JP7189094B2 - Tactile sense presentation device, tactile sense presentation method, and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a tactile sense presentation device, a tactile sense presentation method, and a program.

Viewing devices for realizing VR (Virtual Reality) and AR (Augmented Reality) are becoming popular. VR is a technology that creates a virtual space on a computer and gives the user the feeling of being there. Also, AR is a technique for displaying additional information or the like in the real space to extend the real space. In recent years, it has become possible to experience VR and AR even at home. Also, as a technology including these, an application using MR (Mixed Reality), which fuses virtual space and real space, has been proposed.

With the spread of such audio-visual devices, it is expected to realize a technology that provides the user with tactile information such as force, vibration, and movement, in addition to visual information and auditory information. For example, by using a haptic device (tactile device) or the like, tactile information can be given to the user. As a result, in the virtual reality space, the augmented reality space, and the mixed reality space, feedback to the user and interaction between the user and the object are realized when the object is grabbed or touched.

Conventionally, haptic devices have been proposed that provide feedback such as force, vibration, and motion to hands, which are particularly important interfaces in daily life. For example, the technology described in Non-Patent Document 1 gives the user the sensation of gripping or touching an object by moving muscles using EMS (Electrical Muscle Stimulation). Also, the technology described in Non-Patent Document 2 gives the user the sensation of touching an object by vibrating the skin using a vibration sensor.

P. Lopes, et al, "Providing Haptics to Walls & Heavy Objects in Virtual Reality by Means of Electrical Muscle Stimulation", Novel Game Interfaces, pp.1471-1482, May 2017 S. Benbelkacem, et al, "Low-cost VR Collaborative System equipped with Haptic Feedback", VRST '18 Proceedings of the 24th ACM Symposium on Virtual Reality Software and Technology, Article No. 104, November 2018

The technique described in Non-Patent Document 1 simulates a state in which an object is actually grasped or touched by applying electrical stimulation to move muscles. However, since the technology described in Non-Patent Document 1 requires adjustment to match the user's skeleton, it is difficult for anyone to use it easily. In addition, the technique described in Non-Patent Document 1 adjusts the amount of muscle movement by changing the level of an electrical signal. cannot be realized.

In addition, Non-Patent Document 2 describes a haptic device that can be used simply by attaching a vibration sensor to the hand. However, since this haptic device cannot apply pressure, it cannot give the user a sense of grasping an object, for example. Moreover, this haptic device cannot give sensation to parts other than the part to which the vibration sensor is attached.

In this way, for example, together with a viewing device for realizing VR, AR, and MR, a haptic device that provides feedback to the user such as force, vibration, movement, etc. when grasping or touching an object, For example, there is a demand for a haptic device that has a simple device configuration and does not require complicated settings so that anyone can use it easily in a typical home.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to provide a technology capable of providing tactile information to a user with a simple device configuration and without complicated settings.

One aspect of the present invention is an object provided in a haptic device, the tactile presentation device controlling the heating of the object that applies pressure to the body by changing its shape due to heating, wherein the pressure is continuously applied. a determination unit that acquires information indicating pressure duration, which is time, and information indicating pressure intensity, which is the intensity of the pressure, and determines a heating parameter for controlling heating of the object based on the pressure intensity; a heating control unit that controls the heating of the object based on the pressure duration and the heating parameter.

According to the present invention, tactile information can be provided to the user with a simple device configuration and without complicated settings.

1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a tactile device 2 controlled by a tactile sense presentation device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a tactile sense presentation device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the operation of the tactile presentation device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a tactile presentation device 1b according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

<First Embodiment>
A tactile presentation device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

A tactile sense presentation device 1 according to the present embodiment is a device that controls the operation of a haptic device 2 that provides tactile information to a user in accordance with video reproduced by, for example, a viewing device for VR, AR, or MR. be. As a result, the tactile sense presentation device 1 can give the user, for example, a feeling as if he or she were actually touching or grasping an object appearing in the image.

