CN111251326A

CN111251326A - Proximity sensor, electronic skin, manufacturing method and proximity sensing method

Info

Publication number: CN111251326A
Application number: CN202010067455.0A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 张正友; 戴媛; 路鹏; 刘思媛
Original assignee: Tencent Technology Shenzhen Co Ltd
Current assignee: Tencent Technology Shenzhen Co Ltd
Priority date: 2020-01-20
Filing date: 2020-01-20
Publication date: 2020-06-09
Also published as: WO2021147456A1

Abstract

The embodiment of the application discloses a proximity sensor, an electronic skin, a manufacturing method and a proximity sensing method; the sensor comprises a double-electrode capacitive proximity sensor, a sensor body and a sensor body, wherein the double-electrode capacitive proximity sensor relates to the machine technology of artificial intelligence, in particular to the double-electrode capacitive proximity sensor which can comprise two electrodes arranged at intervals; wherein the two electrodes form an electric field at a gap, and when an object other than the two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor approaches the two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor, the approach of the object is induced by a change in the electric field. The scheme can improve the approaching induction precision of the robot to an external object.

Description

Proximity sensor, electronic skin, manufacturing method and proximity sensing method

Technical Field

The application relates to the technical field of robots, in particular to a proximity sensor, an electronic skin, a manufacturing method and a proximity sensing method.

Background

Proximity sensing refers to contactless sensing for a close distance of an external object. At present, the proximity sensing technology is widely applied, for example, the proximity sensing technology can be applied to automatic control, intelligent terminals, robots and the like. However, the current proximity sensing mainly includes two types, namely, object pattern recognition ranging based on vision, and optical and acoustic ranging based on wave propagation. However, the accuracy of the present proximity sensing is low.

For example, in the case of robot application, the development and application of intelligent robot technology are gradually deepened. No matter large-sized industrial robots or intelligent home robots bring efficient and convenient services to people, the programmed actions of the robots cannot sense the change of the surrounding environment, and the robots collide with external objects such as people and objects to cause injuries or damages.

To prevent damage from occurring, researchers have developed proximity sensing systems for use with robots. The robot system mainly comprises two proximity sensing systems, namely object pattern recognition ranging based on vision and optical and acoustic ranging based on wave propagation. Visual pattern recognition is supported on a pattern database, a camera is used for capturing an object, and the distance between the camera and the object is calculated according to the size proportion. The optical and acoustic ranging uses a phenomenon that waves propagate in a space and are reflected when encountering an object, and calculates the distance of the object by measuring the transmission time or the phase change of the reflected waves.

In the research and practice process of the prior art, the inventor of the application finds that the proximity sensing system has lower proximity sensing precision on an object at present; for example, the existing vision sensing system, namely, the vision-based object image recognition ranging needs a camera device, and needs to input parameters of a sensing object in advance, and the proximity sensing accuracy depends on the accuracy of the input parameters, the number and the quality of the camera devices, and the like, but these cannot be guaranteed; for another example, the existing optical and ultrasonic ranging needs a complex light wave or sound wave transmitting and receiving system, the whole system has a large volume and cannot be arranged in large quantities, and therefore the approaching induction precision of the robot to an external object is reduced.

Disclosure of Invention

The embodiment of the application provides a proximity sensor, an electronic skin, a manufacturing method and a proximity sensing method, and the proximity sensing precision can be improved.

The embodiment of the application provides a flexible double-electrode capacitive proximity sensor, which comprises two electrodes arranged at intervals;

wherein the two electrodes form an electric field at a gap, and when an object other than the two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor approaches the two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor, the approach of the object is induced by a change in the electric field.

In one embodiment, the electrode is a flexible electrode.

In one embodiment, the flexible two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor further comprises: a flexible substrate and a package; the two electrodes are arranged on the flexible substrate at intervals, and the packaging body is arranged on the electrodes and packages the electrodes.

In one embodiment, the flexible substrate comprises a top surface and a bottom surface, the two electrodes are arranged on the top surface at intervals, and the bottom surface is attached.

In one embodiment, the pattern of the two electrodes is interdigitated, or concentric circular.

The embodiment of the application provides an electronic skin of robot, includes: at least one flexible two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor;

the double-electrode capacitive proximity sensor forms an electric field in a space, and when an object except the robot approaches the electrode capacitive proximity sensor to cause the electric field to change, an electric signal of the change of the electric field is transmitted to the robot, so that the robot can sense the approach of the object according to the electric signal.

In one embodiment, the two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor includes: the flexible substrate, the packaging body and the two electrodes; the two electrodes are arranged on the flexible substrate at intervals, and the packaging body is arranged on the electrodes and packages the electrodes.

In one embodiment, the two electrodes are coplanar.

In an embodiment, the two electrodes are both flexible electrodes.

In an embodiment, the e-skin comprises at least two flexible two-electrode capacitive proximity sensors; the at least two flexible two-electrode capacitive proximity sensors form a proximity sensor array.

In one embodiment, the two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor includes: a flexible substrate, an electrode, and a package; the electrode is arranged on the flexible substrate, the packaging body is arranged on the electrode, and the electrode is packaged; wherein the at least two-electrode capacitive proximity sensors share a common flexible substrate and package.

In one embodiment, the package includes an adhesive tape or a polydimethylsiloxane film.

In an embodiment, the flexible substrate comprises a polymer film.

In an embodiment, the flexible substrate comprises a top surface on which the electrodes are arranged and a bottom surface provided with a conductive film.

The embodiment of the application provides a robot, wherein the electronic skin is attached to the outer surface of the robot; wherein the electronic skin is electrically connected with the robot;

the double-electrode capacitive proximity sensor forms an electric field in a space, and when an object except the robot approaches the electrode capacitive proximity sensor to cause the electric field to change, the double-electrode capacitive proximity sensor transmits an electric signal of the change of the electric field to the robot;

the robot is used for sensing the approach of the object according to the electric signal.

In one embodiment, the electronic skin is affixed to an outer surface of the narrowed or tip portion of the robot bone.

The embodiment of the application provides a proximity sensing method, which is suitable for a robot, wherein any electronic skin provided by the embodiment of the application is attached to the outer surface of the robot; the method comprises the following steps:

receiving an electrical signal transmitted by a two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor in the electronic skin;

and sensing the approach of the external object of the robot according to the received electric signal.

The embodiment of the application provides a method for manufacturing electronic skin of a robot, which comprises the following steps:

providing a flexible substrate;

forming at least one set of two electrodes on the flexible substrate;

packaging the double electrodes by using a packaging body to obtain at least one flexible double-electrode capacitive proximity sensor;

an electronic skin of a robot is fabricated using at least one flexible two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor.

