NO334911B1 - An active walking platform and on-site walking system - Google Patents

Abstract

An active walking platform system, wherein the platform (10) comprises two or more bent rods (110) adapted to transmit rotational motion, wherein the two or more bent rods (110) are arranged side by side, together forming at least a portion of a walking surface to the walking platform (10), and one or more motors (120) arranged to rotate the two or more bent rods (110) about their longitudinal axes. The system additionally comprises a motion sensor (20) arranged to continuously detect a position of a person on the active walking platform (10), a control system (30) arranged to receive position signals (21) from the position sensor (20) and calculate one or more control signals (31) to control the speed of the one or more motors (120) of the active walking platform (10).

Description

AN ACTIVE WALKING PLATFORM AND A SYSTEM FOR WALKING IN PLACE

Technical subject area

[0001] The present invention relates to an active walking platform and a system for maintaining the position of a walking or a running person on the platform. The active walking platform can be used as an input device in training simulators, computer games and other similar applications.

Background technology

[0002] In the background art, several attempts have been made to solve the problems of producing a moving surface capable of maintaining the position of a running person, regardless of the speed of the person on the surface. This means that the speed of the person must be detected, and that the surface must move in the opposite direction to the person, and at the same speed as the person.

[0003] A solution to this problem is a treadmill with a speed detector and a control system to control the speed of the treadmill. When the person's speed is accelerated in the forward direction, the treadmill will accelerate the speed of the belt in the backward direction and decelerate it when the person decelerates. However, this is only a one-dimensional movement and the mechanisms become much more complex when the person is allowed to move in two directions.

[0004] Ball tracks or roller tracks with spinning balls are used to transport heavy loads on flat surfaces. To hold a moving object at rest, the same principle has been reversed so that the rolling balls are made active by placing a conveyor belt under the rollers. One problem that has arisen with this solution is that the conveyor belt must rotate about a vertical axis relative to the ball path and due to the mass of the conveyor belt, such a rotation will usually have a certain delay in relation to the changed direction of the person.

[0005] German patent application DE 10 2004 016 429 Al shows such a device with several rolling bodies (2), which together form a contact surface on which to place a transported object. The rolling bodies are hinged, fixedly arranged in several directions of rotation, to move the object in different transport directions. A driving belt is arranged on a lower surface of the rolling bodies and turns the bodies relative to the direction of rotation.

[0006] Some platforms use plates to keep the person in place.

[0007] Such a platform is presented in German patent application DE 10149491 A1 which shows a device for walking or running on the spot, in which two transport elements cross each other at right angles, and together form a central surface on which one can walk, and when the user walks forward, the transport elements move at the same speed. It is essential that the transport elements (1,2) consist of rows of square tiles or plates (5) which can be moved in rows in the X and Y directions, where a row of tiles is continuously removed by a transfer device (9, 10, 28, 17 ) and then shifts by 90 or 180 degrees.

[0008] Yet another solution is to use two belts, where a second belt is placed perpendicular to and inside a first belt which forms the walking surface.

[0009] US patent application US6152854 shows a treadmill (1) with a track assembly that allows the user (3) to walk or run in a random direction. A support for a mobile user has a plurality of rotary members which rotate about axes normal to the direction of movement of the support (2). A separate power transmission mechanism (7) (8) moves the support (2) for the user and simultaneously rotates the members for omnidirectional user movement. A control system (4) for the power transmission mechanisms (7) (8) responds to the directional direction of the user on the support (2) to cause the support (2) to operate in the direction of the user (3).

[0010] As a natural evolution from the one-dimensional to the two-dimensional treadmill, it has been proposed to join trapezoidal treadmill segments to form a platform with a center where all the trapezoidal treadmill segments start. Because of the trapezoidal shape of the segments, parallel rollers with increasing length away from the center are used instead of a belt.

[0011] International patent application WO 96/35481 A2 shows a device for walking or running on the spot, which comprises transport devices 21 which together form a platform. In the example shown, there are 16 of these transport devices 21, where each of these transport devices 21 comprises a number of mutually parallel rollers 23 which are aligned tangentially to circles concentric about the surface to stand on 17. The bearing 25 of the individual rollers 23 is located itself on the border between the circle segments, i.e. on the side of the transport device 21.

[0012] A similar trapezoidal platform is shown in International Patent Application WO2010/089618 A2 and European Patent Application 2522403 Al.

