KR102528089B1 - Grip strength measurement golves for diagnosing sarcopenia based on a flexible pressure sensor and module - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a flexible pressure sensor for diagnosing sarcopenia and a module combining the same, a sensor for measuring the magnitude of pressure based on triboelectricity, a glove in which a plurality of sensors are disposed at predetermined intervals from each other on a two-dimensional plane, and a sensor A conversion module electrically connected to and electrically connected to the conversion module for converting and outputting the magnitude of pressure into an electrical signal and electrically connected to the conversion module to visually output the magnitude of the pressure on a two-dimensional plane so as to correspond one-to-one with a plurality of sensors disposed on the glove It is provided, including a monitoring unit, and may further include a heating device, a grip strength determining unit, and an electromagnet.
According to the present invention, by using a sensor manufactured through a semiconductor process based on a solution process, power consumption can be minimized, foreign body sensation can be minimized, the grip force can be monitored with actual motion-based data, and the amount of pressure and surroundings can be monitored through a heating device. The pressure can be grasped visually, the user's grip strength can be visually checked through the color through the grip strength determination unit, the grip strength can be measured more accurately by fixing the sensor using an electromagnet, and the grip strength supplement mode of the electromagnet By using the user's grip strength can be assisted so that the user can easily lift the object.

Description

Grip strength measuring glove for diagnosis of sarcopenia based on flexible pressure sensor and module {GRIP STRENGTH MEASUREMENT GOLVES FOR DIAGNOSING SARCOPENIA BASED ON A FLEXIBLE PRESSURE SENSOR AND MODULE}

The present invention relates to a flexible pressure sensor for diagnosing sarcopenia and a module combining the same. More specifically, it relates to a flexible pressure sensor and module for diagnosing sarcopenia by measuring grip strength based on a glove.

Sarcopenia is the name of a disease that refers to a symptom in which skeletal muscles constituting limbs, etc., are greatly reduced, and is caused by a decrease in muscle cells and lack of activity due to aging. When sarcopenia is invented, the ability to store energy decreases, so you feel tired easily, and your basal metabolic rate decreases, so your weight changes frequently and you gain weight easily. In addition, the fluctuation range of blood sugar increases, and diabetic patients have difficulty controlling blood sugar, accompanied by symptoms such as dizziness, frequent falls, and weakening of bones. It is a dangerous disease that slows down the body's response and makes it difficult to balance, increasing the risk of death.

To diagnose such sarcopenia, a method of measuring the patient's muscle strength is used. A general sarcopenia diagnosis device-grip dynamometer senses and monitors a patient's grip strength in real time, and it is important to accurately and precisely detect and measure pressure. To this end, conventional grip meters operate in a digital manner and have built-in batteries or have been developed to be used semi-permanently as a rechargeable type.

However, this conventional method has a problem of poor consistency and accuracy when measuring grip strength. In particular, when looking at the opinions of patients complaining that hand strength is easily lost when trying to continuously measure grip strength, it can be confirmed that there is a clear limit to consistency. In addition, in most cases, the center of gravity of the grip dynamometer is skewed to one side, so when measuring with the arm vertical, the fatigue accumulated in the entire hand due to its own weight increases significantly, and the way each user holds the dynamometer is different. also had problems. In this case, it can be confirmed that there is a limit to the consistency and accuracy of the measurement because the grip strength value tends to be smaller when the arm is measured in a vertical state than when the arm is stretched horizontally. In addition, conventional grip dynamometers may be suitable for checking muscle strength at the time of measurement, but it is impossible to store and compare data, so it is somewhat difficult to diagnose sarcopenia.

In order to solve the above limitations, in the present invention, a flexible pressure sensor manufactured using a semiconductor process based on a solution process that can be mass-produced at low cost and a module to which the flexible pressure sensor is attached, has excellent sensitivity, and has little foreign body sensation It is intended to provide a grip strength measurement system that includes.

Prior Document 1: Republic of Korea Patent Registration No. 10-2107829 (registered on April 28, 2020) Prior Document 2: Republic of Korea Patent Registration No. 10-1840411 (registered on March 14, 2018)

A technical problem of the present invention is to provide a grip force measurement system with improved consistency and accuracy compared to conventional grip dynamometers.

Another technical problem of the present invention is to provide a grip strength measurement system that stores measured grip strength in the form of a log file and visually outputs it on a two-dimensional plane.

Another technical problem of the present invention is to provide a sensor that can be manufactured using a solution process-based semiconductor process.

Another technical problem of the present invention is to provide a sensor with improved sensitivity compared to conventional sensors.

Another technical problem of the present invention is to visually grasp the magnitude of the pressure and the ambient pressure through the heating device.

Another technical problem of the present invention is to determine whether or not an appropriate grip strength is obtained through a grip strength determining unit.

Another technical problem of the present invention is to measure the pressure more accurately by providing an electromagnet.

Another technical problem of the present invention is to help supplement the user's insufficient grip strength through the grip strength supplement mode of the electromagnet.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is electrically connected to a sensor for measuring the magnitude of pressure based on triboelectricity, a glove attached to an outer or inner surface so that a plurality of the sensors are spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval, and the sensor A grip force comprising a conversion module that converts and outputs the magnitude of pressure into an electrical signal and a monitoring unit that is electrically connected to the conversion module and visually outputs the magnitude of the pressure on a two-dimensional plane in a one-to-one correspondence with a plurality of sensors attached to the glove. measurement system is provided.

In addition, it further includes a heating device connected to the sensor to generate heat according to the magnitude of the pressure. Provided is a grip force measuring system characterized in that for grasping the magnitude of the pressure.

