KR20150092444A - A wireless exoskeleton haptic interface device for simultaneously delivering tactile and joint resistance and the method for comprising the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a wireless exoskeleton haptic interface device for simultaneously delivering a tactile sensation and joint resistance and a configuration method therefor. The device is configured to deliver a tactile sensation to a user through a rotation of a micro-sub motor attached to a tip of a finger when a hand of the user touches an object existing in a virtual environment and to simultaneously deliver joint resistance which delivers a tactile sensation of the object by generating tension of a wire with a rotation of the motor when the user grabs the object in the virtual environment. More particularly, the size of a glove can be reduced by using the wire tension, and complex communication lines can be removed by enabling interfacing with the virtual environment through wireless communications.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a wireless exoskeleton haptic interface device and a method of configuring the haptic interface device. 2. Description of the Related Art A wireless exoskeleton haptic interface device is a wireless exoskeleton haptic interface device,

The present invention relates to a wireless exoskeleton haptic interface device and a method of constructing the same, and more particularly, to a wireless exoskeletal haptic interface device and a method of constructing the same. More particularly, The present invention relates to a device and a method of constructing a device for transmitting a feeling of holding an object (resistance) by generating a tension of a wire by rotation of a motor installed on a wrist or an arm when an object in a virtual environment is caught.

Humans accept stimulation through the sensory receptors of the five sensory organs (eyes, nose, ears, tongue, skin, etc.) in the body. In order for humans to recognize objects, visual elements are the most important, It is said that tactile factors are important. Among them, the tactile sense is a feeling of contact of an object in the skin and the mucous membrane, and the tactile fiber is excited by the stimulation of the tentacle container.

In the present invention, an interface between a human and an object is provided using the tactile sense, and haptic technology for conveying a sense of touch and feel to an object in a virtual environment is used. Haptic technology is a technology that allows the user to feel the touch by generating vibration, force or shock to various digital devices, which is also called computer tactile technology. In the present invention, tactile technique and kinesthetic technique are used to communicate the tactile sensation and the sense of touch to an object in a virtual space.

The shape of the initial tactile interface device is a glove type device that transmits only the hand motion information to the virtual environment without generating the haptic information to the user. That is, Nintendo Glove, an interface device developed by Nintendo in 1989, was used as an example, in which a user controls the virtual environment using the glove to update 2D graphic information and transmit updated 2D graphic information to the user. However, these gloves are difficult to maximize the immersive feeling of users who are exposed to the virtual environment because the tactile element, which is one of the important factors for recognizing virtual environment objects, is excluded.

Recently, according to the development and research of haptic technology, a haptic glove technology capable of transmitting a touch to a user has been developed. Particularly, the types of haptic gloves recently released are mostly exoskeleton-type gloves, and they include means for transmitting haptic information to a user's hand, power transmitting means for generating haptic information in a hand, control means for controlling the haptic information, And power supply means, and occupy a large space. Therefore, in this case, as the size of the haptic glove is reduced, there is a disadvantage in that the haptic information that can be immersed by the user is generated weakly, resulting in lowering the immersion level in the virtual environment. Also, Due to the characteristics of the haptic glove technology that must be transmitted to the virtual environment, wired communication is used more frequently than wireless communication for accurate packet transmission.

For this reason, the present invention proposes an interface device capable of delivering high immersion feeling in a virtual environment by applying high-speed wireless technology and transmitting high haptic feedback to a user even with a simple structure.

Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2011-0100369 (Sep. 14, 2011) discloses a data glove capable of recognizing the gesture of a finger at a low cost by sensing movement of the finger using a stretch sensor do. This technology describes only the sensing of the movement of the finger, but it does not disclose the feeling of touch and resistance to the object of the virtual environment as in the present invention.

Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2013-0101367 (2013.09.13) discloses a glove-based interface device equipped with an electromagnet to enable users to feel a virtual object or a virtual force with a tactile sense. In this case, it is possible to interact with the virtual world by recognizing the operation of the glove and transmitting / receiving the operation of the glove to / from the external device. When the operation of the glove is performed, power is supplied to the electromagnet inside the glove, The present invention is different from the method of recognizing the movement of the glove, and the method of feeding haptic feedback to the user is different from the method using the micromotor of the present invention. In addition, this prior art does not disclose a method of transmitting the resistance of a virtual object to the hand.

