Flexible self-powered sensor, sign language translation device and sign language translation method

Abstract

The invention discloses a flexible self-powered sensor, sign language translation equipment and a sign language translation method. The flexible self-powered sensor comprises an upper power generation layer, a lower power generation layer, a supporting block and a wire. The flexible upper power generation layer and the flexible lower power generation layer are attached to the hand of a user as much as possible, the discomfort during wearing is reduced, and the wearing experience is improved; the first flexible friction layer and the second flexible friction layer are used for generating power through friction, so that dependence on external energy is reduced, and the equipment complexity is reduced; when the flexible self-energized sensor is extruded, the distance between the first flexible friction layer and the second flexible friction layer changes, charge distribution in the corresponding electrodes of the first flexible friction layer and the second flexible friction layer is changed based on the electrostatic induction principle, and quantitative analysis can be conducted on changes of hand actions of a user. In addition, the sensor has the characteristics of low cost and simple production process. The invention relates to the technical field of sign language translation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of sign language translation, and in particular to a flexible self-powered sensor, a sign language translation device and a sign language translation method. Background Art

[0002] Sign language is an important communication tool for the hearing-impaired, but since most people are not familiar with sign language, these people often face communication difficulties when interacting with other members of society. To solve this problem, researchers and engineers have begun to develop sign language translation devices. Currently, sign language translation devices usually use cameras, computer vision technology and sensors to capture gestures, analyze gestures through machine learning and artificial intelligence technology, and these gestures are translated into text or voice in real time.

[0003] There are many disadvantages in using visual recognition technology to recognize sign language. For example, gesture translation devices based on cameras are expensive, difficult to popularize, and have low practical value. In addition, cameras need a good light source to capture movements and cannot work properly in low-visibility environments. Sign language translation devices based on traditional electronic sensors use solid electronic materials, which have low stretchability and reduce the user's wearing comfort. It is not conducive to users wearing and performing movements, and requires additional batteries for power supply, causing environmental pollution and energy loss.

[0004] On the other hand, the materials used in traditional sensors are relatively expensive and the manufacturing process is complex, usually requiring vacuum equipment and precision micro-nano processing technology, which is not conducive to large-scale production and application of sensors. Summary of the invention

[0005] The purpose of the present application is to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art, and to provide a flexible self-powered sensor, a sign language translation device and a sign language translation method, which use highly flexible materials to make the user more comfortable to wear. The materials are easy to prepare and low in cost, thereby simplifying the production process, reducing production costs, and facilitating large-scale manufacturing and application.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present application, there is provided a flexible self-powered sensor, comprising:

[0007] An upper power generation layer, the upper power generation layer comprising a first flexible substrate layer, a first flexible electrode layer and a first flexible friction layer stacked in sequence;

[0008] A lower power generation layer, the lower power generation layer comprising a second flexible substrate layer, a second flexible electrode layer and a second flexible friction layer stacked in sequence;

[0009] A support block, which is an insulating member and is installed on the first flexible friction layer or the second flexible friction layer, and is used to create a gap between the upper power generation layer and the lower power generation layer;

[0010] A wire, two ends of which are connected to the first flexible electrode layer and the second flexible electrode layer respectively, and the wire is connected to an external circuit to detect the magnitude of the current on the wire;

[0011] When the first flexible base layer and the second flexible base layer are brought close to each other by an external force, the first flexible friction layer can rub against the second flexible friction layer, so that the first flexible friction layer obtains a positive charge and the second flexible friction layer obtains a negative charge; the first flexible friction layer and the second flexible friction layer change their charge amounts based on the principle of electrostatic induction, thereby causing a change in the current magnitude on the wire.

[0012] According to the first aspect embodiment of the present application, further, the material of the first flexible substrate layer and the second flexible substrate layer is specifically silicone, rubber, polyimide or polyester.

[0013] According to the first aspect embodiment of the present application, further, the material of the first flexible friction layer is specifically silicone, rubber, polyimide or polyester.

