JP2018173292A - Bag-like tactile sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a bag-like tactile sensor suitable for a hand of a person or a robot to wear for performing a predetermined process.SOLUTION: A sensor wire 11 comprises a flexible elongated cylindrical piezoelectric body 12, an internal conductor 13 formed inside the piezoelectric body 12, and an external conductor layer 14 formed outside the piezoelectric body 12. The sensor wire is incorporated into a sensor fabric 10a used to form a glove-shaped bag-like tactile sensor 10 that covers a gripping portion for gripping an object to be processed. The sensor fabric 10a is then placed on a portion in contact with an object to be processed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a bag-like tactile sensor provided with a cloth-like sensor formed by assembling a sensor electric wire having piezoelectricity.

  Conventionally, for example, a tactile sensor is attached to a bag-like fabric such as a glove worn on a human hand to detect the pressure applied to the fabric, or the tactile sensor is deformed to move the fabric. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1). This tactile sensor is composed of a piezoelectric fiber formed by forming electrode films on both surfaces of a string-like piezoelectric material whose both surfaces are flat, and covering the outer sides of both electrode films with insulating films, respectively. In this way, they are alternately woven into a woven fabric shape. A fabric formed in a woven fabric shape is attached to the back of the glove and the fingers on the back side so that the movement of each finger can be detected individually.

JP 2002-203996 A

  Such a bag-like tactile sensor is effective in detecting finger movement, but it can measure the pressure when a workpiece is gripped by a gloved hand, There is a problem that it is not possible to handle the object to be processed with a predetermined pressure. In addition, since the tactile sensor needs to bend along the surface of the object to be processed, flexibility is required to be deformable in all directions, but the piezoelectric fiber described above is formed flat. There is a problem that it is easy to bend in the thickness direction but difficult to bend in the width direction.

  The present invention has been made to cope with the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a bag-like tactile sensor that is suitable for being attached to the hand of a person or a robot and performing a predetermined process. In the description of each constituent element of the present invention below, the reference numerals of corresponding portions of the embodiment are shown in parentheses in order to facilitate understanding of the present invention. The present invention should not be construed as being limited to the configurations of the corresponding portions indicated by the reference numerals of the forms.

  In order to achieve the above-described object, the structural features of the bag-like tactile sensor according to the present invention include an elongated cylindrical piezoelectric body (12, 32, 42, 52) having flexibility, and an inside of the piezoelectric body. Sensor electric wires (11, 11a, 11b, 31, 31a) composed of the formed inner conductors (13, 33, 43, 53) and the outer conductors (14, 34, 44, 54) formed outside the piezoelectric body. , 41, 51, 61, 61a) and a bag-like tactile sensor (10, 25, 26, 28) provided with cloth-like sensors (10a, 10c, 10d, 10e, 10f, 25a, 26a, 28a). ) And is formed in a bag shape that covers a gripping part that grips the object to be processed, and a cloth sensor is disposed at least in a portion that contacts the object to be processed.

  The bag-shaped tactile sensor according to the present invention is formed in a bag shape that covers a gripping part that grips the object to be processed, and a cloth-shaped sensor including a sensor wire is disposed at least in a portion that contacts the object to be processed. The sensor wire includes a cylindrical piezoelectric body, an inner conductor formed inside the piezoelectric body, and an outer conductor formed outside the piezoelectric body. The piezoelectric body generates a voltage corresponding to the amount of deformation. It is generated and deforms when a voltage is applied. Moreover, since the cross-sectional shape of the sensor electric wire is formed in a circular shape, the sensor electric wire can be expanded and contracted in the axial direction and can be deformed in any direction around the axis. For this reason, the bag-like tactile sensor according to the present invention is suitable for measuring the pressure when the object is gripped by a hand such as a person or a robot, or holding the object under a predetermined pressure. A bag-like tactile sensor can be obtained.

  The material constituting the piezoelectric material includes polylactic acid, vinylidene fluoride, vinylidene cyanide, polyamide, vinylidene cyanide, polytetrafluoroethylene, and their foams and polymers, copolymers thereof, and laminates thereof. Furthermore, a foam or the like can be used. Moreover, as a material constituting the inner conductor and the outer conductor, various conductive materials such as metals such as copper, silver, platinum, and aluminum and alloys thereof can be used. The inner conductor and the outer conductor are preferably formed as a layer by vapor deposition. Further, as a material constituting the inner conductor and the outer conductor, a conductive polymer, a conductive paint, or the like can be used, which further increases flexibility. The cloth-like sensor is composed of a sensor fabric in which sensor wires are woven like a woven fabric, or a sensor knitted fabric knitted like a knitted fabric.

  Another structural feature of the bag-like tactile sensor according to the present invention is that it is formed in a glove shape and used as a massage device. For example, for a person who has numbness in the hand due to abnormality of the peripheral nerve or the like, the finger is massaged and recovered. In such a case, the present invention can massage a finger by applying a voltage to the sensor wire and repeatedly deforming the bag-like tactile sensor with the same operation. According to this, a manpower for massaging becomes unnecessary, and a long-time treatment becomes possible.

  Still another structural feature of the bag-like tactile sensor according to the present invention is that it is formed in an elongated cylindrical piezoelectric body having flexibility, an internal conductor formed inside the piezoelectric body, and an outside of the piezoelectric body. A bag-like tactile sensor (27) provided with a cloth-like sensor (27a) formed by assembling a sensor electric wire composed of an outer conductor, and is formed as a glove and used as a hand-character reading device. is there.

  The hand letter is a method of expressing hiragana one by one by using a hand, and is used for facilitating communication between hearing impaired persons or between a hearing impaired person and a healthy person. According to the present invention, when a character is expressed by a hand wearing the bag-like tactile sensor, the bag-like tactile sensor can detect the character by detecting the movement of the hand. For this reason, by communicating the detection signal of the bag-like tactile sensor using the communication means, it becomes possible to communicate intentions with a person at a remote place. In this case, the communication means preferably includes a conversion device that converts a pressure signal into a character signal and a display device that displays characters, but may include a sound generation device that emits sound. In the present invention, cloth-like sensors may be incorporated on both the palm side and the back side of the bag-like tactile sensor.

