Multi-dimensional perceptual driver, recognition method, tactile interaction system and application

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of sensors, and discloses a multi-dimensional perceptual driver, an identification method, a tactile interaction system and application, the perceptual driver comprises a resistance sensing layer, a capacitance sensor and a limiting layer; the resistance sensing layer is used for sensing the direction of force and comprises a first thin film layer, a plurality of flexible resistance sensors distributed in all directions, a second thin film layer and a gas channel layer. The capacitance sensing layer is used for sensing the magnitude of force and sequentially comprises a first flexible electrode, a first dielectric layer, a second dielectric layer, a third dielectric layer and a second flexible electrode from top to bottom, a through hole is formed in the middle of the second dielectric layer, a notch is formed outwards in the through hole, and a gas channel is formed; the limiting layer is used for limiting deformation of the gas channel layer and the second dielectric layer. According to the invention, the plurality of flexible resistance sensors are added to the resistance sensing layer on the surface layer, so that detection of different contact force directions is realized; pressure detection is carried out more accurately through multi-dimensional data fusion, interference is avoided, and the sensing precision is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of sensor technology, and in particular to a multi-dimensional sensing driver, a recognition method, a tactile interaction system and applications. Background Art

[0002] Existing robot tactile sensing systems mainly rely on a variety of technologies such as capacitive sensors, optical sensors and piezoelectric sensors. However, these sensors often have problems such as insufficient sensitivity, poor adaptability and high cost in complex and changeable contact environments. In recent years, with the development of soft materials and bionic technologies, flexible tactile sensors have shown broad application prospects in the fields of robotics, teleoperation and medical treatment due to their good flexibility and conformality. However, the current flexible tactile sensing system still faces challenges in the detection and measurement of multi-dimensional (such as tangential force, normal force) information, such as complex detection methods, errors in decoupling, and difficult processing.

[0003] Therefore, the existing tactile sensors currently have the following technical problems that need to be solved urgently:

[0004] 1. Rigid sensors have certain deficiencies in flexibility and conformality;

[0005] 2. Flexible sensors are mostly pressure sensors. Flexible sensors that can achieve multi-dimensional detection often have problems such as complex decoupling, easy signal interference, and poor accuracy. Summary of the invention

[0006] In order to overcome or alleviate one or more of the above technical problems, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a multi-dimensional perception driver, recognition method, tactile interaction system and application.

[0007] The present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0008] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a multi-dimensional sensing driver, which comprises, from top to bottom, a resistance sensing layer (100), a capacitance sensor (200) and a restriction layer (300); the resistance sensing layer (100) is used to sense the direction of force, and comprises, from top to bottom, a first film layer (101), a plurality of flexible resistance sensors (102) distributed in various directions, a second film layer (103) and a gas channel layer (104), wherein the gas channel layer (104) is provided with a through hole in the middle, and the through hole is provided with a The capacitive sensing layer (200) is used to sense the magnitude of force, and comprises, from top to bottom, a first flexible electrode (201), a first dielectric layer (202), a second dielectric layer (203), a third dielectric layer (204), and a second flexible electrode (205); a through hole is arranged in the middle of the second dielectric layer (203), and a notch is arranged outwardly of the through hole to form a gas channel; the limiting layer (300) is used to limit the deformation of the gas channel layer (104) and the second dielectric layer (203).

[0009] According to some embodiments, the material used to make the flexible resistor sensor (102) is selected from liquid metal or stretchable flexible resistor.

[0010] According to some embodiments, the materials used to make the first film layer (101) and the second film layer (103) are both selected from PDMS or elastic film materials.

[0011] According to some embodiments, the materials used to manufacture the first flexible electrode (201) and the second flexible electrode (205) are both selected from conductive fabrics; the materials used to manufacture the first and third dielectric layers are selected from composite materials that can improve the dielectric constant; and the material used to manufacture the second dielectric layer is selected from PDMS or elastic film materials.

[0012] According to some embodiments, the composite material capable of improving the dielectric constant is selected from a mixed material of PDMS and carbon nanotubes.

[0013] According to some embodiments, the material of the restriction layer (300) is selected from polyimide materials.