Another conventional technique disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 2004-0018465 (Mar. 23, 2004) is to provide a tactile feedback to a user, thereby providing a sense of reality in the simulation system. The tactile feedback is provided to the user, The coupled mechanical simulation apparatus senses the motion of the actuators and provides tactile feedback to the user. As described above, there is no description of providing a haptic using the glove and providing resistance.

Another prior art Korean Patent Application No. 2012-0137490 (2012.12.21) relates to an apparatus and method for applying haptic pressure sensors, acquiring data from sensors, and providing data to a user, The present invention provides a sense of touch instead of acquiring information from the tactile sense, and also provides a sense of resistance.

The present invention relates to an exoskeletal haptic interface device capable of transmitting tactile sensation to a fingertip and transmitting the resistance of a joint to a finger. In addition to detecting finger movement or providing haptic feedback to a finger, We propose a device that transmits tactile sensation to the fingertip when the hand touches the environmental object, and at the same time transmits resistance to the finger joint according to the size and shape of the virtual environment object. In addition, the present invention aims to simplify the complicated configuration due to the electric wire by reducing the size of the exoskeleton haptic interface device and using the wireless communication technology for the interface with the virtual environment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an exoskeletal haptic interface device that simultaneously transmits a grip to a virtual environment object with touch, size, and shape.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a simplified structure that is smaller than a conventional haptic glove in providing the exoskeletal haptic interface apparatus.

Specifically, the present invention aims at providing a simple and effective exoskeletal haptic glove as compared with the prior art by transmitting a tactile sensation to the tip of the hand and controlling the wire connected to the fingertip and the joint.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an independent and active haptic glove as compared with a conventional haptic communication based on wired communication by communicating with a haptic device using a wireless communication method for a virtual environment interface.

An exoskeletal haptic interface device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a sensor unit for sensing information including shapes, motions, positions, or a combination of hands, fingers, or combinations thereof; A tactile sensor configured to be mounted on at least one fingertip; A wire for transmitting joint resistance to the finger; And an exoskeletal haptic controller which is mounted on the wrist to control the tactile feedback of the tactile providing unit, to transmit joint resistance through the wire to the fingers, or to control the combination thereof.

In addition, in the exoskeletal haptic interface apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, the tactile providing unit includes a knob; The exoskeletal haptic control unit includes a servo motor, one end of the wire is connected to the knob, and the other end is connected to the servomotor, and the joint resistance is transmitted to the finger through the wire.

In addition, the exoskeletal haptic interface device according to an embodiment of the present invention is capable of delivering tactile sensation through the tactile providing unit and transmitting joint resistance through the wire.

Also, in the exoskeletal haptic interface apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, the exoskeletal haptic control unit may include an input recognizing unit for recognizing movement of a hand based on a signal sensed by the sensor unit; A tactile control unit for controlling the tactile sense according to the tactile command generated in the virtual environment based on the information recognized by the input recognition unit; And a joint resistance control unit for controlling joint resistance according to a command for grip feeling generated in a virtual environment based on the information recognized by the input recognition unit.

In addition, in the exoskeletal haptic interface apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, the sensor unit may include: an optical sensor for recognizing a shape of a finger; Altitude Heading Reference System (AHRS); A small piezoresistor sensor whose electrical resistance varies with finger bending; A motion sensing unit by a stereo camera; A motion sensing unit using an infrared camera; A gyro sensor for recognizing the position or tilt of the hand; Or a combination thereof.

In the exoskeletal haptic interface device according to an embodiment of the present invention, the exoskeletal haptic control unit may include at least one of a short range communication unit including Bluetooth, ZigBee, RFID, NFC or a combination thereof, And an external communication interface unit for transmitting and receiving information to and from another exoskeletal haptic interface device including a virtual environment system.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an exoskeleton haptic interface method including: recognizing a state of a glove in which an exoskeleton haptic interface device is implemented, and calibrating a state of the user by reflecting the glove in a virtual environment; Recognizing the hand gesture while continuously monitoring the user's gesture; Transmitting the recognized hand operation information to a virtual environment system; And receiving a tactile command in the case of a virtual environment contact from the virtual environment system according to the transferred hand operation information or receiving a joint resistance resistance command in the case of capturing a virtual environment object or receiving a command for a combination thereof .

