A wearable device that transmits sensations

Abstract

The wearable device for transmitting sensation of the present invention mainly senses the changes of the external environment through multiple thin film pressure sensors and semiconductor temperature sensors, converts them into pressure control signals and temperature control signals, controls the stepper motor through the main controller to drive the slider to slide up and down to generate pressure, and at the same time, there is a PTC heating module at the end of the slider that contacts the limb to generate the corresponding temperature. In order to prevent the situation where the temperature is too high or the circuit fails and causes continuous heating, the PTC heating module has an automatic power-off function. Once the power-on time exceeds a given value, it will automatically cut off the power to ensure safety.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of sensory feedback and relates to a wearable device for transmitting sensations. Background Art

[0002] At present, smart skin is used to solve the problem that disabled people cannot get touch when using prostheses. However, all existing smart skins use sensors to sense changes in external conditions and then generate corresponding stimulation to directly act on the user's nerves to generate sensations. The prerequisite is that a sensor chip must be implanted in the nerves, but this process is very dangerous, the success rate is extremely low, and the price is expensive. At the same time, it faces the problem that the chip is extremely difficult to replace if it is damaged or falls off. At this stage, no skin has been put on the market, and the feasibility has only been verified under laboratory conditions. It will take a long time before it can be truly commercialized. Moreover, after it is truly commercialized, how to solve the problems of low chip implantation success rate, replacement, upgrading, and whether it will produce rejection reactions with the human body are the real difficulties. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a device that does not require surgery, is easy to use, and has high reliability to transmit sensations to solve the problem that disabled people cannot get touch when using prostheses. Summary of the invention

[0003] In order to solve the above technical problems, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a wearable device for transmitting sensations, which does not require surgery, is easy to use, and has high reliability, so as to solve the problem that disabled people cannot obtain tactile sensation when using prostheses.

[0004] A wearable device for transmitting sensations of the present invention comprises: a wearable housing, a plurality of thin film pressure sensors, a plurality of semiconductor temperature sensors and a voltage divider circuit arranged in the wearable housing, a digital-to-analog conversion chip, a main controller, a cascade chip logic control circuit, a motor drive circuit, a plurality of stepper motors, a power drive circuit, a plurality of PTC heating modules and a plurality of heating temperature sensors;

[0005] The thin film pressure sensor and the semiconductor temperature sensor are arranged on the corresponding fingers of the prosthesis to collect the thermal and tactile sensations at the prosthesis and convert the thermal and tactile changes into resistance changes;

[0006] The voltage divider circuit is connected to a plurality of thin film pressure sensors and a plurality of semiconductor temperature sensors to convert the resistance changes of the thin film pressure sensors and the semiconductor temperature sensors into analog voltage signals;

[0007] The digital-to-analog conversion chip is connected to the voltage divider circuit and the main controller respectively, converting the analog voltage signal into a digital signal and sending it to the main controller;

[0008] The main controller calculates the pressure change and temperature change according to the digital signal, and sends a pressure control signal to the cascade chip logic control circuit and a temperature control signal to the power drive circuit;

[0009] The cascade chip logic control circuit converts the serial pressure control signal output by the main controller into a corresponding stepper motor control signal and outputs it to the motor drive circuit to control the corresponding stepper motor;

[0010] The power driving circuit is connected to a plurality of PTC heating modules and controls the corresponding PTC heating modules according to the temperature control signal;

[0011] The heating temperature sensor is connected to the corresponding PTC heating module and feeds back the collected temperature signal to the main controller;

[0012] The wearable shell is worn on a limb, and is provided with a plurality of sliders therein. Each slider is connected to a corresponding stepping motor, and the limb is pressed under the drive of the stepping motor. The PTC heating module is arranged at the end of the corresponding slider and contacts the limb.

[0013] In the wearable device for transmitting sensation of the present invention, a thin film pressure sensor and a semiconductor temperature sensor are arranged on each finger of the prosthesis, and 5 stepper motors, 5 PTC heating modules and 5 heating temperature sensors are arranged in the wearable shell.

[0014] In the wearable device for transmitting sensations of the present invention, a power module is also provided. The power module is installed on the prosthesis and is respectively connected to the voltage divider circuit, the digital-to-analog conversion chip, the main controller, the power drive circuit, the cascade chip logic control circuit and the motor drive circuit.