  Still another structural feature of the bag-like tactile sensor according to the present invention is that it is formed in a glove shape, and the sensor wire is arranged at a higher density in the finger portion (25a1) than in the other portion (25a2). It is in. When holding the object to be processed or performing a predetermined expression by hand, it is preferable to increase the detection sensitivity of the finger portion because the finger portion is deformed more than the other portions. In this invention, since the density of the sensor electric wire of the finger | toe part was made higher than another part, a more sensitive bag-like tactile sensor can be obtained.

  Still another structural feature of the bag-like tactile sensor according to the present invention is that it is formed in a glove shape, the cloth sensor (26a) is arranged at the fingertip portion, and the lead wire (16) of the sensor wire is a finger (26c). ) Along the inner surface. According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the cost while maintaining the minimum processing range by minimizing the amount of the cloth sensor. Moreover, it can prevent that a leader line obstructs operation by making the leader line of a sensor electric wire follow the side surface of a finger | toe. The lead wire in this case may be an extension of the sensor wire or may be provided separately.

  Still another structural feature of the bag-like tactile sensor according to the present invention is provided with a lead wire (16) formed by extending the sensor wire, and the lead wire has a reduced piezoelectricity due to heat treatment. There is. According to the present invention, the leader line is prevented from adversely affecting the sensitivity of the bag-like tactile sensor. That is, even when pressure is applied to the leader line during use of the bag-like tactile sensor, the processing of the workpiece is not affected. Moreover, the advantage that the edge part side of a sensor electric wire can be utilized as a leader line as it is, without using an additional member as a leader line also arises.

  Still another structural feature of the bag-like tactile sensor according to the present invention is that a control board (20a) that is formed in a glove shape and is connected to the sensor wire is disposed at a portion corresponding to the back of the hand. The cloth sensor is connected to a control unit having a detection circuit for obtaining the magnitude and distribution of the pressure applied to the cloth sensor, and this controller is installed on the substrate. In the present invention, since this control board is installed in the instep portion, which is a space that does not significantly affect the processing performed by the bag-like tactile sensor, substantially the entire surface of the bag-like tactile sensor can be used effectively.

  Still another structural feature of the bag-like tactile sensor according to the present invention is that the cloth-like sensor (26a) is formed on the surface of the glove fiber (26b) formed by impregnating or applying a flexible material to the fiber. It is fixed. According to the present invention, first, a glove fiber is formed, and the cloth-like sensor can be fixed only to a necessary part of the glove fiber. Can be kept to a minimum. In addition, since the bag-like tactile sensor is softened by the flexible material, a comfortable touch can be obtained when it is worn on the hand. In addition, although it is preferable to sew the cloth-like sensor to the glove fiber, it may be performed by affixing.

  Still another structural feature of the bag-like tactile sensor according to the present invention is that it is formed in a bag shape covering the fingertip and used as a Braille reading device. According to the present invention, if a braille touch sensor is touched with a bag-like tactile sensor attached to a finger, the bag-like touch sensor can detect the unevenness of the braille and judge a character. In this case, it is preferable to connect a conversion device that converts a pressure signal to a sound signal and a sound generation device that generates sound to the bag-like tactile sensor. Sufficient training is required to read Braille only with the sense of the fingertip, and it is difficult for a person who has a dull sensation due to illness to read Braille. According to the present invention, such a person can easily read a book in Braille.

It is the perspective view which showed the palm side of the bag-shaped tactile sensor which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is the perspective view which showed the back side of the bag-shaped tactile sensor which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is the perspective view which showed a part of sensor fabric which comprises the palm side part of a bag-like tactile sensor. It is sectional drawing which showed the sensor electric wire which comprises a sensor fabric. It is the block diagram which showed the control part with which the robot was equipped. It is explanatory drawing which showed the position and magnitude | size of the pressure which applied to the warp and the weft. It is the perspective view which showed the palm side of the bag-shaped tactile sensor which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is the perspective view which showed the palm side of the bag-shaped tactile sensor which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is the perspective view which showed the back side of the bag-shaped tactile sensor which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is the perspective view which showed the palm side of the bag-shaped tactile sensor which concerns on 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is the perspective view which showed the palm side of the bag-shaped tactile sensor which concerns on 5th Embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic which showed a part of modification 1 of the sensor fabric. It is sectional drawing which showed the outline of the modification 2 of the sensor fabric. It is the perspective view which showed a part of modification 3 of a sensor fabric. It is the side view which showed the sensor electric wire which comprises the modification 4 of a sensor fabric. It is the side view which showed the sensor electric wire which comprises the modification 5 of a sensor fabric. It is the top view which showed the outline of the sensor knitted fabric. It is sectional drawing which showed the modification 1 of the sensor wire. The state when a pressure is applied to the cloth-like sensor using the sensor electric wire according to Modification 1 is shown, (a) is a cross-sectional view before pressure is applied, and (b) is a cross-sectional view when pressure is applied. is there. It is the top view which showed the piezoelectric film and the internal strip | belt-shaped layer. The sensor electric wire which concerns on the modification 3 is shown, (a) is a side view, (b) is sectional drawing. FIG. 10 is a side view showing a central portion of a sensor wire according to Modification 3. The sensor electric wire which concerns on the modification 4 is shown, (a) is a side view, (b) is sectional drawing. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a piezoelectric film, an inner band layer, and an outer band layer used in Modification 4. FIG. The cable-shaped pressure sensor which concerns on the modification 5 is shown, (a) is a side view, (b) is sectional drawing. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a sensor wire according to Modification 6. FIG.

(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 show a bag-like tactile sensor 10 according to the present embodiment. The bag-like tactile sensor 10 is attached to a hand-shaped gripping part of a robot (not shown) for harvesting crops, for example, and detects the pressure when the robot gripping part grips the crops. The gripping part is used for controlling the gripping force when gripping the crop, and is formed in the shape of a glove that covers the gripping part. In the bag-like tactile sensor 10, the inner part (palm side part) of the hand is constituted by the sensor fabric 10a, and the outer part (back side part) of the hand is constituted by the outer part 10b made of fiber.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the sensor fabric 10a is woven so that the sensor electric wires 11 (see FIG. 4) become warp yarns A and weft yarns B. It is manufactured by forming what is covered with a protective cover 15 described later into a palm-side shape of the inner half of the glove. As shown in FIG. 4, the sensor electric wires 11 constituting the respective warps A and wefts B have an inner conductor 13 disposed inside the cylindrical piezoelectric body 12 and an outer conductor layer on the outer peripheral surface of the piezoelectric body 12. 14 is arranged.

