JP3389314B2 - Tactile transmission device - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tactile transmission device for transmitting contact information to a human tactile organ when manipulating an object that cannot be touched directly.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a device for indirectly operating a fine object that cannot be directly touched and a device for performing work in an extreme environment are known. Such a device is provided with an operation unit operated by an operator and an operation unit in which a manipulator or the like directly operates on an object by operating the operation unit.

FIG. 9 schematically shows the overall structure of a microscope provided with a micromanipulator. As shown in FIGS. 9 (A) and 9 (B), this microscope has a microscope main body 9a and microscopic cells 9b (fine objects) such as fertilized eggs, which are provided on the microscope main body 9a, are placed at predetermined positions. A pipette 9c for suction fixation and a needle 9d for injecting a reagent or a gene having different genetic information into the cell 9b suction-fixed by the pipette 9c are provided. In addition, in the microscope body 9a,
A pipette joystick 9f and a needle joystick 9e capable of operating the pipette 9c and the needle 9d while observing with a microscope are provided (conventional example 1).

According to this structure, by operating the pipette joystick 9f and the needle joystick 9e, the cells 9b sucked and fixed by the pipette 9c can be subjected to a predetermined fine cell operation via the needle 9e. Conducted (For details, measurement and control; Vol.23, No.
9 P32-38 Micromanipulation of cells; see Kano).

Further, FIG. 10 schematically shows the configuration of a robot manipulator system. As shown in FIG. 10, the manipulator system includes a master arm 10f capable of setting an operator's arm, a slave arm 10c operable in response to the operator's arm movement, and an operator's arm movement signal. It is provided with a first computer 10h that converts and outputs the converted data, and a second computer 10i that operates the slave arm 10c based on the signal output from the first computer (conventional example 2).

The master arm 10f holds a plurality of joints 10d having sensors (not shown) built therein and an operator's arm to hold the movements of the arms into a plurality of indirect parts 10d.
And a treatment section 10e which is provided on the free end side of the plurality of indirect sections 10d and which moves in response to and following the movement of the arm.

In the first computer 10h, the movement of the arm detected by the sensor (that is, the plurality of indirect parts 1)
The master arm control unit 10j and the operating environment simulator 10m, which perform predetermined signal processing on the operation signal corresponding to the movement 0d), are incorporated.

The second computer 10i has a built-in slave arm control unit 10k and a task environment simulator 10n for performing a predetermined signal processing on the signal output from the first computer 10h.

The slave arm 10c has a plurality of indirect portions 10a in which sensors (not shown) are incorporated, and a treatment portion 10b fixed to the free ends of the plurality of indirect portions 10a.
Are provided, and the plurality of indirect sections 10a are operated by the signal output from the second computer 10i.
0b is moved in the direction of a predetermined object M, and the object M
It is configured so that a predetermined treatment can be applied to the.

According to this structure, the operator holds the arm on the master arm 10f and arbitrarily moves the arm, and the operating state is detected by the sensor. Based on the operation signal detected at this time, the first and second computers 10h and 10i drive the slave arm 10c. That is, the operation of the operator is the master arm 10f.
Will be reproduced by the slave arm 10c.

At this time, when the treatment section 10b moved by the slave arm 10c receives an external force from the object M, the external force is directly applied to the operator's arm via the slave arm 10c and the master arm 10f. Works.

[0012] A series of such manipulator systems has been announced at present including a robot manipulator system. Further, FIG. 11 schematically shows the configuration of the grasping forceps 11a which is a medical treatment tool.

As shown in FIGS. 11 (A) and 11 (B), the grasping forceps 11a is provided at an insertion portion 11b to be inserted into the body cavity through, for example, a trocar, and at the tip of the insertion portion 11b. The forceps portion 11c and the operation portion 11d provided at the base end portion of the insertion portion 11b are provided (conventional example 3).

The forceps portion 11c is provided with a pair of forceps members 11e and 11f rotatably supported with respect to each other. Further, the operation unit 11d includes a pair of forceps members 11e,
A fixed operation handle 11g fixed to the base end portion of the insertion portion 11b and a movable operation handle 11h rotatably provided with respect to the fixed operation handle 11g are provided so as to open and close 11f. .

According to this structure, the movable operation handle 11h is rotated to slide the operation shaft (not shown) in the insertion portion 11b in the front-rear direction.
A pair of forceps members 11 via a link mechanism (not shown)
e and 11f are opened and closed.

[0016]

However, in the microscope of Conventional Example 1 (see FIG. 9), although the operation of the operation system such as the pipette 9c and the needle 9d is three-dimensional,
The observation image of the microscope is a two-dimensional image, and the depth information can be obtained only by the focus information of the image. Therefore, there arises a problem that it is difficult to accurately determine the information as to whether or not these operation systems are accurately in contact with the minute object from the observed image. That is, a certain degree of skill is required to accurately bring the operation system into contact with the fine object, and therefore, there is a problem that the observation efficiency and the processing efficiency are reduced.

