  163  and a tilt sensing element  164 , wherein the image sensor  160  is disposed at one side of the active body  111  of the moving body  110 , and electrically coupled to the processor  140 . Here, the number of the image sensors  160  is two, and the two image sensors  160  are respectively disposed at two opposite sides of the active body  111  of the moving body  110 , and respectively electrically coupled to the processor  140 . In other embodiments, the number of the image sensors  160  may be more than two. The seat  161  and the handle  162  are respectively movably connected to the active body  111  of the moving body  110 , wherein the two image sensors  160  are substantially located between the active body  111  and the seat  161 , and the two image sensors  160  may be a 3D camera or a combination of camera and rangefinder (e.g., infrared rangefinder, ultrasonic rangefinder or laser rangefinder). An image of objects around the moving body  110  can be obtained through at least one of the image sensors  160 , wherein image information can be stored in the storage device (not shown), and the processor  140  can access the image information stored in the storage device (not shown) and accordingly calculate and determine the distances, the orientations or the postures of the objects around the moving body  110 . Thus, the image sensors  160  can also be configured to assist the moving body  110  to keep away from obstacles, so that the moving body  110  can smoothly move towards where the user (i.e., target  10 , please refer to  FIG. 2 ) is located according to the best moving route. 
     In other embodiment, the message receiving element may be a signal receiver, the user may send a signal via a signal transmitter (such as a transmitter) to the signal receiver, and after the signal receiver receives the signal from the signal transmitter, the processor can perform an analyzing operation on the signal to obtain the orientation of the user, and information regarding the orientation of the user can be stored in the storage device. On the other hand, the positioning element can locate the position of the moving body through positioning technology such as such as GPS, Wi-Fi, RFID, ultrasound, ZigBee, Bluetooth or infrared, and information regarding the position of the moving body  110  can be stored in the storage device (not shown). Afterwards, the processor can access the information stored in the storage device (not shown) and perform calculation according to the orientation of the user and the position of the moving body so as to produce the position data, and control the moving body to move to where the user is located according to the position data. 
     On the other hand, the walking aid device  100  further includes a first driving element  165  and a second driving element  166  respectively disposed at the actively body  111  of the moving body  110 . The first driving element  165  may be a motor, a combination of motor and gear or a combination of motor, pulley and drive belt, which is configured to connect to the seat  161 . The second driving element  166  may be a motor, a combination of motor and gear, or a combination of motor, pulley and drive belt, which is configured to connect to the handle  162 . The first driving element  165  and the second driving element  166  are respectively electrically coupled to the processor  140 , and can respectively operate under controls of the processor  140  so as to respectively drive the seat  161  and the handle  162  to rotate relative to the active body  111 . 
     In the present embodiment, the handle  162  may include a first rod portion  162   a , a second rod portion  162   b  and a grip portion  162   c , wherein the first rod portion  162   a  connects to the second driving element  166 , and the first rod portion  162   a  can be driven by the second driving element  166  to rotate relative to the active body  111 . One of the two ends of the second rod portion  162   b  is rotatably connected to the second rod portion  162   b , and the grip portion  162   c  is fixed at the other end of the second rod portion  162   b . The grip portion  162   c  includes two grips  162   d , wherein the walking aid device  100  further includes two pressure sensing elements  162   e  respectively disposed at the two grips  162   d  and a pressure sensing element  167  disposed at the seat  161 . The two pressure sensing elements  162   e  may be a strain gauge or a pressure sensor, and is electrically coupled to the processor  140 . On the other hand, the walking aid device  100  further includes a switch element  168 , the switch element  168  may be a switch button or a touch element, and the switch element  168  is disposed at the grip portion  162   c  of the handle  162 . The pressure sensing element  167  may be a strain gauge or a pressure sensor, and the pressure sensing element  167  and the switch element  168  are respectively electrically coupled to the processor  140 . 
     The proximity sensing element  163  is disposed at the active body  111  and electrically coupled to the processor  140 . The proximity sensing element  163  may be a proximity sensor, laser rangefinder or a 3D camera configured to detect obstacles around the moving body  110 . In the present embodiment, the number of the proximity sensing element  163  may be a plurality so as to detect around the moving body  110  (including the ground). Furthermore, the processor  140  can control the moving body  110  to keep away from the obstacles during the process of moving after receiving information detected by the proximity sensing element  163 , so that the moving body  110  can successfully move towards where the user (i.e., target  10 , please refer to  FIG. 2 ) is located according to the best moving route. 