  The piezoelectric body 12 is made of an extremely thin cylindrical body made of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and having flexibility and stretchability. The inner diameter is 0.3 mm and the outer diameter is set to 0.4 mm. . The inner conductor 13 is formed by twisting a plurality of ultrafine tin-plated annealed copper wires, and the diameter thereof is set to 0.3 mm. The outer conductor layer 14 is made of a tin-plated annealed copper wire like the inner conductor 13 and has a thickness of 0.05 mm.

  The piezoelectric body 12 can be formed on the outer periphery of the inner conductor 13 by a method similar to the method for manufacturing a coaxial cable, for example. In this case, a molding material made of polyvinylidene fluoride is extruded with a screw while being melted and kneaded in a cylinder of a molding apparatus, and formed as a coating layer on the surface of the inner conductor 13 passing through the crosshead. Then, the outer conductor layer 14 is formed on the surface of the piezoelectric body 12. The outer conductor layer 14 is formed by a horizontal winding shield method in which tin-plated annealed copper wire is wound around the surface of the piezoelectric body 12 while being aligned in one direction.

  Polyvinylidene fluoride is a lightweight polymer material that generates a piezoelectric effect when polarized by applying a high voltage, and has the property that a voltage is generated when an external force is applied thereto, and a distortion is generated when a voltage is applied. ing. The piezoelectric body 12 is subjected to polarization treatment, and a voltage is induced between the inner conductor 13 and the outer conductor layer 14 when a force is applied to the piezoelectric body 12 from the outside. Further, when a voltage is applied between the inner conductor 13 and the outer conductor layer 14, the piezoelectric body 12 is deformed (distorted).

  In addition, the protective cover 15 which consists of an insulating soft resin film is formed in the front and back both surfaces of the sensor fabric 10a. The protective cover 15 has a thickness of 100 μm to 1.2 mm, and the hardness of the human skin is slightly softer than that. Further, the sensor fabric 10a is provided with a lead wire 16 formed by extending the sensor electric wire 11. The lead wire 16 is subjected to treatment at 70 ° C. to 150 ° C. for 10 seconds to 10 minutes, desirably 80 ° C. to 120 ° C. for 10 seconds to 60 seconds, for example, 95 ° C. for 30 seconds, thereby eliminating piezoelectricity. Or reduce it to a level where there is no problem (5% or less). As a result, an amorphous layer is formed on the piezoelectric body 17 of the lead wire 16 and the piezoelectricity is lowered. The outer portion 10 b is made of a fiber such as cotton, polyester, or acrylic, and is formed in the shape of the upper half of the outer tactile sensor 10. The glove-shaped main body portion of the bag-like tactile sensor 10 is configured by sewing the sensor fabric 10a thus configured and the outer portion 10b.

  FIG. 5 shows the control unit 20 provided in the bag-like tactile sensor 10. In addition to the sensor fabric 10 a, the control unit 20 includes a detection circuit 21, an A / D conversion circuit 22, and a CPU 23. The detection circuit 21 includes an impedance conversion circuit, an amplifier circuit, and a low-pass filter. Then, the detection circuit 21 amplifies after matching the level of the detection signal sent from the sensor fabric 10a via the leader line 16 to a predetermined level when the gripping part of the robot grips the crop, and also the system response A component having a frequency higher than the cutoff frequency, which is the limit of the cutoff frequency, is attenuated and cut off, and a component having a frequency lower than the cutoff frequency is sent to the A / D conversion circuit 22.

  The A / D conversion circuit 22 converts the signal sent from the detection circuit 21 into a digital signal and sends it to the CPU 23. The CPU 23 executes various processes performed by the control unit 20. The control unit 20 includes a ROM for storing a program executed by the CPU 23, a RAM for temporarily storing data used for the processing of the CPU 23, and the like, as well as operation buttons for operating the robot, An operation unit with a switch, a drive unit, a power source and the like are provided. Of the controller 20, the devices other than the sensor fabric 10a are installed on the control board 20a, and the control board 20a is attached to the approximate center of the back part of the outer part 10b. The lead wires 16 of the sensor wires 11 constituting the sensor fabric 10a are bundled and extend from the wrist side to the back side and extend to the control board 20a, and each lead line 16 is connected to a contact formed on the control board 20a. Has been.

  When the pressure is applied to the sensor fabric 10a, the CPU 23 determines the position and the magnitude of the voltage of the warp A and the weft B that generate voltage from the piezoelectricity generated in the warp A and the weft B constituting the sensor fabric 10a. By calculating, it is determined how much pressure is applied to which part of the sensor fabric 10a. In this case, as shown in FIG. 6, since the plurality of warp yarns A and weft yarns B are orthogonal to each other, the direction in which the warp yarns A are arranged is taken as the horizontal axis, and the direction in which the weft yarns B are arranged is taken as the vertical axis, When pressure is applied to a predetermined portion a (the circled portion in FIG. 6) of the sensor fabric 10a, the pressure is measured by scanning what signals are generated from the respective warp yarns A and weft yarns B. You can know the distribution.

  In this case, the intersection of the warp A and the weft B can be used as a detection point. Further, by integrating the signals detected when the warp yarn A and the weft yarn B are scanned for a certain time, the shape of the object to be processed and the position of the pressure peak can be determined. In addition, the sensor wire 11 generates a signal when pressure is applied and when the sensor wire 11 is deformed. However, when the same state where the pressure is applied continues, the sensor wire 11 does not generate a signal. In the sensor fabric 10a using such a sensor wire 11, measurement is performed from the sensor wire 11 located outside where no pressure is applied and no signal is generated, and a critical point with the portion where the pressure is applied is obtained. It is preferable to simplify the detection process by going.

