JPH06206191A - Remote display of touch sense and device therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] To provide a tactile remote display method and its device. [Structure] Tactile sensors 5 and 1 attached to movable members 2 and 3
5, a tactile sensation, which is at least a pressure sensation generated when the movable members 2 and 3 are brought into contact with the object 4, is detected to detect the detection signal a.
Is generated and attached to the human body, and internal voids 11a, 32
In the remote tactile display method of displaying the tactile sensation according to the detection signal a on the display unit 11 that has a and 33a and is elastic, the display unit 11 operates in response to the detection signal a. It has a hydrogen storage alloy A that is heated or cooled by the cooling means 21 to release or absorb hydrogen, and the hydrogen is absorbed and discharged into the internal voids 11a, 32a, 33a. [Effect] It is possible to accurately present information detected by the artificial tactile sensation of a robot to a remote person and control the robot based on the human's judgment. In addition, it has become possible for a person who has lost the sense of touch of the finger to recognize the sense of touch by the finger.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tactile remote display method and apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is a teleistance (television) which controls a robot by presenting information detected by the robot to a human being as faithfully as possible and leaving the judgment function to the human.
-Existence) type robots are known. However, for this kind of robot, although research in the field of vision has been done, tactile territory related to tactile sense that transmits and displays information detected by artificial tactile sense of fingers of hand to remote human fingers etc. The development of stance is a future subject, and in particular, the emergence of a remote display device capable of displaying information detected by artificial tactile sensation on a human finger is highly anticipated. In addition, for example, a tactile sensation display device capable of recognizing the tactile sensation of a finger is expected to appear in patients with tactile dysfunction, wearers of artificial hands, and the like.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional technical problems, and the structure of the tactile remote display method is such that a tactile sensor attached to a movable member contacts an object. A tactile sensation that generates a detection signal by detecting a tactile sensation that is at least a pressure sensation generated when the sensation is applied to a display unit that is attached to a human body and has an internal void and is expandable and contractible according to the detection signal. The remote display method according to claim 1, wherein the display means has a hydrogen storage alloy that releases or absorbs hydrogen by being heated or cooled by the heating / cooling means that operates according to the detection signal, and the hydrogen is displayed. It is characterized in that it is sucked and discharged into the inner space of the means. The structure of the tactile remote display device includes a tactile sensor that is attached to a movable member and that detects at least a tactile sensation, a control signal setting unit that sets a control signal according to a detection signal from the tactile sensor, and a human body. And a hydrogen absorbing / exhausting source which operates according to the control signal, and which is attached to the heating / cooling means provided with the control signal. It is characterized in that it has a hydrogen storage alloy which is heated or cooled to release or absorb hydrogen, and the hydrogen is absorbed and discharged into the internal void of the display means.

[0004]

When the tactile sensor attached to the movable member is brought into contact with the object and the object is gripped by the movable member, for example, a detection signal from the tactile sensor is output. Activate. When the control signal setting means is provided, the control signal setting means sets a control signal corresponding to the detection signal from the tactile sensor, and the heating / cooling means can be operated by the control signal.

That is, when the heating / cooling means is operated to heat or cool the hydrogen storage alloy, hydrogen is released or absorbed by the heating / cooling means, and the display means operates. Specifically, the hydrogen gas released or absorbed from the hydrogen storage alloy is absorbed and discharged into the internal voids of the display means, and expands or contracts. As a result, a tactile sensation that is at least a pressure sensation of the movable member is displayed on the human body.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 3 show a first embodiment in which a tactile display device according to the present invention is applied to a robot. In the drawings, reference numeral 1 indicates an actuator, and the actuator 1
As will be described later, is mainly expandable and contractible with an internal void 11a, and a display means 11 for displaying a tactile sensation composed of at least a pressure sensation and a hydrogen absorption / exhaust source 10. The display means 11 is a finger 2 as an appropriate portion having a tactile sensation of the human body.
Attached to (human body).

Then, the hydrogen absorption / exhaust source 10 is connected to the display means 11 through a pipe 13 having flexibility and pressure resistance, and the internal space 11a is connected to the hydrogen absorption / exhaust source 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the hydrogen absorption / exhaust source 10 includes a pair of heating elements Peltier elements that are heated or cooled to change the amount of hydrogen storage and to release or absorb hydrogen in the sealed container 20. The heating / cooling unit 21 is connected to the microcomputer 19 by being installed with being sandwiched by the cooling unit 21. The hydrogen storage alloy A has the ability to reversibly release or absorb a large amount of hydrogen at a relatively low temperature. Reference numeral 23 is a hydrogen inlet / outlet for connecting the pipe 13, and 24 is a fin for cooling. Thus, the microcomputer 19 can supply forward and reverse currents to the heating / cooling means 21 to heat or cool the hydrogen storage alloy A, whereby hydrogen gas is released or absorbed.

