Tactile sensor and robot

Abstract

The present invention provides a tactile sensor and a robot, which relate to the field of sensor technology and include: a base, a photoelectric conversion module, an image module, a battery module and a light-transmitting composite layer; the light-transmitting composite layer is connected to the base and encloses a fully flexible accommodating chamber, the photoelectric conversion module and the image module are arranged in the accommodating chamber, and the image module is used to collect deformation information of the light-transmitting composite layer under external force. At the same time, the photoelectric conversion module, the light-transmitting composite layer and the battery module can also convert ambient light passing through the light-transmitting composite layer into electrical energy, convert light energy generated by deformation and luminescence generated by contacting objects into electrical energy, and convert electric charges generated by friction of contacting objects into electrical energy to realize self-powering of the tactile sensor, thereby achieving low power consumption or even zero power consumption of the tactile sensor.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of sensor technology, and in particular to a tactile sensor and a robot. Background Art

[0002] With the popularization of robots, sensors, as the eyes of robots when they move, have also been widely used. Tactile sensors, as sensors that obtain information through contact, can perceive the material, texture, and shape of touched objects (that is, the three-dimensional information of the object). As a supplement to visual sensors, they further assist machine vision in realizing the perception of objects and the surrounding environment.

[0003] Currently, in addition to the lack of ability to obtain information, this type of sensor mainly uses an external power supply for power supply. This form limits the operation of the tactile sensor to the external power supply. At the same time, the exposure of the external power supply is not conducive to the stability of the tactile sensor's operation. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a tactile sensor and a robot to address the deficiencies in the prior art, thereby improving the existing tactile sensor's insufficient ability to acquire information and the problem of limited operation and reduced stability due to the use of an external power supply.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solutions adopted in the embodiments of the present invention are as follows:

[0006] One aspect of an embodiment of the present invention provides a tactile sensor comprising: a base, a photoelectric conversion module, an image module, a battery module, and a light-transmitting composite layer; the photoelectric conversion module is electrically connected to the image module and the battery module; the light-transmitting composite layer is connected to the battery module; the light-transmitting composite layer is connected to the base and encloses a fully flexible housing chamber, the photoelectric conversion module and the image module are disposed within the housing chamber, the light-transmitting composite layer is configured to contact a touch object to generate deformation and friction, and the image module is configured to collect deformation information of the light-transmitting composite layer; the photoelectric conversion module is configured to convert ambient light transmitted through the light-transmitting composite layer into electrical energy and store it in the battery module; the light-transmitting composite layer is further configured to convert frictional energy generated by friction into electrical energy and store it in the battery module. This allows the tactile sensor to be self-powered by converting ambient light transmitted through the light-transmitting composite layer into electrical energy and converting frictional charges from a touch object into electrical energy.

[0007] Optionally, the photoelectric conversion module is further configured to receive light energy generated by the frictional deformation of the light-transmitting composite layer and convert it into electrical energy for storage in the battery module. In addition to achieving both the conversion of ambient light energy and triboelectric charge into electrical energy for storage, self-powering can also be achieved by converting light energy generated by the frictional deformation of the light-transmitting composite layer into electrical energy for storage.

[0008] Optionally, the light-transmitting composite layer includes a deformable composite layer formed of a friction material and a first luminescent material, and microstructures formed of multiple different second luminescent materials; the microstructures are located in the deformable composite layer; the microstructures are configured to deform upon contact with a touch object and emit light through the second luminescent material; and the image module is further configured to collect brightness and color information generated by the light-transmitting composite layer after deformation upon contact with the touch object. The deformable composite layer generates electrical charge due to friction when in contact with an object, which is used to store electrical energy. It also generates electrical energy through triboluminescence, which is used to store electrical energy, and the deformable composite layer is light-transmitting. The microstructures on the deformable composite layer have high sensitivity, meaning they are more susceptible to physical deformation and, consequently, emit light more easily or brighter. The microstructures are fabricated using micro-nanotechnology, so they inherently have high resolution. The deformable composite layer, formed of different luminescent materials and attached to the microstructures, also has high resolution, meaning it can simultaneously emit light and emit information in different color ratios corresponding to different deformation intensities, providing rich color information. This facilitates the tactile sensor to acquire 3D information by adding brightness and color information to achieve 5D information acquisition.

