JP4389135B2 - Wire drive device and force / tactile sense presentation device using the same - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a drive device for a wire member and a force / tactile sense presentation device of a type that drives a brace using the wire member.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In the fields of virtual reality (virtual reality), remote reality (telereality), and the like, force / tactile sensation presentation devices for presenting force sense and tactile sensation to a target person in addition to visual information and auditory information are used. For example, in the case of a mechanism using a shaft arm, a finger or a hand is placed and fixed on a plurality of shaft arms, and the displacement of the shaft arm is detected by a position detector (potentiometer, etc.). Examples are those in which the movement of each part of the human body can be recognized, or the reaction force from the shaft arm can be used to give a sense of force to the subject. In addition, in a data glove for force sense presentation, a skeletal structure driven by an actuator, a small air cylinder, etc. (`` exoskeleton '' in the sense that it is attached to the human body from the outside as a separate member from the human skeleton There is known a device in which a force sense is obtained by a reaction force from the exoskeleton.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the conventional apparatus, since the drive unit cannot be made compact, there is a problem that the weight of the apparatus becomes heavy or it is difficult to secure a place where the drive source is arranged.
[0004]
For example, in application to a force-tactile sensation presentation device that transmits the force generated by the drive unit to the brace via a wire member, the weight of the drive unit is physically consumed by the subject, slowed down, etc. In addition, if the location of the drive source is not properly selected, inconveniences such as causing interference between the devices occur.
[0005]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to reduce the size and space of a wire member drive device.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
  In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention includes a film to which a wire member is connected, a power roller and a compression roller for sandwiching the film, and the film is moved by the compression roller when the film is moved. Has a transmission mechanism to transmit power by pushing againstHowever, the surface of the film that contacts the compression roller is charged, and an electrostatic attractive force acts between the surface and the compression roller charged with the opposite polarity, so that power transmission from the power roller to the film is possible. When not done, the film is configured to be attracted to the compression rollerIs.
[0007]
  Therefore, according to this invention, the drive mechanism of a wire member can be simplified and the whole apparatus can be created compactly by conveying the film to which the wire member was connected by a power roller and a compression roller.Moreover, accidental power transmission from the power roller to the film can be prevented by utilizing the action of electrostatic attraction caused by charging of the film and the compression roller.
[0008]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The wire driving device according to the present invention is a device for driving a wire member using a film, and its basic configuration is as shown in FIG.
[0009]
The wire drive device 1 has a film 3 to which a wire member 2 is connected, and includes a power roller 4 and a compression roller 5 for sandwiching the film.
[0010]
As for the material of the belt-like film 3, an elastic metal (steel used for a tape measure, etc.), an abrasion-resistant synthetic resin, or the like is used, and it is necessary for pulling the wire member 2 in the transport direction of the film 3. It is premised on having sufficient strength. Moreover, about the shape of the film 3, the cross-sectional shape of the said film in the surface orthogonal to the conveyance direction of a film is made into the rectangular shape, and the said cross-sectional shape is curved in an arc shape, The convex surface side is the compression roller 5 In the latter case, it is effective to reduce the frequency of accidental contact between the film 3 and the power roller 4 when power is not transmitted (details will be described later). To do.)
[0011]
The power roller (or drive roller) 4 is rotated in the forward and reverse directions by a drive mechanism 6 including a drive source such as a motor, and is provided for sliding the film with the film 3 sandwiched between the pressure roller 5. Yes.
[0012]
In addition, the pressure roller (or pressure roller) 5 is provided with a pressure-bonding mechanism 7, and when the power is transmitted to the film 3, the pressure roller 5 is moved to the power roller 4 side by the pressure-bonding mechanism 7, so that the film 3 has both rollers. It is designed to be sandwiched between them. That is, when the film 3 is moved, the pressure-bonding mechanism 7 functions as a transmission mechanism for transmitting power by pressing the film against the power roller 4 by the pressure roller 5 (in this case, the pressure roller 5 rotates as a fixed roller). Or may be rotated as a driven roller of the power roller 4).
[0013]
Therefore, when the pressing roller 5 is not in contact with the film 3 with a predetermined pressing force (including when the pressure roller 5 is not in contact or when the pressing force is insufficient), the power roller 4 is merely idled. The power transmission is not performed.
[0014]
However, if the film 3 accidentally contacts the power roller 4, the force is transmitted, and the film may move unexpectedly. To avoid such inconvenience, power transmission to the film is performed. If not, a method of attracting the film to the pressing roller 5 using electrostatic attraction or a method of separating the film from the power roller using electrostatic repulsion may be used.
[0015]
That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the surface 3a of the film 3 that contacts the pressing roller 5 is charged negatively (or positively) and electrostatically between the pressing roller 5 charged in the opposite polarity. In this state, the film 3 is attracted to the compression roller 5 in a state where power is not transmitted from the power roller 4 to the film 3.
[0016]
For example, in the charging mechanism 8 shown in FIG. 3, a (conductive) driven roller 9 with respect to the compression roller 5 is elastically contacted by a conductive elastic support member 10 (indicated by a spring symbol in the drawing). 10 is grounded. Further, the contact member 12 having the cloth 11 attached to one end is brought into contact with the compression roller 5 by the urging force (spring elastic force) generated by the elastic support member 13 (indicated by a spring symbol in the drawing). It is like that. Since the surface of the compression roller 5 is coated with ebonite resin or the like, at the time of charging, the contact of the driven roller 9 with the compression roller 5 is released by a mechanism (not shown) so that the driven roller 9 does not contact the compression roller 5. The surface is charged by rotating the roller 11 while the cloth 11 is applied to the compression roller 5. The film may be charged in advance with a polarity opposite to the charge of the compression roller 5, and the film is adsorbed by the compression roller 5. In order to release the charging of the compression roller 5, the cloth 11 of the contact member 12 is not brought into contact with the compression roller 5 by a mechanism (not shown), and the driven roller 9 is brought into contact with the compression roller 5 and accumulated. What is necessary is just to drop the charged electric charge to the ground (GND).
[0017]
In addition, there is also a method of charging the power roller 4 and charging the film with the same polarity as this charge to move the film away from the power roller by an electrostatic force acting between the power roller and the film. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the influence on the electric insulation and the like for the driving source of the power roller.
[0018]
Moreover, if the urging | biasing force to the direction shown by the arrow F in FIG. 1 is given to the edge part on the opposite side to the direction where the wire member 2 was connected among the edge parts of the film 3 along a conveyance direction, it will be crimped | bonded. When the mechanism 7 is released, the state of the film 3 can be returned to the initial state. However, when the length of the film is increased to some extent, the end portion is connected to the winding mechanism 14 and the film is wound up. (For example, a structure in which a spring member is used to apply a biasing force in the direction of winding the film around the reel in the housing portion, such as a steel tape measure).
[0019]
Therefore, according to the wire drive device 1, the wire member 2 can be driven by driving the film 3 to which the wire member 2 is connected by the roller pair (the power roller 4 and the compression roller 5). With respect to 6, the arrangement position of the roller pair can be freely selected.
[0020]
The wire driving device 1 may be applied to, for example, a robot arm imitating a human or animal skeleton or joint structure, a device having a wire driving mechanism for performing joint driving with a wire member in a manipulator, and the like. However, a force / tactile sense presentation device will be described below.
[0021]
In this device, a plurality of appliances used by being attached to a subject, and a plurality of pairs of wire members spanned across a pair of covering members among the covering members constituting the appliances, and driving the wire members And a force tactile sensation can be presented to the subject by transmitting the force of the drive means to the brace via the wire member.
[0022]
And in order to convey the film in which the above-described device 1 is used as the driving means and the wire member is connected between the power roller and the compression roller, the film is moved by the compression roller when the film is moved. A transmission mechanism for transmitting power by being pressed against the motor.
[0023]
FIGS. 4 to 9 show examples of pronation / extraction of the forearm (right hand). A first covering member (elbow supporter) S2 is mounted near the elbow of the forearm, and the wrist A second covering member (wrist supporter) S1 is attached to the protrusions of the ulna and ribs.
[0024]
And a pair of wire member WA and WB is spanned over the 2nd coating | coated member from the 1st coating | coated member. Here, the “wire member” includes a string-like member or a member in which the wire member is passed through a tube. For example, a structure in which a wire member is passed through a flexible tubular member prevents damage to the skin. However, in addition to this, a belt-like member having a little width is also included.
[0025]
4 to 9, FIGS. 4 and 5 show the forearm prolapsed state, FIGS. 6 and 7 show the forearm standing state, and FIGS. 8 and 9 show the forearm pronation state. In these figures, a pair of wire members are shown as separate views in consideration of ease of understanding, but these wire members are drawn on the forearm across the elbow supporter and the wrist supporter. Has been.
[0026]
4 and FIG. 5, the palm surface of the hand and the inner surface of the forearm are shown. As shown in FIG. 4, the end of the wire member WA is the rib on the back side of the wrist supporter. It is fixed to a mounting portion M (shown by a broken line) provided near the position corresponding to the side protrusion, and after being routed through the back of the forearm from here, the side of the forearm (ulna side) near the elbow ). The other end of the wire member WA is connected to a drive mechanism (not shown) attached to the elbow support, and the length of the wire member WA is detected by the detection means provided in the drive mechanism. It is configured to be.
[0027]
The figure schematically shows the position of the wire member with respect to the forearm when it is assumed that the forearm and the wire member have been cut at positions on the line indicated by the two-dot chain line (three places surrounded by a circle). This also applies to FIGS. 5 to 9. In these drawings, the cross-sectional shape of the wire member is exaggerated from the actual one for easy understanding.
[0028]
FIG. 5 shows the arrangement of the wire member WB in the pronation state, and an end portion of the wire member WB is provided near the position corresponding to the ulnar protrusion on the back side of the wrist supporter (shown by a broken line). After being routed slightly through the back side of the forearm (the surface on the side of the rib) from here, it extends almost linearly after coming out to the front side of the forearm. And it is located on the side of the forearm (ulna side) near the elbow. The other end of the wire member WB is connected to a drive mechanism (not shown) attached to the elbow support (described later) (independent of the drive mechanism of the wire member WB). The length of the wire member WB is detected by the detection means provided in the.
[0029]
In addition, as a method of fixing the end portions of these wire members to the attachment portions M and N of the wrist supporter, for example, after the portion near the end portion of the wire member is wound around a member such as a pulley, the end portion is detached. There is a method of embedding it in a wrist supporter or fixing it with screws or the like so as to avoid this, and details thereof will be described later.
[0030]
FIG. 6 shows the arrangement of the wire member WA in the standing position from the thumb side, and the wire member is drawn on the surface of the ulna side from the attachment portion M as shown by the broken line, Located on the side of the forearm in position.
[0031]
FIG. 7 shows the arrangement of the wire member WB in the standing position from the thumb side, and the wire member is drawn from the attachment portion N on the surface on the rib side of the arm as shown by the solid line, It is located on the side of the forearm at a close position.
[0032]
Therefore, when the forearm is moved from the standing state shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 to the supination state shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the wire member WA may be pulled and the wire member WB may be loosened.
[0033]
FIG. 8 shows the arrangement of the wire member WA in the pronation state from the back side of the hand. The wire member is routed from the attachment portion M on the surface on the ulna side, and then goes from the middle to the back side of the figure. It is located on the side of the forearm (rib side) at a position close to the elbow.
[0034]
FIG. 9 shows the arrangement of the wire member WB in the pronation state from the back side of the hand. After the wire member is drawn on the surface on the rib side from the attachment portion N, the side surface of the forearm ( It is located on the rib side.
[0035]
Therefore, when the forearm is moved from the standing state shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 to the pronation state shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the wire member WB may be pulled and the wire member WA may be loosened. ).
[0036]
FIG. 10 schematically shows an example of the arrangement of the drive mechanism portion of the wire member in the elbow supporter, and the drive mechanism portion DA is involved in the drive control of the wire member WA, and the drive mechanism portion DB is It is involved in the drive control of the wire member WB (although it is externally attached to the elbow supporter in the figure, it is actually embedded in the supporter).
[0037]
As shown in the drawing, it is important that the angle “θ” at which the two wire members WA and WB intersect with each other at a position in front of being connected to the drive mechanisms DA and DB, respectively, be 90 degrees or as close as possible. If this angle is too small, the movement of the forearm is hindered, or the skin is compressed when the wire member is driven.
[0038]
In addition, as for the mounting position of the drive mechanism part in the elbow supporter, it is desirable to select a place that does not interfere with other members (for example, a drive base supporter for driving a finger part to be described later). In some cases, the arrangement as shown in FIG. 10 cannot be adopted. In such a case, it is possible to cope with the problem to some extent by using a relay member such as a pulley.
[0039]
For example, as shown in FIG. 11, when the drive mechanism parts DA and DB are attached to the side surface part of the elbow supporter, a pulley PL is provided for one of the wire members WB so that the direction of routing is approximately 90 degrees. What is necessary is just to connect the said wire member to a drive mechanism part, after changing. That is, in this case, between the wire member WA and the extension line assumed to have virtually extended the wire member in the tangential direction at the winding start position when the wire member WB is wound around the pulley PL. The angle formed is set to be 90 degrees or a value close thereto.
[0040]
In addition, as shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B, when attaching the drive mechanism parts DA and DB to the bottom part (elbow support part) S2B of the elbow supporter, for example, with respect to one wire member WB A pulley PLb is provided, and the direction of routing is thereby changed, and then the wire member is connected to the drive mechanism DB, and for the wire member WA, two pulleys PLa1 and PLa2 are provided and pulled by the first-stage pulley PLa1. After the direction of rotation is changed by approximately 90 degrees, the direction of rotation is further changed by the pulley PLa2 at the next stage, and then the wire member is connected to the drive mechanism section DA.
[0041]
As described above, the first covering member is mounted in the vicinity of the elbow portion of the forearm, and the second covering member is mounted on the ulna of the wrist and the protruding portion of the radius. It is possible to present a sense of force of pronation or supination motion of the forearm by spanning a pair of wire members and pulling one of these wire members and loosening the other.
[0042]
The wire member driving device is preferably suitable for reduction in size and weight in consideration of the influence on the operation. For example, such a configuration example 15 is shown in FIGS. 13 to 25.
[0043]
In this example, as shown in FIGS. 13 to 18, the film 16 is disposed so as to pass between the guide portions 17 and 18 and between the guide portions 19 and 20. It is configured to be sandwiched and conveyed by the pressure roller 21 and the drive roller 22.
[0044]
A wire member is connected to one end of the film 16 in the transport direction. Examples of a method for fixing the wire end to the film include the methods shown in FIGS. 13 and 14.
[0045]
As shown in FIG. 13, the wire 23 is wound around a small-diameter flanged pulley (or thread spool) 24, and the pulley 24 has two disk-shaped flange portions 25, 25 disposed between them. The shaft part 26 is connected. That is, after the end portion of the wire 23 is wound around the pulley 24 several times, the front end portion 23a and the portion 23b on the near side of the winding portion of the wire 23 around the pulley 24 are fixed. The fastener 27 is used for crimping.
[0046]
Then, as shown in FIG. 14, a keyhole-like engagement hole 28 is formed at a position near the end of the film 16, and the pulley 24 is engaged with this hole. That is, by pulling the wire 23 after passing the flange portion 25 of the pulley 24 through the circular hole portion 29 of the engagement hole 28, the small-diameter shaft portion 26 can be engaged with the slit portion 30 of the engagement hole 28. In this state, as shown by a broken-line square frame 31 in the figure, the stopper 27, the pulley 24, and the film end to which the stopper 27 is attached may be covered with a synthetic resin and hardened.
[0047]
As shown in FIGS. 15 and 17, a part 16a of the film 16 is inserted and supported between the guide parts 17 and 18, and the other parts 16b of the film 16 are supported by the guide parts 19 and 20. The film portion 16 c located in the middle of these guide portions is sandwiched between the pressure roller 21 and the drive roller 22.
[0048]
That is, the driving roller 22 is configured such that the rotational force of the power motor 32 is transmitted as the driving force of the roller via the speed reducer (gear box) 33 on the guide portions 18 and 20 side.
[0049]
The pressure roller 21 provided on the guide portions 17 and 19 side is provided with a pressure bonding mechanism 34 that moves the roller to the drive roller 22 side by a slide member driven by a motor described later.
