Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

The University of Tokyo

Research Institute for Electromagnetic Materials

Yusuke Kosaka

Takashi Izuo

Susumu Oikawa

Tomoyuki Takahata

Masaru Ishikawa

Yoshiyuki Senba

Eiji Niwa

Yoshihiro Kuroki

Taro Takahashi

Kiyoshi Matsumoto

Isao Shimoyama

Kunihiro Okamoto

A force sensor includes a first structure, four strain generation parts, and a second structure. The first structure is formed in such a way that a third axis penetrates therethrough. The four strain generation parts are provided along first and second axes on a reference plane formed by the first and second axes. The second structure is connected to the first structure with the strain generation parts interposed therebetween. The strain generation parts each includes a first beam part extending along the first axis or the second axis, and a second beam part extending in a direction orthogonal to the first beam part and connected to the first beam part at an intermediate part. The strain generation parts are formed in such a way that they are line-symmetric with respect to both the first axis and the second axis when projected in a direction of the third axis.

Force sensor

A force sensor includes a first structure, four strain generation parts, and a second structure connected to the first structure with the strain generation parts interposed therebetween. The strain generation part includes a first connection part connected to the first structure, a first branch part, which is a beam-like part branching into two from the first connection part toward the second structure and extending in directions separating from each other, a second branch part, which is a beam-like part connected to the first branch part with bent parts interposed therebetween and extending in directions approaching each other, and a second connection part where branched parts of the second branch part join and connects to the second structure. The strain generation parts are formed so that the strain generation parts become line-symmetric with respect to the first and second axes when projected in a direction perpendicular to the reference plane.

A travelling apparatus having a high travelling performance with a simple structure is provided. A travelling apparatus according to an embodiment includes: a frame; front wheels disposed in a front of the frame; first links configured to be extendable and retractable and coupled between the front wheels and an oscillation axis located in a rear of the front wheels; and first linear motion mechanisms that are coupled between the frame and the first links and are extended and retracted so as to rotate the first links about the oscillation axis.

Travelling apparatus

An electric wheelchair operation apparatus includes a sliding part disposed in an armrest part, a dial part disposed on a tip side of the armrest part, the dial part configured to be moved together with the sliding part in the vehicle forward/backward direction, and an electric wheelchair drive control unit configured to control a traveling motion of an electric wheelchair by associating the amount of movement of the sliding part and/or the moved position thereof with respect to the reference point in the vehicle forward/backward direction detected by a first sensor with a traveling motion of the electric wheelchair in a forward/backward direction and associating the amount of rotation, the rotational position, and/or the rotational torque of the dial part detected by a second sensor with a turning motion of the electric wheelchair in a left/right direction.

Electric wheelchair operation apparatus and vehicle operation method therefor

An actuator according to an embodiment includes a first rotating body that is rotatable around an input axis and includes a first groove part extending in a first direction, a second rotating body that is rotatable around an output axis and includes a second protruding part extending in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, a strain body that includes a first protruding part capable of being engaged with a first groove part through a gap whose direction is vertical to that of the input axis and a second groove part capable of being engaged with a second protruding part through a gap whose direction is vertical to that of the output axis and transmits a rotational torque of the input axis to the output axis, and a detection element that is attached to the strain body.

Actuator

When a vehicle body is on board an escalator, a control device makes an ejection determination by use of an external sensor. The control device makes an ejection determination by use of front-wheel rotation sensors. The control device makes an ejection determination by use of an inclination detecting unit. The control device switches a control mode from a boarding control mode to an ejection control mode, when at least one of the above three ejection determinations is affirmatively made.

Traveling vehicle and method of controlling the traveling vehicle

The travelling apparatus according to exemplary embodiments includes front wheels, which are driving wheels, an upper frame, first linear motion mechanisms configured to be extendable and retractable and couple the front wheels to the upper frame, middle wheels configured to be disposed at a back of the front wheels, second linear motion mechanisms configured to be extendable and retractable and couple a riding part to the middle wheels, rear wheels configured to be disposed at a back of the middle wheels, lower links configured to couple the middle wheels to the rear wheels, respectively, rear links configured to couple the lower links to the upper frame, and a third linear motion mechanism configured to change an angle between the upper frame and the rear links.