[0009] Optionally, the microstructure includes a front microstructure arranged on the outer side of the deformation composite layer and a back microstructure arranged on the inner side of the deformation composite layer, and the front microstructure and the back microstructure are positioned correspondingly.

[0010] Optionally, the front microstructure includes a plurality of first microprotrusions arrayed on the outer side of the deformable composite layer, and the back microstructure includes a plurality of second microprotrusions arrayed on the inner side of the deformable composite layer, and the positions of the plurality of first microprotrusions and the plurality of second microprotrusions correspond one to one.

[0011] Optionally, the base includes a substrate and side panels, the side panels are arranged around the edge of the substrate, the light-transmitting composite layer is connected to the side panels, and the image module is electrically connected to the substrate.

[0012] Optionally, the photoelectric conversion module is a photoelectric conversion plate, the plate surface of the photoelectric conversion plate is arranged opposite to the light-transmitting composite layer, and is used to receive light energy passing through the light-transmitting composite layer. The photoelectric conversion plate is electrically connected to the battery module.

[0013] Optionally, the image module includes an image sensor and an optical lens. The image sensor is electrically connected to the battery module. The image sensor is located at the center of the substrate, and the optical lens is installed at the acquisition end of the image sensor.

[0014] Optionally, the battery module is arranged on the substrate, the photoelectric conversion plate is arranged on a side of the battery module close to the light-transmitting composite layer, and the battery module and the photoelectric conversion plate are both arranged around the image module.

[0015] Optionally, the light-transmitting composite layer further includes a photoluminescent layer formed of a photoluminescent material.

[0016] Another aspect of an embodiment of the present invention provides a robot, comprising a machine carrier, a control module, and any one of the above-mentioned tactile sensors, wherein the control module and the tactile sensor are respectively arranged on the machine carrier, and the control module and the tactile sensor are electrically connected.

[0017] The beneficial effects of the present invention include:

[0018] The present invention provides a tactile sensor and robot, comprising a base, a photoelectric conversion module, an image module, a battery module, and a light-transmitting composite layer. The light-transmitting composite layer is connected to the base and encloses a fully flexible housing chamber, thereby improving the adaptability of the tactile sensor. The photoelectric conversion module and the image module are disposed within the housing chamber. The image module can collect deformation information from the light-transmitting composite layer, thereby facilitating indirect acquisition of pressure, texture, and three-dimensional topography of a touched object by collecting deformation image information from the light-transmitting composite layer. In addition to having elastic properties, the light-transmitting composite layer can also have light-transmitting properties, that is, external ambient light is incident on the photoelectric conversion module through the light-transmitting composite layer, and then converted into electrical energy storage by the light-transmitting composite layer. At the same time, when the light-transmitting composite layer contacts and rubs against the touch object, it can also use friction to generate electrical energy and store the electrical energy. In this way, the tactile sensor can achieve self-powering in two ways: converting ambient light passing through the light-transmitting composite layer into electrical energy and converting frictional charges of the touch object into electrical energy. It can also effectively utilize clean energy light energy, reduce the energy consumption of the tactile sensor for external power supply, and achieve low power consumption or even zero power consumption of the tactile sensor. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments. It should be understood that the following drawings only illustrate certain embodiments of the present invention and therefore should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For ordinary technicians in this field, other relevant drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a tactile sensor provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 A second structural diagram of a tactile sensor provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 A third structural diagram of a tactile sensor provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 4 This is a fourth structural diagram of a tactile sensor provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Icon: 100-base; 110-substrate; 111-signal interface; 120-side panel; 210-light-transmitting composite layer; 220-microstructure; 310-image sensor; 320-optical lens; 410-photoelectric conversion board; 420-battery module. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention more clear, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Generally, the components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the drawings herein can be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0026] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the invention as claimed, but rather merely represents selected embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted that, unless there is a conflict, the various features of the embodiments of the present invention may be combined with each other, and the combined embodiments are still within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0027] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are only used to distinguish the description and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0028] In the description of the present invention, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "disposed," "installed," "connected," and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they may refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; they may refer to mechanical connections or electrical connections; they may refer to direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and they may refer to internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0029] Based on the bionic principle, the tactile sense of human skin can not only perceive the material, texture, and shape of the touched object, but also perceive the pressure, temperature, humidity and other information applied to the skin by the touched object during the touch process. At the same time, it can also serve as a supplement to visual blind spots, such as groping forward in the dark. Therefore, there is a great demand for machine tactile sensing applications in robotic applications. In real-world applications, it is particularly necessary to know the three-dimensional information and surface texture information of the touched object, which poses severe challenges to ultra-high resolution and ultra-high sensitivity. For example, machine touch recognition in visual blind spots (at night) or in turbid water can perceive the shape, texture and texture information of the object, which can assist machine vision in realizing the perception of objects and the surrounding environment.

