PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make it possible to easily and conveniently estimate the curved shape in a predetermined region of the curved member of the insertion part of an endoscope or the like.SOLUTION: When a predetermined region of an insertion part 26 formed of a curved member is divided into plural segments which are adjacent sequentially in a length direction and which serve as estimation units used for the estimation of the curved shape of the curved member and having at least information on the length, curvature, shape, and orientation of the curved member, a shape estimation unit 24 estimates the shape of each of the segments using segment information comprising one or more curvature information items for each of the segments, thereby estimating the curved shape in the predetermined region of the curved member by joining end parts of any adjacent two of the segments to each other in such a manner that the tangential directions of the end parts can agree with each other and the orientations about the tangential directions can also agree with each other in the shapes of the adjacent two of the segments.COPYRIGHT: (C)2016,JPO&INPIT【課題】内視鏡挿入部等の湾曲部材の所定の範囲における湾曲形状の推定を簡便に行えるようにすること。【解決手段】湾曲部材である挿入部２６の所定の範囲が、長手方向に順に隣接してなり、湾曲部材の湾曲形状を推定するための、長さ、曲率、形状、向きの情報を少なくとも有する推定単位である、複数のセグメントに分けられているときに、形状推定部２４が、各セグメントについての、１つ以上の曲率情報からなるセグメント情報を用いて各セグメントの形状を推定し、隣接する２つのセグメントの形状同士を、互いの端部の接線方向が一致し、かつ、接線方向回りの向きが合致するように、隣接する２つのセグメントの端部同士をつなぎ合わせて、湾曲部材の所定の範囲における湾曲形状を推定する。【選択図】図１