[0014] According to the first aspect embodiment of the present application, further, the second flexible friction layer is doped with dopants based on the material of the first flexible friction layer, and the dopants are specifically fluorinated ethylene propylene copolymer, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride or methylsiloxane.

[0015] According to the first aspect embodiment of the present application, further, the material of the first flexible electrode layer and the second flexible electrode layer is specifically hydrogel, poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), silver nanowire or indium gallium alloy.

[0016] According to the first aspect embodiment of the present application, further, there are multiple support blocks and they are distributed in an array.

[0017] According to the first aspect embodiment of the present application, further, the support block has a cylindrical structure.

[0018] According to the second aspect embodiment of the present application, a sign language translation device is provided, comprising the above-mentioned flexible self-powered sensor and gloves, wherein the gloves are worn on the hands of a user, and the flexible self-powered sensor is installed at the joints of the gloves to detect the activities of the user's hands.

[0019] According to a third aspect of the present application, a sign language translation method is provided, which is performed based on the above-mentioned sign language translation device and includes the following steps:

[0020] Putting the glove on the user's hand, each of the flexible self-powered sensors on the glove is connected to an external circuit;

[0021] The user's hand joints are bent so that the first flexible base layer and the second flexible base layer in the flexible self-powered sensor are close to each other, and the external circuit records the current change of the corresponding wire;

[0022] The user's hand joints are straightened so that the first flexible base layer and the second flexible base layer in the flexible self-powered sensor are separated from each other, and the external circuit records the current change of the corresponding wire;

[0023] Record the bending range of the user's hand joints and the current change range, thereby forming a change relationship between the two. The bending range and bending shape of the user's hand joints can be calculated by identifying the current change range.

[0024] Integrate the activities of each hand joint of the user to obtain the user's gesture information.

[0025] According to the third aspect of the present application, further, the external circuit wirelessly communicates with the computer via Bluetooth, and the computer classifies various gesture signals to obtain the category of each gesture in the sign language.

[0026] The beneficial effects of the embodiments of the present application include at least: the present application uses a flexible upper power generation layer and a lower power generation layer to fit the user's hand as closely as possible, thereby reducing discomfort when wearing and improving the wearing experience; friction power generation is generated by the first flexible friction layer and the second flexible friction layer, thereby reducing dependence on external energy and reducing equipment complexity; when the flexible self-powered sensor is squeezed, the distance between the first flexible friction layer and the second flexible friction layer changes, and then the charge difference between the two is changed based on the principle of electrostatic induction, which can quantitatively analyze the changes in the user's hand movements; the sensor uses easy-to-prepare and low-cost materials (such as commercial silicone), thereby simplifying the production process and reducing production costs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following is a brief description of the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments, and those skilled in the art can also obtain other design solutions and drawings based on these drawings without creative work.

[0028] Figure 1 This is a disassembly diagram of the flexible self-powered sensor according to the first aspect of the present application;

[0029] Figure 2 This is a working principle diagram of the flexible self-powered sensor of the first embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Figure 3This is a diagram showing the voltage variation on the wire 400 when the flexible self-powered sensor according to the first aspect of the present application is working;

[0031] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the rebound stability of the flexible self-powered sensor in different stretching states when the flexible self-powered sensor in the first aspect of the present application is working;

[0032] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the response time of the flexible self-powered sensor when the flexible self-powered sensor of the first aspect of the embodiment of the present application is working;

[0033] Figure 6 This is a comparison diagram of the bending amplitude of the finger and the voltage on the wire 400 in the flexible self-powered sensor according to the first aspect of the present application;

[0034] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of wearing a sign language translation device according to an embodiment of the second aspect of the present application;

[0035] Figure 8 It is a flow chart of identifying a user's gesture in a sign language translation method in an embodiment of the third aspect of the present application;

[0036] Fig. 9 It is a physical schematic diagram of recognizing a user's gesture in a sign language translation method according to the third aspect of the embodiment of the present application.