Furthermore, research subjects in the medical and biotechnology fields are
From cells to intracellular substances, they are changing into smaller objects. Therefore, the observation and operation part of the object tends to be further miniaturized, and accordingly, the operation of the manipulator is required to be more sophisticated and accurate.

Further, in the manipulator system of Conventional Example 2 (see FIG. 10), it is difficult to express information such as hardness and softness of the object M in the master, so that, for example, an ordinary person grips the object. It is not possible to recreate the subtle touch of feeling. Reproduction of rough operating conditions such as conveyance of an object can be adequately dealt with by the system of Conventional Example 2, but in the technical field of micromanipulators, etc., where precise and minute operations and judgments are required, it is based on resistance indication. It is not enough to improve the operability and accurately recognize the grasped object.

In the conventional example 3 (see FIG. 11),
Since a delicate operation feeling cannot be obtained due to the mechanism of the grasping forceps 11a, even a skilled operator can check the degree of opening and closing of the pair of forceps members 11e and 11f, grasping and separating the tissue while observing the observation image of the laparoscope. Very careful and accurate operation such as confirmation is required. Therefore, there is a problem that the treatment efficiency is reduced.

Also, the endoscope inserted into the body cavity has the same problem as the forceps. That is, as shown in FIG. 12, the current endoscope 12 that is performing an insertion operation relying only on the image information observed through the distal end portion and the resistance at the time of insertion.
Then, it is currently difficult to operate and insert the endoscope 12 while predicting the pain caused by the outer wall of the endoscope 12 pressing the inner wall of the organ of the patient. In addition, with the current device configuration of the endoscope 12, it is impossible to obtain, as operation information, a correlation between a compression level and how much pressure a patient feels when the patient feels pain. Is.

As described above, in the configurations of Conventional Examples 1 to 3, under what conditions the manipulator is in contact with the object or the tissue at the time of operation, or how much force the object is grasping. It was not possible to confirm the contact state or the grasped state and to obtain various contact information such as the surface roughness and the surface temperature of the object.

That is, in Conventional Examples 1 to 3, various kinds of tactile information such as tactile information and grasping state of the object, surface roughness and surface temperature of the object are fed back to the operator (operator). Therefore, it is impossible to perform a delicate and accurate operation based on human sense of touch.

In order to solve such a problem, therefore, a tactile presentation device as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application No. 5-007196 has been proposed. That is, as shown in FIG. 13, the tactile presentation device has a base 13a.
A magnet 13c provided on the pedestal 13a, a coil 13b provided in the magnet 13c, a stopper 13d for supporting the coil 13b, and a tactile sense presenting portion 13e provided on the coil 13b. And an electro-mechanical transducer.

According to such a configuration, the voice coil constituted by the coil 13b and the magnet 13c is controlled to drive the tactile sense presenting unit 13e at a frequency according to human perception, so that the tactile sense presenting unit 13e is displayed. Information such as the hardness and softness of the object is transmitted to the fingertips of the operator placed on the. Furthermore, by changing the amount of current flowing through the voice coil to change the holding force of the tactile sense providing section 13e, when a force for crushing or crushing the object is applied, repulsion from the object is given. The force is transmitted to the operator's fingertip.

According to such a tactile sensation providing apparatus, the operator is provided with the sensation information as if he / she was actually directly manipulating the object with his / her own hand. For this reason, it is possible to eliminate the divergence of the operation, which is a problem at present, and to improve the function of the apparatus and ensure high-precision operability.

However, it is desirable that such a tactile sense presentation device is originally installed in the operation site where the operation is performed, but since it is installed in the operation site, the operability may be deteriorated. . In particular, when the tactile sense presentation device is attached to another device that is operated while being pinched with a fingertip, for example, the device touches the device through the tactile sense presentation device. The disadvantages associated with the markedly deteriorated operability may increase.

The present invention has been made in order to eliminate such an adverse effect, and the purpose thereof is to transmit a contact state to an object as an artificial tactile sensation to an operator without impairing the operability of other devices. Accordingly, the object is to provide a tactile transmission device capable of easily and accurately perceiving an operation situation.

[0028]

In order to achieve such an object, a pseudo tactile sense transmitting means capable of transmitting a contact state with respect to an object as a pseudo tactile sense, and a driving means for driving this pseudo transmitting means are provided. A tactile transmission unit, and holding means for holding the tactile transmission unit on a part of the operator's body so that the timely tactile transmission means comes into contact with the operator's body. An elastic member,
The elastic member is provided with a plurality of piezoelectric bodies arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction in the circumferential direction and having both ends supported by the holding means, and a voltage is applied to these piezoelectric bodies to vibrate the piezoelectric bodies. By doing so, the elastic member is configured to perform a bending and rotational movement, and the pseudo tactile transmission means is
It is characterized by comprising a cylindrical member which is rotatably arranged so as to cover the outer periphery of the driving means and which transmits the vibration of the driving means to the body of the operator.

