Contact type electronic skin performance testing method

Abstract

The invention discloses a contact type electronic skin performance testing method. Comprising the following steps: 1) applying an external force to a to-be-tested electronic skin through a pressure device; 2) collecting a pressure-resistant induction signal output by the electronic skin to be tested, and converting the pressure-resistant induction signal into a response force value; 3) calculating the pressure resistance according to the response force value, including testing the minimum response force and the irreversible damage force; therefore, the pressure resistance of the electronic skin is judged. The contact type electronic skin allows the robot to make contact with the human body in principle, the standardized testing method can evaluate the response and durability of the electronic skin under the action of different force values, the testing consistency and effectiveness are improved, and the method has great significance in research, development, manufacturing and application of the contact type electronic skin and has wide application prospects. And the performance can meet the expectation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of robot testing, and particularly relates to a method for testing the performance of a contact electronic skin. Background Art

[0002] The human-robot collaboration robot is a new trend in the development of the robot industry. Typical collaborative robots include cooperative robots, exoskeleton robots, humanoid robots, etc. The core is the ability to cooperate with people in the same working space. On such robots, the contact electronic skin is the core sensor for realizing human-machine interaction. Its performance directly determines the safety level of human-machine interaction and is of great significance for realizing safe human-machine interaction. However, at present, the method for testing the performance of the contact electronic skin is not perfect, and it is impossible to comprehensively, accurately and quickly evaluate its performance, which limits its application and development in the field of collaborative robots. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a method for testing the performance of the contact electronic skin, which can effectively solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Aiming at the above deficiencies of the method, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a method for testing the performance of a contact electronic skin, and to propose key performance indicators reflecting the contact electronic skin for robots, as well as corresponding testing methods, so as to realize standardized test evaluation and comprehensively, accurately and quickly evaluate the performance of the contact electronic skin.

[0004] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve its technical problems is:

[0005] A method for testing the performance of a contact electronic skin, which performs the following steps: applying an external force to the electronic skin to be tested and detecting its pressure resistance performance, including the following steps:

[0006] 1) Applying an external force to the electronic skin to be tested through a pressure device;

[0007] 2) Collecting the pressure resistance induction signal output by the electronic skin to be tested and converting it into a response force value;

[0008] 3) Calculating the pressure resistance performance according to the response force value, including the tests of the minimum response force and the irreversible damage force; thereby judging the pressure resistance performance of the electronic skin.

[0009] The pressure device is a high-precision force sensor or a pressure sensor.

[0010] The pressure resistance induction signal is one or several of resistance, capacitance, and strain.

[0011] When the response force value is lower than the lowest threshold, it is determined that the signal fails, and the measured value of this time is discarded.

[0012] Calculating the pressure resistance performance based on the response force value requires data processing of several collected response force values to obtain the minimum response force measurement index for evaluating the pressure resistance performance.

[0013] The measurement index of the minimum response force is to compare the measured minimum response force measurement index with the corresponding index of the product to determine whether the requirements are met.

[0014] The measurement index of the irreversible damage force is as follows: First, data processing of several collected response force values is performed to obtain the irreversible damage force measurement index for evaluating the pressure resistance performance, and it is compared with the corresponding index of the product to determine whether the pressure resistance value meets the requirements; Second, an image acquisition device is used to collect the image of the electronic skin after pressure resistance, and after image processing, it is identified whether there is damage, deformation or color change to determine whether the requirements are met.

[0015] A contact electronic skin performance testing device includes a carrier table, a pressure device, and a host computer; the carrier table is used to place the electronic skin to be tested, the pressure device is connected to the host computer to receive a control signal to apply an external force to the electronic skin to be tested, and the output interface of the electronic skin to be tested is connected to the host computer to output a pressure resistance induction signal; the host computer is provided with a memory, a processor, and a front-end interface. The memory stores a program, and when the processor loads the program, it executes the method steps described above, collects the pressure induction signal of the electronic skin, and realizes the contact testing of the electronic skin. The front-end interface is used for the user to input test instructions or intuitively display the process and result data of the electronic skin during the performance test to the user.

