A multi-channel aerodynamic feedback component and control method

Abstract

This invention discloses a multi-channel pneumatic feedback component and control method, including a signal conversion module connected to a thin-film pressure sensor mounted on a bionic robotic hand; an AO pin data processing module of the signal conversion module, which is also connected to a servo control module of an air pump; the output of the air pump is connected to an air bladder of a teleoperated force feedback device to simulate the pressure on the bionic robotic hand; the data processing module maps the received analog pressure quantity to a control quantity of the air pump or a control quantity of the corresponding solenoid valve of the air pump and sends it to the servo control module; this invention, through the cooperation of the signal conversion module, the data processing module, and the servo control module, converts and processes the feedback signal of the thin-film pressure sensor on the bionic robotic hand and generates a corresponding pneumatic control signal, thereby realizing force feedback on the teleoperated robotic hand through pneumatic means.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of tactile force feedback technology for bionic robotic arms and remotely operated robots, and particularly relates to a multi-channel aerodynamic feedback component and control method. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, haptic force feedback devices have been increasingly used in force feedback scenarios for teleoperated robots across space. This technology is a crucial foundation for improving the sense of presence in teleoperated robots, directly impacting the operational performance of teleoperation systems, and is widely applied in surgical robots, mechanical exoskeletons, and space stations. In remote robotic or VR environments, tactile information is remotely transmitted to the operator, which is essential for recognizing tactile sensations and accurately controlling objects. Haptic feedback actuators, which transmit physical tactile sensations to the operator, are gradually becoming a development trend in the field of semi-autonomous operation of robots in hazardous environments, replacing manual labor.

[0003] Existing hand force feedback actuators often use piezoelectric ceramic actuators combined with wearable gloves and other carriers. They mainly rely on high-frequency vibration to transmit force feedback signals. Such actuators need to overcome the requirements of low piezoelectric coefficient and high driving voltage. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a multi-channel aerodynamic feedback component and control method that provides feedback on the force of a remotely operated manipulator through pneumatic means.

[0005] The present invention adopts the following technical solution: a multi-channel aerodynamic feedback component, including a signal conversion module that is connected to a thin-film pressure sensor installed on a bionic robotic arm;

[0006] The signal conversion module's AO pin data processing module is also connected to the air pump's servo control module.

[0007] The output end of the air pump is connected to the airbag of the remote force feedback device to simulate the pressure on the bionic robotic hand through the airbag;

[0008] The data processing module is used to map the received analog pressure quantity into the control quantity of the air pump or the control quantity of the solenoid valve corresponding to the air pump and send it to the servo control module.

[0009] Another technical solution of the present invention: a control method for the above-mentioned multi-channel aerodynamic feedback component, comprising the following steps:

[0010] The thin-film pressure sensor measures the pressure signal and sends it to the signal conversion module;

[0011] The signal conversion module converts the pressure signal into an analog signal and sends it to the data processing module;

[0012] The data processing module maps the analog signals into air pump control parameters and sends them to the servo control module;

[0013] The servo control module controls the air pump to inflate or deflate the airbag of the remote force feedback device according to the control parameters.

[0014] Furthermore, the data processing module maps the analog signal to air pump control parameters, including:

[0015] Calculate the ratio between the analog signal and the range of the thin-film pressure sensor;

[0016] Select the corresponding air pump control parameters within the effective air pump control parameter range based on the proportional relationship.

[0017] Furthermore, before calculating the proportional relationship between the analog signal and the range of the thin-film pressure sensor, the following steps are included:

[0018] Compare the analog signal at the current moment with the analog signal at the previous moment;

[0019] When the pressure corresponding to the analog signal at the current moment is less than the pressure corresponding to the analog signal at the previous moment, the air pump control parameters include the opening time of the solenoid valve and the air pump speed parameters.

[0020] Furthermore, when the pressure corresponding to the analog signal at the current moment is less than the pressure corresponding to the analog signal at the previous moment, the air pump control parameters include the air pump speed parameters.