[Configuration of haptic device]
For ease of explanation, first, an example of the configuration of the haptic device 2 controlled by the haptic presentation device 1 will be explained.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a tactile device 2 controlled by a tactile sense presentation device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the haptic device 2 according to this embodiment is a glove-type device worn on the user's hand. The haptic device 2 includes a haptic device 2L for the left hand and a haptic device 2R for the right hand.

Note that the haptic device 2 according to the present embodiment is a glove-type device worn on the user's hand as an example, but is not limited to this. For example, the present invention can be applied to any device that can be attached to a movable part of the human body, such as a joint or muscle.

The haptic device 2L and the haptic device 2R each contain seven shape memory wires. Shape memory wires are provided on the haptic device 2L and the haptic device 2R, one on each finger and two on the back of the hand. The shape memory wire 20-0 is at the position of the thumb, the shape memory wire 20-1 is at the position of the index finger, the shape memory wire 20-2 is at the position of the middle finger, the shape memory wire 20-3 is at the position of the ring finger, and the shape A memory wire 20-4 is provided at each little finger position. A shape memory wire 20-5 is provided on the back of the hand near the thumb, and a shape memory wire 20-6 is provided on the back of the hand near the little finger. Hereinafter, the shape memory wires 20-0 to 20-6 will simply be referred to as the shape memory wires 20 unless it is necessary to distinguish them.

The shape memory wire 20 is heated by applying an electric current. The shape memory wire 20 changes its shape by being heated. That is, the shape memory wire 20 functions as an actuator that converts applied electric current into physical motion. The changing shape of shape memory wire 20 exerts pressure on the user's knuckles and palm. Thereby, the haptic device 2 gives the user tactile information such as touching or grasping an object.

In addition, although the shape memory wire is used in the present embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this. Any object can be used in place of the shape memory wire as long as it has the property of changing its shape when heated or energized and the property of returning to its original shape when the heating or energization is stopped.

In addition, in order to provide the user with tactile information such as touching or grasping an object, the finger joints and the curvature of the palm must be changed appropriately according to the shape and grip of the object. not. In general, when a human touches or grips an object, the fingers are bent from the second joint. Therefore, the shape memory wires 20 do not have to be provided at all joint positions of each finger, and only one shape memory wire 20 may be provided between the first joint and the second joint of each finger. As a result, the device cost of the haptic device 2 is reduced.

In addition, the movement of the palm that expands and contracts according to the degree of bending of the finger joints is realized by the shape memory wires 20-5 and 20-6 provided at the positions of the muscles of the back of the hand.

By stopping the energization of the shape memory wire 20, the shape memory wire 20 returns to its original shape. This causes the user's flexed finger joints to begin to return to their unflexed state and the user's palms to begin to open again.

It should be noted that the material used for the shape memory wire 20 is preferably a material with high flexibility and elasticity. This is because, when the shape memory wire 20 is made of a highly flexible and stretchable material, the user can freely move the hand without discomfort when the shape memory wire 20 is not operating as an actuator. be.

As shown in FIG. 1, the haptic device 2L and the haptic device 2R incorporate a heating unit 21 that heats the shape memory wire 20. As shown in FIG. The heating unit 21 acquires information output from the tactile presentation device 1 . The heating unit 21 heats by energizing each shape memory wire 20 based on the acquired information. As a result, the shape of the shape memory wire 20 changes, and the degree of bending of each finger joint and the movement of the palm of the user wearing the haptic device 2 are controlled.

Thus, in the haptic device 2 according to the present embodiment, the shape memory wires 20 are arranged only at necessary positions among the positions of the user's finger joints and the positions of the muscles of the back of the hand. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide the user with tactile information such as touching or grasping an object with a simple device configuration.

In this way, the tactile device 2 according to the present embodiment is a glove-type device in which the shape memory wires 20, which are actuators, are embedded so that it can be positioned at the finger joints and the muscles of the back of the hand of the user. is. Therefore, according to this embodiment, there is no need to perform complicated settings for each user, and the user can easily use the haptic device 2 simply by wearing it.