[0030] Existing machine tactile sensors based on optical CMOS sensors are capable of low-cost, mass-produced applications. However, they suffer from several drawbacks: 1. They lack direct three-dimensional information about the touched object, unable to perceive its three-dimensional shape. While stereo reconstruction can be performed from the image backend, this leads to computational overhead and increased power consumption, hindering large-scale integrated applications. Furthermore, the sensor can only capture a limited number of dimensions, meaning its ability to acquire multidimensional information is limited, significantly limiting its ability to distinguish objects. 2. While these sensors rely on traditional visible light CMOS sensors to detect the texture of the touched object, while they can achieve high accuracy, they require the object to be reflective and have a textured structure, such as a smooth surface. This has limited effectiveness for objects lacking texture information and is susceptible to the effects of membrane surface tension. Instead of microstructures, the inner and outer surfaces of the membrane are simply speckled with light (marked with micro-nano fluorescent dots). While this approach improves point accuracy, it is theoretically limited and susceptible to interference from ambient light. 3. While multidirectional sensing can be achieved by integrating multiple optical sensors, this increases cost and complexity. ④ Regarding power consumption, tactile sensors that use visible light CMOS sensors as their primary sensing element require an active light source, such as the GelSight and omniTact sensors. This increases power consumption, making it difficult to achieve low or zero power consumption or self-powering.

[0031] Based on this, one aspect of the embodiment of the present invention provides a tactile sensor, such as Figure 1 As shown, the device comprises: a base 100, a photoelectric conversion module, an image module, a battery module 420, and a light-transmitting composite layer 210. The light-transmitting composite layer 210 is disposed on a side surface of the base 100. When the light-transmitting composite layer 210 is connected to the base 100, the edge of the light-transmitting composite layer 210 is connected to the edge of the base 100, thereby enclosing a fully flexible accommodation chamber between the two. The photoelectric conversion module and the image module are disposed in the accommodation chamber, effectively utilizing the base 100 as a support. The light-transmitting composite layer 210 serves as a protective layer to provide good protection for the photoelectric conversion module and the image module. A fully flexible accommodation chamber means that the light-transmitting composite layer 210 has no rigid support frame and can deform significantly upon contact with an object. Therefore, the contact surface between the light-transmitting composite layer 210 and the contact object is larger, and the corresponding information that can be obtained is more comprehensive, which is particularly beneficial for identifying the contact object. At the same time, the deformation range is relatively large, which effectively improves the adaptability of the tactile sensor of the present application.

[0032] The image module is arranged on the base 100. When working, it can collect deformation information of the transparent composite layer 210 when it is subjected to external force. That is, the transparent composite layer 210 is made of elastic material. When it touches an external touch object, it can deform the transparent composite layer 210 at the contact position through contact force. The deformation of the contact surface is used to fully reflect the three-dimensional morphology, touch pressure, surface texture, contact direction and other information of the touch object, thereby facilitating the image module to indirectly obtain the pressure, texture, three-dimensional morphology, etc. of the touch object by collecting the deformation image information of the transparent composite layer 210.