[0029]

With the holding means holding the tactile transmission unit on a part of the operator's body, the pseudo tactile transmission means is driven by the driving means, so that the contact state with respect to an object that cannot be directly touched is simulated. It is transmitted to the operator's body as a sense of touch.

[0030]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A tactile transmission device according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. Figure 1 (A),
As shown in (B), the tactile transmission device of the present embodiment is a pseudo tactile transmission unit capable of transmitting a contact state to an object that cannot be directly touched as a pseudo tactile sense, and a drive for driving the pseudo tactile transmission unit. A tactile transmission unit including means; and holding means for holding the tactile transmission unit on a part of the operator's body so that the pseudo tactile transmission unit comes into contact with the operator's body.

In this embodiment, the pseudo tactile transmission means itself also has a function as a driving means, and the driving means is constituted by the permanent magnet 1a and the yoke 1b arranged in contact with the permanent magnet 1a. Magnetic circuit, elastic member 1e arranged in this magnetic circuit, coil 1c arranged orthogonal to the magnetic field formed by the magnetic circuit, and this coil 1c
Terminal 1g for applying a predetermined drive signal (ie, current) to the
It has and.

An electromagnetic actuator composed of the permanent magnet 1a, the yoke 1b and the coil 1c is constructed. The holding means includes the ring-shaped insulating structure main body 1d which incorporates the pseudo tactile sense transmitting means or the driving means and can be mounted on the operator's finger, for example, and the pseudo tactile sense transmitting means or the driving means to the operator's finger. Size adjustment screw 1f that can adjust the wearing state appropriately according to the thickness of the operator's finger so that it touches
It has and.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. When the tactile transmission unit is held by a part of the operator's body by the holding means, the driving state, that is, the pseudo tactile transmission means itself is driven, so that the contact state with respect to the object that cannot be directly touched is a pseudo tactile sense. It is transmitted to the operator's body.

That is, when a current is applied to the coil 1c via the terminal 1g, a force according to Fleming's left hand rule is generated between this current and the magnetic field formed in the magnetic circuit. Here, for example, if the coil 1c is fixed in the structure body 1d, the magnetic circuit moves due to the force.

The direction of the generated force can be optimized by appropriately and selectively switching the current application direction and the magnetic field direction of the magnetic circuit. As a result, the driving means, that is, the pseudo tactile sensation transmitting means itself, can be driven in the skin surface direction of the operator's finger to directly transmit the force as the pseudo haptic to the operator's finger.

As a method of transmitting the pseudo tactile sensation, for example, the change of the contact force with respect to the object is obtained by changing the frequency of vibration through the pseudo tactile sensation transmitting means by applying the tactile sensation detected by the tactile information signal detecting means (not shown). The change in the pressing force with respect to the object is based on the mechanical characteristics of the object measured in advance and the contact force detected by the tactile information signal detecting means, and the signal processing means (not shown) There is a method of calculating the deformation state (that is, pressing feeling) of the object by using the calculated data and presenting the calculated data as an offset change of vibration through the pseudo tactile transfer means.

That is, in the present embodiment, by utilizing the electromagnetic actuator, the finger of the operator wearing the tactile transmission device can receive a dynamic pseudo tactile sensation based on the vibration of the pseudo tactile transmission means, or , The static pseudo-tactile sensation based on the offset change of the current applied to the coil 1c can be directly transmitted.

As described above, the tactile transmission device of the present embodiment has a ring shape and can release the fingertips necessary for normal device operation, so that the operability of other devices is hindered. Without this, it is possible to transmit the contact state with respect to the object to the operator as a pseudo tactile sensation. Further, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to eliminate the feeling of divergence that exists in the related art, and therefore it is possible to accurately notify the operator of the operation status. As a result, the operability of the device is improved.

The electromagnetic actuator applied to this embodiment is optimal in that it has a particularly high response sensitivity and is capable of DC operation. Furthermore, by using such an electromagnetic type actuator, it is possible to transmit both the touch feeling and the press feeling as described above to the operator's finger.

Further, in a general electromagnetic type actuator, since there is a linear relationship between the applied current, the magnetic field strength and the generated force, there is a relation between the size of the device and the generated force.
There is a trade-off relationship. When such an electromagnetic actuator is applied to the tactile transmission device of the present embodiment,
The size of the device is limited because it is necessary for the operator to fully recognize the mechanical movement of the pseudo tactile transmission means as a sensation. That is, even if the device is simply downsized, the generated force from the device becomes extremely weak, which is below the range that the operator can perceive as a sense.

However, according to this embodiment, even if the electric circuit is sufficiently miniaturized, the size of the coil 1c can be secured to some extent along the diameter of the structure body 1d. Therefore, the generated force can be maintained within a range in which the operator can perceive it as a sense.

Next, a tactile transmission device according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. Figure 2
As shown in (A) and (B), the tactile transmission device of the present embodiment relates to an improvement of the tactile transmission unit applied to the first embodiment, and the pseudo tactile transmission means includes a driving means described later. It includes a transmission member 2c that is built-in and that transmits the vibration caused by the impact given by the driving means to the body (finger) of the operator.