[0015] In the wearable device for transmitting sensations of the present invention, the wearable shell includes: a base shell, an upper cover and multiple sliders. The base shell is provided with multiple motor mounting positions and multiple slider outlets, and a slider fixing rod is provided next to the slider outlet. Each stepper motor is arranged in a corresponding motor mounting position, and the output shaft of the stepper motor is connected to the corresponding slider. The slider is sleeved on the corresponding slider fixing rod. Driven by the stepper motor, the slider slides up and down along the slider fixing rod to press the surface of the limb. An installation groove is provided on the end face where the slider contacts the surface of the limb, and the PTC heating module is arranged in the installation groove.

[0016] In the wearable device for transmitting sensation of the present invention, a connecting groove is provided on the slider, and the slider is connected to the output shaft of the stepping motor through the connecting groove.

[0017] In the wearable device for transmitting sensation of the present invention, a through hole is provided on the slider, and the slider is sleeved on the slider fixing rod through the through hole.

[0018] In the wearable device for transmitting sensations of the present invention, strap holes are provided on both sides of the base shell, and straps are connected to the strap holes, and the wearable shell is fixed to the limbs through the straps.

[0019] The present invention provides a wearable device for transmitting sensations. By arranging a thin film pressure sensor and a semiconductor temperature sensor on the prosthesis, the touch and temperature sensations at the prosthesis are transmitted to the user's skin that can sense normally via a main controller, so that the user can obtain the sensations at the prosthesis. This allows users to use the prosthesis more conveniently, and the time it takes for disabled people who use prostheses for the first time to adjust to the prosthesis will be greatly shortened. Through the wearable device of the present invention, after a period of use and adaptation, the user can regain the sensations at the prosthesis through spatial illusion perception. The device of the present invention does not require surgery, is easy to use, has a simple and reliable system, and is low in cost. It allows users to minimize the consequences on the basis of generating as many sensations as possible, and autonomously reconstructs the sensations of a certain part through the learning and adaptation capabilities of the human body. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 is a structural block diagram of a wearable device for transmitting sensations of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a base plate housing of a wearable device for transmitting sensations of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a slider of a wearable device for transmitting sensation of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of an upper cover of a wearable device for transmitting sensations according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The present invention aims to improve and solve the problem that disabled people cannot obtain tactile sensation when using prostheses. Currently, most smart skins used in the world are implanted with subcutaneous chips through surgery, which convert changes in pressure, temperature or humidity on the surface of the attached smart skin into electrical signals and transmit them to the nerves, thereby generating sensations. However, these technologies are still very immature, and most skin can only transmit changes in a certain sense. In addition, the risks of such subcutaneous implantation surgery are extremely high and the price is expensive. At the same time, there is the problem that it is extremely difficult to replace the chip if it is damaged or falls off. Therefore, before the implantable chip matures, it is particularly necessary to design an external sensory skin to help users generate sensations. This can facilitate the user to experience the sensation without any technical risks, and it is very easy to replace and upgrade it.

[0025] A wearable device for transmitting sensations of the present invention mainly senses changes in the external environment through multiple thin film pressure sensors and semiconductor temperature sensors, converts them into pressure control signals and temperature control signals, controls the stepper motor through the main controller to drive the slider to slide up and down to generate pressure, and at the same time, there is a PTC heating module at the end of the slider that contacts the limb to generate the corresponding temperature. By electrically stimulating the nerves, the simulated action potential is directly transmitted from the sensor nerve to the central nervous system to generate sensation. In order to prevent the situation where the temperature is too high or the circuit fails and causes continuous heating, the PTC heating module has an automatic power-off function. Once the power-on time exceeds a given value, it will automatically cut off the power to ensure safety.

[0026] like Figure 1 As shown, a wearable device for transmitting sensations of the present invention includes: a wearable shell, multiple thin film pressure sensors 1, multiple semiconductor temperature sensors 2 and a voltage divider circuit 3 arranged in the wearable shell, a digital-to-analog conversion chip 4, a main controller 5, a cascade chip logic control circuit 6, a motor drive circuit 7, multiple stepper motors 8, a power drive circuit 9, multiple PTC heating modules 10 and multiple heating temperature sensors 11.

[0027] The thin film pressure sensor 1 and the semiconductor temperature sensor 2 are arranged on the corresponding fingers of the prosthesis to collect the thermal and tactile sensations at the prosthesis and convert the thermal and tactile changes into resistance changes. In specific implementation, a thin film pressure sensor 1 and a semiconductor temperature sensor 2 can be arranged on each finger of the prosthesis, and correspondingly, 5 stepper motors, 5 PTC heating modules and 5 heating temperature sensors are arranged in the wearable shell.