[0014] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a method for identifying an object according to the multi-dimensional sensing driver, characterized in that it comprises the following steps:

[0015] S1: positioning the multi-dimensional sensing actuator to the surface of the target object by controlling the movement of the robotic arm;

[0016] S2: adjusting the air pressure of the flexible resistance sensor (102) of the multi-dimensional sensing driver to a preset value P through an external air source device o , start recording C o , R o1~R o 4;

[0017] S3: moving the multi-dimensional sensing driver from one end to the other end along the surface of the target object, i.e., scanning the surface of the target object longitudinally, during which the capacitance signal obtained from the capacitance sensing layer (200) and the resistance signal obtained from the resistance sensing layer (100) are continuously recorded;

[0018] S4: Repeat the perception test process for multiple target objects with different texture features to obtain a comprehensive electrical signal data set containing multiple texture features;

[0019] S5: Based on the comprehensive electrical signal data set and its corresponding texture type of the target object, the texture features of the target object are classified and analyzed through machine learning to achieve recognition and classification of target objects with different texture features.

[0020] In the third aspect, the present invention provides a tactile interaction system, comprising a multidimensional perception driver as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, a signal processing module, a control module and an air source module, respectively located at the far end and the near end, the signal processing module being used to perform filtering processing, feature extraction and decoupling calculation on the signal transmitted back by the multidimensional perception driver at the far end; the control module being used to control the movement of the far-end multidimensional perception driver and the pressurization of the multidimensional perception driver at the near end by the air source module.

[0021] According to some embodiments, it also includes a heating module, and the control module controls the heating module to control the resistance sensor of the proximal multi-dimensional sensing actuator to perform temperature regulation.

[0022] In a fourth aspect, the present invention provides the application of the above-mentioned multi-dimensional perception driver in robot tactile perception or electronic skin.

[0023] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0024] 1) The multi-dimensional sensing driver provided by the present invention can perform multi-dimensional information detection: by adding four flexible resistance sensors to the resistance sensing layer located on the surface, detection of different contact force directions (tangential force) can be achieved; combining the data of the resistance sensor and the capacitance sensor, more accurate pressure detection can be achieved through multi-dimensional data fusion, avoiding interference from other conditions and improving the perception accuracy of pressure.

[0025] 2) The resistance sensing layer of the multi-dimensional sensing driver provided by the present invention is height-adjustable: the surface height can be adjusted by external air pressure, that is, the resistance sensor is height-adjustable, and on this basis, it has the following advantages:

[0026] (1) Avoid the risk of mechanical collision caused by excessive contact; (2) Avoid information loss caused by intermittent contact;

[0027] 3) The flexible resistor sensor of the present invention is printed by direct writing technology using silver paste or liquid metal. The flexible resistor sensor is simple to manufacture and has low cost. It is easy to implement and promote application. It has good flexibility, conformality and durability. It can be installed in different positions of the robot, and can help the robot to achieve a more comprehensive perception of the environment and targets.

[0028] 4) In the human-computer interaction scenario, when the driver is a tactile feedback driver that provides tactile feedback to the user, the direction of the tangential force can be prompted by heating different resistors, and force feedback can be achieved by adjusting the air pressure, thereby achieving multi-dimensional feedback and improving the operator's sense of immersion and reality during the operation;

[0029] The present invention has important research value and application prospects in the fields of robot tactile perception and electronic skin. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of a multi-dimensional sensing driver provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 2 An exploded diagram of a multi-dimensional perception driver provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the working status of the multi-dimensional sensing driver provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a capacitance change caused by an external load when a multi-dimensional sensing actuator provided by an embodiment of the present invention comes into contact with a target object.

[0034] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a sensing end of a robotic arm provided in an embodiment of the present invention connected to a multi-dimensional sensing driver.

