JP5238626B2 - Sensory presentation device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a sensory presentation device that presents at least one of a force sense and a tactile sense to a finger.

  As a sensory presentation device that presents at least one of a force sense and a tactile sense to a finger, a device in which a device for applying force is fixed to the outside has been put into practical use. One has been proposed that generates a force sensation and a tactile sensation in a gripping part using a robot mechanism (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The other is to attach a wire to an externally fixed drive source and to change the position of the location to be presented to a human (for example, see Patent Document 2).

  In addition, as a device in which a force sense device is not fixed to the outside, a method of generating force by attaching a disk having a large moment of inertia to three rotation control motors and changing a rotation angular velocity (see, for example, Patent Document 3) ), A method of generating a force by generating a gyro moment using a gimbal, and a method of generating a force by rotating a disk having a large moment of inertia and changing the rotational angular velocity of the disk by a brake (for example, non-patent Reference 1).

  In addition, as a method for generating a force sensation on a finger, a method using a brake (for example, see Patent Document 4), a method using a finger sack (for example, see Patent Document 5), a finger presentation position is fixed. CyberGrasp (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 2) is disclosed.

  Moreover, the idea which changes the contact position which contacts a finger | toe is proposed (for example, refer nonpatent literature 3 and 4).

Special table 2007-510232 gazette JP 2003-172661 A JP 2004-177360 A JP 2000-99240 A JP 2002-182817 A

Hideyuki Ando, Kazutoshi Obana, Tsukasa Watanabe, Maki Sugimoto, Taro Maeda, "Development of a mechanical brake-type force presentation device using rotational moments" Human Interface Journal, pp181-188, Vol.5 No.2,2003. CyberGrasp catalog, Immersion Corp. K. J. Kuchenbecker, W. R. Provancher, G. Niemeyer, M, R. Cutkosky: "Haptic Display of Contact Location", Proceedings of the 12th International Symposium on Haptic Interfaces for Virtual Environment and Teleoperator Systems, 2004. Yokokoji Yasuyoshi, Muramori Nobuhiko, Yoshikawa Tsuneo, “Design of Multifinger Encounter Haptic Device”, Proceedings of the 7th Annual Conference of the Virtual Reality Society of Japan, pp. 69-72, 2002.

  In the conventional apparatus described above, the position where the force sense and the tactile sensation cannot be changed, and the degree of freedom of the force sense and the tactile sense that can be presented is low. Further, even a device that can change the position for presenting a force sense and a tactile sense has a complicated configuration.

  An object of the present invention is to increase the degree of freedom of force sense and touch sense that can be presented with a simple configuration in a sensory presentation device that presents at least one of force sense and touch sense to fingers.

A sensation presentation device according to claim 1 of the present invention is arranged on the dorsal side of a finger, extends from the base side of the finger along the fingertip side, a movable body movably attached to the guide, A contact part that is provided on the movable body and contacts the ventral side of the finger; a sensory imparting mechanism that imparts at least one of a force sense and a tactile sensation to the finger via the contact part; and the movable body along the guide The contact portion is moved by moving the touch portion, and the giving position at which the sense applying mechanism applies at least one of a force sense and a tactile sense to the finger through the contact portion can be changed to the base side or the fingertip side of the finger. And a driving unit.

  According to this structure, a contact part contacts the belly side of a finger, and a sensory provision mechanism provides at least one of a force sense and a tactile sense to a finger through this contact part.

  Further, the moving body provided with the contact portion is arranged on the dorsal side of the finger and moves along a guide extending from the base side of the finger along the fingertip side. The contact position in contact with the finger is changed.

  Thereby, compared with the structure which a contact position does not change, the force sensation and tactile sensation which can be provided to a finger become various, and the freedom degree of the force sensation and tactile sensation which can be shown can be raised.

  Further, in the first aspect, the contact position is changed by moving the moving body along a guide that is arranged on the dorsal side of the finger and extends along the fingertip side from the base side of the finger. In addition, the degree of freedom of force and touch that can be presented can be increased with a simple configuration.

The sensation presentation device according to claim 2 of the present invention is the sensor presentation device according to claim 1, wherein the guide is curved on the fingertip side in a bending direction in which the finger is bent, and the driving unit uses the moving body as the guide. The contact portion is moved by moving the contact portion, and the application direction and the application position in which the sense applying mechanism applies at least one of a force sense and a tactile sense to the fingers through the contact portion can be changed .

  According to this configuration, the moving body provided with the contact portion moves along the guide whose fingertip side is curved in the bending direction in which the finger bends, whereby the contact portion moves, and the contact portion contacts the finger. The contact direction and contact position can be changed.

  Since the contact direction can also be changed in this way, the degree of freedom of force sense and tactile sense that can be presented can be increased with a simple configuration as compared with a configuration in which the contact direction does not change.

The sensation presentation device according to claim 3 of the present invention is the sensor presentation device according to claim 2, wherein the guide starts from the base of the index finger as the finger, the fingertip of the index finger, the fingertip of the thumb as the finger, and the base of the thumb The contact portions are respectively disposed on the index finger and the thumb, each contacting the index finger and the thumb, and the moving body is disposed on the index finger and the thumb, respectively. Each of the contact portions is provided.