The driving means includes a piezoelectric body 2a that vibrates when a voltage is applied, an elastic body 2b that can freely move in a predetermined direction by receiving the vibrating force of the piezoelectric body 2a, and the piezoelectric body 2a.
The damping member 2d is provided to prevent the vibration of the above from being transmitted to the transmission member 2c, and the terminal 2g for applying a predetermined drive signal (that is, current) to the piezoelectric body 2a.

The holding means is a ring-shaped insulating structure body 2e capable of mounting the pseudo tactile sense transmitting means and the driving means on the operator's finger, for example, and the pseudo tactile sense transmitting means appropriately contacts the operator's finger. As described above, the size adjusting screw 2f capable of appropriately adjusting the wearing state according to the thickness of the operator's finger is provided.

When the piezoelectric body 2a is vibrated by applying a voltage of a certain frequency, a resonance frequency on the order of kHz is usually optimum for vibrating the piezoelectric body 2a. In reality, up to several hundreds of Hz. It is known that it is not suitable for driving the vibration of.

It is generally known that human beings can perceive vibrations from DC to about 1 kHz. Therefore, it is unreasonable to directly transmit the high frequency vibration of the piezoelectric body 2a to the body of the operator. Need to lower.

According to this embodiment, when a voltage of a predetermined frequency is applied to vibrate the piezoelectric body 2a, the vibration force is transmitted to the elastic body 2b. As a result, the elastic body 2b starts free movement in the same direction as the vibration direction of the piezoelectric body 2a. As the kinetic energy increases, the elastic body 2b starts a jumping motion under certain conditions.

By this jumping motion, the elastic body 2b collides with the transmission member 2c installed as the boundary of the motion, and
It is reflected. At this time, the collision (impact) force applied to the transmission member 2c is the transmission member 2 in contact with the operator's finger.
It is transmitted to the operator's finger via c. Such a collision is repeatedly performed while the piezoelectric body 2a continues to vibrate, so that the pseudo tactile sensation as continuous vibration is transmitted to the operator.

Since such continuous vibration is repeated in a cycle slower than the vibration cycle of the piezoelectric body 2a itself, the vibration frequency actually transmitted to the finger can be suppressed low.
Since the energy exchange efficiency of the vibration frequency changes according to the mechanical attribute of the elastic body 2b, it is possible to optimize the vibration frequency transmitted to the finger by appropriately selecting the constituent material of the elastic body 2b. Become.

The pseudo tactile transmission method of this embodiment is as follows.
Since it is similar to the first embodiment, its description is omitted. Further, the other effects of this embodiment are similar to those of the first embodiment, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted.

Next, a tactile transmission device according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. Figure 3
As shown in (A) and (B), in the present embodiment, the second
The configuration of the embodiment is applied by connecting three layers in parallel.
That is, the tactile transfer units 3a, 3b, 3c, 3 provided with the pseudo tactile transfer means similar to those in the second embodiment are respectively attached to the insulating structure body 3e mounted on the finger in three layers.
d (see FIG. 3B) is provided. For example, the tactile transfer unit 3b includes the elastic body 2b.
Note that other structures are the same as those in FIG. 2A, and thus description thereof is omitted.

Here, when the two pseudo tactile transfer means are driven at the same time, if the energy (stimulation intensity, frequency, etc.) transmitted by these pseudo tactile transfer means are changed to each other, the original movement position of each device will be obtained. It is recognized that motion is transmitted at different positions. This phenomenon is known as "phantom sensation" or "apparent movement."

The tactile transmission device of this embodiment is constructed by utilizing this "phantom sensation" or "apparent motion". For example, now, the pseudo tactile transmission means 3a,
Suppose 3b was driven simultaneously with the same force (same amplitude, same frequency). At this time, the operator wearing the tactile transmission device does not recognize the vibration sensation from the two points of the pseudo tactile transmission means 3a and 3b, but the vibration sensation is transmitted from the intermediate position between these two points. Recognize that. In this case, when the ratio of the transmission energy of the two points is 2: 1, the transmission position of the vibration sensation recognized by the operator is only 2/3 from the pseudo tactile transmission means 3a in the distance between the two points. It becomes a distant position.

In the tactile transmission device of this embodiment utilizing this phenomenon, the sense of vibration (pseudo tactile information) can be obtained by precisely controlling the driving of a limited number of pseudo tactile transmission means.
It is possible to widely change the stimulation site transmitted as irrespective of the actual installation position of the pseudo tactile transmission means.

In this case, it is as if from the position of the pseudo tactile transfer unit 3a to the position of the pseudo tactile transfer unit 3b by controlling the drive in time so that the transmitted stimulus is transferred to the adjacent pseudo tactile transfer unit. It is possible to convey a feeling that the stimuli move in sequence, and it is possible to express a feeling of movement.