Further, in the exoskeletal haptic interface method according to another embodiment of the present invention, the step of recognizing the hand gesture may include: an optical sensor for recognizing a shape of a finger; Altitude Heading Reference System (AHRS); A small piezoresistor sensor whose electrical resistance varies with finger bending; A motion sensing unit by a stereo camera; A motion sensing unit using an infrared camera; A gyro sensor for recognizing the position or tilt of the hand; Or a combination thereof, information including a shape, a movement, a position, or a combination thereof of a user's hand, a finger, or a combination thereof through a sensor unit including at least one of a hand, And the like.

In the exoskeletal haptic interface method according to another embodiment of the present invention, the transmitting step and the receiving step may include at least one of short-range communication means including Bluetooth, ZigBee, RFID, NFC or a combination thereof, And at least one of these combinations is performed by transmitting and receiving information to and from another exoskeletal haptic interface device including a virtual environment system.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an exoskeletal haptic interface method comprising: controlling a tactile sense according to a tactile command generated in a virtual environment based on the recognized hand gesture information through a tactile providing unit configured to be mounted on a fingertip; Or at least one of a finger tip, at least one or more finger joints, or a combination thereof, and a wire connecting a device mounted on the wrist to generate a joint resistance feeling, And controlling the joint resistance according to a command for the generated grip, wherein the tactile feedback is controlled by the tactile providing unit and the joint resistance is controlled through the joint resistance providing unit.

The present invention relates to a wireless exoskeleton haptic interface device and a method of constructing the same, and more particularly, to a wireless exoskeletal haptic interface device and a method of constructing the same, And when the user holds the virtual environment object, it generates the tension of the wire by the rotation of the motor and transmits the sense of joint resistance that conveys the touch of the object. In particular, by using the wire tension, And it is possible to interfere with a virtual environment through wireless communication, thereby eliminating complicated communication lines.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram utilizing a wireless exoskeleton haptic interface device that connects a virtual environment and a real environment to transmit touch and joint resistance.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a haptic interface device for wireless exoskeleton.
3 is a block diagram of a haptic device mounted on a thumb and index finger for a wireless exoskeleton haptic interface device that simultaneously transmits touch and joint resistance according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a wireless exoskeleton haptic interface device that simultaneously transmits touch and joint resistance according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a wireless exoskeleton haptic interface device that simultaneously transmits touch and joint resistance to a finger according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example in which a feeling of resistance to a finger is implemented using a wire as part of a wireless exoskeletal haptic interface device that simultaneously transmits touch and joint resistance according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of a wireless exoskeletal haptic interface device and a method of constructing the same will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram utilizing a wireless exoskeleton haptic interface device 100 that connects a virtual environment and a real environment to transmit touch and joint resistance.

Most of the virtual reality systems 100 have an input device and an output device 110. In order to give the virtual reality system a strong sense of presence, the input device first detects the position and the body motion of the user in the space of the user Should be able to do. Input devices that make this possible include a data glove corresponding to each body movement, a body motion input device such as a position tracker, a voice recognition device, an electromyography (EMG) technique for electrically recording and evaluating movement of the skeletal muscle, Electrocardiogram (EKG) technology for electrically analyzing cardiac movements, and physiological psychological state input devices such as electroencephalography (EEG) technology for electrically recording brain movements by attaching a machine to the head.

Here, a position tracker is usually used for inputting the position and direction of the user's body in the space, and a tracking method for detecting the position of the user's head, hands, or other body parts includes mechanical, optical, magnetic, Etc. are used. Exoskeletons, data gloves, and data suits, which are also used as output devices in addition to the above-mentioned position trackers, are examples of devices for detecting movements of the hands, arms, head, legs, . In addition, devices such as an exoskeleton, an electronic muscle recorder, and the like can be used to detect facial expressions and eye movements, and a 3D mouse, which is one of a voice / audio input device and a tactile input device .

