KR102646498B1 - Controller capable of inducing tactile sensation and control method of the controller - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a controller capable of inducing a sense of touch to a part of the user's body in a non-contact manner, and a method of controlling such a controller. More specifically, it relates to a device that can induce a sense of touch in a non-contact manner to the user's hand holding the controller using a magnetic field generating means built into the controller.

Description

Controller capable of inducing tactile sensation and control method of the controller {CONTROLLER CAPABLE OF INDUCING TACTILE SENSATION AND CONTROL METHOD OF THE CONTROLLER}

The present invention relates to a controller capable of inducing a sense of touch to a part of the user's body in a non-contact manner, and a method of controlling such a controller. More specifically, it relates to a device that can induce a sense of touch in a non-contact manner to the user's hand holding the controller using a magnetic field generating means built into the controller.

Recently, research has been actively conducted on technologies for implementing virtual reality and augmented reality. Active research is also being conducted on possible methodologies.

Meanwhile, recently, efforts have been made to create an environment similar to performing surgery with actual hands, even if it is not necessarily virtual reality or augmented reality, such as remote surgery using a robot arm, and among these, the user operating the controller It also includes an attempt to provide an environment so that the user can feel the same as performing an actual surgery, that is, so that the user can feel arbitrary tactile sensations.

Alternatively, in game controllers for operating games, various effect expression means are being provided in the controller in order to more realistically convey various effects displayed on game content.

However, in the field of controller devices such as the above, they do not yet provide a special sense of touch, or even if they do, they only provide a sense of vibration to the user by simply activating a vibrator to generate a simple vibration pattern, and have not reached the level of providing actual various types of touch. This is the situation. In other words, according to conventional technology, the types of feelings and tactile sensations that can be provided to users are very limited, so there are limitations in realizing various tactile sensations in virtual reality or augmented reality.

The present invention is intended to solve the above limitations and proposes a methodology that uses magnetic fields as a medium for inducing tactile sensation in the field of controllers that can be operated by the user. In addition, the present invention not only proposes a tactile sensation induction methodology using a magnetic field, but also a specific control methodology for determining what kind of tactile sensation a user can feel when a specific parameter is controlled to a certain range.

The present invention was derived by focusing on the problems that existed in the conventional tactile induction method, and not only can solve the technical problems discussed above, but also solve problems that cannot be easily invented by those skilled in the art. It was invented to provide additional technical elements.

Public Patent Publication No. 10-1581763 (registered on December 24, 2015)

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a controller capable of inducing a non-contact tactile sensation that can induce a user's tactile sensation through a magnetic field, and a method of controlling such a controller.

In particular, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a controller that can control a surgical robot arm and a game controller that allows the user who operates it to feel the sense of touch.

Additionally, the purpose of the present invention is to enable the user who will operate the above controller to select and set his or her preferred tactile sensation among various types of tactile sensations.

Meanwhile, the technical problems of the present invention are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

The present invention is intended to solve the above problems. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a controller capable of inducing a non-contact tactile sensation for a user includes a coil that generates a magnetic field according to supplied power; A power supply unit that supplies power to the coil; and a housing having a predetermined thickness, including control means operable by the user, and having a space therein in which the coil and the power supply can be installed. The non-contact tactile induction for the user includes, It may be characterized in that the electric field induced on the user's skin by the magnetic field activates the user's nerve cells.

In addition, the controller may further include a control unit that adjusts the parameters of the magnetic field generated by the coil by controlling the power supplied to the coil.

In addition, the controller is used to control the robot arm of the robotic surgery device, and the controller generates a magnetic field by supplying power to the coil according to a signal detected by the robot arm. You can.

In addition, the controller may be a controller for operating a game, and the controller may generate a magnetic field by supplying power to the coil in conjunction with game content.

Additionally, the controller may be capable of arbitrarily setting the type of tactile sensation induced by the user.

In addition, in the controller, the parameter adjustable by the control unit is the magnetic field frequency within the range of 10 Hz to 50 Hz, and the separation distance from the coil to the user's stimulation point may be 10 cm to 30 cm.

In addition, in the controller, the parameter adjustable by the control unit is the magnetic field frequency within the range of 60 Hz to 200 Hz, and the separation distance from the coil to the user's stimulation point may be 10 cm to 30 cm.

Meanwhile, in a method of controlling a controller capable of non-contact tactile induction according to another embodiment of the present invention, the controller includes a coil that generates a magnetic field according to supplied power; A power supply unit that supplies power to the coil; and a housing having a predetermined thickness, including control means operable by the user, and having a space therein in which the coil and the power supply unit can be installed. A method of controlling the controller includes: inducing a sense of touch to a stimulation point of the user - the stimulation point being at least a portion of the user's skin - by supplying power to the coil to generate a magnetic field. Step; may include.

In addition, in the controller control method, the controller further includes a control unit that adjusts the parameters of the magnetic field generated by the coil by controlling the power supplied to the coil, and the controller control method further includes a control unit that adjusts the parameters of the magnetic field generated by the coil. It may further include a step of inducing a tactile sensation at the user's stimulation point by changing at least one parameter.

In addition, the controller control method may further include setting magnetic field parameters corresponding to the tactile sensation selected by the user as driving parameters.