The pseudo tactile transmission method of this embodiment is as follows.
Since it is similar to the first embodiment, its description is omitted. Further, the other effects of this embodiment are similar to those of the first embodiment, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted.

Next, a tactile transmission device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. This embodiment relates to an improvement of the pseudo tactile transfer means and the driving means. As the holding means, the pseudo tactile transfer means and the driving means are built-in, and a ring-shaped insulating structure that can be attached to the operator's finger, for example. A main body 4h and a size adjusting screw 4g capable of appropriately adjusting the mounting state according to the thickness of the operator's finger so that the pseudo tactile transfer means come into contact with the operator's finger.

As shown in FIG. 4, the pseudo-tactile transmitting means applied to this embodiment is rotatably arranged so as to cover the outer periphery of the driving means described later and transmits the vibration of the driving means to the finger of the operator. It has a tubular member 4b.

The driving means comprises an elastic member 4a and four piezoelectric bodies 4c, 4d, which are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction on the peripheral surface of the elastic member 4a and whose both ends are supported by the structure body 4h.
4e, 4f (see FIG. 4 (B)), a voltage is applied to the piezoelectric bodies 4c, 4d, 4e, 4f.
The elastic member 4a is configured to vibrate (bend and rotate) by vibrating 4d, 4e, and 4f.

The four piezoelectric bodies 4c, 4d, 4e, 4
f also has a function as a shaft for converting the deformation of the rotor into a bending rotational motion, so to speak. With such a configuration, when voltages having appropriate frequencies and different phases are applied, the piezoelectric bodies 4c and 4e and the piezoelectric bodies 4d and 4f start to vibrate in pairs. The vibration generated at this time is
It propagates to the elastic member 4a as a standing wave.

As a result, the elastic member 4a starts to vibrate in its eigenmode, and starts to bend and rotate like a skipping rope. Such bending and rotational movement is performed by the elastic member 4
When a comes into contact with the inner wall of the tubular member 4b, it is propagated to the tubular member 4b and rotates the tubular member 4b.

Since the tubular member 4b is in direct contact with the operator's finger, the rotational movement of the tubular member 4b is directly transmitted to the finger. That is, the bending and rotational movement of the elastic member 4a is transmitted to the operator's finger via the tubular member 4b, and
It is perceived as a feeling of slipping on the finger (movement feeling).

The effect of such an embodiment is similar to that of the above-mentioned first embodiment, and therefore its explanation is omitted. Next, a tactile transmission device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
Will be described with reference to.

As shown in FIGS. 5 (A), 5 (B) and 5 (C), the tactile transmission device of the present embodiment is capable of transmitting the contact state of an object which cannot be directly touched as a pseudo tactile transmission. Means and a tactile transmission unit 5f having a driving means for driving the pseudo tactile transmission means, and the tactile transmission unit 5f on the operator's wrist so that the pseudo tactile transmission means comes into contact with the operator's body. Holding means for holding.

The quasi-tactile transmission means and the driving means have the same function and effect as those of the second embodiment (see FIG. 2A), and the piezoelectric body 5a vibrates when a voltage is applied.
An elastic body 5b that moves in a predetermined direction by receiving the vibration force of the piezoelectric body 5a; and a transmission member that incorporates the piezoelectric body 5a and the elastic body 5b and that transmits the movement force of the elastic body 5b to the wrist of the operator. 5c, a damping member 5d which is built in the transmission member 5c and prevents the vibration of the piezoelectric body 5a from being transmitted to the transmission member 5c, and a terminal 5g for applying a predetermined drive signal (that is, current) to the piezoelectric body 5a. It has and.

The holding means is the tactile transmission unit 5f.
Is provided with a belt 5e for holding the belt on the wrist of the operator.
The length of the belt 5e can be adjusted appropriately according to the thickness of the wrist of the operator.

With this structure, since the tactile transmission unit 5f is attached to the wrist by the belt 5e,
The entire palm of the operator's hand and all fingers can be released. As a result, it is possible to notify the operator of the contact state with respect to the object as a pseudo tactile sensation without impairing the operability of other devices. The other effects are similar to those of the first embodiment, and therefore the description thereof is omitted.

Next, a tactile transmission device according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, this embodiment relates to an improvement of the tactile transmission unit and the holding means, and the holding means includes the third embodiment (FIG. 3).
Insulating holding means main body 6c in which two tactile transmission units 6a and 6b having the same structure as (A) are held in parallel.
And a belt 6e for holding the holding means main body 6c on the wrist of the operator. In this way, by arranging the two tactile transmission units 6a and 6b in parallel at a constant interval, the same action as in the third embodiment, that is, the expression of the contact situation based on the "phantom sensation" or the "apparent movement" can be expressed. It can be realized.

According to the present embodiment, since the entire palm of the operator's hand and all fingers can be released, the contact condition with respect to the object can be operated as a pseudo tactile sensation without impairing the operability of other devices. It is possible to communicate to the person. The other effects are the same as those of the third embodiment, so the description thereof will be omitted.

