Tactile sensor and bionic mechanical finger with same

Abstract

The invention provides a tactile sensor and a bionic mechanical finger with the tactile sensor, the tactile sensor comprises a shell, a shooting assembly, a lighting assembly and a touch layer, the shell is provided with a transparent part, and the touch layer is connected with the transparent part; the shooting assembly is arranged in the shell, and the shooting end faces the transparent part; an illumination space is formed in the shell, and the illumination assembly illuminates the illumination space and the touch layer; the touch layer sequentially comprises a transparent elastic layer, a pattern layer, a background layer and a wear-resistant layer in the direction from the shooting assembly to the transparent part; when the wear-resistant layer is in contact with an object, the specific pattern on the pattern layer deforms, so that the shooting assembly captures the change of the specific pattern and obtains touch information. Deformation of a specific pattern on the touch layer when the touch layer makes contact with an object is captured through the shooting assembly, and the change is analyzed through an advanced image processing algorithm, so that detailed touch information is generated, interactive feedback is provided for a user, and the touch detection capacity with high sensitivity and accuracy is ensured.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] In recent years, the application of robotics technology has developed rapidly in both industrial and civilian fields. The manipulator is the final actuator of the robot's work, and its performance directly determines the robot's working ability. Similar to humans, the development of a manipulator with high versatility and dexterity is very necessary. For the gripping operation system of the manipulator, tactile sensors are necessary components to generate effective feedback to maintain a stable grip during movement.

[0003] Existing tactile sensors have poor detection sensitivity and resolution, and are complex in structure and large in size. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of this, the present invention proposes a tactile sensor and a bionic mechanical finger having the same, and the specific scheme is as follows:

[0005] In the first part, the present invention proposes a tactile sensor, comprising: a shell, a shooting component, a lighting component and a touch layer, wherein a transparent portion is provided on the shell, and the touch layer is connected to a side of the transparent portion away from the shell; the shooting component is provided in the shell, and a shooting end of the shooting component faces the transparent portion; a lighting space is formed in the shell, the lighting component is provided in the shell, and the lighting component is used to illuminate the lighting space and the touch layer;

[0006] The touch layer includes a transparent elastic layer, a pattern layer, a background layer and a wear-resistant layer in sequence along the direction from the shooting component to the transparent part; the pattern layer includes one or more specific patterns, and the background layer and the wear-resistant layer are used for shading; the touch layer is used to deform one or more specific patterns on the pattern layer when the wear-resistant layer contacts an object, so that the shooting component captures the changes of the specific patterns on the pattern layer through the elastic layer and obtains touch information according to the changes.

[0007] In a specific embodiment, the shell includes an upper cover, a main body and a lower cover, one side of the main body is connected to the upper cover, and the other side of the main body is connected to the lower cover; the transparent part is connected to a side of the lower cover away from the main body; the shooting component and the lighting component are arranged on the main body; an opening is provided on the lower cover, so that the shooting end of the shooting component passes through the transparent part through the opening to shoot the touch layer, and the lighting component passes through the transparent part through the opening to illuminate the touch layer.

[0008] In a specific embodiment, the main body is provided with a groove matching the shooting component, and the shooting component is connected to the main body through the groove, and

[0009] The shooting assembly is arranged at the center point of the side surface where the main body and the upper cover are connected.

[0010] In a specific embodiment, the lighting assembly includes one or more lighting lamps, and the one or more lighting lamps are arranged on the side of the main body along the direction from the upper cover to the lower cover, and

[0011] One or more lighting lamps are arranged in an area of ​​the main body close to the lower cover; along the direction from the upper cover to the lower cover, the ratio of the length of the area to the length of the main body is less than or equal to one third.

[0012] In a specific embodiment, the specific pattern includes one or more of a dot pattern, a color block pattern, and a thermal pattern.

[0013] In a specific embodiment, the projection of the transparent portion on the touch layer is greater than or equal to the area formed by the specific pattern on the pattern layer.

[0014] In a specific embodiment, with the line from the center of the housing to the center of the transparent portion as the axis, the swing angle range of the shooting assembly includes 50°-150°;

[0015] The distance between the shooting end of the shooting component and the touch layer ranges from 5 mm to 30 mm.

[0016] In a specific embodiment, the length of the touch layer ranges from 25 mm to 40 mm; the width of the touch layer ranges from 10 mm to 30 mm.