According to the present invention, a user operating a controller has the effect of being able to feel a variety of tactile sensations other than a simple vibration sensation.

In addition, according to the present invention, it is possible to adjust the type and intensity of tactile sensation through magnetic field parameter control, which has the effect of allowing the user to set the desired tactile sensation and operate the controller.

In addition, according to the present invention, the risk of skin damage is lower compared to the conventional laser or tactile induction method through physical contact, thereby enabling safe use.

Meanwhile, the effects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other technical effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

Figure 1 shows a system capable of performing surgical operations using a robotic arm, and Figure 2 shows a controller according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 is a diagram to explain the process by which touch is induced on human skin through a magnetic field.
Figure 4 shows an example of stimulation.
Figure 5 is to explain an example in which the pressure sensor provided in the robot arm and the controller operate in conjunction.
Figure 6 shows a controller according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 7 shows the implementation of a tactile guidance system by generalizing each configuration of the controller according to the present invention.
FIG. 8 shows the supporter in FIG. 7 composed of a plurality of supporting members.
Figure 9 shows a method for inducing tactile sensation and determining the type of induced tactile sensation.
Figure 10 shows the types of tactile sensations that a user can feel when stimulation in the low-frequency range is given and the scoring of the degree to which the user feels each tactile sensation.
Figure 11 is a graph showing the score of the degree to which the user felt the sense of touch according to the intensity of the stimulus or magnetic field frequency when stimulation in the low-frequency range was given.
Figure 12 shows the results of an experiment on tactile sensations that are classified as strongly felt by the user when stimulation in the low-frequency range is given.
Figure 13 shows the types of tactile sensations that a user can feel when stimulation in the high frequency range is given and the scoring of the degree to which the user feels each tactile sensation.
Figure 14 is a graph showing the score of the degree to which the user felt the tactile sensation according to the intensity of the stimulus or magnetic field frequency when stimulation in the high frequency range was given.
Figure 15 shows the results of an experiment on the tactile sensation that is classified as strong to the user when stimulation in the high frequency range is given.
Figure 16 shows an embodiment of the controller control method according to the present invention.

Details regarding the purpose and technical configuration of the present invention and its operational effects will be more clearly understood by the following detailed description based on the drawings attached to the specification of the present invention. Embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

The embodiments disclosed herein should not be construed or used as limiting the scope of the present invention. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that the description, including embodiments, of this specification has various applications. Accordingly, any embodiments described in the detailed description of the present invention are illustrative to better explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to the embodiments.

The functional blocks shown in the drawings and described below are only examples of possible implementations. Other functional blocks may be used in other implementations without departing from the spirit and scope of the detailed description. Additionally, although one or more functional blocks of the present invention are shown as individual blocks, one or more of the functional blocks of the present invention may be a combination of various hardware and software components that perform the same function.

Additionally, the expression including certain components is an “open” expression and simply refers to the presence of the components and should not be understood as excluding additional components.

Furthermore, when a component is referred to as being “connected” or “connected” to another component, it should be understood that although it may be directly connected or connected to the other component, other components may exist in between. do.

Figures 1 and 2 are for explaining the controller 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 shows a surgical system capable of performing a surgical operation using a robotic arm, and Figure 2 shows a robotic arm. This shows the controller 10 that the user operates to operate.

The surgical system of FIG. 1 may typically include two configurations: one is a controller 10 that can be operated while held by the user, that is, a doctor, and the other is capable of invasive operation on an actual patient. It is a robot arm (15) that can The controller 10 and the robot arm 15 are naturally connected to each other through a network and may be implemented so that the robot arm 15 is driven according to an input signal from the controller 10.

The controller 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention allows a doctor performing a surgical operation using the robot arm 15 to ensure that the surgical tool at least touches the patient's body when the surgical tool touches the patient's body. The goal was to induce random tactile sensations so that sounds could be recognized. Conventional surgical operations using a robotic arm have been performed with the doctor holding a controller and visually checking the operating status of the robotic arm on a monitor. However, in this type of surgery, the senses that can be felt with the hand during surgical surgery may be excluded. Because there was no other option, the difficulty of the surgery was bound to be higher, and from the doctors' perspective, they felt discomfort or a sense of alienation due to the absence of senses, and when an unexpected situation occurred, it was difficult to respond quickly based on senses, etc. Due to various problems, the surgical method using a robotic arm was not preferred despite its many advantages.

The controller 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is intended to solve the above problems by causing the controller 10 to induce a random tactile sensation in the user's hand when held by the user, that is, the doctor. This allows doctors to perform surgery in a more familiar environment than before.

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the controller 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, which includes an operation unit 101, a coil 110, a power supply unit 120, a control unit 130, and a housing 140. ) may be included.