  According to this configuration, since the contact portions arranged on the thumb and the index finger can be moved by one guide, the number of parts can be reduced, and the contact position can be changed with a simple configuration.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the sensory presentation device according to the first or second aspect, wherein the sensation presenting device is arranged on the base side of the finger and supports the base end portion of the guide, and the finger is bent. A connecting portion that connects the proximal end portion of the guide and the support member so that the distal end portion of the guide can be moved in a bending direction, and contact that contacts the finger by moving the distal end portion of the guide in the bending direction. And a second drive unit capable of changing the direction.

  According to this structure, the 2nd drive part can change the contact direction which contacts a finger by moving the front-end | tip part of a guide to a bending direction.

  Since the contact direction can also be changed in this way, the degree of freedom of force sense and tactile sense that can be presented can be increased with a simple configuration as compared with a configuration in which the contact direction does not change.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the sensory presentation device according to the fourth aspect, wherein the guide is moved along a trajectory of the thumb movement with a thumb-carpal joint of the thumb as the finger as a fulcrum. It has a mechanism.

  According to this configuration, since the guide can be moved following the thumb having a high degree of freedom of movement, the degree of freedom of force sense and tactile sense that can be presented can be increased.

The sensation presentation apparatus according to claim 6 of the present invention includes the guide, the moving body, the contact portion, the sensation imparting mechanism, and the drive portion in the configuration according to any one of claims 1 to 5. A sensory presentation device main body , a main body support that supports the sensory presentation device main body so as to be rotatable around the wrist of the hand having the fingers, and a rotation mechanism that rotates the sensory presentation device main body around the wrist of the hand. Prepare.

According to this configuration, since the sensation presentation device main body can be rotated around the wrist of the hand, it is possible to present a sense of force with respect to the rotation operation of the wrist.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the configuration of the sixth aspect, the sensory presentation device includes a brake that brakes rotation of the sensory presentation device main body by the rotation mechanism.

  According to this configuration, since the torque can be changed rapidly, it is possible to present a greater force sense to the wrist rotation operation.

  Since the present invention is configured as described above, in a sensory presentation device that presents at least one of a force sense and a tactile sense on a finger, the degree of freedom of force sense and touch sense that can be presented can be increased with a simple configuration.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a configuration of a force sense presentation device 10 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of the haptic device main body 13 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic side view showing the configuration of the haptic device main body 13 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of the moving body 40 according to the present embodiment. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 6A is a schematic side view showing a mounting structure of the moving body 40 movably attached to the guide 42, and FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6B-6B in FIG. 6A. is there. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a control system that controls the force sense presentation device 10. FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of the force sense presentation device main body 113 according to the modification. FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view showing a configuration of a force sense presentation device 200 according to a modification. FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view illustrating configurations of the main body support 202, the rotation mechanism 210, and the brake 220 in the force sense presentation device 200 according to the modification. FIG. 11A is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of the rotation mechanism 210 and the brake 220 in the force sense presentation device 200 according to the modification, and FIGS. 11B and 11C are arrows in FIG. It is the figure seen from A direction, (B) shows the cam 222 in a contact position, (C) shows the cam 222 in a non-contact position.

Below, an example of an embodiment concerning the present invention is described based on a drawing.
In the present embodiment, a force sense presentation device that presents a force sense to a finger will be described as a sensory presentation device that presents at least one of a force sense and a tactile sense to the finger.

  The sensory presentation device may be a force sense presentation device that presents a tactile sense to a finger in addition to a force sense, or may be a tactile sense presentation device that presents only a tactile sense to a finger.

  Note that the sense of force refers to a sense of receiving a reaction force from an object in contact, and the sense of touch refers to a sense of skin such as a rough feeling on the surface when the object is touched. This force sense can be applied by, for example, pressing a finger or abutting the finger to restrict the movement of the finger. The tactile sensation can be applied by applying vibration to the contact portion that contacts the finger.

(Configuration of the force sense presentation device 10 according to the present embodiment)
First, the configuration of the force sense presentation device 10 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a configuration of a force sense presentation device 10 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of the haptic device main body 13 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic side view showing the configuration of the haptic device main body 13 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of the moving body 40 according to the present embodiment. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 6A is a schematic side view showing a mounting structure of the moving body 40 movably attached to the guide 42, and FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6B-6B in FIG. 6A. is there.

  The force sense presentation device 10 is used in, for example, a virtual object operation system capable of feeling and operating a virtual target in a virtual space as if it were a real target.

  The virtual space is constructed as data on a computer, for example, and is visualized using a technique such as computer graphics and displayed on a display or the like.

  In this visualized virtual space, a virtual object to be operated and a virtual finger of an operator who operates the virtual object are displayed.

  The force sense presentation device 10 is attached to an operator's actual finger, and can correspond to the position of the actual finger in the real space and the position of the virtual finger in the virtual space.

  As a result, it is possible to move the virtual finger by moving the finger on which the force sense presentation device 10 is mounted, and to operate the virtual object.

  As the operation, for example, it is possible to touch the virtual object, hold the virtual object, and move the object while holding the virtual object.

  The force sense presentation device 10 is operated not only so that the operator can visually feel that the virtual object is operated, but also so that the operator can feel as if he / she is touching or holding the virtual object. Sense of force on the fingers of the person.