[0017] In a specific embodiment, the elastic layer includes a silicone layer, and the thickness of the elastic layer ranges from 2 mm to 6 mm;

[0018] The thickness of the background layer ranges from 0.1 mm to 1.5 mm, and the thickness of the wear-resistant layer ranges from 0.1 mm to 1.5 mm.

[0019] In the second part, the present invention provides a bionic mechanical finger, including the tactile sensor mentioned in the above technical solution.

[0020] Beneficial effects:

[0021] The present invention provides a tactile sensor and a bionic mechanical finger having the same, which captures the deformation of a specific pattern on a touch layer when the touch layer contacts an object through a shooting component, and analyzes these changes through an advanced image processing algorithm to generate detailed touch information, thereby providing interactive feedback to the user, ensuring high-sensitivity and accuracy of touch detection capabilities, having a simple structure, and reducing processing difficulty and installation complexity. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 is an exploded view of the three-dimensional structure of a tactile sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a tactile sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3 is an exploded view of the tactile sensor housing structure of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the main structure of a tactile sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 5 It is a cross-sectional view of the three-dimensional structure of the tactile sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure numerals: 1-shell; 11-transparent part; 12-upper cover; 13-main body; 131-groove; 14-lower cover; 141-opening; 2-shooting component; 3-illumination component; 31-illumination lamp; 4-touch layer; 41-elastic layer; 42-pattern layer; 43-background layer; 44-wear-resistant layer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] In the following, various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described more fully. The present disclosure may have various embodiments, and adjustments and changes may be made therein. However, it should be understood that there is no intention to limit the various embodiments of the present disclosure to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but the present disclosure should be understood to cover all adjustments, equivalents and / or alternatives that fall within the spirit and scope of the various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0029] The terms used in the various embodiments disclosed in the present invention are only used for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the various embodiments disclosed in the present invention. As used herein, the singular form is intended to also include the plural form, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Unless otherwise specified, all terms used herein (including technical terms and scientific terms) have the same meaning as the meanings commonly understood by ordinary technicians in the field of the various embodiments disclosed in the present invention. The terms (such as the terms defined in the generally used dictionary) will be interpreted as having the same meaning as the contextual meaning in the relevant technical field and will not be interpreted as having an idealized meaning or an overly formal meaning, unless clearly defined in the various embodiments disclosed in the present invention.

[0030] Example 1

[0031] This embodiment provides a tactile sensor and a bionic mechanical finger having the same, which captures the deformation of a specific pattern on the touch layer when it contacts an object through a shooting component, and analyzes these changes through an advanced image processing algorithm to generate detailed touch information, thereby providing interactive feedback to the user, ensuring high sensitivity and accuracy of touch detection capabilities, with a simple structure, and reducing processing difficulty and installation complexity. The specific solution is as follows:

[0032] A tactile sensor comprises: a shell 1, a shooting component 2, a lighting component 3 and a touch layer 4, wherein a transparent portion 11 is provided on the shell 1, and the touch layer 4 is connected to a side of the transparent portion 11 away from the shell 1; the shooting component 2 is provided in the shell 1, and a shooting end of the shooting component 2 faces the transparent portion 11; a lighting space is formed in the shell 1, and the lighting component 3 is provided in the shell 1, and the lighting component 3 is used to illuminate the lighting space and the touch layer 4;

[0033] The touch layer 4 includes a transparent elastic layer 41, a pattern layer 42, a background layer 43 and a wear-resistant layer 44 in sequence from the self-shooting component 2 to the transparent part 11; the pattern layer 42 includes one or more specific patterns, and the background layer 43 and the wear-resistant layer 44 are used for shading; the touch layer 4 is used to deform one or more specific patterns on the pattern layer 42 when the wear-resistant layer 44 contacts an object, so that the shooting component 2 captures the changes of the specific patterns on the pattern layer 42 through the elastic layer 41, and obtains touch information based on the changes.

[0034] As attached Figure 1 , Attachment Figure 2 and attached Figure 5 As shown, this embodiment provides a highly integrated tactile sensor, which is designed to capture and analyze touch information through visual recognition technology, thereby providing interactive feedback to users and ensuring high sensitivity and accuracy of touch detection capabilities.

[0035] The shell 1 serves as the outer frame of the entire sensor, which not only protects the internal components from external interference and damage, but also has a transparent portion 11. The transparent portion 11 is made of a highly light-transmitting material, so that the shooting component 2 can capture the image changes on the touch layer 4 without hindrance; the shooting component 2 is located inside the shell 1. In practical applications, the shooting component 2 can be equipped with a camera or an image sensor, and its shooting end is precisely aligned with the transparent portion 11, so that the shooting component 2 can capture the image information transmitted from the touch layer 4 in real time through the transparent portion 11, so that the sensor can clearly identify subtle changes on the touch layer 4.