Before giving a full explanation of each component, we will first briefly explain the principle of how the present invention can induce a sense of touch on the user's skin with reference to FIG. 3. As mentioned in the background art, the basic principle of the present invention is to enable the user to feel the sense of touch through a magnetic field. In other words, the present invention generates a time-varying magnetic field whose size can change with time, and when the time-varying magnetic field is transmitted to the human body as a stimulus, an induced current is generated within the human body, ultimately The basic principle is that the user can feel any kind of tactile sensation. Figure 3 is intended to explain this principle, and shows that when the stimulation generator (S) generates a time-varying magnetic field of arbitrary frequency and size, a sense of touch can be induced in the hand of a user (P) located at a distance. will be. Looking at this process in more detail, first, power is supplied to the stimulation generator (S), a time-varying magnetic field is generated by the supplied power, and a magnetic field is applied to a specific tissue of the user's skin by the generated time-varying magnetic field. Energy is transmitted through the medium. When energy by a magnetic field is delivered to the specific tissue, an induced current is generated inside the specific tissue. The induced current causes nerve cells within the specific tissue to have an action potential. As a result, biological receptors can be activated by the action potential, and thus a random sense of touch can be induced in the user. The present invention relates to the technical idea of this process.

Referring again to FIG. 2, each detailed configuration will be described.

First of all, the manipulation unit 101 can be understood as a configuration that allows the user to make a series of inputs to control the robot arm 15, and the manipulation unit 101 has a structure in which any input can be made by the user. If so, there are no restrictions on the implementation method. For reference, it can be seen in Figure 2 that the manipulation unit 101 is implemented in a structure that allows the user to input by applying force with two or three fingers, and at this time, the robot arm 15 responds to the user's subtle finger manipulation. It can be controlled and driven by

Next, the coil 110 is configured to play the same role as the magnetic pole generator (S) in FIG. 3 and can generate a magnetic field when power is applied from the outside. Although there may be more diverse means for generating a magnetic field, this detailed description will be explained on the premise that the magnetic field is generated by the coil 110, and even when discussing parameters to be described later, the premise is that the magnetic field is It is understood that it is generated by the coil 110. The coil 110 is preferably made of metal, but the material is not necessarily limited. Additionally, there is no particular limitation on the size or shape of the coil 110, but preferably, it may be a copper wire with a rectangular cross-section shaped into a spiral shape. Additionally, the size may be formed to have a diameter of 10 cm to 14 cm, more preferably 12.8 cm, and the thickness of the coil 110 may be 8 mm to 10 mm, more preferably 9 mm.

For reference, the location of the coil 110 shown in FIG. 2 is only shown as an example, and the location of the coil 110 is at a location that can transmit magnetic field energy to the user's hand holding the operation unit 101. There are no particular restrictions as long as there are. In addition, FIG. 2 shows that only one coil 110 is provided, but the number of coils 110 may be plural, and each coil 110 is necessary for the user to operate the operation unit 101. The same number of fingers may be provided, and each finger may be implemented to transmit magnetic field energy to one finger.

The power supply unit 120 supplies power to the coil 110. Strictly speaking, the power supply unit 120 provides power to the coil 110 through the wire 121, and in the process, current may be supplied to the coil 110. Additionally, as long as the power supply unit 120 can supply power to the coil 110, there will be no restrictions on the implementation method of the configuration. In Figure 2, the power supply unit 120 is shown as if it exists outside the housing 140 of the controller 10, but this is only one embodiment and the power supply unit 120 is provided inside the housing 140. It can be implemented as much as possible.

Additionally, the power supply unit 120 may be connected to the control unit 130, which will be described later, and may adjust the power or current supplied to the coil 110 according to control commands from the control unit 130. In particular, the current supplied from the power supply unit 120 to the coil 110 plays a large role in controlling various parameters of the time-varying magnetic field, such as current size, current frequency, current waveform, pulse interval, phase, etc. The parameters of the current have a great influence in determining the physical properties of the time-varying magnetic field.

Next, the control unit 130 is configured to provide control commands for generating a magnetic field through the coil 110 and control commands for adjusting the properties of the time-varying magnetic field, such as the frequency of the generated magnetic field. The control unit 130 may be an operation means equipped with a central processing unit and memory. In this case, the central processing unit may also be a controller, microcontroller, microprocessor, microcomputer, etc. It can be called Additionally, the central processing unit may be implemented by hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof. When implemented using hardware, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a digital signal processor (DSP) is used. , DSPD (digital signal processing device), PLD (programmable logic device), FPGA (field programmable gate array), etc., if implemented using firmware or software, a module, procedure or function that performs the above functions or operations. The firmware or software may be configured to include. In addition, memory includes ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), flash memory, SRAM (Static RAM), It can be implemented with HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), etc. On the other hand, the control unit 130 may be connected to an input means for receiving arbitrary input from the user and an output means for displaying arbitrary information to the user. Types of input means may include a keyboard, mouse, and/or joystick, and a display having a touch-sensitive surface may also be included as a type of input means. The output means may include any display capable of outputting arbitrary text, images, videos, etc., without limitation.

Meanwhile, in relation to the function of the control unit 130, the control unit 130 may receive input from the user and transmit a control command to control the power supply unit 120, and the power supply unit 120 may receive the control command. It can be implemented to adjust the properties of the current applied to the coil 110 according to. That is, since the properties of the time-varying magnetic field generated by the coil 110 can be determined by the power and current supplied by the power supply unit 120, the control unit 130 may issue a control command to the power supply unit 120. By lowering it, it is possible to control the properties of the time-varying magnetic field.