[0021] Furthermore, the data processing module maps the analog signal to air pump control parameters, including:

[0022] When the analog signal is greater than the signal threshold, the operation of mapping the analog signal to the air pump control parameters will not be performed;

[0023] When the analog signal is less than or equal to the signal threshold, the analog signal is mapped to the air pump control parameters.

[0024] Furthermore, the upper limit of the range of speed parameters in the effective air pump control parameter range is the maximum value of the air pump speed, and the lower limit is determined experimentally.

[0025] Another technical solution of the present invention: a control device for a multi-channel aerodynamic feedback component, comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor executes the computer program to implement the method described above.

[0026] The beneficial effects of this invention are: by cooperating with a signal conversion module, a data processing module and a servo control module, this invention converts and processes the feedback signal from the thin-film pressure sensor on the bionic robotic arm and generates a corresponding pneumatic control signal, which can realize the feedback of force on the remotely operated robotic arm through pneumatic means, that is, realize a new force feedback means for tactile feedback actuators. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 This is a wiring diagram of the thin-film pressure sensor and the MH-Sensor-Series signal conditioning module in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the ARDUINO UNO development board used in this embodiment of the invention;

[0029] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating the input / output pin annotations and wiring of the ARDUINO UNO development board in this embodiment of the invention.

[0030] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a six-channel pneumatic servo assembly in an embodiment of the invention;

[0031] The components are: 0. Thin-film pressure sensor; 1. VCC pin; 2. GND pin; 3. DO pin; 4. AO pin; 5. Serial port interface; 6. Power interface; 7. Program reset switch; 8. Air pump; 9. Air tube; 10. Solenoid valve; 11. Air pump pin; 12. Solenoid valve pin. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0033] This invention addresses tactile feedback technology for bionic hand teleoperated robots. It utilizes an integrated thin-film pressure sensor, a multi-path pneumatic servo assembly, and a corresponding pneumatic control method to reproduce the feedback force during teleoperation of the bionic manipulator. As the operating environments of teleoperated robots in industrial applications become increasingly complex, and the precision and complexity of their tasks increase, tactile feedback actuator technology is crucial for enhancing the sense of presence in teleoperated robots.

[0034] The control method of the multi-channel aerodynamic feedback component based on the integrated thin-film pressure sensor and multi-path pneumatic servo component proposed in this invention can effectively improve the power density and force perception of the force feedback device.

[0035] This invention discloses a multi-channel aerodynamic feedback component, including a signal conversion module that is connected to a thin-film pressure sensor mounted on a bionic robotic hand; an AO pin data processing module of the signal conversion module, which is also connected to a servo control module of an air pump; the output end of the air pump is connected to an airbag of a remote force feedback device to simulate the pressure on the bionic robotic hand through the airbag; the data processing module is used to map the received analog pressure quantity to a control quantity of the air pump or a control quantity of the solenoid valve corresponding to the air pump and send it to the servo control module.

[0036] This invention uses a signal conversion module, a data processing module, and a servo control module to work together to convert and process the feedback signal from the thin-film pressure sensor on the bionic robotic arm and generate a corresponding pneumatic control signal. This enables force feedback on the remotely operated robotic arm via pneumatic means, thus realizing a new force feedback method for tactile feedback actuators.

[0037] Specifically, the multi-channel pneumatic feedback component includes: a thin-film pressure sensor, an MH-Sensor-Series signal conditioning module, an ARDUINO UNO development board, a six-channel pneumatic servo component, air tubing, and several DuPont wires. More specifically, the quantity of each component is variable and can be adjusted as needed. The development board has several sets of pins, allowing for expansion with multiple sets of components.

[0038] The thin-film pressure sensor 0 is arranged on the fingers and palm of the bionic hand by means of bonding or other methods. When pressure is applied, it outputs the change in pressure on the sensor surface through analog voltage. The analog signal is output to the ANALOG IN port of the Arduino development board using the MH-Sensor-Series signal conversion module.