In one embodiment, forming at least one set of two electrodes on the flexible substrate includes: forming an electrode array on the flexible substrate, wherein the electrode array comprises at least two groups of double electrodes arranged in an array;

encapsulating the electrodes with an encapsulation, resulting in at least one flexible two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor, comprising: packaging the electrode array by using a packaging body to obtain a proximity sensor array, wherein the proximity sensor array comprises at least two flexible double-electrode capacitive proximity sensors sharing a substrate;

fabricating an electronic skin of a robot using at least one flexible two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor, comprising: an electronic skin of a robot is fabricated using a proximity sensor array.

In one embodiment, forming an array of electrodes on the flexible substrate comprises:

forming a conductive layer on the flexible substrate;

and carrying out electrode manufacturing treatment on the conductive layer to form an electrode array.

providing a conductive layer;

carrying out electrode manufacturing treatment on the conducting layer to obtain at least two groups of double electrodes;

and attaching at least two groups of double electrodes on the flexible substrate according to a preset rule to form an electrode array on the flexible substrate.

In one embodiment, a conductive film is formed on the bottom surface of the flexible substrate.

The proximity sensing device provided by the embodiment of the application is suitable for a robot, and any electronic skin provided by the embodiment of the application is attached to the outer surface of the robot; the proximity sensing device includes:

the receiving unit is used for receiving the electric signals transmitted by the double-electrode capacitive proximity sensor in the electronic skin;

and the sensing unit is used for sensing the approach of the external object of the robot according to the received electric signal.

The present embodiment also provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, wherein the computer program when executed by a processor performs the steps as the proximity sensing method.

The embodiment also provides a robot, which includes a memory, a processor and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor executes the program to implement the steps of the proximity sensing method.

The embodiment of the application provides a flexible double-electrode capacitive proximity sensor, which comprises two electrodes arranged at intervals; wherein the two electrodes form an electric field at a gap, and when an object other than the two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor approaches the two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor, the approach of the object is induced by a change in the electric field. This bipolar electrode capacitive proximity sensor adopts the approach of the mode sensation object of electric field change, compares prior art, can promote to approach the feeling precision. And because the single-electrode capacitive proximity sensor is flexible, the single-electrode capacitive proximity sensor can be attached to each part of an application object such as a robot, so that the all-dimensional sensing of the application object such as the robot to an external object is realized, and the proximity sensing precision of the application object to the external object is greatly improved.

Drawings

In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the drawings needed to be used in the description of the embodiments are briefly introduced below, and it is obvious that the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application, and it is obvious for those skilled in the art to obtain other drawings based on these drawings without creative efforts.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor provided by an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor provided in an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a scene of an electronic skin provided in an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of an electronic skin of a robot provided in an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 5a is a schematic view of an interdigital electrode provided in accordance with an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 5b is a schematic view of an interdigital electrode provided in the present application;

fig. 6a is a graph illustrating a comparison of sensing performance of interdigital electrodes with different numbers of interdigital electrodes provided by the embodiments of the present application;

fig. 6b is a graph illustrating a comparison of sensing performance of interdigital electrodes with different interdigital gaps, according to the present application;

FIG. 6c is a graph illustrating the performance of the sensor with different aspect ratios of the fingers provided by the embodiments of the present application;

FIG. 6d is a schematic diagram illustrating the sensing performance of a two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor on a conductor and an insulator according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 7a is a schematic view of a concentric circular electrode provided in accordance with an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 7b is a schematic diagram of concentric circular dual electrodes with different radii provided by an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 7c is a graph showing the performance test results of different concentric circle dual-electrode sensors with different structural sizes under the coplanar condition and the non-coplanar condition according to the embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 8 is a schematic structural diagram of a proximity sensor array provided in an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 9 is a flow chart of a proximity sensing method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 10 is a schematic flowchart of a method for manufacturing an electronic skin according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 11 is a schematic structural diagram of a proximity sensing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 12a is an alternative structural diagram of the distributed system 100 applied to the blockchain system according to the embodiment of the present application;

fig. 12b is an alternative schematic diagram of the block structure provided in the embodiment of the present application.

Detailed Description

The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application, and it is obvious that the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, and not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments, which can be derived by a person skilled in the art from the embodiments given herein without making any creative effort, shall fall within the protection scope of the present application.

The scheme provided by the application, such as a proximity sensor, an electronic skin, a manufacturing method and a proximity sensing method, relates to the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI), which is a theory, a method, a technology and an application system for simulating, extending and expanding human Intelligence by using a digital computer or a machine controlled by the digital computer, sensing the environment, acquiring knowledge and obtaining the best result by using the knowledge. In other words, artificial intelligence is a comprehensive technique of computer science that attempts to understand the essence of intelligence and produce a new intelligent machine that can react in a manner similar to human intelligence. Artificial intelligence is the research of the design principle and the realization method of various intelligent machines, so that the machines have the functions of perception, reasoning and decision making.

The artificial intelligence technology is a comprehensive subject and relates to the field of extensive technology, namely the technology of a hardware level and the technology of a software level. The artificial intelligence infrastructure generally includes technologies such as sensors, dedicated artificial intelligence chips, cloud computing, distributed storage, big data processing technologies, operation/interaction systems, mechatronics, and the like.

The scheme of the embodiment of the application particularly relates to the Robot related field of artificial intelligence, and an AI Robot (Robot) is a machine device for automatically executing work. The intelligent control system can accept human command, run a pre-programmed program and act according to a running rule established by an artificial intelligence technology. The task of it is to assist or replace human work, such as enterprise production, construction or hazardous operations. It is a product of advanced integrated control theory, mechanics, mechano-electronics, intelligent engineering, computer, artificial engineering, materials and bionics. AI robot major system structure: the robot generally comprises an actuating mechanism, a driving device (driver), a detection device (sensor), a control system (controller), a complex machine and the like.

In the embodiment of the present application, the robot is a machine device that automatically performs work. It can accept human command, run the program programmed in advance, and also can operate according to the principle outline action made by artificial intelligence technology. The task of which is to assist or replace human work, such as production, construction, or dangerous work. For example, the robot may comprise an industrial robot such as a robot arm, a specialty robot.

Industrial robots are multi-joint robots or multi-degree-of-freedom robots for industrial applications. And the special robot is various advanced robots for non-manufacturing industry and serving human beings, in addition to the industrial robot, including: service robots, underwater robots, entertainment robots, military robots, agricultural robots, robotized machines, and the like. In special robots, some branches develop rapidly and have the tendency of independent system formation, such as service robots, underwater robots, military robots, micro-operation robots and the like.