  In this case, first, the contour of the part a that has been scanned is obtained by scanning from the outer sensor wire 11 where no signal is generated. Next, when scanning, the part a is under pressure. Then, the sensor electric wire 11 located in the vicinity of the above-mentioned contour is scanned to obtain the contour of the portion where pressure is applied. As a result, even if a change occurs in the range of the portion a to which pressure is applied, the portions to which pressure is applied can be sequentially obtained. In this case, the shape of the predetermined portion a described above can be obtained by differentiating the value obtained as the critical point with respect to time. According to this, since it is not necessary to scan all the sensor electric wires 11, the detection time can be shortened. Moreover, the drive part mentioned above drives the holding part of a robot by control of CPU23 based on the pressure value which the sensor fabric 10a detected.

  As described above, the bag-like tactile sensor 10 according to the present embodiment is formed in a glove shape that covers the gripping part that grips the object to be processed, and the sensor fabric 10a in which the palm portion that contacts the object to be processed is composed of the sensor wire 11. It consists of For this reason, the bag-like tactile sensor 10 is suitable for measuring the pressure when the object is grasped. Moreover, since the cross-sectional shape is formed circularly, the sensor electric wire 11 can be expanded / contracted in the axial direction and can be uniformly deformed in any direction around the axis. For this reason, the bag-like tactile sensor 10 can contact along the surface even if the surface shape of the object to be processed is uneven, thereby enabling detection with high sensitivity.

  Moreover, in the bag-like tactile sensor 10, the lead wire 16 is configured by a portion obtained by extending the sensor electric wire 11, and the lead wire 16 is subjected to heat treatment to reduce the piezoelectricity. For this reason, it is prevented that the leader line 16 adversely affects the sensitivity of the sensor fabric 10a. Further, it is not necessary to use a separate member as the leader line. Furthermore, since the control board 20a is attached not to the outside of the bag-like tactile sensor 10, but to the outer portion 10b that constitutes the back side of the bag-like tactile sensor 10, the leader line 16 can be shortened, and detection by the bag-like tactile sensor 10 can be performed. The part which cannot be involved can be used effectively. Moreover, since the hardness of the surface of the sensor fabric 10a is about the human skin, the object to be processed is not damaged.

  Moreover, it can be used as a massage apparatus as another example of use of the bag-like touch sensor 10. In this case, the bag-like tactile sensor 10 is attached not to the robot's gripping part but to the patient's hand that has numbness in the hand due to an abnormality in the peripheral nerve, and by applying a voltage to the sensor fabric 10a, the sensor fabric 10a is attached. Deform repeatedly. The massage operation by the bag-like tactile sensor 10 is stored in advance in the ROM as a program, and the CPU 23 executes this program to sequentially deform predetermined portions of the sensor fabric 10a. According to this, it is possible to massage for a long time without human hands.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 7 shows a bag-like tactile sensor 25 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In the bag-like tactile sensor 25, a glove-shaped main body portion is composed of a sensor fabric 25a and an outer portion (not shown). Similar to the sensor fabric 10a, the sensor fabric 25a is composed of a fabric in which the warp yarn A and the weft yarn B made of the sensor wire 11 are woven into a woven fabric shape. It is formed to increase the density. The rest of the configuration of the bag-like touch sensor 25 is the same as that of the bag-like touch sensor 10. This bag-like tactile sensor 25 can also be used in the same manner as the bag-like tactile sensor 10.

  When the bag-like tactile sensor 25 is attached to a human hand or a grip portion of a robot to grip an object to be processed, the movement of the finger portion 25a1 is larger than the movement of the palm portion 25a2. For this reason, the sensitivity of the bag-like tactile sensor 25 can be further increased by increasing the density of the sensor wire 11 disposed in the finger portion 25a1 rather than the density of the sensor wire 11 disposed in the palm portion 25a2. it can. The bag-like tactile sensor 25 may have more sensor wires 11 arranged on the finger portion 25a1 or fewer sensor wires 11 arranged on the palm portion 25a2 than the bag-like tactile sensor 10. May be. Other functions and effects of the bag-like touch sensor 25 are the same as those of the bag-like touch sensor 10.

(Third embodiment)
8 and 9 show a bag-like tactile sensor 26 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. In the bag-like tactile sensor 26, the entire glove-shaped main body part is composed of glove fibers 26b, and the sensor fabric 26a is assembled to the fingertip on the palm side of the glove fibers 26b. The glove fiber 26b is made of a flexible material such as polyurethane foam, silicone gel, urethane gel (evaluation value is 5 to 50 in the durometer type C (Asker C type), desirably 10 to 20). And the like, and a control board 20a is attached to the instep portion thereof. A small sensor fabric 26a is sewn to each fingertip portion on the palm side of the glove fiber 26b to form a bag-like tactile sensor 26. The sensor fabric 26a is also formed of a fabric in which the warp yarn A and the weft yarn B made of the sensor electric wire 11 are woven, and the lead line 16 extends along the inner surface of each finger 26c of the bag-like tactile sensor 26 and is controlled. It is connected to the substrate 20a. The rest of the configuration of the bag-like touch sensor 26 is the same as that of the bag-like touch sensor 10. This bag-like touch sensor 26 can also be used in the same manner as the bag-like touch sensor 10.

  The bag-like tactile sensor 26 according to the present embodiment is suitable mainly for gripping an object to be processed using a fingertip. Further, since the sensor fabric 26a is not provided except for the fingertip, the cost can be reduced while maintaining the necessary minimum processing range by minimizing the amount of the sensor fabric 26a. Furthermore, since the leader line 16 of the sensor electric wire 11 is set along the inner surface of the finger 26c, the leader line 16 does not interfere with the operation. In addition, since the glove fiber 26b is softened by a flexible material, a comfortable feel can be obtained when the glove fiber 26b is worn on the hand, and the workpiece can be prevented from being damaged.

(Fourth embodiment)
FIG. 10 shows a bag-like tactile sensor 27 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The bag-shaped tactile sensor 27 has a main body portion made of a sensor fabric 27a. The sensor fabric 27a is made of a fabric in which warp yarns A and weft yarns B made of the sensor electric wires 11 are woven into a woven fabric shape. Further, a communication control unit 20b is connected to the sensor fabric 27a via a lead wire 16 extending to the outside. The bag-like tactile sensor 27 is used as a hand character reading device. The communication control unit 20b includes a signal conversion unit that converts a pressure signal into a character signal, a signal, in addition to the device provided on the control board 20a. A communication unit capable of transmitting and receiving and a display unit for displaying characters. The two bag-like tactile sensors 27 can communicate with each other.

