JP7133785B2 - Tactile presentation device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a tactile sense presentation device that presents a tactile sense to an operator of a robot.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a system has been developed that remotely controls a robot by following the motion of an operator. Patent Document 1 discloses a robot teaching device that operates a robot according to the motion of an operator, and a sensory information providing device that provides the operator with sensory information including visual, auditory, and tactile sensations based on information detected by the robot. An information system is described. With such a system, the operator can remotely control the robot and obtain sensory information corresponding to the surrounding environment of the robot.

JP 2013-91114 A

A device equipped with various information presenters such as vibration, pressure, and temperature has a certain amount of weight. Therefore, if the device is fixed only to the tip of the operator's finger, the mounting state of the device may become unstable due to the weight. On the other hand, if the device is fixed to the entire finger of the operator, the operator cannot freely bend the finger and cannot operate the finger of the robot.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a tactile sense presentation device that can be worn on an operator's finger without interfering with the movement of the operator's finger.

A tactile sense presentation device according to an aspect of the present invention is a tactile sense presentation device for presenting a tactile sense including temperature, vibration and pressure detected by a robot to an operator of the robot, the tactile sense presentation device comprising: Between a tactile sense presenting unit including a temperature presenting unit, a vibration presenting unit, and a pressure presenting unit that contacts at least part of a region on the tip side of the joint, and the first joint and the second joint of the finger of the operator. and a mounting portion attached to and rotatably coupled to the tactile sense presenting portion.

The attachment portion may be attached to the finger by a cylindrical member having a variable inner diameter.

The mounting portion has projections, the tactile sense presentation portion has holes capable of holding the projections at a plurality of different positions in the longitudinal direction of the tactile sense presentation device, and the projections are located at any one of the holes. By being held in position, the mounting portion may be pivotably coupled to the tactile presentation portion.

The tactile sense presentation unit may have an opening into which the tip of the operator's nail can be inserted.

The tactile sense presentation section further includes a fixation assisting section that is rotatably coupled to the tactile sense presentation section and biased toward the finger, and the fixation assisting section is adapted to the vibration presenting section. may have

The tactile sense presentation section may have the pressure presentation section on a side closer to the finger than the fixation assistance section.

The tactile sense presentation unit presents the tactile sense with an intensity defined by a predetermined relationship with respect to the tactile sense when the tactile sense detected by the robot is equal to or lower than a predetermined level, and presents the tactile sense detected by the robot. is greater than the predetermined level, the haptic may be presented with an intensity lower than the intensity defined by the predetermined relationship with respect to the haptic.

The temperature presentation unit may be provided at a position where it can come into contact with a region between the first joint and the nail on the nail side of the operator.

The temperature presentation unit may be provided at a position where it can come into contact with a region between the pad and the tip of the operator's finger.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, there exists an effect that an operator's finger can be mounted|worn with a tactile sense presentation apparatus, without obstructing a motion of an operator's finger.

1 is a schematic diagram of a robot control system according to an embodiment; FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a robot control system according to this embodiment; FIG. 1 is an external view of a tactile presentation device; FIG. 1 is an external view of a tactile sense presentation device worn on a finger of an operator; FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a tactile presentation device; FIG.

[Configuration of robot control system S]
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a robot control system S according to this embodiment. A robot control system S includes a robot control device 1 , a robot 2 , and a tactile presentation device 3 . The robot control system S may include devices such as other servers and terminals.

The robot control device 1 is a computer that controls the robot 2 and also controls the tactile presentation device 3 based on information sensed by the robot 2 . The robot control device 1 may be integrated with the robot 2 . That is, the robot 2 may have the functions of the robot control device 1 .

The robot 2 is a device that operates according to signals received from the robot control device 1 . In the example of FIG. 1, the robot 2 has a head, arms, and the like similar to those of humans, and each part is controlled to follow the movements of the body of the operator (user) who operates the robot 2. be done. Also, the robot 2 transmits information sensed by the sensor to the robot control device 1 . The robot 2 is wired or wirelessly connected to the robot control device 1 and exchanges signals with the robot control device 1 .

The tactile sense presentation device 3 is a device that can be worn on the operator's finger, and presents tactile sensations including vibration, pressure and temperature to the operator according to the signal received from the robot control device 1 . The tactile sense presentation device 3 is worn on at least some fingers of at least one hand of the operator. Also, the tactile sense presentation device 3 may be provided on a toe. The tactile sense presentation device 3 is connected to the robot control device 1 by wire or wirelessly, and exchanges signals with the robot control device 1 .