Next, a tactile transmission device according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. Figure 7
As shown in (A) and (B), this embodiment relates to improvement of the tactile transmission unit 7e and the holding means, and the tactile transmission unit 7e has the same configuration as that of the fourth embodiment (see FIG. 4). The holding means includes a belt 7d that holds the tactile transmission unit 7e on the wrist of the operator. The length of the belt 7d can be adjusted appropriately according to the thickness of the wrist of the operator.

According to this structure, the piezoelectric members 7a provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction on the peripheral surface of the elastic member 7b are driven in harmony, so that the elastic member 7b is like a skipping rope. Start a simple flexion and rotation movement. By this rotational movement, the rotational force is transmitted to the tubular member (in particular, although not shown, see FIG. 4) in contact with the elastic member 7b, and the tubular member is rotated.

Since the tubular member is in direct contact with the wrist of the operator, the rotational movement of the tubular member is directly transmitted to the wrist. That is, the bending and rotational movement of the elastic member 7b is perceived by the operator as a feeling (moving feeling) of sliding on the finger through the tubular member.

Another effect of this embodiment is the fourth effect described above.
Since it is the same as the embodiment described above, the description thereof will be omitted. Next, a tactile transmission device according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 8, this embodiment uses a tactile transmission unit applied to the first embodiment (only the same components as those of the first embodiment shown in the drawing are designated by the same reference numerals). The present invention relates to improvement of driving means.

The driving means applied to this embodiment detects the contact state with respect to the object and outputs the pseudo tactile signal, and the pseudo signal output from the tactile signal detecting means 8b. Signal processing means 8a for driving the pseudo haptic transmission means (see FIG. 1A) based on the haptic signal.

The signal processing means 8a is a tactile signal detecting means 8
It has a function of converting a pseudo tactile signal output from b into a signal for driving the pseudo tactile transfer means and outputting the signal. Normally, the human vibration perception system requires sufficient amplitude to be perceived at lower vibration frequencies,
The higher the vibration frequency is, the smaller the amplitude can be sufficiently perceived. Generally, a human is 1kH from DC
It is known that vibration can be recognized up to about z, and a frequency range that is most easily perceived exists within this range.

Therefore, the signal processing means 8a applied to this embodiment converts the signal output from the tactile signal detecting means 8b into a signal for driving the pseudo tactile transmitting means, in consideration of human perception characteristics. Then, an optimum drive signal is generated. Further, the signal processing means 8a stores beforehand measured mechanical characteristics of the object as data, and based on the contact force output from the tactile signal detecting means 8b, the object at the time of contact is detected from the data. A function of displaying the deformation amount by calculating the deformation amount of is provided.

That is, the signal processing means 8a adjusts the degree of contact or contact change to human vibration perception characteristics.
It has the function of adjusting and outputting the vibration amplitude and vibration frequency. That is, the signal processing unit 8a performs a process of converting various types of tactile information such as the hardness and softness of the target object based on the contact state, the sense of movement and the surface roughness into a signal for expressing as a pseudo tactile sense. Then, the pseudo tactile sense transmitting means is driven by the drive signal output from the signal processing means 8a to transmit the pseudo tactile sense to the operator.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the optimum driving parameters are calculated based on the signal output from the tactile signal detecting means 8b, and the pseudo tactile transmitting means is driven based on the result. Thus, it is possible to accurately transmit the pseudo tactile sensation to the operator.

The present invention is not limited to the configuration of each of the above-described embodiments, and may be configured as follows, for example. (1) Pseudo-tactile transmission means capable of transmitting a contact state to an object that cannot be directly touched as a pseudo-tactile sensation, and a tactile transmission unit including a drive means for driving the pseudo-tactile transmission means, and the pseudo-tactile transmission means. And a holding means for holding the tactile transfer unit on a part of the operator's body so that the user touches the operator's body.

According to this structure, when the holding means holds the tactile transmission unit on a part of the operator's body, the driving means drives the pseudo tactile transmission means so that the tactile transmission unit cannot be directly touched. The state of contact with the object is transmitted to the operator's body as a pseudo tactile sensation.

In this tactile transmission device, since the tactile transmission unit can be held by a part of the operator's body by the holding means, the contact situation with the object can be simulated without impairing the operability of other devices. It can be transmitted to the operator as a tactile sensation. Further, according to the present device, it is possible to eliminate the feeling of divergence that exists in the related art, and therefore it is possible to accurately notify the operator of the operation status. As a result, the operability of the device is improved. (2) The holding means is provided with mounting means for mounting the tactile transmission unit on the finger of the operator so as not to impair the operability of other devices. The tactile transmission device according to (1).

