A force feedback device and robot

Abstract

The application provides a force feedback device and a robot, wherein the device comprises an end body, at least one contact piece, at least one pressure-sensitive resistor and a force feedback circuit; the end body is arranged at the end of a machine executing component; the contact surface of the at least one contact piece is used for receiving external force; the end body is provided with a groove, the contact piece is fixed on the side surface of the groove, the pressure-sensitive resistor is fixed on the opposite surface of the contact surface of the contact piece and is connected with the force feedback circuit, the pressure-sensitive resistor is used for sensing the deformation of the contact surface of the contact piece due to the reception of external force, so that the resistance value changes; the force feedback circuit is used for generating a corresponding electric signal to a processor in response to the resistance value change of the pressure-sensitive resistor, so that the processor determines the force value of the contact piece based on the electric signal, and controls the machine executing component to execute a corresponding action based on the force value.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of electronic technology, and more particularly to a force feedback device and a robot. Background Technology

[0002] In multi-legged robot systems, elastic air chambers are typically placed at the ends of the robot's feet. The torque is measured by the pressure changes generated by the deformation of these air chambers to obtain the foot-feedback force. Alternatively, a six-dimensional force / torque sensor is used, installed between the robot's foot and ankle joints and / or between the robotic hand and wrist joints, to measure the forces acting on the end effector (robotic hand or foot) in interaction with the external environment. However, both of these methods result in significant errors in the force values ​​acquired. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application aims to provide a force feedback device and a robot that can improve the accuracy of force measurement at the end of a machine's actuator.

[0004] The technical solution of this application is implemented as follows:

[0005] This application provides a force feedback device, comprising: an end body disposed at the end of a machine actuator; at least one contact element whose contact surface is used to receive external force; at least one pressure-sensitive resistor, wherein the end body is provided with a groove, the contact element is fixed to the side surface of the groove, and the pressure-sensitive resistor is fixed to the opposite surface of the contact surface of the contact element; the pressure-sensitive resistor is used to sense the deformation of the contact surface of the contact element caused by receiving external force, thereby causing a change in resistance; and a force feedback circuit electrically connected to the pressure-sensitive resistor, used to generate a corresponding electrical signal to a processor in response to the change in resistance of the pressure-sensitive resistor, so that the processor can determine the force value of the contact element based on the electrical signal, thereby controlling the machine actuator to perform corresponding actions based on the force value.

[0006] Thus, because the pressure-sensitive resistor is directly fixed to the opposite surface of the contact surface of the contact element, when the contact element comes into contact with the contact object, the pressure-sensitive resistor can more sensitively change its resistance with the deformation of the contact element, thereby improving the force measurement accuracy at the end of the machine's actuator. The processor can determine the hardness and material of the contact object based on the force measurement results at the end of the machine's actuator, thereby improving the machine's autonomous adaptability to the environment.

[0007] This application also provides a force feedback device, comprising: an end body disposed at the end of a machine actuator; at least one contact element whose contact surface is used to receive external force; at least one pressure-sensitive resistor disposed on the opposite side of the contact surface of the contact element and fixed to the outer surface of the end body; the pressure-sensitive resistor for sensing the external force received by the contact surface of the contact element and causing a change in resistance; and a force feedback circuit electrically connected to the pressure-sensitive resistor for responding to the change in resistance of the pressure-sensitive resistor and generating a corresponding electrical signal to a processor, so that the processor determines the force value of the contact element based on the electrical signal, thereby controlling the machine actuator to perform corresponding actions based on the force value.