[0033] In addition to its elastic properties, the light-transmitting composite layer 210 also possesses light-transmitting properties, meaning that ambient light can pass through the light-transmitting composite layer 210 and enter the photoelectric conversion module. The photoelectric conversion module disposed on the base 100 absorbs the light energy transmitted through the light-transmitting composite layer 210 and converts it into electrical energy, which is then transmitted to the battery module 420 for storage. This is a form of electrical energy storage achieved by the tactile sensor using ambient or natural light. This form of electrical energy storage can store electrical energy both when the tactile sensor is deformed and when it is not, ensuring the tactile sensor's ability to continuously store electrical energy.

[0034] In addition, when the light-transmitting composite layer 210 rubs against a touch object, it can also generate electrical energy through frictional electrification and transmit the electrical energy to the battery module 420 for storage. In this way, the tactile sensor can also make full use of the friction energy generated when contacting a touch object to convert it into electrical energy as another form of electrical energy storage, effectively improving the electrical energy storage capacity of the tactile sensor.

[0035] Optionally, the light-transmitting composite layer 210 can also be formed of a luminescent material. In this way, when the light-transmitting composite layer 210 contacts the touch object and undergoes friction deformation, it will emit light accordingly. At this time, the photoelectric conversion module can receive the light energy emitted by the light-transmitting composite layer 210 and convert it into electrical energy for storage, thereby serving as another form of electrical energy storage for the tactile sensor, further improving the electrical energy storage capacity of the tactile sensor.

[0036] After the photoelectric conversion module and the light-transmitting composite layer 210 are respectively connected to the battery module 420, the battery module 420 can be used to store electrical energy through the aforementioned energy storage methods. After the battery module 420 is connected to the image module, the battery module 420 can power the image module, thereby ensuring continuous operation of the image module and ultimately achieving self-powering of the tactile sensor. In addition, because the tactile sensor of the present application can convert the light energy emitted by the light-transmitting composite layer 210 through the internal photoelectric conversion module to power the image module, it can effectively utilize clean energy light energy, reduce the energy consumption of the tactile sensor for the external power supply, and achieve low or even zero power consumption of the tactile sensor.

[0037] When the light-transmitting composite layer 210 has the characteristic of tribo-deformation luminescence, different color ratios can be made according to different luminescent materials when it is tribo-deformed. At the same time, combined with the mechanoluminescent characteristic, that is, the light intensity is strongest at the maximum deformation position, and the light intensity decreases in a circular shape away from the position. In this way, when the light-transmitting composite layer 210 contacts the touch object, the image module can directly obtain the deformation intensity information (corresponding to the pressure) by obtaining the brightness information and the chromaticity information through the image information. For example, the RGB color ratio information under different deformation intensities can be obtained. At the same time, the tactile sensor can also obtain five-dimensional information on the basis of three-dimensional information. In this way, more information can be obtained, which is not only more conducive to the resolution of the touch object, but also can effectively reduce the processing load of the back-end classification algorithm and data processing, thereby saving energy consumption.

[0038] Therefore, when the tactile sensor contacts the touch object, direct information expression and direct energy expression (storage of electrical energy) can be achieved.

[0039] The image module can capture image information of the light-transmitting composite layer 210 continuously or intermittently. Its operating mechanism can be uninterrupted without sleep mode or activated only when the light-transmitting composite layer 210 deforms, which is not limited in this application. Furthermore, when capturing image information of the light-transmitting composite layer 210, the image module should ensure that the entire inner surface of the light-transmitting composite layer 210 is covered. In this embodiment, the image module can be an image module that provides depth information, such as a TOF, 3D structured light, or the like.