[0036] Furthermore, a lighting assembly 3 is installed inside the shell 1, and a uniform lighting space is constructed inside the shell; the lighting assembly 3 provides sufficient light for the shooting assembly 2 to ensure the clarity and contrast of image capture; in practical applications, the visibility of the pattern on the touch layer 4 can also be enhanced through a specific light layout.

[0037] The touch layer 4 is the core functional layer of the tactile sensor, which integrates multiple functional layers to achieve tactile sensing. The wear-resistant layer 44 directly contacts the object, which can effectively resist wear and scratches in daily use and protect the inner structure; the inner layer of the wear-resistant layer 44 is the background layer 43. The background layer 43 and the wear-resistant layer 44 are designed with efficient shading to reduce the interference of ambient light on image capture and improve detection accuracy. The inner layer of the background layer 43 is the pattern layer 42, which is a key information carrier. It is provided with a fine specific pattern, which is designed to produce recognizable deformation in response to touch action, and then captured and analyzed by the shooting component 2; the inner layer of the pattern layer 42 is the elastic layer 41, which is a transparent material used for buffering and conduction to ensure that the changes on the pattern layer 42 can be clearly transmitted to the shooting component 2.

[0038] In actual applications, when the wear-resistant layer 44 contacts an object, the specific pattern on the pattern layer 42 is deformed, so that the camera assembly 2 captures the changes of the specific pattern on the pattern layer 42 through the elastic layer 41, and analyzes these changes through advanced image processing algorithms to generate detailed touch information. This information can be used in various application scenarios, such as touch screen input, gesture recognition, pressure distribution analysis, etc., to provide users with a rich and intuitive interactive experience.

[0039] In a specific embodiment, the shell 1 includes an upper cover 12, a main body 13 and a lower cover 14, one side of the main body 13 is connected to the upper cover 12, and the other side of the main body 13 is connected to the lower cover 14; the transparent part 11 is connected to the side of the lower cover 14 away from the main body 13; the shooting component 2 and the lighting component 3 are arranged on the main body 13; an opening 141 is opened on the lower cover 14, so that the shooting end of the shooting component 2 passes through the transparent part 11 through the opening 141 to shoot the touch layer 4, and the lighting component 3 passes through the transparent part 11 through the opening 141 to illuminate the touch layer 4.

[0040] In this embodiment, as shown in the attached Figure 3 As shown, the housing 1 is composed of an upper cover 12, a main body 13 and a lower cover 14, which together form a solid housing of the tactile sensor.

[0041] The main body 13, as the core structure of the housing 1, takes into account both stability and the layout optimization of internal components. In practical applications, one side of the main body 13 is connected to the upper cover 12 by screws, buckles or other fastening methods to ensure the sealing of the upper part and the stability of the overall structure; while the other side of the main body 13 is connected to the lower cover 14 to provide solid support for the internal components.

[0042] Furthermore, the transparent portion 11 is arranged on the side of the lower cover 14 away from the main body 13, so that the camera assembly 2 can clearly capture the image on the touch layer 4 through the transparent portion 11. In practical applications, the transparent portion 11 is made of highly light-transmitting and scratch-resistant materials to ensure the clarity of image transmission and the durability of the sensor. The camera assembly 2 and the lighting assembly 3 are arranged on the main body 13, which optimizes the internal structure of the sensor and improves the collaborative working efficiency between the components.

[0043] In order to realize the functions of shooting and lighting, an opening 141 is specially opened on the lower cover 14. The opening 141 ensures that the shooting end of the shooting component 2 can penetrate the transparent part 11 to capture the image on the touch layer 4; at the same time, the light of the lighting component 3 can also penetrate the transparent part 11 through the opening 141, providing uniform and sufficient lighting for the touch layer 4, thereby improving the clarity and accuracy of image capture.

[0044] In a specific embodiment, the main body 13 is provided with a groove 131 matching the shooting component 2, and the shooting component 2 is connected to the main body 13 through the groove 131, and

[0045] The photographing assembly 2 is disposed at the center point of the side surface where the main body 13 and the upper cover 12 are connected.

[0046] In this embodiment, as shown in the attached Figure 4 As shown, a groove 131 matching the shooting component 2 is provided on the main body 13, ensuring stability and accuracy during the connection process. The shooting component 2 is connected to the main body 13 through the groove 131, which not only simplifies the installation steps, but also improves the compactness and aesthetics of the overall structure.