  In this case, when two persons at a distant distance wear the bag-like tactile sensor 27 in their hands, and one person moves the hand to express a hand letter, the bag-like tactile sensor 27 receives pressure from the hand. Detects a character, and transmits the character as a signal to the communication control unit 20b of the other person. The character corresponding to the signal is displayed on the display unit of the bag-like touch sensor 27 that has received the character signal. By repeating this, the letters become sentences and the intention of one person is transmitted to the other person. In addition, by reversing both operations, the intention of the other person is transmitted to one person. According to the present invention, it is easy to communicate between hearing-impaired persons at remote locations. In the present embodiment, the main body portion of the bag-like tactile sensor 27 is composed of the sensor fabric 27a. However, a part such as a palm side portion or a finger portion may be composed of the sensor fabric 27a.

(Fifth embodiment)
FIG. 11 shows a bag-like tactile sensor 28 according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. The bag-like tactile sensor 28 is formed in a bag shape that covers the fingertip of the index finger 28b, and an inner portion is constituted by a sensor fabric 28a and an outer portion is constituted by an outer portion (not shown). The sensor fabric 28a is composed of a fabric in which the warp yarn A and the weft yarn B made of the sensor electric wire 11 are woven into a woven fabric shape. In addition, a voice conversion control unit 20 c is connected to the sensor fabric 28 a through a lead line 16. The bag-like tactile sensor 28 is used as a braille reading device. The voice conversion control unit 20c includes a signal conversion unit that converts a pressure signal into a voice signal and a voice in addition to the device provided on the control board 20a. And a speaker that generates noise. The voice conversion control unit 20c can be attached to and detached from the wrist by a band 20d having a hook-and-loop fastener.

  When reading a book in Braille, the user touches the Braille with a finger wearing the bag-like tactile sensor 28. Thereby, the bag-like tactile sensor 28 detects a character by the pressure received from the convex portion of the Braille, and sends the character as a signal to the voice conversion control unit 20c. Thus, the signal conversion unit of the voice conversion control unit 20c converts the character signal into a voice signal, and a voice corresponding to the character is generated from the speaker. According to the present invention, it is possible to easily read a book in Braille used by a visually impaired person to read a book.

(Modification 1 of sensor fabric)
In each of the bag-shaped tactile sensors 10 and 25 to 28 described above, the sensor fabrics 10a and 25a to 28a are composed of warps A and wefts B made of the sensor electric wires 11, respectively. Instead, the sensor fabric 10c shown in FIG. 12 may be used. This sensor fabric 10c is provided with diagonal yarns C extending obliquely with respect to the warp yarns A and the weft yarns B in addition to the warp yarns A and the weft yarns B comprising the sensor electric wires 11 in the sensor fabric 10a. This diagonal thread C is also composed of the sensor wire 11. The rest of the configuration of the sensor fabric 10c is the same as that of the sensor fabric 10a.

  By configuring in this manner, the direction in which the sensor fabric 10c can be detected increases, so that the shape of the object to be processed that applies pressure to the sensor fabric 10c can be captured more accurately. The other effects of the sensor fabric 10c are the same as those of the sensor fabric 10a. In FIG. 12, the diagonal thread C is arranged on the front side of the sensor fabric 10c. However, the diagonal thread C may be arranged on the back side of the sensor fabric 10c, or the front and back sides of the sensor fabric 10c. Alternatively, the warp yarn A and the weft yarn B may be entangled so as to be zigzag. The number of diagonal threads C is also set as appropriate.

(Sensor fabric modification 2)
FIG. 13 shows a cross-sectional view of the sensor fabric 10d according to the second modification. In this sensor fabric 10d, instead of the protective cover 15 in the sensor fabric 10a described above, a thin protective cover 15a is pasted on the front surface side (upper surface in FIG. 13), and on the back surface side (lower surface in FIG. 13) from the protective cover 15a. A thick protective cover 15b is attached. The protective covers 15a and 15b are made of the same material and the same hardness as the protective cover 15, and the thickness of the protective cover 15a is 20 μm to 5 mm, preferably 50 μm to 1.5 mm, more preferably 100 μm to 800 μm. The thickness of the protective cover 15b is set to 20 μm to 5 mm, desirably 50 μm to 1.5 mm, and more desirably 500 μm to 1.2 mm. The rest of the configuration of the sensor fabric 10d is the same as that of the sensor fabric 10a.

  Thus, by reducing the thickness of the protective cover 15a on the surface, the tactile sensitivity of the sensor fabric 10d can be increased. As a modification of the sensor fabric 10d, the surface on which the protective cover 15a is attached can be the back surface, and the surface on which the protective cover 15b is attached can be the front surface. According to this, the durability of the sensor fabric 10d is improved. Furthermore, as a modification of the sensor fabric 10d, the thicknesses of both protective covers can be the same and the hardness can be different. In this case, if the protective cover on the front side is hardened, the durability is improved, and if the protective cover on the front side is softened, the tactile sensitivity can be increased.

(Modification 3 of sensor fabric)
FIG. 14 shows a part of the sensor fabric 10e according to the third modification. The sensor fabric 10e is formed by weaving warps A and wefts B having the same structure as the sensor wire 11 in the same manner as the sensor fabric 10a described above, but the warps A include warps A1 and A2 having different outer diameters. The weft B includes wefts B1 and B2 having different outer diameters. The warp yarn A1 and the weft yarn B1 are composed of the same sensor electric wire, and have an outer diameter of 0.5 mm to 1.2 mm, desirably 0.5 mm to 0.8 mm, and more desirably 0.5 mm to 0.6 mm. Moreover, warp A2 and weft B2 are comprised with the same sensor electric wire, and an outer diameter is 0.3 mm-1.0 mm, Preferably it is 0.3 mm-0.65 mm, More preferably, it is 0.35 mm-0.5 mm. The rest of the configuration of the sensor fabric 10e is the same as that of the sensor fabric 10a.