[0039] The multi-path aerodynamic feedback component includes an Arduino UNO development board, a six-channel DC air pump (supported by the development board), and a solenoid valve assembly. The Arduino development board's ANALOG IN port receives the analog input from the pressure sensor and converts it into a digital signal. In this embodiment, a 1024-bit digital signal is preferred, where 0 to 1024 bits represent the pressure sensor's full-scale range to its no-load state. During actual output, the signal conversion module converts the 1024-bit digital signal back to an analog signal and outputs it to the data processing module. The aerodynamic feedback is implemented using an algorithm within the Arduino IDE environment.

[0040] like Figure 1The thin-film pressure sensor 0 is connected to the "+" and "-" pins of the MH-Sensor-Series signal conversion module via wires; either positive or negative connection is acceptable. The MH-Sensor-Series signal conversion module is powered by VCC pin 1 and GND pin 2, outputs a digital signal on DO pin 3, and outputs an analog signal on AO pin 4. In this invention, the six-channel pneumatic servo component based on the ARDUINO UNO only uses pin 4 (AO) of the MH-Sensor-Series signal conversion module. Figure 1 AO pin 4 connection Figure 3 The A0 pin of the ANALOGIN module on the development board.

[0041] Figure 2 The schematic diagram of the development board is shown, which has a serial port interface 5, a power interface 6 and a program reset switch 7. Figure 3 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of pin names for the Arduino UNO development board. The descriptions of pin names in this invention are all in accordance with... Figure 3 The pins are named and divided into three areas: DIGITAL (PWM~), POWER, and ANALOG IN. Figure 4 Since the structure and wiring method of each of the multi-channel DC air pump and solenoid valve assemblies are completely identical, only one assembly consisting of air pump 8, air pipe 9, solenoid valve 10, air pump pin 11, and solenoid valve pin 12 will be introduced.

[0042] The processed analog input ANALOG IN pin, where pins A0 to A5 have the same permissions, can simultaneously receive signals from five pressure sensors.

[0043] Multi-channel DC air pump and solenoid valve assembly, such as Figure 4 As shown, the brushed DC air pump 8 and the solenoid valve 10 are connected via an air pipe 9 with a three-way valve. Figure 4 Pin 11 and pin 12 are connected to the brushed DC air pump 8 and the solenoid valve 10 respectively. The inflation pin 11 controls the brushed DC air pump 8 to inflate, and the deflation pin 12 controls the solenoid valve 10 to deflate.

[0044] and Figure 3 The connection method for the ARDUINO UNO development board is as follows: pin 11 of the six-channel DC air pump and solenoid valve assembly is connected to pin 11 of the ARDUINO UNO development board DIGITAL (PWM~), and pin 12 of the six-channel DC air pump and solenoid valve assembly is connected to pin 13 of the ARDUINO UNO development board DIGITAL (PWM~).

[0045] The inflation and deflation function of the multi-channel DC air pump and solenoid valve assembly is controlled by the PWM frequency output from the DIGITAL (PWM~) pin. Among them, ~3, ~5, ~6, ~9, ~10, and ~11 are pins that support analog PWM output. By using this pin to control the DC brushed air pump in the DC air pump and solenoid valve assembly, and by using the other pins in the DIGITAL (PWM~) area to control the solenoid valve in the DC air pump and solenoid valve assembly, the five force feedback airbags located in the gripping body of the bionic robotic hand are indirectly controlled to achieve tactile force feedback effect.

[0046] The present invention also discloses a control method for the above-mentioned multi-channel aerodynamic feedback component, comprising the following steps: a thin-film pressure sensor measures a pressure signal and sends it to a signal conversion module; the signal conversion module converts the pressure signal into an analog signal and sends it to a data processing module; the data processing module maps the analog signal into air pump control parameters and sends them to a servo control module; the servo control module controls the air pump to inflate or deflate the airbag of the remotely operated force feedback device according to the control parameters.