[0037] Figure numerals: 100 - upper power generation layer, 110 - first flexible substrate layer, 120 - first flexible electrode layer, 130 - first flexible friction layer, 200 - lower power generation layer, 210 - second flexible substrate layer, 220 - second flexible electrode layer, 230 - second flexible friction layer, 300 - support block, 400 - wire, 410 - external circuit, 500 - glove. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] This section will describe in detail the specific embodiments of the present application. The preferred embodiments of the present application are shown in the accompanying drawings. The purpose of the accompanying drawings is to supplement the description of the text part of the specification with graphics, so that people can intuitively and vividly understand each technical feature and the overall technical solution of the present application, but it cannot be understood as a limitation on the scope of protection of the present application.

[0039] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that descriptions involving orientation, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0040] In the description of this application, "several" means one or more, "more" means more than two, "greater than", "less than", "exceed", etc. are understood to exclude the number itself, and "above", "below", "within", etc. are understood to include the number itself. If there is a description of "first" or "second", it is only used for the purpose of distinguishing technical features, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features or implicitly indicating the order of the indicated technical features.

[0041] In the description of this application, unless otherwise clearly defined, terms such as setting, installing, connecting, etc. should be understood in a broad sense, and technicians in the relevant technical field can reasonably determine the specific meanings of the above terms in this application based on the specific content of the technical solution.

[0042] There are many disadvantages in using visual recognition technology to recognize sign language. For example, gesture translation devices based on cameras are expensive, difficult to popularize, and have low practical value. In addition, cameras need a good light source to capture movements and cannot work properly in low-visibility environments. Sign language translation devices based on traditional electronic sensors use solid electronic materials, which have low stretchability and reduce the user's wearing comfort. It is not conducive to users wearing and performing movements, and requires additional batteries for power supply, causing environmental pollution and energy loss.

[0043] In this regard, the present application proposes a flexible self-powered sensor, a sign language translation device and a sign language translation method, which make the flexible upper power generation layer 100 and the lower power generation layer 200 fit the user's hand as closely as possible, reduce discomfort when wearing and improve the wearing experience; generate electricity through friction between the first flexible friction layer 130 and the second flexible friction layer 230, thereby reducing dependence on external energy and reducing equipment complexity; when the flexible self-powered sensor is squeezed, the distance between the first flexible friction layer 130 and the second flexible friction layer 230 changes, and then the charge difference between the two is changed based on the principle of electrostatic induction, which can quantitatively analyze the changes in the user's hand movements; the sensor uses easy-to-prepare and low-cost materials, thereby simplifying the production process and reducing production costs.

[0044] Reference Figure 1 The flexible self-powered sensor in the embodiment of the first aspect of the present application includes an upper power generation layer 100, a lower power generation layer 200, a support block 300 and a wire 400. The upper power generation layer 100 and the lower power generation layer 200 generate electricity through friction, and the two can move closer to or farther away from each other under external force, so that the electrostatic induction effect between the two changes, affecting the potential difference between the two. The support block 300 is arranged between the upper power generation layer 100 and the lower power generation layer 200 to reserve a gap between the two. The two ends of the wire 400 are respectively connected to the upper power generation layer 100 and the lower power generation layer 200. The potential difference between the upper power generation layer 100 and the lower power generation layer 200 causes the charge to flow on the wire 400, thereby generating a current to be detected.

[0045] Specifically, the upper power generation layer 100 includes a first flexible substrate layer 110, a first flexible electrode layer 120 and a first flexible friction layer 130 stacked in sequence. The first flexible substrate layer 110 is an insulating layer that can directly contact the user's skin. On the one hand, it is used to transmit external force, and on the other hand, it prevents the charge on the first flexible electrode layer 120 from flowing to the user's skin and causing charge loss. The first flexible friction layer 130 is made of a positively charged friction material.

[0046] The lower power generation layer 200 includes a second flexible substrate layer 210, a second flexible electrode layer 220 and a second flexible friction layer 230 stacked in sequence. The second flexible substrate layer 210 is an insulating layer that can directly contact the user's skin. On the one hand, it is used to transmit external force, and on the other hand, it prevents the charge on the second flexible electrode layer 220 from flowing to the user's skin and causing charge loss. The second flexible friction layer 230 is made of a negatively charged friction material.