[Functional configuration of tactile presentation device]
The functional configuration of the tactile sense presentation device 1 will be described below.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the tactile presentation device 1 according to the first embodiment of the invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the tactile sense presentation device 1 includes a video/tactile sense data acquisition unit 11, a timing control unit 12, a heating time determination unit 13, a heating control unit 14, and a video output unit 15. Configured.

The video/haptic data acquisition unit 11 acquires, for example, video data for VR, AR, or MR from an external device or the like. In addition, the video/tactile data acquisition unit 11 acquires information for giving the user a feeling of touching or grasping an object (tactile information) in accordance with the video based on the video data. . Specifically, information for providing haptic information includes StartTime, Duration, and PW _i ^H.

StartTime is information indicating the time (start time) when tactile information is started to be given to the user's hand in correspondence with the image based on the acquired image data. Duration is information indicating the time (duration) for which tactile information continues to be given to the user's hand corresponding to the image based on the acquired image data. For example, when tactile information is given to the user for one second after one minute from the start time of the image, the information acquired by the image/tactile sense data acquisition unit 11 is "StartTime=00:01:00", and "Duration=1".

PW _i ^H is information indicating how much pressure is applied to which part of the right or left hand, corresponding to the image based on the acquired image data. H is information indicating which hand is left or right. Here, if H=0, it is assumed to be the left hand, and if H=1, it is assumed to be the right hand.

Also, i is information for identifying the shape memory wire 20 . Here, if i=0, it is assumed that the shape memory wire 20-0 is placed at the position of the thumb. Also, if i=1, it is assumed that the shape memory wire 20-1 is placed at the position of the index finger. Also, if i=2, it is assumed that the shape memory wire 20-2 is placed at the position of the middle finger. Also, if i=3, it is assumed that the shape memory wire 20-3 is placed at the position of the ring finger. Also, if i=4, it is assumed that the shape memory wire 20-4 is placed at the position of the little finger. Also, if i=5, it is assumed that the shape memory wire 20-5 is arranged at a position near the thumb on the back of the hand. Also, if i=6, it is assumed that the shape memory wire 20-6 is arranged at a position near the little finger on the back of the hand.

The strength PW of the pressure applied to the user's hand is represented by a numerical value for each of L pressure levels from 1 to L. For example, PW=0 is set when no pressure is applied to the user's hand. Also, for example, when L = 3 (that is, three pressure levels from level 1 to level 3) and the strongest pressure level L = 3.0 is applied to the user's hand is set to PW=3. Also, for example, when a pressure of L=2 is applied to the user's hand, PW=2.0 is set. Also, for example, when a pressure of L=1 is applied to the user's hand, PW=1.0 is set.

By defining PW _i ^H as described above, for example, a case where tactile information is given to the user as if the left hand is tightly clenched and the right hand is open can be expressed as follows.

PW _i ⁰ = (3.0, 3.0, 3.0, 3.0, 3.0, 3.0, 3.0)
PW _i ¹ = (0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0)

The video/tactile data acquisition unit 11 outputs StartTime, Duration, and PW _i ^H , which are information for giving tactile information to the user, to the timing control unit 12 .

The timing control unit 12 acquires video data from the video/haptic data acquisition unit 11 . Also, the timing control unit 12 acquires information for giving tactile information, including the StartTime, Duration, and PW _i ^H described above.

The timing control section 12 outputs the video data to the video output section 15 . Also, the timing control unit 12 outputs information for giving tactile information, including Duration and PW _i ^H , to the heating time determination unit 13 α seconds before the StartTime. Here, the value of α is set in consideration of the transmission time of information from the timing control section 12 to the heating time determination section 13 and the processing time of the processing performed in the heating time determination section 13 .