[0047] The above control method operates in the ARDUINO IDE environment, enabling real-time program uploads to the ARDUINO UNO development board via USB, and also features serial port monitoring and program error identification.

[0048] In this invention, after the data processing module receives the analog input of the corresponding channel, it converts it into a PWM frequency of 0 to 255 through the map function, which is used to control the force feedback gain effect of the DC brushed air pump component. At the same time, the solenoid valve 10 controls the air release effect of the individual air path through the on / off delay to achieve the force feedback pressure reduction effect.

[0049] In this embodiment, the following technical means are applied (where the part before the symbol / / is the corresponding program code, and the part after it is the function implemented by the program code):

[0050] #define getIntervalTime 50 / / Data retrieval interval (milliseconds);

[0051] #define pressureThreshold 1000 / / Pressure threshold. When the pressure reaches or exceeds this value, the air pump and solenoid valve are controlled. (This threshold corresponds to the full scale range of the pressure sensor from 0 to 1023 digital values ​​to the no-load state. Experiments have shown that it should be set to 1000 to 980 to avoid erroneous force feedback caused by the increased internal stress of the pressure sensor due to changes in the bionic hand's posture.)

[0052] unsigned long previousMillis = 0; / / Auxiliary function: reads the pressure value on the analog pin.

[0053] int readPressure(int pressurePin);

[0054] return analogRead(pressurePin) / / Directly returns the read analog value

[0055] void controlPumpAndValve(int pressureValue,int pumpPin,int valvePin){

[0056] if(pressureValue>=pressureThreshold){

[0057] digitalWrite(pumpPin,airPumpOFF);

[0058] digitalWrite(valvePin, airValveON); / / Auxiliary function: controls the air pump and solenoid valve based on the pressure value, such as air pump charging / discharging, and solenoid valve opening / closing;

[0059] delay(5); / / Waiting for gas release, a delay time of 5ms is added here so that the solenoid valve has enough time to respond (this is because the dynamic system has a certain inertia, and the delay is to match the inertia);

[0060] digitalWrite(valvePin, airValveOFF) / / Closes the venting solenoid valve;

[0061] }else{

[0062] / / When the pressure is below the threshold, gradually turn on the air pump and close the venting solenoid valve;

[0063] analogWrite(pumpPin,map(pressureValue,1023,0,150,255)); / / Set the pump speed according to the pressure value. The PWM frequency of 150~255 is an empirical value. Different pumps and air path lengths have an uncertain impact on the establishment of pressure inside the force feedback airbag. The starting frequency is set to 150 to allow the force feedback airbag to quickly establish feedback pressure.

[0064] analogWrite(valvePin,0) / / Close the venting solenoid valve

[0065] }

[0066] }

[0067] / / The main program is as follows

[0068] void setup(){

[0069] Serial.begin(9600);

[0070] / / Initialize the air pump and solenoid valve pins to output mode;

[0071] pinMode(airPumpPinA0,OUTPUT);

[0072] pinMode(airValvePinA0,OUTPUT);

[0073] void loop()

[0074] unsigned long currentMillis=millis();

[0075] if(currentMillis-previousMillis>=getIntervalTime){

[0076] previousMillis = currentMillis; / / Read the value of each pressure sensor.

[0077] int pressureValueA0=readPressure(pressurePinA0);

[0078] controlPumpAndValve(pressureValueA0, airPumpPinA0, airValvePinA0); / / Controls the air pump and solenoid valve in A0 based on the read pressure value, where pressureValueA0 represents the pressure value, airPumpPinA0 represents the air pump charging pin, and airValvePinA0 represents the solenoid valve venting pin.

[0079] The above program segment is only a control method for controlling a single force feedback air circuit A0 consisting of a brushed DC air pump and a solenoid valve system. It should be noted that this control method is scalable to other circuits, and feedback force calibration is required when deploying new force feedback air circuits.