The robot 2 and the tactile sense presentation device 3 may be directly connected to the robot control device 1, respectively, or may be connected via a network such as the Internet.

[Configuration of robot control system S]
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the robot control system S according to this embodiment. In FIG. 2, arrows indicate main data flows, and there may be data flows other than those shown in FIG. In FIG. 2, each block does not show the configuration in units of hardware (apparatus), but the configuration in units of functions. As such, the blocks shown in FIG. 2 may be implemented within a single device, or may be implemented separately within multiple devices. Data exchange between blocks may be performed via any means such as a data bus, network, or portable storage medium.

The robot 2 has an interface 21 , a drive section 22 and a sensing section 23 . The interface 21 is a connection section for sending and receiving signals with the robot control device 1 . The interface 21 performs predetermined processing on the signal received from the robot control device 1 to acquire data, and inputs the acquired data to the drive unit 22 . The interface 21 also performs predetermined processing on the data input from the sensing unit 23 to generate a signal, and transmits the generated signal to the robot control device 1 .

The driving unit 22 includes driving devices such as motors and actuators that supply power to each part of the robot 2 . The drive unit 22 is provided, for example, on the arm of the robot 2, and the robot 2 is controlled by the robot control device 1 so as to touch and grasp objects. The drive unit 22 drives each part of the robot 2 according to drive information received from the robot control device 1 .

The sensing unit 23 includes sensors for sensing vibration, pressure and temperature. The sensors of the sensing unit 23 are provided at least on the fingertips of the robot, and detect the sense of touch by sensing vibration, pressure, and temperature when the robot touches an object with its finger, and output values indicating them. The sensing unit 23 transmits the value sensed by the sensor to the robot control device 1 as sensing information.

The tactile sense presentation device 3 has a tactile sense presentation section 31 and an interface 32 . The interface 32 is a connection section for sending and receiving signals with the robot control device 1 . The interface 32 acquires data by performing predetermined processing on the signal received from the robot control device 1 , and inputs the acquired data to the tactile presentation section 31 . The configuration of the tactile sense presentation unit 31 will be described later with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5. FIG.

The robot control device 1 has a control section 11 , an interface 12 and a storage section 13 . The control unit 11 has a drive control unit 111 , a sensing information acquisition unit 112 , and a tactile sense presentation control unit 113 .

The interface 12 is a connector for sending and receiving signals between the robot 2 and the tactile presentation device 3 . The interface 12 performs predetermined processing on the signal received from the robot 2 to obtain data, and inputs the obtained data to the control unit 11 . The interface 12 also performs predetermined processing on data input from the control unit 11 to generate a signal, and transmits the generated signal to the robot 2 and the tactile sense presentation device 3 .

The storage unit 13 is a storage medium including a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a hard disk drive, and the like. The storage unit 13 stores programs executed by the control unit 11 in advance. The storage unit 13 may be provided outside the robot control device 1 , in which case data may be exchanged with the control unit 11 via the interface 12 .

The control unit 11 is a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), for example, and functions as a drive control unit 111, a sensing information acquisition unit 112, and a tactile presentation control unit 113 by executing a program stored in the storage unit 13. do. At least part of the functions of the control unit 11 may be performed by an electric circuit. Moreover, at least part of the functions of the control unit 11 may be executed by a program executed via a network.

The drive control unit 111 drives the robot 2 based on the operator's motion. Specifically, the drive control unit 111 acquires motion information indicating the motion of the operator from a motion detection device (not shown) that detects the motion of the operator. For example, the motion detection device irradiates an operator with light such as infrared rays, and detects the operator's motion based on the timing at which light receiving units attached to various parts of the operator's body receive the light. The drive control unit 111 is not limited to the method shown here, and may detect the motion of the operator by other methods.

Based on the acquired motion information, the drive control unit 111 generates drive information indicating an instruction to drive the robot 2 so as to follow the motion of the operator, and transmits the drive information to the robot 2 . The robot 2 operates based on the received driving information.

In parallel with the drive control of the robot 2 by the drive control unit 111, the sensing information acquisition unit 112 transmits sensing information indicating the tactile sensation detected by the robot 2 (ie, vibration, pressure, and temperature sensed by the sensing unit 23) to the robot 2. Receive and retrieve from

The tactile presentation control unit 113 controls the tactile presentation device 3 based on the sensory information acquired by the sensory information acquisition unit 112 . Specifically, the tactile sense presentation control unit 113 generates tactile sense information for presenting to the operator the tactile sense corresponding to the sensed information acquired by the sensed information acquisition unit 112 . The haptic information includes pressure information, vibration information, and temperature information. Haptic information may include other information related to haptics. A rule for converting sensory information into tactile information is preset in the robot control device 1 .