[0013] For all the solutions described above, a complex implementation with a large number of individual parts is necessary. The drives in particular become complicated due to the number of individual parts that make up the walking surface.

[0014] A problem with some of the known technique is that the response is slow due to large mechanical constructions that must be turned parallel to the direction of walking

to the user before the surface is ready to move the user back towards a reference point. If e.g. a person makes a sharp turn, the platform will not be able to keep up with the user and the user may have run to the end of the surface before the surface has

turned to the correct direction.

[0015] Another problem with the prior art is that the person walking or running on the platform may perceive the movements on the surface as unnatural. If the platform is used in a simulator, it is important that the user can concentrate on solving the tasks in the simulator without having to concentrate on keeping the balance due to strange surface movements. E.g. the user may experience an abrupt change in the direction of the surface velocity at the edge where two adjacent trapezoidal segments meet in the prior art.

Brief summary of the invention

[0016] A main aim of the present invention is to solve the problems described above, and to produce an active walking platform which has a minimum number of mechanical parts, has a quick response to user movements both in direction and speed, and which gives the user an experience which is as close as possible to walking or running on a natural surface.

[0017] In one embodiment, the invention is an active walking platform (10) which comprises; - two or more bent rods adapted to transmit rotational motion, wherein the two or more bent rods are arranged next to each other, where together they form at least part of a walking surface of the walking platform, and one or more motors adapted to rotate the two or more bent rods about their longitudinal axes.

[0018] In one embodiment, the invention is a system for walking on site, in which the system comprises;

- an active walking platform according to any of the embodiments described above,

- a motion sensor arranged to continuously detect a position of a human on the active walking platform, - a control system arranged to receive a position signal from the position sensor and calculate one or more control signals to control the speed of the one or more motors of the active walking platform.

Figure descriptions

[0019] The attached figures illustrate some embodiments of the invention as described in the claims.

[0020] Figure 1 illustrates in an isometric section an embodiment of the active walking platform according to the invention.

[0021] Figure 2 illustrates a cross section of the active walking platform shown in Figure 1.

[0022] Figure 3 illustrates in an exploded view a drive mechanism for the walking platform according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0023] Figure 4 illustrates in a perspective drawing a walking detection system according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0024] Figure 5 schematically illustrates training at remote locations and the training persons' perception of their relative position.

[0025] Figure 6 illustrates an embodiment of the active walking platform (10) where the bent rods are spiral arms.

Embodiments of the invention

[0026] The embodiment will now be described and embodiments of the invention will be explained with reference to the attached drawings.

[0027] Figure 1 illustrates an embodiment of the active walking platform (10) according to the invention, and will be described in further detail below.

[0028] The active walking platform (10) comprises two or more bent rods (110) arranged to transmit rotational movement, wherein the two or more bent rods

(110) are placed next to each other, where together they form at least part of a walking surface for the walking platform (10). The active walking platform (10) also includes one or more motors (120) adapted to rotate the two or more bent rods (110) about their longitudinal axes.

[0029] In one embodiment, two or more of the bent rods are arranged in circular sections next to each other, and a drive (130) is connected to at least a first end (110) of each of the two or more bent rods ( 110), in which one or more of the motors (120) are arranged to drive the drive mechanism (130). One or more of the motors (120) can in one embodiment be arranged in the center of the active walking platform as illustrated in Figure 1, but can also be arranged along the outer edge of the walking platform as illustrated in Figure 4.

[0030] Figure 1 illustrates circular sections that fill the entire circle, e.g. close to 360 degrees, meaning that the two ends (111, 112) of each of the bent rods

(110) ends up in the same place. In one embodiment, one motor is sufficient to drive or rotate the bent rods (110).

[0031] A drive mechanism (130) is responsible for transferring the rotational energy from the engine

(120) to the bent rods (110). All the bent bars (110) must work together to move a person trying to escape back to the center of the platform, and the bent bars (110) must therefore rotate in the same direction, e.g. in a direction where the walking surface consisting of the top of the bent rods (110) moves towards the center of the platform. In one embodiment, illustrated in Figure 3, the drive mechanism (130) comprises a series of gears (131, 132) that mesh with each other, where every other gear (131) is connected to one or both ends (111, 112) of the bent rods

(110) so that they rotate in the same direction.

[0032] In another embodiment, a sprocket is connected to each of the bent rods

(110), i.e. one or both ends (111, 112) where the sprockets are driven by a chain driven by one or more of the motors (110).