On the other hand, a tactile sensor 5 for detecting a pressure sensation is attached to the finger of the hand 3 which is a movable member attached to the tip of the forearm of the robot, and the object 4 is attached by the hand 3.
The pressure sensation when gripping is detected. The tactile sensor 5 detects a pressure component in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the hand 3,
A pressure-sensitive conductive rubber or piezoelectric film is arranged in a matrix to generate the detection signal a. The hand 3 opens by the elastic force of the springs 3d and 3e if the wires 3b and 3c are loosened by the drive motor 3a, and the wires 3b and 3c are pulled by the drive motor 3a. , 3e closes against the resilience.

The detection signal a from the tactile sensor 5 is given to the display means 11 attached to the human finger 2, the recognition / judgment function is left to the human, and the human operates the robot. Display means 1
1 corresponds to the capability of the tactile sensor 5. That is, since the tactile sensor 5 detects only the pressure sense of the hand 3, the display means 11 is formed of a rubber container 11b having a single internal space 11a as shown in FIG.
It is placed in contact with the belly of the finger 2 and fixed by a band 14.

The detection signal a from the tactile sensor 5 is converted into a digital signal by an A / D converter (not shown) and input to the control signal setting means 6. The control signal setting means 6 comprises a microcomputer 19. In the control signal setting means 6, a table lookup is performed according to the detection signal a by the tactile sensor 5, and a control signal b is stored from a data table stored in advance in the ROM of the microcomputer 19.
Read out. This control signal b is converted into an analog signal by a D / A converter (not shown) to heat or cool the heating / cooling means 21 of the hydrogen absorption / exhaust source 10.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be described.
When the object 4 is gripped by the hand 3, the detection signal a from the tactile sensor 5 is output, so the control signal setting means 6
At, the control signal b corresponding to the detection signal a is read, and the control signal b is converted into an analog signal by a D / A converter (not shown) to operate the actuator 1.

That is, when the heating / cooling means 21 is operated by the control signal b to heat or cool the hydrogen storage alloy A, hydrogen is released or absorbed by this, so that
The display means 11 is activated. Specifically, hydrogen storage alloy A
Hydrogen gas released or absorbed from is absorbed and discharged into the internal space 11a communicating with the pipe 13, and the rubber container 11b expands or contracts. As a result, a pressure sense similar to that of the hand 3 is displayed on the pad of the finger 2.

FIGS. 4 to 6 show a second embodiment in which the sense of pressure and the sense of displacement are displayed by the tactile display device according to the present invention, and are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment. Are assigned the same reference numerals and explanations thereof are omitted.

For example, when the object 4 is actually gripped by the hand 3 and lifted, the object 4 tends to slip off the hand 3 and a sense of misalignment may occur in the hand 3. Therefore, it is desirable to display the sense of displacement in addition to the sense of pressure of the hand 3 in order to reliably grasp the object 4.

Therefore, a roller type tactile sensor 15 is attached to the hand 3 in addition to the above tactile sensor 5. FIG. 6 shows a roller-type tactile sensor 15 that detects a sense of displacement of the hand 3. The tactile sensor 15 is constituted by a roller 15b having a photo sensor and a slit plate built therein, which is rotatably supported on the hand 3 by a leaf spring 15a.
The roller 15b slightly protrudes from the grip surface of the hand 3 without gripping. When the hand 3 is closed and the object 4 is gripped, the leaf spring 15a is elastically deformed and the object 4 is gripped, and the roller 15b is pressed against the object 4.

The roller 15b is rotated due to the displacement of the object 4 from the hand 3, and this rotational movement is converted into a pulse signal by the built-in photo sensor and slit plate to obtain a detection signal c. The detection signal c is input to the pair of first correction means 35 and second correction means 36 shown in FIG.