[0035] Figure 6 A flowchart of the tactile interaction of a multi-dimensional perception driver for identifying objects with different textures provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 7 A flowchart of a method for identifying a multi-dimensional sensing driver provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 8 This is a structural block diagram of a tactile interaction system provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of force perception and force feedback of a tactile interaction system provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] Fig.10 A multi-dimensional sensing driver with temperature sensing is provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] Fig.11 A tactile interaction flow chart provided for an embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] In the figure:

[0042] Resistive sensing layer 100 ; first film layer 101 ; flexible resistive sensor 102 ; second film layer 103 ; gas channel layer 104 ; capacitive sensing layer 200 ; first flexible electrode 201 ; first dielectric layer 202 ; second dielectric layer 203 ; third dielectric layer 204 ; second flexible electrode 205 ; restriction layer 300 . DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] The present invention is described in detail below in conjunction with the embodiments and drawings, but it should be understood that the embodiments and drawings are only used to exemplify the present invention and do not constitute any limitation on the protection scope of the present invention. All reasonable changes and combinations within the scope of the inventive concept of the present invention fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0044] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0045] Example 1

[0046] like Figure 1 , this embodiment provides a multi-dimensional sensing driver, which includes a resistance sensing layer 100, a capacitance sensing layer 200 and a restriction layer 300 from top to bottom;

[0047] like Figure 2 , the resistance sensor layer 100 includes, from top to bottom, a first film layer 101, four flexible resistance sensors 102, a second film layer 103 and a gas channel layer 104;

[0048] The first and second film layers are both made of PDMS or other elastic films. A circular hole is provided in the middle of the gas channel layer 104, and a notch is provided outwardly of the circular hole, which is a middle flow channel for gas to pass through.

[0049] This embodiment is provided with four flexible resistor sensors 102 embedded in the middle of the first and second film layers in the four directions of front, back, left and right to detect external forces in multiple directions and dimensions. It is a functional flexible film with stretchable characteristics. The four flexible resistor sensors 102 (such as R1, R2, R3, R4) are respectively connected to the external signal acquisition device. The flexible resistor sensor is preferably a liquid metal resistor sensor, which is supported by a flexible stretchable resistor and has good stretchability. It is designed into various shapes according to needs and arranged in a reasonable position; the resistance sensing layer 100 is in contact with the external target as a surface layer; the flexible resistor sensor 102 can also be other quantities, and the quantity should be greater than three to facilitate the subsequent calculation of the tangential force direction.

[0050] The air cavity structure in the resistance sensing layer 100 mainly includes a circular cavity and an air channel, which is connected to an external air source device. Under the action of external air pressure and the restriction layer 300, deformation is ensured to occur in the resistance sensing layer 100, so that the flexible resistance sensor 102 protrudes upward. Figure 3 In terms of cavity height adjustment, pneumatic adjustment is used to swell the surface air cavity, thereby enhancing the contact performance of the flexible resistor sensor 102 and ensuring the sensitivity and accuracy of detection. In terms of tactile feedback, force feedback is achieved through air pressure adjustment, and the heating of the resistor is achieved through current adjustment of different resistors, thereby providing a prompt for the direction of the tangential force.

[0051] The capacitive sensing layer 200 is composed of a first flexible electrode 201, a first dielectric layer 202, a second dielectric layer 203, a third dielectric layer 204, and a second flexible electrode 205 from top to bottom; the two flexible electrodes are arranged opposite to each other and can be electrically connected to an external signal acquisition device, and both the capacitance signal and the resistance signal are output through the flexible electrodes, wherein the second dielectric layer 203 is a layered structure with a hollow flow channel, which is the same as the gas channel layer 104, and is provided with circular holes and gas channels, forming an air cavity located in the capacitive sensor 200; preferably, the first dielectric layer 202 and the third dielectric layer 204 are both formed of a composite material obtained by combining PDMS and carbon nanotubes; preferably, the restriction layer 300 is made of a polyimide material or other material with an elastic modulus much larger than that of silicone.

[0052] The limiting layer 300 is at the bottom layer, and its elasticity is much smaller than that of the resistance sensing layer 100. Under the action of the driving gas pressure, the deformation is limited to the resistance sensing layer 100, and the downward deformation of the air cavity of the capacitance sensing layer 200 is limited at the same time.

[0053] like Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the working state of the multi-dimensional sensing driver. The air pressure of the air cavity of the resistance sensing layer 100 is adjusted by an external air source. The height of the resistance sensing layer 100 can be adjusted by adjusting the air pressure. At this time, the air pressure can be recorded as P o (0~30kPa), the capacitance at this pressure is recorded as Co , the resistance values ​​are denoted as R o 1. R o 2. R o 3. R o 4.