[0050]
As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the support plates 37 and 38 are fixed to the members 35 and 36 for connecting the guide portions 17 and 18 and 19 and 20 on their side surfaces, respectively. The shafts (51, 52) of the pressure roller 21 are supported by roller support portions 39, 40 guided along the guides fixed to the plates 37, 38 and the guide portions 17, 19, respectively. That is, one roller support portion 39 is supported in a state of being movable along guides 41 and 42 provided on both sides thereof, and the other roller support portion 40 is supported on guides 43 and 44 provided on both sides thereof. It is supported so that it can move along. In addition, the moving direction of the roller support parts 39 and 40 is a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the film 16, and is a direction in which the pressure-bonding roller 21 is brought closer to or away from the driving roller 22 side. Tapered surfaces 45 and 46 are formed at the end portions (end portions far from the film 16) of the roller support portions 39 and 40, respectively. Similarly, tapered surfaces 47 and 48 are formed at the ends of the guides 41 and 42, respectively, and tapered surfaces 49 and 50 are formed at the ends of the guides 43 and 44, respectively.
[0051]
The support plates 37 and 38 are formed with long holes 53 and 54 (only one of them is shown in FIGS. 15 and 16) through which the shafts 51 and 52 of the press roller 21 pass. Spring members (compression coil springs or the like) 55 and 56 that are elastically contacted are disposed. These spring members are provided for the purpose of constantly applying an urging force to the pressure roller 21 in the direction of separating the pressure roller 21 from the drive roller 22.
[0052]
The drive unit 57 attached to the guide unit 19 is provided with a motor 58, and the rotational force of the motor is transmitted as a rotational force to the drive gear 60 through a reduction gear (gear box) 59. A slider 61 that is linearly moved by the drive gear 60 is provided, and the roller support portions 39 and 40 are moved along with the slider.
[0053]
As shown in FIGS. 17 and 19, a tooth portion 62 that meshes with the drive gear 60 is formed on one surface of the slider 61, and inclined surfaces 63 and 64 are formed on both sides thereof. . These inclined surfaces have angles (inclination angles) corresponding to the inclination of the tapered surfaces (47 to 50) of the roller support portions 39 and 40 and the guides 41, 42 and 43 and 44. As for the support of the slider 61, the slider 61 is interposed between the presser pieces 65 (see FIGS. 15 to 17) fixed to the support plates 37 and 38 and the roller support portions 39 and 40. It is configured to be able to move by the drive gear 60 in a state where is sandwiched.
[0054]
FIG. 20 schematically shows the movement of the slider and the change in the position of the roller support portion associated therewith. As shown in FIG. 20A, the slider 61 is moved in the direction of the arrow S by the drive gear 60 (the conveyance of the film). When the roller support portions 39 and 40 are moved in a direction parallel to the direction), the roller support portions 39 and 40 are brought into contact with the tapered surfaces 45 and 46 of the roller support portions 39 and 40, whereby the roller support portions 39 and 40 are moved to the spring members (55). , 56) is pushed in the direction of arrow B (on the driving roller side) against the urging force of (56), and the state shown in FIG. If the slider 61 is further moved in this state, the roller support portions 39 and 40 are further pushed in the direction of the arrow B, so that the pressure-bonding force of the film 16 to the driving roller 22 is increased, and in the state shown in FIG. The crimping force is the maximum value. The tapered surfaces (47 to 50) of the guides 41 to 44 are provided in consideration of contact with the inclined surfaces 63 and 64 of the slider 61. If this surface is not provided, the movement of the slider is hindered. The crimping mechanism 34 is also a mechanism for variably controlling the force for sandwiching the film 16 by the roller pair (21, 22). The holding mechanism is applied so that the driving roller 22 does not rotate and the film 16 is placed between the crimping roller 21. The resistance received when the wire member connected to the film is pulled in the state of being sandwiched between the two can be changed according to the position of the slider.
[0055]
Therefore, when using this apparatus, the drive roller 22 is rotated from the power motor 32 via the speed reducer 33 and the drive gear 60 is rotated from the motor 58 via the speed reducer 59 to move the slider 61. By doing so, the pressure roller 21 is pressure-bonded to the film 16 as the roller support portions 39 and 40 move. As a result, the film 16 is sandwiched between the pressure roller 21 and the driving roller 22 to transmit power, and as a result of the film 16 being conveyed, the wire is pulled.
[0056]
Regarding the conveyance of the film 16, the driving roller 22 is always rotated, and the driving force is transmitted to the film when the pressure roller 21 presses the film, and the driving of the film and the pressure bonding of the pressure roller 21 to the film are performed. There is a method in which the driving roller 22 is rotated at the same time as the pressure bonding, and the former method is preferable because the time delay is small in order to frequently drive the wire, and from the viewpoint of power saving, the latter method is preferable. The method is preferred. When the film is not transported, the motor 58 may be stopped or the rotation direction may be reversed in order to release the contact of the pressure roller 21 with the film 16, and the roller is supported by the biasing force of the spring member. The parts 39 and 40 are moved in the non-crimping direction (direction away from the drive roller 22). Moreover, although illustration is abbreviate | omitted, as above-mentioned, the mechanism which gives urging | biasing force, the film winding mechanism, etc. are provided in the edge part on the opposite side to the connection end with a wire among film ends.
[0057]
In the example of FIGS. 15 to 20, the cross-sectional shape of the film 16 (cross-sectional shape when cut by a plane orthogonal to the transport direction) is rectangular, but the present invention is not limited to this, and is shown in FIG. 21. An example in which the cross-sectional shape of the film 66 is curved in an arc shape is given. That is, in this case, one of the film surfaces is a convex surface 67 and the opposite surface is a concave surface 68, but the side of the convex surface 67 is brought into contact with the pressure roller 21. As a result, the contact area between the drive roller 22 and the film 66 can be reduced, so that malfunctions such as accidental movement of the film 66 in contact with the drive roller 22 when power transmission to the film 66 is not performed are prevented. be able to.
[0058]
Further, when a charging mechanism as shown in FIG. 3 is provided to attract the film to the pressure roller using electrostatic force when the film is not conveyed, mechanical parts (guide roller, contact member, etc.) When attaching to the pressure roller, care must be taken that these do not hinder the movement of the slider. For example, as shown in FIG. 22, a guide roller 69 provided for the pressure roller 21, a contact member 71 to which a cloth 70 is pasted, and these elastic support members 72 and 72 are connected to the side surfaces of the roller support portions 39 and 40. The protrusions 74 and 75 for supporting and forming the protrusions 74 and 75 are provided.
[0059]
As shown in FIGS. 15 and 17, the plate-shaped guide portions 17, 18, 19, and 20 are in a state in which the guide portions 17 and 18 face each other and the guide portions 19 and 20 face each other. In addition, the guide portions 17, 18, 19, and 20 are symmetrically arranged with respect to a plane that includes a line segment that passes through the axis of the pressure roller 21 and the axis of the drive roller 22 and that is orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the film 16. The film 16 is configured to move along a straight line. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the film 16 is inserted between the guide portions 76 and 77 of the film 16 as schematically shown in FIG. The pressure roller 80 and the drive are positioned at an intermediate position between the two guide portions so that the film portion 16a and the film portion 16b inserted between the guide portions 78 and 79 are conveyed at an angle “θ”. Low It can employ the structure for placing over 81. This is effective when the film cannot be moved along a straight line in the positional relationship with other members (for example, when an obstacle exists on the film conveyance path).
[0060]
In the illustrated example, one pressing roller is provided for one driving roller. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and as shown in FIG. By providing a roller and sandwiching the film 83 between these and the driving roller 82, the apparatus can be reduced in size and thickness by reducing the diameter of the pressure roller. That is, for one of the two pressure rollers 84, 85, the roller support 86 is controlled by the slider 87, and for the other pressure roller 85, the roller support 88 is controlled by the slider 89.
[0061]
In addition, a configuration in which a plurality of films are driven by a single driving mechanism may be employed. In this case, as shown in FIG. 25, the mechanisms 15 in FIGS. The figure shows an example in which three mechanisms 90, 91, 92 are combined.) When driving each film 93, 94, 95 by each mechanism separately, the power motor and the driving roller are shared. It is preferable to simplify. In other words, in the illustrated configuration, the rotational force of the power motors 96 and 97 is transmitted to the driving roller 100 via the respective speed reducers 98 and 99, and the rollers are driven. In addition, since a pressure roller and a pressure bonding mechanism (not shown) for holding each film are provided on the opposite side of the drive roller 100 with each film interposed therebetween, the driving of each film is individually controlled. can do. That is, the film can be driven in a state where the film corresponding to the pressure roller is pressure-bonded to the driving roller. In addition, when a plurality of films or a large number of films are driven and the load applied to each wire member connected to these films increases, the output of the power motor is increased accordingly. When driving a small number of films, the amount of work is adjusted to reduce the output of the power motor.
[0062]
The position detection of the wire member can be performed in place of the position detection of the film, and an encoder or the like is used to detect the rotation state of the power motor. And about the tension | tensile_strength detection means which detects the tension | tensile_strength of a wire, the various strain sensors etc. which are used for force control, such as a strain gauge which can detect the change of tension | tensile_strength by resistance value, a robot hand, etc. are mentioned.
[0063]
Next, the force sense presentation of a finger using a wire member will be described.
[0064]
In the above-mentioned pronation / internal / external operations, it was explained that the length of a pair of wire members is extended or contracted or driven in a mutually contradictory relationship, but this means that the role of the muscle is substituted by the drive of the wire. There is an equivalent relationship (that is, each wire member corresponds to a flexor and an extensor).
[0065]
As for human muscles, it is well known that bending and extension are performed by cooperatively operating at least two muscles with respect to a joint of one degree of freedom. (A circle indicates a joint).
[0066]
Finger extensors are arranged on the back side of the finger, and deep finger flexors and shallow finger flexors are arranged on the palm side.
[0067]
In order to perform bending and extension movements of joints using wire members instead of muscles, prepare a wire (or group of wires) corresponding to a flexor and a wire (or group of wires) corresponding to an extensor. Control may be performed to relax the other wire when one of the wires is tensioned.
[0068]
However, if a group of wires and their drive systems are prepared for each flexor and extensor in a joint structure with a high degree of freedom such as fingers, the configuration becomes complicated and many drive sources are required. Not good for.
[0069]
Therefore, various elastic members (spiral springs, coil springs, etc., which will be described later) are attached to locations corresponding to such joints, thereby reducing drive units and power units, saving space, and reducing weight. Is preferred. In other words, for a device worn on the back of a hand or a finger, the device is composed of a plurality of covering members, and a plurality of pairs of wire members are attached to the covering members, and adjacent members of the covering members are elasticized. If the structure which connects with a member and urges | biases force in the direction of a bending | flexion position of a finger or an extension position is employable, the number of wire members can be reduced.
[0070]
In that case, two forms shown below are mentioned.
[0071]
(I) A form in which the state of the brace is changed from the state to the extension position by wire driving from the joint bending position as an initial state of the spring member.
(II) A form in which the state of the brace is changed from the state to the bending position by wire driving from the joint extension position as an initial state of the spring member.
[0072]
In other words, in form (I), the spring member always exerts an urging force in the direction of bending, so when attaching the brace, the wire is driven to place the brace in the extended position. Attach to.
[0073]
Moreover, in form (II), since the urging force in the direction of the extended position is always applied by the spring member, it is not necessary to drive the wire at the time of wearing the brace. Although it becomes easy, the mechanism and control for changing the state of the brace to the state of the bending position become difficult as compared with the form (I).
[0074]
FIG. 27 shows a basic configuration of the force / tactile sensation device 101. For a plurality of appliances to be used by being attached to a subject, the covering members 102 and 102 that form a pair among the covering members constituting the appliance, for example, As described above, a plurality of pairs of wire members 103 and 103 are bridged over the wrist supporter and the elbow supporter.
[0075]
And about the drive means which drives these wire members, the structure which has the drive mechanisms 104 and 104 for driving each wire member, respectively, and the wire drive part 105 which controls the servo control and the clutch mechanism mentioned later In response to the control signal from the central control unit 106, drive control of the wire member is performed.
[0076]
The central control unit 106 receives a command from the force / tactile sensation presentation processing unit 107, interprets the contents thereof, generates a signal for controlling each wire member in accordance with the command, and performs a motion recognition of the target. During the force sense presentation control, wire length detection means for detecting the length of each wire member, and wire tension detection means for detecting the tension of each wire member (these are provided in the drive mechanism 104). ) To obtain necessary information.
[0077]
The force / tactile sensation presentation processing unit 107 is a part that determines an instruction content for a force / tactile sensation to be given to a target. In accordance with the story, a force / tactile sense presentation signal is read from a predetermined recording medium, and the timing of presentation is controlled. When used as a medical device, control for selecting and determining force / tactile sensation content to be given to a subject during treatment or diagnosis is performed manually or semi-automatically.
[0078]
The force / tactile sensation presentation processing unit 107 and the central control unit 106 are configured using calculation means such as a computer. However, when the wire driving unit 105 is realized by a software servo, part or all of the force / tactile sense presentation processing unit 107 and the central control unit 106 are performed on the computer. Can be left to program control.
[0079]
In the figure, an elbow supporter is shown as a first covering member attached near the elbow of the forearm, and a wrist supporter is shown as a second covering member attached to the ulna and wrist projections of the wrist. A pair of wire members 103, 103 are stretched over the two members. And, by pulling one wire member and loosening the other wire member by a control signal sent from the central control unit 106 to the wire driving unit 105, a sense of force related to the pronation or supination operation of the forearm is presented. can do. Further, by detecting the wire length in a state where a certain tension is applied to each wire member, the pronation / extraction state can be grasped.
[0080]
Regarding the driving of fingers, as described above, by attaching a plurality of covering members on the back of the hand or fingers and connecting adjacent members of these covering members with elastic members, the bending position of the fingers Alternatively, when a plurality of pairs of wire members attached to the covering member are driven to bend or extend a finger by energizing a force in the extending direction, the driving means elastically moves the plurality of pairs of wire members. Control is performed to pull against the biasing force of the member. A specific structure using a spiral spring, a coil spring or the like as the elastic member will be described in detail later.
[0081]
In addition, when connecting the end of the wire member to the drive mechanism, if the coupling between the two is too strong, a problem may occur when an excessive force is applied to the target. It is desirable to take safety measures so that the coupling between the wire member and the driving means is released when the wire is coupled to the driving means via the clutch mechanism and the tension of the wire exceeds a threshold value. For example, as will be described later, the electromagnetic clutch mechanism can be configured by a permanent magnet or a magnetic body fixed to the wire member and an electromagnet provided at a coupling portion of the driving means with the wire member.
[0082]
Needless to say, the present invention is applicable not only to the upper limbs but also to the haptic presentation related to the lower limbs and other parts.
[0083]
【Example】
FIGS. 28 to 82 show an example in which the present invention is applied to an apparatus that presents a force-tactile sensation together with presentation of video and audio information.
[0084]
In addition, there are two worlds that are preconditions for force / tactile sense presentation, one of which is the “virtual reality” world and the other is the “virtual illusion” world.
[0085]
FIG. 28 is a conceptual diagram for comparing and explaining the difference between the two, and in the “virtual reality” world, the phenomenon that a person is experiencing in real life is made full use of the presentation of video, audio, haptic sensation, and the like. By doing so, the purpose is to imitate virtually and to show the effect that a person receives by the phenomenon with the same sense. For example, as shown in the figure, when thinking about a situation where “a person starts reading a book in the real world”, in addition to visual information from the book, the person feels the weight of the book or touches the book. You can feel the texture. In the virtual reality world, in order to make an environment equivalent to this situation appear, for example, a virtual display VB (head-mounted display) is provided to the subject in order to provide the subject with a virtual book VB having no substance as video information. Etc.) is provided, and visual information is provided by using the force / tactile sensation presentation apparatus, and force information caused by gravity applied to the book and tactile information received from a book cover or paper are provided. In other words, the virtual experience in this world is of a nature that can always be compared with or contrasted with the real-world experience.
[0086]
On the other hand, in the world of virtual illusion, a phenomenon that humans cannot actually experience in the real world is presented as an unexperienced sensation by making full use of video, audio, force-tactile sensation, and the like. For example, as shown in the figure, when a person starts to read a book in the virtual world, a snowman who breaks out of the book and comes out of it speaks to the person. Such as unrealistic situations, such as the haptic sense of the arm received from the weight of the snowman, the tactile information such as the touch, and the temperature information can be provided using the force / tactile sense presentation device. . In other words, the experience in this world cannot occur in the real world and is not compared with the experience in the real world.
[0087]
In presenting a force / tactile sensation, it is necessary to configure and control the force / tactile sensation presentation device with sufficient consideration of these two worlds.
[0088]
FIG. 29 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the entire apparatus. The equipment 108 used by being attached to the subject, the central control unit 109 that controls the equipment, and the detection information interposed between them. And an input / output interface unit 110 that relays transmission of output information.