     On the other hand, the tilt sensing element  164  is disposed at the active body  111  and electrically coupled to the processor  140 . The tilt sensing element  164  may be a gravity sensor, a gyroscope or a ten-axis sensor configured to detect a tilt angle of the moving body  110 . Furthermore, the processor  140  can control a rotation speed of the drive assembly  150  and a rotation direction of a wheel set in the drive assembly  150  after receiving information detected by the tilt sensing element  164 , such as by enabling the moving body  110  to speed up at an uphill section or enabling the moving body  110  to slow down at a downhill section. Otherwise, it may enable the wheel set in the drive assembly  150  to turn to a reverse direction at the downhill section so as to avoid the speed of the moving body  110  from being too fast at the downhill section, or may stop the moving body  110 . 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram illustrating the walking aid device of  FIG. 1  moving to where a user is located.  FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram illustrating the walking aid device of  FIG. 2  assisting the user standing.  FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram illustrating the user walking with an assist of the walking aid device of  FIG. 3 . Referring to  FIG. 1  through  FIG. 4 , after moving to where the user (i.e., target  10 ) is located, the walking aid device  100  firstly obtains an image of the user (i.e., target  10 ) via the image sensor  160  and determines the distance, the orientation or the posture of the user (i.e., target  10 ) via the processor  140 , so that the moving body  110  can move with respect to the user (i.e., target  10 ) so as to adjust the relative positions of the moving body  110  and the user (i.e., target  10 ), and thus it is convenient for the user (i.e., target  10 ) to contact the walking aid device  100 . 
     The user in a sitting posture as shown in (i.e., target  10 ) in  FIG. 2  can touch the two pressure sensing elements  162   e  on the two grips  162   d  with both hands and apply pressures onto the two pressure sensing elements  162   e ; at this moment, the two pressure sensing elements  162   e  send electrical signals to the processor  140 , and then, the processor  140  controls the second driving element  166  to operate to drive the handle  162  to rotate relative to the active body  111 , so as to assist the user (i.e., target  10 ) to switch to the stance as shown in  FIG. 3 . The image sensor  160  can obtain an instance image of the user (i.e., target  10 ), thereby enabling the processor  140  to determine and known that the user (i.e., target  10 ) is standing. 
     If both hands of the user (i.e., target  10 ) hold on to the two grips  162   d  and respectively apply the pressures onto the two pressure sensing elements  162   e , then the two pressure sensing elements  162   e  will send electrical signals to the processor  140 , next, the processor  140  will control the second driving element  166  to operate to drive the handle  162  to rotate relative to the active body  111  and control the driving element  113  to operate to drive the driven body  112  to rotate relative to the active body  111 , so as to adjust an expansion angle between the driven body  112  and the active body  111 , thereby enabling the walking aid device  100  to transform to walking aid mode as shown in  FIG. 4 . Under the condition that the user (i.e., target  10 ) continually to apply the pressure onto the two pressure sensing elements  162   e  with both hands, the two pressure sensing elements  162   e  continuously send out the electrical signals to the processor  140 , and at this moment, the processor  140  controls the drive assembly  150  to drive the moving body  110  to move, so that the user (i.e., target  10 ) can be guided by the walking aid device  100  to perform walking, as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
       FIG. 5  through  FIG. 7  illustrate a process of the user in  FIG. 4  moving with respect to the walking aid device. Referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 4 , the user (i.e., target  10 ) in  FIG. 4  is located at a side where the driven body  112  is located, and the user (i.e., target  10 ) may change to hold the single grip  162   d  with single hand to serve as a support to move around the moving body  110 , as shown in  FIG. 5  through  FIG. 7 . Under the condition that the user (i.e., target  10 ) holds the single grip  162   d  with the single hand, the processor  140  stops the operation of the drive assembly  150  to stop the walking aid device  100 , and the image sensor  160  can obtain the instant image of the user (i.e., target  10 ) so that the processor  140  can determine and known the orientation and the posture of the user (i.e., target  10 ). Under the condition that the user (i.e., target  10 ) continue to apply pressure onto the pressure sensing element  162   e  of the single grip  162   d , and as the orientation and the posture of the user (i.e., target  10 ) are changed, the processor  140  controls the driving element  113  to drive the driven body  112  to rotate relative to the active body  111  and controls the second driving element  166  to drive the handle  162  to rotate relative to the active body  111 , so that during the process in which the user (i.e., target  10 ) moves around the moving body  110 , the user (i.e., target  10 ) is able to hold the single grip  162   d  by one hand to use as the support, and will not fall down due to losing support. Finally, the walking aid device  100  can be transformed to a self-moving mode as shown in  FIG. 7 , so that that user (i.e., target  10 ) can ride on the walking aid device  100  to move forward. 