[0047] When the user moves, the first flexible friction layer 130 and the second flexible friction layer 230 contact and rub against each other. In this process, the first flexible friction layer 130 obtains positive charge, and the second flexible friction layer 230 obtains negative charge. The first flexible electrode layer 120 and the second flexible electrode layer 220 are used to guide the charge to flow to the wire 400. Thus, the dependence on an external power source is eliminated by generating electricity through friction.

[0048] The support block 300 is an insulating part and is installed on the first flexible friction layer 130 or the second flexible friction layer 230, and is used to create a gap between the upper power generation layer 100 and the lower power generation layer 200 to prevent the upper power generation layer 100 and the lower power generation layer 200 from always being in close contact, so that the first flexible friction layer 130 cannot generate electricity by friction with the second flexible friction layer 230.

[0049] Two ends of the wire 400 are connected to the first flexible electrode layer 120 and the second flexible electrode layer 220 respectively. An external circuit 410 is installed on the wire 400 to detect the magnitude of the current on the wire 400.

[0050] The working principle of the flexible self-powered sensor is as follows: when the first flexible substrate layer 110 and the second flexible substrate layer 210 are brought close to each other by external force, the positively charged first flexible friction layer 130 and the negatively charged second flexible friction layer 230 undergo a change in charge based on the principle of electrostatic induction. The change in potential difference causes a change in the current on the wire 400, which is recorded by the external circuit 410. The bending amplitude of the user's joint can be inferred by analyzing the amplitude of the current change.

[0051] Furthermore, the material of the first flexible substrate layer 110 and the second flexible substrate layer 210 is specifically silicone, rubber, polyimide or polyester.

[0052] Furthermore, the material of the first flexible friction layer 130 is specifically silicone, rubber, polyimide or polyester.

[0053] Furthermore, the second flexible friction layer 230 is doped with dopants based on the material of the first flexible friction layer 130 so that the material is modified to generate negative charges after friction. The dopants are specifically fluorinated ethylene propylene copolymer, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride or methylsiloxane.

[0054] Furthermore, the material of the first flexible electrode layer 120 and the second flexible electrode layer 220 is specifically hydrogel, poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), silver nanowire or indium gallium alloy.

[0055] Compared with traditional flexible self-powered sensors, this flexible self-powered sensor uses easy-to-prepare and low-cost materials. Its main body can be made by the reverse molding process, without the need for large-scale production equipment. The process is simple and the cost of raw materials is low, which is convenient for large-scale production and application.

[0056] Furthermore, there are multiple support blocks 300 and they are distributed in an array. The installation position and number of the support blocks 300 are adjusted based on actual conditions, so as to adjust the gap size between the upper power generation layer 100 and the lower power generation layer 200 and change the effect of electrostatic induction. The support block 300 is specifically a cylindrical structure so that the first flexible friction layer 130 and the second flexible friction layer 230 are evenly stressed when squeezed by the support block 300.

[0057] The working principle and sensing effect of the flexible self-powered sensor are described below in conjunction with specific embodiments. In this embodiment, silicone is selected as the material of the first flexible substrate layer 110, the second flexible substrate layer 210 and the first flexible friction layer 130, silicone material doped with FEP powder is selected as the material of the second flexible friction layer 230, hydrogel is selected as the material of the first flexible electrode layer 120 and the second flexible electrode layer 220, and silicone is selected as the material of the support block 300.

[0058] Reference Figure 2 In a, when the external pressure is large, the second flexible friction layer 230 doped with FEP material contacts the surface of the first flexible friction layer 130. At this time, the second flexible friction layer 230 is negatively charged, and the first flexible friction layer 130 is positively charged. The direct contact between the two allows the charge to flow directly, and the current on the wire 400 tends to zero. When the external force gradually disappears, refer to Figure 2In b, the upper power generation layer 100 and the lower power generation layer 200 gradually separate, generating a potential difference, and at the same time, negative charges flow from the second flexible electrode layer 220 to the first flexible electrode layer 120 through the wire 400 to maintain local charge balance. At this time, current flows through the wire 400, and the external circuit 410 detects the current reading.