In addition, it is provided to come into contact with the heating device to receive heat, and when the temperature reaches a temperature higher than the first predetermined threshold temperature, it is deformed at a predetermined first angle, and a predetermined second temperature higher than the first predetermined threshold temperature. Further comprising a pressing device of a shape memory alloy material, characterized in that when the temperature reaches a temperature higher than the critical temperature is deformed to a predetermined second angle greater than the predetermined first angle,

When the pressing device reaches a temperature higher than the predetermined first critical temperature and is deformed at a predetermined first angle, the pressing device presses and turns on the first switch provided as a push button, and the pressing device turns on at a temperature higher than the predetermined second critical temperature. It is characterized in that when it reaches and is deformed to a predetermined second angle, the pressing device presses and turns on the second switch provided as a push button,

When the first switch or the second switch is turned on, a grip strength measuring system is provided that operates a grip strength determination unit for intuitively determining the degree of grip strength when measuring grip strength.

In addition, the grip strength determining unit includes a sensing unit that detects that the first switch and the second switch are turned on and determines the degree of grip strength, and emits a predetermined first color when the sensing unit detects that the first switch is turned on, and a light emitting unit that emits a predetermined second color when the second switch is turned on to display the degree of pressure sensed by the sensor in color.

In addition, further comprising an electromagnet corresponding to each of the plurality of sensors,

When pressure is sensed by the sensor, current is applied to the electromagnet to generate magnetic force, and the electromagnet is disposed around the sensor so as to surround the sensor, and when measuring the grip force with a glove, it is made of a metal material, or inside A grip strength measuring system characterized in that an object equipped with metal is gripped and measured with the gloved hand, and the grip strength is measured at an accurate position and angle by fixing the sensor position when the electromagnet is fixed to the object and measuring the grip strength. provides

In addition, the electromagnet is characterized in that it further comprises a grip strength supplement mode, and when the electromagnet operates in the grip strength supplement mode, a current is applied to the electromagnet at a position where the pressure is not sensed by the sensor to generate magnetic force, thereby generating a magnetic force in the electromagnet at the part where the pressure is insufficient. Provided is a grip force measurement system that is attached to the metal object to help supplement the user's grip force.

In addition, in the grip supplement mode, when magnetic force is generated in the electromagnet, some of the electromagnets are provided with different poles, and when the electromagnets provided with different poles come into contact with each other or are adjacent to each other, attractive force acts and the object that the user lifts Provided is a grip strength measuring system that helps supplement a user's grip strength even when it is not a metal object.

According to the present invention, since a plurality of sensors are disposed on the surface of the glove so as to be spaced apart from each other at predetermined intervals, more accurate and precise grip strength measurement is possible, and consistent and accurate grip strength measurement values can be converted into data.

According to the present invention, since the weight is formed only with the glove and the sensor, hand fatigue is reduced during use and the risk of damage is reduced.

According to the present invention, since a sensor with improved sensitivity compared to conventional sensors is provided, it is possible to minimize foreign body sensation caused by the sensor when wearing gloves.

According to the present invention, since the sensor is detachably provided from the glove, it is easy to replace or wash the glove, so the versatility is excellent.

According to the present invention, the user's grip strength can be calculated with data such as average and standard deviation values through software mounted on a monitoring unit electrically connected to a plurality of sensors and checked in real time.

According to the present invention, since a sensor can be manufactured through a semiconductor process based on a solution process, manufacturing cost can be reduced and mass production can be performed.

According to the present invention, since a sensor requiring no external power supply is provided, power consumption can be minimized.

In addition, according to the present invention, by constructing a platform for sharing user's grip strength data and providing the data to users and medical companies connected to the platform, it can be utilized in medical and welfare facilities.

In addition, according to the present invention, the pressure can be checked in various ways, and the entire distribution of the pressure can be checked, not simply at one point.

In addition, according to the present invention, the degree of the user's grip strength can be visually confirmed through color.

In addition, according to the present invention, the grip force can be more accurately measured by fixing the sensor using an electromagnet.

In addition, according to the present invention, the user's grip strength can be assisted by using the grip strength supplement mode of the electromagnet so that the user can easily lift the object.

1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a grip force measuring system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a perspective view illustrating an example of use of a grip strength measurement system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating a principle of measuring pressure by a sensor attached to a glove in an example of use shown in FIG. 2 .
4 is a diagram illustrating a flow of measuring pressure in the grip force measuring system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a diagram illustrating a heat generating device and a thermal imaging camera of a grip force measuring system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a view showing a state in which the pressing device of the grip force measuring system according to an embodiment of the present invention is deformed according to temperature.
7 is a diagram showing a grip strength determining unit of a grip strength measurement system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a diagram showing an electromagnet of a system of a grip force measurement system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Objects and effects of the present invention will become more apparent through the following detailed description, but the objects and effects of the present invention are not limited only to the following description. In addition, in describing the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of a known technology related to the present invention may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the present invention. However, the present invention may be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below. In addition, in order to clearly disclose the present invention in the drawings, parts irrelevant to the present invention are omitted, and the same or similar numerals in the drawings indicate the same or similar components.

1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a grip force measuring system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1, the grip strength measurement system according to the present invention converts the pressure measured by the sensor 100, the glove 200 to which the sensor 100 is attached, and the pressure measured by the sensor 100 into an electrical signal. It is configured to include a conversion module 300 and a monitoring unit 400 that receives the signal converted by the conversion module 300 and visually outputs the magnitude of the pressure.