The heating time determination unit 13 (determination unit) acquires information for providing tactile information, including Duration and PW _i ^H , output from the timing control unit 12 . Based on the value of PW _i ^H , the heating time determination unit 13 calculates and determines the time for heating each shape memory wire 20 (that is, the time for energizing). Specifically, the time for heating each shape memory wire 20 is determined as follows. It should be noted that the shape memory wire 20 is assumed to contract when heated and expand when cooled, in the same way that a muscle contracts and relaxes.

Let t _max be the heating time (energization time) required to bring the shape memory wire 20 into the most contracted state. In this case, the time t _i ^H (heating parameter) for heating each shape memory wire 20 can be represented by the following equation (1).

The heating time determination unit 13 outputs information for providing tactile information, including Duration, PW _i ^H , and t _i ^H , to the heating control unit 14 .

The heating control unit 14 acquires information for providing tactile information, including Duration, PW _i ^H , and t _i ^H , output from the heating time determination unit 13 . Based on the acquired information, the heating control unit 14 determines that each shape memory wire 20 indicated by the value of i (that is, the shape memory wire 20-i) of the hand indicated by the value of H is t _i ^H time. The heating part 21 of the haptic device 2 is controlled so that it is energized and heated. When PW _i ^H =0, the heating control section 14 does not instruct the heating section 21 because the shape memory wire 20 does not need to be heated.

Here, if the Duration (duration time) is longer than the time t _i ^H during which the shape-memory wire 20 is heated, the shape-memory wire 20 may break if the heating continues for the time indicated by the Duration. . Therefore, considering the time for the shape memory wire 20 to return to its original state due to natural cooling, the shape memory wire 20 is naturally cooled for dt _i ^H time, and then the shape memory wire 20 is heated again for dt _i ^H time. The process is repeated until the time indicated by Duration has passed.

Here, after heating the shape-memory wire 20 until the strength of pressure PW _i ^H applied to the user's hand reaches the strongest pressure level, the original state (that is, pressure applied to the user's hand) is restored by natural cooling. ResetTime is the time required to return to the non-reset state). In this case, dt _i ^H is set within the time required for PW _i ^H to go to the one step lower pressure level. For example, assuming that the change in state is linear until the shape memory wire 20 returns to its original state, and the pressure level corresponding to PW _i ^H is L=m, dt _i ^H is (2) can be represented by the following equation. Note that the pressure level steps do not include 0 (ie, m≠0).

Here, β is a parameter for adjusting the value of dt _i ^H so that it is within the time required for PW _i ^H to reach the state of one step lower pressure level. For example, β is set in the range of 0<β<1 with β=0.5 as an initial value.

When the time (duration) indicated by the Duration value is reached, the heating control unit 14 stops heating the shape memory wire 20, thereby controlling the shape memory wire 20 to return to its original shape through natural cooling. . For example, it is assumed that the change in shape changes linearly until the shape memory wire 20 returns to its original shape. In this case, if the pressure level corresponding to PW _i ^H is L=m, rt _i ^H indicating the time until returning to the original state can be expressed by the following equation (3).

The video output unit 15 acquires video data output from the timing control unit 12 . The video output unit 15 outputs the acquired video data to a viewing device or the like for realizing VR, AR, and MR, for example.

[Operation of tactile presentation device]
An example of the operation of the tactile presentation device 1 will be described below.
FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing the operation of the tactile sense presentation device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

The video/haptic data acquisition unit 11 acquires, for example, video data for VR, AR, or MR from an external device or the like. In addition, the video/tactile data acquisition unit 11 acquires information for giving the user a feeling of touching or grasping an object (tactile information) in accordance with the video based on the video data. . The information for giving tactile information includes information (StartTime) indicating the time (start time) to start giving tactile information to the user's hand corresponding to the image based on the acquired image data, Information (Duration) that indicates the time (duration) to continue giving tactile information to the hand, and corresponding to the image based on the acquired image data, which part of the left or right hand and how strong the pressure is ( ^step _S01 ).