Output devices include devices that allow users of the virtual reality system to perceive visual, auditory, tactile, and movement through sensory channels, including visual display devices, auditory display devices, tactile feedback devices, There are display devices. Among them, the tactile feedback device tries to make a virtual object feel real by feedbacking a tactile response such as surface texture or weight to a user of a virtual reality system, and force feedback devices When you apply force to an object, you feel more sense of presence through feedback on force or pressure applied by the object, such as force resistance through muscles and joints.

The input / output device 110 shown in FIG. 1 outputs a tactile sense to the fingertip in the form of a data glove, and simultaneously receives the position, direction, and event information of the fingertip. The input information including the position, direction, and event is transmitted to the virtual environment processing system 140, and is input to the input / output device 110 in the form of haptic, joint resistance, etc. according to the size, shape and texture of an object existing in the virtual environment And is output as feedback. Since there may be various models for the virtual environment, it is preferable that such environment is stored and managed through the virtual environment database 150. [ In addition, the modeling of such a virtual environment needs to be realized in a real environment, specifically matching with a real environment. In order to do this, a device 120 for matching a virtual environment and a real environment to each other is required.

With this configuration, virtual reality can be applied to real life and industrial applications in the field. Accordingly, the present invention is applicable to a glove made in a glove shape, an optical sensor for recognizing the shape of a finger, an altitude heading reference system (AHRS), a small piezoresistor sensor whose electric resistance varies according to the bending of a finger, A sensing unit, a motion sensing unit by an infrared camera, or a gyro sensor for recognizing a position or a tilt of a hand, or a combination thereof, so that the shape, position, shape, direction, The haptic input / output device receives input information including a predetermined event or a combination thereof, receives the tactile feedback processed in the virtual environment system and the command for joint resistance, and transmits the tactile feeling to the finger or the resistance to the finger joint .

When a wearer wears a glove embodying an exoskeleton haptic interface device manufactured according to the present invention, the same glove as the actual glove is displayed on the display of the virtual environment system, which is displayed in combination with the virtual environment, The touch or touch of an object in the virtual environment is brought into contact with the user's hand through the glove in which the exoskeleton haptic interface device is implemented. When these hand movements are linked to the actual environment processing system, virtual reality can be applied to industries such as picking up real dangerous objects at the industrial site, or performing elaborate operations.

Next, a configuration of a device for recognizing a hand shape and generating a haptic and a joint resistance in a glove embodying a wireless exoskeleton haptic interface device that simultaneously delivers the tactile feeling and joint resistance resistance of the present invention will be discussed.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a wireless exoskeleton haptic interface device that simultaneously transmits touch and joint resistance according to an embodiment of the present invention. The input device includes an input recognizer 210, an external communication interface 220, a controller 230, And an exoskeletal haptic control unit 240 including a control unit 241 and a joint resistance control unit 242.

First, in a wireless exoskeleton haptic interface device that transmits a tactile feeling and a joint resistance sensation of the present invention implemented in a glove shape, the sensor embeds the optical sensor along a hand shape or a small piezoresistor sensor And a sensor for recognizing an event by measuring a shape of the sensor bent. That is, in the case of the optical sensor, when the optical sensor is embedded in the glove and light is inputted, the shape of the optical fiber can be detected by measuring how much the light is bent along the optical fiber. Such a photosensor can be used to detect the shape of a hand, and in the present invention, the shape of the hand is recognized through it, and a predetermined pattern command is predetermined according to the shape of each hand. In order to recognize a command according to the shape of the hand desired by the user. By using the gyro sensor in the recognized hand shape, it is possible to detect a direction in which the globe is tilted to recognize more elaborate and various input commands. A piezoresistor sensor in which the electric resistance varies depending on the bending of the finger can be used instead of the optical sensor. In addition, it is possible to recognize the hand movement by measuring the shape or motion of the hand more finely, independently or in combination with the altitude heading reference system (AHRS), the motion sensing by the stereo camera, and the motion sensing by the infrared camera.

Accordingly, the input recognition unit 210 recognizes a user's hand gesture through a shape, a shape, a shape, a movement, a direction, a slope, or a combination of a hand or a finger inputted from the sensor. The intention of the user is grasped based on the gesture thus recognized and the predetermined commitment to the intention of the user, and the intention of the user thus detected is transmitted to the control unit.