For reference, Figure 4 shows an example of a current signal applied by the power supply unit 120. The current signal may preferably consist of an inactive section for a preset time and an active section for a preset time. More preferably, one current signal can be formed by repeating an inactive section of 10 seconds and an active section of 0.1 seconds. Regarding the active section, although the present invention does not directly irradiate a laser or apply physical contact to the user's skin, but rather transmits energy through a magnetic field, the present invention is limited to energy transfer to the human body. Since this is for the purpose, it is necessary to make every effort to ensure safety. Therefore, in the present invention, considering the need to transmit energy as little as possible to cause damage to the human body, the active section is set to less than 1 second, and preferably, only the active section is 0.1 second.

As a matter of special note, it is assumed that the control unit 130 mentioned here is intended to adjust the current signal supplied to the coil 110, that is, the current signal supplied by the power supply unit 120, It is assumed that a separate control means for receiving and processing input from the operation unit 101 exists. However, the control unit 130 for adjusting the current signal and the control means for processing the input from the manipulation unit 101 do not necessarily have to exist as two independent components, and the processing of the input from the manipulation unit 101 is also performed by the control unit 130. It is understood that the design can be changed according to the designer's intention, such as having it done from the top.

Next, the housing 140 has a predetermined thickness and may be a structure equipped with control means that can be operated by the user and a space formed therein where a coil, a power supply, etc. can be installed. The material of the housing 140 is not limited to metal, plastic, or other organic-based polymer materials, and the material of the housing 140 allows the magnetic field energy generated by the coil 110 provided inside to pass through. There is no particular limitation as long as there is.

With reference to FIG. 2, the detailed configuration of the controller 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention has been looked at.

Figure 5 is for explaining an embodiment in which the controller 10 and the robot arm 15 are driven in conjunction with each other. The controller 10 itself may induce a sense of touch on the user's skin by supplying power or current to the coil 110, but may also be implemented to induce a sense of touch in conjunction with the robot arm 15. For example, the end of the robot arm 15 may be equipped with a pressure sensor to measure pressure when it touches the patient's skin or internal organs. At this time, the pressure value measured by the pressure sensor is transmitted to the control unit 130. It can be transmitted to the control unit 130 to adjust the magnetic field parameters. In other words, when the robot arm 15 performs an invasive operation on a patient, a pressure value can be obtained when the pressure sensor at the end touches the patient's body part or organ, and the controller 10 is proportional to this value. By increasing the size of the magnetic field parameter to induce the user's tactile sensation, the user can feel the degree of pressure.

On the other hand, the controller 10 may be controlled to induce different tactile sensations depending on the range of pressure values detected by the pressure sensor provided in the robot arm 15. For example, when there are preset pressure value ranges of 1st range < 2nd range < 3rd range in order of decreasing size of the pressure value, and a pressure value included in the first range is detected, the controller 10 It can induce a tickling touch sensation, a tapping sensation when a pressure value within the second range is detected, and a tingling sensation when a pressure value within the third range is detected.

Meanwhile, we will postpone the description of the features that can diversify the types of tactile sensations through magnetic field parameter control for a while. Below, we will look at the controller 20 according to the second embodiment of the present invention with reference to FIG. 6. Let's take a look.

Figure 6 shows a controller 20 required to enjoy game content, and more specifically, a device such as a game pad, joystick, etc. that can be held in the hand by the user and can receive inputs necessary to progress game content. It can be understood that it is.

The basic configuration of the controller 20 according to the second embodiment is also not significantly different from the controller 10 according to the first embodiment described above, and may include a coil 110, a power supply unit 120, a control unit 130, etc. You can.

As a matter of note, a plurality of coils 110 may be provided within the controller 20, which generates magnetic field energy toward the palm portion held by the user to hold the controller 20 based on the user's left hand. A coil 110 for generating magnetic field energy and a coil 110 for generating magnetic field energy toward the thumb and index finger that can be placed on the manipulation unit 101 for manipulation may be provided separately.

In addition, the controller 20 according to the second embodiment can change and generate magnetic field parameters to enable the user to feel various tactile sensations, and in some cases, allows the user to directly set the desired type of tactile sensation. A setting environment can also be provided through a display linked to the controller 20. This will be described later.

Below, we will explain what type of tactile sensation can be induced in what environment when a user's tactile sensation is induced using a magnetic field.

Figure 7 shows an environment in which various tactile sensations can be induced, that is, an arbitrary tactile sensation induction system, which includes the configurations mentioned when explaining the first controller 10 and the second controller 20 above. You can confirm that it exists. That is, the tactile induction system of FIG. 7 may include a coil 110, a power supply unit 120, a control unit 130, and a supporter 145 that can be compared to the housing 140, and additionally the power supply unit 120. ) may further include a wire 121 connecting the coil 110.

For reference, the supporter 145 may be arranged so that the user's skin surface can be placed and may be used to adjust the distance between the coil 110 and the stimulation point (the point where touch is induced on the user's skin surface). The distance can be adjusted by combining a plurality of supporting members 141 to 143 as shown in FIG. 8. For example, the coil 110 can be adjusted by arbitrarily combining supporting members having a thickness of 2 cm, 3 cm, 5 cm, 10 cm, etc. ) and the stimulation point can be adjusted as desired. In addition, the supporter 145 in FIG. 7 may correspond to the housing 140 in the previous embodiments, and when applying it to the first controller 10 or the second controller 20, the supporter 145 of each controller It is understood that 140 can be formed to have the same thickness as the supporter 145 in an environment that will be described later.