[0059] Reference Figure 2 In c, the user stops moving, the upper power generation layer 100 and the lower power generation layer 200 remain stationary, at which time the potential difference between the upper power generation layer 100 and the lower power generation layer 200 approaches zero, and there is no current on the wire 400. Figure 2 In d, the external pressure acts on the flexible self-powered sensor again, and the upper power generation layer 100 and the lower power generation layer 200 gradually approach each other, generating a potential difference, and at the same time, negative charges flow from the second flexible electrode layer 220 to the first flexible electrode layer 120 through the wire 400 to maintain local charge balance. At this time, current flows through the wire 400, and the external circuit 410 detects the current reading.

[0060] Therefore, by detecting whether there is a current reading in the external circuit 410 and the current change amplitude, the user's joint bending amplitude can be calculated.

[0061] In this embodiment, a first flexible substrate layer 110 and a second flexible substrate layer 210 with a height of 2 mm, a length of 20 mm, and a width of 10 mm, a first flexible electrode layer 120 and a second flexible electrode layer 220 with a height of 0.5 mm, a length of 15 mm, and a width of 5 mm, and a first flexible friction layer 130 and a second flexible friction layer 230 with a height of 1 mm, a length of 20 mm, and a width of 10 mm are used. Figure 3 It is demonstrated that the maximum single output voltage of this flexible self-powered sensor is 24V, and the output is stable. Figure 4 The results show that this flexible self-powered sensor has high stretchability and cyclic stability. Figure 5 The response time of this flexible self-powered sensor is demonstrated to be no more than 30ms, and it is very sensitive. Figure 6 The voltage output of the finger at different bending angles is shown after the flexible self-powered sensor is worn on the finger joint. The measurement results show that the flexible self-powered sensor can be effectively used as a wearable motion sensor for the human body.

[0062] Reference Figure 7A sign language translation device in an embodiment of the second aspect of the present application includes the above-mentioned flexible self-powered sensor and a glove 500, the glove 500 is worn on the user's hand, and the flexible self-powered sensor is installed at the joint of the glove 500 to detect the activity of the user's hand. In this embodiment, there are 5 flexible self-powered sensors, each corresponding to the five fingers of the user. By integrating the detection data of each flexible self-powered sensor, the activity of the user's hand can be inferred.

[0063] A sign language translation method in an embodiment of the third aspect of the present application is performed based on the above-mentioned sign language translation device, comprising the following steps:

[0064] S100. Wear the glove 500 on the user's hand, and each flexible self-powered sensor on the glove is connected to the external circuit 410, and the external circuit detects the current change of each flexible self-powered sensor;

[0065] S200. The user's hand joints are bent so that the first flexible substrate layer 110 and the second flexible substrate layer 210 in the flexible self-powered sensor are close to each other, and the external circuit records the current change of the corresponding wire 400;

[0066] S300. The user's hand joints are straightened, so that the first flexible substrate layer 110 and the second flexible substrate layer 210 in the flexible self-powered sensor are away from each other, and the external circuit records the current change of the corresponding wire 400;

[0067] S400. Record the bending amplitude of the user's hand joint and the current variation amplitude, thereby forming a variation relationship between the two, and subsequently being able to calculate the bending amplitude and bending shape of the user's hand joint by identifying the current variation amplitude;

[0068] S500. Integrate the activities of each hand joint of the user to obtain the user's gesture information.

[0069] Reference Figure 8 , the external circuit communicates wirelessly with the computer terminal via Bluetooth, and various gesture signals are classified through the computer terminal to obtain the categories of each gesture in the sign language. Specifically, the flexible self-powered sensor is mounted on each finger of the glove 500, and transmits signals through the circuit, and the gesture signals are recognized and classified by the machine learning algorithm on the computer terminal. In this case, the first flexible electrode layer 120 and the second flexible electrode layer 220 are connected to the ADC module through enameled wire, the analog signal is converted into a digital signal, and the digital signal is wirelessly transmitted to the computer terminal via Bluetooth, or other microprocessors are used to transmit the digital signal to the computer terminal through the serial port. The machine learning program is used to extract features and identify and classify the gesture signals to obtain the final gesture category.

