Insertion/removal apparatus, insertion section direct manipulation estimation method and storage medium which non-transitory stores insertion section direct manipulation estimation program

An insertion/removal apparatus comprising:

• an insertion section with flexibility which is inserted into a target object to perform a desired operation;
• a shape sensor which detects bending of the insertion section with different detection timings and outputs a detection signal;
• a controller comprising hardware, the controller being configured to:
• calculate insertion section shape information indicating a shape of the insertion section, based on the detection signal output from the shape sensor;
• and
• estimate direct manipulation information including at least one of an insertion/removal amount and a rotation amount of the insertion section inserted into and removed from the target object, based on the insertion section shape information,
• wherein the estimating comprises:
• comparing a plurality of items of insertion section shape information indicating shapes of the insertion section of the different detection timings stored in a memory,
• extracting a first inter-top distance same region in which intervals between tops of a plurality of bending portions of the insertion section are substantially equal to each other, and
• estimating the direct manipulation information based on variations in position of the first inter-top distance same region on the insertion section.

An insertion/removal apparatus comprising:

• an insertion section with flexibility which is inserted into a target object to perform a desired operation;
• a shape sensor which detects bending of the insertion section and outputs a detection signal;
• and
• a controller comprising hardware, the controller being configured to:
• calculate insertion section shape information indicating a shape of the insertion section, based on the detection signal output from the shape sensor;
• and
• estimate direct manipulation information including at least one of an insertion/removal amount and a rotation amount of the insertion section inserted into and removed from the target object, based on the insertion section shape information,
• wherein the estimating of the direct manipulation information is based on target object inner shape information that is an inner shape of the target object and the insertion section shape information.

An insertion section direct manipulation estimation method comprising:

• detecting bending of an insertion section with flexibility by a shape sensor when the insertion section is inserted into a target object to perform a desired operation;
• calculating insertion section shape information indicating a shape of the insertion section, based on the detection signal output from the shape sensor;
• and
• estimating direct manipulation information including at least one of an insertion/removal amount and a rotation amount of the insertion section inserted into and removed from the target object, based on the insertion section shape information,
• wherein the shape sensor detects bending of the insertion section with different detection timings, and
• wherein the estimating direct manipulation information includes:
• comparing a plurality of items of insertion section shape information which is stored in a shape information memory and which indicates shapes of the insertion section of the different detection timings;
• extracting regions whose shapes are similar on the insertion section as insertion section similar shape regions from a result of comparison of the plurality of items of insertion section shape information;
• and
• estimating the direct manipulation information based on variations in position of the insertion section similar shape regions on the insertion section.

A non-transitory storage medium, which non-transitory stores a computer-readable insertion section direct manipulation estimation program, causing a computer to achieve:

• an input function of inputting a detection signal output from a shape sensor to detect bending of an insertion section with flexibility inserted into a target object;
• an insertion section shape acquisition function of calculating insertion section shape information indicating a shape of the insertion section, based on the detection signal input by the input function;
• and
• a direct manipulation information estimation function of estimating direct manipulation information including at least one of an insertion/removal amount and a rotation amount of the insertion section inserted into and removed from the target object, based on the insertion section shape information,
• wherein the shape sensor detects bending of the insertion section with different detection timings, and
• wherein the direct manipulation information estimation function includes:
• a comparing function of computing a plurality of items of insertion section shape information which is stored in a shape information memory and which indicates shapes of the insertion section of the different detection timings;
• an extracting function of extracting regions whose shapes are similar on the insertion section as insertion section similar shape regions from a result of comparison of the plurality of items of insertion section shape information;
• and
• an estimating function of estimating the direct manipulation information based on variations in position of the insertion section similar shape regions on the insertion section.