[0089]
First, the appliances 108 include, for example, those shown below.
[0090]
(I) Visual display and audio output device (head mounted display, etc.) that can be worn on the head
(Ii) Force / tactile sensation and motion capture devices worn on both hands
(Iii) A brace worn on the chest or waist.
[0091]
In this example, devices for presenting tactile sensations and force sensations to the left and right hands, forearms, and upper arms and for motion recognition are used. Of course, it is also possible to perform the operation recognition. Moreover, when the structure which can be controlled separately about each brace is employ | adopted rather than integrally forming the whole brace and controlling this collectively, the advantage shown below is acquired, for example.
[0092]
・ It is easy to change the equipment according to your needs and add the equipment.
・ It can flexibly cope with wiring reduction and wiring change.
[0093]
The visual display and audio output device 111 of (i) displays the video information sent from the central control unit 109 through the input / output interface unit 110 in front of the subject's eyes. Voice output means (headphones, speakers, etc.) for outputting voice information (music, voice, etc.) sent through the unit 110 is incorporated. As a result, video and audio information can be simultaneously transferred to the apparatus. This device is provided with a magnetic sensor, a polhe-mus sensor, or the like, so that detection information relating to the position and posture (tilt, etc.) of the subject's head can be obtained. The detection information is sent to the central control unit 109 through the input / output interface unit 110.
[0094]
The appliance (ii) has a function for presenting a force-tactile sensation to a hand or an arm and recognition of these motions, and adopts a method using a wire. Since information exchanged between the present brace and the input / output interface unit 110 is diverse, it will be described in detail after explanation of the brace mechanism.
[0095]
The device (iii) is a device for the thoracic vertebra, the lumbar vertebra and the like, and a gyro sensor is attached thereto. That is, the gyro sensor obtains detection information related to the position and posture (tilt, etc.) of the appliance, and the detection information is sent to the central control unit 109 through the input / output interface unit 110.
[0096]
As described above, the appliance 108 is configured by a plurality of parts, and the appliance (ii) will be described below.
[0097]
30 to 32 schematically show examples of the configuration of the brace. The brace 112 includes a brace portion 112H (hereinafter referred to as “hand supporter”) to be attached to the hand and wrist, and an elbow of the forearm. A brace part 112A (hereinafter referred to as “forearm supporter”) to be attached to the close part and a brace part 112B (hereinafter referred to as “elbow joint supporter”) required for coupling at the elbow part. ) And a brace part 112U (hereinafter referred to as “upper arm supporter”) attached to the upper arm.
[0098]
When mounting these supporters, for example, as shown in FIG. 30, the hand supporter 112H is mounted from the back side of the hand, that is, the lower side in the state where the hand is horizontally extended and the palm is directed upward. The supporter 112A is similarly worn from the lower side of the forearm. The elbow supporter 112B and the upper arm supporter 112U are attached to the elbow and upper arm from above. The elbow supporter 112B is connected to the forearm supporter 112A (see the two-dot chain line in the figure). The upper arm supporter 112U has a shape that can be used by being wound around the upper arm. For example, a pair of ring-shaped portions 112Ur and 112Ur are connected by connecting portions 112Uc and 112Uc (only one of them is shown in the figure), and each ring-shaped portion is wound with a belt-shaped member around the upper arm. The ring-shaped portion 112Ur becomes an annular shape by joining the end portions (the portion corresponding to the triceps surae, the split position of which is indicated by a broken-line circle in the figure) using a planar fastener or the like. It will be in a state wrapped around the upper arm.
[0099]
In consideration of ease of mounting, it is preferable that each supporter can be mounted on the hand or arm from the same direction. For example, as shown in FIG. 31, the elbow supporter 112B is connected to the forearm supporter 112A (both supporters are connected by a button stop, etc.) so that the elbow supporter 112B can be mounted from below the elbow. As for the upper arm supporter 112U, the belt-shaped member constituting each ring-shaped portion 112Ur is wound around the upper arm, and the ends thereof are portions corresponding to the biceps brachii muscles. (Indicated by a circle.) Are coupled with a planar fastener or the like so that it can be wound around the upper arm. Thus, after all the supporters are assembled and joined in advance, they can be easily attached to the hands and arms from the same direction (the direction from the bottom to the top in the figure). In addition, when the elbow supporter 112B is connected to the forearm supporter 112A, it may be difficult to attach the elbow supporter 112B depending on the shape of the elbow supporter 112B. It is preferable to form slits, cuts or the like extending in the length direction.
[0100]
FIG. 32 shows a state in which mounting to the upper limbs of all supporters is completed.
[0101]
Next, the structure of each supporter will be described step by step.
[0102]
FIG. 33 to FIG. 35 are diagrams for explaining a configuration example of the left hand supporter.
[0103]
FIG. 33 is a perspective view of the hand supporter 112H, FIG. 34 is a plan view, and FIG. 35 is a schematic side view. In these figures, portions corresponding to human hands and arms are indicated by two-dot chain lines. ing.
[0104]
The hand supporter 112H is configured to have the following parts.
[0105]
Supporters 112HA mounted on the first to fifth fingers from the back side (hereinafter referred to as “hand supporters”).
・ Supporter 112HB attached to the back of the hand (hereinafter referred to as “back supporter”)
Supporter 112HC for wrapping around the wrist (hereinafter referred to as “wrist supporter”)
A supporter 112HD (hereinafter referred to as “drive base supporter”) provided in a fin shape for mounting a wire drive unit (not shown in FIG. 33, but this configuration will be described later).
[0106]
In addition, as a material used for these supporters, for example, a splint material (thermoplastic plastic) and the like can be mentioned, but a material that is as thin and light as possible is preferable.
[0107]
Each finger supporter 112HA is basically formed to resemble the shape of a medical finger sac, and a covering portion corresponding to the bone of each finger so that the entire back surface of the extended finger can be covered. Are connected on the side of the finger using a spring member. That is, for the second to fifth fingers, the covering portions 112HA1, 112HA2, 112HA3 corresponding to the proximal phalanx, the middle phalanx, and the distal phalanx of each finger are respectively provided, and the distal phalanx is provided for the thumb Covering portions 112HA1 and 112HA2 respectively corresponding to the proximal phalanx and the proximal phalanx are provided. These covering portions are fixed to the finger using a planar fastener or the like.
[0108]
33 to 35, members indicated by multiple circles represent spiral springs for connecting adjacent covering portions on the side surfaces of the fingers. It should be noted that adopting a structure in which various spring members are provided at locations corresponding to joints in fingers having a high degree of freedom is effective in reducing the power unit, saving space, and reducing weight. In other words, the joint of the human body is not a simple axis motion, but the instantaneous center (position that becomes the center of the instantaneous axis) fluctuates due to the connection between curved surfaces. To eliminate this effect, the position corresponding to the joint It is necessary to use an appropriate spring.
[0109]
FIG. 36 shows an example of the shape of the spiral spring 113. The two end portions 113b extending from the central portion 113a of the vortex as the starting point gradually increase in radius and finally protrude to the opposite sides. 113b is formed, and these end portions are respectively fixed to the covering portions adjacent to each other, so that a spiral spring is spanned between both the covering portions. In addition, as a material of this spiral spring, SWPB (piano wire rod) and the like can be cited.
[0110]
The spiral spring 113 is arranged at positions on both sides of the finger corresponding to each finger joint. For example, in the case of the second to fifth fingers, the DIP joint (between the distal phalanges) The spiral springs are arranged on the finger side surfaces corresponding to the joint) and the PIP joint (proximal interphalangeal joint).
[0111]
As for the spiral spring, as shown in an enlarged view in the great circle of FIG. 37, a double structure, a triple structure in which a spiral spring is arranged and connected to each vertex of the triangle, etc. As a result, even if the winding diameter of each spiral spring is small, the spring can be sufficiently bent along the longitudinal direction of the finger, and the restriction on the bending angle caused by the contact between the wires is relaxed. be able to. In the example shown in the figure, spiral springs 113 and 113 having a dual structure are provided between a covering portion 112HA1 attached from the back to the last node of the finger and a covering portion 112HA2 attached from the back to the middle clause. A spiral spring 113, 113, 113 having a triple structure is bridged on the side surface of the finger between the covering portion 112HA2 and the covering portion 112HA3 attached to the base joint. Has been passed.
[0112]
Employing such a spiral spring is effective in reducing the sense of incongruity during operation caused by a displacement of the supporter. In order to prevent the wires from contacting each other in the spiral spring, it is necessary to devise measures to prevent interference, for example, the spiral shape is not a circular shape but a fan shape.
[0113]
Moreover, in order to reduce the variation regarding the reaction force of each spiral spring, it is desirable to provide a mechanism for finely adjusting the reaction force.
[0114]
FIG. 38 to FIG. 40 show configuration examples using tension springs for the spring strength adjusting mechanism.
[0115]
As shown in FIG. 38, the adjusting mechanism 114 is attached to both members in such a manner as to straddle the covering portion 112HA1 with respect to the terminal node of the finger and the covering portion 112HA2 with respect to the middle node.
[0116]
FIG. 39 shows a winding-type mechanism example 114A. In addition, the figure shown to (A) and (B) of the figure each shows the top view in a different state, respectively, The figure shown to (C) is sectional drawing which follows the CC line of (A), (D) The figure shown to has shown sectional drawing which follows the DD line | wire of (A).
[0117]
As shown in the figure, two tension springs (or tension coil springs) 117 and 117 are stretched between the two members 115 and 116. One member 115 is fixed to the covering portion 112HA1, and the other member 116 is fixed to the covering portion 112HA2.
[0118]
Guide passages 118 and 118 into which two tension springs 117 and 117 are partially inserted are formed inside the casing 116a constituting the member 116, and one end portion of each tension spring 117 is a wire. 119 and 119 are connected to one end, and the other end 119a of each wire is fixed in a state of being wound around a winding shaft 120 (cylindrical shaft). The other end of each tension spring 117 is fixed to the member 115, and the length of the tension spring 117 can be adjusted between the member and the winding shaft 120 (see “ See ΔL ”).
[0119]
The winding shaft 120 is supported in a rotatable state by inserting both ends of the winding shaft 120 into support holes 121 and 121 formed on the side surface of the housing 116a, respectively, as shown in FIGS. As shown, two disk portions 122, 122 that are coaxial with the rotation center axis of the winding shaft 120 and have a larger diameter than that are integrally formed in the middle portion thereof. A tooth-like portion 123 having a smaller diameter than both the disc portions 122 is formed between the disc portions 122 and 122, and the recess portion 124 is formed so as to be positioned between the passages 118 and 118. The stopper 125 and the compression coil spring 126 that obtains an urging force for pressing the claw portion (tip portion) 125a of the stopper 125 between the teeth of the tooth-like portion 123 are accommodated. The claw portion 125a and the tooth-like portion 123 of the stopper 125 constitute a ratchet mechanism in the engagement relationship therebetween, and the disk portions 122 and 122 are rotated clockwise in FIG. Even if the spring 117 can be extended (spring winding operation), the reverse, that is, the disk portions 122 and 122 cannot be rotated counterclockwise in FIG. (The description of the release mechanism of the claw portion 125a of the stopper 125 is omitted).
[0120]
In this configuration, the lengths of the tension springs 117 and 117 can be adjusted by operating the disk portions 122 and 122 and rotating them, so that the spiral spring 113 and the adjustment mechanism 114A are combined. Thus, the reaction force can be finely adjusted to reduce the variation.
[0121]
FIG. 40 shows a slide-type mechanism example 114B. The drawing shown in FIG. 40A is a plan view, and the drawing shown in FIG. 40B is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG.
[0122]
A slider 127 is slidably accommodated in the housing 116Ba of the member 116B fixed to the covering portion 112HA2, and one end of each tension spring 117 is fixed to the slider 127. That is, a portion of each tension spring 117 opposite to the end fixed to the member 115 is introduced into the housing 116Ba through the two insertion holes 128 and 128 formed in the housing 116Ba. It is fixed to the slider 127.
[0123]
The slider 127 is formed with an operation portion 127a for operating when the slider 127 is moved along the longitudinal direction of the tension spring 117, and in order to maintain the position, the slider 127 faces upward in FIG. The triangular claw 127b is formed, and as shown in the figure, the triangular claw 127b has projections 129 and 129 protruding laterally on the upper surface of the housing 116Ba (only two pairs are shown in the figure for simplification). Engaged). That is, the position of the slider 127 is determined by the engagement position of the triangular claw 127b with the protrusions 129 and 129. As shown in FIG. 5B, a slit 127c is formed at a position slightly below the triangular claw 127b. When the triangular claw 127b is disengaged from the protrusions 129 and 129, the triangular claw 127b is removed. Consideration is given to easily distort the formed portion.
[0124]
Thus, in this configuration, the slider 127 is positioned by operating the slider 127 to define the positional relationship at the time of engagement between the triangular claw 127b and the protruding portion 129. The length of the tension springs 117 and 117 stretched between the member 115 can be adjusted. Accordingly, the reaction force can be finely adjusted by combining the spiral spring 113 and the adjusting mechanism 114B, and the variation can be reduced.
[0125]
FIG. 41 shows a configuration example in which an adjusting mechanism 130 for adjusting the spring strength of the spiral spring 113 is provided at the base of the spiral spring.
[0126]
In this case, one end 113b of the spiral spring 113 is fixed to the slider 132 constituting the slide mechanism 131, and the spring strength can be adjusted by defining the position of the slider 132.
[0127]
That is, in the slider 132 received in a slidable state in the accommodating portion 133, the cross-sectional shape of the portion where the slit 132a is formed is substantially U-shaped, and the locking claw 132b is formed at one end portion thereof. Is formed. The engaging claw 132b is engaged with any one of the plurality of locking holes 133a, 133a,... Formed in the accommodating portion 133. By fixing the slider 132 by screwing or the like through the fixing pin 134 in the hole 133b, the movement of the slider 132 can be prevented, and the position can be defined in the length direction of the finger. The other end 113 b of the spiral spring 113 may be directly fixed to the covering portion, or may be fixed to the covering portion via an adjustment mechanism similar to the adjustment mechanism 130.
[0128]
FIG. 42 schematically shows an example of an adjustment mechanism for the covering portion in accordance with the size (width) of the finger. (A) The attached state to the small finger in the figure, (B) To the finger in the large figure. Each attached state is shown.
[0129]
In this example, the covering portion 112HA is composed of three portions 112HA_α, 112HA_β, and 112HA_γ, which are connected by rotating shafts 135 and 135 formed by a hinge spring or the like. The adjusting mechanisms 130 and 130 are coupled to the ends of the three portions located at both ends via rotating shafts 135 and 135, respectively.
[0130]
In the example described above, the spiral spring is arranged on the side surface of the finger corresponding to the joint. However, instead of the spiral spring, a configuration using a hinged coil spring on the back surface of the covering portion may be adopted. An example is shown in FIG.
[0131]
Back springs 136 and 136 for connecting these members are attached between 112HA1 and 112HA2 and 112HA2 and 112HA3 on the back surface of each covering portion, and the back spring 136 has a cross-sectional shape. A coil spring portion 136a, 136a having a quadrangular shape (such as a square or a rectangle) and a hinge portion 136b connecting the portions are configured.
[0132]
As shown in FIG. 43 (B), these back springs 136 are installed so as to be bent in the initial state, and a tensile force of a wire member (arranged along the back surface of the covering portion) described later. Thus, as shown in FIG. 43A, it can be operated to be in the extended position. At that time, the interference of the coil spring does not hinder the bending and extension of the finger, so that the operation does not become awkward. It should be noted that the initial state of the spring may be the finger extended position (that is, the state shown in FIG. 5A), but in that case, the wire member must be routed to the palm surface side.
[0133]
As shown in FIGS. 44 and 45, the finger supporter 112HA of each finger is provided with two wire members 137 and 137 (silicone tubes passed through tungsten wires). It extends along the length of the finger on the back surface of each covering portion, and extends to the drive base supporter 112HD through the upper supporter 112HB and the wrist supporter 112HC (the extension of these wires is attached to the drive base supporter 112HD). This is controlled by a drive mechanism (not shown), which will be described in detail later).
[0134]
A configuration in which a V-shaped spring is arranged between the covering members attached to the base portions of the fingers and the spring hooks are respectively fixed to the adjacent covering members is used. For example, as shown in FIG. As described above, V-shaped springs 138, 138, and 138 are attached in the vicinity of the MP joint (metacarpal joint) between the second to fifth finger supporters. That is, these V-shaped springs are disposed between the second finger and the third finger, between the third finger and the fourth finger, and between the fourth finger and the fifth finger, and the side surface of the covering portion with respect to the base joint. The initial state of the spring is based on the abduction of the fingers and the back of the hand being flat. This is in order to perform the adduction operation in the initial state of the abduction and the opposition movement of the hand, and to improve the strength by connecting each finger supporter, but the adduction to the V-shaped spring, When the function of abduction is not given, the internal dislocation of the spring may be set to the initial state. In addition, when a mechanism for an opposing operation described later is employed, the V-shaped spring can be eliminated.