[0033] The drive (130) can also be implemented using corresponding means as will be understood by a person skilled in the field.

[0034] According to one embodiment, the drive mechanism (130) is arranged to drive all the bent rods (110) at the same rotational speed, for example by all the gears or sprockets having the same size. By varying the motor speed, the person on the platform can be brought back to the center or kept in one particular place.

[0035] In another embodiment, the drive (130) is arranged to drive the bent rods (110) with a rotational speed that increases with the distance from the center of the platform, e.g. decreasing gear ratio away from the center. In this embodiment, the motor speed can be kept more constant while simultaneously keeping the person on the platform.

[0036] The bent rods (110) should preferably rest on a stable platform as illustrated in Figure 2, which shows bearing roller bearings (151) in roller bearing frames (151), in which the bearing roller bearings (151) carry the bent rods (110). The distance between the rollers (151) in the longitudinal direction of the bent rods (110) depends on the stiffness of the bent rods (110) in their lateral direction in a specific implementation.

[0037] According to one embodiment, the center part of the active walking platform (10) comprises a fixed center plate (160), partially illustrated in Figure 2. As the purpose is to limit or counteract any movement away from the center, it is not necessary to do anything when the person on the platform stands in the middle. There is therefore no need for bent rods in the middle.

[0038] In one embodiment, the center plate (160) is made of a material with low friction relative to the shoes of the person walking on the active walking platform, to allow the person to slide in and out of the center plate. In one embodiment, the center plate (160) is made of a plastic material.

[0039] The bent rods (110) can in one embodiment be spiral spring rods as illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 4. Spiral spring rods can be bent in circular sections and transfer rotational movements and energy as necessary so that the person on the platform experiences walking and running on the platform as safe.

[0040] In another embodiment, each of the bent rods (110) comprises two or more universal joints. The universal joints will consist of that number of joints and intermediate braces. A number of universal joints can also be bent into circular sections and transfer rotational motion and energy.

[0041] In one embodiment, the bearing roller bearings (151) described above will be arranged under the struts between the joints. The joints are thus free to rotate without support, while the intermediate shafts are supported by the bearings.

[0042] In one embodiment, the bent rods (110) have a center to center distance of less than 35 mm. This gives the person walking on the walking platform the feeling that the surface is smooth while maintaining the advantages of bent struts making up the surface as described above.

[0043] In one embodiment, as an alternative to the circular sections, the bent rods can

(110) be arranged as spiral arms that extend horizontally from a center in the walking platform (10) as described in Figure 6. The drive mechanism (130), which is not shown, can be arranged under the center plate (160) of the platform, and consist of e.g. . bevel gear or hypoid gear to transfer energy to the bent rods (110).

[0044] According to one embodiment, the bent rods (110) are at least partially covered by a flexible hose. The hose will smooth out structures in the bent rods (110) necessary to perform the rotation, and the person on the platform will feel that the surface is smoother and more attractive to walk on.

[0045] In one embodiment, the invention is also a system (1) for going on location as illustrated in Figure 4, wherein the system comprises; - an active walking platform (10) according to any of the embodiments described above, - a motion sensor (20) arranged to continuously detect a position of a human on the active walking platform (10), - a control system (30) arranged to receiving a position signal (21) from the position sensor (20) and calculating one or more control signals (31) to control the speed of the one or more motors (120) of the active walking platform (10).

[0046] In this embodiment, the position sensor (20) will continuously detect the position of the walking or running person relative to an initial position on the active walking platform (10) and send a position signal (21) to a control system (30). When the position signal (21) indicates that the person is outside the initial position, the control system (30) will send control signals to increase the speed of the motors

(120) to cause the bent rods (110) to rotate faster and bring the person back to the initial position.

[0047] The initial position can in one embodiment be the fixed center plate (160) where this is used. However, the initial position can be defined to be anywhere on the active walking platform (10) and the control system can be arranged to keep the person in the initial position wherever this may be. The initial position can also be dynamically changed as the person walks or runs, depending on the purpose of the application of the system. For example, if the purpose is physical training, it may be appropriate to change the initial position.

[0048] In one embodiment, the system comprises one or more screens (40) that encircle at least one sector of the active walking platform (10), in which the screens (40) are arranged to display video images on the side of the screen facing the walking platform (10).

