KR101337916B1 - Force sensor enabling wireless data transmission and method and robot thereby - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a force sensor having a wireless communication function, a force sensing method, and a robot using the same. The force sensor according to the present invention includes a deformation block having a deformation portion deformed by an external force; When an external force in the axial direction is applied to the deformation block, a voltage signal in the same vector direction is output according to the deformation of the deformation portion, and when a shear force in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction is applied, voltage signals in different vector directions are applied. A pair of optical sensors arranged to transmit; And an embedded system that receives voltage signals in the same vector direction or different vector directions transmitted from the optical sensors and transmits the received voltage signals to the management terminal through wireless communication.

Description

Force sensor enabling wireless data transmission and method and robot

The present invention relates to a force sensor capable of wireless data transmission, a force sensing method using the same, and a robot, and more particularly, a large-capacity miniaturized design, which can be manufactured at low cost, and the magnitude of the force in the biaxial direction applied to an object. The present invention relates to a force sensor with an improved data communication structure to precisely measure the temperature and increase the degree of freedom of use space.

In general, a strain gauge type sensor has been mainly used as a sensor for measuring the magnitude of force applied to an object.

However, this type of strain type sensor is designed to increase its capacity according to its size, so it is impossible to manufacture a small and large-capacity sensor, and the cost increases due to the use of an amplifier, and a force directly acts on the strain gauge. Therefore, the deformation of the strain gauge causes a problem such as weakening of durability, and in the case of measuring the force in the multi-axis direction instead of the single axis, it is necessary to have a complex shape to prevent the interference between the forces in the axial direction. There is a disadvantage that the structural design has to be made.

In addition, in the case of the force sensor, in order to acquire data, the power supply cable and the data transmission cable had to be connected to the sensor at all times. Many of the limitations have been exposed.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, the object of the present invention is easy to manufacture and reduce the design cost of the product, while at the same time accurately measuring the force in the at least two-axis direction applied to the object, It is to provide a force sensor that can increase the degree of freedom in space in the application.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a force sensor capable of wireless data transmission may include a deformation block including a deformation portion that is deformed by an external force; A pair of optical sensors arranged to transmit voltage signals in the same vector direction and to transmit voltage signals in different vector directions when a shear force in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction is applied; And an embedded system configured to receive voltage signals in the same vector direction or different vector directions transmitted from the photosensors, and to transmit the received voltage signals to a management terminal through wireless communication. do.

The embedded system includes a data acquisition module for receiving the voltage signal; And a wireless communication module for transmitting the voltage signal to the management terminal.

The data acquisition module preferably includes an AD converter for converting an analog voltage signal received from the photosensors into a digital signal.

The wireless communication module preferably transmits the voltage signal to the management terminal at predetermined intervals in a reception order in a serial communication method.

The deformable part may include an interrupt disposed in each optical slit part of the optical sensors, and each optical sensor may be configured to transmit a voltage signal according to a change in position in the optical slit part of the interrupt.

The deformable portion may be configured to communicate with the pair of first through holes formed at both sides with the interrupt interposed therebetween, and the pair of first through holes formed at the lower side of the interrupt with the body portion of the optical sensor disposed therein. It is preferable to have a second through hole.

Each of the first through holes has a width between the inner surfaces defining the first through holes at the center line based on the interruption for smooth and uniform deformation of the deformed portion by external force. It is desirable to form larger than.

The corner portion of the inner surface defining the first through hole and the second through hole is preferably formed in a curved shape.

Robot using a force sensor capable of wireless data transmission according to an embodiment of the present invention, the sensing unit having a force sensor of any one; Receives a signal sensed from the sensing unit through wireless communication, the received signal A calculation unit for calculating the magnitude of the external force applied based on the; And a controller configured to control the operation of the robot based on the calculation result of the calculator.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a force sensing method using a force sensor capable of wireless data transmission includes a case in which an external force in an axial direction is applied to a deformation block including a deformation portion that is deformed by an external force. Transmitting voltage signals in the same vector direction in accordance with the deformation of the deformation unit; Transmitting, by the optical sensor, voltage signals in different vector directions when a shear force is applied in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction; And receiving, by an embedded system, voltage signals in the same vector direction or different vector directions transmitted from the optical sensors, and transmitting the received voltage signals to a management terminal through wireless communication. It features.

The transmitting may include: receiving, by a data acquisition module, the voltage signal; And transmitting, by the wireless communication module, the voltage signal to the management terminal.

In the receiving of the voltage signal, it is preferable to convert the analog voltage signals received from the photosensors into digital signals.