       FIG. 8  and  FIG. 9  illustrate a process of the user riding on the walking aid device. Referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 7  through  FIG. 9 , after the walking aid device  100  transforms to the self-moving mode, the user (i.e., target  10 ) can ride on the seat  161 ; because the seat  161  is configured with the pressure sensing element  167 , the pressure sensing element  167  as subjected to a pressure can send out an electrical signal to the processor  140 , so as to determine whether the user (i.e., target  10 ) is seat onto a position for riding. Next, after the processor  140  determines that the user (i.e., target  10 ) is seat onto the position for riding, the processor  140  turns off the sensing function of the pressure sensing element  162   e  and controls the first driving element  165  to operate to drive the seat  161  to rotate relative to the actively body  111  along a rotation direction R (e.g., rotating 90 degrees). After the seat  161  rotates to the position, the user (i.e., target  10 ) faces towards the handle  162 , and at this moment, the processor  140  turns on the sensing function of the pressure sensing element  162   e  again. It is to be particularly noted that, under the self-moving mode of  FIG. 7 , the user (i.e., target  10 ) currently continues to apply pressure onto the pressure sensing element  162   e  of the single grip  162   d ; if an armrest on the seat  161  obstructs the user (i.e., target  10 ) from sitting onto the seat  161 , the processor  140  can control the first driving element  165  to operate to drive the seat  161  to rotate relative to the actively body  111  along a direction opposite to the rotation direction R (e.g., rotating 90 degrees), such that the seat  161  transforms from the state as shown in  FIG. 7  to the state as shown in  FIG. 8 , so as to enable the user (i.e., target  10 ) to successfully sit onto the seat  161  without being obstructed by the armrest on the seat  161 . For example, the image sensor  160  can be used to assist in determining whether the armrest on the seat  161  is obstructing the user (i.e., target  10 ) from sitting onto the seat  161 . 
     During the process in which the seat  161  rotates relative to the active body  111 , turning off the sensing function of the pressure sensing element  162   e  can prevent the walking aid device  100  from moving suddenly due to inadvertently triggering the pressure sensing element  162   e , thereby reducing accidents. After the user (i.e., target  10 ) sits onto the riding position and faces towards the handle  162 , the user (i.e., target  10 ) can hold the two grips  162   d  with both hands and respectively applies the pressures onto the two pressure sensing elements  162   e ; at this moment, the processor  140  receives the electrical signals from the two pressure sensing elements  162   e  and the electrical signal from the pressure sensing element  167  at the same time, so as to control the operation of the drive assembly  150  and drive the moving body  110  to move. That is to say, when the two pressure sensing elements  162   e  are both not under pressure, the moving body  110  is stopped from moving. For example, by changing the pressures applied onto the two pressure sensing elements  162   e , the processor  140  can determine according to a preset value to control the moving body  110  to move forward or backwards, or to enable the two drive assemblies  150  to produce a rotational difference to cause the moving body  110  to change direction. 