The sensor 100 is a component that measures the magnitude of pressure based on triboelectricity. To this end, the sensor 100 is provided as the pressure sensor 100 and includes a configuration capable of generating triboelectricity. In detail, the sensor 100 is disposed on the glove 200 to be described later, and monitors the user's grip strength in real time by measuring a change in grip strength according to the movement of the user's hand wearing the glove 200 .

The glove 200 has a configuration in which a plurality of sensors 100 are attached to the outer or inner surface so as to be spaced apart from each other at predetermined intervals. In detail, a plurality of sensors 100 are disposed spaced apart from each other at predetermined intervals on the outer or inner surface of the glove 200. In a preferred embodiment, 5 sensors 100 are attached to the distal end of each finger of the glove 200, and 5 sensors 100 are attached to the upper part of the palm corresponding to the lower part of each finger, so that a total of 10 sensors ( 100) may be arranged on the outer surface of the glove 200. At this time, wires 150 are connected to correspond to each sensor 100 on a one-to-one basis so that the conversion module 300 to be described later and the sensor 100 can be electrically connected. Although the sensor 100 is shown exposed on the outer surface of the glove 200 in FIG. 1 , the sensor 100 may be disposed on the inner surface of the glove 200 .

The conversion module 300 is a component that is electrically connected to the sensor 100 and converts the magnitude of the pressure into an electrical signal and outputs it. In detail, as the wire 150 connected to the sensor 100 is connected to the conversion module 300, the conversion module 300 receives the magnitude of the pressure measured by the sensor 100.

The monitoring unit 400 is electrically connected to the conversion module 300 and visually outputs the magnitude of the pressure on a two-dimensional plane in a one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of sensors 100 attached to the glove 200. In detail, the pressure value of the plurality of sensors 100 attached to the glove 200 is 2 It is provided to visually output on a dimensional plane.

2 is a perspective view showing an example of use of the grip strength measuring system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a sensor 100 attached to a glove 200 measuring pressure in an example of use shown in FIG. 2 . It is a side view showing the principle of doing.

Referring to FIG. 2 , grip strength is measured by wearing a glove 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention and holding an object such as a massage ball in the palm of the hand. In detail, when a user grips an object with his or her hand, pressure is applied to the sensor 100 in contact with the object, and through this, the user's grip strength can be measured.

Referring to FIG. 5 , the grip strength measuring system according to the present invention is characterized in that it further includes a heating device 500 .

The heating device 500 is a component that is connected to the sensor 100 and generates heat according to the magnitude of the pressure sensed by the sensor 100. At this time, the heating device 500 may use a material that generates heat when pressure is received, and the size of the pressure is determined through the size of the signal received from the conversion module 300 that converts the size of the pressure from the sensor 100 into an electrical signal. It may be provided to convert into heat, and may be provided to generate heat by receiving the magnitude of pressure directly from the sensor 100. However, since generating heat by receiving the magnitude of pressure directly from the sensor 100 can more accurately reflect the pressure input to the sensor 100, a method of receiving the magnitude of pressure from the sensor 100 is preferable. .

The heating device 500 is provided to correspond to each sensor 100, and when a plurality of sensors 100 are provided, a plurality of heating devices 500 connected to each sensor 100 may be provided, The heating device 500 may be arranged in a form in which a plurality of sensors 100 are arranged to indicate the pressure where each sensor 100 is located. ) is connected to display the total amount of pressure input from the plurality of sensors 100 as the temperature of the heating device 500. However, it is preferable that the plurality of sensors 100 are arranged in an arranged form to indicate the pressure at the location where each sensor 100 is located because the distribution of the total pressure can be known. When arranged in the form in which the heat generating device 500 is installed, the heat generating device fixing part 510 may be further provided, and the heat generating device fixing part 510 transfers heat well, so that the heat generating device 500 It may be provided to express ambient temperature.

In addition, the heat generated by the heating device 500 may be photographed with the thermal imaging camera 520 and the temperature of the heat generated according to the pressure may be measured to determine the magnitude of the pressure generated by the sensor 100 . At this time, not only the thermal imaging camera 520 but also the temperature sensor 100 capable of measuring heat may be used, but using the thermal imaging camera 520 does not only check the temperature of a specific part, but also the heating device 500 ) It is preferable to use the thermal imaging camera 520 because there is an advantage in that it is possible to check the temperature spread around the surroundings as well as the temperature of the center generated by

In this way, when the temperature is measured through the heat generated in the heating device 500 to check the size of the pressure, it is possible to know in detail through the temperature deviation, and to know the pressure value of a specific part where the sensor 100 is located In addition, it is possible to check the overall pressure distribution of how the pressure is distributed around the sensor 100 through the difference in temperature, and by imaging this, the distribution of the pressure can be visually confirmed, and it is not a single method using only the sensor 100. Different information can be cross-checked by checking the pressure in different ways. In addition, since the temperature is changed by receiving the voltage according to the pressure, there is an advantage that the error may not appear immediately even when there is an error such as instantaneous overvoltage.

Referring to FIG. 6 , the grip strength measuring system according to the present invention is characterized in that it further includes a pressing device 600, a first switch 611, and a second switch 621 made of a shape memory alloy material.

The pressing device 600 may be made of a shape memory alloy material, and may be provided to contact the heating device 500 to receive heat. In the pressing device 600, when a pressure equal to or higher than a predetermined pressure is detected by the sensor 100, heat is generated from the heating device 500, and the temperature of the pressing device 600 receiving the heat from the heating device 500 reaches a predetermined value. When a temperature higher than the critical temperature is generated, the pressing device 600 may be deformed at a predetermined angle, and the pressing device 600 may turn on or off a switch by the corresponding deformation.