[0040] Optional, such as Figure 2As shown, the light-transmitting composite layer 210 includes a deformable composite layer and a microstructure 220. The microstructure 220 is disposed on the deformable composite layer, and the two are integrally arranged and highly integrated. The deformable composite layer can be formed by mixing and filling a friction material and a first luminescent material, so that the deformable composite layer can have the aforementioned properties of light transmission, triboelectric charging, and mechanoluminescence, thereby satisfying the aforementioned three forms of electrical energy storage. The microstructure 220 can be formed by mixing and filling different second luminescent materials, that is, different fillers are structured to fill the microstructure 220, so that when deformed, the microstructure 220 emits light with different color ratios through different second luminescent materials. In this way, in addition to having light intensity (brightness) information, it also has rich chromaticity information. Combined with the characteristics of the microstructure 220, when the light-transmitting composite layer 210 contacts a touch object, the microstructure 220 can be more easily physically deformed, allowing the different luminescent materials to emit light more easily or brighter, thereby improving the response sensitivity of the tactile sensor and also improving the resolution. The surface of the deformable composite layer can be manufactured into a microstructure 220 by a micro-nano process. The microstructure 220 refers to a tiny structure that can be observed only with the aid of an optical microscope or an electron microscope.

[0041] Integrating the microstructure 220 with the deformable composite layer to form an integrated configuration, thereby forming the light-transmitting composite layer 210, can effectively improve the integration of the tactile sensor and facilitate subsequent packaging. When the tactile sensor touches an object, the touch causes the microstructure 220 to deform. At this time, light energy is also generated at the corresponding deformation location. At this time, the photoelectric conversion module can also absorb the light energy generated by the microstructure 220 through different luminescent materials. For example, the light emitted at different deformation intensities has an RGB color ratio. This increases the amount of electrical energy converted from light energy per unit time, achieving efficient energy storage, thereby further ensuring the power requirements of the tactile sensor. Because the image sensor 310 can obtain five-dimensional information, with the help of software algorithms, it can realize the perception of various morphological information of the touched object with a relatively small amount of calculation. At the same time, because the light-transmitting composite layer 210 emits light at the touch location, when the image sensor 310 collects image information, it can also use the light emitted by the light-transmitting composite layer 210 to improve the anti-interference ability of information collection.

[0042] In addition, the light-transmitting composite layer 210 under strain conditions can also make use of the microstructure 220 set on the deformable composite layer, for example, the microstructure 220 is set on the front and back of the deformable composite layer to achieve ultra-high sensitivity and ultra-fine contact strain response, thereby realizing strain luminescence. The emitted light beam can be a combination of light with different color ratios, such as blue light or other light, depending on the luminescent material filled with the microstructure 220, such as phosphor or fluorescent powder. In this way, the morphology, texture and other information of the touch object contacted by the tactile sensor can be obtained with higher clarity and more details, which helps to improve the recognition accuracy of the tactile sensor, that is, the resolution of the touch object.

[0043] The microstructure 220 may be a micro-nanostructure, an ultra-microstructure, etc. When the size of the microstructure 220 is smaller, the sensitivity and resolution it can demonstrate are higher, and the details obtained are richer.

[0044] Optionally, since ordinary solar charging panels can only absorb and convert light energy within a specific wavelength range, when setting the light-transmitting composite layer 210, the high-efficiency absorption range of the internally arranged photoelectric conversion module, that is, the wavelength range of light energy that can be efficiently absorbed, can be matched with the wavelength range of light energy that can be generated by the light-transmitting composite layer 210 (deformation composite layer, microstructure 220), that is, the wavelength of light energy generated by the light-transmitting composite layer 210 is the same as the wavelength of light energy received by the photoelectric conversion module, thereby achieving that the light energy emitted by the light-transmitting composite layer 210 can be efficiently converted by the photoelectric conversion module, thereby improving the conversion efficiency, and realizing the conversion of more electrical energy under the same light energy production conditions, further ensuring the normal and stable operation of the tactile sensor.

[0045] In actual settings, the light-transmitting composite layer 210 can change the wavelength range of the light energy it emits by changing the material, so that the light-transmitting composite layer 210 and the photoelectric conversion module can match each other, complete the efficient conversion of light energy to electrical energy, and improve the utilization rate of light energy by the photoelectric conversion module, thereby maximizing quantum efficiency and photoelectric conversion, and obtaining stronger charging power.