FIG. 9 lists in order the method of determining the type of tactile sensation induced to the user when tactile sensation is induced to the user using the tactile induction system of FIG. 7, under conditions to be described later (frequency and separation of magnetic field parameters). If the distance (strength)) is applied equally to the first controller 10 or the second controller 20 described above, the same and similar type of tactile sensation can be induced to the user, and the first controller 10 or the second controller 20 It should be noted that the user of the controller 20 can set the environment so that the user's preferred tactile sensation can be induced through a process similar to the method of determining the tactile type of FIG. 9.

Referring to FIG. 9, the method of inducing tactile sensation and determining the type of induced tactile sensation can be largely comprised of three steps, which include generating a magnetic field (S101) and receiving a selection input of the type of tactile sensation from the user (S103). ), and a step (S105) of classifying the tactile type selected by the user into a tactile sensation corresponding to a specific parameter may be included.

The first step of generating a magnetic field (S101) is to generate a magnetic field with arbitrary properties by driving the power supply unit 120 and the coil 110 while the user's skin is placed on the supporter 145 of the tactile induction system. This is the step to do it. For reference, the magnetic field frequency may be included among the arbitrary properties of the magnetic field, and the magnetic field frequency may be adjusted in 10 Hz increments in the range of 0 to 200 Hz through the control unit 130. In addition, the arbitrary properties of the magnetic field may further include magnetic field intensity, and the actual magnetic field intensity is proportional to the magnitude of the charging voltage of a capacitor (not shown) electrically connected to the coil 110, but in the system environment of FIG. In order to secure stable and objective parameters, it is decided to replace the magnetic field intensity with the separation distance, that is, the distance between the coil 110 and the stimulation point (user's skin), as one of the magnetic field parameters. In summary, in the tactile sensation induction and tactile sensation determination method according to FIG. 9, at least two parameters are adjusted to determine the type of tactile sensation, namely, the magnetic field frequency and the separation distance from the coil 110 to the stimulation point (user's skin). We understand that this has been done, and in the following, we understand that various types of tactile sensations can be determined or defined based on these two parameters.

After step S101, a step (S103) of receiving a selection input of the type of touch from the user who feels the touch by the magnetic field may be performed. This step can be performed, for example, by having a user select a specific tactile type or tactile types using an input means while a plurality of predefined tactile types are displayed on the output means (monitor) of the tactile induction system. .

At this time, the types of tactile sensations that can be displayed on the output means include “pressing feeling,” “tapping feeling,” “blunt feeling,” “stiff feeling,” “tapping feeling,” “soft feeling,” and “chilling feeling.” feeling", "tickling feeling", "quivering feeling", "tingling feeling", "gritty feeling", "dull feeling", "thin feeling", "stiff feeling", "poking feeling", "tingling feeling", At least one of a “tingling feeling” and a “tapping feeling” may be included, and the user can select at least one type of touch that he or she thinks he or she felt among these predefined types of touch. Also, at this time, the output The tactile types displayed on the means may be randomly arranged and displayed on the output means for objectivity of the environment.

Meanwhile, in step S103, in addition to receiving an input for selecting a specific tactile type or types of tactile sensations from the user, an input regarding how clearly the selected tactile sensation was felt can also be received. For example, if the degree of tactile sensation was very clearly felt, an input of 5 could be received, and if the degree of tactile sensation was barely felt, an input of 1 could be received. Depending on the degree, inputs of 2 to 4 could also be received. . And if there is no feeling, you can input up to 0. In this way, in the tactile sensation induction method according to the present invention, the user can input what type of tactile sensation and how well he or she felt it when stimulated by the magnetic field.

After step S103, a step (S105) of classifying the tactile sensation type into a tactile sensation corresponding to a specific parameter may be performed based on receiving the user's input. In practice, this step can be implemented by storing the tactile type in a database (not shown) by matching it with parameters defining the magnetic field generation environment when a specific tactile type is selected by the user. For example [magnetic field frequency: 20Hz; Separation distance: 20cm; Type of touch: Tapping feeling; Degree: 3], [Magnetic field frequency: 100Hz; Separation distance: 40cm; Type of touch: sore feeling; Data in any format, including information such as [Level: 5], can be stored in the database.

Meanwhile, steps S101 to S103 may be repeated several times and for several users, and when the steps are repeated, at least one parameter of the magnetic field frequency and the separation distance may be changed. After data corresponding to the parameter(s) and a specific tactile type is accumulated through this method, the parameter(s) necessary to induce a specific tactile type can be defined, and the parameter(s) information defined in this way They can be used to induce a specific tactile sensation in the user.

Figure 10 is a table showing the average value and standard deviation of data corresponding to parameters and specific tactile types obtained by repeating steps S101 to S103. More specifically, FIG. 10 shows users in a system environment defined by parameters of three types of separation distance (10 cm, 20 cm, and 30 cm) and four types of magnetic field frequencies (10 Hz, 20 Hz, 30 Hz, 50 Hz; low frequency). This shows the results of repeated two-way ANOVA on the type and degree of tactile sensation felt.