In the transmitting to the management terminal, it is preferable to transmit the voltage signal to the management terminal at predetermined intervals in the order of reception using serial communication.

The force sensor according to the present invention having the configuration as described above can measure the magnitude of the force by using a deformation block having an interrupt and an optical sensor having an optical slit portion, so that the sensor can be manufactured with a simple configuration. The cost can be prevented from being increased by unnecessary components, and the degree of freedom for application space can be secured by using a wireless communication method, and more accurate measurement is possible than the measurement based on one optical sensor. It has the advantage of more accurate measurement of axial external force and shear force.

1 is a schematic block diagram of a force sensor capable of wireless data transmission according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a detailed block diagram of an embedded system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a flowchart of a force sensing method using a force sensor capable of wireless data transmission according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of a force sensor capable of wireless data transmission according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6 is a view showing a state where the photosensors are arranged in the deformation block employed in the embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 1;

Hereinafter, a force sensor capable of wireless data transmission, a force sensing method using the same, and a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a schematic block diagram of a force sensor capable of wireless data transmission according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a detailed block diagram of an embedded system according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3 is a view of the present invention 1 is a flowchart of a force sensing method using a force sensor capable of wireless data transmission according to an embodiment.

1 and 2, as shown in these figures, the force sensor capable of wireless data transmission according to the present invention is made using the deformation block 1, the light sensors 3 and the embedded system 100. .

The deformation block 1 has a deformation portion (not shown) which is deformed according to an external force applied thereto. The deformation block 1 is deformed in two directions. The deformation block 1 is deformed in the case where an external force in the axial direction is applied to the deformation block 1 and a shear force in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction is applied, respectively. It is judged that deformation is made.

The photosensors 3 have a light amount through the optical slit provided in the photosensors 3 by an interrupt (not shown) extending from the deformable portion, and change according to the position change of the interrupt, and the photosensor according to the changed light quantity. The output signal of the field 3 will be different. The photosensors 3 consist of a pair of photosensors which are arranged in sequence along the direction of shear force applied to the deformable portion. The output signal of the photosensors 3 is a voltage signal, which may be an analog signal.

In this case, the embedded system 100 receives output signals of the optical sensors 3 and transmits them to the management terminal 200 through wireless communication.

The embedded system 100 includes a microprocessor, and in the present invention, since the voltage signal output through the optical sensors 3 is output at a level of 0 to 5 V, for example, the embedded system 100 may be sufficiently processed by the microprocessor. . Therefore, the embedded system 100 processes the low voltage signal and transmits the low voltage signal to the management terminal 200 through wireless communication, for example, serial communication.

In this case, the analog voltage signal 101 may be transmitted from the optical sensors 3 to the embedded system 100. The data acquisition module 110 included in the microprocessor of the embedded system 100 processes the voltage signal and converts the signal into a signal capable of wireless data communication. For example, the data acquisition module 110 is an AD converter, and may convert the analog voltage signal 101 into a digital signal 102.

The converted digital signal 102 may be transmitted by the wireless communication module 120, wherein the wireless communication module 120 is connected to the management terminal 200 through short range communication such as Zigbee, Bluetooth, or the like. Can send and receive data. In addition, any communication method may be used as long as it is a communication system capable of short-range communication such as infrared communication and optical communication.

The wireless communication module 120 may transmit / receive data to / from the management terminal 200 by using serial communication (for example, a CAN communication method). By using serial communication, the wireless communication module 120 may acquire data according to the order in which the digital signal 102 is obtained. Data is sequentially transmitted to the management terminal 200 through wireless communication.

When data is transmitted through serial communication, the wireless communication module 120 may transmit data at a predetermined period (for example, 0.005 seconds).

One embedded system 100 may exist for each of a plurality of force sensors. In the embedded system 100 having a plurality of input terminals to the data acquisition module 110, data is received from a predetermined number (for example, seven) of force sensors and managed using the aforementioned wireless communication scheme. It may be transmitted to the terminal 200.

The method of sensing the force according to the above-mentioned device is shown in FIG. 3.

First, the optical sensors 3 detect a change in the amount of light exchanged in the optical slit in response to an interruption, in which an external force in the axial direction with respect to the deformation block 1 is detected (S10) or perpendicular to the axial direction. The shear force in the direction is sensed (S30). Step S10 or S30 may be performed separately or simultaneously.

When at least one of steps S10 and S30 is performed, in the case of step S10, according to the deformation of the deformation unit of the deformation block 1, voltage signals in the same vector direction are transmitted from the photosensors 3 (S20), and S30. When the step is performed, voltage signals in different vector directions are transmitted from the photosensors 3 (S40).