[0046] The microstructure 220 can be a micro-nano microstructure, thereby achieving ultra-high sensitivity, ultra-high energy conversion efficiency, and ultra-high resolution. This is because the surface tension of the light-transmitting composite layer 210 affects the contact of the micro-nano microstructure 220, which emits light proportional to the contact strain intensity. The light intensity emitted near the contact point is obviously very weak, which makes the image processing algorithm simpler and saves hardware computing power and power consumption.

[0047] Optionally, in order to further improve the efficiency of converting light energy into electrical energy, the microstructure 220 can include a front microstructure disposed on the outer side of the deformable composite layer and a back microstructure disposed on the inner side of the deformable composite layer. When disposed, the front microstructure and the back microstructure can be positioned in correspondence with each other. In this way, when the tactile sensor touches an object, both the front microstructure and the back microstructure can undergo a certain deformation at the contact position, so that the back microstructure can accurately reflect the changes in the front microstructure under the influence of the touching object, allowing the image module to accurately reflect the pressure, surface texture, and other information of the touching object by collecting image information of the back microstructure 220. At the same time, the light energy that can be generated by the light-transmitting composite layer 210 after being subjected to force can be further increased, facilitating the photoelectric conversion module to convert more electrical energy.

[0048] Optionally, the front microstructure and the back microstructure can be formed by multiple tiny protrusions. For example, the front microstructure includes a plurality of first microprotrusions arranged in an array on the outer side of the deformable composite layer, and the back microstructure includes a plurality of second microprotrusions arranged in an array on the inner side of the deformable composite layer. The positions of the plurality of first microprotrusions and the plurality of second microprotrusions correspond one to one, that is, each first microprotrusion arranged on the outer side of the deformable composite layer can form a one-to-one mapping positional relationship with each second microprotrusion arranged on the inner side of the deformable composite layer. In this way, when the outer side touches an object and the first microprotrusion located at the touch position or contact position is deformed, the second microprotrusion at the corresponding deformation position will also be deformed accordingly, and the deformation amount of the first microprotrusion corresponds to the deformation amount of the corresponding second microprotrusion, so that the brightness and chromaticity change positions at the contact position on the inner and outer sides correspond, thereby accurately reflecting the contact information of the touching object. Among them, each micro-convex (first micro-convex, second micro-convex) can be composed of different second luminescent materials. For example, each first micro-convex and / or second micro-convex is composed of three RGB luminescent fillers. Therefore, in the information collection of the image module, RGB color matching information can be obtained based on the brightness information under different deformation intensities.

[0049] The first micro-protrusions can be in various forms, such as columnar protrusions, triangular protrusions, truncated cone protrusions, and rugby-shaped protrusions. This application does not impose any restrictions on these forms, as long as they can emit stronger light under the action of strain. The second micro-protrusions are similar and will not be described in detail here. The light-transmitting composite layer 210 disposed on the base 100 can be formed in various forms, such as a hemisphere, a semi-ellipsoid, a semi-prism, and the like.

[0050] The material used for the light-transmitting composite layer 210 in the above embodiment can be ZnS:Cu@PDMS, or other combinations of ZnS:Ag@PDMS, or strained luminescent materials to which other ternary compounds (sulfide-based inorganic compounds CaZnOS:Mn activated by divalent transition metal manganese ions as a matrix) and rare earth elements are added.