Referring to fig. 1 to 8, an embodiment of the present application provides a flexible two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor 11, which may include: the two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor 11 is flexible, having the ability to bend, stretch, etc., and is provided with two electrodes 111, namely an electrode 111a and an electrode 111 b.

Referring to fig. 1 and 2, in which an electrode 111 may form an electric field in a space, when an object other than the two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor 11 is the two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor 11, the proximity of the object is induced by a change in the electric field.

For example, the dual electrode 111 of the dual-electrode capacitive proximity sensor 11 may sense the approach of an object other than the dual-electrode capacitive proximity sensor by an electric field change when the object approaches the dual-electrode capacitive proximity sensor at a gap between the electrodes.

For example, the dual electrodes 11 of the dual-electrode capacitive proximity sensor 11 may form a closed arc-shaped electric field at a gap between the dual electrodes, and when an external object such as a conductor (e.g., a human body, etc.) or an insulator approaches an electrode to a certain distance, the electric field of the dual electrodes may be affected to cause a decrease in capacitance, and at this time, the dual-electrode capacitive proximity sensor 11 may sense the approach of the object through a change in the electric field. For example, information such as the distance and position between the object and the robot can be analyzed and judged.

In an embodiment, referring to fig. 1 and 2, the two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor 11 may further include a substrate 110 and a package 112; the

electrodes

111a and 111b are disposed on the substrate 110 at intervals, and the package body 113 is disposed on the dual electrode 111 to encapsulate the dual electrode 111. The package body 112 may also encapsulate the electrode 111 and the flexible substrate 110 simultaneously in one embodiment. Furthermore, in other embodiments, the two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor 11 may also have no substrate and no package, only the two-electrode 111.

There are various implementations of the dual-electrode capacitive proximity sensor 11 having flexibility, for example, in an embodiment, the dual-electrode capacitive proximity sensor 11 has flexibility through the flexible substrate 110, in this case, the substrate 110 may be a flexible substrate; or in an embodiment, the two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor 11 may be made flexible by a flexible two-electrode 11, in which case the two-electrode 111 may be a flexible electrode.

In an embodiment, in order to enable the two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor to be attached to an application object such as a robot, a smart phone, an unmanned vehicle, etc., wherein the bottom surface of the substrate 110 may have an adhesive property.

In an embodiment, the pattern of the dual electrodes 111 may be set according to actual requirements, for example, the pattern of the dual electrodes 111 may be in an interdigital shape, or concentric circles, etc., for example, refer to fig. 5a, 5b, 7a, etc.

The proximity sensing performance of the double-electrode capacitive proximity sensor 11 designed by the embodiment of the application is stronger than that of the existing sensor, and the sensing precision of the double-electrode capacitive proximity sensor to external objects of a robot, such as conductors or insulators, is very high. The two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor can sense various objects made of various materials, including insulators, conductors, living bodies, and the like. And because the double-electrode capacitive proximity sensor is flexible, the sensor can be attached to each part of an application object such as a robot, so that the omnibearing sensing of the application object such as the robot to an external object is realized, and the proximity sensing precision of the application object to the external object is greatly improved.

The double-electrode capacitive proximity sensor 11 provided by the embodiment of the application can be applied to any object needing proximity sensing, that is, an application object, for example, can be applied to an unmanned aerial vehicle, an unmanned vehicle, an electric vehicle, a robot, a detector (such as an aviation detector) and the like.

For example, in the case of application to a robot, the two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor 11 may be used to create an electronic skin of the robot, and the electronic skin may assist the robot to sense the proximity of an external object. The electronic skin and the like of the embodiment of the present application will be described by taking an industrial robot or a home service robot as an example.

Referring to fig. 1 to 4, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides an electronic skin 10 of a robot, where the electronic skin 10 may be attached to a surface of a robot 20 to help the robot sense a surrounding working environment, and avoid a loss caused by collision between the robot and an external object, such as an operator or a service object.

The e-skin 10 may comprise at least one flexible two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor 11, for example, may comprise one flexible two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor 11, or at least two flexible two-electrode capacitive proximity sensors 11. In an embodiment, referring to fig. 4, in order to improve the proximity sensing accuracy of the robot 20 for the external object, the electronic skin 20 may include a proximity sensor array 12, and the proximity sensor array 12 includes at least two flexible two-electrode capacitive proximity sensors 11 arranged in an array.

In practical applications, the more the two-electrode capacitive proximity sensors 11 in the electronic skin 10 are, the higher the density is, the higher the proximity sensing accuracy for external objects is, for example, the two-electrode capacitive proximity sensors 11 with high density may be provided to improve the sensing accuracy.

The two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor 11 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure may be a capacitive proximity sensor including two electrodes (i.e., two electrodes), and the embodiment of the present disclosure may manufacture a flexible two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor by using a spatial electric field of the two electrodes, such as a gap electric field, so as to manufacture an electronic skin of a robot.

The two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor 11 may form an electric field in a space, and when an object other than the robot approaches the electrode capacitive proximity sensor to cause a change in the electric field, an electric signal of the change in the electric field is transmitted to the robot, so that the robot senses the approach of the object according to the electric signal.

In an embodiment, referring to fig. 1 and 2, the two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor 11 may include: the flexible substrate 110, the dual-electrode 111, wherein the dual-electrode 111 includes a first electrode 111a and a second electrode 111b, wherein the first electrode 111a and the second electrode 111b are disposed on the flexible substrate 110 at an interval.

As shown in fig. 3, the two electrodes in the two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor 11 of the electronic skin 10 may form a closed arc-shaped electric field at a gap between the two electrodes, and when an external object, such as a conductor (e.g., a human body, etc.) or an insulator, approaches the electrodes to a certain distance, the electric field of the two electrodes may be affected, so as to cause a decrease in capacitance, at this time, the two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor 11 may transmit an electric signal of a change in the electric field to the robot 20, and the robot 20 may sense the approach of the object according to the received electric signal, for example, analyze and determine the approach of the object according to the change of the received electric signal, for example, may analyze and determine.

In the embodiment of the application, the electronic skin adopts the double-electrode capacitive proximity sensor 11, so that different external objects such as objects made of different materials can be sensed, including insulators, conductors, organisms and the like. In addition, can adopt flexible bipolar electrode capacitive proximity sensor 11 to make electron skin 10, so electron skin 10 is whole also to have flexibility to have certain bending deformation ability and tensile deformability (refer to fig. 1), consequently, can make the attached surface at the robot that electron skin can be good, help robot 20 to respond to external object such as being close to of human body or conductor better, avoid the robot to collide rather than taking place, make the robot make corresponding action such as dodging or braking, promote the proximity sensing precision greatly. And the sensor system is simple and convenient to manufacture. The robot can be directly attached or simply packaged and fixed on the robot, the structure of the robot is not damaged, and additional design is not needed.