[0135]
47A and 47B show examples of the shape of the V-shaped spring 138. FIG. 47A is a side view, and FIG. 47B is a view seen from the direction of arrow B in FIG.
[0136]
The V-shaped spring 138 includes a coil portion 139 having a circular cross-sectional shape and two spring hook portions protruding from the coil portion. The spring hook portion is formed from the coil portion 139. The extended straight portions 140 and 140 extend in a C shape when viewed from the side. That is, the end portions 140a and 140a are bent in a U shape as spring hanging pieces, and these are attached to the covering portion.
[0137]
The upper supporter 112HB as a covering member to be mounted on the back of the back of the hand is composed of a plurality of constituent members, each constituent member is connected by a hinge member, and the interval between the connected members is determined. A structure in which a sliding mechanism for freely changing is provided for each hinge member is desirable. For example, as shown in FIG. 48, a plane that passes between the third finger and the fourth finger and extends perpendicular to the paper surface is used. The covering portions 112HBa and 112HBa are divided into two, and both the covering portions are around an axis “RR” indicated by a one-dot chain line in FIG. It is connected in a rotatable state.
[0138]
In the example shown in the figure, the members that connect the covering portions 112HBa and 112HBa support the three hinge springs 141, 141, and 141 so that each of the hinge springs can slide in a direction perpendicular to the axis RR. Support mechanisms 142, 142, 142 are provided. In other words, in the structure in which the covering portions are simply joined by the hinge spring 141, the abduction position is a state in which the palm surface is flattened (the palm surface is in a substantially flat state. The covering portions 112HBa and 112HBa can be brought into close contact with the surface of the hand only in the "flat position"), and the hand is crushed and curved (the palm surface is curved in a concave shape. This is because it is difficult to sufficiently adhere the covering portions 112HBa and 112HBa to the surface of the back of the hand in the “curved position”).
[0139]
FIG. 49 shows an example of the shape of the hinge spring 141. The figure shown in (A) is a side view seen from the axial direction of the coil part 141a, (B) is a figure seen from the arrow B direction, and (C) is It is the figure seen from the arrow C direction.
[0140]
The pair of bent pieces 141b and 141b that protrude from both end portions of the coil portion 141a and are bent in a U shape form an angle “φ” in the state shown in FIG. In the natural state (no load state) of the hinge spring 141, this angle φ is set to a value that is slightly smaller than 180 degrees, so that the state of the hinge spring 141 when viewed from the axial direction of the coil portion 141a becomes a letter-shape. (This is due to the fact that the back of the back of the hand in a flat position is not at all flat.)
[0141]
FIG. 50 shows only the main part of an example of the support mechanism 142 of the hinge spring 141, (A) shows the accommodated state of the spring, and (B) shows the state seen from the axial direction of the coil part 141a. It shows a change.
[0142]
The accommodating portions (or housings) 143 and 143 respectively accommodate the bent pieces 141b and 141b of the hinge spring (only the accommodating portion 143 with the one bent piece 141b is shown in the figure), and the opening 144 is shown. 144 are formed. That is, a part of the bent piece 141b that protrudes from one end of the coil portion 141a is received in the housing portion 143 through one opening 144, and the bent piece 141b is between the openings 144 and 144. A stopper projection 145 is formed to prevent the removal. As shown in FIG. 5B, the hinge spring 141 is between the state in which the bent piece 141b is almost accommodated in the accommodating portion 143 and the state in which the majority of the bent piece 141b has come out of the accommodating portion 143. (See “Δx” in the figure).
[0143]
In FIG. 50, only one bent piece 141b is shown for convenience, but the other bent piece 141b is similarly received in a slidable state in the accommodating portion 143.
[0144]
Further, in order to more reliably define the moving direction of the hinge spring 141 when sliding, a guide means (guide groove or the like) for guiding the hinge spring is provided in the accommodating portion 143, and this is supported. Although it is preferable to use a configuration in which the guided portion is formed at the bent portion of the hinge spring, only the basic configuration is shown in FIG. 50, and further detailed description of the mechanism and the like is omitted.
[0145]
When the covering portions 112HBa and 112HBa are connected by one cylindrical shaft 146 formed of an elastic member such as rubber, the shaft RR is supported on the side surface of the cylindrical shaft 146 as shown in FIG. The mechanisms 142, 142,... May be attached (in the figure, the members fitted to the both ends and the center of the cylindrical shaft 146 are supported by the support mechanisms 142 in a slidable state). .
[0146]
48 and 51, the upper supporter 112HB is divided into two parts. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the second finger and the third finger between the fourth finger and the fifth finger are not limited thereto. Similarly, it is desirable to divide the covering portion in the same manner so that they can be rotated and slid in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis.
[0147]
Regarding the connection structure between the covering portions 112HBa and 112HBa constituting the upper surface supporter 112HB and each finger supporter 112HA, for example, by attaching the slide mechanism 142 shown in FIG. 50 to the back surface of each covering portion, the hinge spring 141 is used. There is a method of connecting the covering portions 112HBa, 112HBa and the covering portion 112HA3 of the finger supporter. As shown in FIG. 48 and FIG. Are provided with operating mechanisms (or rotating mechanisms) 147, 147,... For outer rotation (only two of them are shown in the figure), and the rotations constituting the mechanism are shown. It is preferable that a spiral spring (113, 113, 113) is attached to the tip of the moving member and connected to the finger supporter (112HA3).
[0148]
Each operation mechanism 147 is attached to each finger in order to enable operation in the inward and outward rotation directions by axial movement when driving a pair of wire members provided for each finger separately. Yes, both have the same configuration except for the difference in orientation related to adduction / exversion, and only one of them will be described below.
[0149]
In FIG. 52, the rotation member 147a constituting the operation mechanism 147 is in a state in which most of the rotation member 147a is received in the housing portion 148 formed in the covering portion 112HBa, and the point “RC” shown in the figure is the rotation center. , And can be rotated in the direction of the arrow “R”. A spiral spring (113, 113, 113) is fixed to the end of the rotating member 147a opposite to the point RC, and the configuration thereof will be described in detail later.
[0150]
As for the space in the accommodating portion 148, the gap between the rotation member 147a and the rotation member 147a is small in the vicinity of the rotation center point RC of the rotation member 147a, but the gap gradually increases as the distance from the rotation center point RC increases. In the illustrated example, a leaf spring 149 is attached near the opening of the accommodating portion 148. One end of the leaf spring 149 is attached to the side wall of the accommodating portion 148 so that the leaf spring 149 can rotate, and applies a biasing force in a fixed direction (clockwise direction in the drawing) to the rotating member 147a. It is.
[0151]
That is, in the initial state, as shown in FIG. (A), the rotating member 147a is pressed against the side wall of the accommodating portion 148 located on the opposite side of the leaf spring 149 by the urging force of the leaf spring 149. However, at the time of abduction, the rotating member 147a rotates in a direction against the force of the leaf spring 149 as shown in FIG. It becomes a state where it cannot be rotated any more (in the case of internal rotation, on the contrary, it changes from the state (B) to the state (A)).
[0152]
In the example shown in the operation mechanism 147A in FIG. 53, two magnets (permanent magnets or electromagnets) 150 and 151 are used instead of the leaf spring 149, and one of the magnets 150 is placed on the inner wall near the opening of the housing portion 148. The other magnet 151 is fixed to the side surface of the rotating member 147a facing the magnet 151. Therefore, in this configuration, in the initial state, the rotating member 147a is pressed against the side wall (the side wall located in the upper part of the drawing) of the housing portion 148 by the repulsive force acting between the magnets 150 and 151. However, at the time of outer rotation, the rotating member 147a rotates counterclockwise in the figure against the repulsive force between the magnets.
[0153]
In the example shown in FIG. 52, the gap between the rotating member 147a and the accommodating portion 148 is narrow in the vicinity of the rotation center RC, but not limited to this, as shown in the operation mechanism 147B in FIG. The rotation center RC is set in the vicinity of the opening of the housing portion 148B, and the clearance from the rotation member 147a is gradually increased toward the back of the housing portion 148B away from the rotation center RC, and the rotation member 147a. Alternatively, a configuration in which the leaf spring 152 is disposed between the end of the housing and the side wall of the housing portion 143 may be used.
[0154]
In short, the rotation member 147a can rotate in the direction approaching the first finger for the second finger and the third finger, and the rotation member in the direction away from the third finger for the fourth finger and the fifth finger. What is necessary is just to ensure the movable range of a rotation member in each accommodating part so that 147a can rotate.
[0155]
A connecting portion using a spiral spring is provided at an end portion of the rotating member 147a protruding from the accommodating portion 148, and is fixed to the finger supporter.
[0156]
FIG. 55 partially shows the main part of the configuration example. Three spiral springs shown in FIG. 36 are prepared, and these are arranged in a horizontal line, and each central part is formed by a shaft member 153. (For example, as shown in the enlarged circle in the figure, the center part of each spiral spring is sandwiched between two semi-cylindrical members 153a and 153a, and an annular shape is formed at both ends of the semi-cylindrical member 153a. The members 154 and 154 are attached (ringed), etc.), one end of each spiral spring 113 is fixed to the rotating member 147a, and the other end is fixed to the finger supporter covering portion 112HA3. The reason why the plurality of spiral springs are arranged side by side is to reduce the deflection of the spring during the inward / outward motion, and the deflection can be further reduced by providing the shaft member 153.
[0157]
The initial state of these spiral springs is based on the bending position of the MP joint, but in order to smoothly bend and extend the MP joint, it is preferable to provide a sliding reaction force adjusting mechanism.
[0158]
FIG. 56 shows a configuration example 155 of the sliding reaction force adjusting mechanism. FIG. 56 (A) is a plan view, and FIG. 56 (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. One of the pair of slide mechanisms 155a and 155b is attached to the covering part on the finger supporter side, and the other 155b is attached to the covering part on the upper surface supporter 112HB side.
[0159]
Each spiral spring 113 is sandwiched between the slide mechanisms 155a and 155b, and both ends thereof are fixed to the slide members 156a and 156b of the respective slide mechanisms. That is, the end of each spiral spring 113 is fixed to one end of the slide member 156a constituting the slide mechanism 155a, and the two coil springs 158a and 158a are fixed in a state where the other end is received in the housing member 157a. ing.
[0160]
The coil springs 158a and 158a are disposed in the housing member 157a in a positional relationship parallel to each other, and the end of each coil spring opposite to the side fixed to the slide member 156a is fixed to the operation member 159a. The reaction force of the coil spring in the sliding direction can be adjusted by defining the position of the operation member 159a. The engaging portion 160a formed on the operation member 159a is engaged with one of a plurality of stopper grooves (not shown) formed on the housing member 157a, thereby positioning the operation member 159a in the sliding direction. Further, a portion 161 formed on the housing member 157a and extending to the vicinity of the spiral spring is a protrusion corresponding to the MP joint (there is a risk that the wire member may come into contact with the skin without this).
[0161]
The other slide mechanism 155b has the same configuration as the slide mechanism 155a, and the end of each spiral spring 113 is fixed to one end of the slide member 156b, and the other end is received in the housing member 157b. In this state, the two coil springs 158b and 158b are fixed. That is, the operation member 159b is fixed to the end of the coil springs 158b and 158b arranged in the housing member 157b in parallel with each other on the side opposite to the side fixed to the slide member 156b. The engaging portion 160b formed on the member 159a is engaged with one of a plurality of stopper grooves (not shown) formed on the housing member 157b, thereby positioning the operation member 159b in the sliding direction. The reaction force of the coil spring can be adjusted.
[0162]
As the adjusting mechanism of the spiral spring itself, for example, the above-described mechanism 114 (see FIGS. 39 and 40) can be used, and as shown in the drawing, the accommodating portion (116, 116B) is one slide member. The member (115) is attached to a position shifted slightly to the slide member 156b side from the center of the spiral spring 113, and the member is mounted on the other slide member 156a via the wire 162. It is attached via a fixing member 163. The installation location of the adjustment mechanism is preferably selected on the back side of the shaft member 153 to which the spiral spring 113 is coupled in order to avoid the problem of contact between the mechanism and the finger.
[0163]
As described above, when the reaction force adjustment in the sliding direction of the coil springs (158a, 158b) and the reaction force adjustment in the rotation direction of the spiral spring (113) can be performed independently, the operation of the MP joint is further improved. It is effective in that it can be made smooth.
[0164]
56, when the pair of slide members 156a and 156b are connected by a hinge, a rotation mechanism, or the like without using the spiral spring 113, this mechanism is used for all finger joints. It can be arranged on the back surface, and in this case, it can be seen that this is another embodiment of the mechanism using the back spring 136 shown in FIG.
[0165]
As for the confronting movement of the thumb in the CM joint, as shown in FIGS. 57 and 58, a rotation mechanism 164 is attached to the upper supporter 112HB. That is, the rotating mechanism 164 is an application of the above-described abduction / inversion operation mechanism (see FIGS. 52 to 54), and the rotating member 164a constituting the mechanism has a hinge spring. It is connected to the side surface of the covering portion 112HBa of the upper surface supporter 112HB through the used rotating shaft 165. In addition, about a hinge spring, the state when squeezing and curving a hand is made into an initial state (refer the broken line of FIG. 58).
[0166]
The rotation member 164a is supported so as to be able to rotate around a rotation center indicated by a point “RC” in the drawing with a predetermined angle range. In this example, the rotation member 164a is rotated using two magnets 166 and 167. A biasing force in the clockwise direction in the figure is applied to the member 147a. That is, the repulsive force generated by the repulsive force acting between the magnet 166 attached to the position near the rotation shaft 165 and the magnet 167 attached to the side surface position of the corresponding rotation member 164a corresponds to the rotation member 164a. Is moved away from the rotation shaft 165. Of course, a leaf spring or the like may be used as an alternative to these magnets (see FIGS. 52 and 54).
[0167]
A mechanism using the slide spring shown in FIGS. 49 and 50, the spiral spring shown in FIG. 55, or the like is disposed between the end of the rotating member 164a and the cover portion of the thumb joint. However, the initial state of the spring is also in the bent position in this case.
[0168]
In addition, the upper supporter 112HB requires a mechanism related to the bending / extending operation of the MP joint and the confronting operation. For the arrangement and driving control of the wires involved in the operation of each mechanism, Further details will be described in connection with
[0169]
Next, the wrist supporter 112HC will be described.
[0170]
The wrist supporter 112HC is wound around the wrist like a watch hand and then fixed using a surface fastener or the like, but care should be taken not to apply local compression to the wrist when driving the wire.
[0171]
For this purpose, a buffer member is installed on the surface of the wrist supporter 112HC that comes into contact with the wrist, or the buffer member 168 is wrapped around the wrist as shown in FIG. Thus, it is desirable to wear the wrist supporter 112HC. That is, the buffer member 168 plays a role of preventing the skin from being caught by the wire drive. In the figure, two hinge portions 169 and 169 are formed in the wrist supporter 112HC, and the buffering members 170 and 171 for preventing entrainment are interposed between the supporter and the buffering member 168 as intermediate members. ing.
[0172]
A part of the drive base supporter 112HD (or the wrist supporter when integrated with the wrist supporter) is wound around the wrist 170 and then fixed by using a surface fastener or the like. It is necessary to provide a flat area to mount the device, and the drive mechanism should not come into contact with the forearm supporter 112A during pronation / extraction. In addition, although the structure which provided wrist supporter 112HC and drive base supporter 112HD separately, and the structure which produced both integrally are mentioned, the latter is more preferable from a viewpoint of mounting | wearing ease.
[0173]
Examples of the drive mechanism include the following configurations, but a configuration suitable for downsizing and thinning is preferable.
[0174]
・ Mechanism to slide the film to which the wire is connected
・ Mechanism using electromagnetic clutch means and sliding drive.
[0175]
An example of a mechanism for sliding a film is as described above, and a driving roller that is rotationally driven by a motor and a pressure roller for energizing a predetermined pressure force are provided, and the film is sandwiched between both rollers. The wire is driven by sliding.
[0176]
FIG. 60 shows a configuration example 174 in which an electromagnetic clutch mechanism is interposed between the two without connecting the wire directly to the motor unit. This mechanism is required to control the target so that no greater force is applied to the object by releasing the connection between the wire member and its driving means when the tension applied to the wire member exceeds a threshold value. .