[0051] Optional, such as Figure 3 As shown, the base 100 includes a base plate 110 and a side plate 120, that is, the side plate 120 is provided around the edge of the base plate 110, thus forming a groove structure formed by the combination of the base plate 110 and the side plate 120. In this way, after the light-transmitting composite layer 210 is connected to the side plate 120, the base plate 110, the side plate 120 and the light-transmitting composite layer 210 enclose an internal hollow accommodating chamber, and the accommodating chamber is a fully flexible accommodating chamber. The photoelectric conversion module and the image module are arranged on the base plate 110, wherein the image module is electrically connected to the pins of the base plate 110. The photoelectric conversion module can be connected to the image module through the battery module 420, or the photoelectric conversion module can be electrically connected to the image module through the battery module 420 and the base plate 110. In addition, a wireless communication module, a signal interface 111, etc. electrically connected to the image module can also be provided on the base plate 110. In order to facilitate the establishment of an information transmission channel between the tactile sensor and the control module, the channel can be connected wirelessly or wired. Among them, the wireless communication module can be a WIFI module, Bluetooth module, infrared module, RFID module, etc. set on the base, so as to exchange information and transmit instructions with the control module or terminal on the carrier of the tactile sensor. It can separate the control module from the carrier, making it easier to miniaturize and simplify the carrier. At the same time, a separate external control module also helps to improve data processing capabilities. Figure 4 As shown, in order to reduce the interference of the surrounding environment on the transmission of data from the tactile sensor to the control module, a signal interface 111 can also be provided on the substrate 110. For example, the substrate 110 is a PCB board or a flexible PCB board, and the image module, photoelectric conversion module, etc. are integrated on the PCB board, and command, data, and power supply circuit channels are established between each other as required.

[0052] Optional, such as Figure 3 As shown, the photoelectric conversion module can be a photoelectric conversion panel 410. The panel surface of the photoelectric conversion panel 410 is arranged opposite to the light-transmitting composite layer 210, that is, the two are arranged face to face with no obstructions between them, thereby ensuring the stability of receiving the light energy generated by the light-transmitting composite layer 210. At the same time, the photoelectric conversion panel 410 is electrically connected to the battery module 420, so that the photoelectric conversion panel 410 converts light energy into electrical energy and stores it in the battery module 420. The battery module 420 is electrically connected to the image module to power its operation. In addition, a power chip management module can be provided to regulate the input and output voltage and current of the battery module 420 to ensure the stability of the electrical energy input and output. The photoelectric conversion panel 410 can be a solar charging panel, and the battery module 420 can be a soft-pack battery, a lithium battery, a supercapacitor, or other types of rechargeable batteries.

[0053] At the same time, a power supply interface can also be provided on the substrate 110. That is, when the battery module 420 has a lot of power, the excess energy can be supplied to external electrical equipment. Except for the image sensor 310, the entire tactile sensor has no energy consumption requirements and is highly integrated.

[0054] Optional, such as Figure 3 As shown, in actual configuration, the image module can be placed at the center of substrate 110. This ensures that the image module can capture the entire inner surface of light-transmitting composite layer 210, thereby improving the comprehensiveness and accuracy of image data acquisition. Battery module 420 is arranged in an annular shape, i.e., it is arranged in an annular shape around the image module. At the same time, a photoelectric conversion plate 410 is disposed on the upper surface of battery module 420. Photoelectric conversion plate 410 can cover the upper surface of battery module 420, thereby effectively utilizing the internal space and improving the photoelectric conversion capability.

[0055] Optional, such as Figure 3 As shown, the image module may include an image sensor 310 and an optical lens 320. The image sensor 310 is electrically connected to the battery module 420. The image sensor 310 is located at the center of the substrate 110. It can be a CMOS image sensor 310, a CCD image sensor 310, or the like, as long as it can achieve image acquisition. The number can be one or a combination of multiple. The optical lens 320 is installed at the acquisition end of the image sensor 310, that is, the image can be accurately imaged on the image sensor 310 through the optical lens 320. The focal length is reasonably set according to the inner surface of the light-transmitting composite layer 210 so that the image module can capture the entire inner surface of the light-transmitting composite layer 210. It can be a macro-scale ultra-short-focus, large-field-of-view lens, or a micro-nano-scale ultra-short-focus, large-field-of-view lens manufactured using MEMS technology.

[0056] When manufacturing a tactile sensor, it can be integrated through an integrated packaging process. For example, the image sensor 310 can be mounted on the substrate 110 first; then the optical lens 320 can be installed on the image sensor 310. During installation, strict alignment and focal length adjustment are required; then a ring-shaped battery module 420 is set on the substrate 110 and around the image sensor 310; then the photoelectric conversion plate 410 is stacked on the battery module 420; then the side panel 120 is installed around the substrate 110 to protect the internal battery module 420 and image sensor 310; finally, the light-transmitting composite layer 210 is glued to the side panel 120.

