Walk simulation apparatus

• US 5,902,214 A
• Filed: 08/06/1997
• Issued: 05/11/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Shiraito Tani
• Original Assignee: Shiraito Tani
• Inventors: Makikawa, Masaaki, Tani, Norimasa
• Primary Examiner(s): Richman, Glenn E.
• Application Number:
  US08/907,072
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 482/1-9, 482/51-53, 482/54, 482/66, 482/69-71, 482/79, 482/80, 482/900-902, 434/247, 434/253, 434/255, 601/23
• US Class Current: 482/4
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/009 the load of the exercise apparatus being controlled in synchronism with visualising systems, e.g. hill slope
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0636 3D visualisation
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0644 with display speed of moving landscape controlled by the user's performance
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0666 worn on the head or face, e.g. combined with goggles or glasses
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/00 Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of preceding groups; Controlling or monitoring of exercises, sportive games, training or athletic performances
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/012 Walk-in-place systems for allowing a user to walk in a virtual environment while constraining him to a given position in the physical environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 482/902 Employing specific graphic or video display

Abstract

A walk simulation apparatus usable for walk training of crippled persons or for a simulator of virtual reality. By the apparatus participants can experience simulations of walking horizontally and on slopes and steps with full reality at the same position. The apparatus is of use also in quantitatively evaluating quality of performances of artificial legs for patients who lost legs. The apparatus comprises a head mounted display showing a participant programmed images in the form of three-dimensional images, a walk surface mechanism having a function of performing simulations of horizontal walk and walk on slopes and steps, a control device, walk plates, and load sensors detecting loads applied on the walk plates individually. The control device has a function of comparing data detected by the load sensors with standard data to analyze a state of walk of the participant.

Claims

1. A walk simulation apparatus comprising:

a display showing participants programmed images in the form of three-dimensional images;

a walk surface device for detecting a foot-bottom position of a participant, and for performing a horizontal walk simulation in which left and right walk plates, on which left and right feet of the participant are respectively placed, are shifted individually and horizontally forward, backward, leftward and rightward, wherein the walk surface device performs a simulation of walk on slopes in which the left and right walk plates are individually slanted, and wherein the walk surface device further performs a simulation of walk on steps in which the left and right walk plates are individually raised or lowered; and

a control device for transmitting the programmed images to the display, and for controlling driving of the walk surface device.

2. A walk simulation apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising load sensors for separately detecting loads applied to each of the left and right walk plates individually, wherein the control device compares data detected by the load sensors with standard data regarding loads applied to each of the left and right walk plates to analyze a state of walk of the participant.

3. A walk simulation apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the display is a head mounted display mounted on the head of the participant.

4. A walk simulation apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the walk surface device includes the left and right walk plates and a walk-plate drive connected to and supporting the walk plates.

5. A walk simulation apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein the walk-plate drive is disposed in a pit formed on a floor of a play room.

6. A walk simulation apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein the walk plate has a foot-position regulating frame for regulating the participant'"'"'s foot in a predetermined position.

7. A walk simulation apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the walk surface device includes a foot bottom-position detecting means for detecting positions of feet bottoms of the participant and further includes a signal transmission member provided on each of left and right shoes to be put on by participants and a sensor which is mounted on each of the left and right walk plates to receive signals from the signal transmission member.

8. A walk simulation apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein the signal transmission members are on a plurality of points on each of the left and right walk plates.

9. A walk simulation apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein the signal transmission member transmits an ultrasonic signal.

10. A walk simulation apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein the walk plate drive includes a horizontally-driving means for shifting each of the left and right walk plates individually and horizontally forward, backward, leftward and rightward;

a slantwise-driving means for slanting each of the left and right walk plates individually and slantwise forward, backward, leftward and rightward; and

a raising and lowering means for raising and lowering each of the left and right walk plates individually.

11. A walk simulation apparatus as set forth in claim 10, wherein the horizontally-driving means has an initial state setting function to shift the walk plates to allow the feet bottoms of participants to be placed in a foot-supporting position and direction on the walk plates, and a forcibly exercising function to pull back the walk plate, on which the participant has trodden at their foot bottom, toward the participant'"'"'s trunk correspondingly to kinds of exercises, thereby keeping the participant'"'"'s trunk in a fixed or constant position.

12. A walk simulation apparatus as set forth in claim 10, wherein the raising and lowering means for the walk plates comprises a raising and lowering cylinder which changes the height of the left and right walk plates individually.

13. A walk simulation apparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherein the horizontally-driving means comprises a rotation cylinder fit to a piston rod of the raising and lowering means, a swinging cylinder for swinging the raising and lowering means forward and backward, and a swinging cylinder for swinging the raising and lowering means leftward and rightward.

14. A walk simulation apparatus as set forth in claim 10, wherein the raising and lowering means has, at a lower end thereof a fulcrum around which the raising and lowering means swings.

15. A walk simulation apparatus as set forth in claim 10, wherein the slantwise-driving means comprises a longitudinally swinging cylinder and a widthwise swinging cylinder for swinging the walk plates in their longitudinal direction and widthwise respectively.

16. A walk simulation apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the walk surface device comprises a walk base plate freely tilted, the left and right walk plates held by the walk base plate as being capable of being freely horizontally shiftable and rotatable, and a walk-plate slantwise-driving means for supporting one end of the walk base plate.

17. A walk simulation apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the walk surface device comprises a walk base plate freely tilted, the left and right walk plates being freely horizontally shiftable and rotatable, and a walk-plate slantwise-driving means for supporting one end of the walk base plate.

18. A walk simulation apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the walk surface device comprises the left and right walk plates, a walk-plate support base supporting each walk plate, and a walk-plate horizontally-driving means for horizontally shifting the walk-plate support bases, the horizontally-driving means including a bendable linkage device and a rotation cylinder disposed at a joint in the linkage device.

19. A walk simulation apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the walk surface device comprises the left and right walk plates, a walk-plate support base supporting each walk plate, and a walk-plate horizontally-driving means for horizontally shifting the walk-plate support bases, the horizontally-driving means including a bendable linkage device and a rotation cylinder disposed at a joint in the linkage device.