  The force sense presentation device 10 can be used for navigation for smoothly performing operations such as assembly and surgery, or for training for mastering operations such as assembly and surgery. Hereinafter, a specific configuration of the force sense presentation device 10 will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the force sense presentation device 10 includes a force sense presentation device main body 13 and a support mechanism 70 that supports the force sense presentation device main body 13.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the force sense presentation device main body 13 is disposed on the back side of the finger and extends along the fingertip side from the base side of the finger, and guides 42 and 43. A movable body 40, 41 movably attached, a movable body 45 movably attached to the guide 43, and a support body 60 disposed on the base side of the finger and supporting the guides 42, 43 are provided. Yes.

  The guides 42, 43 and the moving bodies 40, 41, 45 are made of, for example, carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) or aluminum / magnesium material. The support body 60 is made of, for example, carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) or aluminum material.

  The guides 42, 43, the moving bodies 40, 41, 45, and the support body 60 are preferably made of the above materials as lightweight and rigid materials, but are not limited to the above materials. These materials can be used.

  Moreover, as shown in FIG. 2, the support body 60 is formed in an annular shape (cylindrical shape), and a hollow portion 60A into which a finger (hand) is inserted is formed. One end and the other end of the guide 42 and one end and the other end of the guide 43 are attached to the inner peripheral surface of the support body 60, and the guides 42 and 43 are fixed to the support body 60. . As shown in FIG. 3, by inserting a finger (hand) into the hollow portion 60 </ b> A of the support body 60, the finger is positioned in the space surrounded by the guide 42 and the support body 60 in a side view. At this position, the force sense presentation device main body 13 is attached to the finger.

  The guide 42 extends from the base of the index finger f as a finger, in the order of the fingertip of the index finger f, the fingertip of the thumb t as a finger, and the base of the thumb t, and a part is formed in a U-shape having an arc shape. Has been. Thereby, in the guide 42, the part 42C arranged on the fingertip side of the index finger f is curved in the bending direction A in which the index finger f bends, and the part 42D arranged on the fingertip side of the thumb t bends the thumb t. Curved in the bending direction B. The bending direction in which the finger is bent is specifically the direction in which the part on the fingertip side moves relative to the part on the base side of the finger.

  Further, the guide 42 is formed in a T-shaped cross section (see FIG. 6B). The guide 42 includes a horizontal plate 42A that forms a T-shaped horizontal bar, and a vertical plate 42B that forms a T-shaped vertical bar extending from the center of the horizontal bar.

  Similar to the guide 42, the guide 43 extends from the base of the middle finger as a finger along the fingertip of the middle finger, and a part of the guide 43 is formed in an arcuate U shape. Thereby, as for the guide 43, the site | part arrange | positioned at the fingertip side of a middle finger is curving in the bending direction in which a middle finger bends. Moreover, the guide 43 is formed in the cross-section T shape similarly to the guide 42 (refer FIG. 6 (B)). The guide 43 includes a horizontal plate 43A that forms a T-shaped horizontal bar, and a vertical plate 43B that forms a T-shaped vertical bar extending from the center of the horizontal bar.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the moving body 40 includes a pair of side plates 40 </ b> A and 40 </ b> B that sandwich the guide 42 from both lateral sides of the guide 42 with the guide 42 interposed therebetween. The side plates 40 </ b> A and 40 </ b> B are formed in a rectangular shape, and four corners are fixed by a shaft portion 32.

The side plates 40A and 40B are respectively provided with rotating bodies 46A and 46B that are in contact with the vertical plate 42B so as to be rotatable, and the moving body 40 has a total of four rotating bodies. Specifically, the rotating bodies 46A and 46B are attached to mounting portions (mounting plates) 47 provided on the side plates 40A and 40B. The rotating bodies 46A and 46B are formed in a disc shape, and the outer peripheral surface thereof. Are in contact with the vertical plate 42B. The rotating bodies 46A, 46B provided on the side plate 40A and the rotating bodies 46A, 46B provided on the side plate 40B are arranged to face each other via the vertical plate 42B, and the two rotating bodies 46A arranged to face each other. The two rotating bodies 46B arranged to face each other hold the vertical plate 42B (see FIG. 6B).

  The rotating bodies 46A and 46B roll on the surface of the vertical plate 42B of the guide 42, so that when the moving body 40 moves along the guide 42, the frictional resistance (movement resistance) between the moving body 40 and the guide 42 is reduced. The

  Further, on the side plates 40A and 40B, rotating bodies 48A and 48B that are in contact with the horizontal plate 42A are rotatably provided, respectively.

  The rotating bodies 48A and 48B are formed in a disk shape and are in contact with one surface of the horizontal plate 42A (the surface on the side where the vertical plate 42B extends and the inner peripheral surface on the finger placement side). .

  Further, on the side plates 40A and 40B, rotating bodies 49A and 49B that are in contact with the horizontal plate 42A are rotatably provided, respectively.

The rotating bodies 49A and 49B are formed in a disk shape and are in contact with the other surface of the horizontal plate 42A. The rotating bodies 49A and 49B are respectively arranged to face the rotating bodies 48A and 48B via the horizontal plate 42A, and the horizontal plates 42A are sandwiched between the rotating bodies 48A and 48B. When 48A and 48B roll on the surface of the horizontal plate 42A of the guide 42, the frictional resistance (movement resistance) between the moving body 40 and the guide 42 is reduced when the moving body 40 moves along the guide 42. .

  Racks 50 and 51 are formed on the other surface of the horizontal plate 42A as shown in FIG. A pinion 52 that meshes with the rack 50 is attached to a drive shaft of a drive motor 44 as an example of a drive unit that applies a drive force for moving the mobile body 40 to the mobile body 40.