[0057] Another aspect of an embodiment of the present invention provides a robot, comprising a machine carrier, a control module, and any one of the above-mentioned tactile sensors, wherein the control module and the tactile sensor are respectively arranged on the machine carrier, and the control module and the tactile sensor are electrically connected.

[0058] For example, the tactile sensor can be applied to the field of robotics by setting it on a machine carrier. At the same time, the control module and the tactile sensor on the machine carrier are electrically connected so that when the robot moves forward or moves, the tactile sensor can transmit the five-dimensional information of the object to be touched to the control module, so that the control module can integrate the information obtained by the tactile sensor and other sensors to control the subsequent actions of the robot. By obtaining the five-dimensional information of the tactile sensor, the robot's judgment accuracy is effectively improved, the accuracy of its movements is improved, and the foundation is laid for the application of robots in a wider environment.

[0059] The foregoing description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that various modifications and variations of the present invention are possible. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention are intended to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A tactile sensor, characterized in that: include: Base, photoelectric conversion module, image module, battery module and light-transmitting composite layer; The photoelectric conversion module is electrically connected to the image module and the battery module; The light-transmitting composite layer is connected to the battery module; The light-transmitting composite layer is connected to the base and encloses a fully flexible accommodation chamber, the photoelectric conversion module and the image module are arranged in the accommodation chamber, the light-transmitting composite layer is used to contact a touch object to generate deformation and friction, and the image module is used to collect deformation information of the light-transmitting composite layer; The photoelectric conversion module is used to convert the ambient light passing through the light-transmitting composite layer into electrical energy and store it in the battery module; The light-transmitting composite layer is also used to convert friction energy generated by friction into electrical energy and store it in the battery module; The photoelectric conversion module is also used to receive the light energy generated by the light-transmitting composite layer after friction deformation, and convert it into electrical energy and store it in the battery module; The light-transmitting composite layer includes: a deformation composite layer formed by a friction material and a first luminescent material, and a microstructure formed by multiple different second luminescent materials; the microstructure is located in the deformation composite layer; the microstructure is used to contact a touch object to generate deformation and emit light through the second luminescent material; the image module is also used to collect brightness information and color information generated by the light-transmitting composite layer after it is deformed by contacting a touch object.

2. The tactile sensor according to claim 1, wherein The microstructure includes a front microstructure arranged on the outer side of the deformation composite layer and a back microstructure arranged on the inner side of the deformation composite layer, and the front microstructure and the back microstructure are positioned correspondingly.

3. The tactile sensor according to claim 2, wherein The front microstructure includes a plurality of first microprotrusions arrayed on the outer side of the deformation composite layer, and the back microstructure includes a plurality of second microprotrusions arrayed on the inner side of the deformation composite layer, and the positions of the plurality of first microprotrusions and the plurality of second microprotrusions correspond one to one.

4. The tactile sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The base includes a substrate and side plates, the side plates are arranged around the edge of the substrate, the light-transmitting composite layer is connected to the side plates, and the image module is electrically connected to the substrate.

5. The tactile sensor according to claim 4, wherein The photoelectric conversion module is a photoelectric conversion plate, the plate surface of which is arranged opposite to the light-transmitting composite layer for receiving light energy passing through the light-transmitting composite layer. The photoelectric conversion plate is electrically connected to the battery module.

6. The tactile sensor according to claim 5, wherein The image module includes an image sensor and an optical lens. The image sensor is electrically connected to the battery module. The image sensor is located at the center of the substrate. The optical lens is installed at the acquisition end of the image sensor.

7. The tactile sensor according to claim 5, wherein The battery module is arranged on the substrate, the photoelectric conversion plate is arranged on a side of the battery module close to the light-transmitting composite layer, and the battery module and the photoelectric conversion plate are both arranged around the image module.

8. A robot, characterized in that: The device comprises a machine carrier, a control module, and the tactile sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the control module and the tactile sensor are respectively arranged on the machine carrier, and the control module and the tactile sensor are electrically connected.

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