[0177]
A permanent magnet 176 (or a magnetic material such as iron) is fixed to the end of the wire 173 passed through the flexible tubular member 175 such as a silicone tube. Of the permanent magnet 176, the wire 173 and A contact detection sensor 177 is attached to the opposite position. In addition, an electromagnet 179 that is paired with the permanent magnet 176 is provided, and a contact detection sensor 178 facing the sensor 177 is attached thereto. The electromagnet 179 is fixed to a wire portion 181 a coupled to the output shaft of the sliding drive unit 181 via a tension sensor 180. Note that a linear motor or the like is used for the slide type drive unit 181, and a detection means (encoder or the like) for detecting the position of the output shaft or the wire unit 181 a is provided therein. Further, the permanent magnet 176, the electromagnet 179, the tension sensor 180, and the wire portion 181a are disposed in the tubular member 175.
[0178]
In this configuration, the permanent magnet 176 and the electromagnet 179 constitute an electromagnetic clutch mechanism, and an attractive force is generated between the electromagnet 179 and the permanent magnet 176 by excitation of the electromagnet 179, so that both are attracted. This is detected by the contact detection sensors 177 and 178. In this state, when the wire portion 181a is driven by the slide type drive unit 181, the force acting on the right side of the drawing (direction approaching the slide type drive unit 181) The tension sensor 180 detects the tension of the wire at this time. Thereafter, when the driving force to the wire 173 is increased, the tension of the wire gradually increases up to a certain range, but the tension is determined by a certain threshold value (determined by the attractive force between the electromagnet 179 and the permanent magnet 176). If the value exceeds the value, the electromagnet 179 and the permanent magnet 176 are separated from each other (this separated state is detected by the contact detection sensors 177 and 178), so that no further force is applied to the wire. . That is, when an excessive force acts on the wire and the wire is pulled, an undesired force outside the allowable range may be applied to the member (supporter) connected to the tip of the wire. In the above configuration, the separation of the electromagnet 179 and the permanent magnet 176 ensures that the wire is not subjected to excessive force. When the tension of the wire detected by the tension sensor 180 exceeds a predetermined reference value, the electromagnet 179 and the permanent magnet 176 are reversed by changing the excitation state of the electromagnet 179 and reversing the magnetic poles. It is also possible to adopt a method in which the two are positively separated by controlling so as to repel each other.
[0179]
FIG. 61 is a schematic view of another example 182 of the electromagnetic clutch mechanism, in which only the connecting portion with the wire end is partially extracted, and FIG. 61 (A) is a cross-sectional view of the main part, and FIG. The drive side members are shown, (C) shows the wire attachment side members, and (D) shows the side walls that support these members in a slidable state.
[0180]
Two members 184 and 185 are supported in the housing portion 183 in a slidable state, and one of the members 185 is a connecting member to the wire 173, and the end of the wire 173 is the housing portion. The other member 184 functions as a slide member for sliding the member in a predetermined direction in a state where the member 184 is engaged with the connecting member 185. That is, the connecting member 185 formed of a magnetic material has a substantially L-shape when viewed from the side, as shown in FIG. (A), and both sides of the connecting member 185 as shown in FIG. Two shaft end portions 185a and 185a respectively protruding from the surface are inserted into guide long holes 183c and 183c (only one of them is shown in the figure) formed in the side wall of the accommodating portion 183. That is, the connecting member 185 is supported on the side wall of the housing portion 183 in a state that it can slide along the guide long holes 183c and 183c and can rotate around the shaft end portions 185a and 185a. .
[0181]
Further, an electromagnet 186 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape is attached to the distal end portion of the slide member 184, and protrusions 184a and 184a (see FIG. (B)) formed on both side surfaces of the distal end portion, respectively. The guide long holes 183b and 183b (only one of them is shown in the drawing) are formed on the side wall of the housing portion 183 so as to extend in parallel with the guide long holes 183c and 183c. The slide member 184 is linearly moved by being guided by the guide long holes 183b and 183b by a drive mechanism (not shown) (for example, the above-described film drive mechanism or a slide-type drive mechanism using a linear motor).
[0182]
In the mechanism 182, the coupling member 185 is formed of a ferromagnetic material, or a permanent magnet is attached to a position corresponding to the electromagnet 186 of the slide member 184 in the coupling member 185 to constitute an electromagnetic clutch mechanism. . That is, as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 61A, when the electromagnet 186 of the slide member 184 is excited from the state where the coupling member 185 and the end of the slide member 184 are disengaged, both are engaged. When the slide member 184 is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow S in the drawing, the end of the slide member 184 is engaged with the connection member 185, so that the connection member 185 and the wire 173 are pulled. It will be. And when tension | tensile_strength of the wire 173 becomes large and the attraction | suction force of the electromagnet 186 with respect to the connection member 185 is exceeded, both engagement will be cancelled | released. Therefore, the energy required for exciting the electromagnet 186 is sufficient to engage the electromagnet 186 and the connecting member 185, and the allowable upper limit value of the tension applied to the wire 173 can be determined by the attractive force at this time.
[0183]
For detecting whether or not the connecting member 185 and the end of the slide member 184 are in an engaged state, for example, a detection terminal is attached to both members to detect contact or non-contact of both terminals. And a method of detecting whether the two members are in contact or in proximity with a light detection means such as a photocoupler (for example, an optical sensor or a photocoupler is attached to the connecting member 185 side, and light is applied to the slide member 184. A light shielding part is formed to block the light, and when the light from the optical sensor is blocked by the light blocking part, it is determined that the connecting member 185 and the slide member 184 are engaged. It is determined that the members are not engaged with each other.
[0184]
In addition, there is a method of separating the wire drive source and the drive mechanism. For example, a drive source having a large capacity is shared among a plurality of wires, and this is attached to, for example, a device for lumbar spine so that a person can carry it, and an electromagnetic clutch or ER fluid is used. Only a lightweight driving mechanism using (electrorheological fluid) or the like may be installed on the driving base supporter 112HD. Further, the drive source is not limited to a motor, and various forms such as a cylinder part can be installed on the drive base supporter 112HD using an air pressure source are naturally possible.
[0185]
Next, the arrangement of each wire controlled by the drive mechanism arranged on the drive base supporter 112HD will be described.
[0186]
The wire is a replica of the function of the human muscle as a medium for transmitting power, but the material is coated with tungsten wire or wear-resistant polymer on the surface of the thread for sewing the brace. And the like. Moreover, in order to prevent damage to the skin when the wire is in direct contact with the skin, the wire is used while being inserted into a tubular member such as a silicone tube (wiring with the tubular member embedded in the supporter) Etc.) from the viewpoint of safety. For example, in the case of a silicone tube, the shape is kept tubular in the initial state when a wire is passed through it, but the silicone tube contracts when the wire is pulled, so there is a risk of damaging the skin surface There is no.
[0187]
First, for the wires attached to the finger supporter 112HA, as shown in FIG. 44, there are two wires 137 and 137 attached to the back of each covering portion starting from the covering portion of the terminal node of each finger. The upper surface supporter 112HB is connected to a wire drive mechanism (not shown) on the drive base supporter 112HD via the covering portion 112HBa of the upper surface supporter 112HB and the wrist supporter 112HC.
[0188]
62 and 63 illustrate a state in which a wire member is attached to the second to fifth finger supporters, and wire pairs 137 and 137 are respectively attached along the back surface of each covering portion.
[0189]
If the stress tends to concentrate on the wire portion located between the adjacent covering portions or at the edge portion of the covering portion, etc., as shown in FIG. 64, small support members 187 and 187 are formed at predetermined positions of the covering portion. ,... (Ball bearings, pulleys, etc.) are preferably provided and wired through the wire member 137 to improve the durability. In this case, it is desirable to reduce the inner diameter of the support member 187 by using a wire formed of yarn, synthetic fiber, or the like.
[0190]
Regarding the operations of the second to fifth fingers in the finger supporter 112HA, the function of each wire shown in FIGS. 62 and 63 is as follows.
[0191]
・ At the time of transition from flexion position to extension position, the above-mentioned drive mechanism pulls the wire pair placed on the back of each finger at the same time.
・ At the time of transition from the extended position to the bent position, the wire pairs placed on the back of each finger are simultaneously loosened by the above drive mechanism.
-During the transition from adduction to abduction, the wire member farther than this with respect to the central axis of the opposing movement passing between the third and fourth fingers (the first finger for the second and third fingers) The wire member 137A closer to the wire 137, the wire member 137B far from the first finger for the fourth finger and the fifth finger are simultaneously pulled, and the other wire is loosened simultaneously.
・ When shifting from abduction to adduction, the reverse is true. That is, with respect to the reference axis of the opposing movement that passes between the third finger and the fourth finger, the wire closer to this is simultaneously pulled and the other wire is simultaneously loosened.
[0192]
As for the operation of the thumb, a wire member is arranged as shown in FIG. 57, and two wire members 137 and 137 attached along the back surface of the finger covering portion (only one of them is shown in the figure). ) Is connected to the wire driving mechanism on the driving base supporter 112HD via the members constituting the rotating mechanism 164 and the wrist supporter 112HC. Further, two wire members 137C and 137C originating from the rotation member 164a constituting the rotation mechanism 164 are connected to the wire on the drive base supporter 112HD via the covering portion 112HBa of the upper supporter 112HB and the wrist supporter 112HC. Connected to the drive mechanism.
[0193]
Therefore, the function of each wire for the operation of the thumb in the finger supporter 112HA is as shown below.
[0194]
・ At the time of transition from flexion position to extension position, pull the wire pair (137, 137) placed on the back of the thumb at the same time.
・ When moving from the extended position to the bent position, simultaneously loosen the wire pair (137, 137) placed on the back of the thumb.
・ At the time of transition from the curved position to the flat position, pull the wire pair (137C, 137C) via the upper supporter at the same time.
-At the time of transition from the flat position to the curved position, simultaneously loosen the wire pair (137C, 137C) that passes through the upper supporter.
[0195]
In order to realize the internal rotation / external rotation operation as well as the conflicting operation, as shown in FIG. 65, two wires are arranged on the palm surface side (front side of the MP joint) of the second to fifth fingers. (A) shows the initial state (external rotation / flat position), and (B) shows the state of internal rotation / curved position against the reaction force of the V-shaped spring 138, respectively.
[0196]
As shown in FIG. 65, the covering portions 112HA3, 112HA3,... Covering the base joint portions of the second to fifth fingers are provided with members 188, 188,. The wire members 137D1 and 137D2 are attached so as to straddle these members. For example, with respect to one wire member 137D1, starting from the fifth finger and passing through the fourth finger, the third finger, and the second finger, as shown in FIG. 66, the covering portion 112HBa ′ of the upper supporter 112HB The wire drive mechanism on the drive base supporter 112HD passes through the inner surface (skin-side surface) of the covering portion 112HBa and then comes out of the back surface of the covering portion and passes through the wrist supporter 112HC. (Not shown). Further, as shown in FIG. 65, the other wire 137D2 starts from the second finger, passes through the third finger, the fourth finger, and the fifth finger, and as shown in FIG. 66, the upper supporter After being routed along the back surface of the covering portion 112HBa of 112HB, it passes through the inner surface (skin-side surface) of the covering portion 112HBa 'and then comes out of the back surface of the covering portion, and is driven via the wrist supporter 112HC. It is connected to a wire drive mechanism (not shown) on 112HD. Incidentally, the reason why the two wires are partially arranged on the inner surface side of the upper surface supporter 112HB is to drive the covering portions 112HBa and 112HBa ′ of the upper surface supporter 112HB to assist the opposing operation. It is. Further, when arranging the wires so as to straddle on the palm surface side of the second to fifth fingers, when viewed from the palm surface, these wires pass as close to the center of the coil portion 139 of the V-shaped spring 138 as possible. It is preferable to do.
[0197]
The function of the wire in the conflict operation is as shown below.
[0198]
-Pull the wires 137D1 and 137D2 at the same time when shifting from the flat position to the curved position.
-During the transition from the curved position to the flat position, the wires 137D1 and 137D2 are loosened simultaneously.
[0199]
About movement of a wrist joint, wire arrangement | positioning is shown in FIG. (A) is a view from the back, (B) is a view from the rib side, and (C) is a view from the palm.
[0200]
As shown in FIG. 67 (A), the wire members 137E1 and 137E1 ′ starting from the positions near the periphery of the covering portions 112HBa and 112HBa ′ of the upper surface supporter 112HB pass through the back surface of the wrist supporter 112HC. Thereafter, they are connected to a wire drive mechanism (not shown) on the drive base supporter 112HD. The end of the wire member 137E1 is fixed to the covering portion 112HBa, and the end of the wire member 137E1 ′ is fixed to the covering portion 112HBa ′.
[0201]
Further, as shown in FIG. 67 (C), the wire 137E2 is located near the MP joint in the upper supporter 112HB and is located inside the peripheral edge (between the thumb and second finger and the side of the fifth finger). (It is routed between the thumb and the back supporter.) 137E2 'passes through the palm side of the wrist supporter 112HC and is connected to a wire drive mechanism (not shown) on the drive base supporter 112HD. Yes. And about wire member 137E3, 137E3 'of arrangement | positioning which cross | intersected on the palm surface from the coating | coated part 112HA3, 112HA3 attached to the palm surface side of the 3rd finger | toe and the 4th finger | toe joint part, respectively, about wrist supporter 112HC After passing through the palm surface side, each is connected to a wire drive mechanism (not shown) on the drive base supporter 112HD. One end of the wire member 137E3 is fixed to the covering portion of the fourth finger and is drawn around the palm surface so as to gradually approach the thumb, and the other wire 137E3 ' The end portion is fixed to the covering portion of the third finger and is routed so as to gradually move away from the thumb on the palm surface.
[0202]
The role of each wire member in the movement of the wrist joint is as follows.
[0203]
・ At the time of transition from dorsiflexion to palm flexion, simultaneously pull the two wire members 137E2 and 137E2 ′ arranged on the palm surface side of the back supporter (or two wire members for the third and fourth fingers) 137E3 and 137E3 'are simultaneously pulled), and the two wire members 137E1 and 137E1' disposed on the back side of the upper supporter are simultaneously loosened.
[0204]
・ At the time of transition from palm flexion to dorsiflexion, the two wire members 137E1, 137E1 'arranged on the back side of the back supporter are pulled simultaneously, and the two wires arranged on the palm side of the back supporter The members 137E2, 137E2 'are simultaneously loosened (or the two wires 137E3, 137E3' for the third and fourth fingers are simultaneously loosened).
[0205]
-At the time of transition from crooked to buckled, the wire member 137E1 'arranged on the back side of the back supporter and the wire members 137E2, 137E3 on the palm side are pulled at the same time and arranged on the back side of the back supporter. The wire member 137E1 and the palm surface side wire members 137E2 'and 137E3' are loosened simultaneously.
[0206]
・ At the time of the transition from buckling to crouching, the wire 137E1 placed on the back side of the back supporter and the wire members 137E2 'and 137E3' on the palm side are pulled simultaneously and placed on the back side of the back supporter. The wire member 137E1 ′ and the palm surface side wire members 137E2 and 137E3 are simultaneously loosened.
[0207]
In addition, the mounting position of the driving mechanism for driving the wire of the wrist joint and the driving source (motor, etc.) is ideally the place corresponding to the starting position of the ulnar carpal flexor and the heel carpal flexor in the drive base supporter 112HD. However, if this requirement is too strict, there is a risk that the degree of freedom of arrangement of the drive source may be lost, so care must be taken with respect to the arrangement of the drive mechanism and the like on the drive base supporter.
[0208]
In addition, with regard to the finger supporter 112HA and the upper supporter 112HB, when the biasing position of the spring member is set with the finger bent position as an initial state, the wire member is pulled when the supporter is mounted to be in the extended position state. In this case, it is preferable to attach a mechanism for maintaining the state to the wrist supporter 112HC. That is, in order to facilitate attachment / detachment of the brace, it is preferable to provide a holding mechanism for temporarily holding / fixing the paired state during attachment / detachment.
[0209]
68 and 69 show an example of such a mechanism.
[0210]
The slider mechanism 189 attached to the back surface of the wrist supporter 112HC has a slide member 190 and its accommodating portion 191, and the end portion of the slide member 190 is located at a position facing the slider mechanism 189 in the upper surface supporter 112HB. A recess 192 having a shape corresponding to the shape is formed.