  The drive motor 44 is fixed to the side plate 40B. The rack 50 is not shown in FIG.

  As described above, the vertical plate 42B of the guide 42 is clamped by the rotary bodies 46A and 46B, and the horizontal plate 42A of the guide 42 is clamped by the rotary bodies 48A and 48B and the rotary bodies 49A and 49B. Is supported by the guide 42 so as to be movable.

  Then, the drive motor 44 rotates to rotate the pinion 52. Thereby, the pinion 52 meshes with the rack 50 and moves, and the moving body 40 moves along the guide 42 in the X direction in FIG. Specifically, the moving body 40 moves along a movement trajectory that extends along the fingertip from the base of the index finger f (hand) and curves in the bending direction A in which the index finger f bends. Thereby, the contact position where the contact part 12 contacts a finger and the contact direction where the contact part 12 contacts the finger are changed.

  Further, the side plate 40A of the moving body 40 is provided with a rod-shaped guide 22 extending to the finger side. The guide 22 is formed integrally with the side plate 40A.

  The guide 22 is movably provided with a contact portion 12 that contacts the ventral side of a human finger. Note that the ventral side of the finger is a contact surface on which an object can come into contact when the object is gripped by the finger, and is a portion on the opposite side to the back side of the finger with the nail.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the contact portion 12 is formed of a plate that bends in an L shape. A finger is placed on the surface of the plate piece 12A forming one side of the L-shape. The plate piece 12 </ b> B that forms the other side of the L shape is attached to the guide 22 so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction Y of the guide 22.

  In addition, the moving body 40 is provided with a force sense imparting mechanism 20 that imparts a force sense via the contact portion 12 as an example of a sensory imparting mechanism that imparts at least one of a force sense and a tactile sense to a finger via the contact portion. It has been. The force sense applying mechanism 20 includes the above-described guide 22, a drive motor 24 as an example of a drive unit that applies drive force to the contact unit 12, and a transmission mechanism 26 that transmits the drive force of the drive motor 24 to the contact unit 12. , And is configured.

  The transmission mechanism 26 includes an annular wire 28 to which the contact portion 12 is fixed, and a pair of pulleys 30 and 33 around which the wire 28 is wound.

  The drive motor 24 is supported by the side plate 40 </ b> B, and one pulley 30 is attached to the drive shaft of the drive motor 24.

  The other pulley 33 is rotatably attached to the tip of the guide 22. The wire 28 is fixed to the plate piece 12B of the contact portion 12 by a fixing portion 28A.

  When the drive motor 24 is driven to rotate, the pulley 30 rotates and the wire 28 rotates (circulates). The contact portion 12 fixed to the wire 28 slides in the longitudinal direction Y of the guide 22 along the guide 22 when the wire 28 rotates (circulates). Thereby, a force sense can be given to the index finger f by contacting the index finger f or pressing the index finger f.

  In the case of a configuration in which a tactile sensation is presented to the fingers, a tactile sensation providing mechanism is provided in addition to the haptic provision mechanism 20 (in place of the haptic provision mechanism 20). The tactile sense imparting mechanism can be configured by, for example, a drive motor 24 that is controlled to vibrate the contact portion 12. The drive motor 24 applies vibration to the contact portion 12 through the wire 28 by repeating ON / OFF at a necessary frequency.

  The tactile sense imparting mechanism may be configured to vibrate the contact portion 12 by changing the pulling force on the wire 28.

  Furthermore, as a tactile sense providing mechanism, for example, a vibrator that vibrates the contact portion 12 or the like may be used, and a tactile sense may be imparted by applying vibration to the fingers.

  Here, since the moving body 41 and the moving body 45 and each member provided in the moving body 41 and the moving body 45 are configured similarly to the moving body 40 and each member provided in the moving body 40, Description of parts having similar functions is omitted, and different parts are mainly described.

  The moving body 41 includes a side plate 41A configured similarly to the side plate 40A of the moving body 40 and a side plate 41B configured similar to the side plate 40B of the moving body 40.

  In the moving body 41, the pinion 52 attached to the drive shaft of the drive motor 44 on the side plate 41 </ b> B meshes with the rack 51. In the moving body 41, the guide 22 to which the contact portion 12 is movably attached is formed integrally with the side plate 41B, not the side plate 41A.

  In addition, the moving body 41 is disposed on the thumb as a finger, and the moving body 41 is provided with a contact portion 12 that contacts the thumb.

  The moving body 45 includes a side plate 45A configured similarly to the side plate 40A of the moving body 40 and a side plate 45B configured similar to the side plate 40B of the moving body 40.

  In the moving body 45, the pinion 52 attached to the drive shaft of the drive motor 44 on the side plate 45 </ b> B meshes with a rack formed on the guide 43. In the moving body 45, the guide 22 to which the contact portion 12 is movably attached is formed integrally with the side plate 45B, not the side plate 45A.

  The moving body 45 is attached to a guide 43 configured in the same manner as the guide 42, and the moving body 40 and each member provided in the moving body 40 are moved in the same manner as acting on the guide 42. The body 45 and each member provided on the moving body 45 act on the guide 43.