The pressing device 600 made of a shape memory alloy material may be provided in various forms so that the switch can be turned on and off by a change according to temperature, bent at a predetermined angle in one direction according to a change in temperature, or a shape It is provided as a memory alloy spring and may be provided to physically or electrically turn on/off the switch through a method such as changing its length according to temperature change. In one embodiment of the present invention, it is described based on the fact that the switch is physically turned on and off by being deformed at a predetermined angle according to a change in temperature, and it is natural that it may be provided in other ways.

In the heating device 500, when a predetermined pressure abnormality is detected in the sensor 100, the pressing device 600 that receives heat from the heating device 500 reaches a predetermined critical temperature, and the pressing device 600 provided with a shape memory alloy Device 600 is deformed at an angle. That is, when a predetermined pressure or more is received, the pressing device 600 is finally deformed to perform an operation of operating a switch. At this time, the predetermined pressure is a pressure for performing a specific operation when the set pressure is reached, and in an embodiment of the present invention, it may be selected based on a normal range of grip strength that the user must exert when picking up the object 710 .

Meanwhile, the pressing device 600 may be modified so that one or a plurality of switches capable of turning on and off may be provided. In one embodiment of the present invention, the first switch 611 and the second switch 621 have two switches It is described based on what is provided.

When the first switch 611 and the second switch 621 are provided, the pressing device 600 made of a shape memory alloy is rotated at a first predetermined angle 610 when a predetermined first critical temperature is reached. It can be deformed, and when it reaches a predetermined second critical temperature higher than the predetermined first critical temperature, it can be deformed to a predetermined second angle 620 greater than the predetermined first angle 610, and the pressing device ( 600) is deformed to the first angle 610, the first switch 611 is turned on, and when the pressing device 600 is deformed to the second angle 620, the second switch 621 is turned on. In this way, if the first switch 611 and the second switch 621 are turned on and off according to the deformation of the heating device 500, predetermined devices are connected to each switch, and each device operates when the corresponding switch is turned on. Alternatively, one device may be connected to two switches to perform different operations. At this time, the first switch 611 and the second switch 621 may be provided with various types of switches such as push button, dip, lead, rocker slide, etc. In one embodiment of the present invention, the pressing device 600 Since the method of pressing the push button by the deformation is appropriate, the switch is described based on the push button.

For example, if the device 600 for pressing the first switch 611 and the second switch 621 provided as a push button that turns on only while pressing is deformed and deformed to a predetermined first angle 610, the first switch 611 and the second switch 621 are deformed. 1 Press the switch 611, deform at the second predetermined angle 620, the first switch 611 is not pressed, and the second switch 621 is pressed, and at the first predetermined angle, the first switch 611 is pressed, and the second switch 621 is pressed at a predetermined second angle 620 so that devices connected to each switch can be turned on and off. However, the switch is not limited to a push button, and it is natural that a method of turning the switch on and off through the pressing device 600 may be provided in various ways depending on the type of the pressing device 600 and the type of switch.

In addition, the pressing device 600 is not limited to one predetermined first critical temperature and second critical temperature, but may be provided with various pressing devices 600 having different first critical temperatures and second critical temperatures. It is also possible to replace the pressing device 600 of the existing pressing device 600 with a pressing device 600 having predetermined first and second critical temperatures different from each other. In this way, when the pressing device 600 is replaced, the temperature at which the pressing device 600 is deformed changes, the amount of heat received from the heating device 500 for the pressing device 600 to deform, and the sensor to generate the corresponding heat The predetermined pressure that the 100 should receive is also different. Therefore, in order to eventually deform the pressing device 600 and turn on the first switch 611 or the second switch 621, the predetermined pressure that the sensor 100 must receive can be changed by replacing the pressing device 600. there is.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the fact that the grip strength determining unit is operated by being connected to the first switch 611 and the second switch 621 described above.

Referring to FIG. 7 , the grip strength determining system according to the present invention may further include a grip strength determining unit, and the grip strength determining unit includes a sensing unit and a light emitting unit.

The grip strength determining unit is configured to intuitively check the degree of grip strength for each position of the sensor 100 by displaying the degree of the user's grip strength measured in different colors.

The sensing unit reaches a predetermined first or second critical temperature by the pressure sensed by the sensor 100, and when the pressing device 600 is deformed and the first or second switch 621 is turned on, the first or second switch 621 is a component that detects turned on positions. When the sensing unit detects that the first or second switch 621 is turned on, the light emitting unit may emit different predetermined first colors or second colors. In addition, the sensing unit detects and integrates the positions where the first switch 611 and the second switch 621 are turned on to determine the distribution of the user's grip strength, and to compensate for the insufficient grip strength, the electromagnet located at the corresponding location, which will be described later. 700 may be operated to supplement the grip strength.

The light emitting unit is configured to emit light of a first color or a second color when the first switch 611 or the second switch 621 is turned on in the sensing unit. The light emitting unit may be made of various light emitting bodies, but it is preferable to be provided with LEDs to emit colors in order to emit various colors. In addition, when all the switches are not turned on, the light emitting unit may not display a color, but may display a predetermined color. For example, when the first switch 611 and the second switch 621 are not turned on, the light emitting unit emits red light, and when only the first switch 611 is turned on, it emits yellow light. When turned on, green light may be emitted to display the level of grip strength.

If the grip strength determination unit is provided as described above, when measuring the grip strength, the strong and weak areas are displayed in color, so that the degree of grip strength can be intuitively grasped, and it is easy to intuitively identify and analyze the weak grip strength, which will be described later. It is also possible to supplement the grip force using the electromagnet 700 to be performed.