  By comprising in this way, the sensitivity of each part of the sensor fabric 10e can be changed. In this case, the warp yarn A1 and the weft yarn 1 are located in a portion where high sensitivity is required, and the warp yarn A2 and the weft yarn B2 are located in a portion where high sensitivity is not required. Further, the warp yarn A1 and the weft yarn 1 may be positioned in a portion where strength is required, and the warp yarn A2 and the weft yarn B2 may be positioned in a portion where strength is not so required. The other effects of the sensor fabric 10e are the same as those of the sensor fabric 10a.

(Modification 4 of sensor fabric)
FIG. 15 shows a sensor wire 11a that constitutes a sensor fabric (not shown) according to Modification 4. The sensor wire 11a is formed in a spiral shape like a coil spring by bending the sensor wire 11 described above. And the sensor electric wire 11a is formed in the woven fabric shape by weaving as warp and weft, and comprises the sensor fabric. The sensor electric wire 11a is spirally formed by twisting the sensor electric wire 11 with other fibers and then dissolving the other fibers, or winding the sensor electric wire 11 around a soluble core and then dissolving the core. Can be formed. The rest of the configuration of the sensor fabric using the sensor wire 11a is the same as that of the sensor fabric 10a.

  With this configuration, the sensor fabric is rich in elasticity and flexibility. In addition, when an external force is applied, the sensor electric wire 11a has a portion that is largely deformed, thereby generating a large voltage, thereby improving the sensitivity of the sensor fabric. The other effects of the sensor fabric using the sensor wire 11a are the same as those of the sensor fabric 10a. Further, as a modification of the sensor electric wire 11a, the above-described other fibers may be left as they are without being melted to be in a twisted state. According to this, the surface of the tactile sensor becomes flexible.

(Sensor fabric modification 5)
FIG. 16 shows a sensor wire 11b that constitutes a sensor fabric (not shown) according to Modification 5. The sensor wire 11b is formed in a wave shape by bending the sensor wire 11 described above. And the sensor electric wire 11b is formed in the woven fabric shape by weaving it as warp and weft, and comprises the main-body part of a sensor fabric. The sensor electric wire 11b can be formed into a waveform by dissolving a synthetic fiber after making it corrugated by using a plurality of thick synthetic fibers for warp or weft and passing the upper and lower sides of the synthetic fiber in order. The structure of the other part of the sensor fabric using this sensor wire 11b is the same as that of the sensor wire 11a. By comprising in this way, the effect similar to the sensor fabric provided with the sensor electric wire 11a mentioned above can be acquired.

(Sensor knitting)
A sensor knitted fabric 10f shown in FIG. 17 may be used in place of each sensor fabric described above. The sensor knitted fabric 10f is formed in a knitted shape by entwining the sensor wires 11 described above so as to form loops. The other configuration of the sensor knitted fabric 10f is the same as that of the sensor fabric 10a described above.

  According to this, since each sensor electric wire 11 is bent so as to draw a loop, the length that can be expanded and contracted in the front-rear direction or the left-right direction is greatly increased. For this reason, the sensor knitted fabric 10f comes to follow the surface of the hemispherical or spherical object to be detected, and the range of objects to be processed is widened. Moreover, since each sensor electric wire 11 is winding so that a knot may be formed, it becomes easy to deform | transform and this improves a detection sensitivity. The other operational effects of the sensor knitted fabric 10f are the same as those of the sensor fabric 10a described above. As a modification of the sensor knitted fabric 10f, the sensor electric wire 11a or 11b may be used instead of the sensor electric wire 11. Furthermore, the diagonal yarn C may be added to the sensor knitted fabric 10f, or sensor wires having different thicknesses may be used.

(Modification 1 of sensor wire)
Each of the sensor fabrics 10a, 25a to 28a and the like and the sensor knitted fabric 10f described above are configured by combining the sensor wires 11, but instead of this, the sensor wires 31 shown in FIG. 18 may be used. The sensor wire 31 is configured by forming a thin inner conductor layer 33 on the inner peripheral surface of a cylindrical piezoelectric body 32 and forming a thin outer conductor layer 34 on the outer peripheral surface of the piezoelectric body 32.

  The piezoelectric body 12 is made of a very thin cylindrical body made of polyvinylidene fluoride and having flexibility and stretchability. The inner diameter is 0.15 mm to 0.60 mm, preferably 0.30 mm, and the outer diameter is It is set to 0.25 mm to 0.65 mm, preferably 0.32 mm. The inner conductor layer 33 is composed of a thin film made of silver, and is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the piezoelectric body 32 by vapor deposition. The thickness of the inner conductor layer 33 is about 0.5 μm to 2.0 μm, preferably about 0.5 μm. Similar to the inner conductor layer 33, the outer conductor layer 34 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the piezoelectric body 32 by vapor deposition of silver. The thickness of the outer conductor layer 34 is substantially the same as the thickness of the inner conductor layer 33.

  The piezoelectric body 32 is formed by, for example, a known drawing method. In this case, the molding material made of polyvinylidene fluoride is set by pulling with a gripping tool while passing through the gap between the opening of the outer diameter die having the opening and the inner diameter plug arranged inside the opening. It is molded into a cylindrical shape with a diameter and thickness. Then, the inner conductor layer 33 and the outer conductor layer 34 having a thickness set on the inner surface and the outer surface of the piezoelectric body 32 are formed by a known arc vapor deposition method using a vacuum chamber. The sensor electric wire 31 configured in this way is woven as warp yarn D and weft yarn E (see FIGS. 19A and 19B), and protective covers are attached to both the front and back surfaces to form a sensor fabric or the like.

  As described above, the sensor electric wire 31 is formed by forming the thin inner conductor layer 33 on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical piezoelectric body 32 and forming the thin outer conductor layer 34 on the outer peripheral surface of the piezoelectric body 32. The piezoelectric body 32 is formed in an extremely thin cylindrical shape made of polyvinylidene fluoride having flexibility and stretchability. For this reason, the sensor wire 31 can be easily deformed in any direction around the axis, can be expanded and contracted in the axial direction, and can also be easily deformed in the radial direction so that the cross-sectional shape changes. The sensor fabric or the like composed of the sensor electric wires 31 is a thin woven fabric that can be deformed, and even if the surface of the object to be processed is uneven, the sensor fabric 31 can be bent along the shape. It becomes possible to detect the force received from the processed material and its distribution with high sensitivity.