[0028] The voltage dividing circuit 3 is connected to a plurality of thin film pressure sensors 1 and a plurality of semiconductor temperature sensors 2, and converts the resistance changes of the thin film pressure sensors 1 and the semiconductor temperature sensors 2 into analog voltage signals. The analog-to-digital conversion chip 4 is respectively connected to the voltage dividing circuit 3 and the main controller 5, and converts the analog voltage signal into a digital signal and sends it to the main controller 5. The main controller 5 calculates the pressure change and the temperature change according to the digital signal, sends a pressure control signal to the cascade chip logic control circuit 6, and sends a temperature control signal to the power driving circuit 9. The cascade chip logic control circuit 6 converts the serial pressure control signal output by the main controller 5 into a control signal of a corresponding stepping motor and outputs it to the motor driving circuit 7 to control the rotation of the corresponding stepping motor 8. The power driving circuit 9 is connected to a plurality of PTC heating modules 10, and controls the heating of the corresponding PTC heating modules 10 according to the temperature control signal; the heating temperature sensor 11 is connected to the corresponding PTC heating module 10, and feeds back the temperature signal of the PTC heating module 10 collected to the main controller 5. The heating temperature sensor 11 and the PTC heating module 10 form a closed-loop system, which can achieve precise temperature control. The constant temperature property of the PTC heating module 10 can ensure that the heating temperature will not cause harm to the limb skin when it is lower than the threshold under any circumstances.

[0029] In specific implementation, in the main controller 5, after the analog voltage signal is converted into a digital signal, it first enters the actual value judgment function, compares with the preset maximum and minimum voltage values of pressure / temperature, and calculates the actual pressure / temperature value corresponding to the currently collected voltage by proportion, and returns the actual value as the target value to the main function. The main function compares the target value with the actually collected value. When comparing the temperature, if the temperature t2 collected from the PTC heating module 10 is less than the actual temperature t1, the PTC heating module 10 is heated to make the temperature value of the PTC heating module stable within a fixed range. When comparing the pressure, the pressure corresponding to the analog voltage signal is calculated by proportion, that is, the number of turns of the motor rotation. The target number of turns n1 is compared with the actual number of turns n2. If n1 < n2, the motor is driven forward, otherwise it is driven backward. The device of the present invention is also provided with a power supply module 12. The power supply module 12 is installed on the prosthetic limb, and the power supply module 12 is respectively connected to the voltage dividing circuit 3, the analog-to-digital conversion chip 4, the main controller 5, the power driving circuit 9, the cascade chip logic control circuit 6 and the motor driving circuit 7.

[0030] Such as Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, the wearable housing is worn on the limbs, and a plurality of sliders 101 are arranged therein, each slider 101 is connected to a corresponding stepper motor 8, and the limbs are pressed under the drive of the stepper motor 8, and the PTC heating module 10 is arranged at the end of the corresponding slider 101 to contact the limbs. The wearable housing includes: a bottom plate shell 102 and an upper cover 110. The plurality of sliders 101 are arranged in the bottom plate shell 102, and the bottom plate shell 102 is provided with a plurality of motor mounting positions 103 and a plurality of slider outlets 104, and a slider fixing rod 105 is provided next to the slider outlet 104. Each stepper motor 8 is arranged in a corresponding motor installation position 103. The stepper motor is fixedly connected to the motor installation position 103 to ensure that the motor will not be displaced during operation. The output shaft of the stepper motor 8 is connected to the corresponding slider 101; the slider 101 is sleeved on the corresponding slider fixing rod 105, and slides up and down along the slider fixing rod 105 to press the limb surface under the drive of the stepper motor 8. Since the stepper motor 8 will generate a large shear stress during operation, and nylon, PLA and ABS materials cannot withstand the large shear stress, the slider fixing rod 105 uses a steel rod to limit the slider 101 to ensure that the slider can only move in the up and down direction. An installation groove 106 is provided on the end face of the slider 101 that contacts the limb surface, and the PTC heating module 10 and the heating temperature sensor 11 are arranged in the installation groove 106. Since the heating module will generate a higher temperature, the PTC heating module 10 and the slider 101 are fixed with high-temperature strong glue. In specific implementation, the slider 101 is provided with a connection groove 107, and the slider 101 is connected to the output shaft of the stepper motor 8 through the connection groove 107. Since the connection groove 107 is less affected by the PTC heating module 10, it can be fixed by hot melt adhesive. The slider 101 is provided with a through hole 108, and the slider 101 is sleeved on the slider fixing rod 105 through the through hole 108. The bottom plate shell 102 is provided with strap holes 109 on both sides, and the straps are connected to the strap holes 109, and the wearable shell is fixed to the limbs through the straps.