The control unit 230 outputs the inputted user's hand shape or globe state through the external communication interface 220 so as to recognize the state of the user's hand or globe through the external communication interface 220, And performs overall control operations for scheduling and mutual matching of the input / output data, events, and commands so as to generate tactile sensation in the glove or generate joint resistance due to the transfer from the virtual environment system.

The external communication interface unit 220 is an interface for transmitting and receiving mutual signals so that the glove in which the exoskeletal haptic interface device is implemented and the external virtual environment system mutually exchange data to control the exoskeletal haptic interface device. Can be configured to include public wireless communication systems ranging from wireless LAN, 3G, 4G, 5G, and LTE, including NFC communication such as Bluetooth, RFID, or infrared communication.

The exoskeleton haptic controller 240 analyzes the tactile command inputted from the external virtual environment system to perform the control 241 on the haptic output of a specific intensity and also receives the information about the joint resistance to realize the joint resistance (242) the degree of rotation of the motor.

The control signal for the tactile and joint resistance output is transmitted to the micromotor mounted on the glove to be transmitted to the touch, or the knot connected to the fingertip and the joint through the wire generates the rotational force of the motor according to the intensity of the resistance, The user is informed of the feeling of wear.

Hereinafter, a concrete configuration and a method for transmitting a tactile sensation in a wireless exoskeletal haptic interface device that simultaneously transmits tactile and joint resistance according to the present invention will be described.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a haptic device mounted on a thumb and index finger for a wireless exoskeleton haptic interfacing device that simultaneously transmits touch and joint resistance according to an embodiment of the present invention. The haptic devices 310 and 320 In the haptic devices 310 and 320, a micro servomotor is mounted at an end of a finger. When a micro servo motor is operated by installing a plate at the bottom of a finger, the plate moves up and down to oscillate . The intensity of such movement is recognized according to the haptic command. When the amount of haptic feedback is large, the diaphragm moves a lot, and when the amount of feedback is small, the diaphragm is controlled to move less.

The device for transmitting a touch according to the present invention is divided into a wrist part 330 and a plurality of finger parts 310 and 320. The finger parts 310 and 320 have a cover, And a diaphragm is provided on the bottom of the finger so that the user can feel the vibration. Accordingly, when the motor is driven, the vibration of the user is transferred to the user's fingertip by a gear whose rotational force is changed into a vertical motion. In addition, the wrist portion may be provided with a portion that is fixed to the belt so as to be dynamically adjustable to various user's wrist sizes, and a circuit of the entire system is mounted.

This command for tactile feedback is transmitted through the control unit 330 installed on the wrist, and this control is eventually transmitted from the external virtual environment system and fed back to the user. A power line for driving the servomotor is connected between the control unit provided on the cuff and the micro servomotor provided at the fingertip, and this is for transmitting a touch to the fingertip. In addition, the wire is connected to the upper end of the instrument mounted on the fingertip, so that the wire is pulled or delayed by the motor installed on the wrist so that resistance to the finger and the joint is transmitted.

On the other hand, in the present invention, in order to more realistically transmit the feeling of resistance to the joint of the finger, it is possible to realize a more soft feeling of resistance by using a wire having elasticity of the wire, - It is possible to smoothly implement the resistance of the whole joint by adding only the release device. This is achieved by controlling a separate device for each joint according to the related art, thereby achieving the object of the control. However, since the size of the device is too large, It is possible to do.

4 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a wireless exoskeleton haptic interface device that simultaneously transmits tactile sensation and joint resistance sensation according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

As shown, when the power is first turned on, the controller starts to recognize the initial state of the shape or shape of the glove, checks the status of the entire apparatus, and recognizes whether the user wears the glove (S301). At the same time, the control device of the glove is ready to receive commands from the virtual environment system via the external communication interface. At the same time, the virtual environment system loads the virtual environment model, accepts the image of the wearing of the user's glove, integrates the virtual environment model and reflects the state of the glove in the virtual environment (S302). In this state, the glove monitors occurrence of an event such as movement of a hand, shape, position, shape, etc. (S303). If the user performs a hand operation while watching the virtual environment model during the continuous monitoring (S304), the operation signal is transmitted to the control unit of the glove and transmitted to the virtual environment system via the external communication interface (S305) The virtual environment system determines what kind of action is performed in the virtual environment model, and generates a command for touch and joint resistance according to the judgment (S306, S307).

