JP2003166820A - Finger motion tracking detector - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To accurately detect motion of a finger by composing each revolute joint part so as to extend and contract following extension and contraction of the finger. <P>SOLUTION: The finger motion tracking detector has two arm members 8 and 9 with base end parts of each revolute joint part 5 swingably supported by adjacent joints respectively via base end shafts 6 and 7, a connecting member 12 with both end parts swingably supported on tips of the two arm members respectively via tip shafts 10 and 11 and connecting the arm members, two base part gears 13 and 14 arranged on the same axes as the base end shafts and respectively fixed to the adjacent joints, two intermediate gears 15 and 16 rotatably journaled to the two arm members respectively and meshing with the base part gears, two tilting gears 17 and 18 arranged on the same axes as the tip shafts, respectively fixed to both end parts of the connecting member, meshing with the intermediate gears and having pitch circle radii larger than the base part gears, two mutually meshing interlocking gears 19 and 20 arranged on the same axes as the tip shafts and respectively connected to the tips of the two arm members, and an angle change detecting means 21 of detecting an angle change between the adjacent joints. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device which is attached to the back of a finger and detects the movement of the finger while following the bending and stretching movement of the finger.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, there has been a demand for a device for detecting a bending and stretching motion of a finger for remote control of a robot arm, teaching of motion, operation input of a game, and the like. There is. Then, the bending and stretching motion of the finger can be detected from the mutual angle change of the fingertip and each phalanx (portion between finger joints).

However, when the angle change is usually detected by a rotation detecting means such as a rotary encoder, the center axis of the angle change between the fingertip of the finger and each phalange is located at the center of the finger. Since each joint penetrates in the direction in which the fingers are lined up, if a rotary encoder and a drive shaft for rotating the joint are arranged on the central axis of the joints, the rotary shafts
There is a problem that the operability is impaired by the interference between the Talyen coder and the drive shaft and the adjacent finger, and moreover, when the rotary encoders and the drive shaft are arranged on a plurality of adjacent fingers, If you try to keep your fingers aligned,
Tariencoder and drive shafts interfere with each other,
There is also a problem that it is practically impossible to detect the bending and stretching movements of the fingers with the fingers aligned, such as when operating the keyboard.

To solve this problem, the
It is also possible to dispose the Talyen Coder and the drive shaft for its rotational drive so as to be shifted to the back side of the finger with respect to each joint, but in this case, bending and stretching of the finger around each joint is
At the position of those rotary encoders and drive shafts on the dorsal side of the finger, expansion and contraction are accompanied, and with those normal rotary encoders and drive shafts that are fixed to the fingers, bending and stretching of the fingers is difficult. As a result, there is a problem in that the detection accuracy is lowered due to deviation from the joint position, or conversely, the bending and stretching motion of the finger is hindered.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a device that advantageously solves the above problems. The finger movement follow-up detection device of the present invention is a finger movement follow-up detection device. A device that is mounted on the back and detects the movement of the finger while following the bending and stretching movement of the finger, the first node being attached to the fingertip and the second node being attached to the first phalanx connected to the fingertip. A node, a third node attached to the second phalange connected to the first phalanx, a fourth node attached to the back of the hand, and three joints that connect the adjacent nodes to each other in a bendable manner. And each of the joints has two arm members supported by the adjacent nodes so that the base end portions of the joint portions can be rocked via the base end shafts, and both end portions of the end portions of the two arm members. Is connected to each of the arm members so as to be swingable through a tip shaft, and connects the arm members to each other. Member, two base gears arranged on the same axis as the base shaft and fixed to the adjacent nodes, respectively, and rotatably supported by the two arm members and meshed with the base gear. And two tilting gears that are arranged on the same axis as the tip shaft and that are fixed to both ends of the connecting member and mesh with the intermediate gears and that have a larger pitch circle radius than the base gear. Gears, two interlocking gears arranged on the same axis as the tip shaft and fixed to the tip portions of the two arm members and meshing with each other, and an angle for detecting an angular change between the adjacent nodes. And a change detecting means.

In such a device, when one arm member whose base end is supported by one of the adjacent nodes swings around the base axis, the arm is fixed to the one node. One of the base gears rotates the one intermediate gear pivotally supported by the one arm member, and the intermediate gear rotates one tilting gear having a larger pitch circle radius than the base gear. , The tilting gear is fixed, and the connecting member supported by the tip end portion of the one arm member is rotated around one tip axis by an angle smaller than the swing angle of the arm member with respect to the one node. The arm member is swung in a direction opposite to the swinging direction of the arm member with respect to the joint. Therefore, when one arm member swings so that the connecting member separates from one joint,
The connecting member tilts so that it becomes lower as it goes away from one node.