When the tactile sensor 15 for detecting the sense of displacement of the hand 3 is provided, the display means 11 has the structure shown in FIG. 4, for example. That is, the bent piece 31a is provided on the periphery.
Partition walls 3 at equal intervals inside a curved substrate 31 having
1 c is provided, and the rubber containers 32 and 33 having the internal voids 32 a and 33 a are housed in pairs in the respective spaces defined by the bent pieces 31 a and the respective partition walls 31 c.

One rubber container 32 forming each pair is connected to one hydrogen absorption / exhaust source 10a via a pipe 34, and the other rubber container 33 is connected to the other hydrogen absorption / exhaust source 10b via a pipe 37. . Then, each of the hydrogen absorption / exhaust sources 10a, 1
By controlling 0b according to different current values or voltage values, the pressures of the rubber containers 32 and 33 forming each pair can be made different, so that the finger 2 located inside the rubber containers 32 and 33 cannot feel pressure. And the sense of deviation can be displayed.

When the object 4 is gripped by the hand 3, the detection signal a by the tactile sensor 5 and the detection signal c by the tactile sensor 15 are output, so that the control signal setting means 6 performs control according to the detection signal a. The signal b is read out, and the control signal b is read as the first correction means 35 and the second correction means 36.
To increase and decrease each of them according to the detection signal c to obtain a first correction control signal d and a second correction control signal e. The first correction control signal d and the second correction control signal e are supplied to the hydrogen absorption / exhaust source 10 via a D / A converter (not shown).
a, 10b.

For example, when the detection signal c of the roller-type tactile sensor 15 is zero, that is, when the sense of deviation does not exist, the first control signal b corresponding to the detection signal a of the tactile sensor 5 is not substantially corrected. The correction control signal d and the second correction control signal e are obtained, and thereby the hydrogen absorption / exhaust sources 10a and 10b are controlled by the same current value or voltage value. This allows
Since the pressures of the rubber containers 32 and 33 forming each pair match,
On the finger 2 located inside the rubber containers 32 and 33, the sense of displacement is not displayed, but only the sense of pressure is displayed.

When the detection signal c of the roller-type tactile sensor 15 is not zero, that is, when there is a shift sensation, the first correction means 35 outputs the control signal b corresponding to the detection signal a of the tactile sensor 5. Correction is made according to the detection signal c of the roller-type tactile sensor 15 to obtain a first correction control signal d, and the heating / cooling means 21 of the one hydrogen absorption / exhaust source 10a is operated by this first correction control signal d. When the hydrogen storage alloy A is heated or cooled, hydrogen is released or absorbed by the heating or cooling, so that the display means 11 operates. That is, the hydrogen gas released or absorbed from the hydrogen storage alloy A is sucked and discharged into the internal voids 32a communicating with each other through the pipe 34, and the rubber container 32 expands or contracts.

At the same time, the control signal b corresponding to the detection signal a of the tactile sensor 5 is corrected by the second correction means 36 according to the detection signal c of the roller-type tactile sensor 15 to obtain a second correction control signal e. The second correction control signal e activates the heating / cooling means 21 of the other hydrogen absorption / exhaust source 10b,
When the hydrogen storage alloy A is heated or cooled, hydrogen is released or absorbed by this, so that the display means 11 operates. That is, the hydrogen gas released or absorbed from the hydrogen storage alloy A is communicated through the pipe 37 to each internal void 33.
The rubber container 33 is sucked and discharged by a and expands or contracts.

Since the expansion or contraction amount of the paired rubber containers 32 and 33 is individually adjusted to increase or decrease, the hand 3
It is possible to display a pressure sense similar to the pressure sense on the finger pad of the finger 2 while displaying a sense of displacement similar to the shift sense of the hand 3 on the ball of the finger 2. By the way, in addition to the component in the vertical direction with respect to the surface of the hand 3, when detecting the magnitude and direction of the force acting in the horizontal direction with respect to the surface of the hand 3, the stress vector sensors or 3 are used as the tactile sensors 5 and 15. A component force detection sensor can be attached. It is known that when a point on the gripping surface of the hand 3 is shifted in the horizontal direction, the direction discriminating ability of the shift is about π / 4. Therefore, the stress in the horizontal direction and its direction can be detected and combined with the stress of the vertical component to be expressed as a vector quantity.

By detecting such a vector amount, it is possible to move the hand 3 parallel to the surface of the object 4 with a predetermined sense of deviation while keeping the pressing force in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the object 4 constant. Grinder work and object surface wiping work are also possible. Also, when pouring water into the cup while grasping the cup which is the object 4,
By using the information of the three-component force, it is possible to grasp the cup flexibly while monitoring the weight change of the cup.