  Further, since the piezoelectric body 32 is made of polyvinylidene fluoride, the sensor wire 31 can obtain good piezoelectricity. FIGS. 19A and 19B show the states of the two sensor wires 31 constituting the warp yarn D and the weft yarn E that overlap each other when pressure is applied to the sensor fabric made of the sensor wire 31. FIG. (A) shows the state before pressure is applied, and FIG. 19 (b) shows the state when pressure is applied. Before the pressure is applied, the cross-sectional shape of each sensor wire 31 is in a state close to a perfect circle with almost no deformation, but when pressure is applied, each sensor wire 31 is crushed according to the magnitude of the pressure. The cross-sectional shape changes to an elliptical shape.

  At this time, compressive stress is generated on the inner surface side and tensile stress is generated on the outer surface side on both sides of the long side of the piezoelectric body 32 of the sensor wire 31 deformed into an elliptical shape (left and right sides in the cross section of FIG. 19B). Distortion to occur. For this reason, on both the left and right sides of the sensor wire 31 shown in cross section in FIG. 19B, the sensor wire 31 is expanded and contracted in the axial direction, and compared to the case where the piezoelectric body 32 is compressed in the thickness direction. A large deformation occurs. Furthermore, since the inner conductor layer 33 and the outer conductor layer 34 are composed of a silver vapor deposition layer, they can be formed into extremely thin layers. Accordingly, the sensor wire 31 can be reduced in diameter, weight, and cost.

(Sensor wire modification 2)
As a second variation of the sensor wire, the piezoelectric body 32 can be formed using the piezoelectric film 32a shown in FIG. The piezoelectric film 32a is composed of an elongated rectangular sheet made of polyvinylidene fluoride, and an inner strip layer 33a for forming the inner conductor layer 33 is formed at the center in the width direction of one surface thereof. . The piezoelectric body 32 is formed in a cylindrical shape by being wound so as to overlap both edges 32b in the width direction of the piezoelectric film 32a, and the inner band layer 33a is a portion excluding both edges 32b on which the piezoelectric film 32a is overlapped. Formed. An outer conductor layer 34 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the piezoelectric body 32 in the same manner as the sensor wire 31 described above.

  When the piezoelectric film 32a is wound in a cylindrical shape, for example, after the piezoelectric film 32a having the inner strip layer 33a formed around the core wire made of a material that is easily dissolved or evaporated, the core wire is formed. A method of removing by dissolving or evaporating can be used. As described above, the outer conductor layer 34 can be formed by vapor deposition of silver, but may be formed by using a plating layer of another metal or by applying a conductor resin. The conductor resin may be impregnated using a capillary phenomenon.

(Sensor wire modification 3)
FIGS. 21A and 21B show a sensor wire 41 according to the third modification. Similar to the sensor wire 31 described above, the sensor wire 41 has a thin inner conductor layer 43 formed on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical piezoelectric body 42 and a thin outer conductor layer 44 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the piezoelectric body 42. Although configured, the piezoelectric body 42 and the inner conductor layer 43 are each formed in a cylindrical shape by spirally winding an elongated material.

  For the manufacture of the sensor wire 41, a piezoelectric film having an inner band layer similar to the piezoelectric film 32a having the inner band layer 33a shown in FIG. 20 is used. Then, this piezoelectric film is spirally rounded into a cylindrical shape with the inner strip layer on the inside, and the edges of the overlapping piezoelectric films are joined together. As a result, a sensor central portion 41a composed of the piezoelectric body 42 and the inner conductor layer 43 (see FIG. 21B) shown in FIG. 22 is obtained. A gap 43 a extending in a spiral shape is formed between edges in the width direction of the inner conductor layer 43. In this case, the winding of the piezoelectric film can also be performed by using the core wire made of the material that is easily dissolved or evaporated. Next, the outer conductor layer 44 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the piezoelectric body 42 to obtain the sensor electric wire 41. The external conductor layer 44 can also be formed by silver vapor deposition, other metal plating, or application of a conductive resin.

  The inner and outer diameters of the piezoelectric body 42 are substantially the same as those of the piezoelectric body 32 described above, and the thicknesses of the inner conductor layer 43 and the outer conductor layer 44 are substantially the same as the thicknesses of the inner conductor layer 33 and the outer conductor layer 34 described above. It is. In the third modification, the inner conductor layer 43 is formed by the inner strip layer previously formed on the piezoelectric film, so that the sensor electric wire 41 can be easily formed. In addition, by changing the diameter of the core wire used for winding the piezoelectric film and the winding method of the piezoelectric film, it is possible to arbitrarily set the shape, the inner diameter, the outer diameter, the thickness, etc. of each part constituting the sensor electric wire 41, The structure of the sensor fabric or sensor knitted fabric can be arbitrarily set.

(Modification 4 of the sensor wire)
FIGS. 23A and 23B show a sensor wire 51 according to the fourth modification. The sensor wire 51 is configured by forming a thin inner conductor layer 53 on the inner peripheral surface of a cylindrical piezoelectric body 52 and forming a thin outer conductor layer 54 on the outer peripheral surface of the piezoelectric body 52. In the sensor electric wire 51, the piezoelectric body 52, the inner conductor layer 53, and the outer conductor layer 54 are all formed in a cylindrical shape or a substantially cylindrical shape by winding an elongated material in a spiral shape. The piezoelectric body 52 is formed in a cylindrical shape, but the inner conductor layer 53 and the outer conductor layer 54 are each formed in a spiral shape having gaps 53b and 54b like coil springs.

  When manufacturing the sensor electric wire 51, first, as shown in FIG. 24, an inner strip layer made of a thin silver layer is formed at the center in the width direction of one surface (the upper surface in FIG. 24) of the piezoelectric film 52a. 53a is formed, and an outer belt-like layer 54a made of a thin silver layer is formed at the center in the width direction of the other surface (lower surface in FIG. 24) of the piezoelectric film 52a to form the sensor material 51a. Next, the sensor material 51a is spirally rolled into a cylindrical shape so that the inner strip layer 53a is on the inner side and the outer strip layer 54a is on the outer side, and the edges 52b of the overlapping piezoelectric films 52a are joined together. As a result, a sensor wire 51 including the piezoelectric body 52, the inner conductor layer 53, and the outer conductor layer 54 is obtained. In this case, the joining of the edge portions 52b of the piezoelectric film 52a is preferably performed by adhesion or pressure bonding. Further, the sensor material 51a can be wound using the core wire made of the material that is easily dissolved or evaporated.