Referring to FIG. 10, when the magnetic field frequency is in the range of 10Hz to 50Hz, and the separation distance from the coil 110 to the stimulation point (user's skin) is 1 to 30cm (in the table of FIG. 10, the separation distance is 10cm (Level 3 is indicated as Lev 3, 20cm is indicated as Lev 2, and 30cm is indicated as Lev1) Types of tactile sensations that can be induced by the user include “tickling sensation,” “trembling sensation,” “pressing sensation,” It can be confirmed that it is one of the following: “tingling feeling,” “tingling feeling,” “knocking feeling,” “tapping feeling,” “blub feeling,” “stiff feeling,” or “poking feeling.”

Meanwhile, in Figure 11(a), "trembling feeling", "tapping feeling", "tingling feeling", "poking feeling", "tingling feeling", "stiff feeling", and "knocking feeling" are separated by the separation distance ( A graph showing a significant difference depending on (or magnetic field strength) is shown. According to this, it can be seen that the difference in the degree to which users feel the tactile sensations according to the separation distance between the above-mentioned tactile sensations is relatively large. In addition, FIG. 11(b) shows a graph showing that the “trembling feeling” and “tapping feeling” show significant differences depending on the magnetic field frequency.

FIG. 12 shows a graph to check how the separation distance and magnetic field frequency relate to the degree of tactile sensation felt by the user in relation to the “trembling feeling” and “tapping feeling.” When referring to the data, in the case of "quivering feeling", the degree of tactile sensation felt by the user when the separation distance is 10cm (Lev3) and the frequency is 30Hz is the tactile sensation felt by the user when the separation distance is 10cm (Lev3) and the frequency is 10Hz. There was a relatively large difference with the degree of, and it can be seen that there was a large difference both when the separation distance was 20cm (Lev2) and the frequency was 30Hz and when the separation distance was 30cm (Lev1) and the frequency was 30Hz. From this, it can be confirmed that the “quivering feeling” is relatively clearly perceived by the user when the separation distance is at least 10cm (Lev3) and the frequency is 30Hz. Through this, under the above parameter conditions, the “quivering feeling” is induced in the user. You can see that it can be done.

Meanwhile, in the case of "tap feeling", the degree of tactile sensation felt by the user when the separation distance is 10cm (Lev3) and the frequency is 10Hz is the degree of tactile sensation felt by the user when the separation distance is 10cm (Lev3) and the frequency is 50Hz. It can be seen that there is a relatively large difference compared to when the separation distance is 30cm (Lev1) and the frequency is 10Hz. From this, it can be seen that the “tap-tap feeling” is relatively clearly perceived by the user when the separation distance is at least 10 cm (Lev3) and the frequency is 10 Hz. Through this, under the above parameter conditions, the “tap-tap feeling” is induced in the user. You can see that it can be done.

Figure 13 is a table similar to Figure 10 described above, but the table in Figure 13 shows three types of separation distances (10cm, 20cm, 30cm) and five types of magnetic fields (80Hz, 100Hz, 130Hz, 160Hz, 200Hz; high frequency). There are some differences in that it is the result of analyzing the type and degree of tactile sensation felt by users in a system environment defined by parameters called frequency.

Referring to FIG. 13, when the magnetic field frequency is in the range of 80 Hz to 200 Hz and the separation distance from the coil 110 to the stimulation point is 10 to 30 cm, the types of tactile sensation that can be induced to the user include "tapping feeling" ", "soft feeling", "chilling feeling", "tickling feeling", "quivering feeling", "tingling feeling", "gritty feeling", "dull feeling", "thin feeling", "stiff feeling", " You can tell that it is one of the following: “a stinging feeling,” a “tingling feeling,” a “tingling feeling,” or a “knocking feeling.”

Meanwhile, in Figure 14(a), "tingling feeling", "soft feeling", "tingling feeling", "tingling feeling", "prickling feeling", "gritty feeling", "dull feeling", and "piercing feeling". A graph showing a significant difference depending on the separation distance is shown. According to this, it can be seen that the above tactile sensations are perceived relatively clearly by users depending on the separation distance. Additionally, Figure 14(b) shows a graph showing that “tingling sensation” and “soft sensation” show significant differences depending on the magnetic field frequency.

FIG. 15 shows a graph showing how the separation distance and magnetic field frequency relate to the degree of tactile sensation felt by the user in relation to the “tingling sensation.” When referring to the data, in the case of "tingling sensation", the degree of tactile sensation felt by the user when the separation distance is 10cm (Lev3) and the frequency is 200Hz is the degree of tactile sensation felt by the user when the separation distance is 10cm (Lev3) and the frequency is 80Hz, and when the separation distance is 10cm (Lev3) and the frequency is 80Hz, and when the frequency is 130Hz. There was a relatively large difference in the degree of tactile sensation felt, and there was a large difference both when the separation distance was 20cm (Lev2) and the frequency was 200Hz and when the separation distance was 30cm (Lev1) and the frequency was 200Hz. You can. From this, it can be confirmed that the “tingling feeling” is clearly perceived by the user when the separation distance is at least 10cm (Lev3) and the frequency is 200Hz. Through this, under the above parameter conditions, a “tingling feeling” can be induced in the user. You can see that there is.