[0016] The present invention has the following beneficial effects and advantages:

[0017] After adopting the method of the present invention, it is possible to comprehensively, quickly and accurately evaluate the performance of the contact electronic skin, and propose performance indicators that can reflect the contact electronic skin, including the minimum response force and the irreversible damage force. The minimum response force represents the minimum force value that the electronic skin can detect. The irreversible damage force represents the minimum force value at which the electronic skin produces irreversible damage. In principle, the contact electronic skin allows the robot to come into contact with the human body, so this method requires more performance testing to ensure safety in human-machine interaction. The standardized testing method proposed by the present invention can evaluate the response and durability of the electronic skin under different force values, improve the consistency and effectiveness of the testing, and is of great significance for the research and development, manufacturing and application of the contact electronic skin, and can ensure that its performance meets the expectations. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018] Figure 1 It is a flow chart of the method of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the testing device of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 3 This is the implementation flowchart of a method for testing the performance of a contact electronic skin according to the present invention;

[0021] In the figure, 1 - pressure device; 2 - single-axis slide; 3 - electronic skin to be tested; 4 - carrier table; 5 - host computer. Specific implementation manner

[0022] In order to make the above objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and understandable, the following further detailed description of the specific implementation method of the present invention is made in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description in order to fully understand the present invention, but the present invention can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein. Those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without departing from the connotation of the invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited by the specific implementations disclosed below.

[0023] As Figure 1 shown, a method for testing the performance of a contact electronic skin according to this embodiment includes the following steps:

[0024] 1) Apply an external force to the electronic skin to be tested through a pressure device;

[0025] 2) Collect the voltage-resistant induction signal output by the electronic skin to be tested and convert it into a response force value;

[0026] 3) Calculate the voltage-resistant performance according to the response force value, including the tests of the minimum response force and the irreversible damage force; thereby judging the voltage-resistant performance of the electronic skin.

[0027] As Figure 2 shown, a device for testing the performance of a contact electronic skin according to this embodiment includes a carrier table, a pressure device, and a host computer; the carrier table is used to place the electronic skin to be tested, the pressure device is connected to the host computer to receive a control signal to apply an external force to the electronic skin to be tested, and the output interface of the electronic skin to be tested is connected to the host computer to output a voltage-resistant induction signal; the host computer is provided with a memory, a processor, and a front-end interface. A program is stored in the memory, and when the processor loads the program, it executes the following method steps to collect the pressure induction signal of the electronic skin and realize the contact test of the electronic skin. The front-end interface is used for the user to input test instructions or visually display the process and result data of the electronic skin during the performance test to the user.

[0028] As Figure 3 shown, the specific steps of the method of the present invention are as follows:

[0029] First, fix the e-skin at the initial position of the testing device, which can generate a specified force value with an accuracy error of 3% of the full scale. Specifically, devices such as high-precision force sensors and pressure sensors can be used to generate the force value. The testing device can be calibrated to ensure its accuracy and reliability.

[0030] Secondly, the testing device is set according to the minimum response force claimed by the e-skin manufacturer. The minimum response force refers to the minimum force value that the e-skin can perceive and is one of the measures of the e-skin's sensitivity, which is usually specified by the manufacturer in the product specifications.

[0031] Thirdly, the testing device applies a preset force value to the e-skin and observes its response. The e-skin will produce a corresponding reaction to the applied force value, which can be achieved by measuring its resistance, capacitance, or other relevant parameters. Meanwhile, record the applied force value.

[0032] Finally, if the e-skin does not detect the minimum response force Fm, the test is considered a failure. When judging whether the e-skin detects the minimum response force, it can be judged according to the output signal of the e-skin. If the output signal does not reach the preset threshold, the detection is considered a failure. Take the average value of three consecutive successful tests as the result of this test. The calculation formula is as follows:

[0033] The average value of the minimum response force is shown in formula (1) is the average value of the minimum response force measurement;

[0034] F mi is the single minimum response force measurement value;

[0035] n is the number of repetitions, n = 3.

[0036] The standard deviation of the minimum response force is shown in formula (2)

[0037]

[0038] In the formula:

[0039] S m is the standard deviation of the minimum response force;

[0040] is the average value of the minimum response force measurement;

[0041] F mi is the single minimum response force measurement value;

[0042] n is the number of repetitions, n = 3.

[0043] The calculation result of the minimum response force is shown in formula (3)

[0044]

[0045] After testing the minimum response force, the irreversible damage force is tested. First, the testing equipment sets the irreversible damage force claimed by the manufacturer. The irreversible damage force refers to the maximum force value that the electronic skin can withstand. Exceeding this force value will cause damage to the electronic skin and it cannot return to the normal working state.