Since the two interlocking gears respectively fixed to the tip ends of the two arm members mesh with each other, the swing of the connecting member with respect to one arm member is transmitted to the other arm member, As a result, the other arm member also swings around the other tip axis with respect to the connecting member, and by the swing,
The other tilting gear having a larger pitch circle radius than the base gear rotates the other intermediate gear pivotally supported by the other arm member, and the intermediate gear rotates the other base gear,
The other node, to which the other base gear is fixed, is connected to the other member about the other base end axis to the angle larger than the swing angle of the other arm member with respect to the connecting member, with respect to the connecting member. The arm member is rocked in the opposite direction. Therefore, when the connecting member tilts with respect to one of the joints such that the distance from the one joint is lower, the other joint is separated from the connecting member and is larger than the connecting member such that the joint is further lowered from the connecting member. Tilt.

Therefore, according to the finger movement follow-up detection device of the present invention, when the other joint is tilted with respect to one joint, it is mechanically interlocked with the joint so that the connecting member is tilted while being separated from the one joint. And tilting of the other node with respect to the connecting member while separating, conversely, mechanically interlocking with the one node when the other node returns from the tilted state to the linear alignment state, Since the return rotation of the connecting member with respect to the joint of the device and the return rotation of the other connector with respect to the connector of the device are close to each other, the axes of the joints of the device are located on the back side of the finger. However, since each joint expands and contracts with the bending and stretching of the finger and stays in the position of the joint, it does not interfere with the bending and stretching motion of the finger.
An angle change detecting means such as a Talyen coder changes an angle between adjacent nodes from each axis of each joint without causing interference with an adjacent finger or another angle change detecting means attached thereto. Can be detected with high accuracy and, in turn, can be detected with the fingers aligned.

In the present invention, at least one of the first node, the second node, the third node, and the fourth node is the proximal shaft according to the length of the finger. It is also possible to have an adjusting means capable of adjusting the position of, and by doing so, the operability of the finger movement follow-up detection device can be further improved.

[0010]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings by way of examples. 1 (a) and 1 (b) are a plan view and a side view showing an embodiment of the finger movement follow-up detection device of the present invention, and FIG.
Is an explanatory view showing the transmission structure of the joint portion of the finger movement tracking detection device of the embodiment in a state where the nodes are linearly aligned,
FIG. 3 is an explanatory view illustrating a method of mounting the finger movement follow-up detection device of the embodiment on a finger, and FIGS. 4A to 4C show the operating states of the joint portion at the time of flexion sequentially with time. Explanatory diagram,
5 (a) to 5 (c) are explanatory views showing the operating state of the linear guide of the finger movement follow-up detection device of the above embodiment.

The finger movement follow-up detection device of this embodiment is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, the device is attached to the back of a finger and detects the movement of the finger while following the bending and stretching movement of the finger. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the first device is attached to the fingertip FT.
Node 1, a second node 2 attached to the first phalanx FP1 connected to the fingertip FT, and a second phalanx FP connected to the first phalanx FP1.
No. 3, which is attached to No. 2, a fourth joint 4 attached to the back of the hand BH, and three joints which connect the adjacent joints 1, 2, 2, 3 and 3, 4 to each other in a bendable manner. And a joint part 5.

Each joint portion 5 in the apparatus of this embodiment is capable of swinging its base end portion to the adjacent joints 1, 2, 2, 3 or 3, 4 via the base end shafts 6 and 7, respectively. Two arm members 8 and 9 supported, and both end portions of the two arm members 8 and 9 swingably supported via tip shafts 10 and 11 at both ends thereof. And a base member 13, 14 arranged on the same axis as the base shafts 6, 7 and fixed to the adjacent joints 1, 2, 2, 3 or 3, 4 respectively. , The base gear 1 rotatably supported by the two arm members 8 and 9 respectively.
Two intermediate gears 15 and 16 meshing with the intermediate gears 3 and 14, and the intermediate gears 1 and 16 are arranged on the same axis as the tip shafts 10 and 11 and fixed to both ends of the connecting member 12, respectively.
The pitch circle radius is larger than that of the base gears 13 and 14 that mesh with the gears 5 and 16 (for example, in this embodiment, the base gears 13 and 14 are
Two tilting gears 17, 18 consisting of partial gears (having a pitch circle radius twice the pitch circle radius of 14), and the two arm members 8, which are arranged on the same axis as the tip shafts 10, 11. It has two interlocking gears 19 and 20 which are fixed to the tip portion of 9 and mesh with each other.