The control unit 230 of the glove controls the micro servo motor 510 of the fingertip through the tactile control unit 242 and the joint resistance control unit 242 according to the transmitted instruction. And drives the motor 610 mounted on the wrist to generate joint resistance (S308). From this, the user feels a tactile sensation on the finger or a resistance to the finger.

In addition, when the user operates the exoskeletal haptic interface device according to the present invention, the user is calibrated through, for example, Bluetooth or Wi-Fi communication. After the user calibration is finished, the maximum and minimum values of the finger are transmitted to the virtual environment system, and the virtual environment system determines the bending range of the virtual environment interface (e.g., glove) through this information. When the user attaches the exoskeleton haptic interface device and contacts the virtual environment object during operation, the actuator at the fingertip operates to present the finger touch. When the user holds the virtual environment object, another actuator operates to present the kinesthetic sense to the finger. In addition, information on three axes of angular velocity (Roll, Pitch, Yaw) is transmitted to the virtual environment system to express information on six axes of roll, pitch and yaw as well as x, y and z axes, To be controlled.

Next, a case where the exoskeletal haptic interface device according to the present invention is mounted on a finger will be described.

FIG. 5 is a view illustrating an example of a wireless exoskeleton haptic interface device that simultaneously transmits tactile sensation and joint resistance to a finger according to an embodiment of the present invention. The haptic interface devices 310 and 320 are actually mounted on a thumb and a finger of a person This is an example. Fig. 5 (a) shows a state in which no tactile sensation is transmitted to the fingertips, and Fig. 5 (b) shows a state in which a tactile sensation is transmitted to the fingertips. As shown in the drawing, the haptic devices 310 and 320 fitted to the fingers have a knob 520 installed thereon, and the outer ear is connected thereto. The micro servomotor 510 operates at various rotational speeds according to the haptic command. The micro servomotor 510 operates according to the haptic command, and the diaphragm 530, And the tactile sensation is transmitted to the user. In other words, if the user touches an object in the virtual environment, the rotation of the micro servomotor causes the finger attached to the bottom portion of the finger, referred to as the tactile plate 530, to move upward (FIG. 5B) 5 (a)) is repeated to transmit the tactile sensation to the user's fingertip.

It is not necessary to use a micro servomotor in order to transmit tactile feelings. It is also possible to use the principle of a chisel using a magnet, or to use another small vibrator or a vibration motor. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the above-described individual vibration generators.

Hereinafter, a method for delivering an exoskeletal resistance feeling, which is another feature of the present invention, will be described.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a resistance to a finger using a wire as a part of a wireless exoskeletal haptic interface device that simultaneously transmits touch and joint resistance according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG.

As shown in the figure, the method of using the wire 620 that greatly simplifies the structure of the haptic interface of the exoskeletal haptic interface compared with the conventional technique is generated. That is, when the user bends the finger and catches an object in the virtual environment, the motor 610 mounted on the wrist is rotated according to the volume of the virtual environment object, thereby preventing the finger from bending any more. When this method is used, the area of the whole mechanism is drastically reduced, and in the case of generating a resistance feeling, a resistance can be generated by pulling the wire from the wrist by hanging the wire at the tip of the finger. In order to generate resistance more sensitively, And a force is sequentially transmitted between the joints by providing a lock-releasing device on the joint, thereby realizing a soft feeling of resistance. Further, when the wire is used as an elastic wire, a discontinuous feeling due to the force or motion between the joints disappears, so that smoother control becomes possible.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration and example only and is not to be taken by way of limitation. I will understand that. Accordingly, the technical scope of the present invention should be defined by the following claims.