[0008] This application provides a robot that includes the force feedback device as provided in this application. Attached Figure Description

[0009] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a force feedback device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0010] Figure 2 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of a force feedback device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0011] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the connection structure between a force feedback device and a processor provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0012] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a bridge structure provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0013] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a force feedback device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0014] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a force feedback device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0015] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of another force feedback device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0016] Figure 8 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of another force feedback device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a force feedback device provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of a force feedback device provided in an embodiment of this application, as shown below. Figure 1 and 2As shown, the force feedback device provided in this application includes an end body 1, at least one contact 12, at least one pressure-sensitive resistor 15, and a force feedback circuit 16; wherein,

[0019] End body 1 is disposed at the end of the machine execution component 2, and end body 1 is provided with a groove 11;

[0020] At least one contact 12, the contact surface of which is used to receive external force, is fixed to the side surface of the groove 11;

[0021] At least one pressure-sensitive resistor 15 is fixed on the opposite side of the contact surface of the contact member 12;

[0022] The pressure-sensitive resistor 15 is used to sense the deformation of the contact surface of the contact element 12 due to the external force, thereby causing a change in resistance.

[0023] Force feedback circuit 16 is electrically connected to pressure-sensitive resistor 15 and is used to generate a corresponding electrical signal to the processor in response to the change in resistance of pressure-sensitive resistor 15. The processor determines the force value of contact 12 based on the electrical signal, and then controls the machine execution component 2 to perform corresponding actions based on the force value.

[0024] Understandably, when the contact surface of the contact member 12 is subjected to an external force, the contact member 12 will deform. As the contact member 12 deforms, the resistance of the pressure-sensitive resistor 15 will change, thereby causing the force feedback circuit 16 to output a corresponding electrical signal. After receiving the electrical signal output by the force feedback circuit 16, the processor can determine the force value of the contact surface of the contact member 12, i.e. the magnitude of the external force, based on the aforementioned electrical signal. Then, the processor can issue corresponding instructions based on the force value to control the machine execution component 2 to perform the corresponding action.

[0025] It should be noted that at least one end body 1 can be fixed to the execution end of each machine execution component 2. Each end body 1 can have one or more grooves 11. When there are multiple grooves 11, they can be evenly distributed, non-uniformly distributed, or symmetrically distributed on the end body 1. At least one contact element 12 can be fixed to the side surface of each groove 11. The shape of each contact element 12 can be the same as or different from the corresponding groove 11. In practical applications, during the execution of corresponding actions by the machine execution component 2 according to the instructions issued by the processor, if there is an obstacle within the action range of the machine execution component 2, the contact element 12 fixed to the end body 1 of the machine execution component 2 may come into contact with the obstacle as the aforementioned action is executed. At this time, the contact surface of the contact element 12 will receive the external force generated by the contact element 12 contacting the obstacle and will deform, thereby causing a change in the resistance value of the pressure-sensitive resistor 15.

[0026] In the embodiments of this application, for example, such as Figure 1 and 2 As shown, each contact 12 can be in the form of a sheet, and each contact 12 is fixed to the side surface of the groove 11, such that the contact surface of the contact 12 faces the outside of the end body 1, and the opposite surface of the contact surface of the contact 12 faces the inside of the end body 1.

[0027] In this embodiment, the pressure-sensitive resistor 15 can be adhered to the opposite surface of the contact surface of the contact member 12 using an adhesive to fix the pressure-sensitive resistor 15 to the opposite surface of the contact surface of the contact member 12. The pressure-sensitive resistor 15 can be electrically connected to the force feedback circuit 16 via a wire. The force feedback circuit 16 can consist of an amplifier circuit and a resistor electrically connected to the amplifier circuit, and is integrated on a circuit board. The pressure-sensitive resistor 15 is electrically connected to the resistor via a wire to form an electrical signal loop. Here, the electrical signal can be current or voltage. In practical applications, when the resistance of the pressure-sensitive resistor 15 changes, the total resistance of the force feedback circuit 16 will change simultaneously, thereby altering the electrical signal output by the force feedback circuit 16.