Referring to FIG. 8 , the grip force measuring system according to the present invention may be provided to further include an electromagnet 700 .

In one embodiment of the present invention, an electromagnet 700 corresponding to each of the plurality of sensors 100 is further included, and when a pressure is sensed in the electromagnet 700, a current is applied to the electromagnet 700 It is a configuration in which magnetism is generated. At this time, the electromagnet 700 is disposed around the sensor 100 to surround the sensor 100 so as not to interfere with the sensor 100 measuring the pressure.

Since pressure is detected by the sensor 100 and current is applied to the electromagnet 700 to generate magnetic force, when measuring the grip strength with the glove 200, the object 710 made of metal or having metal inside the glove (200) When gripping and measuring with a pinched hand, the electromagnet 700 is attached and fixed to the object 710 by manpower, and thus the position of the sensor 100 is fixed to measure the grip force at a more accurate position and angle can be made In addition, since current is applied to the electromagnet 700 only when the grip force is detected by the sensor 100 and magnetic force is generated, when the hand is relaxed, current is not naturally applied to the electromagnet 700, so that the object 710 and the glove ( 200) may fall.

Therefore, when the user measures the grip force using the glove 200 by further including the electromagnet 700 as described above, it can be measured at a more accurate position and angle, and when the force is subtracted, the glove 200 and the object 710 naturally can be separated.

Meanwhile, the electromagnet 700 may operate in a grip strength supplement mode. In the grip force supplement mode, when pressure is sensed by the sensor 100, current is applied to the electromagnet 700 to generate magnetic force, instead of applying current to the electromagnet 700 at a position where no pressure is detected by the sensor 100 to generate magnetic force. , or by determining whether the first switch 611 and the second switch 621 are turned on, a current is applied to the electromagnet 700 where the switch is not turned on or only the first switch 611 is turned on to generate magnetic force. It can be generated to operate the electromagnet 700 where there is not enough pressure to supplement the grip force when picking up a metal object. In addition, even when the object being lifted by the user is not a metal object, the user's grip strength may be supplemented when the user uses the glove 200 by installing a grip assisting device made of metal or magnet on a non-metal object.

The grip assist device is configured to be coupled to the outside of a predetermined object that the user lifts, and is provided with a metal or magnet and is attached to the electromagnet 700 to reduce the user's grip force when current is applied to the electromagnet 700 to operate as a magnet. can be supplemented. In addition, the grip assisting device may be provided in the form of a flexible iron plate to be bent around a predetermined object to wrap the predetermined object, and to enclose an object such as a cup or water bottle that is frequently lifted by the user, or a water bottle. It may be provided in advance in the form of a support or the like.

When the grip assisting device is provided as described above, when the electromagnet 700 provided in the glove 200 is used in the grip supplement mode, the user's grip strength is supplemented to easily lift the object even when the material of the object to be lifted is not metal. you can make it lift.

In addition, a switch for separately turning on the grip strength supplement mode may be turned on and off only when supplementation of grip strength is required, and the duration of the corresponding mode may be appropriately set so as to be turned on only for a necessary time.

In this way, when the grip supplement mode is further included, the glove 200 including the electromagnet 700 does not operate only as a measuring device, but applies current to the electromagnet 700 located where the pressure is insufficient to generate magnetic force to assist the grip force. Even a person who lacks this ability can play a role of helping to easily pick up the object 710 by installing the metal object 710 or a grip assisting device made of metal or the like to the object 710 .

In addition, when the electromagnet 700 operates in the grip supplement mode, when magnetic force is generated in the electromagnet 700, some of the electromagnets 700 are provided with different poles, and the electromagnets 700 provided with different poles When the objects 710 come into contact with each other or are adjacent to each other, attractive force acts to help the user to easily lift the object 710 by supplementing the user's grip even when the object being lifted is not a metal object.

At this time, the electromagnets 700 provided with different poles among the electromagnets 700 come into contact with each other when grasping the object 710 with their hands or using a part of their fingers to pick up the object 710. Electromagnets 700 in close proximity may have different poles. For example, the electromagnet 700 located on the thumb is N pole and the electromagnet 700 of the other four fingers is S pole, so that when gripping the object 710, when the four fingers and the thumb come close to each other, attractive forces act on each other to create a grip force. Alternatively, when the finger's electromagnet 700 is provided with the N pole and the palm's electromagnet 700 is provided with the S pole, and the finger grips the long object 710 with the finger, when the finger and the palm get close to each other, attractive forces act on each other, resulting in grip strength. can be supplemented.

In this way, if some of the electromagnets 700 among the electromagnets 700 are provided with different poles, the electromagnets 700 operate to compensate for gripping force only when picking up a metal object, and the electromagnets 700 provided with different poles It is possible to assist a user with insufficient grip strength to easily pick up the object 710 by supplementing the user's grip strength even when the object 710 is not a metal by utilizing the action of attraction when approaching.

Referring to FIG. 3 , the sensor 100 of the grip force measuring system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a friction layer 110 and an electrode 120 connected to at least one of upper and lower surfaces of the friction layer 110. It is provided by In this embodiment, the upper electrode 120 is connected to the upper surface of the friction layer 110 and the lower electrode 120 is connected to the lower surface of the friction layer 110.

The friction layer 110 is a component for generating triboelectricity by pressure applied to the sensor 100 and is provided in the form of a porous sponge made of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The electrode 120 disposed on at least one of the upper and lower surfaces of the friction layer 110 generates triboelectricity through contact with the friction layer 110 and measures the triboelectricity generated in the friction layer 110. As a configuration for providing electrical connection, it is provided in the form of a thin film of CNT (carbon-nanotube)-PDMS material. In detail, the friction layer 110 generates triboelectricity through friction with the electrode 120, and the electrode 120 generates triboelectricity through friction with the friction layer 110, and at the same time, the sensor 100 and the sensor 100 generate triboelectricity. Electrical connection of the conversion module 300 is provided.