For reference, the tables in FIGS. 10 and 13 are a method of inducing repeated tactile sensation when the separation distance is 10 cm to 30 cm in the low frequency range of 10 Hz to 50 Hz, and when the separation distance is 10 cm to 30 cm in the high frequency range of 80 Hz to 200 Hz, respectively. These are data obtained through, and the specific frequencies within the standard separation distance range and frequency range will be determined by experimental steps performed prior to the steps described in FIG. 9, more precisely, before step S101. You can.

For example, the range of the separation distance is based on 50Hz, which is the highest frequency in the low frequency range, and the value of the separation distance is gradually lowered from the first separation distance for random users to the value at which the first sense of touch begins to be perceived. It can be determined by defining the maximum separation distance (distance in the farthest state) and the value that users begin to perceive as pain as the minimum separation distance (distance in the closest state). At this time, the point in time when the users begin to perceive the sense of touch or the point in time when they begin to perceive it as pain will be able to receive input from the user through an input means in the tactile induction system.

On the other hand, the values of specific frequencies within the low-frequency range allow users to clearly distinguish differences in tactile sensation among five frequencies in the range from 10Hz to 50Hz divided into 10Hz intervals, assuming that the user's stimulation point is at the minimum distance from the coil. It can be determined by the frequencies that do. For example, if, as a result of the actual prior experiment, it was determined that many users perceived tactile differences from other frequencies at 10Hz, 20Hz, 30Hz, and 50Hz excluding 40Hz, according to the results of the prior experiment, the remaining four frequencies excluding 40Hz Frequencies can be used to perform the tactile sensation induction method of FIG. 9 or the method of determining the type of induced tactile sensation.

Meanwhile, prior experiments can also be conducted in the high frequency range. For example, the range of the separation distance can be determined in the same manner as described above based on 200 Hz, the highest frequency in the high frequency range. In other words, the value at which users first begin to perceive a sense of touch can be determined as the maximum separation distance, and the value at which users begin to perceive pain can be determined as the minimum separation distance.

In addition, the values of specific frequencies within the high frequency range can also be determined in the same way. As a result of actual prior experiments, many users found that the range between 60Hz and 200Hz was divided into 10Hz intervals at 80Hz, 100Hz, 130Hz, 160Hz, and 200Hz. If a difference in tactile sensation between frequencies is felt and input through the input means, the above five frequencies can be used to perform the tactile sensation induction method or the induced tactile type determination method of FIG. 9.

With reference to FIGS. 9 to 15 , we have seen that various types of tactile sensations can be induced through the tactile induction system.

Meanwhile, previously, it was mentioned that the user of the first controller 10 or the second controller 20 can set the environment so that the user's preferred tactile sensation can be induced. Figure 16 shows that the user can directly select the type of tactile sensation. The method of setting is shown in order.

Referring to FIG. 16, the tactile guidance system including the first controller 10 or the second controller 20 may receive a tactile setting input from the user (S201). At this time, the tactile setting input is when the user presses a button provided on the first controller 10 or the second controller 20, or a display screen linked to the first controller 10 or the second controller 20. It can be entered by pressing the tactile settings menu through (monitor, etc.).

After step S201, the tactile guidance system controls the first controller 10 or the second controller 20 to generate a magnetic field, that is, to generate a magnetic field by supplying power to the coil 110. Through this, a random tactile sensation can be induced on the user's stimulation point (S202).

After step S202, the tactile guidance system may control the first controller 10 or the second controller 20 to generate a magnetic field with parameters different from those of the previous step (S203). For example, the tactile guidance system allows the control unit 130 of the first controller 10 or the second controller 20 to change the size or frequency of the applied signal, thereby providing different values of frequency and different values of intensity. Branches can cause magnetic fields to be generated. Meanwhile, when a magnetic field with changed parameter values is generated, different types of tactile sensations as discussed above may be induced at the user's stimulation point.

For reference, this step is performed repeatedly by the user pressing a button provided on the first controller 10 or the second controller 20, or by pressing any tactile button through a display screen linked to the above controllers. It can be. For example, a magnetic field with preset parameter(s) can be generated every time the user presses a button provided on the controller, or "Tactile 1", "Tactile 2", and "Tactile 3" can be displayed on the display screen. After displaying the menu buttons, etc., it is possible to generate a magnetic field of the corresponding parameter whenever the user presses a menu button.

After step S203, an arbitrary tactile selection input can be received from the user, and magnetic field parameters corresponding to the selected tactile sensation can be set as driving parameters. In other words, this step can be understood as a step of setting parameters so that the user can feel the desired tactile sensation when the first controller 10 or the second controller 20 is driven.

Through this series of processes, the user can set the controller to induce the type of tactile sensation he or she wants.

We have looked at controllers that can induce tactile sensation in a non-contact manner and how to control these controllers. Meanwhile, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments and application examples described above, and various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the gist of the present invention as claimed in the claims. Of course, it is possible, but these modified implementations should not be understood separately from the technical idea or outlook of the present invention.