[0049] Figure 4 shows a circular screen that encircles the entire active walking platform (10) as illustrated. The screen can be passive screens on which it is projected from one or more video projectors, or it can be LED screens, or any other active device for displaying video images. Depending on the content of the screen, the task of the person on the platform may be to move towards a particular location in the video image displayed on the screen (40). When the person starts walking in the direction of the location, he/she moves away from the initial position. The control system (30) will detect this and bring the person back. If e.g. the person will go around the corner of a building on the screen, he will turn to one side. This will also be detected by the control system (30) and the person will again be brought backwards towards the initial position. It should be mentioned that the same control signal (31) can be used to bring the person back to the initial position depending on the direction of walking.

[0050] Several active walking platforms and systems according to the invention can be used to form a multi-user simulator or training field as shown in Figure 5. In the example shown, three systems (1) are placed in a first physical location (201) and three other systems ( 1) is placed in a second physical location (202). In each of the six systems (1), there is a person (A, B) who walks or runs in the direction indicated. In this embodiment, a computer-implemented simulator controller (31) is arranged to control all the video projections of the screens for each system (1) and detect movement, i.e. position and direction of each of the persons (A, B). Thus, a virtual training field (300) can be set up, where the people (A, B) can see each other on the screens as if they were in the same place. In the virtual training field

(300), the exercisers (A, B) have a perception of their relative position that is different from their real relative position in the first and second physical locations (201, 202).

[0051] According to one embodiment of the invention, the control system (30) calculates system output signals (32) designed to control a software for a simulator or a computer game. The position of the person on the platform as well as the speed of the platform or a value equivalent to the speed can be used to control the software. In the same way, the control system (30) can in one embodiment receive system input signals (33) from the simulator software or computer game software such as e.g. can be used to calculate the engine speed. The system output and input signals (32, 33) can be sent over proprietary or standardized network protocols such as UDP. The system output signals (32) can in one embodiment use the same format and protocols as are used for common computer mice or joysticks.

Claims (13)

1. An active walking platform (10) comprising; - two or more bent rods (110) arranged to transmit rotational movement, in which the two or more bent rods (110) are arranged next to each other, where together they form at least part of a walking surface of the walking platform (10), and one or more motors (120) adapted to rotate the two or more bent rods (110) about their longitudinal axes. 2. An active walking platform (10) according to claim 1, in which the two or more bent rods are arranged in circular sections next to each other, and a drive mechanism (130) is connected to at least one first end (110) of each of the two or more bent posts (110), in which one or more of the motors (120) are arranged to drive the drive (130). 3. An active walking platform (10) according to claim 1 or 2, in which one or more of the bent rods (110) are spiral spring rods. 4. An active walking platform (10) according to claim 1 or 2, in which one or more of the bent rods (110) comprise two or more universal joints. 5. An active walking platform (10) according to claim 1, in which the two or more bent rods (110) are arranged as spiral arms extending horizontally from a center in the walking platform (10). 6 An active walking platform (10) according to claim 1, in which the bent rods (110) are at least partially covered by a flexible hose. 7. An active walking platform (10) according to claim 1, comprising bearing roller bearings (151) in roller bearing frames (151), in which the bearing roller bearings (151) carry the bent rods (110). 8. An active walking platform (10) according to claims 4 and 7, in which the universal joints comprise joints and struts between the joints, and in which the bearing roller bearings (151) are arranged under at least some of the struts between the universal joints. 9. An active walking platform (10) according to claim 1, in which the bent rods (110) have a center to center distance of less than 35 mm. 10. A system (1) for walking on site, wherein the system comprises; - an active walking platform (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, - a motion sensor (20) arranged to continuously detect a position of a human on the active walking platform (10). - a control system (30) arranged to receive a position signal (21) from the position sensor (20) and calculate one or more control signals (31) to control the speed of the one or more motors (120) of the active walking platform (10). 11. A system (1) for walking in place according to claim 10, in which the control system (30) is arranged to calculate a walking direction of the human based on the position signal (21) and the speed of one or more motors (120). 12. A system (1) for walking on site according to claim 10, comprising one or more screens (40) surrounding at least one sector of the active walking platform (10), wherein the screens (40) are arranged to display display video images on the side of the screen facing the walking platform (10). 13. A system (1) for going on location according to claim 12, arranged to receive external video projection signals from a simulator controller (31) implemented in a computer, arranged to produce video projection signals to two or more systems (1).