[0054] like Figure 4 When the multi-dimensional sensing actuator contacts the target object, the external load (F load ) increases the air cavity pressure, changes the dielectric layer spacing of the bottom capacitive sensor 200, and causes a capacitance change (ΔC), which is related to the magnitude of the external load. x , F y It will cause changes in four resistors, which are recorded as R1, R2, R3, and R4. By calculating the change in the four resistors, ΔR1 = R1-R o 1 to analyze and implement F load The sense of the component in the XY plane, i.e. the direction of the tangential force.

[0055] The pressure value is then measured by detecting the change in capacitance. Through an external signal processing circuit, the data of the flexible resistance sensor and the capacitance sensor are read in real time to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the direction and magnitude of the force.

[0056] Example 2

[0057] like Figures 5-6 ,This embodiment connects a multi-dimensional sensing driver at the end of the robotic arm and forms a tactile interaction system to identify the features of the target object.

[0058] like Figure 7 , a method for identifying an object by a multi-dimensional sensing driver, comprising the following steps:

[0059] (1) Positioning the multi-dimensional sensing actuator on the surface of the target object by controlling the movement of the robotic arm;

[0060] (2) The air pressure of the flexible resistance sensor 102 of the multi-dimensional sensing driver is adjusted by an external air source device to reach a preset value P o , start recording C o , R o 1~R o 4;

[0061] (3) moving the multi-dimensional sensing driver from one end to the other end along the surface of the target object, that is, scanning the surface of the target object longitudinally, during which the capacitance signal obtained from the capacitance sensing layer 200 and the resistance signal obtained from the resistance sensing layer 100 are continuously recorded by a microcontroller or a computer;

[0062] (4) Repeat the perception test process for multiple target objects with different texture features to obtain a comprehensive electrical signal dataset containing multiple texture features;

[0063] (5) Based on the comprehensive electrical signal data set and its corresponding texture type of the target object, the texture features of the target object are classified and analyzed through machine learning to achieve the recognition and classification of target objects with different texture features.

[0064] Multi-dimensional perception drivers have many application scenarios.

[0065] like Figures 7 to 9 and Fig.11 The remote manipulator is equipped with a multi-dimensional sensing driver to achieve tactile perception. The operating end is for the user to wear a tactile interaction glove based on the multi-dimensional sensing driver to obtain the touch of the remote manipulator. The remote multi-dimensional sensing driver identifies objects with different textures and feeds back to the near-end multi-dimensional sensing driver. The near-end is the operating end. Through the tactile feedback system, the human hand can remotely perform tactile interaction transmission. The system includes a multi-dimensional sensing driver connected to the remote end, a signal processing module that performs filtering, feature extraction and decoupling calculation on the signal of the remote multi-dimensional sensing driver, a control module, an air source module and a near-end multi-dimensional sensing driver. The control module is used to control the movement of the remote manipulator and the air source module pressurizes the near-end multi-dimensional sensing driver. The air source module is used to input gas of a certain air pressure to the multi-dimensional sensing driver to adjust the height of the multi-dimensional sensing driver and achieve contact with the target object to obtain more tactile features. The multi-dimensional sensing driver includes capacitance change detection and resistance change detection.

[0066] like Fig.10 The multi-dimensional self-sensing actuator provided in this embodiment is placed in the wearable device as a tactile feedback actuator to provide pressure feedback to the operator and to achieve tangential force direction feedback by heating the resistor (such as red represents temperature). The system includes a multi-dimensional sensing actuator in the glove, each flexible resistance sensor 102 is connected to different heating modules respectively;

[0067] When the remote manipulator contacts the target, the multi-dimensional sensing actuator placed at the fingertips senses the pressure and the direction of the tangential force. Furthermore, the control module controls the air source and the heating module to adjust the pressure of the multi-dimensional sensing actuator placed in the glove to achieve force feedback, and controls the temperature of different resistance sensors to achieve feedback on the direction of the tangential force.

[0068] This embodiment has a wide range of applications in robot tactile perception and electronic skin.

[0069] By adding flexible resistance sensors and highly adjustable surface air cavities, the multi-dimensional sensing actuator in this embodiment can achieve higher force detection capabilities and accuracy, especially in the perception of tangential force and normal force, which helps the operation and control of the robot in complex environments.

