Toyota Motor Corporation

Application of VisionPose in Welwalk WW-2000

VisionPose is used in the ‘Welwalk WW-2000’,
a robot designed to support the rehabilitation of lower limbs that were paralyzed by strokes.

Issei Nakashima, Center for Future Creation of Toyota Motor Corporation

Initial Business Requirements

As new features of the Welwalk WW-2000, we have been developing a gait analysis guide function and a game function to help detect abnormal walking behavior in clients.

We had been looking for markerless skeletal estimation software using image recognition technology, because it is essential to detect skeletal information of patients in real-time and in an easy-to-measure way for clinical use.

Why We Chose VisionPose

VisionPose has the following advantages:
(1) High accuracy of skeletal recognition
(2) Low computing load
These characteristics of VisionPose met the requirements we had for Welwalk WW-2000.

Implementation Results and Future Outlook

With the implementation of VisionPose, a client’s skeletal information can be detected accurately and in real-time, even when they are using the robot.

As a result, the combination of VisionPose and multiple sensors attached to the robot legs helped us to develop gait analysis guidance and a game function which meets the level required to be applicable in a clinical setting.

We had been facing many technical challenges before using VisionPose, but thanks to the versatility of VisionPose’s SDK and NEXT-SYSTEM’s support, we were able to successfully solve the challenges and realize the new functions of the Welwalk WW-2000. Thank you very much.

Issei Nakashima

Center for Future Creation of Toyota Motor Corporation

Corporate Profile

Company Name
Toyota Motor Corporation
URL
https://global.toyota/en/
Number of Employees
Consolidated: 370,870 people (as of March 2019)
Capital
635.4 billion Yen (As of the end of March 2019)
Services
Production and sales of automobiles

Special Feature Article Series on ‘WelWalk’ in the Toyota Times