A torque control apparatus includes a torque command output unit including a first low pass filter configured to cut off a torque command value by a first frequency, and a switching unit configured to switch, when a first torque value detected by a first torque sensor satisfies a predetermined condition, a second torque value detected by a second torque sensor to the torque command output unit. The switching unit includes a second low pass filter configured to cut off the second torque value by a second frequency which is higher than the first frequency and output the obtained value to the torque command output unit, uses the second low pass filter for a predetermined period of time after the switching, and outputs the second torque value to the torque command output unit without using the second low pass filter after the predetermined period of time has passed.

Torque control apparatus

According to a torque detecting method, gravitational torque applied to a rotary shaft of an arm is detected in a condition where position control of the arm is stopped, when the arm is located at a first position at which the arm is oriented in a direction different from a direction of gravitational force. Then, a gravity coefficient used for calculating gravitational torque corresponding to a position of the arm is calculated, based on the gravitational torque and the first position. Then, gravitational torque during position control is calculated, based on the position of the arm detected during the position control, and the gravity coefficient. Further, an actual output torque during the position control is calculated, based on operating torque applied to the rotary shaft and detected during the position control, and the gravitational torque calculated during the position control.

Torque detecting method and arm device

A moving body control system includes a driving velocity detector that detects a driving velocity of a driving device that drives a moving body, a posture state detecting device that detects posture information of the moving body, a posture controller that produces a first driving velocity command for the driving device, based on the posture information and an entered posture information command, a velocity command producer that produces a second driving velocity command for the driving device, by adding the first driving velocity command and the driving velocity, and a velocity controller that controls the driving device, by producing a torque command for the driving device, based on the second driving velocity command and the driving velocity. The velocity controller performs velocity control so that the driving velocity follows the second driving velocity command. The posture controller performs posture control so that the posture information follows the posture information command.

Moving body control system, moving body control method, and non-transitory computer readable medium storing control program

A movable body according to the present invention detects an operation state including attitude information of the movable body by using an operation state detector, generates a drive velocity command based on the detected attitude information and an attitude information command to be input, generates a torque command of the drive device based on the generated drive velocity command and a drive velocity detected by a drive velocity detector, and drives the drive device in accordance with the torque command generated by a velocity controller, to thereby move. In the movable body, the velocity controller performs velocity control so that the drive velocity detected by the drive velocity detector follows the drive velocity command generated by an attitude controller, and the attitude controller performs attitude control so that the attitude information detected by the operation state detector follows the attitude information command to be input.

Movable body, travel device, and movable body control method

An inverted two-wheel apparatus includes drive means that drives wheels; control means that generates a torque command value to control drive torque of the drive means; and posture detection means that detects posture information of a vehicle. The inverted two-wheel apparatus is able to travel while keeping an inverted state. Furthermore, the control means performs control to dismount an occupant upon judgment that the torque command value that is generated is equal to or more than a predetermined value, which means in a saturation state, and inverted control is in a failure state based on the posture information detected by the posture detection means.

Inverted two-wheel apparatus, and control method and control program thereof

To provide a vehicle capable of maintaining a stable state when a rider gets on the step plate or get off the step plate. A vehicle is a vehicle that performs a turning movement based on the rotation of step plates on which a rider rides in the left/right direction. The vehicle includes restriction means to enable the rotation of the step plates in the left/right direction to be restricted. The vehicle preferably further includes first control means that controls the restriction means so that the rotation of the step plates in the left/right direction is restricted when the rider gets on the step plates or gets off the step plates.

Vehicle

A traveling apparatus performs an inverted pendulum control to maintain an inverted state of a vehicle body and travels with a passenger thereon. The traveling apparatus includes a drive portion that drives the vehicle body; a riding detection portion that detects a start of riding on the vehicle body by the passenger; a command generation portion that generates a torque command value to perform the inverted pendulum control and a position control to move the vehicle body to a position that facilitates the riding, when the start of riding is detected by the riding detection portion; and a control portion that controls the drive portion based on the torque command value generated by the command generation portion.

Traveling apparatus and control method therefor

A vehicle includes a support member and at least one wheel attached to the support member. The support member is capable of oscillating in a front-back direction of the vehicle. The vehicle further includes a torque control unit applying torque to the wheel, and a control loop controlling the torque control unit to adjust the torque applied to the wheel to allow the vehicle to travel while keeping an inverted state of the support member. The control loop controls the torque control unit to apply normal torque and additional torque to the wheel, the normal torque determined according to a deviation between a target value and a controlled variable including at least one of an inclination angular velocity and an inclination angle of the support member in the front-back direction, the additional torque determined according to a power of a velocity parameter of the vehicle.

Growing community of inventors

Chofu, Japan

Yusuke Kosaka