FIG. 7 shows a third embodiment in which the tactile display device according to the present invention is applied to a human who has no tactile sensation with fingers such as a finger-tactile dyskinesia and a prosthetic wearer, and is substantially the same as the first embodiment. The same parts are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted. In this embodiment, the tactile sensor 5 is attached to a finger 2 (human body or artificial hand) which is a movable member, and the display means 1 is used.
1 is attached to a human shoulder 7 by sticking.

According to the present embodiment, when the object 4 is grasped by the finger 2, the detection signal a by the tactile sensor 5 is output, so that the control signal setting means 6 controls the control signal corresponding to the detection signal a. b is read out, and the control signal b is converted into an analog signal by a D / A converter (not shown) to operate the actuator 1.

Specifically, when the heating / cooling means 21 is operated by the control signal b to heat or cool the hydrogen storage alloy A, hydrogen is released or absorbed by the heating / cooling means A. 11 is activated. That is, the hydrogen gas released or absorbed from the hydrogen storage alloy A is sucked and discharged into the internal space 11a communicating with the pipe 13, and the rubber container 11b.
Expands or contracts. As a result, a pressure sense similar to that of the finger 2 is displayed on the shoulder 7. Of course, by attaching the roller-type tactile sensor 15 to the finger 2 in addition to the tactile sensor 5, and by attaching the display means 11 for accommodating the rubber containers 32 and 33 in pairs to the shoulder 7, pressure and displacement can be obtained. Both senses can be displayed on the shoulder 7.

[0028]

As can be understood from the above description,
According to the tactile remote display method and the device thereof according to the present invention, in a teleigistence type robot, information detected by an artificial tactile sense by the robot is accurately presented to a remote person, and the robot is determined based on the judgment of the person. Control is realized. In addition, it has become possible for a person who has lost the sense of touch of the finger to recognize the sense of touch with the finger and provide feedback. In addition, the hydrogen absorption / exhaust source and display means are resistant to shock and overload because they are buffered by hydrogen gas. They are small and lightweight, generate large force, and do not generate noise, so a large compressor that generates air pressure should be used. Compared to the one used, it has excellent wearability on humans.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an arrangement of components of a tactile remote display device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a hydrogen absorption / exhaust source as well.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a display unit of the same.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a display means according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the arrangement of components of the tactile remote display device.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a hand in which the hand is partially incised.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an arrangement of components of a tactile remote display device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1: Actuator, 2: Finger (movable member or human body),
3: Hand (movable member), 4: Object, 5, 15: Tactile sensor, 6: Control signal setting means, 7: Shoulder (human body), 1
0, 10a, 10b: Hydrogen absorption / exhaust source, 11: Display means, 1
1a: internal void, 13, 34, 35: piping, 19: microcomputer, 20: closed container, 21: heating / cooling means, 32, 33: rubber container, 32a, 33a: internal void, A: hydrogen storage alloy, a, c: detection signal, b: control signal, d: first correction control signal (control signal), e: second correction control signal (control signal).

Front page continuation (72) Inventor Shunji Shimizu Kita-ku, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 13-chome, Kita-ku 13 (72) Inventor Masahiko Muroran, Charan-cho, Muroran-shi, Hokkaido Japan Steel Works Co., Ltd.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A tactile sensor attached to a movable member detects at least a tactile sensation generated when a tactile sensor is brought into contact with an object, generates a detection signal, is attached to a human body, and is expandable and contractible with an internal void. A remote tactile display method of displaying the tactile sensation on a display unit according to the detection signal, wherein the display unit is heated or cooled by a heating / cooling unit operating in response to the detection signal. A tactile remote display method, comprising a hydrogen storage alloy that releases or absorbs hydrogen, and the hydrogen is absorbed and discharged into an internal space of the display means. 2. A tactile sensor attached to a movable member for detecting a tactile sensation composed of at least a pressure sensation, control signal setting means for setting a control signal in accordance with a detection signal from the tactile sensor, and an internal cavity attached to a human body. And a stretchable display means, and a hydrogen absorption / exhaust source operated by the control signal, the hydrogen absorption / exhaust source being heated or cooled by the heating / cooling means to which the control signal is applied. A tactile remote display device having a hydrogen storage alloy that releases or absorbs hydrogen, and the hydrogen is absorbed and discharged into an internal space of the display means.