For example, because the flexible two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor 11 is adopted, the electronic skin 10 can be attached to the exoskeleton of the robot, such as the cylindrical outer wall of the robot arm, the chest or the back of the robot trunk; in addition, the electronic skin can be attached to key parts of the robot, such as joint parts of the robot, parts with complex shapes and the like, so that certain parts can accurately sense the approach of an external object to respond.

Among other things, the flexible two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor 11 according to the embodiments of the present disclosure may have various structures, for example, in one embodiment, referring to fig. 1 and 2, the flexible two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor 11 may include a flexible substrate 110, two electrodes 111 (i.e., two electrodes), and a package 112; the dual electrode 111 includes a first electrode 111a and a second electrode 111 b; the first electrode 111a and the second electrode 111b are disposed on the flexible substrate 110 at an interval, and the package body 113 is disposed on the dual electrode 111 to encapsulate the dual electrode 111. The package body 112 may also encapsulate the dual electrode 111 and the flexible substrate 110 simultaneously in an embodiment.

The flexible substrate 110 may be a substrate made of a flexible material, and in an embodiment, the flexible substrate 110 may be a flexible insulating substrate, which may be a substrate made of a flexible insulating material. For example, the flexible substrate 110 may include a polymer film, which may include a film of flexible material, i.e., a film made of flexible material. Among them, the polymer film may include a PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) film, a PI (polyimide film), and the like.

In one embodiment, to improve the safety, stability and proximity sensing accuracy of the e-skin, all the two-electrode capacitive proximity sensors 11 in the e-skin share one flexible substrate. In one embodiment, a flexible substrate common to all the two-electrode capacitive proximity sensors 11 may be used as a substrate for the e-skin 10 for its attachment to the outer surface of the robot. In actual use, a common flexible substrate may be directly attached to the outer surface of the robot.

In one embodiment, to prevent interference between the two-electrode capacitive proximity sensors 11, all of the two-electrode capacitive proximity sensors 11 in the e-skin do not share a single flexible substrate, i.e., each two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor 11 has a respective flexible substrate 110. At least one two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor 11 is incorporated into the electronic skin 10. For example, in one embodiment, a flexible electronic skin substrate may be provided, and all of the two-electrode capacitive proximity sensors 11 may be disposed on the electronic skin substrate (e.g., glued, etc.) to form the electronic skin 10. In actual use, the electronic skin substrate can be attached to the outer surface of the robot. For another example, in an embodiment, at least one two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor 11 may be directly attached to the outer surface of the machine as the e-skin 10.

The dual electrode 111 may be a dual electrode made of a conductive material, that is, the material of the dual electrode may be a conductive material, for example, the dual electrode may be a dual electrode made of a conductive material such as a metal electrode and a conductive carbon cloth. In one embodiment, the electrodes 111 may be flexible electrodes, for example, electrodes made of flexible conductive material, for the flexibility of the sensor and thus facilitating easier attachment of the e-skin to the outer surface of the robot. For example, the electrode 111 may be an electrode made of conductive carbon cloth having a bending property, or the like.

In one embodiment, to improve the sensing accuracy, two electrodes of the dual electrode 111 may be coplanar, that is, the dual electrode 111 is coplanar on the same plane. For example, the first electrode 111a and the second electrode 111b are spaced apart from each other and disposed on the same plane.

In one embodiment, the dual electrodes 111 may be located in different planes, i.e., the dual electrodes are opposite.

In the embodiment of the present application, the shape of the dual electrode 111 may be any shape, for example, the pattern of the dual electrode 111 may be in an interdigital shape, a concentric circle shape, or other shapes.

For example, referring to fig. 5a, the dual electrodes 111 may be interdigitated, and the first electrodes 111a and the second electrodes 111b are spaced apart and staggered with each other. Fig. 5b is an interdigital two-electrode object, in fig. 5b, an interdigital two-electrode 111 is disposed on the flexible substrate 110, and may include a first electrode 111a, a second electrode 111b, and a signal lead 1111, where the signal lead 1111 is used for transmitting an electrical signal.

The number of the interdigital fingers in the embodiment of the application can be set according to actual requirements. For example, the number of the n groups can be 2, 3, 4, … … n, and the like, wherein n is a positive integer greater than 4. For example, referring to fig. 6a, a sensing performance comparison curve of the interdigital electrodes with different numbers of fingers (the number of fingers is 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 respectively) in an actual test is shown, and the curves are performance curves with the numbers of fingers being 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 respectively from top to bottom. In practical application, the number of the fingers can be selected according to the actual required performance.

In an embodiment, the electrode gap (i.e. the distance between two electrodes, such as the gap distance d shown in fig. 1) of the dual electrode 111 can also be set according to actual requirements, for example, for an interdigitated dual electrode, the interdigitated gap can be set according to actual requirements, such as the gap distance d1 in fig. 6 b. The two electrodes with different inter-digital gaps have different sensing performances, for example, in the case of 4 inter-digital indexes with reference to fig. 6b, the sensing performance contrast curves (at different approaching distances) of the inter-digital electrodes with different inter-digital gaps are, for example, 0.4mm (millimeter), 0.8mm, 1.2mm, 1.6mm, 2.0mm, 2.4mm, 2.8mm and 3.2mm respectively. In practical application, the interdigital gap can be selected according to the actual required performance. In fig. 6b, the curves from bottom to top are performance curves corresponding to 0.4mm (millimeter), 0.8mm, 1.2mm, 1.6mm, 2.0mm, 2.4mm, 2.8mm, and 3.2mm, respectively, and it can be roughly concluded from the figure that the larger the inter-digital gap, the higher the sensing performance.

In an embodiment, for the interdigital dual electrode, the interdigital aspect ratio, i.e. the ratio of the length to the width of the interdigital, can be set according to practical requirements, and referring to fig. 6c, taking the dual electrode with an interdigital index of 4 as an example, the interdigital aspect ratio is L/W. In practical tests, the finger width W is selected to be 5mm, the finger lengths L are selected to be 5, 10, 15 and 20 respectively, and the sensing performance of the aspect ratio of different fingers is tested, and the test result is shown in the right graph in fig. 6c, wherein the finger gap is 1.6mm, and the curves in fig. 6c are performance curves q1, q2, q3 and q4 of the finger aspect ratios 1:1, 2:1, 3:1 and 4:1 respectively from top to bottom.