     On the other hand, after the switch element  168  is activated, the processor  140  turns off the sensing function of the pressure sensing element  162   e  and stops the moving body  110  from moving, and then controls the first driving element  165  to drive the seat  161  to rotate relative to the active body  111  along the direction opposite to the rotation direction R (e.g., rotating 90 degrees), until after the seat  161  rotates into position and the pressure applied onto the pressure sensing element  167  on the seat  161  is removed (i.e., after the user left the seat  161 ), the processor  140  turns on the sensing function of the pressure sensing element  162   e  again. During the process of the seat  161  rotating relative to the active body  111 , turning off the sensing function of the pressure sensing element  162   e  can prevent the walking aid device  100  from moving suddenly due to inadvertently triggering the pressure sensing element  162   e , thereby preventing the user (i.e., target  10 ) from falling off when leaving the walking aid device  100 . 
       FIG. 10  is a schematic diagram illustrating the user in  FIG. 9  moving to any side of the walking aid device. Referring to  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 9  and  FIG. 10 , after the user (i.e., target  10 ) leaves the walking aid device  100 , the image sensor  160  can obtain the instant image of the user (i.e., target  10 ), and then the processor  140  can determine to known the distance, the orientation and the posture of the user (i.e., target  10 ). If the user (i.e., target  10 ) sends a command to request the walking aid device  100  to follow along, then after the message receiving element received the command sent from the user (i.e., target  10 ), the processor  140  will control the moving body  110  to move along with the user (i.e., target  10 ) according to the command. On the other hand, the image sensor  160  and the proximity sensing element  163  allow the walking aid device  100  to keep a safe distance from the user (i.e., target  10 ) during the accompanying process, so as to avoid colliding with the user (i.e., target  10 ) or interfering with the user (i.e., target  10 ) walking. It is to be particularly noted that, under the accompanying mode, the walking aid device  100  can change a state of it handle  162  based on the needs, and  FIG. 10  illustrates different states of the handle  162  with dashed lines. 
       FIG. 11  is a schematic diagram illustrating the walking aid device of  FIG. 1  transforming to a storage mode. Referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 11 , in the present embodiment, the pressure sensing element  162   e  on the handle  162  and the pressure sensing element  167  on the seat  161  are both not under pressure, and after the walking aid device  100  stays stationary for some time, the processor  140  automatically controls the driving element  113  to operate to enable the driven body  112  to rotate relative to the active body  111  and controls the second driving element  166  to operate to enable the handle  162  to rotate relative to the active body  111 , so as to transform to the storage mode as shown in  FIG. 11 . 
     For example, when the user (i.e., target  10 ) intends to use the walking aid device  100  again, the user can apply a pressure onto the pressure sensing element  162   e  of the handle  162  or the pressure sensing element  167  on the seat  161 , or other switch element, so as to enable the processor  140  to control the walking aid device  100  to transform from the storage mode as shown in  FIG. 11  to an appropriate use mode. In addition to the aforementioned approach, the instant image of the user (i.e., target  10 ) may also be obtained through the image sensor  160 , and after the processor  140  determines the distance, the orientation and the posture of the user (i.e., target  10 ), the walking aid device  100  can be controlled to transform from the storage mode as shown in  FIG. 11  to the appropriate use mode. 
       FIG. 12  is a schematic diagram illustrating the walking aid device under a different mode according to an embodiment of the invention. Referring to  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 12 , in the present embodiment, under the mode as shown in  FIG. 5 , the user (i.e., target  10 ) can only sit onto the seat  161  from one of the sides of the walking aid device  100 . By enabling the second rod portion  162   b  to rotate relative to the first rod portion  162   a  to enable the walking aid device  100  to transform to the mode as shown in  FIG. 12 , the user (i.e., target  10 ) can sit onto the seat  161  from at least two sides of the walking aid device  100 . In other embodiments, the processor may be used to control the operation of the second driving element to enable the handle to rotate relative to the active body, and to move close to the driven body; at this moment, the user (i.e., target) can sit onto the seat from at least three sides of the walking aid device. 
     In summary, the walking aid device of the invention can be controlled by the message from the target (e.g., a user) to move automatically from the far away to where the target is located, or to move along the target (e.g., a user), and thus is extremely convenient to use. On the other hand, the user may also use methods as pressure control or image control to enable the walking aid device to automatically switch the use modes or the operation states, that is, the walking aid device of the invention is a multifunctional walking aid device which can meet a variety of needs of the user. 
     It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the disclosed embodiments without departing from the scope or spirit of the disclosure. In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the disclosure covers modifications and variations provided that they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.