By including the friction layer 110 and the electrode 120 as described above, the sensor 100 of the grip force measurement system according to the present invention generates triboelectricity generated by the contact between the friction layer 110 and the electrode 120. Based on this, the magnitude of the pressure is measured. In detail, triboelectricity is generated by friction between the friction layer 110 and the electrode 120, and the generated triboelectricity is measured to measure the pressure intensity. To this end, the electrode 120 is provided with a material that is positively charged in contact with the friction layer 110, and the friction layer 110 is provided with a material that is negatively charged in contact with the electrode 120. Specifically, the friction layer 110 is made of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) material, and the electrode 120 is made of copper or carbon-nanotube (CNT)-PDMS material. Most preferably, the electrode 120 is provided with a CNT-PDMS material.

In this way, since the friction layer 110 is made of PDMS material, the efficiency of contact electrification increases and the sensitivity of pressure sensing increases. The efficiency of contact electrification increases and the elasticity is excellent, so the utilization as the pressure sensor 100 increases.

As an example of the friction layer 110, the friction layer 110 may be provided in the form of a porous sponge. In detail, the friction layer 110 according to the present invention may be provided in the form of a plate-shaped sponge having a predetermined thickness and positioned between the upper electrode 120 and the lower electrode 120 . Since the friction layer 110 is provided in the form of a porous sponge, contact charging efficiency with the electrode 120 is increased and elasticity is increased compared to the case of a general PDMS material.

Referring to A of FIG. 3 , circles shown inside the friction layer 110 represent pores of the sponge. Although FIG. 3A shows a sponge formed in a regular arrangement so as to make it easy to recognize the shape of the sponge, the pores of the actual sponge may be arranged in a regular or irregular arrangement.

In addition, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, both ends of each electrode 120 are shown to coincide with both ends of the friction layer 110, but one end of the electrode 120 coincides with one end of the friction layer 110 and the other end is friction It may be provided to protrude compared to the other end of the layer 110 . In this case, it is easy to electrically connect external equipment and the pressure sensor 100 according to the present invention through the protruding portion. As such, although the electrode 120 according to the present invention is shown in the form of a thin film connected to the upper and lower surfaces of the friction layer 110 in FIG. 3, the shape of the electrode 120 according to the present invention is Any shape that facilitates generating triboelectricity is sufficient, and is not limited to the illustrated embodiment.

4 is a diagram illustrating a flow of measuring pressure in the grip force measuring system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 4 , in the grip force measurement system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the pressure sensed by the sensor 100 using triboelectricity is visually output to the monitoring unit 400 via the conversion module 300.

The conversion module 300 includes a resistor 310 connected to the plurality of sensors 100, a signal processing unit 320 for generating an electrical signal corresponding to the pressure value measured by the plurality of sensors 100, and a signal processing unit 320. ) It is provided, including an output unit 330 for outputting the generated electrical signal. As a preferred embodiment for this, the conversion module 300 may be provided to further include a wireless communication unit. The wireless communication unit is a component that transmits and receives data with the sensor 100 and the monitoring unit 400 .

The resistor 310 is a component that is connected to a plurality of sensors 100 that operate independently to prevent a floating phenomenon. The floating phenomenon is that current is irregularly generated even though there should be no input in a state where power is not applied, and is caused by an electrical flow in a peripheral circuit. If the floating phenomenon is neglected, an error occurs when measuring the pressure value using triboelectricity, and there is a risk of damage to the circuit due to the occurrence of overcurrent in the circuit.

The signal processing unit 320 is a component that generates an electrical signal corresponding to a plurality of pressure values measured by the plurality of sensors 100 and one-to-one.

The output unit 330 is a component that outputs the electrical signal generated by the signal processing unit 320 . The electrical signal output through the output unit 330 is transmitted to the monitoring unit 400 to be described later through a wired connection terminal such as a USB cable. However, it is not limited to this, and when the conversion module 300 is provided with a wireless communication unit as in the above-described preferred embodiment, the electrical signal may be transmitted to the monitoring unit 400 in the form of a wireless signal. More specifically, in the grip strength measurement system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the sensor 100, the conversion module 300, and the monitoring unit 400 may be provided to transmit and receive data through wireless communication.

The monitoring unit 400 includes an input unit 420 that receives an electrical signal from the conversion module 300, a display unit 430 that visually outputs the electrical signal received by the input unit 420, an input unit 420, and a display unit ( 430), including a control unit 410 that controls at least one of them.

The input unit 420 is a component that is electrically connected to the conversion module 300 and receives an electrical signal.

The display unit 430 is a component that visually outputs an electrical signal.

The controller 410 controls at least one of the input unit 420 and the display unit 430 .

At this time, the control unit 410 may be equipped with software 411 that performs calculations on electrical signals according to user input values. In detail, the software 411 converts the color of the data value output to the display unit 430, sets the threshold value of the data value output to the display unit 430, and records the real-time log history of the electrical signal input to the input unit 420. It is preferable to perform an operation for at least one of log file conversion of an electrical signal input to the output and input unit 420 .

Hereinafter, a method of manufacturing the friction layer 110, which is a component of the sensor 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, will be described. The friction layer 110 of the sensor 100 according to the present invention includes an absorption step of absorbing a base material-hardener mixture into a structure composed of a plurality of particles; A curing step of heating and curing the main agent-curing agent mixture; and a dissolving step of dissolving the structure through a solvent.