The timing control unit 12 acquires video data and information (StartTime, Duration, and PW _i ^H ) for providing haptic information from the video/haptic data acquisition unit 11 . The timing control unit 12 starts outputting video data to the video output unit 15 (step S02).

Further, the timing control unit 12 outputs information for giving tactile information, including Duration and PW _i ^H , to the heating time determining unit 13 α seconds before StartTime based on the information for giving tactile information. (Step S03). As described above, the value of α is set in consideration of the transmission time of information from the timing control unit 12 to the heating time determination unit 13 and the processing time of the processing performed in the heating time determination unit 13. is a variable that

The heating time determination unit 13 (determination unit) acquires information for providing tactile information, including Duration and PW _i ^H , output from the timing control unit 12 . Based on the value of PW _i ^H , the heating time determination unit 13 determines the time t _i ^H for heating each shape memory wire 20 (that is, the time for energizing) (step S04).

The heating control unit 14 acquires information for providing tactile information, including Duration, PW _i ^H, and t _i ^H , output from the heating time determination unit 13 . The heating control unit 14 controls the heating unit 21 of the tactile device 2 based on the acquired information, and each shape memory wire 20 indicated by the value of i of the hand indicated by the value of H (that is, shape memory wire 20- i) is energized and heated for t _i ^H (step S05).

The heating process of the shape memory wire 20 from step S03 to step S05 is repeated until the output of the video data started in step S02 is completed (step S06).
Thus, the operation of the tactile sense presentation device 1 shown in the flowchart of FIG. 3 is completed.

As described above, the tactile sense presentation device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is a shape memory wire (an object) provided in the tactile device 2, and changes its shape by heating to apply pressure to the body. Control the heating to the shape memory wire (object) that is applied. The tactile sense presentation device 1 includes a heating time determining section 13 (determining section) and a heating control section 14 . The heating time determining unit 13 (determining unit) acquires information indicating the pressure duration (Duration), which is the time during which the pressure is continuously applied, and information indicating the pressure intensity (PW _i ^H ), which is the intensity of the pressure. Then, a heating parameter (heating time (dt _i ^H )) for controlling heating of the shape memory wire (object) is determined based on the pressure intensity (PW _i ^H ). The heating control unit 14 controls the heating of the shape memory wire (object) based on the pressure duration (Duration) and the heating time (dt _i ^H ).

By providing the tactile sense presentation device 1 according to the present embodiment with the configuration as described above, the haptic device 2 can be placed only at necessary positions among, for example, the positions of the user's finger joints and the positions corresponding to the muscles of the back of the hand. A shape memory wire 20 is placed. Therefore, according to the above-described first embodiment, it is possible to provide the user with a feeling (tactile information) as if he or she touched or grabbed an object with a simple device configuration. Moreover, since the tactile sense presentation device 1 according to the present embodiment has the configuration as described above, the haptic device 2 does not require complicated settings for each user. The user can easily use the glove-type tactile device 2 simply by wearing it on the hand.

With the configuration as described above, the tactile sense presentation device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention can provide tactile information to the user with a simple device configuration and without complicated settings. .

<Second embodiment>
A tactile presentation device 1b according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described below.
In the tactile sense presentation device 1 according to the first embodiment described above, the heating time determination unit 13 and the heating control unit 14 control the heating time by energizing the shape-memory wire 20 to control the pressure applied to the user's hand. to control the strength PW _i ^H of . On the other hand, a tactile sense presentation device 1b according to a second embodiment described below appropriately controls the temperature of the shape memory wire 20 to control the strength of pressure PW _i ^H applied to the user's hand. .

[Functional configuration of tactile presentation device]
The functional configuration of the tactile presentation device 1b will be described below.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a tactile presentation device 1b according to the second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 4, the tactile sense presentation device 1b includes a video/tactile sense data acquisition unit 11, a timing control unit 12, a heating temperature determination unit 13b, a heating control unit 14b, and a video output unit 15. Configured. Note that the functional configurations of the video/tactile data acquisition unit 11, the timing control unit 12, and the video output unit 15 are the same as those in the first embodiment, and therefore description thereof is omitted.