[0046] Secondly, the testing equipment applies a preset force value to the electronic skin and observes its response. The purpose of this test is to determine whether the electronic skin will be damaged after being subjected to the irreversible damage force Fb. Similarly, the applied force value is recorded.

[0047] Again, the electronic skin is removed from the testing equipment, and an appearance inspection and functional test are performed on the electronic skin. Record whether there are any damages, deformations, color changes, etc. on the electronic skin. At the same time, test whether the function of the electronic skin is normal. During the appearance inspection, it can be observed whether there are scratches, damages, etc. on the surface of the electronic skin. During the functional test, it can be detected whether the output signal of the electronic skin is within the normal threshold range.

[0048] Fix the electronic skin back to the testing equipment, repeat the above steps, and take the average value of the irreversible damage force Fb for 3 consecutive successful tests as the result of this test. The calculation formula is as follows:

[0049] The average value of the irreversible damage force is shown in formula (4)

[0050]

[0051] is the average value of the irreversible damage force measurement;

[0052] F bi is the single measurement value of the irreversible damage force;

[0053] n is the number of repetitions, n = 3.

[0054] The standard deviation of the irreversible damage force is shown in formula (5)

[0055]

[0056] In the formula:

[0057] S b is the standard deviation of the irreversible damage force;

[0058] is the average value of the irreversible damage force measurement;

[0059] F bi is the single measurement value of the irreversible damage force;

[0060] n is the number of repetitions, and n = 3.

[0061] The calculation result of the irreversible damage force is shown in Formula (6).

[0062]

[0063] Finally, it should be noted that the above description is the preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be pointed out that for those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the principle of the present invention, several improvements and refinements can be made, and these improvements and refinements should be regarded as the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for testing the performance of a contact electronic skin, characterized in that, Perform the following steps to apply an external force to the electronic skin to be tested and detect its voltage resistance performance, including the following steps: 1) Apply an external force to the electronic skin to be tested through a pressure device; 2) Collect the voltage resistance induction signal output by the electronic skin to be tested and convert it into a response force value; 3) Calculate the voltage resistance performance according to the response force value, including the tests of the minimum response force and the irreversible damage force; thereby judging the voltage resistance performance of the electronic skin.

2. The method for testing the performance of a contact electronic skin according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pressure device is a high-precision force sensor and a pressure sensor.

3. The method for testing the performance of a contact electronic skin according to claim 1, characterized in that, The voltage resistance induction signal is one or several of resistance, capacitance, and strain.

4. The method for testing the performance of a contact electronic skin according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the response force value is lower than the lowest threshold, it is determined that the signal fails, and the measured value of this time is discarded.

5. The method for testing the performance of a contact electronic skin according to claim 1, characterized in that, Calculating the voltage resistance performance according to the response force value requires data processing of several collected response force values to obtain a minimum response force measurement index for evaluating the voltage resistance performance.

6. The method for testing the performance of a contact electronic skin according to claim 1, characterized in that, The measurement index of the minimum response force is to compare the measured minimum response force measurement index with the corresponding index of the product to judge whether the requirements are met.

7. The method for testing the performance of a contact electronic skin according to claim 1, characterized in that, The measurement index of the irreversible damage force is as follows: First, data processing of several collected response force values is performed to obtain an irreversible damage force measurement index for evaluating the voltage resistance performance, and it is compared with the corresponding index of the product to judge whether the voltage resistance value meets the requirements; Second, an image acquisition device is used to collect the image of the electronic skin after voltage resistance, and image processing is performed to identify whether there is damage, deformation, or color change to judge whether the requirements are met.

8. A device for testing the performance of a contact electronic skin, characterized in that, It includes a stage, a pressure device, and a host computer; the stage is used to place the electronic skin to be tested, the pressure device is connected to the host computer to receive a control signal to apply an external force to the electronic skin to be tested, and the output interface of the electronic skin to be tested is connected to the host computer to output a voltage resistance induction signal; the host computer is provided with a memory, a processor, and a front-end interface. The memory stores a program. When the processor loads the program, it executes the method steps described in any one of claims 1-6, collects the pressure induction signal of the electronic skin, and realizes the contact test of the electronic skin. The front-end interface is used for the user to input test instructions or intuitively display the performance test process and result data of the electronic skin to the user.

Images