At this time, in the embedded system 100, after performing the step (S50) of receiving the voltage signal transmitted by performing the step S20 or S40, after converting the format of the received voltage signal by using a wireless communication management terminal ( The step S60 is performed.

As described above, step S50 may be performed by the data acquisition module 110, and step S50 may be a step of converting an analog voltage signal into a digital signal.

The step S60 may be performed in a serial communication method through the wireless communication module 120. Accordingly, the voltage signal may be transmitted to the management terminal 200 at predetermined intervals (for example, 0.005 seconds) in the reception order.

Hereinafter, by explaining the structural configuration of the force sensor, to help the above-mentioned force sensor to understand.

4 is a perspective view of a force sensor capable of wireless data transmission according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is an optical sensor in a deformation block employed in an embodiment of the present invention. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 1.

As shown in these figures, the force sensor according to the invention comprises a deformation block 1, light sensors 3 and a cover unit.

The deformation block 1 is preferably made of a lightweight material such as aluminum, and includes a pressing portion 11 to which an external force acts and a deformation portion 12 formed integrally with the pressing portion 11. In this embodiment, the pressing portion 11 is formed to protrude outward from the deformation portion 12.

The deformation part 12 may be implemented in various ways, but in this embodiment, a pair of first through holes 122 and a second through hole 123 are formed. As described above, the deformable portion 12 includes the first through holes 122 and the second through holes 123 to enable the deformation of the deformation block 1.

The deformation part 12 includes an interrupt 121 formed at a position for dividing the first through holes 122 into two. The interrupt 121 is located in the optical slit part 31 of the optical sensors 3, so that the output of the optical sensors 3 in accordance with the position change D as shown in FIG. Make the signal different. Here, the output signal of the photosensors 3 is a voltage signal.

In the present embodiment, the interrupt 121 is integrally formed with the deformable portion 12, but the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto, and is formed separately from the deformable portion 12, for example, by bonding or the like. Of course, it can be configured to be coupled to the deformation portion (12).

The output voltages of the optical sensors 3 are equal to the equations that are proportional to the external force applied to the deformation block 1, and based on the equations, the magnitude of the external force applied to the deformation block 1 is determined by the optical sensor. It can be measured using the (3).

In the present invention, when the pair of optical sensors are provided, when the external force in the axial direction is applied to the deformation block as shown in FIG. 6, the voltage signal in the same vector direction is transmitted according to the deformation of the deformation part.

That is, if the average value is calculated after summing the magnitudes of the voltages based on the voltage signals based on each voltage signal of the pair of optical sensors, more accurate voltage measurement is possible than the voltage measurement based on one optical sensor. . As a result, the present invention is capable of precisely measuring the magnitude of the axial external force proportional to the voltage value as the voltage measurement is possible by the pair of optical sensors.

On the other hand, the first through holes 122 are formed on both sides with the interrupt 121 interposed therebetween, and the second through hole 123 has a pair of first and second ends below the interrupt 121. It is formed to communicate with the first through-holes 122, the body portion 12 of the light sensor (3) is disposed.

In the present embodiment, the first through holes 122 have a width between the inner surface defining the first through hole 122 at the center line with respect to the interrupt 121, and the second through hole 123. By forming larger than the width of the, the external force applied to the pressing portion 11 evenly distributed to the deformation portion 12 to enable a smooth and uniform deformation of the deformation portion 12.

In addition, the corner portions of the inner surfaces defining the first through holes 122 and the second through holes 123 are formed in a curved shape, thereby being tough against fatigue due to repeated deformation of the deformation part 12. It is excellent as compared with the comparative example when this edge part is a right angle.

Thus, the present embodiment having the deformation block 1 and the light sensors 3, as shown in Figure 6 and 7, the external force acts on the pressing portion 11 of the deformation block (1). In this case, the interrupt 121 provided in the deformable part 12 is deformed in the optical slit part 31 of the optical sensors 3 together with the deformable part 12. It causes a change in the position of the interrupt 121 (Fig. 6; D, Fig. 7; D1, D2), and the output signal of the optical sensors (3) is changed according to the change in the position, the magnitude of the force according to the output signal Enable to measure

As a result, the force sensor according to the present invention can measure the magnitude of the force using the deformation block 1 having the interrupt 121 and the optical sensors 3 having the optical slit 31. In addition, the sensor can be manufactured with a simple configuration, and the cost can be prevented from being increased by unnecessary parts. Significant removal eliminates the benefits of improving product durability.