[0080] During the control process, it is first necessary to compare the analog signal at the current moment with the analog signal at the previous moment. When the pressure corresponding to the analog signal at the current moment is less than the pressure corresponding to the analog signal at the previous moment, it indicates that the pressure has decreased. At this time, the air pump control parameters include the opening time of the solenoid valve and the air pump speed parameters, that is, reducing the air pump speed while releasing air through the solenoid valve.

[0081] When the pressure corresponding to the analog signal at the current moment is less than the pressure corresponding to the analog signal at the previous moment, it means that the pressure has increased. At this time, the air pump control parameters include the air pump speed parameters, that is, increasing the air pump speed will inflate the airbag with more gas.

[0082] In this invention, the data processing module maps the analog signal to the air pump control parameters by: calculating the ratio between the analog signal and the range of the thin-film pressure sensor; and selecting the corresponding air pump control parameters within the effective air pump control parameter range of the air pump based on the ratio.

[0083] For example, if the analog signal value is 700 and the range of the diaphragm pressure sensor is 0–1023, the ratio of the analog signal within the range can be calculated based on 700 and the range, for example, 700 / 1023. Then, the corresponding air pump control parameters can be selected based on this ratio. Similarly, when selecting air pump control parameters, assuming the control range is 150–255Hz, the corresponding 700 / 1023 node is selected as the control parameter within this range.

[0084] In this invention, the larger the analog signal value, the smaller the pressure signal. When the analog signal value is 1023, it indicates that there is no pressure signal. When the analog signal value is 0, it indicates that the detected pressure has reached the upper limit of the pressure sensor.

[0085] Additionally, it's important to note that this invention sets a signal threshold. When the analog signal exceeds this threshold, the operation of mapping the analog signal to air pump control parameters is not performed. For example, when the analog signal is 1015 and the signal threshold is 1000, the operation of mapping the analog signal to air pump control parameters is not performed. This is because when the analog signal exceeds the signal threshold, it indicates that the pressure signal is very small. The pressure generated at this time may be due to minute changes caused by variations in the bionic robotic arm's posture, etc. Therefore, the analog signal is set to the maximum range of the thin-film pressure sensor, which is considered to be either no pressure signal or zero pressure.

[0086] When the analog signal is less than or equal to the signal threshold, the analog signal is mapped to the air pump control parameters. This indicates that a certain pressure signal has been detected, and the signal strength exceeds the minute changes caused by variations in the bionic robotic hand's posture. In this case, it is necessary to generate changes in the air volume of the airbag so that the operator can sense the pressure change at the end of the bionic robotic hand.

[0087] In this embodiment of the invention, when deploying the new force feedback channel control algorithm and its air path and airbag, interference from system airtightness and tracheal elastic deformation can easily cause the force feedback to be insensitive or distorted. In this case, it is necessary to calibrate the channel analogWrite(pumpPin,map(pressureValue,1023,0,xxx,255)). When the threshold for triggering the force feedback air pump is reached, parameter xxx is the lower limit of the effective air pump control parameter range. Specifically, the upper limit of the effective air pump control parameter range is the maximum value of the air pump speed, and the lower limit is determined experimentally.

[0088] Precise tactile force feedback is achieved by controlling the speed of the DC brushed air pump using parameter xxx. This calibration process is accomplished by measuring the feedback force from the pressure sensor and the airbag using a force gauge. Specifically, since the pressure signal is simulated through the airbag, the volume change of the airbag cannot start from zero and go up to its maximum limit. Otherwise, when the inflation volume is low, the operator's hand will have difficulty perceiving the specific change in the airbag. Therefore, the airbag should have a certain initial volume before changing, corresponding to the lower limit of the effective air pump control parameter range.

[0089] In summary, the feedback component and control method of the present invention provide a new pressure simulation method, which solves the shortcomings of existing piezoelectric ceramic actuator combined with wearable glove configuration force feedback system, such as low piezoelectric coefficient and high drive voltage. Furthermore, the control system can be expanded with pneumatic servo channels according to the needs of the work task.