[0028] It should be noted that the force feedback circuit 16 can communicate with the processor via a wireless network or a signal line. When the force feedback circuit 16 communicates with the processor via a wireless network, the output terminal of the force feedback circuit 16 and the receiving terminal of the processor can be electrically connected to the wireless communication module. In practical applications, as the resistance value of the pressure-sensitive resistor 15 changes, the force feedback circuit 16 can interact with the processor via the wireless communication module. When the force feedback circuit 16 is connected to the processor via a signal line, if the force feedback circuit 16 is located outside the end body 1, the signal line can pass through the groove 11 and be uniformly collected inside the end body 1 to the connection point between the machine execution component 2 and the end body 1, and then connected to the processor; if the force feedback circuit 16 is fixed inside the end body 1, the signal lines inside the end body 1 are uniformly collected to the connection point between the machine execution component 2 and the end body 1, and then connected to the processor. Here, the processor can be an integrated circuit (IC) signal processor. After the force feedback circuit 16 outputs an electrical signal, it can perform preprocessing on the electrical signal, such as analog-to-digital conversion, signal filtering, and preliminary digital signal processing. After converting the electrical signal into a corresponding digital signal, the digital signal is transmitted to the processor through the processor's I / O interface. The processor can then use a preset software system algorithm to identify the external force acting on the contact surface of each contact element in the digital signal. If the end is spherical, the processor can generate a normal force matrix for the spherical end based on the identification result, thereby determining the shape and hardness of the object that the contact surface of the end contact element may contact. The preprocessing of the electrical signal can be completed by an inertial measurement unit (IMU) processor.

[0029] In this embodiment of the application, for example, Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between a force feedback device and a processor provided in this application, as shown below. Figure 3 As shown, the pressure-sensitive resistor 15 and the force feedback circuit 16 form a bridge circuit and establish communication with the processor through the motherboard. The force feedback circuit 16, the motherboard, and the processor are electrically connected through signal lines. The motherboard can be a small board or a large board, and a power supply can be set on the motherboard to supply power to the force feedback circuit 16. The motherboard and the processor can be connected through an adapter port. That is, the output of the motherboard is electrically connected to the conversion port through an adapter cable, and the conversion port interacts with the processor through signal lines or a wireless communication module.

[0030] In this embodiment, the processor can be located inside or outside the machine. In practical applications, the output terminal of the force feedback circuit 16 and the input terminal of the processor can be electrically connected to a signal processor. When the output terminal of the force feedback circuit 16 is electrically connected to the motherboard, the signal processor is electrically connected between the motherboard and the processor. The signal processor processes the electrical signal output by the force feedback circuit 16 to obtain the signal to be analyzed and sends it to the processor. Signal processing refers to processing the electrical signal using digital signal processing methods, such as analog-to-digital conversion and signal filtering. After receiving the signal to be analyzed, the processor analyzes the signal to generate a force matrix of the contact surface of the contact member 12. Then, combined with visual recognition, it identifies the object that applies external force to the contact surface of the contact member 12, i.e., the contact object, and obtains the identification result. The identification result includes at least one of the following: material, hardness, and shape. Finally, the processor can optimize the machine's movement based on the identification result. For example, when the machine is a quadruped robot, the processor can identify the objects that the quadruped robot comes into contact with during its movement in different terrains and obtain the identification results; then, based on the identification results, the processor can optimize the movement mode of the quadruped robot in the corresponding terrain. The processor can optimize the movement mode of the quadruped robot in the corresponding terrain by building a training model based on the identification results.

[0031] It is understood that, in this embodiment of the application, since the pressure-sensitive resistor 15 is directly fixed on the opposite side of the contact surface of the contact member 12, when the contact member 12 comes into contact with the contact object, the pressure-sensitive resistor 15 can more sensitively change its resistance value with the deformation of the contact member 12, thereby improving the force measurement accuracy of the end of the machine execution component 2.

[0032] In some embodiments of this application, the contact surface of the contact member 12 is higher than a portion of the outer surface of the end body 1, or the contact surface of the contact member 12 is flush with a portion of the outer surface of the end body 1.

[0033] It should be noted that the "partial" outer surface of the end body 1 refers to the portion of the outer surface where the end body 1 intersects with the side surface of the groove 11; wherein, the partial outer surface may be the intersection line generated by the intersection of the outer surface of the end body 1 and the side surface of the groove 11, or it may be an area with a size within a preset range.