Further, each joint portion 5 in the finger movement follow-up detecting device of this embodiment serves as an angle change detecting means for detecting an angle change between adjacent nodes 1, 2, 2, 3 or 3, 4. Attached to the arm member 8 of the intermediate gear 15
And a rotary encoder 21 for detecting the rotation angle of the intermediate gear 15.

In addition, in the finger movement follow-up detection device of this embodiment, a first node 1, a second node 2, and a third node 3,
Each of the fourth nodes 4 corresponds to the length of the finger and the proximal shaft 1
It has a slide guide 22 as an adjusting means capable of adjusting the position of at least one of 3 and 14 and a slider 23 which slides under the guide.

As shown in FIG. 3, the finger movement follow-up detection device of this embodiment is arranged so that all fingers other than the thumb are
The first joint 1 is attached to the fingertip FT and is connected to the fingertip FT.
The second node 2 is attached to the phalanx FP1, the third node 3 is attached to the second phalanx FP2 connected to the first phalanx FP1, and the back of the hand BH
In order to attach the fourth joint 4 to the finger, the first joint 1, the second joint 2, and the third joint 3 are fixed to the finger parts by, for example, sewing or an adhesive and the back of the hand is attached. The portion has a mesh-shaped glove 24 to which the fourth joint 4 is fixed by, for example, sewing or an adhesive.

The operation of the finger movement follow-up detection device according to the embodiment will be described by taking the joint portion 5 connecting the third joint 3 and the fourth joint 4 as an example. One arm member 8 whose base end is supported by one of the joints 4 of the joints 4 is changed from the state of FIG. 4A to the state of FIG. 4B to the state of FIG. When it swings around the base shaft 6 in the clockwise direction in the figure, the one base gear 13 fixed to the one joint 4 moves the one intermediate gear 15 axially supported by the one arm member 8 into the joint 4. To the intermediate gear 1
5 rotates one tilting gear 17 having a pitch circle radius twice as large as that of the base gear 13, and the tilting gear 17 is fixed, and the connecting member is supported by the tip portion of the one arm member 8. 12 around the one tip axis 10 by an angle smaller than the swing angle of the arm member 8 with respect to the one joint 4 in the direction opposite to the swing direction of the arm member 8 with respect to the one joint 4 in the figure. The arm member 8 is swung clockwise. Therefore, when the one arm member 8 swings so that the connecting member 12 separates from the one joint 4, the connecting member 12 tilts so that the portion farther from the one joint 4 becomes lower.

Since the two interlocking gears 19 and 20 fixed to the tip ends of the two arm members 8 and 9 mesh with each other, the swinging of the connecting member 12 with respect to the one arm member 8 is performed. This is transmitted to the other arm member 9, whereby the other arm member 9 also swings counterclockwise around the other end shaft 11 with respect to the coupling member 12, and by this swing, double movement of the base gear 14 occurs. The other tilting gear with a pitch circle radius 1
8 rotates the other intermediate gear 16 pivotally supported by the other arm member 9, and the intermediate gear 16 causes the other base gear 1 to rotate.
4 is rotated so that the other joint 3 to which the other base gear 14 is fixed is rotated around the other proximal end shaft 7 to an angle larger than the swing angle of the other arm member 9 with respect to the connecting member 12. , The arm member 9 is swung clockwise with respect to the connecting member 12 in a direction opposite to the swing direction of the arm member 9. Therefore, when the connecting member 12 is tilted with respect to one of the joints 4 so as to become lower as it goes away from the one joint 4, the other joint 3
While tilting away from the connecting member 12, it tilts more largely than the connecting member 12 so that the lower the portion is from the connecting member 12.

Therefore, according to the finger movement follow-up detection device of this embodiment, when the other node 3 tilts with respect to the one node 4, it mechanically interlocks with the one node 4 and the connecting member 12 to the one node 4 moves. When the tilting while separating and the tilting while separating the other joint 3 with respect to the connecting member 12 occur, conversely, when the other joint 3 returns to the linear alignment state from the tilted state with respect to the one joint 4. Mechanically interlocked therewith, a return rotation of the connecting member 12 with respect to one of the joints 4 while approaching and a return rotation of the other joint 3 with respect to the connecting member 12 while approaching occur. And between other adjacent nodes 3, 2 and node 2,
The joint part 5 between 1 operates similarly. Therefore, even if each axis of each joint 5 of the apparatus of the embodiment is located on the dorsal side of the finger, each joint 5 expands and contracts as the finger bends and stretches and stays at the joint position. Since it does not hinder the bending and stretching movements of the fingers, the rotary encoder 21 detects the movement of the adjacent gears from the support shaft of the intermediate gear 15 of each joint 5 with the adjacent finger or another finger movement follow-up detection device attached thereto. It is possible to detect an angle change between adjacent nodes with high accuracy without causing interference with, and it is also possible to detect with the fingers aligned.