The two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor 11 of the present embodiment has a higher accuracy of proximity sensing to a conductor or insulator, for example, as shown in fig. 6d, the left graph shows the proximity sensing performance of the capacitive proximity sensor of the interdigital two-electrode to an insulator; the right graph shows the proximity sensing performance of the interdigital two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor on a conductor, and deltax represents different sensing distances. In one embodiment, in order to improve the sensing accuracy of the sensor, the pattern of the dual electrodes 111 may be concentric circles, for example, as shown in fig. 7a, the pattern of the first electrode 111a and the pattern of the second electrode 111b are concentric circles, that is, the first electrode 111a is a circular ring type electrode, the second electrode 111b is a solid circle type electrode, and the centers of the circles of the second electrode 111b are the same.

When the pattern of the dual-electrode 111 is concentric, the radius of the first electrode 111a in the dual-electrode 111 is larger than that of the second electrode 111 b; the structure, the radius and the like of the two electrodes can be set according to actual requirements. For example, the width of the ring, the radius of the ring, etc. can be set according to actual requirements. For example, fig. 7b shows several bipolar electrodes with different inner circle radii R (e.g., R1, 2, 3, 4, 5).

In an embodiment, the two electrodes of the dual electrode 111 may be coplanar (the dual electrodes are coplanar) or non-coplanar (the dual electrodes are non-coplanar), for example, in the case of concentric circles, the first circular electrode 111a and the second circular electrode 111b may be in the same plane or non-coplanar.

In the embodiment of the application, the sensors with concentric circles and double electrodes have different performances, as shown in fig. 7c, and a performance test result schematic diagram of the sensors with concentric circles and double electrodes with different structural sizes in the coplanar condition and the non-coplanar condition is shown in fig. 7b, so that the structural size and the coplanarity can be selected according to actual requirements in actual application. Wherein k1 represents the sensing distance (sensory distance) and k2 represents the response amplitude (response amplitude)

In an embodiment, in order to improve the attachment of the e-skin, wherein the bottom surface of the flexible substrate 110 has the attachment, for example, the flexible substrate 110 may include a top surface on which the dual electrode 11 is disposed and a bottom surface having the attachment. For example, in actual use, the bottom surface of the flexible substrate 110 of the two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor 10 may be attached to the outer surface of the robot.

In one embodiment, when the two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor 10 shares a flexible substrate, the bottom surface of the flexible substrate may be attached to the outer surface of the robot as an electronic skin due to its attachment. Because the flexible substrate has flexibility and adhesiveness, the flexible substrate can be well attached to the outer surface of any part of the robot in practical application.

In the embodiment of the present application, the package body 112 is used for packaging the dual-electrode 111 to form a dual-electrode capacitive proximity sensor, and the package body 112 has a protection function to prevent the electrode 111 from contacting with an external environment; the package body 112 may enclose the dual electrode 111. In an embodiment, in order to better protect the electrodes 111, the package body 112 may also simultaneously encapsulate the electrode pairs 111 and the flexible substrate 110, and the package body 112 may enclose the electrode pairs 111 and the flexible substrate 110.

The package 112 may include a package such as an adhesive tape or a film; for example, the package body 112 may include PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) or the like.

The proximity sensing performance of the double-electrode capacitive proximity sensor designed by the embodiment of the application is stronger than that of the existing sensor, and the sensing precision of the double-electrode capacitive proximity sensor to external objects of a robot, such as conductors or insulators, is very high. The two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor can sense various objects made of various materials, including insulators, conductors, living bodies, and the like.

In an embodiment, in order to improve the proximity sensing accuracy or sensing accuracy of the robot on an external object, the electronic skin 10 may be formed by using a flexible capacitive proximity sensor array, that is, the electronic skin 10 may include at least two (two or more) flexible two-electrode capacitive proximity sensors 11, and the at least two flexible two-electrode capacitive proximity sensors 11 may form a proximity sensor array; for example, the flexible two-electrode capacitive proximity sensors 11 are arranged in an array according to actual conditions to form a proximity sensor array. For example, referring to fig. 2, a two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor 11 on an e-skin 10 is arranged in an array to form a proximity sensor array.

In one embodiment, to improve the performance and stability of the proximity sensor array and improve the proximity sensing accuracy, all flexible dual-electrode capacitive proximity sensors in the proximity sensor array share a common flexible substrate and package. Specifically, the two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor 11 in the proximity sensor array may share a large-area flexible substrate, that is, the proximity sensor array is fabricated on the large-area flexible substrate. That is, the flexible substrate shared by the two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor 11 is the substrate of the e-skin 10.

It should be understood that: in other embodiments, the two-electrode capacitive proximity sensors 11 in the proximity sensor array may not share a common flexible substrate. Can be selected according to actual requirements.

For example, referring to fig. 8, the proximity sensor array 30 may include a large or small area of a flexible substrate 113, an electrode array 114, and a package 115; the electrodes 114 are disposed on the flexible substrate 113, the package 115 is disposed on the array 114 and the flexible substrate 113, and the electrode array 114 and the flexible substrate 113 are packaged. The electrodes 114 include at least two sets of two electrodes 111, and at least two sets of two electrodes 11 may be arranged in an array on the flexible substrate 113. In one implementation, the flexible substrate 113 may serve directly as a substrate for the e-skin.

The electrode array 114 includes at least two sets of double electrodes 111, and the electrodes in the electrode array 114 may be electrodes made of a conductive material, that is, the electrode may be made of a conductive material, for example, a metal electrode, a conductive carbon cloth, or other conductive materials. The shape of the two electrodes in the array can be set according to actual requirements, and for example, the shape can be an interdigital shape, a concentric circle shape and the like.

The flexible substrate 113 may be a substrate made of a flexible material, and in an embodiment, the flexible substrate 113 may be a flexible insulating substrate, which may be a substrate made of a flexible insulating material. For example, a film of flexible material, i.e., a film made of flexible material, may be included.

In an embodiment, in order to improve the adhesiveness of the e-skin, wherein the bottom surface of the flexible substrate 113 has adhesiveness, for example, the flexible substrate 113 may include a top surface on which the electrode array 114 is disposed and a bottom surface having adhesiveness. For example, in actual use, the bottom surface of the flexible substrate 113 of the proximity sensor array 30 may be attached to the outer surface of the robot. Since the flexible substrate of the proximity sensor array 30 has flexibility (i.e., has a certain bending deformation capability) and adhesiveness, it can be attached to the outer surface of any part of the robot well in practical applications.

The package 115 may encapsulate the electrode array 114, and in an embodiment, the electrode array 114 and the flexible substrate 113 may be encapsulated at the same time. The package 115 may include a package such as an adhesive tape or a film; for example, the encapsulation body 115 may include PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane film) or the like.