[0034] It is understandable that when the contact surface of the contact member 12 is flush with a portion of the outer surface of the end body 1, the contact surface of the contact member 12 can contact objects with flat or partially protruding outer surfaces. When the contact surface of the contact member 12 is higher than a portion of the outer surface of the end body 1, it can also contact objects with partially recessed outer surfaces. If the contact surface of the contact member 12 is lower than a portion of the outer surface of the end body 1, when the contact member 12 contacts the contact object, the contact object may not be able to penetrate into the groove 11 to make contact with the contact member, or the contact object may come into contact with a portion of the outer surface of the end body 1, resulting in a reduction in the external force applied by the contact object to the contact member 12. Therefore, when the contact surface of the contact member 12 is flush with or higher than a portion of the outer surface of the end body 1, it not only expands the force measurement range of the end of the machine actuator 2, but also improves the accuracy of the force measurement of the end of the machine actuator 2.

[0035] In some embodiments of this application, when the contact surface of the contact member 12 is partially flush with the outer surface of the end body 1, there is a gap 13 between the side surface of the contact member 12 that intersects with the contact surface and the side surface of the adjacent groove 11. The gap 13 is used to support the edge of the contact surface to extend toward the side surface of the groove 11 when it is subjected to external force, so that the deformation of the contact member 12 is not hindered.

[0036] It should be noted that the aforementioned gap 13 can be elongated or curved; and the number of gaps 13 between the side surface of each contact 12 and the side surface of the adjacent groove 11 can be one or more; for example, such as Figure 1 As shown, there are two gaps 13 between the side surface of each contact 12 and the side surface of the adjacent groove 11, and the gaps 13 are arc-shaped and communicate with the space inside the groove 11.

[0037] In some embodiments of this application, if the contact 12 and the outer wall of the groove 11 are integrally connected, the groove 11 and the gap 13 can be obtained by grooving.

[0038] It is understandable that when the contact element 12 deforms due to the external force applied to its contact surface, the gap 13 can provide deformation space for the contact element 12; thereby reducing the influence of the side surface of the groove 11 on the extension of the side surface of the contact element 12, ensuring the deformation range of the contact element 12, reducing the influence on the degree of deformation of the contact element 12, thereby improving the accuracy of the change in resistance of the pressure-sensitive resistor 15, and improving the accuracy of the force measurement at the end of the machine actuator 2.

[0039] In some embodiments of this application, the end body 1 is spherical.

[0040] It should be noted that the end body 1 can also be a cube, an ellipsoid, etc.; and the end body 1 can be a solid structure or a hollow structure; wherein, if the end body 1 is a solid structure, there is space between the opposite surface of the contact surface of the contact member 12 and the inner bottom wall of the groove 11 for the contact member 12 to deform. Adaptively, the contact surface of the contact member 12 can be a curved surface or a plane; the embodiments of this application are not limited.

[0041] In some embodiments of this application, exemplarily, such as Figure 1 As shown, end body 1 is spherical, and the interior of end body 1 can be hollow. The groove 11 can be a through groove, so that the internal space of end body 1 is connected to the external space of end body 1. The contact surface of contact member 12 is curved, and the curvature of the curved surface is the same as that of the outer surface of end body 1. The opposite surface of the contact surface of contact member 12 can also be curved, and have the same curvature as the outer surface of end body 1.

[0042] It is understandable that when the end body 1 is spherical, the outer surface of the end body 1 is curved. At this time, the contact surface of the contact member 12 is more likely to make contact with the contact object, which improves the accuracy of the force feedback device in sensing the contact object. Moreover, with the spherical design, the external force received by the contact surface of the contact member 12 is always along the normal direction, so that the normal force component can be obtained, improving the measurement accuracy of the end of the machine execution component 2 in the direction of the contact object.

[0043] In some embodiments of this application, the force feedback circuit 16 and the pressure-sensitive resistor 15 are electrically connected to form a bridge circuit, and the pressure-sensitive resistor 15 is a strain gauge resistor.