The tactile sense presentation control unit 113 then transmits the generated tactile sense information to the tactile sense presentation device 3 . The tactile sense presentation device 3 presents a tactile sense to the operator based on the received tactile information.

The robot control system S according to this embodiment is not limited to the specific configuration shown in FIG. For example, the robot control device 1, the robot 2, and the tactile sense presentation device 3 are not limited to one device, and may be configured by connecting two or more physically separated devices by wire or wirelessly.

[Configuration of Tactile Presentation Device 3]
3A and 3B are external views of the tactile presentation device 3 according to this embodiment. FIG. 3(a) is a view of the tactile sense presentation device 3 as seen from the direction normal to the longitudinal direction (that is, the direction in which the finger is inserted), and FIG. 3(b) shows the tactile sense presentation device 3 at A in FIG. - It is the figure seen from A direction.

The tactile sense presentation device 3 has a tactile sense presentation section 31 and a mounting section 33 . The tactile sense presentation section 31 has a housing 31a, a fixing assistance section 31b, a coupling section 31c, and a pressure presentation section 31d. The tactile sense presentation unit 31 also includes a vibration presentation unit 31e (not shown) and temperature presentation units 31f and 31g, which will be described later with reference to FIG. The housing 31a is a member having a predetermined shape that contacts the upper surface of the finger (surface on the nail side). The housing 31a has the above-described interface 32, electrical wiring, and the like inside.

The fixing assisting portion 31b is a member having a predetermined shape that contacts the lower surface of the finger (surface on the pad side of the finger). The coupling portion 31c is a member that rotatably couples the housing 31a and the fixing auxiliary portion 31b to each other. That is, the fixation assisting portion 31b is coupled to the housing 31a via the coupling portion 31c so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction B (that is, the direction in which the fixation assisting portion 31b approaches the finger and the direction away from the finger). Further, the fixation assisting portion 31b is urged in an upward direction C (that is, the direction in which the fixation assisting portion 31b approaches the finger) by an unillustrated urging means (for example, a spring).

As shown in FIG. 3(b), a finger insertion space F is formed between the housing 31a and the fixing assisting portion 31b. The fixation assisting portion 31b changes the size of the finger insertion space F by rotating in the vertical direction B. As shown in FIG. Further, the fixation assisting portion 31b is biased in the upward direction C, so that when the operator inserts the finger into the finger insertion space F, the fixation assisting portion 31b naturally comes into contact with the operator's finger. With such a configuration, the tactile sense presentation unit 31 can present a tactile sense in contact with fingers of various sizes.

The pressure presentation unit 31d is a member that generates pressure (that is, pushing force) on at least a partial region of the operator's finger on the tip side of the first joint. side surface) and a belt-like member in contact with the lower surface. The pressure presenting portion 31d is provided closer to the finger than the fixing assisting portion 31b. Based on the pressure information received from the robot control device 1, the pressure presenting unit 31d presents the pressure corresponding to the pressure information to the operator by tightening or loosening the belt-like member by winding means (not shown). do.

The mounting portion 33 has a finger fixing portion 33a, a support portion 33b, and a coupling portion 33c. The finger fixing portion 33a is a cylindrical member whose inner diameter can be changed. The finger fixing part 33a is attached between the first joint and the second joint (that is, middle joint) of the operator's finger. The finger fixing portion 33a is, for example, a tape having a hook-and-loop fastener that can be wrapped around the finger to fix the finger, or an annular elastic member such as rubber that expands and contracts according to the size of the finger. The support portion 33b is a member having a predetermined shape that supports the finger fixing portion 33a on the upper surface of the finger.

The coupling portion 33c is a member that rotatably couples the mounting portion 33 and the tactile sense presentation portion 31 (housing 31a) to each other. That is, the mounting portion 33 is attached to the tactile sense presentation portion 31 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction D (that is, the direction in which the finger fixing portion 33a approaches the tactile sense presentation portion 31 and the direction away from the tactile sense presentation portion 31) via the coupling portion 33c. Combined. Therefore, the operator can bend the joint of the finger even when the attachment portion 33 is attached to the finger.