  In addition, the moving body 45 is arranged on the middle finger as a finger, and the moving body 45 is provided with the contact portion 12 that comes into contact with the middle finger. Thereby, a force sense can be independently given to each finger (thumb t, forefinger f, middle finger).

  When each finger comes into contact with the contact portion 12 of each moving body 40, 41, 45, the force sense presentation device main body 13 is attached to the finger.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the support mechanism 70 includes a support frame 72, a winding roll 73 that is rotatably attached to the support frame 72, a drive motor 74 that rotationally drives the winding roll 73, and one end thereof is wound. The wire 76 is provided with a wire 76 that is wound around a hanging roll 73 and has the other end attached to the force sense presentation device main body 13. As the support mechanism 70, a multi-axis robot mechanism can also be used.

  The support frame 72 is framed in a rectangular parallelepiped. The winding roll 73 is disposed at each of the eight corners of the support frame 72.

  One end of each wire 76 is fixed to the force sense presentation device main body 13 and is wound around a winding roll 73. When the drive motor 74 rotates the winding roll 73 in one direction, the wire 76 is wound around the winding roll 73, and the drive motor 74 drives the winding roll 73 in the other direction so that the winding roll 73 is rotated from the winding roll 73. The wire 76 is unwound.

  This makes it possible to control the posture of the force sense presentation device main body 13 (hand and fingers) and to apply force to the entire force sense presentation device main body 13, and to present the force sense applied to the whole finger from the outside. it can. Examples of the force sense applied to the entire finger from the outside include the gravity and inertial force of the object.

  Gravity can be applied by winding the wire 76 around the lower winding roll 73 and pulling the force sense presentation device main body 13 downward. When the virtual object is heavy, the amount of pulling the force sense presentation device main body 13 is increased as compared with the case where the virtual object is light.

  The inertial force generated when the grasped virtual object is moved can be applied by winding the wire 76 around the winding roll 73 in the direction in which the object is moved and pulling the force sense presentation device main body 13. . When the virtual object is moved quickly, the amount of pulling the force sense presentation device main body 13 is increased compared to when the virtual object is moved slowly.

  It should be noted that in the force sense presentation device main body 13, when no force sense is presented, each part is in a free state, and a finger equipped with the force sense presentation device main body 13 can be freely moved. ing. Each drive motor 24, 44, 74 is provided with an encoder so that the amount of movement of the finger can be measured by measuring the amount of rotation so that the current position of the actual finger in real space can be grasped. It has become.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the position of the finger is directly measured from the encoders provided in each of the drive motors 24, 44, and 74 as drive units that are driven to present a force sense or the like. This method is different from the method of grasping the finger position by measuring and estimating the finger position from the outside.

  The driving unit for moving the moving bodies 40, 41, and 45, the driving unit for moving the contact unit 12, and the driving unit for moving the force sense presentation device main body 13 include various mechanisms and machine elements. For example, it is possible to use a linear actuator using electromagnetic or ball screws, or a soft actuator using a conductive polymer / ionic polymer.

  Next, a control system for controlling the force sense presentation device 10 will be described. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a control system that controls the force sense presentation device 10.

  A control system 80 for controlling the force sense presentation device 10 utilizes a computer graphics to manage a virtual finger and a three-dimensional model of a virtual object operated by the finger, a virtual finger and virtual An interference determination unit 84 that calculates an interference state with an object, static conditions such as weight and restraint of the virtual object (for example, gravity applied to the virtual object), and dynamic characteristics (for example, inertial force acting on the moving object) ) To calculate a physical simulation unit 86.

  The scene management unit 82 is based on various conditions such as a preset shape / size of a virtual object, a preset shape / size of a finger (hand), a preset way of gripping a virtual object, etc. The shape and size of the virtual finger and virtual object, the positional relationship between the virtual object and the virtual finger in the initial state, and the like are determined. Further, the scene management unit 82 grasps the current position of the actual finger in the real space by the encoders of the drive motors 24, 44, and 74, and determines the position of the actual finger in the real space and the position of the virtual finger in the virtual space. The virtual finger is moved as the real finger moves.

  The interference determination unit 84 calculates the interference state between the virtual finger that holds the virtual object and the virtual object.

  The control system 80 includes a support mechanism calculation unit 88 that calculates the winding amount and unwinding amount of the wire 76 of the support mechanism 70 shown in FIG. 1 and a support mechanism controller 90 that drives and controls the drive motor 74 of the support mechanism 70. ing.

  The support mechanism calculation unit 88 calculates the load applied to the force sense presentation device main body 13 based on the interference state calculated by the interference determination unit 84 and the static conditions and dynamic characteristics calculated by the physical simulation unit 86. The winding amount and unwinding amount of the wire 76 are calculated. The support mechanism controller 90 controls the drive motor 74 based on the winding amount and unwinding amount of the wire 76 calculated by the support mechanism calculation unit 88.

  The control system 80 includes a haptic calculation unit 92 that calculates a haptic to be presented to the fingers. The haptic calculation unit 92 calculates a contact position where the contact unit 12 contacts the finger (presentation position for presenting the haptic sense), and a haptic for calculating the strength of the haptic to be presented to the finger. And an intensity calculator 96.

  Furthermore, the control system 80 includes a contact position controller 98 and a haptic intensity controller 99.

  The contact position calculation unit 94 is based on various conditions such as a preset shape / size of a virtual object, a preset shape / size of a finger (hand), and a preset way of gripping the virtual object. The contact position of the contact portion 12 that contacts the finger is calculated.