10, 20 controller
101 control panel
110 coil
120 Power supply 121 Electric wire
130 control unit
140 housing
145 supporter
141~143 Absence of support

Claims (10)

In a controller capable of inducing non-contact tactile sensations for a user and controlling the robot arm of a robotic surgical device,
A coil that generates a magnetic field according to the power supplied;
A power supply unit that supplies power to the coil;
a control unit that adjusts the parameters of the magnetic field generated by the coil by controlling the power supplied to the coil; and
A housing having a predetermined thickness, equipped with control means operable by the user, and having a space formed therein where the coil and the power supply unit can be installed;
Including,
Non-contact tactile induction for the user,
Characterized in that the electric field induced on the user's skin by the magnetic field activates the user's nerve cells,
Parameters adjustable by the controller include magnetic field frequency,
When the magnetic field frequency is in the range of 10 Hz to 50 Hz and the separation distance from the coil to the user's stimulation point is 10 cm to 30 cm, the type of tactile sensation induced in response to the magnetic field frequency and the separation distance is,
“Tickling feeling,” “Ringling feeling,” “Pressing feeling,” “Tingling feeling,” “Tingling feeling,” “Tapping feeling,” “Putting feeling,” “Blubby feeling,” “Aching feeling,” and “ Contains “a stinging sensation”;
A pressure sensor is provided at the end of the robot arm, and the control unit increases the size of the magnetic field parameter in proportion to the pressure value measured by the pressure sensor of the robot arm,
In addition, the controller is characterized in that the user can arbitrarily set the type of tactile sensation induced to the user, and the method for the user to set the type of tactile sensation is:
A tactile guidance system including the controller receiving a tactile setting input from the user;
allowing the tactile induction system to induce a random tactile sensation on a stimulation point of the user by supplying power to a coil of the controller;
generating, by the tactile guidance system, a magnetic field having preset parameters each time the user presses a button provided on the controller;
When the tactile guidance system receives a tactile selection input from the user, setting magnetic field parameters corresponding to the tactile sensation selected by the user as driving parameters;
Including,
controller.
According to paragraph 1,
When the magnetic field frequency is in the range of 60 Hz to 200 Hz and the separation distance from the coil to the user's stimulation point is 10 cm to 30 cm, the type of tactile sensation induced in response to the magnetic field frequency and the separation distance is,
“Tapping feeling”, “Soft feeling”, “Stinging feeling”, “Tickling feeling”, “Ringling feeling”, “Tingling feeling”, “Rough feeling”, “Dull feeling”, “Thin feeling”, “Stiff feeling” including “feeling”, “stinging feeling”, “tingling feeling”, “tingling feeling”, and “knocking feeling”;
controller.
delete delete According to paragraph 1,
The controller is,
Characterized in that the type of tactile sensation induced by the user can be arbitrarily set,
controller.
delete delete In a method of controlling a controller that enables non-contact tactile guidance for a user and controls a robot arm of a robotic surgery device,
The controller is
A coil that generates a magnetic field according to the power supplied;
A power supply unit that supplies power to the coil;
a control unit that adjusts parameters of a magnetic field generated by the coil by controlling power supplied to the coil; and
A housing having a predetermined thickness, equipped with control means operable by the user, and having a space formed therein where the coil and the power supply unit can be installed;
Including,
How to control the controller:
Inducing a sense of touch to the user's stimulation point - the stimulation point being at least a part of the user's skin - by adjusting at least one parameter of the magnetic field parameters and supplying power to the coil to generate a magnetic field. steps;
includes
Parameters adjustable by the controller include magnetic field frequency,
When the magnetic field frequency is in the range of 10 Hz to 50 Hz and the separation distance from the coil to the user's stimulation point is 10 cm to 30 cm, the type of tactile sensation induced in response to the magnetic field frequency and the separation distance is,
“Tickling feeling,” “Ringling feeling,” “Pressing feeling,” “Tingling feeling,” “Tingling feeling,” “Tapping feeling,” “Putting feeling,” “Blubby feeling,” “Aching feeling,” and “ Contains “a stinging sensation”;
A pressure sensor is provided at the end of the robot arm, and the control unit increases the size of the magnetic field parameter in proportion to the pressure value measured by the pressure sensor of the robot arm,
In addition, the controller is characterized in that the user can arbitrarily set the type of tactile sensation induced to the user, and the method for the user to set the type of tactile sensation is:
A tactile guidance system including the controller receiving a tactile setting input from the user;
allowing the tactile induction system to induce a random tactile sensation on a stimulation point of the user by supplying power to a coil of the controller;
generating, by the tactile guidance system, a magnetic field having preset parameters each time the user presses a button provided on the controller;
When the tactile guidance system receives a tactile selection input from the user, setting magnetic field parameters corresponding to the tactile sensation selected by the user as driving parameters;
Including,
Controller control method.
According to clause 8,
When the magnetic field frequency is in the range of 60 Hz to 200 Hz and the separation distance from the coil to the user's stimulation point is 10 cm to 30 cm, the type of tactile sensation induced in response to the magnetic field frequency and the separation distance is,
“Tapping feeling”, “Soft feeling”, “Stinging feeling”, “Tickling feeling”, “Ringling feeling”, “Tingling feeling”, “Rough feeling”, “Dull feeling”, “Thin feeling”, “Stiff feeling” including “feeling”, “stinging feeling”, “tingling feeling”, “tingling feeling”, and “knocking feeling”;
Controller control method.
According to clause 8,
Setting magnetic field parameters corresponding to the tactile sensation selected by the user as driving parameters;
Containing more,
Controller control method.