Further, the finger movement follow-up detection device of this embodiment has a slide guide 22 and a slider 23 which slides by being guided by the slide guide 22 as adjusting means, and when the phalanx is short, it is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, when the slider 23 enters the inside of the slide guide 22 and the phalanx is long,
As shown in (c), the slider 23 is attached to the slide guide 22.
When the phalanx is normal length, go to the end of
As shown in (b), the slider 23 is attached to the slide guide 22.
By being located in the central part of the first node 1 and the second node 2
And the third node 4 and the fourth node 4, respectively, according to the length of the finger on which the device is attached, or the difference in the type of the finger (middle finger and little finger, etc.). Since the positions of 6 and 7 can be adjusted, it has good operability.

Although the above description has been given based on the illustrated example, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned example, and the rotary encoder 21 may be provided on another shaft or a connecting member. It may be provided on 12 and may be rotationally driven by being drive-coupled to any shaft by a gear train or the like. The angle change detecting means may be other than the rotary encoder 21. Then, in order to attach the first joint 1, the second joint 2, and the third joint 3 to the fingers and the fourth joint 4 to the back of the hand, something other than the gloves 24, for example, a belt or a surface fastener is used. Etc. may be used. Further, when the device of the present invention is manufactured for the hand of a specific person, the adjusting means may be omitted. The device of the present invention can be used by mounting it on one to three fingers, by using it by mounting all five fingers, or by mounting it on both hands.

It should be noted that the two gear trains 13, 15, 17 and 14, 16, 18 provided in each joint 5 in the above embodiment are respectively provided with a belt type transmission mechanism using a toothed belt and a pulley. , A chain type transmission mechanism using a chain and a sprocket can also be used.

[Brief description of drawings]

1A and 1B are a plan view and a side view showing an embodiment of a finger movement follow-up detection device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a transmission structure of a joint portion of the finger movement follow-up detection device of the above embodiment in a state where the nodes are linearly aligned.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a method of mounting the finger movement follow-up detection device of the above embodiment on a finger.

4 (a) to (c) are explanatory views sequentially showing an operating state of the joint portion when the joint portion is bent.

5A to 5C are explanatory diagrams showing an operating state of a linear guide of the finger movement follow-up detection device of the above-described embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 first section 2 Second section 3 Third Section 4th section 5 joints 6,7 Base axis 8, 9 arm members 10, 11 Tip shaft 12,13 Base gear 15,16 Intermediate gear 17,18 Tilt gear 19,20 interlocking gear 21 Rotarian Coder 22 Slide guide 23 Slider 24 gloves FT fingertip FP1 first phalanx FP2 second phalanx BH hand back

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A device which is attached to the back of a finger and detects the movement of the finger while following the bending and stretching movement of the finger, the first node being attached to the fingertip and a first node connected to the fingertip. 1
A second node (2) attached to the phalanx, a third node (3) attached to the second phalange connected to the first phalanx, and a fourth node (4) attached to the back of the hand. And three joints (5) for connecting the adjacent joints to each other in a bendable manner, wherein the joints are connected to the adjacent joints through the proximal shafts (6, 7). Two arm members (8, 9) that are swingably supported
A connecting member (12) for connecting the arm members to each other so that both end portions of the two arm members are swingably supported via tip shafts (10, 11), respectively; Two base gears (13, 14) arranged on the same axis as the shaft and fixed to the adjacent joints respectively, and rotatably supported by the two arm members and meshed with the base gears. Two intermediate gears (15, 16), which are arranged on the same axis as the tip shaft and are fixed to both ends of the connecting member and mesh with the intermediate gear, and have a pitch circle radius larger than that of the base gear. Two large tilting gears (17, 18), and two interlocking gears (19, 20) arranged on the same axis as the tip shaft and fixed to the tip portions of the two arm members and meshing with each other. , Adjacent to each other An angle change detecting means for detecting an angle change between each other (21), and having a finger motion tracking detector. 2. At least one of the first node (1), the second node (2), the third node (3) and the fourth node (4) is a finger length. The finger movement follow-up detection device according to claim 1, further comprising an adjusting means (22) capable of adjusting the position of the proximal axis according to the height.