In one embodiment, in order to shield the electric field interference inside the robot, a conductive film may be disposed on the bottom surface of the two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor 11; specifically, the substrate of the two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor 11 may include a top surface and a bottom surface, the two electrodes may be disposed on the top surface, e.g., an electrode array may be disposed on the top surface, and a conductive film may be disposed on the bottom surface of the substrate.

For example, in one embodiment, in the case where the two-electrode capacitive proximity sensors 11 do not share a substrate, a conductive film may be disposed on the bottom surface of the flexible substrate of each two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor 11.

For another example, in one embodiment, a conductive film may be disposed on the bottom surface of the flexible substrate 113 shared by the two-electrode capacitive proximity sensors 11 in the proximity sensor array 30.

The conductive film may include a copper foil, an aluminum foil, a carbon cloth, and the like.

In actual use, the conductive film of the electronic skin 10 may be attached to the outer surface of the robot.

Therefore, the electronic skin designed by the embodiment of the application can be attached to the outer surface of the robot, and the robot can sense the approaching of any property object such as an external conductor or insulation object through the change of the electric field, so that the approaching of the robot to the external object can be accurately sensed. The double-electrode capacitance proximity sensor can improve the sensing distance to more than 50mm, so that the robot has more reaction time, and the collision risk is reduced.

And because the electronic skin adopts flexible bipolar electrode capacitive proximity sensor, consequently, can attach each position at the robot, realized the all-round response of machine to external object, promoted the robot greatly to external object's proximity response precision.

Further, the electronic skin designed by the embodiment of the application can be used for manufacturing a high-density sensor array on a large-area substrate, and no additional sensing device is needed when the electronic skin is used. The sensing array is attached on the outer surface of the robot, so that all-round sensing of each position of the robot to an external object can be realized, the high-density array also helps the robot to accurately judge a specific position close to the object, complete early warning of the robot to a working environment is really realized, and collision with the object is prevented. The flexible capacitor proximity sensing array provided by the embodiment of the application can enable the sensing precision of the robot to the object to reach a millimeter level, the spatial resolution is reduced to the millimeter level, and high-density sensing is achieved.

The electronic skin designed by the embodiment of the application adopts a flexible double-electrode capacitive proximity sensor such as a flexible double-electrode capacitive proximity sensor array, the substrate of the electrode adopts a flexible material film, the electrode can also be made of a flexible conductive material and packaged by using a flexible film material, the overall flexibility of the sensing array is realized, and the flexible sensor array has certain bending deformation capability. Can be well attached to the surface of the robot.

In addition, the flexible double-electrode capacitive proximity sensor provided by the embodiment of the application has the advantages of small size and low cost, and can be conveniently arranged in a large number of robots.

In practical application, a large-area proximity sensor array can be attached to a large-area of the robot, such as the cylindrical outer wall of an arm and the chest or back of a trunk of the robot. The distance sensing of the high-density object in a large area is realized, and the high-density array can enable the robot to sense the position of the object more accurately, so that the robot is prevented from colliding with the surrounding objects.

In some scenarios, a smaller area proximity sensor application is implemented. On narrow or pointed parts of the robot, such as finger tips and the like, a single sensor or a simple sensing array is designed according to specific situations for carrying out proximity sensing. The robot is helped to actively sense objects in operation and timely take braking or avoiding actions, and collision of narrow or pointed parts in work is prevented.

In some scenes, the arrangement of the proximity sensors and the array can be performed on the contact surface (such as finger abdomen, palm center and the like) of the robot and the object, so that the position and the approximate shape of the object to be grabbed or touched by the robot are prompted, the posture and the speed of the robot are adjusted, and the grabbing or touching action is performed more stably.

With reference to fig. 9, an embodiment of the present application further provides a proximity sensing method, which is suitable for a robot, to the outer surface of which an electronic skin as described above is attached, and which may be specifically executed by a processor in the robot, the method including:

and S901, receiving an electric signal transmitted by the double-electrode capacitive proximity sensor in the electronic skin.

The double electrodes 111 in the double-electrode capacitive proximity sensor 11 may form an electric field at a gap, and when an object other than the robot approaches the electrode capacitive proximity sensor to cause a change in the electric field, an electric signal of the change in the electric field is transmitted to the robot.

For example, the data is transmitted to the robot 20 through a connection circuit between the electronic skin 10 and the robot 20

And S902, sensing the approach of the external object of the robot according to the received electric signal.

For example, in one embodiment, the proximity of the object is analyzed and determined according to the change of the received electrical signal, such as the distance, position, shape, etc. of the robot from the external object can be analyzed and determined according to the change of the received electrical signal.

The proximity of the external object of the robot induced by the electrical signal may be varied, for example, the distance between the robot and the external object may be calculated according to the intensity of the electrical signal, for example, the change value of the capacitance may be calculated according to the electrical signal, and then the distance between the robot and the external object may be calculated based on the change value of the capacitance.

In the case of an electronic skin sensor array, the robot can sense the proximity of an external object according to the electrical signal transmitted by each two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor 11 in the array, such as sensing the position, distance, etc. of the external object.

As can be seen from the above, in the embodiment of the application, the electronic skin made of the flexible double-electrode capacitive proximity sensor can be used, the electronic skin is attached to the outer surface of the robot, and the robot senses the approach of an external object through an electric signal transmitted by the double-electrode capacitive proximity sensor in the electronic skin; compare current response scheme of being close, can promote the precision of being close the response.

An embodiment of the present application further provides a method for manufacturing an electronic skin of a robot, as shown in fig. 10, the method includes:

s131, providing a flexible substrate.

The flexible substrate includes a flexible material film, such as a polymer film, and may specifically include: PET, PI, etc.

S132, forming at least one group of double electrodes on the flexible substrate;

the number of the electrodes can be determined according to the number of the sensors to be manufactured, for example, a group of double electrodes can be formed on the flexible substrate when one sensor is manufactured; when n sensors are to be manufactured, m sets of double electrodes can be formed on the flexible substrate, wherein m is a positive integer greater than 1.

In one embodiment, when a proximity sensor array is required to be manufactured, an electrode array may be formed on the flexible substrate, and the electrode array includes at least two sets of double electrodes, and the at least two sets of double electrodes are arranged in an array.

There are various ways to form the electrode array on the flexible substrate, for example, in one embodiment, a conductive layer is formed on the flexible substrate; and carrying out electrode manufacturing treatment on the conducting layer to form an electrode array, wherein the electrode array comprises at least two groups of electrodes which are arranged in an array.