[0044] It should be noted that the force feedback circuit 16 includes three resistors, all of which have fixed resistance values. The pressure-sensitive resistor 15 is electrically connected to the three resistors to form a rectangle, achieving electrical connection with the force feedback circuit 16 and forming a Wheatstone bridge. This bridge can measure the resistance value of the pressure-sensitive resistor 15. Additionally, a strain gauge is used. The strain gauge can be wire or foil, etc. In practical applications, since the resistance value of the strain gauge is related to its shape (e.g., the length when it's wire, the cross-sectional area when it's foil), when the contact element 12 is deformed by force, the shape of the strain gauge will change along with the contact element 12, resulting in a change in resistance.

[0045] In some embodiments of this application, exemplarily, Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a bridge structure provided in an embodiment of this application, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the bridge refers to a Wheatstone bridge. If the three resistors in the force feedback circuit 16 are R1, R2, and R3, and the strain gauge is R... x When. R1, R2, R3 and R x The electrical connections will form a quadrilateral ABCD; where R1, R2, R3, and R... x The four arms of the bridge are connected to a power source. One of the diagonal points A and C is grounded, and the other is electrically connected to the power supply. The diagonal points D and B are connected to the processor to send corresponding voltage signal values ​​to the processor. The voltage signal values ​​can be calculated using Equation 1-1, as shown below:

[0046]

[0047] Among them, V x The voltage signal V sent by the force feedback circuit 16 to the processor in response to changes in the resistance of the strain gauge is... cc The voltage value of the power supply for the force feedback circuit 16, ΔR x R is the change in strain resistance. x ε is the initial resistance of the strain gauge, k is the sensitivity coefficient of the strain gauge, and ε is the strain value of the strain gauge.

[0048] Understandably, the bridge circuit is more sensitive to changes in resistance. By electrically connecting the force feedback circuit 16 and the pressure-sensitive resistor 15 to form a bridge circuit, the sensitivity and accuracy of the force feedback circuit 16 to changes in the resistance of the pressure-sensitive resistor 15 can be improved, thereby improving the force measurement accuracy at the end of the machine's actuator 2.

[0049] In some embodiments of this application, Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a force feedback device provided in an embodiment of this application, as shown below. Figure 5As shown, the force feedback device provided in this application embodiment further includes at least one open contact panel 14. The material of the open contact panel 14 is a non-charged material. The opposite surface of the at least one open contact panel 14 and the contact surface of the contact member 12 forms a non-charged space, and the pressure-sensitive resistor 15 is located in the non-charged space.

[0050] It should be noted that at least one open-circuit panel 14 can be fixed to the opposite surface of the contact surface of each contact member 12. At least one open-circuit panel 14 can be fixed to the opposite surface of the contact surface of each contact member 12 by an adhesive. When multiple open-circuit panels 14 are fixed to the opposite surface of the contact surface of each contact member 12, the multiple open-circuit panels 14 can also be fixed to adjacent open-circuit panels 14 by an adhesive. The open-circuit panel 14 can be a cylindrical, arc-shaped, or plate-shaped structure with a hollow interior; and the aforementioned non-energized space can be a closed space, which is not limited in this embodiment.

[0051] It is understandable that the open-circuit panel 14 can protect the pressure-sensitive resistor 15 from deformation under the influence of external forces other than those received by the contact surface of the contact member 12. Furthermore, the non-charged space formed by the opposite surfaces of the open-circuit panel 14 and the contact member 12 reduces the free charge between the pressure-sensitive resistor 15 and the open-circuit panel 14, thereby protecting the resistance value of the pressure-sensitive resistor 15 from the influence of free charges and improving the force measurement accuracy at the end of the machine actuator 2.

[0052] In some embodiments of this application, Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a force feedback device provided in an embodiment of this application, as shown below. Figure 6 As shown, the force feedback device provided in this application embodiment also includes a protective sleeve 3, which is used to wrap the end body 1, and the material of the protective sleeve 3 is a flexible material.