[0211]
Therefore, when mounting the hand supporter 112H, first, as shown in FIG. 68, the slide member 190 is pulled out and accommodated in the recess 192 so that the wrist is fixed and does not bend. Be regulated. After that, as shown in FIG. 69, it is easier to work by attaching the hand to the brace after putting each supporter in the extended position by pulling the drive wire group of the fingers. When the supporter is used, if the slide member 190 is returned into the accommodating portion 191, it will not hinder the subsequent operation.
[0212]
Next, the forearm supporter 112A will be described.
[0213]
This supporter has a role of covering the vicinity of the elbow part, and becomes a base part of the finger supporter 112HA and the drive base supporter 112HD during the pronation / extraction operation. This is attached from the back side of the forearm using a planar fastener or the like, and is necessary for the arrangement of the wire and the drive mechanism for the pronation / extraction of the forearm. In order to prevent interference with the rotation of the ulna caused by the pronation / extraction operation, the supporter is arranged within a range of about one third from the elbow when worn. In addition, on the side surface of the supporter that is closer to the elbow joint, two protrusions project in opposite directions to each other, and an elbow joint operation wire can be attached to them as described later. .
[0214]
FIG. 70 shows the wire arrangement in the pronation state from the back side. The two wire members 193 and 193 ′ have one end fixed to the wrist supporter 112HC and the other end to the forearm supporter 112A. It is connected to the attached wire drive mechanism 194. The wire member 193 corresponds to the wire member WA described above, and the wire member 193 ′ corresponds to the wire member WB described above, and their roles are as described above.
[0215]
FIG. 71 shows the motion of the forearm, where (A) shows the pronation state, (B) shows the standing state, and (C) shows the pronation state.
[0216]
As for the pair of wire members 193 and 193 ′, when one wire member is tensioned and pulled, the other wire member is relaxed to perform the pronation / extraction of the joint. It is.
[0217]
At the time of transition from pronation to pronation, the wire member 193 is pulled and the wire member 193 ′ is loosened.
[0218]
-At the time of transition from pronation to pronation, the wire member 193 'is pulled contrary to the above and the wire member 193 is loosened.
[0219]
72. A C-shaped guide member 195 as shown in FIG. 72 is attached to the side surface of the forearm supporter 112A, and the rear end of the drive base supporter 112HD is formed in a gap formed between the member 195 and the forearm supporter 112A. You may comprise so that a pronation / extraction operation | movement can be confirmed in the state which pinched | interposed the part. That is, in this case, the drive base supporter 112HD is guided by the curved surface (inner surface) of the guide member 195 and rotates about the longitudinal axis of the forearm during the inward / outward operation.
[0220]
FIG. 73 shows a configuration example of the elbow joint supporter 112B.
[0221]
This supporter is provided to be coupled to the forearm supporter 112A at the elbow part so that the wire provided between the forearm supporter 112A and the upper arm supporter 112U can be attached and detached. That is, as shown in FIG. (A), in the mounted state, the elbow supporter 112B has a substantially crescent shape and covers the portion near the elbow of the forearm supporter 112A. In addition, regarding the attachment method to the forearm supporter 112A, as shown in FIG. 5B, the elbow supporter 112B and the forearm supporter 112A are provided with point fasteners 196, 196,. Attached so that it can be easily attached and detached. In addition, a slit 197 (indicated by a one-dot chain line in the figure) is formed in advance in the central portion of the elbow supporter 112B so that it does not take time to mount the upper arm supporter 112U. It is desirable to keep it.
[0222]
FIG. 74 schematically shows a configuration example of the upper arm supporter 112U, and has a shape in which a portion to be covered with a region of biceps and triceps is cut. This is because it is necessary to avoid interference with the supporters by these muscles as much as possible because shape changes of the biceps and triceps are remarkably observed during forearm flexion and extension. In addition, the median nerve is arranged in the center of the biceps brachii, and excessive pressure on the nerve is paralyzed in the back sensory area of the first to fourth fingers and the movement area of the first and second fingers. Since the biceps brachii muscle is not covered from the skin surface, it is also suitable for the purpose of preventing pressure on the median nerve.
[0223]
A ring-shaped part wound around the forearm of the upper arm (lower support part in the basic standing position) 112Ur1 and a ring-shaped part wound around the shoulder joint (basic standing position) The connecting portions 112Uc and 112Uc connecting the upper support portion 112Ur2 in the upper arm side surface extend in the longitudinal direction on the side surface of the upper arm, and this portion is bent during the bending operation of the elbow joint, and corresponds to the shape change of the biceps brachii muscle. Then, the ring-shaped portions 112Ur1 and 112Ur2 are displaced in the contraction direction of the biceps brachii.
[0224]
Further, where the biceps path intersects the ring-shaped portions 112Ur1 and 112Ur2, the portions are slightly lifted from the skin surface. This is to avoid compression due to muscle deformation that occurs during the bending operation.
[0225]
In addition, about these ring-shaped parts, since it is only wound around the upper arm part using the planar fastener, attachment / detachment is easy.
[0226]
In order to realize the flexion and extension movements at the elbow joint by wire driving, it is necessary to arrange wires that imitate the biceps brachii and triceps brachii.
[0227]
That is, as shown in the figure, a total of four wire members are attached, each including two protrusions 198 and 198 protruding from the side surface of the forearm supporter 112A, and the wire members 199a, 199a, 199a is drawn from the upper part of the base of the protrusions 198 and 198 to the side surface of the upper arm, and then connected to the drive mechanisms 200a and 200a of the wire members respectively attached to the connecting parts 112Uc and 112Uc. Further, the wire members 199b and 199b are respectively routed from the lower part of the tip of the protrusions 198 and 198 to the side surface of the upper arm, and then the wire drive mechanisms 200b and 200b respectively attached to the connecting parts 112Uc and 112Uc. It is connected to the. In addition, when not attaching the drive mechanism of a wire to the connection parts 112Uc and 112Uc, various embodiments, such as attaching to the supporter attached to a shoulder joint, a thoracic vertebra, etc., are mentioned, for example.
[0228]
In the movement of the elbow joint, when one of the pair of wire members is tensioned and pulled, the other wire member is relaxed to control the bending or extension of the joint, and the movement of each wire member Is as follows.
[0229]
At the time of transition from extension to bending, the wire members 199a and 199a are pulled and the wires 199b and 199b are loosened.
[0230]
At the time of transition from bending to extension, the wire members 199b and 199b are pulled and the wire members 199a and 199a are loosened.
[0231]
Now, when the arrangement of each supporter and the wires has been clarified, returning to FIG. 29, the control elements necessary for force sense presentation are summarized as follows.
[0232]
A) Elements for detection
・ Sensor for wire length or position detection
・ Sensor for wire tension detection
B) Elements for drive control
・ Wire drive source and drive mechanism
・ Safety protection mechanism such as electromagnetic clutch
・ Mechanism for maintaining the state of the even number.
[0233]
First, among the detection means shown in A), the sensor for detecting the wire length or position includes, for example, a position detecting sensor provided in the drive mechanism of the wire member.
[0234]
As a sensor for detecting the tension of the wire, for example, a tension sensor 180 in the drive mechanism shown in FIG.
[0235]
The detection information acquired by these sensors is sent to the central control unit 109 via the input / output interface unit 110.
[0236]
Next, for the wire drive source and drive mechanism in B), drive control of each wire is performed by a control signal sent from the central control unit 109 via the input / output interface unit 110.
[0237]
Moreover, about the protection mechanism using an electromagnetic clutch, before an excessive force is applied to a wire, a wire and a drive mechanism (or drive source) are cut off. For example, as shown in FIGS. The structure which combined the electromagnet is mentioned.
[0238]
A mechanism for holding the pair is required when attaching or detaching the brace. For example, as shown in FIGS. 68 and 69, the pair is temporarily held using the slider mechanism 189. Although there is a method of operating this mechanism manually, it is preferable to control the drive source of the slider mechanism 189 by a control signal sent from the central control unit 109 via the input / output interface unit 110.
[0239]
When presenting tactile sensation or thermal sensation (or thermal sensation) in addition to the force sensation, a tactile sensation presentation mechanism and a heat generation / heat absorption device are attached to the finger supporter 112HA.
[0240]
FIG. 75 shows a configuration example for presenting a click feeling to the fingertip.
[0241]
A tactile presentation plate 202 is provided at the tip of the covering portion 112HA1 that covers the back surface of the fingertip via a rotation shaft 201, and the tactile presentation plate 202 is driven around the rotation shaft 201 by the driving means 203. It has a configuration. That is, as indicated by an arrow R in the figure, the tactile sense presentation board 202 is brought into contact with the fingertip portion so as to wrap around the palm surface side of the fingertip, and the pressing force at that time (strength related to tactile sense) or the presence or absence of the contact is driven Defined by means 203. In addition, about this drive means 203, the structure which rotates the tactile sense presentation board 202 with power transmission mechanisms, electromagnetic plungers, etc. attached to the back surface of a coating | coated part, or a tactile sense presentation board 202 is provided. An urging means for urging the finger side is attached to the rotating shaft, and a force transmission member such as a wire fixed to the tactile presentation plate 202 after passing through the back surface of the covering portion is moved to a remote position (drive base supporter). For example, the mechanism is not particularly limited as long as it is a mechanism for bringing the tactile sense presentation board into contact with the palm surface side of the fingertip. In addition, in order to detect the degree of pressing force applied to the fingertip by the tactile presentation board, various sensors such as a sensor for detecting the state of the tactile presentation board, or a pressure sensor arranged at the place where the finger touches the tactile presentation board, etc. The method is mentioned.
[0242]
In order to present a temperature sensation to the fingertip, for example, a heat generation / heat absorption device 204 using a Peltier element or the like is arranged at a place where the finger touches the tactile presentation board 202 and the temperature at that place is detected. A temperature detection sensor may be provided, and feedback control may be performed on the heat generation / heat absorption device 204 so that a detection value obtained by the sensor becomes a command value.
[0243]
FIG. 76 shows a configuration example for presenting the touch of the material to the fingertip.
[0244]
In this example, a driving roller 206 is provided at a location near the rotating shaft 201 in the tactile sense presentation plate 205, and a driven roller 207 is provided at an end portion far from the rotating shaft 201 (the driving roller and the driven roller). The endless belt-like member 208 (for example, a cloth formed of silk, hemp, cotton, wool, chemical fiber, etc.) is stretched across both rollers. That is, the belt-like member 208 is transported and driven in the direction indicated by the arrow K in FIG. In that case, a sensor for detecting the rotation of the driving roller 206 or the driven roller 207 is attached and monitored so that the feeding speed of the band member 208 does not become too fast (excessive friction between the band member and the finger). It is preferable that heat is not generated.
[0245]
Further, when the belt-like member 208 is driven, a frictional heat generating member 209 (formed of a material having a high friction coefficient such as a rubber material) for generating frictional heat by contacting the belt-like member 208 is used. For example, it is attached to the rotation shaft 201 of the tactile sense presentation plate 205 and is in contact with the vicinity of the driving roller 206 in the belt-like member 208. That is, the heating device is configured by the driving mechanism of the belt-shaped member 208 by the rollers 206 and 207 and the frictional heat generating member 209. Note that frictional heat is always generated when the frictional heat generating member 209 is always in contact with the belt-shaped member 208 while the driving roller 206 is rotating. It is preferable to provide a mechanism for releasing the contact between the heat generating member 209 and the belt-like member 208 (this mechanism controls the amount of heat generated by adjusting the contact state between the frictional heat generating member 209 and the belt-like member 208. Can also be used in cases.)
[0246]
In the above configuration, the touch-sensitive presentation plate 205 is rotated so that the band-shaped member 208 is brought into contact with the palm surface of the finger, so that the touch of the material can be presented to the finger. By performing the feed control of the belt-shaped member 208 by rotating 206, a tactile sensation accompanied by the movement of the object can be presented to the fingertip. Further, the thermal sensation can be presented by transmitting the frictional heat generated when the frictional heat generating member 209 is brought into contact with the band-shaped member 208 from the band-shaped member 208 to the fingertip.
[0247]
The control elements necessary for presenting the tactile sensation and the temperature sensation described above are summarized as follows.
[0248]
C) Elements for detection
・ Sensors required for tactile presentation (pressure sensors, roller rotation detection sensors, etc.)
・ Sensors for detecting heat and temperature necessary for presenting warm sense
D) Elements for drive control
・ A mechanism for presenting a click to the fingertip
・ Mechanism for presenting material feeling to fingertips
-Exothermic / endothermic device.
[0249]
First, for the sensor necessary for the tactile presentation of C), for example, the tactile presentation plate 202 is controlled to come into contact with a predetermined pressing force on the fingertip, or the feeding speed of the belt-like member 208 is controlled. Used to control. The sensor for detecting heat and temperature is used not only for temperature control in the case of performing temperature sensing, but also for preventing excessive heat from being performed. All detection signals obtained by these sensors are sent to the central control unit 109 via the input / output interface unit 110 (see FIG. 29).
[0250]
Examples of the presentation mechanism of D) include a drive mechanism of the tactile presentation plates 202 and 205 and a feeding mechanism of the belt-like member 208. As for the heat generation / heat absorption device, as described above, heating / cooling is applied to the tactile presentation plate 202. Examples include a structure provided with an element (204) and a mechanism for generating frictional heat by contact with the belt-like member 208. Control signals for these are sent from the central control unit 109 to the respective mechanisms via the input / output interface unit 110. Sent out.
[0251]
Note that information transmission between the above-described appliance 108 and the input / output interface unit 110 may be performed by wired communication or wireless communication, but the degree of freedom of movement and movement of the target person. Wireless communication is more preferable from the viewpoint of not limiting (for example, an input / output interface using infrared rays or wireless conforming to the IEEE 1934 standard).
[0252]
Next, the configuration of the central control unit 109 will be described.
[0253]
FIG. 77 mainly shows a configuration example of an information processing part related to visual / auditory information in the central control unit 109, and includes a video / sound synthesis unit 210 and an overall control unit 211.
[0254]
The video / audio synthesis unit 210 generates video (stereo video, etc.) signals and audio signals based on shape data such as polygon data and texture data in accordance with rules defined for the virtual space by the overall control unit 211, and Is output to a visual display and audio output device such as a head-mounted display, or information such as weight, force sense, touch sense, and temperature sense included in texture data is integrated and provided to a position and force sense control unit described later. Have a role. The reason why information such as weight, force sense, tactile sense, and temperature sense is included in the texture data representing the texture of the material is that it can reduce the amount of data.
[0255]
As described above, in the force / tactile sense presentation, it is necessary to distinguish between virtual reality and virtual illusion. Therefore, in this example, the virtual reality database unit 210a and the virtual illusion database unit 210b are provided independently.
[0256]
The constructed database constituting the virtual reality database unit 210a is as follows (indicated by reference numerals in parentheses).
[0257]
a) Environmental database (210a_1)
b) Human body database (210a_2)
c) Clothing database (210a_3)
d) Tool database (210a_4).
[0258]
First, the environment database 210a_1 is a data group that provides an environment for a subject (a pseudo image) experiencing the virtual reality world to exist in the virtual reality space, for example, image data such as an infinite plane or a room. . However, since data such as objects (virtual objects) that can be virtually influenced by touching or moving by the subject, such as jars, chairs, windows, and weapons, are included in the tool database 210a_4, walls and ceilings Things that cannot be moved, such as scenery, are the environmental database data.
[0259]
The human body database 210a_2 is a database including video and audio data of a subject who experiences a virtual world or a character (virtual person).
[0260]
The clothing database 210a_3 is a database for configuring the clothing of the subject and the clothing of the characters, and includes, for example, configuration data such as armor and dresses.
[0261]
The tool database 210a_4 is a database for configuring an object (virtual object) that can be moved by applying a mechanical action to the subject, and includes, for example, configuration data such as a cup and a chair.
[0262]
For the virtual illusion database unit 210b, a database for virtually creating and configuring phenomena that humans cannot actually experience is used. For example, a wall that melts and softens when touched, a person that melts when shaken, Includes all the data to virtually create a fantasy world, such as armor made of water, a book that smashes when touched and a snowman comes out and speaks. This database is also constituted by databases corresponding to the databases a) to d) as in the case of the virtual reality database described above, but the classification of each database is as strict as in the case of the virtual reality database. Is not required. For example, in the case of a virtual reality database, regarding the distinction between the environment database and the tool database, whether or not the subject can touch and move is a criterion for determination, but in the case of the virtual illusion database, the subject does not touch it. However, there is no problem even if this is included in the tool database, and if the wall changes to clothes, it may be included in the clothes database.