The absorption step is a step of absorbing a base material-hardener mixture, which is a raw material of the friction layer 110, into a structure corresponding to a sponge shape.

The structure is a structure in which a plurality of particles are regularly or irregularly arranged to form gaps and are provided in a combined structure to serve as a frame for forming the sponge shape of the friction layer 110 . For example, in the case of manufacturing the friction layer 110 formed of a sponge structure in which a plurality of spherical pores are formed, the structure has a structure in which spherical particles are regularly or irregularly arranged to form gaps and are combined. Therefore, it is possible to manufacture the friction layer 110 having a sponge structure in which the part corresponding to the gap is filled and the part corresponding to the particle is formed with pores. As a preferred embodiment of the structure, the structure may be provided with a soluble material that dissolves in a specific solvent. In detail, the structure may be a structure to which water-soluble particles are bound.

The base material-hardener mixture absorbed into such a structure is a mixture of a base material that is a raw material for forming the friction layer 110 and a hardener that is a chemical component for hardening the base material. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a base material and a curing agent included in Dow Corning's Sylgard 184 may be used. In a preferred embodiment, a mixing step of mixing the main agent and the curing agent may be further included before the absorption step. In addition, when Sylgard 184 is used, it is preferable that the main agent and the curing agent are mixed in a weight ratio of 10:1.

The curing step is a step of heating and curing the main agent-curing agent mixture absorbed in the gaps of the structure to maintain its shape even when the structure is removed. In one embodiment, when Sylgard 184 is used, it is cured by heating at a temperature of 75° C. for 2 hours.

The melting step is a step of removing the structure to separate the hardened friction layer 110 in the curing step. Specifically, the structure is dissolved and removed through a solvent. Preferably, the structure has a solvent solubility, and the friction layer 110 is provided with a solvent insoluble material. As an example of this, when the friction layer 110 is made of PDMS, the structure may be made of a water-soluble material and use water as a solvent. In another embodiment, when the friction layer 110 is made of PDMS, the structure may be made of a water-soluble material and deionized water may be used as a solvent.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, which is manufactured by including the mixing step, the curing step, and the dissolving step, the main subject-hardener mixture of Sylgard 184 is placed in a container, and the structure is immersed in the main subject-hardener mixture to cause a capillary phenomenon. - The curing agent mixture is absorbed into the structure. The structure is a water-soluble material, and for example, a structure in which sugar particles are bound is used. After the base material-hardener mixture is absorbed into the structure, it is heated and cured, so that when the structure is dissolved by the solvent, only the hardened base material-hardener mixture remains. The friction layer 110 of the sensor 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention ) is produced.

[Figure 1]

[Figure 2]

Figure 1 is a picture taken with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) of a cross-section of a typical PDMS, and Figure 2 is a cross-section of a PDMS friction layer 110 having a porous sponge structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. This is a picture taken with a microscope. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, in the case of the friction layer 110 provided with PDMS having a sponge structure, friction is easier than that of general PDMS due to pores, and the contact charging efficiency increases.

The electrode 120 of the sensor 100 according to the present invention, in the case of the electrode 120 made of copper, can be manufactured by cutting a copper tape according to the final size of the sensor 100 and the purpose of the sensor 100. there is. On the other hand, in the case of the electrode 120 made of CNT-PDMS material, it can be manufactured according to the following manufacturing method.

In detail, the electrode 120 of the sensor 100 according to the present invention is a mixture forming step of mixing CNT and PDMS; And an electrode 120 forming step of heating and curing the CNT-PDMS mixture; characterized in that it is manufactured by a method comprising a.

The mixture forming step of mixing CNT and PDMS is a step of forming a CNT-PDMS mixture by mixing CNT and PDMS. At this time, it is preferable that CNT and PDMS are mixed in a ratio of 100:0.5.

The step of forming the electrode 120 by heating and curing the CNT-PDMS mixture is a step of forming the electrode 120 made of the CNT-PDMS material by curing the CNT-PDMS mixture. At this time, it would be preferable to cure the CNT-PDMS mixture by heating it at a temperature of 75° C. for 2 hours.

In order to form the shape of the electrode 120, a thin film forming step of forming a CNT-PDMS mixture to a predetermined thickness may be further included after the mixture forming step. In detail, the CNT-PDMS mixture is adjusted and contained in an amount to form a predetermined thickness in a container to contain the CNT-PDMS mixture. At this time, in consideration of the rate at which the CNT-PDMS contracts or expands due to curing, it is preferable to adjust the CNT-PDMS mixture in an amount to form a predetermined thickness after contraction or expansion. Accordingly, the cured CNT-PDMS is formed in the form of a thin film having a predetermined thickness. In a more preferred embodiment, the CNT-PDMS mixture may be spin-coated to form a thin film. A thin film having a more uniform thickness can be formed by using spin coating.

In addition, in order to form the shape of the electrode 120, a cutting step of processing the cured CNT-PDMS into the electrode 120 may be further included after the electrode 120 forming step. In detail, the cured CNT-PDMS is cut and cut to process the electrode 120 in the form of a thin film.

[Graph 1]

Graph 1 is a graph showing the measured output voltage and current when the electrode 120 made of copper and CNT-PDMS is used in the sensor 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Graph 1, since the electrode 120 exhibits an output voltage of about 25V when it is provided with a copper material and exhibits an output voltage of about 250V when the electrode 120 is provided with a CNT-PDMS material, the CNT- It can be seen that the case of PDMS shows an output voltage about 10 times higher than that of copper. Therefore, when the electrode 120 is made of CNT-PDMS, the sensing efficiency according to the sensitivity of the sensor 100 increases compared to when the electrode 120 is made of copper.