[0070] The multi-dimensional sensing driver proposed in this embodiment can be installed on the execution end or other parts of the robot as a sensor to realize the perception of the target object or external load, and can also be installed in a wearable device as a tactile feedback driver to realize tactile feedback. It has broad application prospects in the fields of robot operation, medical rehabilitation, virtual reality manufacturing, etc.

[0071] The above embodiments are only preferred implementations of the present invention, and the protection scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. All technical solutions under the concept of the present invention belong to the protection scope of the present invention. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this technical field, improvements and modifications without departing from the principle of the present invention should also be regarded as the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A multi-dimensional sensing driver, characterized in that: It includes, from top to bottom, a resistance sensing layer (100), a capacitance sensor (200), and a restriction layer (300); The resistance sensing layer (100) is used to sense the direction of force, and comprises, from top to bottom, a first film layer (101), a plurality of flexible resistance sensors (102) distributed in various directions, a second film layer (103), and a gas channel layer (104), wherein a through hole is provided in the middle of the gas channel layer (104), and a notch is provided outwardly of the through hole to form a gas channel; The capacitive sensing layer (200) is used to sense the magnitude of force, and comprises, from top to bottom, a first flexible electrode (201), a first dielectric layer (202), a second dielectric layer (203), a third dielectric layer (204), and a second flexible electrode (205); a through hole is arranged in the middle of the second dielectric layer (203), and a notch is arranged outwardly of the through hole to form a gas channel; The restriction layer (300) is used to restrict deformation of the gas channel layer (104) and the second dielectric layer (203).

2. The multi-dimensional sensing driver according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material used to manufacture the flexible resistor sensor (102) is selected from liquid metal or stretchable flexible resistor.

3. The multi-dimensional sensing driver according to claim 2, characterized in that: The materials used to make the first film layer (101) and the second film layer (103) are both selected from PDMS or elastic film materials.

4. The multi-dimensional sensing driver according to claim 2, characterized in that: The materials used to manufacture the first flexible electrode (201) and the second flexible electrode (205) are both selected from conductive fabrics; the materials used to manufacture the first and third dielectric layers are both selected from composite materials that can improve dielectric constants; and the material used to manufacture the second dielectric layer is selected from PDMS or elastic film materials.

5. The multi-dimensional sensing driver according to claim 4, characterized in that: The composite material capable of improving the dielectric constant is selected from a mixed material of PDMS and carbon nanotubes.

6. The multi-dimensional sensing driver according to claim 2, characterized in that: The material of the restriction layer (300) is selected from polyimide materials.

7. A method for identifying an object using a multi-dimensional sensing actuator according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: S1: positioning the multi-dimensional sensing actuator to the surface of the target object by controlling the movement of the robotic arm; S2: adjusting the air pressure of the flexible resistance sensor (102) of the multi-dimensional sensing driver to a preset value P through an external air source device o , start recording C o , R o 1~R o 4; S3: moving the multi-dimensional sensing driver from one end to the other end along the surface of the target object, i.e., scanning the surface of the target object longitudinally, during which the capacitance signal obtained from the capacitance sensing layer (200) and the resistance signal obtained from the resistance sensing layer (100) are continuously recorded; S4: Repeat the perception test process for multiple target objects with different texture features to obtain a comprehensive electrical signal data set containing multiple texture features; S5: Based on the comprehensive electrical signal data set and its corresponding texture type of the target object, the texture features of the target object are classified and analyzed through machine learning to achieve recognition and classification of target objects with different texture features.

8. A tactile interaction system, characterized in that: It comprises a multidimensional sensing driver as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, a signal processing module, a control module and an air source module respectively located at the distal end and the proximal end, wherein the signal processing module is used for filtering, extracting features and performing decoupling calculations on the signal transmitted back by the multidimensional sensing driver at the distal end; and the control module is used for controlling the movement of the multidimensional sensing driver at the distal end and the pressurization of the multidimensional sensing driver at the proximal end by the air source module.

9. The tactile interaction system according to claim 8, characterized in that: It also includes a heating module, and the control module controls the heating module to control the resistance sensor of the proximal multi-dimensional sensing driver to perform temperature regulation.

10. Application of the multi-dimensional sensing driver according to any one of claims 1 to 6 in robot tactile perception or electronic skin.

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