[0263]
These databases are all used for visual presentation based on video information, and are referenced by the polygon (data) generation unit 210c. The polygon generation unit 210c is required to generate various polygon data based on the above-described various databases. The generation unit (environment polygon generation unit 210c_1 for the environment database 210a_1 and the human body database 210a_2) corresponding to each database. A human body polygon generation unit 210c_2, a clothing polygon generation unit 210c_3 for the clothing database 210a_3, and a tool polygon generation unit 210c_4 for the tool database 210a_4) are provided. The human body polygon generation unit 210c_2 generates the polygon data of the subject based on data from a current motion generation unit described later.
[0264]
Similarly to the virtual reality database, the virtual illusion database unit 210b is provided with a polygon (data) generation unit 210d.
[0265]
The virtual polygon synthesizer 210e is a part that synthesizes and outputs the data generated by the polygon generators 210c and 210d described above, and information (stereo video or the like) obtained by image synthesis is displayed on the visual display and audio output device 111 (head). (Stereo) video output device 212 of a mount display or the like.
[0266]
The information integration unit (210f to 210h) extracts the data of gravity, force sense, tactile sense, and temperature sense from the texture data obtained from each polygon generation unit and puts them together, and then positions and force control described later for each data group. Send to the department. That is, the gravity information is extracted by the gravity information integration unit 210f and then sent to the gravity recognition unit, which will be described later, and the haptic information is extracted by the force information integration unit 210g, and then the force sense recognition unit, which will be described later. Sent. Further, after the information about the tactile sense and the temperature sense is extracted by the tactile sense and heat information integration unit 210h, both are sent to the tactile sense recognition unit and the heat recognition unit described later.
[0267]
The interference comparison unit 210i is provided, for example, for determining whether or not there is interference between the subject and the virtual object based on all the data obtained by each polygon generation unit. In some cases, that is, when it is determined that there is a possibility that a contact with a virtual object, a force sense received from a virtual object, or presentation of a temperature sensation may be required, an interrupt (INT) shown below is generated.
[0268]
INT for position or force control (for example, a value “0” indicates “position control”, and a value “1” indicates “force control”)
INT for tactile control (for example, “0” indicates “no control”, and “1” indicates “control”)
INT for temperature control (for example, “0” indicates “no control”, and “1” indicates “control”).
[0269]
The control contents by these will be described later.
[0270]
Input information to the video / speech synthesis processing unit 210 is detection information obtained by the magnetic sensor or gyro sensor, and detection information of the magnetic sensor (“MGS” in the figure) is the audio signal processing unit 210j or virtual polygon synthesis. The detection information of the gyro sensor (“JYS” in the drawing) is sent to the polygon generation unit 210c.
[0271]
The audio signal processing unit 210j generates audio information based on a sound source database in the virtual reality world and the virtual illusion world, and sends the audio information to the audio output unit 213 of the visual display and audio output device 111. The audio signal processing unit 210j can be shared between virtual reality and virtual illusion.
[0272]
The overall control unit 211 selects whether or not to make the virtual reality or virtual illusion world appear through the visual display / sound output device 111 or the force / tactile / temperature-sensing equipment, and the protection mechanism (danger avoidance mechanism). ) Is the central part that makes recovery decisions after the operation and governs closed rules in the world of virtual reality and virtual illusion. The overall control unit 211 also controls the kinematic pair holding mechanism 214 used to temporarily hold the paired state in order to improve the detachability of the appliance (the slider mechanism shown in FIGS. 68 and 69). In 189, the slide member 190 is moved when wearing or removing the brace.)
[0273]
Next, position, force sense, tactile sense, and temperature sense control will be described.
[0274]
FIG. 78 shows a configuration example of the position / force control unit 215 and the tactile sense / temperature control unit 216 constituting the central control unit 109.
[0275]
The position and force control unit 215 includes the following components (indicated by reference numerals in parentheses).
[0276]
-Position recognition unit (215a)
Based on the data acquired by the initial calibration (described later), a process for obtaining the angle of the joint from each wire length is performed. For this purpose, detection information is received from a sensor ("WLS" in the figure) that detects the wire length, and the recognition result is sent to the subsequent real gravity recognition unit.
[0277]
・ Real gravity recognition unit (215b)
Data indicating the total weight of the appliance is added to the weight data of the subject obtained from the gravity information integration unit 210f, and the actual weight data is added to the information obtained by the position recognition unit 215a. That is, this determines the weight of the subject wearing the brace.
[0278]
・ Virtual gravity recognition unit (215c)
Weight is given to the virtual object from the gravity information integration unit 210f, and virtual weight data is added to the data obtained by the real gravity recognition unit 215b. For example, when a subject holds a book that is a virtual object, it is necessary to consider the virtual weight (weight assumed for the virtual object) given to the book.
[0279]
-Force recognition unit (215d)
How much force is obtained based on the information from the tension sensor ("TTS" in the figure), the force information by the virtual object from the force information integration unit 210g and the virtual weight from the virtual gravity recognition unit 215c Calculate whether the subject will receive sensation. For example, when it is assumed that the subject holds a virtual object, the force that the hand or arm will receive when the virtual object is a real object is recognized by calculation. However, when the interruption (INT) for the position or force sense control from the interference comparison unit 210i occurs and the value at that time is “0”, the operation is not performed.
[0280]
・ Current motion generator (215e)
It is a part that constitutes a motion generation unit together with a predicted motion generation unit, which will be described later, and acquires the current motion of the subject as wire frame data based on the data from the real gravity recognition unit 215b and the wire frame data of the human body database 210a_2. This is sent to the human body polygon generation unit 210c_2 and the danger avoidance control unit described later. However, when the interruption (INT) for the position or force sense control from the interference comparison unit 210i occurs and the value at that time is “1”, the operation is not performed.
[0281]
-Predictive motion generator (215f)
Based on the data from the force recognition and the wire frame data of the human body database 210a_2, the motion predicted for the subject is acquired as the wire frame data, and this is sent to the wire length control unit described later. However, when the interruption (INT) for the position or force sense control from the interference comparison unit 210i occurs and the value at that time is “0”, the operation is not performed.
[0282]
・ Danger avoidance control unit (215g)
When trying to take a dangerous posture by the human body based on the wire frame obtained by the current motion generation unit 215e or when a posture that deviates from the allowable angle of the joint is predicted, the wire and its drive source are separated. Is to prevent. For example, the electromagnetic clutch mechanism 217 using a permanent magnet and an electromagnet separates the two to prohibit the driving of the wire.
[0283]
FIG. 79 is a flowchart showing an example of the control operation when the electromagnetic clutch mechanism is used.
[0284]
First, after obtaining a detection signal from the contact detection sensor in step S1, it is determined in next step S2 whether or not the electromagnetic clutch mechanism is in a coupled state. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 60, whether or not the permanent magnet 176 fixed to the wire 173 and the electromagnet 179 fixed to the wire portion 181a of the sliding drive unit 181 are combined is used for contact detection. If it is determined based on the detection signals from the sensors 177 and 178 and the wire 173 can be pulled by the sliding drive unit 181 due to the combination of the two, the process proceeds to step S4. If not, the process proceeds to step S3. Then, the slide type driving unit 181 is controlled to move the wire unit 181a so as to approach the wire 173, and then the process returns to step S1.
[0285]
After acquiring the detection signal from the tension sensor (TTS) in step S4, in next step S5, it is asked whether or not the traction force of the wire is in a dangerous state. If this is within the safe range, the process returns to step S4. However, when that is not right, it progresses to following step S6, and an electromagnetic clutch mechanism will be in a non-engagement state (for example, a permanent magnet and an electromagnet isolate | separate).
[0286]
When a mechanical interruption occurs in step S7, for example, if the traction force on the wire suddenly rises and a dangerous state occurs and it is necessary to deal with this urgently, the process proceeds to the next step S8. When the traction force of the wire exceeds the attractive force of the permanent magnet, the process proceeds to step S6. If the traction force of the wire is less than or equal to the attractive force of the permanent magnet, the process proceeds to step S4.
[0287]
・ Wire length controller (215b)
The length of each wire is controlled based on the data from the predicted motion generation unit 215f, and a control signal is sent to the wire drive unit 218. When an interruption (INT) to the position or force sense control from the interference comparison unit 210i is generated and the value at that time is “0”, the current motion generation unit 215e is set so that the wire tension is constant. The wire length is controlled so as to shift to the body posture from the predicted motion generation unit 215f with the body posture as a reference. When the value is “1”, the wire length is controlled so as to present only the sense of force obtained from the predicted motion generation unit 215f while maintaining the posture by the current motion generation unit 215e.
[0288]
The tactile and temperature control unit 216 includes the following components (reference numerals are shown in parentheses).
[0289]
・ Heat recognition unit (216a)
The temperature information of the fingertip of the subject is acquired and monitored by a heat or temperature detection sensor (“THS” in the figure). When the information deviates from the allowable range, for example, when the temperature reaches a dangerous temperature exceeding the upper limit temperature, the power supply to the heat generation / heat absorption device 219 is stopped or the control is reversed. A signal for generating (shifting from heat generation to heat absorption or vice versa) is generated and sent to a heat control unit described later.
[0290]
・ Tactile recognition unit (216b)
The pressure sensor ("PSS" in the figure) detects the pressure state of the fingertip, or the rotation number of the roller (see 206 and 207 in FIG. 76) is detected by the rotation detection sensor ("RLS" in the figure). Monitoring. When it is determined that the detected pressure has deviated from the allowable range, or when it is determined that the number of rotations of the roller is too high, a message to that effect is sent to the tactile control unit described later, Prevent from touching your finger.
[0291]
-Thermal pattern generation unit (216c)
A pattern generation unit is configured together with a tactile pattern generation unit to be described later, and a temperature sensation to be presented to the fingertip based on the information from the motion generation unit, the tactile and thermal information integration unit 210h, and the information from the heat recognition unit 216a. Generate a presentation pattern. The above-described position and force sense interruption (INT) is generated, the value at that time is set to “1”, and the operation is performed only when the value at the time of occurrence of the interruption for temperature control is “1”.
[0292]
-Tactile pattern generator (216d)
Based on the information from the motion generation unit, the tactile and thermal information integration unit 210h, and the information from the tactile recognition unit 216b, a tactile presentation pattern to be presented to the fingertip is generated. Note that the operation (INT) for the position and force sense described above occurs, the value at that time is “1”, and the operation is performed only when the value at the time of occurrence of the interrupt for tactile control is “1”.
[0293]
・ Thermal control unit (216e)
This is a part that receives a command from the thermal pattern generation unit 216 c and sends a control signal to a heat generation / heat absorption device (Peltier element or the like) 219.
[0294]
・ Tactile control unit (216f)
This is a part that receives a command from the tactile pattern generation unit 216d and sends a control signal to the drive mechanism 220 or the roller drive unit 221 of the tactile sense presentation board (202, 205) to perform control.
[0295]
For tactile control, the timing for applying finger pressure is set in advance, and the input device (keyboard, mouse, jog dial, trackball, etc.) is displayed on the visual display device when the timing is reached. Thus, command input, data input, and the like can be performed by keystrokes or button operations on a virtual input device.
[0296]
Next, calibration processing performed at the time of initial setting regarding the brace will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0297]
FIG. 80 is a flowchart showing an example of processing for acquiring the joint range of motion (the range in which the joint operates), the wire length, and the maximum value of the position control speed.
[0298]
First, in step S1, after the appliance is mounted on the subject, the wire driving unit 218 is controlled so that the tension of each wire is in a constant state, and in the next step S2, the subject (subject) is controlled. Then, voice information (visual display and voice guide through the voice output device 213 in the voice output device 111) is transmitted to promote imitation of the operation.
[0299]
For example, an operation shown below is given as an operation to be imitated by the subject.
[0300]
・ Elbow extension, pronation, 2nd to 5th finger DIP, PIP, MP flexion, 1st finger IP, MP flexion with hand in front and fist
・ Hand gripping the iron array and raising it, elbow flexion, wrist flexion during finger flexion
-Opposed flat position, MP abduction of 2nd to 5th fingers, CM buckling abduction of 1st finger in the state where the palm is flattened with the hand in front
・ Palm flexion of wrist during finger extension from bent wrist
-Wrist dorsiflexion from a state where the wrist is bent upward
・ DIP, PIP, MP extension and MP adduction of 2nd to 5th fingers in hand
・ Converse bending position with the thumb placed on the base of the little finger, CM finger flexion inversion of the first finger.
[0301]
In the next step S3, the information is sent to the visual display and audio output device 111 in order to provide the subject with the operation to be imitated as video information. Then, the subject imitates the motion so that the image showing the motion of the hand or arm (exemplary motion) projected on the device and the image obtained by photographing the hand or arm of the subject almost overlap. In addition, in order to synthesize the video of the exemplary action and the video of the subject and display them on the video output device 212 of the visual display and audio output device 111, for example, the visual display and audio output device 111 such as a head-mounted display has an imaging means. (The solid-state image sensor such as a CCD-type or MOS-type area image sensor, etc.) is added to the video signal of the subject once taken into the central control unit 109 via the input / output interface unit 110, and then the image coordinate system The output signal may be sent to the visual display and audio output device 111 after performing the image correction processing with the image indicating the position correction and the exemplary operation in FIG.
[0302]
In next step S4, each wire length is detected, and the position recognition unit 215a determines whether or not the length variation is within a predetermined reference range. If the fluctuation is equal to or greater than the reference value, the process returns to step S3 to re-execute the operation. If not, the process proceeds to the next step S5.
[0303]
In step S5, time is measured according to a predetermined time interval (sampling period) determined in advance, and the displacement amount of each wire length with the passage of time (the wire detected at each sampling time with reference to the wire length at the start of operation) After obtaining the data indicating the length displacement), the process proceeds to step S6.
[0304]
For example, as shown in the graph of FIG. 81, the horizontal axis represents time “t”, the vertical axis represents a certain wire length “L”, and the graph curve gy (for young people) and the graph curve go ( The case of elderly people) is schematically shown. In the figure, “t0” indicates the operation start time, and “ΔTs” indicates the sampling (time) interval. “L0” indicates the wire length immediately before the subject's movement, and “L1” indicates the wire length at the end of the subject's movement. That is, the displacement amount of the wire length is represented by “ΔL = L−L0”, and the maximum value (joint range of motion) is “ΔLmax = L1−L0”.
[0305]
As can be seen from the figure, in the case of young people, ΔL immediately rises immediately after the start of operation and asymptotically approaches L = L1, and in the case of elderly people, ΔL slowly rises immediately after the start of operation. Eventually, saturation is observed at L = L1.
[0306]
Therefore, the displacement amount ΔL (corresponding to the joint angle, pronation / extraction angle, etc.) can be obtained from the wire length L at a certain time t (= t0 + n · ΔTs, where n is a natural number). Is stored in the storage means together with the time information, so that the movement of the subject can be acquired as the time change of the wire length (this process is step S6 in FIG. 80). At that time, a human body structure model of a subject (a numerical model indicating a mechanical structure related to a human body, for example, see Japanese Patent Application No. 10-266 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-192214)) in a database. Can be used, for example, whether or not excessive force is applied to the subject's muscles, etc. by comparing and contrasting the movable range and operating time of each joint obtained from the model with the above detection data Can be determined.
[0307]
In subsequent step S7 (see FIG. 80), it is determined whether or not the data acquisition in step S6 has been completed for all the operations, and when finished, the process proceeds to step S8, but when not completed, the process returns to step S2.
[0308]
In step S8, the maximum speed (Vmax) in the position control (or wire length control) of each wire is calculated.
[0309]
That is, when the slope (or slope) in the graph curve shown in FIG. 81 is calculated, the maximum value is Vmax, which prohibits the wire from being pulled at a speed exceeding Vmax in the control of the wire length. Is necessary to do. “Vmax = max (ΔLi / ΔTs)” where “ΔLi” is the wire length L (i) at time t = t0 + i · ΔTs and time t = when the integer variable is “i”. The difference from the wire length L (i + 1) at t0 + (i + 1) · ΔTs, “L (i + 1) −L (i)”, and max (X) indicates the maximum value in the domain of the variable X It is a function.
[0310]
Thus, while acquiring the t (time) -L (wire length or position displacement) characteristic which shows the time change of the wire length accompanying the operation | movement change of object, driving of a wire member is calculated by calculating the gradient in the said change. The maximum value of the control speed allowed for the control or the upper limit value in consideration of the safety factor can be obtained.
[0311]
FIG. 82 is a flowchart showing an example of processing for acquiring the maximum value of the force / tactile sense presentation amount and the maximum value of the force sense presentation speed.
[0312]
First, in step S1, after the appliance is mounted, the wire length is kept constant so that the length of the wire member becomes constant by the control of the wire driving unit 218, and the tactile sensation is presented to the fingertip. After the tactile sense presentation board (see FIGS. 75 and 76) is brought into contact with the finger and this state is maintained, the process proceeds to the next step S2.