[0053] It should be noted that the protective sleeve 3 is used to protect the end body 1. The protective sleeve 3 and the end body 1 can have the same shape; for example, if the end body 1 is spherical, then the protective sleeve 3 will also be spherical. Furthermore, by wrapping the protective sleeve 3 around the end body 1, the inner surface of the protective sleeve 3 can fit snugly against the outer surface of the end body 1, and the contact element 12 is enclosed within the protective sleeve 3. The flexible material used to make the protective sleeve 3 can be rubber.

[0054] Understandably, the protective sleeve 3 can prevent the end from being worn and can also prevent the contact surface of the contact member 12 from directly contacting the contact object, thereby reducing the probability of damage to the contact member 12 and the external force interference received by the pressure-sensitive resistor 15 other than the contact surface of the contact member 12, thereby improving the force measurement accuracy of the end of the machine actuator 2.

[0055] Figure 7 and Figure 8This is a schematic diagram of another force feedback device provided in an embodiment of this application, wherein, Figure 7 , Figure 8 Force feedback circuit not shown; such as Figure 7 , 8 As shown, the force feedback device provided in this application includes:

[0056] End body 1 is disposed at the end of the machine actuating component 2;

[0057] At least one contact element 12, the contact surface of which is used to receive external force;

[0058] At least one pressure-sensitive resistor 15 is disposed on the opposite side of the contact surface of the contact member 12 and fixed to the outer surface of the end body 1.

[0059] The pressure-sensitive resistor 15 is used to sense the change in resistance caused by the external force received by the contact surface of the contact member 12.

[0060] Force feedback circuit 16 is electrically connected to pressure-sensitive resistor 15 and is used to generate a corresponding electrical signal to the processor in response to the change in resistance of pressure-sensitive resistor 15. The processor determines the force value of contact 12 based on the electrical signal, and then controls the machine execution component 2 to perform corresponding actions based on the force value.

[0061] In the embodiments of this application, such as Figure 8 As shown, the pressure-sensitive resistor 15 is disposed on the opposite side of the contact surface of the contact member 12 and fixed to the outer surface of the end body 1, that is, the pressure-sensitive resistor 15 is disposed between the opposite side of the contact surface of the contact member 12 and the outer surface of the end body 1. In practical applications, when the contact surface of the contact member 12 is subjected to an external force, the contact member 12 will deform and extend towards the outer surface of the end body 1, applying pressure to the pressure-sensitive resistor 15. When the pressure-sensitive resistor 15 senses the pressure from the contact member 12, its resistance will change, thereby influencing the electrical signal output by the force feedback circuit 16. After receiving the electrical signal output by the force feedback circuit 16, the processor can determine the force value of the contact surface of the contact member 12, that is, the magnitude of the external force, based on the above electrical signal. Finally, the processor can issue corresponding instructions based on the force value to control the machine execution component 2 to perform corresponding actions.

[0062] It is understood that in this embodiment, the pressure-sensitive resistor 15 responds to the contact member 12 coming into contact with the contact object. When the contact member 12 comes into contact with the contact object, the contact member 12 deforms in the direction of the pressure-sensitive resistor 15 due to the external force on the contact surface of the contact member 12, thereby applying pressure to the pressure-sensitive resistor 15 and causing a change in resistance value. This changes the electrical signal output by the force feedback circuit 16, and the magnitude of the force is directly fed back to the processor through the electrical signal, thereby improving the force measurement accuracy at the end of the machine execution component 2. This achieves the purpose of improving the accuracy of the processor's measurement results of the force when the contact surface comes into contact with the contact object. Furthermore, the processor can also determine the hardness and material of the contact object based on the measurement results, thereby improving the machine's autonomous adaptability to the environment.

[0063] In this embodiment, the pressure-sensitive resistor 15 is a force-sensitive resistor.

[0064] It should be noted that a force-sensitive resistor can convert mechanical force into an electrical signal, meaning that the resistance of a force-sensitive resistor can change with the magnitude of the external force it receives.