According to this structure, the tactile transmission unit is configured so as not to impair the operability of other devices.
It is mounted on the operator's finger by the mounting means. In this tactile transmission device, since the tactile transmission unit is provided with the mounting means that can be mounted on the operator's finger, the fingertip required for normal device operation can be released. As a result, without impairing the operability of other devices,
It is possible to notify the operator of the state of contact with the object as a pseudo tactile sensation. (3) The holding means is provided with mounting means for mounting the tactile transmission unit on the wrist of the operator so as not to impair the operability of other devices. The tactile transmission device according to (1).

According to this structure, the tactile transmission unit is constructed so as not to impair the operability of other devices.
It is mounted on the wrist of the operator by the mounting means. In this tactile transmission device, since the tactile transmission unit is equipped with the mounting means that can be mounted on the wrist of the operator, not only the fingertips required for normal device operation but also the entire palm can be released. As a result, it is possible to notify the operator of the contact state with respect to the object as a pseudo tactile sensation without impairing the operability of other devices. (4) The drive unit includes an electromagnetic actuator including a permanent magnet, a yoke, and a coil so that the contact state represented by the protrusion and the vibration is directly transmitted to the operator's body as a pseudo tactile sensation. The tactile transmission device according to (1) above.

According to this structure, when a current is applied to the coil, the electric circuit composed of the permanent magnet and the yoke receives a force in the direction orthogonal to the current direction according to Fleming's left-hand rule. The driving means that receives the force generated at this time functions as a pseudo tactile sense transmitting means to start a predetermined movement. That is, the driving means, i.e., the pseudo-tactile transmitting means itself, drives toward the skin surface of the operator's finger to directly
The force as a pseudo tactile sensation is transmitted to the operator's finger.

In this tactile transmission device, the electromagnetic actuator is optimal in that it has a particularly high response sensitivity and is capable of DC operation. Furthermore, by using such an electromagnetic type actuator, it is possible to transmit both the touch feeling and the press feeling as described above to the operator's finger. Furthermore, even if the electric circuit is sufficiently miniaturized, the size of the coil is
Since it is possible to secure a certain size, it is possible to maintain the force as the pseudo tactile sensation within a range in which the operator can perceive it as a sense. (5) The driving means includes a piezoelectric body that vibrates when a voltage is applied, and an elastic body that is free to move in a predetermined direction by receiving the vibrating force of the piezoelectric body, and the pseudo tactile transmission. The means includes a transmission member that has the drive means built therein and that transmits a vibration caused by an impact given by the drive means to a body of an operator as a pseudo tactile sensation. Tactile transmission device.

According to this structure, when a voltage having a predetermined frequency is applied to vibrate the piezoelectric body, the vibration force is transmitted to the elastic body. As a result, the elastic body starts free movement in the same direction as the vibration direction of the piezoelectric body. As the kinetic energy increases, the elastic body starts a jumping motion under certain conditions. Due to this jumping motion, the elastic body is reflected after it collides with the transmission member installed as the boundary of the motion. At this time, the impact force applied to the transmission member is transmitted to the operator's finger via the transmission member in contact with the operator's finger. Since such a collision is repeated while the piezoelectric body continues to vibrate, continuous vibration as a pseudo tactile sensation is transmitted to the operator.

By providing the driving means and the pseudo-tactile transfer means having the above-mentioned configuration in this tactile-sense transmitting device, it is possible to suppress the frequency of continuous vibration transmitted to the operator as a pseudo-tactile to a low level. As a result, it becomes possible to accurately inform the operator of the operation status. (6) The driving unit includes an elastic member and a plurality of piezoelectric bodies arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the elastic member and having both ends supported by the holding unit. By applying a voltage to the body to vibrate the piezoelectric body, the elastic member vibrates (bends and rotates), and the pseudo tactile transfer means covers the outer periphery of the drive means. The tactile transmission device according to (1) above, further comprising a tubular member that is rotatably arranged and that transmits the vibration of the driving means to the body of the operator.

According to this structure, the elastic body starts bending and rotating motion as if it were a rope skipping rope by vibrating the piezoelectric body in harmony. By this movement, the rotational force is transmitted to the tubular member that is in contact with the elastic body, and the tubular member starts the rotational movement. Since the tubular member is in direct contact with the operator's body, the rotational movement of the tubular member is directly transmitted to the body.

In this tactile transmission device, since the bending and rotational movement of the elastic member is transmitted to the operator's body through the tubular member, it can be perceived as a slippery feeling (moving feeling). (7) The haptic transmission device according to (1), wherein the holding means has a plurality of the haptic transmission units arranged at predetermined intervals.

With such a configuration, for example, when the pseudo tactile transfer means of the two tactile transfer units are driven simultaneously, the energy (stimulation intensity, frequency, etc.) transmitted by these pseudo tactile transfer means are mutually changed. Then, it is recognized that the motion is transmitted at a position different from the original motion position of each device. This phenomenon is known as "phantom sensation" or "apparent movement."