The heating temperature determination unit 13b (determination unit) acquires information for providing tactile information, including Duration and PW _i ^H , output from the timing control unit 12 . The heating temperature determination unit 13b calculates and determines the temperature for heating each shape memory wire 20 based on the value of PW _i ^H. Specifically, the temperature for heating each shape memory wire 20 is determined as follows. It should be noted that the shape memory wire 20 is assumed to contract when heated and expand when cooled, in the same way that a muscle contracts and relaxes.

Assuming that the temperature of the shape memory wire 20 varies linearly from the non-contracted state to the most contracted state (L=3), the pressure of PW _i ^H against the user's hand d _i ^H (heating parameter), which indicates the temperature required to provide , can be expressed by the following equation (4).

Here, d _max indicates the temperature at which the shape memory wire 20 is in the most contracted state (L=3).

The heating temperature determination unit 13b outputs information for providing tactile information, including Duration, PW _i ^H , and d _i ^H , to the heating control unit 14b.

The heating control unit 14b acquires information for providing tactile information, including Duration, PW _i ^H and d _i ^H , output from the heating temperature determination unit 13b. Based on the acquired information, the heating control unit 14b determines that the temperature value of each shape memory wire 20 (that is, the shape memory wire 20-i) indicated by the value of i on the side indicated by the value of H is d _i The heating part 21 of the haptic device 2 is controlled so that it is energized and heated until it reaches ^H. When PW _i ^H =0, the heating control section 14 b does not instruct the heating section 21 because the shape memory wire 20 does not need to be heated.

The heating control unit 14b controls the heating unit 21 of the haptic device 2 so that the temperature of the shape memory wire 20 maintains the value of d _i ^H until the time (duration) indicated by Duration has passed. Note that the heating control unit 14b acquires information indicating the surface temperature of the shape memory wire 20 from, for example, a temperature sensor (not shown) that measures the surface temperature of the shape memory wire 20, so that the temperature of the shape memory wire 20 changes to d _i Determine whether the value of ^H has been reached.

When the time (duration) indicated by the Duration value is reached, the heating control unit 14b stops heating the shape memory wire 20, thereby controlling the shape memory wire 20 to return to its original shape through natural cooling. . For example, assume that the shape transitions linearly until the shape memory wire 20 returns to its original shape. In this case, if the pressure level corresponding to PW _i ^H is L=m, rt _i ^H , which indicates the time until the original shape is restored, can be expressed by the above equation (3).

As described above, the tactile sense presentation device 1b according to the second embodiment of the present invention is a shape memory wire (an object) provided in the tactile device 2, and changes its shape by heating to apply pressure to the body. Control the heating to the shape memory wire (object) that is applied. The tactile sense presentation device 1b includes a heating temperature determination unit 13b (determination unit) and a heating control unit 14b. The heating temperature determining unit 13b (determining unit) acquires information indicating the pressure duration (Duration), which is the time during which the pressure is continuously applied, and information indicating the pressure intensity (PW _i ^H ), which is the intensity of the pressure. Then, a heating parameter (heating temperature (d _i ^H )) for controlling heating of the shape memory wire (object) is determined based on the pressure intensity (PW _i ^H ). The heating control unit 14 controls the heating of the shape memory wire (object) based on the pressure duration (Duration) and the heating temperature (d _i ^H ).

By providing the tactile sense presentation device 1b according to the present embodiment with the configuration described above, the haptic device 2 can be placed only at necessary positions, for example, among the positions of the user's finger joints and the positions corresponding to the muscles of the back of the hand. A shape memory wire 20 is placed. Therefore, according to the above-described second embodiment, it is possible to provide the user with a feeling (tactile information) as if he/she touched or grabbed an object with a simple device configuration. Moreover, since the tactile sense presentation device 1b according to the present embodiment has the configuration as described above, the haptic device 2 does not require complicated settings for each user. The user can easily use the glove-type tactile device 2 simply by wearing it on the hand.