[0065] Understandably, the resistance of the force-sensitive resistor can be changed by the pressure applied to the force-sensitive resistor due to the deformation of the contact 12. This can improve the accuracy of the electrical signal fed back to the processor by the force feedback device and increase the sensitivity of the force feedback device to the external force received by the contact object.

[0066] This application also provides a robot, which includes the force feedback device as provided in this application.

[0067] Understandably, the robot can accurately sense and measure the objects it comes into contact with on different terrains during its movement. Based on the measurement results, the hardness and material of the objects can also be determined, thereby improving the robot's autonomous adaptability to the environment.

[0068] It should be understood that phrases such as "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "some embodiments," "other embodiments," "for example," or "again," etc., used throughout the specification mean that a specific feature, structure, or characteristic related to an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of this application. Therefore, phrases such as "in one embodiment," "in some embodiments," "for example," or "again," etc., appearing throughout the specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, these specific features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. It should be understood that in the various embodiments of this application, the sequence numbers of the above-described processes do not imply a sequential order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application. The sequence numbers of the embodiments of this application are merely for descriptive purposes and do not represent the superiority or inferiority of the embodiments. The descriptions of the various embodiments above tend to emphasize the differences between the various embodiments; their similarities or commonalities can be referred to mutually, and for the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0069] In this article, the term "and / or" is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three kinds of relationships. For example, object A and / or object B can represent three situations: object A exists alone, object A and object B exist simultaneously, and object B exists alone.

[0070] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Unless otherwise specified, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element.

[0071] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed device can be implemented in other ways. The embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for example, multiple modules or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be omitted or not performed. Furthermore, the coupling, direct coupling, or communication connection between the shown or discussed components may be through some interface; the indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or modules may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0072] The features disclosed in the several product embodiments provided in this application can be arbitrarily combined without conflict to obtain new product embodiments.

[0073] The features disclosed in the several device embodiments provided in this application can be arbitrarily combined without conflict to obtain new device embodiments.

[0074] The above are merely embodiments of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A force feedback device, characterized in that, The device includes: A spherical end body is disposed at the end of a machine actuating component, and the end body is provided with a plurality of grooves; at least one contact element is fixed to the side surface of the grooves; The at least one contact has a contact surface for receiving external force; the contact surface of the contact is partially flush with the outer surface of the end body; the partial outer surface of the end body refers to the portion of the outer surface where the end body intersects with the side surface of the groove; wherein, the portion of the outer surface is the intersection line formed by the intersection of the outer surface of the end body and the side surface of the groove, or a region with a size within a preset range; at least one pressure-sensitive resistor is fixed on the opposite side of the contact surface of the contact. The at least one pressure-sensitive resistor is used to sense the deformation of the contact surface of the contact element caused by the external force, thereby causing a change in resistance. A force feedback circuit, electrically connected to the pressure-sensitive resistor, is used to generate a corresponding electrical signal to the processor in response to changes in the resistance of the pressure-sensitive resistor. The processor then determines the force value of the contact element based on the electrical signal, and controls the machine's actuator to perform corresponding actions based on the force value.

2. The force feedback device according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the contact surface of the contact member is partially flush with the outer surface of the end body, there is a gap between the side surface of the contact member that intersects with the contact surface and the side surface of the adjacent groove. The gap is used to support the edge of the contact surface to extend toward the side surface of the groove when it is subjected to external force, so that the deformation of the contact member is not hindered.

3. The force feedback device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The device further includes at least one open contact panel made of a non-charged material. The at least one open contact panel and the opposite surface of the contact surface of the contact member form a non-charged space, and the pressure-sensitive resistor is located within the non-charged space.

4. The force feedback device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The force feedback circuit and the pressure-sensitive resistor are electrically connected to form a bridge circuit.

5. The force feedback device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The device also includes a protective sleeve for wrapping the end body, and the protective sleeve is made of a flexible material.

6. The force feedback device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pressure-sensitive resistor is a strain gauge resistor.

7. A robot, characterized in that, The robot includes the force feedback device as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

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