In addition, in the present invention, as described above, by having a pair of optical sensors, as shown in Figure 7, when the shearing force in the direction orthogonal to the axial direction is applied to the deformation block, each optical sensor The interrupts in the optical slit portion of cause different position changes. In this case, since the voltage signal transmitted from each optical sensor has a different vector direction, by subtracting each vector value and calculating an average value, it is possible to accurately measure the amount of position change of the interrupt. Precise measurement of shear force is possible.

On the other hand, the cover unit, by being coupled to the deformation block 1 serves to close the optical sensors (3).

The cover unit may be integrally molded, but in the present embodiment, the cover unit includes a pair of cover members 41 and 42 for ease of molding and improved assembly.

The pair of cover members 41 and 42 are positioned opposite to each other with the deformation block 1 interposed therebetween, and fastening means such as bolts B passing through the respective cover members 41 and 42. By screwing into the deformation block (1), it is configured to be in close contact with the deformation block (1).

As shown in FIG. 7, each of the cover members 41 and 42 has passage holes 411 and 421 formed therein, and the present embodiment is fixed to the passage holes 411 and 421. The member 5 is provided.

That is, the through holes 411 and 421 serve as a passage for allowing the wire W electrically connected to the electrode 32 of the optical sensor 3 to be connected to an external power source, and the fixing member 5 is coupled to the through-holes 411 and 421 in a state where the wire W is fixed to the inside, thereby firmly fixing the wire W to the deformation block 1.

On the other hand, various embodiments according to the present invention as described above, can be applied to various technical fields, such as robots, optical applications or semiconductor equipment.

For example, in the case of a robot, a sensing unit including a force sensor according to the above embodiments, an arithmetic unit that calculates the magnitude of an external force based on a signal sensed from the sensing unit, and a robot based on a calculation result of the arithmetic unit Since it is implemented to include a control unit for controlling the operation, it is possible to design a robot that can derive the advantages of simplifying the configuration for measuring the magnitude of the force applied to the robot, cost reduction and durability.

As mentioned above, although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but is defined by the claims, and various modifications and adaptations can be made in the technical field to which the present invention belongs. Is self-explanatory.

1: Deformation block 11: Pressure unit
12: deformation part 121: interrupt
122: first through hole 123: second through hole
3: optical sensor 31: optical slit part
32: electrode 41, 42: cover member
411,421: Through hole 431: Position fixing hole
5: Fixed member 6: Position fixing member:
B: Bolt W: Wire

Claims (13)

Deformation block having a deformation that is deformed by an external force;
When an external force in the axial direction is applied to the deformation block, voltage signals in the same vector direction are respectively transmitted according to the deformation of the deformation part, and when shear force is applied in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction, A pair of optical sensors arranged to transmit a voltage signal; And
And an embedded system configured to receive voltage signals in the same vector direction or different vector directions transmitted from the photosensors, and transmit the received voltage signals to a management terminal through wireless communication.
The pair of optical sensors are arranged in sequence along the direction in which the shear force is applied,
And the deformation part includes an interrupt disposed in each optical slit part of the optical sensors. The method of claim 1,
The embedded system,
A data acquisition module for receiving the voltage signal; And
And a wireless communication module configured to transmit the voltage signal to the management terminal. 3. The method of claim 2,
The data acquisition module,
And an AD converter for converting the analog voltage signals received from the photosensors into digital signals. 3. The method of claim 2,
The wireless communication module,
The serial sensor system, the power sensor capable of wireless data transmission, characterized in that for transmitting the voltage signal to the management terminal at predetermined intervals in the order of reception. delete The method of claim 1,
The deformable portion may be configured to communicate with the pair of first through holes formed at both sides with the interrupt interposed therebetween, and the pair of first through holes formed at the lower side of the interrupt with the body portion of the optical sensor disposed therein. A force sensor capable of wireless data transmission, characterized by having a second through hole. The method according to claim 6,
Each of the first through holes has a width between the inner surfaces defining the first through holes at the center line based on the interruption for smooth and uniform deformation of the deformed portion by external force. A force sensor capable of wireless data transmission, characterized in that it is formed larger than. The method according to claim 6,
The edge portion of the inner surface defining the first through hole and the second through hole is a force sensor capable of wireless data transmission, characterized in that formed in a curved shape. Claim 1 to 4 and the sensing unit having a force sensor capable of transmitting the wireless data of any one of claims 6 to 8;
A calculator configured to receive a signal sensed by the sensing unit through wireless communication and calculate a magnitude of an external force applied based on the received signal; And
And a control unit for controlling the operation of the robot based on the calculation result of the operation unit. delete delete delete delete

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