  The contact position controller 98 controls the drive motor 44 for moving the moving bodies 40, 41, 45 based on the contact position of the contact portion 12 calculated by the contact position calculation unit 94.

  The haptic intensity calculation unit 96 is operated by the haptic application mechanism 20 via the contact unit 12 based on the interference state calculated by the interference determination unit 84 and the static conditions and dynamic characteristics calculated by the physical simulation unit 86. Calculate the strength of the force sense applied to the finger.

  The haptic intensity controller 99 controls the drive motor 24 based on the haptic intensity applied to the finger calculated by the haptic intensity calculator 96.

(Operation of the force sense presentation device 10 according to the present embodiment)
Next, the operation of the force sense presentation device 10 according to the embodiment will be described.

  According to the force sense presentation device 10 according to the present embodiment, when the drive of the drive motor 44 is controlled by the contact position controller 98, the pinion 52 that meshes with the rack 50 rotates and the moving body 40 moves along the guide 42. Moving. Further, the pinion 52 that meshes with the rack 51 rotates, and the moving body 41 moves along the guide 42. Further, the pinion 52 that meshes with the rack of the guide 43 rotates, and the moving body 45 moves along the guide 43.

  Thereby, the contact part 12 moves to a desired position, and the contact position where the contact part 12 contacts a finger is changed.

  In the force sense presentation device 10 according to the present embodiment, the moving bodies 40, 41, and 45 move along the guides 42 and 43 whose fingertips are curved in the bending direction in which the fingers are bent. The direction of contact with the fingers can be changed.

  Thus, since the contact position and the contact direction can be changed, the force sensations that can be applied to the fingers are diversified, and the degree of freedom of the force sense that can be presented can be increased.

  Further, in the force sense presentation device 10 according to the present embodiment, the movable bodies 40, 41, and 45 are moved along guides 42 and 43 that are arranged on the dorsal side of the fingers and extend from the base side of the fingers along the fingertip side. Thus, since the contact position is changed, the degree of freedom of the haptic and tactile sensations that can be presented can be increased with a simpler configuration than the conventional configuration.

  Further, in the force sense presentation device 10 according to the present embodiment, the contact portion 12 arranged on the thumb and forefinger can be moved by one guide 42, so the number of parts can be reduced and the contact position can be changed with a simple configuration. it can.

(Modification of the force sense presentation device main body 13 according to the present embodiment)
Next, the structure of the force sense presentation apparatus main body 13 according to the modification will be described. FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of the force sense presentation device main body 113 according to the modification. In addition, about the part comprised similarly to said force sense presentation apparatus main body 13, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  The force sense presentation device main body 113 according to the modification is a modification of the guides 42 and 43 of the force sense presentation device main body 13. Instead of the guides 42 and 43 of the force sense presentation device main body 13, the guides 141 and 142, 143.

  The guide 141 is disposed on the back side of the thumb and extends along the fingertip side from the base side of the thumb. A movable body 41 is movably attached to the guide 141. The guide 141 is formed with a rack similar to the rack 50 of the guides 42 and 43, and the moving body 41 is moved along the guide 141 by rotating the pinion 52 by the drive motor 44.

  The guide 142 is disposed on the back side of the index finger and extends along the fingertip side from the base side of the index finger. The moving body 40 is movably attached to the guide 142. Further, the guide 142 is formed with a rack similar to the rack 50 of the guides 42 and 43, and the moving body 40 is moved along the guide 142 by rotating the pinion 52 by the drive motor 44.

  The guide 143 is disposed on the back side of the middle finger and extends along the fingertip side from the root side of the middle finger. A movable body 45 is movably attached to the guide 143. Further, the guide 143 is formed with a rack similar to the rack 50 of the guides 42 and 43, and the moving body 45 is moved along the guide 143 by rotating the pinion 52 by the drive motor 44.

  In the guides 42 and 43, the portion arranged on the fingertip side of the finger is curved in the bending direction in which the finger is bent, but the guides 141, 142, and 143 are formed in a straight line. In addition, as for the guides 141, 142, and 143, the site | part arrange | positioned at the fingertip side of a finger | toe may be curving in the bending direction where a finger | toe bends.

  The guides 141, 142, and 143 are each supported at a base end portion (support end portion) by a support member 148 attached to the support body 60. A support member 148 that supports the guides 142 and 143 is fixed to the support body 60, and the support member 148 that supports the guide 141 is movably attached to the support body 60.

  Between the base end portions of the guides 141, 142, and 143 and the support member 148, a hinge 150 as an example of a connecting portion that connects the base end portions of the guides 141, 142, and 143 and the support member 148 is disposed. .

  The hinge 150 is connected so that the front-end | tip part of the guides 141, 142, and 143 can move to the bending direction where a finger | toe bends, and the opposite direction X1.

  Between the guides 141, 142, 143 and the support member 148, linear actuators 152 as second drive units for moving the tip portions of the guides 141, 142, 143 in the bending direction of the fingers and the opposite direction X 1, respectively. Is arranged.