The coupling portion 33c has a columnar protrusion. The coupling hole 33 d is a circular hole that can be fitted to the projection of the coupling portion 33 c provided on the housing 31 a of the tactile sense presentation section 31 . The coupling holes 33d can hold the protrusions of the coupling portion 33c at a plurality of different positions along the longitudinal direction of the tactile presentation device 3 . In the example of FIG. 3, the coupling hole 33d has a shape in which two holes provided along the longitudinal direction are partially fused. The mounting portion 33 can be rotated with respect to the tactile sense presenting portion 31 by fitting the protrusion of the coupling portion 33c into any position of the coupling hole 33d. With such a configuration, the connecting part 33c can change the position where the mounting part 33 is connected to the tactile sense presenting part 31, so that the mounting part 33 can be fixed to middle phalanges of fingers of various sizes.

In this manner, the mounting section 33 is mounted between the first joint and the second joint (middle joint) of the operator's finger by the finger fixing section 33a, and is rotated to the tactile sense presentation section 31 by the connecting section 33c. possibly combined. With such a configuration, the tactile sense presentation device 3 is worn on the operator's finger without interfering with the movement of the operator's finger.

FIG. 4 is an external view of the tactile sense presentation device 3 worn on the operator's finger. As shown in FIG. 4, the tactile sensation presenting part 31 is in contact with the finger by rotating the fixing auxiliary part 31b according to the size of the finger by the connecting part 31c. Further, since the finger fixing portion 33a and the support portion 33b are rotated by the connecting portion 33c in accordance with the movement of the finger, the mounting portion 33 can be adjusted without hindering the movement of the operator's finger (that is, bending motion of the finger joint). worn on the finger.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the tactile sense presentation device 3 seen from the EE direction of FIG. 3(b). The cross section of the tactile presentation device 3 shown in FIG. 5 is simplified for visibility. The tactile sense presentation section 31 has a vibration presentation section 31e at a position in contact with the lower surface of the operator's finger (surface on the pad side of the finger) in the fixing auxiliary section 31b. The vibration presenting unit 31e is a member that generates vibration in at least a part of the region on the tip side of the first joint of the operator's finger, and has, for example, a vibration actuator. The vibration presenting unit 31e presents the vibration corresponding to the vibration information to the operator by operating the vibration actuator based on the vibration information received from the robot control device 1. FIG.

The tactile sense presentation unit 31 can contact the base of the nail (that is, the area between the first joint and the nail) on the upper surface of the operator's finger (the surface on the nail side of the finger) in the housing 31a. It has a first temperature presentation part 31f at its position. The first temperature presentation unit 31f is a member that changes the temperature of at least a part of the area on the tip side of the first joint of the operator's finger, and has, for example, a Peltier element. Based on the temperature information received from the robot control device 1, the vibration presentation unit 31e presents the temperature corresponding to the temperature information to the operator by operating the Peltier device.

The base of the nail is sensitive to changes in temperature. Therefore, by providing the first temperature presentation part 31f at a position in contact with the base of the nail, the temperature can be presented to the operator even if the area of the first temperature presentation part 31f is reduced, and the power required for tactile presentation can be reduced. can be reduced.

Further, the tactile sense presentation section 31 has a second temperature presentation section 31g at a position in contact with the lower surface of the operator's finger (the surface on the pad side of the finger) in the fixing auxiliary section 31b. The configuration of the second temperature presentation section 31g is the same as that of the first temperature presentation section 31f. The second temperature presentation part 31g is provided so as to extend to a region between the pad of the finger and the tip of the finger on the lower surface of the finger. Since the position of the base of the nail differs from person to person, the first temperature presentation unit 31f may not contact the base of the nail correctly. Since the second temperature presentation part 31g can touch a wide range of slopes from the pad of the finger to the tip of the finger, the temperature can be more reliably presented to the operator regardless of the size of the finger.

The tactile sense presentation section 31 may have only one of the first temperature presentation section 31f and the second temperature presentation section 31g.

The tactile sense presentation device 3 has an opening G between the housing 31a and the fixing auxiliary portion 31b into which the tip of the operator's nail can be inserted while the tactile sense presentation device 3 is worn on the operator's finger. As a result, even if the operator has a long fingernail, the fingernail can be accommodated in the opening G, so that the first temperature presentation unit 31f can be easily brought into contact with the base of the operator's finger.