The conductive layer may be a layer made of a conductive material, such as a metal layer, a conductive carbon cloth, or the like. The metal layer may include a metal network layer, and the like, which may be set according to actual requirements, for example, the metal network layer formed by spraying silver nanowires on the substrate may be used. In one embodiment, the conductive layer may be a flexible conductive layer, such as a conductive layer made of a flexible conductive material, such as a conductive carbon cloth with bending properties, and the like.

There are various ways to form the conductive layer on the flexible substrate, for example, evaporation, spraying, printing, etc. can be used.

For example, a metal layer of a conductive metal may be vapor deposited on a polymer (PET, PI, etc.) film, a metal layer printed on a thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer rubber (TPU) film; a metal network layer of silver nanowires is sprayed on a polymer (PET, PI, etc.) film, and the like.

The conductive layer may be formed by performing electrode manufacturing processing on the conductive layer, and the method may be selected according to actual requirements. For example, in one embodiment, the electrode material is selected from a conductive carbon cloth having bending properties, and the carbon cloth is cut into electrode sizes using laser cutting to form an electrode array.

For another example, in an embodiment, when the electrode material is a metal electrode formed by vapor deposition of a conductive metal on a polymer (PET, PI, etc.) film, laser cutting may be used to cut the gold-plated electrode into an electrode size or directly using a mask plate to vapor deposit an electrode array.

For another example, in one embodiment, when electrodes are printed on a thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer rubber (TPU) film, the electrodes are directly fabricated into a flexible electrode array using a mask.

For another example, in an embodiment, when the electrode is a metal network electrode formed by spraying silver nanowires on a polymer (PET, PI, etc.) film, the electrode array is directly sprayed by using a mask, so as to manufacture a flexible electrode array.

Wherein, the specific shape and size of the electrode are not fixed and can be in the range of micron to meter. The design of the double electrodes is square, circular or any polygon and any frame shape (including triangular frame shape, circular ring frame shape, square frame shape or any polygon frame shape). And the electrodes in the electrode array are arrayed according to actual conditions.

In an embodiment, the forming of the electrode array on the flexible substrate may further include fabricating electrodes, and attaching the electrodes to the flexible substrate; specifically, a conductive layer is provided; carrying out electrode manufacturing treatment on the conducting layer to obtain at least two groups of double electrodes; attaching at least two groups of double electrodes to the flexible substrate according to a preset rule to form an electrode array on the flexible substrate, wherein the electrode array comprises at least two groups of double electrodes arranged in an array.

For example, when the electrode material is conductive carbon cloth with bending performance, the carbon cloth is cut into the size of an electrode by laser cutting, and then double electrodes are attached to the polymer film, so that the electrode array is formed on the flexible substrate. That is to say

And S133, packaging the double electrodes by using a packaging body to obtain at least one flexible double-electrode capacitive proximity sensor.

In an embodiment, the electrode and the flexible substrate may be encapsulated simultaneously using an encapsulation body.

For example, in the case of one electrode, the electrode may be encapsulated using one encapsulation, resulting in a single flexible two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor.

For another example, in the case of a plurality of electrodes, such as an electrode array, the electrode array is packaged with a package to obtain a proximity sensor array, which includes at least two common-substrate, flexible two-electrode capacitive proximity sensors.

The package may include an adhesive tape or a PDMS film.

For example, when a metal network electrode in which silver nanowires are sprayed on a polymer (PET, PI, or the like) film is used as an electrode, an electrode array is directly sprayed using a mask to manufacture a flexible electrode array. And packaging the sensor on the upper layer by using an adhesive tape or a PDMS film to obtain the proximity sensor array.

In one embodiment, in order to shield the electric field interference inside the robot, a conductive film may be formed on the bottom surface of the flexible substrate, that is, a full-surface conductive film, such as a copper foil, an aluminum foil, a carbon cloth, or the like, is disposed, for example, adhered on the lower layer of the sensor or the sensor array.

And S134, manufacturing the electronic skin of the robot by adopting at least one flexible double-electrode capacitive proximity sensor.

For example, in one embodiment, at least one flexible electrode capacitive proximity sensor may be used as an electronic skin; for example, the proximity sensor is used as an electronic skin of a robot. In actual use, at least one flexible two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor, such as a sensor array, is directly attached to the outer surface of the robot.

For another example, in one embodiment, at least a flexible two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor may also be disposed on an electronic skin substrate to form an electronic skin. In actual use, the electronic skin substrate is attached to the outer surface of the robot.

The application designs flexible double-electrode capacitive proximity sensing electronic skin, is mainly applied to the outer surface of a robot, helps the robot to sense the surrounding working environment, and avoids the robot from colliding with an operator or a service object to cause loss. The large area proximity sensor array is attached to a large area of the robot, such as the cylindrical outer wall of the arm and the chest or back of the robot backbone. The high-density remote sensing to people in a large area is realized, and the high-density array can enable the robot to accurately sense the position of an object, so that the collision between the robot and people is avoided.

Compared with the prior art, the technical scheme of the invention has the following effects:

1. the flexible capacitance proximity sensing array manufactured by the invention can enable the sensing precision of the robot on the object to reach the millimeter level, reduce the spatial resolution to the millimeter level and realize high-density sensing.

2. The two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor can sense various objects made of various materials, including insulators, conductors, living bodies, and the like.

3. The flexible sensing array can be simply and conveniently attached to the surface of the robot, and the robot can sense the surrounding environment in an all-round mode.

In order to better implement the above method, correspondingly, the embodiment of the present application further provides a proximity sensing device, which may be integrated in a robot, an outer surface of which is attached with an electronic skin as described above. Referring to fig. 11, the proximity sensing apparatus may include a receiving unit 140 and a sensing unit 141, as follows:

a receiving unit 140 for receiving the electrical signal transmitted by the two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor in the electronic skin;

and a sensing unit 141 for sensing the approach of the external object of the robot according to the received electric signal.

The proximity sensing system related to the embodiment of the application can be a distributed system formed by connecting a client and a plurality of nodes (robots in any form in an access network) in a network communication mode. Wherein the sensing data of the robot can be stored in a distributed system such as a block chain.

Taking a distributed system as a blockchain system as an example, referring to fig. 12a, fig. 12a is an optional structural schematic diagram of the distributed system 100 applied to the blockchain system provided in this embodiment of the present application, and is formed by a plurality of nodes (computing devices in any form in an access network, such as servers and user terminals) and clients, and a Peer-to-Peer (P2P, Peerto Peer) network is formed between the nodes, and the P2P protocol is an application layer protocol operating on top of a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP). In a distributed system, any machine such as a server, a terminal and an intelligent robot can be added to form a node, and the node comprises a hardware layer, a middle layer, an operating system layer and an application layer. In this embodiment, the proximity sensing data and the like may be stored in the shared ledger of the area chain system through the node of the area chain system, and the computer device (e.g., a terminal or a server) may acquire the proximity sensing data based on the record data stored in the shared ledger.