  The inner diameter and outer diameter of the piezoelectric body 52 are substantially the same as those of the piezoelectric body 32 described above, and the thicknesses of the inner conductor layer 53 and the outer conductor layer 54 are substantially the same as the thicknesses of the inner conductor layer 33 and the outer conductor layer 34 described above. It is. According to the fourth modification, the inner conductor layer 53 and the outer conductor layer 54 constituting the sensor electric wire 51 are formed of the inner strip layer 53a and the outer strip layer 54a formed in advance on the piezoelectric film 52a. And formation of the outer conductor layer 54 is facilitated.

  Also in this case, by changing the diameter of the core wire used for winding the sensor material 51a and the winding method of the sensor material 51a, the shape, the inner diameter, the outer diameter, the thickness, etc. of each part constituting the sensor electric wire 51 can be arbitrarily set. Can be set. The other effects of the sensor wire 51 are the same as those of the sensor wire 31 described above. As another modification, the sensor material 51a is not wound in a spiral shape, but can be formed in a cylindrical shape by joining the edges 52b straight.

(Sensor wire modification 5)
Moreover, as a modified example 5 of the sensor wire, as shown in FIGS. 25A and 25B, a plurality of sensor wires 61a can be twisted to form a twisted cable-like pressure sensor 61. Each sensor wire 61a is composed of the same sensor wire 31 as described above, but needs to be extremely thin. The cable-shaped pressure sensor 61 according to the modified example 5 has increased strength and sensitivity. Moreover, since each cable-shaped pressure sensor 61 becomes easy to bend | bend by external force and to expand-contract to an axial direction by twisting, the cloth-shaped sensor comprised by the cable-shaped pressure sensor 61 is more along a to-be-processed object. It becomes easy to bend. Further, by configuring the cable-shaped pressure sensor 61 with a plurality of sensor wires 61a, even if some of the sensor wires 61a are cut off, the function as the cable-shaped pressure sensor 61 can be maintained with the other sensor wires 61a. it can.

(Sensor wire modification 6)
FIG. 26 shows a cross section of a sensor wire 31a according to Modification 6. The sensor wire 31a is configured by forming an insulating sheath 35 on the outer peripheral surface of the sensor wire 31 described above. The insulating sheath 35 is formed by winding an extremely thin polyester tape around the outer peripheral surface of the outer conductor layer 34, and the thickness is set to 15 μm to 100 μm, preferably 50 μm. In this modified example 6, since the strength of the sensor electric wire 31a is increased, the breakage is prevented and the life can be extended. The other effects of the sensor wire 31a are the same as those of the sensor wire 31 described above. As a modified example of the sensor electric wire 31a, the central portion may be constituted by any one of the sensor electric wires 11, 41, 51, 61 instead of the sensor electric wire 31.

  The bag-like tactile sensor according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications, and can be implemented with appropriate modifications within the technical scope of the present invention. For example, in each of the embodiments and modifications described above, the bag-like tactile sensor is a glove shape or a bag shape that covers a finger, but the shape of the bag-like tactile sensor is a square or circular bag that can completely cover a hand. It may be in the shape of a bag, or it may be in the shape of a bag separated from other parts only by the thumb part. In addition, the shape, material, dimensions, and the like of each part constituting the bag-like tactile sensor can be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, the configurations of the above-described embodiments and modifications can be combined.

  10, 25, 26, 27, 28 ... bag-shaped tactile sensor, 10a, 10c, 10d, 10e, 25a, 26a, 27a, 28a ... sensor fabric, 10f ... sensor knitted fabric, 11, 11a, 11b, 31, 31a, 41 , 51, 61, 61a ... sensor wires, 12, 32, 42, 52 ... piezoelectric bodies, 13 ... internal conductors, 14, 34, 44, 54 ... outer conductor layers, 16 ... leader wires, 20a ... control boards, 25a1 ... Finger part, 25a2 ... palm part, 26b ... glove fiber, 26c ... finger, 33, 43, 53 ... inner conductor layer.

Claims (9)

A cloth-like shape formed by assembling a sensor wire composed of an elongated cylindrical piezoelectric body having flexibility, an inner conductor formed inside the piezoelectric body, and an outer conductor formed outside the piezoelectric body. A bag-like tactile sensor with a sensor,
A bag-like tactile sensor, wherein the bag-like tactile sensor is formed in a bag shape that covers a gripping part that grips an object to be processed, and the cloth-like sensor is disposed at least in a portion that contacts the object to be processed.   The bag-like tactile sensor according to claim 1, which is formed in a glove shape and used as a massage device. A cloth-like shape formed by assembling a sensor wire composed of an elongated cylindrical piezoelectric body having flexibility, an inner conductor formed inside the piezoelectric body, and an outer conductor formed outside the piezoelectric body. A bag-like tactile sensor with a sensor,
A bag-like tactile sensor formed in a glove shape and used as a hand-character reading device.   The bag-like tactile sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the sensor electric wire is formed in a glove shape and a finger portion is arranged at a higher density than other portions.   The bag-like tactile sensor according to claim 1, wherein the bag-like tactile sensor is formed in a glove shape, the cloth-like sensor is disposed at a fingertip portion, and a lead line of the sensor electric wire extends along an inner surface of the finger.   The bag-like tactile sensation according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a lead wire formed by extending the sensor electric wire, wherein the lead wire has a piezoelectricity lowered by heat treatment. Sensor.   The bag-like tactile sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a control board formed in a glove shape and connected to the sensor electric wire is arranged at a portion corresponding to the back of the hand.   The bag-like tactile sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the cloth-like sensor is fixed to a surface of a glove fiber formed into a glove shape by impregnating or applying a soft material to the fiber. .   The bag-like tactile sensor according to claim 1, wherein the bag-like tactile sensor is formed in a bag shape covering a finger and used as a Braille reading device.

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