[0313]
Step S2 and next step S3 are the same as steps S2 and S3 in FIG. 80, and the operation is explained by voice guidance to the subject, and the operation displayed on the visual display and voice output device 111 is imitated.
[0314]
In subsequent step S4, the tension of each wire is detected by a tension sensor, and the force sense recognition unit 215d determines whether or not the fluctuation rate is equal to or less than a predetermined reference value. If so, the process proceeds to next step S5. If not, return to step S3 to have the operation re-executed.
[0315]
In step S5, time is measured according to a predetermined time interval (sampling cycle) determined in advance, and the tension change of each wire with the passage of time (the wire tension detected at each sampling time with reference to the tension value at the start of operation) After the data indicating the amount of change) is acquired and the pressure value applied to the finger at each time is detected by the pressure sensor, the process proceeds to step S6. That is, in the graph with the horizontal axis as the time axis and the vertical axis as the wire tension or finger pressure, detection data is obtained for each sampling time in the same procedure as described in FIG. In addition, by storing it in the storage means, changes in wire tension based on the movement of the subject (indicating the degree of force sense applied to the subject corresponding to the movement of the hand or arm) and changes in pressure on the finger ( It shows the degree of tactile sensation given to the subject corresponding to the movement of the finger.).
[0316]
In step S7, it is determined whether or not the data acquisition for all the operations has been completed, and the process proceeds to step S8 when completed, but returns to step S2 when not completed.
[0317]
In step S8, the maximum speed in tension control of each wire and the maximum applied pressure (maximum presentation pressure) in tactile sense presentation control are calculated. In other words, for the former maximum speed, the t (time) -TS (wire tension) characteristic indicating the temporal change of the wire tension accompanying the movement change of the target is obtained, and the gradient in the change is calculated for the target. It is possible to obtain the maximum value of the haptic speed permissible speed or an upper limit value including the safety factor, and this is necessary to prohibit the haptics corresponding to the tension exceeding this value from being presented to the subject. is there. Further, the latter maximum applied pressure is the maximum value of the detected pressure value, and is necessary for restricting the pressure exceeding this value from being applied to the finger.
[0318]
Examples of application of the force / tactile sensation presentation apparatus described above include the following fields.
[0319]
・ Various simulators using virtual reality and force / tactile sense presentation device for remote operation in the field of telereality
・ Game devices using virtual illusion
・ Equipment for driving and power assistance for even number in medical field
-Manipulators and robot arms that imitate the degree of freedom of joints of the human body.
[0320]
As for the last example, the above-mentioned orthosis and wires are attached to the skeletal structure created by copying the joint structure of the human hand and arm, and the wire drive mechanism and drive source are built into the skeleton structure. It is possible to create a manipulator or a hand having the configuration described above. And if you attach a device or wire that is exactly the same as those attached to these manipulators to the subject's hands and arms, copy the force and sensation when touching or lifting an object with the manipulator as they are on the subject's hands and arms. Be able to present.
[0321]
Therefore, according to the force / tactile sense presentation device according to the present embodiment, the following advantages can be obtained.
[0322]
-Since only the joints of the human body are used, there is no need to attach an exoskeleton mechanism with a joint structure or shaft structure to the human body. Therefore, it is suitable for reducing the weight and thickness of the mechanism part, and is easy to mount and easy to move.
[0323]
-Space saving can be realized by realizing wire drive control that imitates the arrangement of muscles in the human body and efficiently arranging the wire drive section on the brace. Moreover, a power source and a wire drive mechanism can be reduced by combining a wire and its drive mechanism, and the mechanism using a spring member.
[0324]
-Basically, it is only necessary to attach a supporter to the back of the hand, so there will be no problem when a temperature or tactile sense presentation mechanism is provided on the palm.
[0325]
・ Safety measures are taken against pressure from supporters and damage from wires.
[0326]
・ It is possible to present a tactile sensation when a hard object is touched, such as when a key or button is touched.
[0327]
-Touching a material with a fingertip or presenting a tactile sensation as if the material flowed in one direction is possible.
[0328]
・ Present warmth at your fingertips.
[0329]
-The function of motion capture can be realized by using a wire member for force sense presentation as detection means for motion recognition.
[0330]
【The invention's effect】
  As apparent from the above description, according to the invention according to claim 1, the driving mechanism of the wire member is simplified by transporting the film to which the wire member is connected by the power roller and the compression roller, and the entire apparatus. Can be made compact.Moreover, accidental power transmission from the power roller to the film can be prevented by utilizing the action of electrostatic attraction caused by charging of the film and the compression roller.
[0331]
  Claim 2 or claim5According to the invention which concerns on this, the frequency of generation | occurrence | production of the unexpected operation | movement by accidentally contacting a power roller can be reduced by devising the shape of a film.
[0333]
  Claim3And claims6According to the invention which concerns on this, space (volume) for film accommodation can be decreased by winding up except a film part which a compression roller and a power roller contact by a winding mechanism.
[0334]
  Claim4According to the invention, it is possible to present a force / tactile sensation only by driving control of the wire member without mounting a heavy mechanical component on the object, and to achieve miniaturization and space saving of the wire driving unit. Therefore, it is suitable for reducing the weight of the apparatus and has little influence on the deterioration of the operation and the exhaustion of physical strength.Moreover, accidental power transmission from the power roller to the film can be prevented by utilizing the action of electrostatic attraction caused by charging of the film and the compression roller.
[0335]
  Claim7According to the invention according to the present invention, the number of wire members attached to the covering member can be reduced by using an elastic member for obtaining an urging force in the direction of bending or extending the finger. The mechanism can be simplified.
[0336]
  Claim8According to the invention, the spiral member is used as the elastic member, and the covering member is connected on the side surface thereof, thereby reducing the uncomfortable feeling during operation caused by the instantaneous center movement of the joint portion or the displacement of the covering member. be able to.
[0337]
  Claim9According to the invention, the coil spring is used as the elastic member, and this is attached to the back surface of the covering member, whereby the interference of the spring during the bending operation can be prevented.
[0338]
  Claim10According to the invention according to the above, by using a configuration in which a wire member is passed through a flexible tubular member, it is possible to prevent damage to an object during driving of the wire and to increase the strength of the wire member. it can.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a basic configuration of a wire driving device according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a method for adsorbing a film to a compression roller.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a charging mechanism.
FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a recognition method using a pair of wire members together with FIGS. 5 to 9, and this figure shows an arrangement of one wire member WA in a forearm swung state.
FIG. 5 is a view showing the arrangement of the other wire member WB in the gyrus state.
6 is a view showing the arrangement of the wire members in the standing state of the forearm together with FIG. 7, and this figure shows the arrangement of one of the wire members WA.
FIG. 7 is a view showing the arrangement of the other wire member WB in the standing state.
8 is a view showing the arrangement of the wire members in the forearm pronation state together with FIG. 9, and this figure shows the arrangement of one of the wire members WA.
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an arrangement of the other wire member WB in the pronation state.
FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an arrangement example of a drive mechanism of a wire member in an elbow supporter.
FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example in which a wire member is connected to a drive mechanism via a pulley.
FIG. 12 is a view showing an example in which a drive mechanism of a wire member is arranged at the bottom of an elbow supporter.
FIG. 13 shows a method for fixing a wire end to a film together with FIG. 14, and this figure shows the processing of the wire end.
FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining an engagement hole formed in a film and attachment / fixation of a wire end to the engagement hole.
FIG. 15 shows a configuration example of a wire driving device together with FIGS. 16 to 18, and this figure is a perspective view with a part removed.
FIG. 16 is a side view.
FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view showing a main part of the configuration.
FIG. 18 is a plan view showing a state where a presser plate and a slider are removed.
FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a slider.
FIG. 20 is an explanatory view of the operation of the crimping mechanism.
FIG. 21 is a diagram showing an example of the shape of a film.
FIG. 22 is a diagram illustrating an example of arrangement of constituent members of the charging mechanism.
FIG. 23 is an explanatory diagram for setting an angle of a film transport path.
FIG. 24 is a diagram showing a configuration example in which a plurality of pressure-bonding rollers are provided and a film is sandwiched between driving rollers.
FIG. 25 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example in which a plurality of films are driven using one driving mechanism.
FIG. 26 is a side view schematically showing a muscle arrangement in a finger part.
FIG. 27 is a diagram illustrating a basic configuration example of a force / tactile sensation presentation apparatus;
FIG. 28 shows an example of implementation of the present invention together with FIG. 29 to FIG. 82, and is an explanatory diagram regarding the concept of virtual reality and virtual illusion.
FIG. 29 is a diagram showing an outline of a device configuration.
FIG. 30 is a view for explaining the mounting of the brace on the subject together with FIGS. 31 and 32, and this figure shows the human body of the upper arm supporter with respect to the mounting direction of the finger supporter and the forearm supporter to the human body. An example is shown in which the mounting direction is opposite.
FIG. 31 is a diagram showing an example in which the mounting directions of the supporters to the human body are unified.
FIG. 32 is a diagram showing a state in which each supporter is mounted on a human body.
FIG. 33 is a diagram schematically showing the entire hand supporter.
FIG. 34 is a diagram schematically showing a hand supporter as seen from the back side.
FIG. 35 is a diagram schematically showing a hand supporter as seen from the side.
FIG. 36 is a diagram showing an example of the shape of a spiral spring.
FIG. 37 is a view showing a spiral spring group having a multiple structure and an example of its use.
FIG. 38 is a side view of the finger portion showing a state in which a spring strength adjusting mechanism is attached to the covering portion.
FIG. 39 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a spring strength adjusting mechanism.
FIG. 40 is a view showing another example of a spring strength adjusting mechanism.
FIG. 41 is a diagram showing a configuration example in which an adjustment mechanism is provided at the base of the spiral spring.
FIG. 42 is a diagram schematically showing an example of a mechanism for adjusting a covering portion in accordance with the size of a finger.
FIG. 43 is a diagram showing a configuration example in which a hinge type coil spring is used on the back surface of the covering portion.
44 is a view of the wire arrangement in the hand supporter as seen from the back side. FIG.
45 is a view of the wire arrangement in the hand supporter as seen from the thumb side. FIG.
FIG. 46 is a diagram showing the arrangement of V-shaped springs provided in the covering portion near the MP joint.
FIG. 47 is a diagram showing a shape example of a V-shaped spring.
FIG. 48 is a diagram showing a configuration example of an upper supporter.
FIG. 49 is a diagram showing a shape example of a hinge spring.
FIG. 50 is a view showing a main part of a hinge spring support mechanism.
FIG. 51 is a diagram showing another example of the upper supporter.
FIG. 52 is a diagram showing an example of an operation mechanism for internal rotation / external rotation.
FIG. 53 is a diagram showing an example in which a magnet is used as an operation mechanism for internal rotation / external rotation.
FIG. 54 is a diagram showing another example of an operation mechanism for internal rotation / external rotation.
FIG. 55 is a view showing a main part of a connection structure in which three spiral springs are arranged in parallel.
FIG. 56 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a slide type reaction force adjusting mechanism.
FIG. 57 is a view for explaining the opposing movement mechanism in the CM joint of the thumb with FIG. 58, and is a view seen from the back side.
FIG. 58 is a diagram viewed from a direction orthogonal to the operation axis of the thumb.
FIG. 59 is an explanatory diagram for wearing a wrist supporter.
FIG. 60 is a diagram showing an example of a wire driving mechanism.
FIG. 61 is a diagram showing an example of an electromagnetic clutch mechanism.
62 is a view showing the hand supporter together with FIG. 63, and is a view seen from the back side.
FIG. 63 is a diagram showing only the wire members extracted and their arrangement.
FIG. 64 is a diagram showing a support example of a wire in a finger supporter.
FIG. 65 is a diagram showing an initial state (external rotation / flat position) and a state of internal rotation / curved position of the finger part, respectively.
FIG. 66 is a diagram showing the arrangement of wire members in the upper surface supporter.
FIG. 67 is a diagram for explaining the arrangement of the wire members related to the movement of the wrist joint.
FIG. 68 is a view showing an example of a state support mechanism of the wrist supporter together with FIG.
FIG. 69 is a diagram illustrating a finger joint extension state;
FIG. 70 is a diagram showing the arrangement of wire members related to the pronation / extraction operation.
FIG. 71 is an explanatory view showing a pronation state, a standing position, and a pronation state.
72 is a view showing a configuration example in which a C-shaped guide member is attached to a side surface of a forearm supporter. FIG.
FIG. 73 is a diagram showing a configuration example of an elbow joint supporter.
FIG. 74 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a forearm supporter and an upper arm supporter.
FIG. 75 is a diagram showing an example of a tactile sense presentation mechanism.
FIG. 76 is a diagram showing another example of a tactile sense presentation mechanism.
FIG. 77 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of an information processing portion related to visual / auditory information.
FIG. 78 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a position and force sense control unit and a tactile sense and temperature sense control unit.
FIG. 79 is a flowchart showing an example of a control operation using an electromagnetic clutch mechanism.
FIG. 80 is a flowchart showing an example of processing for acquiring a joint movable range, a change in wire length with time, and a maximum value of a position control speed;
FIG. 81 is a graph showing temporal changes in wire length.
FIG. 82 is a flowchart showing an example of processing for acquiring the maximum value of the force / tactile sense presentation amount and the maximum value of the force sense presentation speed.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Wire drive device, 2 ... Wire member, 3 ... Film, 4 ... Power roller, 5 ... Compression roller, 14 ... Winding mechanism, 101 ... Force / tactile sense presentation device, 102 ... Cover member, 104, 105 ... Drive means, 108, 112 ... orthosis, 113 ... spiral spring, 136 ... coil spring

Claims (10)

A film having a wire member connected thereto, and a power roller and a compression roller for sandwiching the film,
In moving the film, the film have a transmission mechanism for transmitting power against the power rollers by pressure rollers,
The surface of the film that comes into contact with the compression roller is charged, and an electrostatic attraction acts between this film and the compression roller charged with the opposite polarity, so that power is transmitted from the power roller to the film. A wire driving device characterized in that the film is configured to be adsorbed by a compression roller in the absence of the film . In the wire drive device according to claim 1,
A wire driving device characterized in that the cross-sectional shape of the film on a surface orthogonal to the film conveyance direction is curved in an arc shape, and the convex surface side is in contact with a compression roller. In the wire drive device according to claim 1,
Of the end portions of the film along the transport direction, the end portion on the opposite side to the side to which the wire member is connected is connected to the winding mechanism. A plurality of appliances used by being attached to a subject, a plurality of pairs of wire members spanned across a pair of covering members among the covering members constituting the appliances, and drive means for driving the wire members A force / tactile sensation presentation device that presents a force / tactile sensation to the subject by transmitting the force of the driving means to the brace via the wire member,
The driving means includes a film to which the wire member is connected, a power roller and a compression roller for sandwiching the film, and a transmission for transmitting the power by pressing the film against the power roller by the compression roller when moving the film. have a mechanism and,
The surface of the film that comes into contact with the compression roller is charged, and an electrostatic attraction acts between this film and the compression roller charged with the opposite polarity, so that power is transmitted from the power roller to the film. A force / tactile sensation presentation device, wherein the film is configured to be attracted to a compression roller in a state where there is no force. In the force tactile sense presentation device according to claim 4 ,
A force / tactile sensation presentation device characterized in that the cross-sectional shape of the film on a surface orthogonal to the film conveyance direction is curved in an arc shape, and the convex surface side is in contact with a compression roller. . In the force tactile sense presentation device according to claim 4 ,
Of the end portions of the film along the transport direction, the end portion on the opposite side to the side to which the wire member is connected is connected to the winding mechanism. In the force tactile sense presentation device according to claim 4 ,
A plurality of covering members mounted on the back of the hand or finger;
While connecting adjacent members among the covering members, an elastic member for biasing a force in the direction of bending or extending the fingers;
A plurality of pairs of wire members attached to the covering member,
A force / tactile sensation presentation device, wherein at the time of bending or extending a finger, the driving means pulls the plurality of pairs of wire members against the urging force of the elastic member. In the force tactile sense presentation device according to claim 7 ,
The force-tactile sensation presentation apparatus, wherein the elastic member is configured using a spiral spring, and adjacent covering members are connected to each other by a pair of spiral springs on their side surfaces. In the force tactile sense presentation device according to claim 7 ,
The elastic tactile sense presentation device, wherein the elastic member is configured by using a coil spring, and adjacent covering members are connected to each other by a coil spring on the back surface thereof. In the force tactile sense presentation device according to claim 7 ,
A force / tactile sensation presentation apparatus, wherein a wire member is formed by passing a wire wire through a flexible tubular member.

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