[0090] The present invention also discloses a control device for a multi-channel aerodynamic feedback component, including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the processor executes the computer program, it implements the method described above.

[0091] The present invention also discloses an embodiment that provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps in the above-described method embodiments.

[0092] The present invention also provides a computer program product that, when run on a data storage device, enables the data storage device to implement the steps in the above-described method embodiments.

[0093] If the integrated unit module is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, all or part of the processes in the methods of the above embodiments of the present invention can be implemented by a computer program instructing related hardware. The computer program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and when executed by a processor, it can implement the steps of the various method embodiments described above. The computer program includes computer program code, which can be in the form of source code, object code, executable files, or certain intermediate forms. The computer-readable medium can include at least: any entity or device capable of carrying computer program code to a storage device, a recording medium, a computer memory, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), an electrical carrier signal, a telecommunication signal, and a software distribution medium. Examples include USB flash drives, portable hard drives, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0094] In the above embodiments, the descriptions of each embodiment have different focuses. For parts that are not described in detail or recorded in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0095] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed in this invention can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementations should not be considered beyond the scope of this invention.

[0096] In the embodiments provided by this invention, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For instance, the division of modules or units is merely a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple modules or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed.

[0097] The modules described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as modules may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network elements. Some or all of the modules may be selected to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment according to actual needs.

Claims

1. A control method for a multi-channel aerodynamic feedback component, characterized in that, A multi-channel aerodynamic feedback component includes a signal conversion module that is connected to a thin-film pressure sensor (0) mounted on a bionic manipulator; an AO pin (4) of the signal conversion module is connected to a data processing module, which is also connected to a servo control module of an air pump (8); the output of the air pump (8) is connected to an air bladder of a teleoperated force feedback device to simulate the pressure on the bionic manipulator through the air bladder; the data processing module is used to map the received analog pressure quantity to a control quantity of the air pump (8) or a control quantity of the solenoid valve (10) corresponding to the air pump (8) and send it to the servo control module; Includes the following steps: The thin-film pressure sensor (0) measures the pressure signal and sends it to the signal conversion module; The signal conversion module converts the pressure signal into an analog signal and sends it to the data processing module; The data processing module maps the analog signal into air pump control parameters and sends them to the servo control module. The servo control module controls the air pump (8) to inflate or deflate the airbag of the remote force feedback device according to the control parameters. The data processing module maps the analog signal into air pump control parameters, including: Calculate the ratio between the analog signal and the range of the thin-film pressure sensor (0); According to the aforementioned proportional relationship, select the corresponding air pump control parameters within the effective air pump control parameter range of the air pump (8); Before calculating the proportional relationship between the analog signal and the range of the thin-film pressure sensor (0), the following steps are included: Compare the analog signal at the current moment with the analog signal at the previous moment; When the pressure corresponding to the analog signal at the current moment is less than the pressure corresponding to the analog signal at the previous moment, the air pump control parameters include the opening time of the solenoid valve (10) and the rotational speed parameters of the air pump (8). The data processing module maps the analog signal into air pump control parameters, including: When the analog signal is greater than the signal threshold, the operation of mapping the analog signal to the air pump control parameters is not performed; When the analog signal is less than or equal to the signal threshold, the operation of mapping the analog signal to the air pump control parameters is performed.

2. The control method for a multi-channel aerodynamic feedback component as described in claim 1, characterized in that, When the pressure corresponding to the analog signal at the current moment is less than the pressure corresponding to the analog signal at the previous moment, the air pump control parameters include the rotational speed parameters of the air pump (8).

3. The control method for a multi-channel aerodynamic feedback component as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The upper limit of the range of rotational speed parameters in the effective air pump control parameter range is the maximum value of the air pump rotational speed, and the lower limit is determined experimentally.

4. A control device for a multi-channel aerodynamic feedback component, comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, characterized in that, When the processor executes the computer program, it implements the method as described in any one of claims 1-3.

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