100: virtual reality system configuration diagram 110: exoskeleton haptic interface device
120: actual environment processing system 130: network
140: Virtual environment processing system 150: Database
210: input recognition unit 220: external communication interface unit
230: control unit 240: exoskeleton haptic control unit
241: touch control section 242: joint resistance control section
310, 320: Haptic Offering

Claims (11)

A sensor unit for sensing information including a shape, a movement, a position, or a combination thereof for a user's hand, a finger, or a combination thereof;
A tactile sensor configured to be mounted on at least one fingertip;
A wire for transmitting joint resistance to the finger; And
And an exoskeletal haptic interface unit which is mounted on a wrist for controlling a tactile sensation of the tactile providing unit or transmitting a joint resistance to the fingers through the wire, . The method according to claim 1,
The touch-
At least one knob;
The exoskeletal haptic controller may include:
Including servo motors;
Wherein one end of the wire is connected to the knob and the other end is connected to the servomotor to transmit joint resistance to the finger through the wire. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the haptic interface device is capable of transmitting tactile sensation through the tactile providing portion and transmitting joint resistance through the wire. The method of claim 2,
The exoskeletal haptic controller may include:
An input recognition unit for recognizing a movement of a hand based on a signal sensed by the sensor unit;
A tactile control unit for controlling the tactile sense according to the tactile command generated in the virtual environment based on the information recognized by the input recognition unit; And
And a joint resistance control unit for controlling joint resistance according to a command for grip feeling generated in the virtual environment based on the information recognized by the input recognition unit. The method according to claim 1,
The sensor unit includes:
An optical sensor for recognizing the shape of the finger; Altitude Heading Reference System (AHRS); A small piezoresistor sensor whose electrical resistance varies with finger bending; A motion sensing unit by a stereo camera; A motion sensing unit using an infrared camera; A gyro sensor for recognizing the position or tilt of the hand; Or a combination thereof. ≪ Desc / Clms Page number 19 > The method of claim 2,
The exoskeletal haptic controller may include:
An external communication for transmitting and receiving information with other exoskeletal haptic interface devices including a virtual environment system, including at least one of a short-range communication device including Bluetooth, Zigbee, RFID, NFC or a combination thereof, Further comprising: an interface unit for receiving the haptic interface. Recognizing the state of the glove in which the exoskeleton haptic interface device is implemented, and calibrating the state of the user by reflecting the glove in the virtual environment;
Recognizing the hand gesture while continuously monitoring the user's gesture;
Transmitting the recognized hand operation information to a virtual environment system; And
Receiving a tactile command in the case of a virtual environment contact from the virtual environment system according to the transferred hand operation information or receiving a joint resistance resistance command in case of capturing a virtual environment object or receiving a command for a combination thereof, Wherein the exoskeletal haptic interface method comprises: The method of claim 7,
The step of recognizing the hand-
An optical sensor for recognizing the shape of the finger; Altitude Heading Reference System (AHRS); A small piezoresistor sensor whose electrical resistance varies with finger bending; A motion sensing unit by a stereo camera; A motion sensing unit using an infrared camera; A gyro sensor for recognizing the position or tilt of the hand; Or a combination thereof, information including a shape, a movement, a position, or a combination thereof of a user's hand, a finger, or a combination thereof through a sensor unit including at least one of a hand, Of the exoskeleton haptic interface. The method of claim 7,
The transmitting step and the receiving step may include:
By transmitting and receiving information to and from other exoskeletal haptic interface devices including a virtual environment system, with at least one of a short range communication means including Bluetooth, ZigBee, RFID, NFC or a combination thereof, wireless Internet communication means or a combination thereof Wherein the exoskeletal haptic interface method comprises: The method of claim 7,
Controlling tactile feedback according to a tactile command generated in a virtual environment based on the recognized hand gesture information through a tactile feedback unit configured to be mounted on a fingertip; or
And a wire connecting at least one of at least one of a finger tip, at least one finger joint, or a combination thereof to a mechanism attached to the wrist, and generates a joint resistance feeling in a virtual environment based on the recognized hand- And controlling the joint resistance according to the command for the grip feeling,
Wherein the tactile feedback is controlled through the tactile providing unit and the joint resistance is controlled through the joint resistance providing unit. The method of claim 10,
The touch-
At least one knob;
The exoskeletal haptic controller may include:
Including servo motors;
Wherein one end of the wire is connected to the knob and the other end is connected to the servomotor to transmit joint resistance to the finger through the wire.

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