Referring to the functions of each node in the blockchain system shown in fig. 12a, the functions involved include:

1) routing, a basic function that a node has, is used to support communication between nodes.

Besides the routing function, the node may also have the following functions:

2) the application is used for being deployed in a block chain, realizing specific services according to actual service requirements, recording data related to the realization functions to form recording data, carrying a digital signature in the recording data to represent a source of task data, and sending the recording data to other nodes in the block chain system, so that the other nodes add the recording data to a temporary block when the source and integrity of the recording data are verified successfully.

For example, the services implemented by the application include:

2.1) wallet, for providing the function of transaction of electronic money, including initiating transaction (i.e. sending the transaction record of current transaction to other nodes in the blockchain system, after the other nodes are successfully verified, storing the record data of transaction in the temporary blocks of the blockchain as the response of confirming the transaction is valid; of course, the wallet also supports the querying of the remaining electronic money in the electronic money address;

and 2.2) sharing the account book, wherein the shared account book is used for providing functions of operations such as storage, query and modification of account data, record data of the operations on the account data are sent to other nodes in the block chain system, and after the other nodes verify the validity, the record data are stored in a temporary block as a response for acknowledging that the account data are valid, and confirmation can be sent to the node initiating the operations.

2.3) Intelligent contracts, computerized agreements, which can enforce the terms of a contract, implemented by codes deployed on a shared ledger for execution when certain conditions are met, for completing automated transactions according to actual business requirement codes, such as querying the logistics status of goods purchased by a buyer, transferring the buyer's electronic money to the merchant's address after the buyer signs for the goods; of course, smart contracts are not limited to executing contracts for trading, but may also execute contracts that process received information.

3) And the Block chain comprises a series of blocks (blocks) which are mutually connected according to the generated chronological order, new blocks cannot be removed once being added into the Block chain, and recorded data submitted by nodes in the Block chain system are recorded in the blocks.

Referring to fig. 12b, fig. 12b is an optional schematic diagram of a Block Structure (Block Structure) provided in this embodiment, each Block includes a hash value of a transaction record (hash value of the Block) stored in the Block and a hash value of a previous Block, and the blocks are connected by the hash value to form a Block chain. The block may include information such as a time stamp at the time of block generation. A block chain (Blockchain), which is essentially a decentralized database, is a string of data blocks associated by using cryptography, and each data block contains related information for verifying the validity (anti-counterfeiting) of the information and generating a next block.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that all or part of the steps of the methods of the above embodiments may be performed by instructions or by associated hardware controlled by the instructions, which may be stored in a computer readable storage medium and loaded and executed by a processor.

To this end, embodiments of the present application further provide a storage medium, in which a plurality of instructions are stored, where the instructions can be loaded by a processor to execute the steps in any one of the proximity sensing methods or the manufacturing method provided in the embodiments of the present application.

The above operations can be implemented in the foregoing embodiments, and are not described in detail herein.

Wherein the storage medium may include: read Only Memory (ROM), Random Access Memory (RAM), magnetic or optical disks, and the like.

Since the instructions stored in the storage medium may execute any of the steps in the proximity sensing method or the manufacturing method provided in the embodiments of the present application, beneficial effects that can be achieved by any of the proximity sensing method or the manufacturing method provided in the embodiments of the present application may be achieved, for details, see the foregoing embodiments, and are not described herein again.

The electronic skin, the manufacturing method, the proximity sensing method and the storage medium of the robot provided by the embodiment of the present application are described in detail above, and the principle and the implementation of the present application are explained in this document by applying specific examples, and the description of the above embodiments is only used to help understanding the method and the core idea of the present application; meanwhile, for those skilled in the art, according to the idea of the present application, there may be variations in the specific embodiments and the application scope, and in summary, the content of the present specification should not be construed as a limitation to the present application.

Claims

1. A flexible double-electrode capacitive proximity sensor is characterized by comprising two electrodes which are arranged at intervals;

2. The two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor of claim 1, wherein the electrode is a flexible electrode.

3. The dual-electrode capacitive proximity sensor of claim 1, further comprising: a flexible substrate and a package; the two electrodes are arranged on the flexible substrate at intervals, and the packaging body is arranged on the electrodes and packages the electrodes.

4. The two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor according to claim 3, wherein the flexible substrate comprises a top surface and a bottom surface, the two electrodes being spaced apart on the top surface, and the bottom surface being adhesive.

5. The dual-electrode capacitive proximity sensor according to any of the claims 1-4, wherein the pattern of the two electrodes is interdigitated or concentric circular.

6. An electronic skin of a robot, comprising: at least one flexible two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor;

7. The electronic skin of claim 6, wherein the two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor comprises: the flexible substrate, the packaging body and the two electrodes; the two electrodes are arranged on the flexible substrate at intervals, and the packaging body is arranged on the electrodes and packages the electrodes.

8. The electronic skin according to claim 6, comprising at least two flexible two-electrode capacitive proximity sensors; the at least two flexible two-electrode capacitive proximity sensors form a proximity sensor array.

9. The electronic skin of claim 8, wherein the two-electrode capacitive proximity sensor comprises: the device comprises a flexible substrate, two electrodes and a packaging body; the two electrodes are arranged on the flexible substrate, the packaging body is arranged on the electrodes, and the electrodes are packaged; wherein the at least two-electrode capacitive proximity sensors share a common flexible substrate and package.

10. The electronic skin according to any one of claims 7-9, wherein said flexible substrate comprises a top surface and a bottom surface, said electrodes being arranged on said top surface, said bottom surface being provided with a conductive film.

11. A robot, characterized in that the outer surface of the robot is attached with the electronic skin according to any one of claims 6-10; wherein the electronic skin is electrically connected with the robot;

12. A proximity sensing method, which is applied to a robot, the robot having the electronic skin according to any one of claims 6 to 10 attached to an outer surface thereof; the method comprises the following steps:

13. A method for manufacturing electronic skin of a robot is characterized by comprising the following steps:

providing a flexible substrate;

forming at least one set of two electrodes on the flexible substrate;

14. The electronic skin preparation method of claim 13, wherein forming at least one set of two electrodes on the flexible substrate comprises: forming an electrode array on the flexible substrate, wherein the electrode array comprises at least two groups of double electrodes arranged in an array;

15. The electronic skin fabrication method of claim 14, wherein forming an electrode array on the flexible substrate comprises:

forming a conductive layer on the flexible substrate;

Or

Providing a conductive layer;