Movement supporting device, movement supporting method, and program

1 . A movement support device that supports movement of a visually impaired user, the movement support device comprising:

an imaging device that captures an image of an environment around the user to acquire a captured image;

a controller that calculates a safety degree indicating a level of safety regarding the user based on the captured image;

a storage that stores a necessary safety degree table in which a predetermined action candidate as an action that can be executed by the user and a necessary safety degree indicating a safety degree necessary for the user to safely perform an action indicated by the predetermined action candidate are stored in association with each other;

an input unit that receives input of a selection operation by the user to select an action candidate desired by the user from among the predetermined action candidates; and

an output unit; and

a handle configured to be grasped by the user, wherein

the controller

acquires a necessary safety degree corresponding to a selected action candidate from the necessary safety degree table when there has been input of the selection operation,

does not support the user in achieving the selected action candidate when the safety degree having been calculated is less than a necessary safety degree corresponding to the selected action candidate, and

controls the output unit to support the user in achieving the selected action candidate when the safety degree having been calculated is a necessary safety degree or more corresponding to the selected action candidate, and

wherein the movement support device is configured to support the movement of the visually impaired user by leading the visually impaired user in a self-propelled manner while the movement support device moves together with the user in a state in which the handle is grasped by the user,

wherein the selected action candidate comprises an action of supporting the movement of the visually impaired user, and

wherein the controller is configured to be switchable between a normal mode in which the controller performs movement control and a request execution mode in which the controller changes or suspends the movement control and supports the user in achieving the selected action candidate.

2 . The movement support device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller calculates the safety degree based on at least one of weather or brightness of an environment around the user, a condition of a ground of the user, presence or absence of an obstacle in an environment around the user, a nature of the obstacle, presence or absence of a moving body in an environment around the user, and a nature of the moving body.

3 . The movement support device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller controls the output unit to make a notification to the user when predetermined information has been detected from the captured image and the safety degree having been calculated is a predetermined threshold value or more.

4 . A movement supporting method for supporting movement of a visually impaired user, performed by a controller of a movement support device which supports the movement of the visually impaired user in a self-propelled manner while the movement support device moves together with the user in a state in which a handle of the movement support device is grasped by the user, the movement supporting method comprising the steps of:

acquiring, by a controller, a captured image obtained by capturing an image of a surrounding environment of the user;

calculating, by the controller, a safety degree indicating a level of safety regarding the user based on the captured image;

receiving, by the controller, input of a selection operation by the user to select an action candidate desired by the user from among the predetermined action candidates, wherein the selected action candidate comprises an action of supporting the movement of the visually impaired user; and

acquiring, by the controller, a necessary safety degree corresponding to a selected action candidate from a necessary safety degree table in which a predetermined action candidate as an action that can be executed by the user and a necessary safety degree indicating a safety degree necessary for the user to safely perform an action indicated by the predetermined action candidate are stored in association with each other when there has been input of the selection operation, wherein

the controller

does not support the user in achieving the selected action candidate when the safety degree having been calculated is less than a necessary safety degree corresponding to the selected action candidate, and

performs output to support the user in achieving the selected action candidate when the safety degree having been calculated is a necessary safety degree or more corresponding to the selected action candidate,

wherein the controller is configured to be switchable between a normal mode in which the controller performs movement control and a request execution mode in which the controller changes or suspends the movement control and supports the user in achieving the selected action candidate.

5 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium including a program for causing a computer to execute the movement supporting method according to claim 4 .