Travel device

Abstract

A two-wheel vehicle having a roll axis rotation flexibility in which a servo motor is mounted to each of two wheels operating independently of each other fails to perform stable straight-forward traveling on a laterally inclined road because a neutral position by a spring force of a handle or a step varies with respect to a vertical axis as a vehicle body tilts in a roll axis direction due to a road slope. Further, in such a device, the handle or the step can tilt against intention due to a left and right unbalanced load of a passenger onto the step when getting on or off the vehicle. There is thus provided a control device that enables stable straight-forward traveling while maintaining a standing posture of a person vertically on a laterally inclined road through a motor control of the position of a handle or a step. There is also provided a control device that enables a rotation while a person maintains a vertical posture when a performing rotation operation on an inclined road. There is also provided a vehicle that prevents the occurrence of an unintended inclination of a handle and a step during loading or unloading of a passenger.

1 . A travel device comprising:
 a plurality of wheels disposed in parallel;   a step plate mounted between the plurality of wheels for a driver to place feet;   a handle mounted vertically to the step plate;   a tilt driving unit to drive at least one of the step plate and the handle to tilt in the roll axis direction; and   a control unit to control the tilt driving unit to maintain at least one of a horizontal position of the step plate and a vertical position of the handle.   
   
   
       2 . The travel device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a detection unit to detect an inclination of a road,   wherein the control unit controls the tilt driving unit to maintain at least one of a horizontal position of the step plate and a vertical position of the handle based on a value of an inclination detected by the detection unit.   
   
   
       3 . The travel device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a measurement unit to measure a shift operation of at least one of the step plate and the handle from a neutral position in at least one of a horizontal state of the step plate and a vertical state of the handle maintained by the tilt driving unit,   wherein the plurality of wheels change a traveling direction according to a value measured by the measurement unit.   
   
   
       4 . The travel device according to  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a load detection unit to detect a load onto the step plate,   wherein the control unit enables adjustment of a resistance force against a shift operation of at least one of the step plate and the handle with use of a control parameter for controlling the tilt driving unit and adjusts the control parameter according to a value of a load detected by the load detection unit.   
   
   
       5 . The travel device according to  claim 4 , wherein
 the control unit adjusts the control parameter to maximize the resistance force upon occurrence of loading or unloading of the driver determined based on detection of a load by the load detection unit.   
   
   
       6 . The travel device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an estimation unit to estimate a torque exerted to at least one of the step plate and the handle with use of a mathematical model simulating the control unit,   wherein the control unit controls the tilt driving unit to displace at least one of the step plate and the handle according to a value of a torque estimated by the estimation unit.