[0047] Furthermore, the shooting component 2 is arranged at the center point of the side where the main body 13 is connected to the upper cover 12, aiming to achieve the best shooting angle and stability. Setting the shooting component 2 at the center point of the side of the main body 13 not only ensures the visual balance of the shooting component 2, but also minimizes the shooting error that may be caused by position offset, so that clear and stable images can be obtained no matter in which direction the shooting is performed.

[0048] In a specific embodiment, the lighting assembly 3 includes one or more lighting lamps 31, and the one or more lighting lamps 31 are arranged on the side of the main body 13 along the direction from the upper cover 12 to the lower cover 14, and

[0049] One or more lighting lamps 31 are disposed in an area of ​​the main body 13 close to the lower cover 14 ; along the direction from the upper cover 12 to the lower cover 14 , the ratio of the length of the area to the length of the main body 13 is less than or equal to one third.

[0050] In this embodiment, the lighting assembly 3 includes a plurality of high-efficiency lighting lamps 31. These lighting lamps 31 are arranged on the side of the main body 13 along the direction from the upper cover 12 to the lower cover 14, which not only ensures the reasonable distribution of the lighting light, but also optimizes the overall appearance and functionality of the device.

[0051] Furthermore, multiple lighting lamps 31 are specially arranged in the area of ​​the main body 13 close to the lower cover 14, aiming to provide more extensive and uniform lighting coverage through a lower position; along the direction from the upper cover 12 to the lower cover 14, the ratio of the length of the area where the lighting lamps 31 are located to the overall length of the main body 13 is less than or equal to one third, ensuring that the lighting assembly 3 neither occupies too much space of the main body 13 nor can effectively perform its lighting function, and at the same time, the power consumption of the lighting assembly 3 can also be reduced.

[0052] In a specific embodiment, the specific pattern includes one or more of a dot pattern, a color block pattern, and a thermal pattern. The dot pattern is formed by densely or sparsely arranged dots, and can be used for functional applications, such as a QR code, data encoding, or anti-counterfeiting mark; the color block pattern is composed of color blocks of different colors, shapes, and sizes, which can produce a strong visual impact and rich sense of hierarchy, and convey specific information; the thermal pattern is a visual expression method that simulates heat distribution or energy flow, and usually uses color gradients (such as from cold to warm tones) to show the density, intensity, or change trend of data.

[0053] In a specific embodiment, the projection of the transparent portion 11 on the touch layer 4 is greater than or equal to the area formed by the specific pattern on the pattern layer 42, ensuring that the shooting component 2 can completely capture the image on the touch layer 4 through the transparent portion 11, and enabling the lighting component 3 to completely illuminate the touch layer 4 through the transparent portion 11.

[0054] In a specific embodiment, with the line from the center of the housing 1 to the center of the transparent portion 11 as the axis, the swing angle range of the camera assembly 2 includes 50°-150°;

[0055] The distance between the shooting end of the shooting component 2 and the touch layer 4 ranges from 5 mm to 30 mm.

[0056] In this embodiment, the straight line connecting the center point of the housing 1 to the center point of the transparent portion 11 is used as the rotation axis, and the camera assembly 2 is designed to be able to swing around this axis, and its swing angle range is precisely controlled between 50° and 150°, ensuring that the camera assembly 2 can flexibly capture images at different angles. Furthermore, considering the shooting quality, operation convenience and compactness of the overall structure of the device, the vertical distance between the shooting end of the camera assembly 2 and the surface of the touch layer 4 is between 5mm and 30mm.

[0057] In a specific embodiment, the length of the touch layer 4 ranges from 25 mm to 40 mm, and the width of the touch layer 4 ranges from 10 mm to 30 mm. The length of the touch layer 4 is set to be between 25 mm and 40 mm, and the width of the touch layer 4 is set to be between 10 mm and 30 mm, which ensures that the touch layer is neither too narrow and long to cause inconvenience in operation, nor too wide to affect the overall layout or portability of the device, which is conducive to improving the user experience.

[0058] In a specific embodiment, the elastic layer 41 includes a silicone layer, and the thickness of the elastic layer 41 ranges from 2 mm to 6 mm. Silicone is very suitable for occasions that require frequent touch and pressure due to its excellent elasticity, weather resistance and biocompatibility. The thickness of the elastic layer 41 is precisely controlled between 2 mm and 6 mm, which ensures sufficient elasticity to provide tactile feedback while avoiding tactile dullness or excessive device size caused by excessive thickness.