In the grip force measurement system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the sensitivity of the sensor 100 may be defined as a capacitance change rate for each pressure. If the capacitance change rate is expressed as a mathematical formula, it is as follows.

[Equation 1]

는 상대적인 캐패시턴스 변화를 의미하고,

는 캐패시턴스 값을 의미하며,

는 압력이 0일 때의 초기 캐패시턴스 값을 의미한다.In Equation 1 above

is the relative capacitance change,

is the capacitance value,

Means the initial capacitance value when the pressure is zero.

[Graph 2]

Graph 2 is a graph showing a change in capacitance per pressure of the pressure sensor 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention by actually measuring it. Pa is the SI pressure unit and is the same unit as N/m2. As shown in Graph 2, the sensor 100 according to the present invention exhibits a characteristic in which the capacitance change rate is linearly proportional to the pressure. Therefore, the sensor 100 according to the present invention can also be used as an electrostatic sensor 100 .

The preferred embodiment of the present invention described above has been disclosed for illustrative purposes, and various modifications, changes and additions will be possible within the spirit and scope of the present invention by those skilled in the art, and these modifications, changes and additions It should be regarded as belonging to the scope of the above claims. In addition, those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains can make various substitutions, modifications, and changes without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention. It is not limited.

In the exemplary system described above, the methods are described on the basis of a flow chart as a series of steps or blocks, but the invention is not limited to the order of steps, some steps may occur in a different order or concurrently with other steps as described above. can Further, those skilled in the art will understand that the steps shown in the flowcharts are not exclusive, and that other steps may be included or one or more steps of the flowcharts may be deleted without affecting the scope of the present invention.

100: sensor 110: friction layer
120: electrode 121: upper electrode
122: lower electrode 150: wire
200: glove 300: conversion module
310: resistor 320: signal processing unit
330: output unit
400: monitoring unit 410: control unit
420: input unit 430: display unit
411: software P: pressure
500: heating device 510: heating device fixing part
520: thermal imaging camera 600: pressing device
610: first angle 620: second angle
611: first switch 621: second switch
700: electromagnet 710: object

Claims (7)

A sensor that measures the magnitude of pressure based on triboelectricity;
A glove attached to an outer or inner surface so that a plurality of the sensors are spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval;
a conversion module that is electrically connected to the sensor and converts the magnitude of the pressure into an electrical signal and outputs the converted signal; and
A monitoring unit that is electrically connected to the conversion module and visually outputs the magnitude of the pressure on a two-dimensional plane in a one-to-one correspondence with a plurality of sensors attached to the glove,
Further comprising a heating device connected to the sensor to generate heat according to the magnitude of the pressure,
The grip strength measuring system, characterized in that the size of the pressure generated in the sensor is determined by capturing the heat generated in the heating device with a thermal imaging camera and measuring the temperature of the heat generated according to the pressure.
delete According to claim 1,
It is provided to contact the heating device to receive heat,
When a temperature higher than the first predetermined critical temperature is reached, it is deformed at a predetermined first angle,
Pressing the shape memory alloy material, characterized in that deformed to a predetermined second angle greater than the predetermined first angle when reaching a temperature higher than the predetermined second critical temperature, which is a temperature higher than the predetermined first critical temperature further comprising the device;
The pressing device,
When a temperature higher than the predetermined first critical temperature is reached and deformed at a predetermined first angle, the pressing device presses and turns on a first switch provided as a push button,
Characterized in that when the temperature higher than the predetermined second threshold temperature is reached and deformed at a predetermined second angle, the pressing device presses and turns on the second switch provided as a push button,
When the first switch or the second switch is turned on, a grip strength measuring system characterized in that for operating a grip strength determining unit to intuitively determine the degree of grip strength when measuring grip strength.
According to claim 3,
The grip strength determination unit,
A sensing unit detecting that the first switch and the second switch are turned on to determine the degree of grip strength;
When the sensing unit detects that the first switch is turned on, a predetermined first color is emitted, and when the second switch is turned on, a predetermined second color is emitted to indicate the degree of pressure sensed by the sensor in color. A grip force measuring system comprising a part.
According to claim 1,
Further comprising an electromagnet corresponding to each of the plurality of sensors,
Characterized in that when a pressure is sensed by the sensor, a current is applied to the electromagnet to generate magnetic force,
The electromagnet,
It is disposed around the sensor so as to surround the sensor,
When measuring the grip strength with the glove, measure by gripping an object made of metal or having a metal inside with the gloved hand,
The grip force measuring system, characterized in that the grip force is measured at an accurate position and angle by fixing the position of the sensor when the electromagnet is fixed to the object and the grip force is measured.
According to claim 5,
The electromagnet,
Characterized in that it further comprises a grip strength supplement mode,
When the electromagnet operates in the grip strength supplement mode,
The grip force measurement system, characterized in that by applying a current to the electromagnet at a position where the pressure is not sensed by the sensor to generate magnetic force, the electromagnet at the part where the pressure is insufficient is attached to the metal object to help supplement the user's grip strength.
According to claim 6,
The electromagnet,
In the grip strength supplement mode,
When magnetic force is generated in the electromagnet, some of the electromagnets are provided with different poles,
The grip strength measurement system, characterized in that when the electromagnets provided with different poles come into contact with each other or are adjacent to each other, the attractive force acts to help supplement the user's grip even when the object being lifted by the user is not a metal object.

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