[0031] The main function of the wearable device for transmitting sensations of the present invention is to collect thermal and tactile information at the prosthesis and reproduce this information at the nearby intact skin, so that the disabled can obtain the feeling of the prosthesis. Based on the proprioceptive transfer phenomenon and the comparator model, when the human body makes an action, the brain will predict the sensory information input at the next moment; since the sensory information of this device does not change its form when it is reproduced, it still manifests as tactile and thermal sensations, and the feedback amount can be adjusted by the main controller to match the brain's prediction results, thereby prompting the individual to have an autonomous experience psychologically and form a stable self-cognitive illusion, thereby promoting the disabled to have a sense of ownership and autonomy over the prosthesis.

[0032] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the concept of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wearable device for transmitting sensation, characterized in that: include: Wearable housing, multiple thin film pressure sensors, multiple semiconductor temperature sensors and a voltage divider circuit arranged in the wearable housing, a digital-to-analog conversion chip, a main controller, a cascade chip logic control circuit, a motor drive circuit, multiple stepper motors, a power drive circuit, multiple PTC heating modules and multiple heating temperature sensors; The thin film pressure sensor and the semiconductor temperature sensor are arranged on the corresponding fingers of the prosthesis to collect the thermal and tactile sensations at the prosthesis and convert the thermal and tactile changes into resistance changes; The voltage divider circuit is connected to a plurality of thin film pressure sensors and a plurality of semiconductor temperature sensors to convert the resistance changes of the thin film pressure sensors and the semiconductor temperature sensors into analog voltage signals; The digital-to-analog conversion chip is connected to the voltage divider circuit and the main controller respectively, converting the analog voltage signal into a digital signal and sending it to the main controller; The main controller calculates the pressure change and temperature change according to the digital signal, and sends a pressure control signal to the cascade chip logic control circuit and a temperature control signal to the power drive circuit; The cascade chip logic control circuit converts the serial pressure control signal output by the main controller into a corresponding stepper motor control signal and outputs it to the motor drive circuit to control the corresponding stepper motor; The power driving circuit is connected to a plurality of PTC heating modules and controls the corresponding PTC heating modules according to the temperature control signal; The heating temperature sensor is connected to the corresponding PTC heating module and feeds back the collected temperature signal to the main controller; The wearable housing is worn on a limb, and is provided with a plurality of sliders therein, each slider being connected to a corresponding stepping motor, and the limb is pressed under the drive of the stepping motor, and the PTC heating module is arranged at the end of the corresponding slider and contacts the limb; A thin-film pressure sensor and a semiconductor temperature sensor are set on each finger of the prosthesis, and 5 stepper motors, 5 PTC heating modules and 5 heating temperature sensors are set in the wearable shell; A power module is also provided, which is installed on the prosthesis and is respectively connected to the voltage divider circuit, the digital-to-analog conversion chip, the main controller, the power drive circuit, the cascade chip logic control circuit and the motor drive circuit; The wearable shell includes: a bottom shell, an upper cover and multiple sliders. The bottom shell is provided with multiple motor mounting positions and multiple slider outlets. A slider fixing rod is provided next to the slider outlet. Each stepper motor is arranged in a corresponding motor mounting position. The output shaft of the stepper motor is connected to the corresponding slider. The slider is sleeved on the corresponding slider fixing rod. Driven by the stepper motor, the slider slides up and down along the slider fixing rod to press the limb surface. An installation groove is provided on the end face where the slider contacts the limb surface, and the PTC heating module is arranged in the installation groove.

2. The wearable device for transmitting sensation according to claim 1, characterized in that: The slider is provided with a connecting groove, and the slider is connected to the output shaft of the stepping motor through the connecting groove.

3. The wearable device for transmitting sensation according to claim 1, characterized in that: The slider is provided with a through hole, and the slider is sleeved on the slider fixing rod through the through hole.

4. The wearable device for transmitting sensation according to claim 1, characterized in that: The two sides of the bottom plate shell are provided with strap holes, and the straps are connected to the strap holes, and the wearable shell is fixed on the limbs through the straps.

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