[0059] The thickness of the background layer 43 ranges from 0.1mm to 1.5mm, and the thickness of the wear-resistant layer 44 ranges from 0.1mm to 1.5mm. A thinner background layer 43 helps reduce the weight of the device; while an appropriate thickness can ensure the stability and durability of the structure; the main function of the wear-resistant layer 44 is to protect the touch layer 4 from wear, scratches and pollution, thereby extending the service life of the device. The setting of this thickness range not only ensures the effectiveness of the wear-resistant layer 44, but also avoids the weakening of the touch or the increase of the cost due to excessive thickness.

[0060] Example 2

[0061] This embodiment provides a bionic mechanical finger, including the tactile sensor mentioned in Embodiment 1.

[0062] The present invention provides a tactile sensor and a bionic mechanical finger having the same, which captures the deformation of a specific pattern on a touch layer when the touch layer contacts an object through a shooting component, and analyzes these changes through an advanced image processing algorithm to generate detailed touch information, thereby providing interactive feedback to the user, ensuring high-sensitivity and accuracy of touch detection capabilities, having a simple structure, and reducing processing difficulty and installation complexity.

[0063] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the accompanying drawings are only schematic diagrams of a preferred implementation scenario, and the modules or processes in the accompanying drawings are not necessarily required for implementing the present invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the modules in the devices in the implementation scenario may be distributed in the devices in the implementation scenario according to the description of the implementation scenario, or may be changed accordingly and located in one or more devices different from the present implementation scenario.

Claims

1. A tactile sensor, characterized in that: include: A housing, a shooting assembly, a lighting assembly and a touch layer, wherein the housing is provided with a transparent portion, and the touch layer is connected to a side of the transparent portion away from the housing; The shooting component is arranged in the shell, and the shooting end of the shooting component faces the transparent part; a lighting space is formed in the shell, and the lighting component is arranged in the shell, and the lighting component is used to illuminate the lighting space and the touch layer; The touch layer includes a transparent elastic layer, a pattern layer, a background layer and a wear-resistant layer in sequence along the direction from the shooting component to the transparent part; the pattern layer includes one or more specific patterns, and the background layer and the wear-resistant layer are used for shading; the touch layer is used to deform one or more specific patterns on the pattern layer when the wear-resistant layer contacts an object, so that the shooting component captures the changes of the specific patterns on the pattern layer through the elastic layer and obtains touch information according to the changes.

2. The tactile sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shell includes an upper cover, a main body and a lower cover, one side of the main body is connected to the upper cover, and the other side of the main body is connected to the lower cover; the transparent part is connected to a side of the lower cover away from the main body; the shooting component and the lighting component are arranged on the main body; an opening is opened on the lower cover, so that the shooting end of the shooting component passes through the transparent part through the opening to shoot the touch layer, and the lighting component passes through the transparent part through the opening to illuminate the touch layer.

3. The tactile sensor according to claim 2, characterized in that: The main body is provided with a groove matching the shooting component, and the shooting component is connected to the main body through the groove, and The shooting assembly is arranged at the center point of the side surface where the main body and the upper cover are connected.

4. The tactile sensor according to claim 2, characterized in that: The lighting assembly includes one or more lighting lamps, and the one or more lighting lamps are arranged on the side of the main body along the direction from the upper cover to the lower cover, and One or more lighting lamps are arranged in an area of ​​the main body close to the lower cover; Along the direction from the upper cover to the lower cover, a ratio of the length of the region to the length of the main body is less than or equal to one third.

5. The tactile sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The specific pattern includes one or more of a dot pattern, a color block pattern, and a thermal pattern.

6. The tactile sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The projection of the transparent portion on the touch layer is greater than or equal to the area formed by the specific pattern on the pattern layer.

7. The tactile sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: Taking the line from the center of the housing to the center of the transparent portion as the axis, the swing angle range of the shooting assembly includes 50°-150°; The distance between the shooting end of the shooting component and the touch layer ranges from 5 mm to 30 mm.

8. The tactile sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The length of the touch layer ranges from 25 mm to 40 mm; the width of the touch layer ranges from 10 mm to 30 mm.

9. The tactile sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The elastic layer includes a silicone layer, and the thickness of the elastic layer ranges from 2 mm to 6 mm; The thickness of the background layer ranges from 0.1 mm to 1.5 mm, and the thickness of the wear-resistant layer ranges from 0.1 mm to 1.5 mm.

10. A bionic mechanical finger, characterized in that: The tactile sensor comprises the tactile sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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