Motion measurement method, motion measurement system, and motion measurement program

• US 20060004299A1
• Filed: 06/16/2005
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Endo, Yosuke, Hara, Ritsuo
• Granted Patent: US 7,433,733 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/546
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/103 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for testing the shape, pattern, colour, size or movement of the body or parts thereof, for diagnostic purposes A61B5/08 takes precedence; measuring aids for tailors A41H1/00; measuring instruments specially adapted for dentistry A61C19/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4528 Joints A61B5/4533, A61B5/4538 take precedence

Abstract

A method, system, and program enabling a variable varying with animal'"'"'s motions such as a joint torque to be accurately measured in a series of the animal'"'"'s motions. First, a reference relational expression representing a relation between myoelectric potentials and a knee joint torque is set on the basis of the myoelectric potentials and the knee joint torque (variable) measured by using an inverse dynamics model. Then, the knee joint torque is measured on the basis of the measured myoelectric potentials and according to the reference relational expression. For example, if an animal makes first and second motions continuously, first a reference relational expression is set on the basis of myoelectric potentials measured in the first motion and a knee joint torque corresponding to the first motion. Then, a knee joint torque corresponding to the second motion is measured on the basis of the myoelectric potentials measured in the second motion and according to the reference relational expression. The first and second motions are arbitrary and the animal is not forced to make a given motion.

Claims

1. A method of measuring motions of an animal made by activities of muscle fibers, comprising the steps of:

myoelectric potential measurement for measuring myoelectric potentials generated in an animal'"'"'s body;

first variable measurement for measuring a variable varying with the animal'"'"'s motions;

reference relational expression setting for setting a reference relational expression representing a relation between the myoelectric potentials and the variable based on the myoelectric potentials measured in the myoelectric potential measurement step and the variable measured in the first variable measurement step; and

second variable measurement for measuring a variable intended to be measured in the first variable measurement step based on the myoelectric potentials measured in the myoelectric potential measurement step and according to the reference relational expression set in the reference relational expression setting step.

2. The motion measurement method according to claim 1, wherein the first variable measurement step includes measuring the variable according to an inverse dynamics model representing a behavior of the animal.

3. The motion measurement method according to claim 1, further comprising a motion condition determination step of determining a motion condition of the animal based on the variable varying with the animal'"'"'s motions,

wherein the first variable measurement step includes measuring the variable based on the motion condition determined in the motion condition determination step.

4. The motion measurement method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

third variable measurement of measuring the variable intended to be measured in the second variable measurement step simultaneously with and separately from the second variable measurement step; and

deviation determination of determining whether a deviation between the variable measured in the second variable measurement step and the variable measured in the third variable measurement step exceeds a threshold,

wherein the reference relational expression setting step includes setting a new reference relational expression based on the myoelectric potentials measured in the myoelectric potential measurement step and the variable measured in the third variable measurement step if the deviation is determined to exceed the threshold in the deviation determination step.

5. The motion measurement method according to claim 4, wherein the third variable measurement step includes measuring the variable in the same method as in the first variable measurement step.

6. The motion measurement method according to claim 1, wherein the reference relational expression setting step includes setting an equation between a pseudo variable as a myoelectric potential function and the variable as a reference relational expression.

7. The motion measurement method according to claim 6, wherein the reference relational expression setting step includes setting the reference relational expression so that the maximum value of the pseudo variable equals the maximum value of the variable.

8. The motion measurement method according to claim 1, wherein the first and second variable measurement steps each include measuring a torque produced in a body part of the animal as a variable.

9. A system for measuring motions of an animal made by activities of muscle fibers, comprising:

myoelectric potential measurement means for measuring myoelectric potentials generated in an animal'"'"'s body;

first variable measurement means for measuring a variable varying with the animal'"'"'s motions;

reference relational expression setting means for setting a reference relational expression representing a relation between the myoelectric potentials and the variable based on the myoelectric potentials measured by the myoelectric potential measurement means and the variable measured by the first variable measurement means; and

second variable measurement means for measuring a variable intended to be measured by the first variable measurement means based on the myoelectric potentials measured by the myoelectric potential measurement means and according to the reference relational expression set by the reference relational expression setting means.

10. A program enabling a computer to process functions for measuring motions of an animal made by activities of muscle fibers, the program enabling the computer to process:

a myoelectric potential measurement function of measuring myoelectric potentials generated in an animal'"'"'s body;

a first variable measurement function of measuring a variable varying with the animal'"'"'s motions;

a reference relational expression setting function of setting a reference relational expression representing a relation between the myoelectric potentials and the variable based on the myoelectric potentials measured by the myoelectric potential measurement function and the variable measured by the first variable measurement function; and

a second variable measurement function of measuring a variable intended to be measured by the first variable measurement function based on the myoelectric potentials measured by the myoelectric potential measurement function and according to the reference relational expression set by the reference relational expression setting function.