  One end of the linear actuator 152 is attached to the guides 141, 142, and 143, and the other end is attached to the support member 148. Specifically, the main body of the linear actuator 152 is fixed to the support member 148, and the distal ends of the extendable rods 152 </ b> A of the linear actuator 152 are fixed to the guides 141, 142, and 143. When the rod 152A contracts, the tip portions of the guides 141, 142, and 143 move in the bending direction, and when the rod 152A extends, the tip portions of the guides 141, 142, and 143 move in the opposite direction of the bending direction. As the linear actuator 152, for example, an electromagnetic or ball screw type soft actuator using a conductive polymer / ionic polymer can be used.

  With the above configuration, it is possible to change the contact position and the contact direction in which the contact portions 12 of the moving bodies 40, 41, 45 contact the fingers.

  In addition, in FIG. 8, the mobile bodies 40, 41, and 45 are each schematically described. In addition, the moving body 41 is attached to the guide 141, the moving body 40 is attached to the guide 142, and the moving body 45 is attached to the guide 143. However, the guides 141, 142, and 143 may include the moving body 40, Either 41 or 45 can be used.

  By the way, since the thumb moves laterally between a position facing the palm and a side position of the palm with the wrist-carpal joint as a fulcrum, the degree of freedom of movement of the thumb is high. Therefore, the force sense presentation device main body 113 according to the modification includes a moving mechanism 160 that moves the guide 141 along the movement path of the thumb with the thumb carpal middle wrist joint as a fulcrum.

  The moving mechanism 160 includes a mounting portion 162 that attaches the support member 148 to the support 60 so as to be movable along the support 60, a rack 164 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the support 60, a pinion 166 that meshes with the rack 164, And a drive motor 168 that rotationally drives the pinion 166.

  In this configuration, when the drive motor 168 rotates and drives the pinion 166, the mounting portion 162, the support member 148, the hinge 150, and the guide 141 move together in an arc shape along the support body 60. As a result, the guide 141 moves along the trajectory of the thumb movement with the thumb carpal middle wrist joint as a fulcrum.

  According to this configuration, by changing the direction of the tip portions of the guides 141, 142, and 143, in addition to the contact position of the contact portion 12 of the moving bodies 40, 41, and 45, the contact direction can also be changed. The degree of freedom of sensation can be increased.

  Moreover, since the guide 141 can be moved following the thumb having a high degree of freedom of movement, the degree of freedom of force sense that can be presented can be increased.

  The drive unit for moving the guide 141 along the support 60 can use various mechanisms and mechanical elements. For example, a linear actuator using electromagnetic or ball screw, or a conductive polymer / ion can be used. It is also possible to utilize a soft actuator using a conductive polymer.

(Configuration of Force Display Device 200 According to Modification)
Next, the configuration of the force sense presentation device 200 according to the modification will be described. 9 to 11 are schematic diagrams illustrating the configuration of a force sense presentation device 200 according to a modification. In addition, since the force sense presentation apparatus main body 13 and the support mechanism 70 in the force sense presentation apparatus 200 according to the modification have the same configuration as described above, the same reference numerals are given and description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the force sense presentation device 200 according to the modified example is a main body support that supports the force sense presentation device main body 13 so as to be rotatable around the wrist of the hand having fingers (around the wrist axis). 202 and a rotation mechanism 210 that rotates the force sense presentation device main body 13 around the wrist.

  The main body support 202 has an annular (cylindrical) first support member 204 whose inner diameter is larger than the outer diameter of the support 60 of the haptic device main body 13, and the outer diameter is the first support member 204. And an annular (cylindrical) second support member 206 having a smaller diameter than the inner diameter of the second support member 206.

  The first support member 204 and the second support member 206 are arranged around the wrist of the hand to which the force sense presentation device main body 13 is attached. Moreover, the 2nd support member 206 is arrange | positioned at the inner peripheral side of the 1st support member 204, as shown to FIG.10 and FIG.11 (A).

  Moreover, as shown in FIG. 9, the other end part of each wire 76 by which the one end part was wound around the winding roll 73 is attached to the 1st support member 204, and the 1st support member 204 is supported. Supported by mechanism 70. Thus, in the force sense presentation device 200, the force sense presentation device main body 13 is supported by the support mechanism 70 via the main body support 202.

  The second support member 206 is supported by the first support member 204 so as to be rotatable about its own axis. The second support member 206 is rotatably supported by a spherical ball interposed between the first support member 204 and the second support member 206, for example, like a ball bearing. In addition, as a structure which supports the 2nd support member 206 rotatably, it can be set as various structures.

  The support 60 of the force sense presentation device main body 13 is fixed to the second support member 206, and the second support member 206 and the force sense presentation device main body 13 rotate together. Thereby, the force sense presentation device main body 13 rotates around the wrist axis in a state where the force sense presentation device main body 13 is attached to the finger.

  The main body support 202 is not limited to one in which the first support member 204 and the second support member 206 are formed in an annular shape. For example, a part of the main support 202 may be cut out and have various shapes. Is possible. Further, the main body support 202 may be configured only by the first support member 204. In this case, the force sense presentation device main body 13 is directly supported by the first support member 204.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11A, the rotation mechanism 210 rotates a rack 212 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the second support member 206, a pinion 214 that meshes with the rack 212, and the pinion 214. Drive motor 216. The pinion 214 is disposed between the second support member 206 and the first support member 204 in a state where the pinion 214 is not in contact with the first support member 204, and is fixed to the drive shaft 216 </ b> A of the drive motor 216. . The drive motor 216 is fixed to the first support member 204 via a bracket 218.