With the configuration as described above, the tactile sense presentation device 1b according to the second embodiment of the present invention can provide tactile information to the user with a simple device configuration and without complicated settings. .

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and design and the like are included within the scope of the present invention.

Part or all of the tactile sense presentation device 1 and the tactile sense presentation device 1b in the above-described embodiments may be realized by a computer. In that case, a program for realizing this function may be recorded in a computer-readable recording medium, and the program recorded in this recording medium may be read into a computer system and executed. It should be noted that the "computer system" referred to here includes hardware such as an OS and peripheral devices. The term "computer-readable recording medium" refers to portable media such as flexible discs, magneto-optical discs, ROMs and CD-ROMs, and storage devices such as hard discs incorporated in computer systems. Furthermore, "computer-readable recording medium" means a medium that dynamically retains a program for a short period of time, like a communication line when transmitting a program via a network such as the Internet or a communication line such as a telephone line. It may also include something that holds the program for a certain period of time, such as a volatile memory inside a computer system that serves as a server or client in that case. Further, the program may be for realizing a part of the functions described above, or may be capable of realizing the functions described above in combination with a program already recorded in the computer system. It may be implemented using a programmable logic device such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

1 (1b)... Tactile sense presentation device, 2 (2L, 2R)... Tactile sense device, 11... Image/tactile sense data acquisition unit, 12... Timing control unit, 13... Heating time determination unit , 13b ... heating temperature determination unit 14 (14b) ... heating control unit 15 ... video output unit 20 (20-0 to 20-6) ... shape memory wire 21 ... heating unit

Claims (8)

An object provided at a position between the first joint and the second joint of the finger of the hand and at the position of the muscle on the back of the hand of a tactile device worn on a human hand, the shape of which is changed by heating A haptic presentation device that controls the heating of the object that exerts pressure on the body,
Heating that obtains information indicating a pressure duration, which is the time during which the pressure is continuously applied, and information indicating the pressure intensity, which is the intensity of the pressure, and controls heating of each of the objects based on the pressure intensity. a determination unit that determines parameters;
a heating control unit that controls the heating of each of the objects based on the pressure duration and the heating parameter;
A tactile presentation device. The decision unit
The tactile sense presentation device according to claim 1, wherein the heating parameter indicating the heating time calculated based on the time required for the shape change of the object caused by the heating is determined. The heating control unit
3. The method according to claim 2, wherein when the pressure duration time is longer than the heating time, the object is heated for the heating time and then allowed to cool naturally until the pressure duration time elapses. tactile presentation device. The decision unit
The tactile sense presentation device according to claim 1, wherein the heating parameter indicating a heating temperature calculated based on the temperature of the object reaching the pressure intensity is determined. Timing of acquiring information indicating the start time, which is the time at which the pressure is started, and outputting the information indicating the pressure duration and the information indicating the pressure intensity to the determination unit at a time corresponding to the start time. The tactile presentation device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a controller. The timing control unit
The decision is made based on the transmission time required for information to be transmitted to the heating control unit via the decision unit, the processing time in the decision unit and the heating control unit, and the time to start applying the pressure. 6. The tactile sense presentation device according to claim 5, wherein timing for outputting information to the unit is determined. An object provided at a position between the first joint and the second joint of the finger of the hand and at the position of the muscle on the back of the hand of a tactile device worn on a human hand, the shape of which is changed by heating A haptic presentation method for controlling the heating of the object that exerts pressure on the body, comprising:
Heating that obtains information indicating a pressure duration, which is the time during which the pressure is continuously applied, and information indicating the pressure intensity, which is the intensity of the pressure, and controls heating of each of the objects based on the pressure intensity. a determining step of determining the parameters;
a heating control step of respectively controlling the heating of each of the objects based on the pressure duration and the heating parameter;
A tactile presentation method having A program for causing a computer to function as the tactile presentation device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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