In this tactile transmission device, the stimulus portion transmitted as a vibrating sensation (pseudo tactile information) is actually installed by accurately driving and controlling a limited number of pseudo tactile transmission means. A wide range of changes can be made regardless of the position. (8) The driving means detects a contact state with respect to an object and outputs a pseudo tactile signal thereof, and a pseudo tactile sense signal based on the pseudo tactile sense signal output from the tactile sense signal detecting means. The tactile transmission device according to (1) above, further comprising: a signal processing unit that drives the transmission unit.

According to this structure, the tactile signal detecting means detects the contact state with the object and outputs the pseudo tactile signal. The signal processing circuit has a function of adjusting and outputting the vibration amplitude and the vibration frequency so as to match the degree of contact or the contact change with human vibration perception characteristics. That is, the signal processing means performs a process of converting various types of tactile information such as the hardness and softness of the object, the feeling of movement, and the surface roughness based on the contact state into a signal for expressing a pseudo tactile sensation. Then, the pseudo tactile sense transmitting means is driven by the drive signal output from the signal processing means to transmit the pseudo tactile sense to the operator.

In this haptic transmission device, optimum driving parameters are calculated based on the signal output from the haptic signal detecting means, and based on the result, the pseudo haptic transmitting means is driven to give the operator It is possible to accurately transmit the pseudo tactile sensation.

[0095]

According to the tactile transmission device of the present invention, the operating condition can be easily and accurately transmitted by transmitting the contact condition to the object as a pseudo-tactile to the operator without impairing the operability of other devices. Can be perceived by. Further, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to eliminate the feeling of divergence that exists in the related art, and therefore it is possible to accurately notify the operator of the operation status. As a result, the operability of the device is improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1A is an enlarged view showing a main configuration of a tactile transmission device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of the tactile transmission device. Fig.

FIG. 2A is an enlarged view showing a main configuration of a tactile transmission device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2B schematically shows an overall configuration of the tactile transmission device. Fig.

FIG. 3A is a perspective view showing a state in which the tactile transmission device according to the third embodiment of the present invention is attached to an operator's finger;
FIG. 6B is a diagram of the haptic transmission device as viewed from the cross-sectional direction.

FIG. 4A is a diagram schematically showing an overall configuration of a tactile transmission device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4B is a sectional view of a pseudo tactile transmission unit and a driving unit.

FIG. 5A is a perspective view schematically showing the overall configuration of a tactile transmission device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 5B and 5C are diagrams showing the tactile transmission device for an operator. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state of being worn on the wrist.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a state in which a tactile transmission device according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention is attached to the wrist of an operator.

FIG. 7A is a perspective view schematically showing the overall configuration of a tactile transmission device according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state where the tactile transmission device is attached to the wrist of the operator.

FIG. 8 is a diagram schematically showing an overall configuration of a tactile transmission device according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9A is a diagram schematically showing a configuration of a microscope provided with a micromanipulator, and FIG. 9B is a partially enlarged view showing a state where a needle aspirated and fixed to a pipette is in contact with a needle. ..

FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration of a robot manipulator system.

FIG. 11A is a diagram schematically showing the overall configuration of the grasping forceps that is a medical treatment tool, and FIG. 11B is an enlarged view of the tip of the grasping forceps.

FIG. 12 is a view showing a state in which the outer wall of the endoscope presses the inner wall of the organ of the patient.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of a tactile presentation device that transmits information such as hardness and softness of an object to the fingertip of the operator.

[Explanation of symbols]

1a ... Permanent magnet, 1b ... Yoke, 1c ... Coil, 1d ...
Insulating structure body 1e ... Elastic member 1f ... Size adjusting screw.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── --- Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-4-275887 (JP, A) JP-A-4-111013 (JP, A) JP-A-6-18341 (JP, A) JP-A-3- 270886 (JP, A) JP-A-4-365569 (JP, A) JP-A-62-208881 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B25J 3/00 G01D 5 / 00

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A pseudo tactile transfer unit capable of transmitting a contact state with respect to an object as a pseudo tactile structure, and a tactile transfer unit including a driving unit for driving the pseudo transfer unit; and the timely tactile transfer unit of an operator. To touch the body,
Holding means for holding the tactile transmission unit on a part of the operator's body, wherein the driving means is provided with an elastic member and circumferentially equidistantly disposed on a peripheral surface of the elastic member. Is provided with a plurality of piezoelectric bodies supported by the holding means, by applying a voltage to these piezoelectric bodies to vibrate the piezoelectric bodies,
The elastic member is configured to perform a bending and rotational movement, and the pseudo tactile transmission means is rotatably arranged so as to cover the outer periphery of the drive means and transmits the vibration of the drive means to the operator's body. A tactile transmission device comprising a tubular member. 2. The holding means is provided with a mounting means for mounting the tactile transmission unit on the finger of the operator so as not to impair the operability of other devices. The tactile transmission device according to claim 1. 3. The holding means is provided with mounting means for mounting the tactile transmission unit on the wrist of the operator so as not to impair the operability of other devices. The tactile transmission device according to claim 1. 4. The tactile transmission device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the tactile transmission units are arranged in the holding means at predetermined intervals.