Patent ID: 8606468

Claim:
A vehicle having a step plate on which a rider rides and that performs a turning movement based on a rotation of the step plate in a left/right direction, comprising: a restriction mechanism to allow the rotation of the step plate in the left/right direction to be restricted; a first control unit to control the restriction mechanism so that the rotation of the step plate in the left/right direction is restricted when the rider gets on the step plate or the rider gets off the step plate; a first detection unit to detect a rotation angle of the step plate; and a second detection unit to detect a load exerted on the step plate, wherein the first control unit starts getting-off assist control in a state where the rotation of the step plate in the left/right direction is permitted; when determined that the step plate is in a roughly horizontal state based on the rotation angle of the step plate detected by the first detection unit, controls the restriction mechanism so that the rotation of the step plate in the left/right direction is restricted; and when determined that the rider has gotten off the step plate based on the load exerted on the step plate that is detected by the second detection unit, finishes the getting-off assist control in a state where the rotation of the step plate in the left/right direction is restricted, and the first control unit starts getting-on assist control in the state where the rotation of the step plate in the left/right direction is restricted; when determined that the rider has gotten on the step plate based on the load exerted on the step plate that is detected by the second detection unit, controls the restriction mechanism so that the rotation of the step plate in the left/right direction is permitted; and finishes the getting-on assist control in the state where the rotation of the step plate in the left/right direction is permitted.