A pressure presenting unit 31d, a vibration presenting unit 31e, and a temperature presenting unit 31f and 31g included in the tactile sense presenting unit 31 limit the tactile sense corresponding to the tactile information received from the robot control device 1 according to a predetermined rule to the user. may be presented. Specifically, when the tactile information received from the robot control device 1, that is, the tactile sense detected by the robot 2 is equal to or lower than a predetermined level (value or ratio), the tactile sense presentation unit 31 is defined by a predetermined relationship. Present tactile sensations with intensity.

On the other hand, when the tactile sense detected by the robot 2 is greater than the predetermined level, the tactile sense presentation unit 31 presents the tactile sense with an intensity lower than the intensity defined by the predetermined relationship. The predetermined relationship is a relationship between the tactile sense detected by the robot 2 and the tactile sense presented by the tactile sense presentation unit 31, which is preset in the tactile sense presentation device 3. FIG.

With such a configuration, when the pressure or vibration sensed by the robot 2 is too large or the temperature is too high, the corresponding pressure, vibration or temperature is presented to the user as it is, thereby harming the user. can be prevented and safety can be improved.

[Effects of Embodiment]
In the tactile sense presentation device 3 according to the present embodiment, the mounting portion 33 is worn between the first joint and the second joint (middle joint) of the operator's finger, and is rotatable to the tactile sense presentation portion 31. Combined. With such a configuration, the tactile sense presentation device 3 is fixed to the operator's finger without interfering with the movement of the operator's finger. Therefore, even when the operator wears the tactile sense presentation device 3, the operator can move the finger to operate the robot.

Further, the fixation assisting portion 31b positioned at the tip of the operator's finger is vertically rotatable and biased upward. Therefore, when the operator inserts the finger into the tactile sense presentation device 3, the tactile sense presentation section 31 naturally comes into contact with the operator's finger. With such a configuration, the tactile sense presentation unit 31 can present a tactile sense in contact with fingers of various sizes.

Although the present invention has been described above using the embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist thereof. be. For example, specific embodiments of device distribution/integration are not limited to the above-described embodiments. can be done. In addition, new embodiments resulting from arbitrary combinations of multiple embodiments are also included in the embodiments of the present invention. The effect of the new embodiment caused by the combination has the effect of the original embodiment.

S robot control system 2 robot 3 tactile presentation device 31 tactile presentation part 31b fixing auxiliary part 31d pressure presentation part 31e vibration presentation part 31f first temperature presentation part 31g second temperature presentation part 33 mounting part 33c coupling part 33d coupling hole

Claims (8)

A tactile sense presentation device for presenting a tactile sense including temperature, vibration and pressure detected by a robot to an operator of the robot,
a tactile sense presenting unit including a temperature presenting unit, a vibration presenting unit, and a pressure presenting unit that contact at least part of a region on the tip side of the operator's finger relative to the first joint;
a mounting unit mounted between the first joint and the second joint of the finger of the operator and rotatably coupled to the tactile sense presentation unit;
has
The mounting portion has a protrusion,
The tactile sense presentation unit has holes capable of holding the projections at a plurality of different positions in the longitudinal direction of the tactile sense presentation device,
The tactile sense presentation device , wherein the mounting portion is rotatably coupled to the tactile sense presentation portion by holding the projection at any position in the hole . 2. The tactile sense presentation device according to claim 1, wherein the attachment portion is attached to the finger by a cylindrical member whose inner diameter can be changed. 3. The tactile sense presentation device according to claim 1, wherein said tactile sense presentation section has an opening into which said operator's nail tip can be inserted. The tactile sense presentation unit further includes a housing and a fixing assisting unit rotatably coupled to the housing and biased toward the finger,
The fixation assistance part has the vibration presentation part,
The tactile sense presentation device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 . 5. The tactile sense presentation device according to claim 4 , wherein the tactile sense presenting portion has the pressure presenting portion on a side closer to the finger than the fixation assisting portion. The tactile sense presentation unit presents the tactile sense with an intensity defined by a predetermined relationship with respect to the tactile sense when the tactile sense detected by the robot is equal to or lower than a predetermined level, and presents the tactile sense detected by the robot. 6. The tactile sense according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the tactile sense is presented with an intensity smaller than the intensity defined by the predetermined relationship with respect to the haptic sense when is greater than the predetermined level. presentation device. The tactile sense presentation device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the temperature presentation unit is provided at a position that can contact a region between the first joint and the nail on the nail side of the operator. . 8. The tactile sense presentation device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , wherein the temperature presentation unit is provided at a position where it can come into contact with a region between the pad and tip of the operator's finger.

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