  According to this configuration, the drive motor 216 rotates the pinion 214 to rotate the second support member 206 on which the rack 212 is formed. Thereby, the force sense presentation apparatus main body 13 rotates around the wrist axis, and a force sense can be presented for the wrist rotation operation.

  Note that the rotation mechanism 210 is not limited to the above-described configuration, and for example, may be a configuration using other mechanical elements such as a wire or a belt, and various configurations may be possible.

  Further, in the force sense presentation device 200, when no force sense is presented, the second support member 206 is rotatable with respect to the first support member 204, and the force sense presentation device main body 13 is attached. The wrist of the hand can be moved freely. In addition, an encoder is attached to the drive motor 216, and the rotation amount of the wrist is measured by measuring the rotation amount of the drive motor 216, so that the rotation position of the actual wrist in the real space can be grasped.

  The force sense presentation device 200 according to the modification includes a brake 220 that stops the rotation of the force sense presentation device main body 13 by the rotation mechanism 210. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11A, the brake 220 includes a cam 222 having a rotation axis along the rotation axis direction of the second support member 206, and a drive motor 224 that controls the rotation angle of the cam 222. It has.

  The cam 222 is disposed between the first support member 204 and the second support member 206 and is fixed to the drive shaft 224 </ b> A of the drive motor 224. The drive motor 224 is fixed to the first support member 204 via a bracket 226.

  The cam 222 has an outer periphery whose distance from the rotation axis is not constant. The outer periphery is in contact with the first support member 204 and the second support member 206 (FIG. 11B). It rotates between at least a non-contact position (FIG. 11C) that does not contact the second support member 206.

Thereby, the rotation load at the time of the 2nd supporting member 206 rotating can be prevented by rotating the cam 222 to a non-contact position by the drive motor 224.
Further, by rotating the cam 222 to the contact position by the drive motor 224, the outer periphery of the cam 222 is brought into contact with the first support member 204 and the second support member 206, and the rotation of the force sense presentation device main body 13 is braked. . As a result, the torque can be changed abruptly, so that a larger force sense can be presented with respect to the rotational movement of the wrist of the hand to which the force sense presenting device body 13 is attached.

  The cam 222 may be configured such that the contact area with the second support member 206 changes depending on the rotation angle. As a result, the braking force of the rotating second support member 206 can be adjusted, and the presented force sense can be adjusted. Further, a friction material for increasing the frictional force may be attached to the surface of the cam 222 to improve the braking efficiency. Further, the brake 220 is not limited to the above configuration, and various configurations can be used.

  In addition, the force sense presentation device 200 according to the modification has a configuration including the force sense presentation device main body 13, but instead of the force sense presentation device main body 13, the force sense presentation device main body 113 has the above-described configuration. May be.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications, changes, and improvements can be made.

10 Force sense presentation device (sensory presentation device)
12 contact part 13 force sense presentation device main body 20 force sense giving mechanism (sensory giving mechanism)
40 moving body 41 moving body 42 guide 43 guide 44 drive motor (drive unit)
45 moving body 113 force sense presentation device main body 141 guide 142 guide 143 guide 148 support member 150 hinge (connecting portion)
152 Linear actuator (second drive unit)
160 Moving mechanism 202 Main body support 210 Rotating mechanism 220 Brake

Claims (7)

A guide disposed on the dorsal side of the finger and extending along the fingertip side from the base side of the finger;
A moving body movably attached to the guide;
A contact portion provided on the movable body and contacting the ventral side of the finger;
A sensation imparting mechanism that imparts at least one of force and touch to the fingers through the contact part;
The contact portion is moved by moving the moving body along the guide, and the sensory imparting mechanism provides at least one of a force sense and a tactile sense to the finger via the contact portion. A drive unit that can be changed to the root side or the fingertip side ;
Sensory presentation device with The guide is curved on the fingertip side in a bending direction in which the finger is bent,
The drive unit moves the contact unit by moving the moving body along the guide, and the sensory imparting mechanism imparts at least one of force sense and touch sense to the fingers via the contact unit. The sensory presentation device according to claim 1, wherein the direction and the application position can be changed . The guide extends from the base of the index finger as the finger, along the order of the fingertip of the index finger, the fingertip of the thumb as the finger, the base of the thumb,
The contact portions are respectively arranged on the index finger and the thumb, each contacting the index finger and the thumb,
The sensory presentation device according to claim 2, wherein the moving body is disposed on each of the index finger and the thumb, and each of the contact portions is provided on each of the moving fingers. A support member disposed on the base side of the finger and supporting the proximal end portion of the guide;
A connecting portion that connects the base end portion of the guide and the support member so that the distal end portion of the guide is movable in a bending direction in which the finger is bent;
A second drive unit capable of changing a contact direction in contact with the finger by moving a distal end portion of the guide in the bending direction;
The sensation presentation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:   The sensory presentation device according to claim 4, further comprising a moving mechanism that moves the guide along a trajectory of movement of the thumb using a middle joint of the carpal of the thumb as the finger. A sensation presentation apparatus main body having the guide, the moving body, the contact part, the sensation imparting mechanism, and the drive part;
A body support that supports the sensory presentation device body so as to be rotatable around a wrist of the hand having the fingers;
A rotation mechanism for rotating the sensory presentation device body around the wrist of the hand;
A sensory presentation device according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The sensation presentation apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a brake that brakes rotation of the sensation presentation apparatus main body by the rotation mechanism.

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