[0070] Reference Fig. 9 The user wears the glove 500 on the user's hand, and each flexible self-powered sensor on the glove is connected to the external circuit 410. The external circuit communicates wirelessly with the computer via Bluetooth. Combined with the machine learning algorithm, the computer classifies various gesture signals to obtain the category of each gesture in the sign language.

[0071] The above is a specific description of the preferred implementation methods of the present application, but the invention is not limited to the embodiments. Those skilled in the art may make various equivalent modifications or substitutions without violating the spirit of the present application, and these equivalent modifications or substitutions are all included in the scope defined by the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. A flexible self-powered sensor, characterized in that: include: An upper power generation layer, the upper power generation layer comprising a first flexible substrate layer, a first flexible electrode layer and a first flexible friction layer stacked in sequence; A lower power generation layer, the lower power generation layer comprising a second flexible substrate layer, a second flexible electrode layer and a second flexible friction layer stacked in sequence; A support block, which is an insulating member and is installed on the first flexible friction layer or the second flexible friction layer, and is used to create a gap between the upper power generation layer and the lower power generation layer; A wire, two ends of which are connected to the first flexible electrode layer and the second flexible electrode layer respectively, and an external load is connected to the wire to detect the current on the wire; When the first flexible base layer and the second flexible base layer are brought close to each other by an external force, the first flexible friction layer can rub against the second flexible friction layer, so that the first flexible friction layer obtains a positive charge and the second flexible friction layer obtains a negative charge; the first flexible friction layer and the second flexible friction layer change their charge amounts based on the principle of electrostatic induction, thereby causing a change in the current magnitude on the wire.

2. The flexible self-powered sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material of the first flexible base layer and the second flexible base layer is specifically silicone, rubber, polyimide or polyester.

3. The flexible self-powered sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material of the first flexible friction layer is specifically silicone, rubber, polyimide or polyester.

4. The flexible self-powered sensor according to claim 3, characterized in that: The second flexible friction layer is doped with a dopant based on the material of the first flexible friction layer, and the dopant is specifically fluorinated ethylene propylene copolymer, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride or methylsiloxane.

5. The flexible self-powered sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material of the first flexible electrode layer and the second flexible electrode layer is specifically hydrogel, poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), silver nanowire or indium gallium alloy.

6. The flexible self-powered sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: There are multiple supporting blocks distributed in an array.

7. The flexible self-powered sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support block is in a cylindrical structure.

8. A sign language translation device, characterized in that: It comprises the flexible self-powered sensor as described in any one of claims 1 to 7 and a glove, wherein the glove is worn on the hand of a user, and the flexible self-powered sensor is installed at the joint of the glove to detect the movement of the user's hand.

9. A sign language translation method, based on the sign language translation device according to claim 8, characterized in that: include: Putting the glove on the user's hand, each of the flexible self-powered sensors on the glove is connected to an external circuit; The user bends the hand joints so that the first flexible base layer and the second flexible base layer in the flexible self-powered sensor are close to each other, and the external circuit records the corresponding current change of the flexible self-powered sensor; The user's hand joints are straightened so that the first flexible base layer and the second flexible base layer in the flexible self-powered sensor are separated from each other, and the external circuit records the corresponding current change of the flexible self-powered sensor; Record the bending range of the user's hand joints and the current change range, thereby forming a change relationship between the two. The bending range and bending shape of the user's hand joints can be calculated by identifying the current change range. Integrate the activities of each hand joint of the user to obtain the user's gesture information.

10. The sign language translation method according to claim 9, characterized in that: The external circuit communicates wirelessly with the computer terminal via Bluetooth, and the computer terminal classifies various gesture signals to obtain the categories of various gestures in the sign language.

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