Tactile sensor

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of sensors, in particular to a tactile sensor, which comprises a flexible part used for receiving extrusion force from a contact object and generating deformation; and the camera module is arranged opposite to the flexible part and is used for shooting the deformed flexible part. The camera module comprises a first lens, a second lens, a bracket, a photosensitive chip and a circuit board, the first lens and the second lens are both installed on the support, the support is arranged on the circuit board, the photosensitive chip is arranged on the circuit board and located under the first lens and the second lens, and the first lens and the second lens share one photosensitive chip. The first lens and the second lens are jointly installed on the same support and share the same photosensitive chip, the interval between the first lens and the second lens is reduced, and 3D sensing application in the macro field is achieved. Meanwhile, the size of the camera module is reduced, and the miniaturization design requirement is met; and the cost of the touch sensor can be reduced by sharing the photosensitive chip.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of sensor technology, and in particular to a tactile sensor. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of electronic devices, more and more electronic devices need 3D perception functions. As the eyes of electronic devices to perceive the outside world, sensors have also been widely used. As a type of sensor that obtains information through contact, tactile sensors can not only perceive the material, texture, and shape of the touched object (i.e., the three-dimensional information of the object), but also perceive information such as pressure, temperature, and humidity applied by the touched object during the touching process. This further assists electronic devices in realizing the perception of objects and the surrounding environment through contact.

[0003] In existing technologies, tactile sensors use independent camera modules to capture changes in flexible structures, calculate these changes, and thus obtain information about the object being touched. However, in existing technologies, the two camera modules are relatively large, and the distance between the two lenses is quite far, resulting in a large baseline for the two camera modules. This makes it impossible to achieve 3D sensing applications in the macro field, and thus cannot meet the needs of macro applications. Utility Model Content

[0004] To address the aforementioned problems, the purpose of this invention is to provide a tactile sensor capable of enabling detection applications in the field of macroscopic sensing.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides a tactile sensor, comprising: a flexible member for receiving compressive force from a contacting object and undergoing deformation; and a camera module disposed opposite to the flexible member for capturing images of the deformed flexible member.

[0006] The camera module includes: a first lens, a second lens, a bracket, a photosensitive chip, and a circuit board;

[0007] Both the first lens and the second lens are mounted on the bracket, which is disposed on the circuit board. The photosensitive chip is disposed on the circuit board and located directly below the first lens and the second lens. The first lens and the second lens share a single photosensitive chip.

[0008] Further preferably, the center distance between the first lens and the second lens is H, where 3mm ≤ H ≤ 5mm.

[0009] Further preferably, the flexible component is made of silicone.

[0010] More preferably, the flexible component includes an arc-shaped portion and a support portion, the arc-shaped portion being located directly above the camera module, and the arc-shaped portion being mounted on the circuit board via the support portion.

[0011] Further preferably, the surface of the arc-shaped portion is provided with dot matrix markings or the surface of the arc-shaped portion has area division markings.

[0012] Further preferably, the tactile sensor also includes an LED light, which is mounted on the circuit board and located on the outside of the bracket.

[0013] Further preferably, the camera module also includes a barrier wall, which is disposed between the bracket and the photosensitive chip and located at the intermediate connection between the first lens and the second lens. The barrier wall is used to prevent crosstalk between the light passing through the first lens and the second lens.

[0014] Further preferably, the retaining wall is integrally formed on the bracket.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows:

[0016] (1) The first lens and the second lens are mounted on the same bracket and share the same photosensitive chip, which reduces the gap between the first lens and the second lens and enables 3D sensing applications in the field of macro photography; at the same time, the size of the camera module is reduced to meet the requirements of miniaturization design; the sharing of photosensitive chips can also reduce the cost of tactile sensors.

[0017] (2) The flexible part is made of silicone, which can achieve good deformation acquisition; dot matrix marks or area division marks are set on the surface of the arc part of the flexible part, so that the deformation of the arc part can be more obviously reflected, and the deformation accuracy acquisition effect of the tactile sensor is improved.

[0018] (3) An LED light is installed inside the tactile sensor and located around the camera module bracket to provide a shooting light source for the camera module and improve the deformation acquisition effect of the tactile sensor.

[0019] (4) A barrier is set between the first lens and the second lens to prevent crosstalk between the light passing through the first lens and the second lens, thereby improving the imaging quality of the first lens and the second lens and thus improving the sensing capability of the tactile sensor. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of this utility model will become apparent and readily understood from the description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0021] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the tactile sensor provided by this utility model;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the camera module provided by this utility model;

[0023] Figure 3 A top view of the photosensitive chip provided by this utility model;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the arc-shaped portion of a flexible component according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the arc-shaped portion of the flexible component according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] The following detailed description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, will further illustrate this utility model. Detailed Implementation

[0027] To better understand this invention, various aspects of the invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these detailed descriptions are merely illustrative of embodiments of the invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way. Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals denote the same elements. The expression "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0028] Those skilled in the art should understand that, in the disclosure of this utility model, the terms "longitudinal," "lateral," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, the above terms should not be construed as limitations on this utility model.

[0029] It should also be understood that the terms "comprising," "including," "having," "containing," and / or "comprising," when used in this specification, indicate the presence of the stated features, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof. Furthermore, when expressions such as "at least one of..." appear after a list of listed features, they modify the entire list of features, not individual elements in the list. Additionally, when describing embodiments of the present invention, the word "may" is used to indicate "one or more embodiments of the present invention." And the term "exemplary" is intended to refer to an example or illustration.

[0030] Unless otherwise specified, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) shall have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. It should also be understood that terms (e.g., those defined in common dictionaries) shall be interpreted as having the meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and shall not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

[0031] It should be noted that, where there is no conflict, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this utility model can be combined with each other. The present utility model will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0032] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, this utility model provides a tactile sensor, including: a flexible member 10 for receiving compressive force from a contacting object and undergoing deformation; and a camera module 20, disposed opposite to the flexible member 10, for capturing images of the deformed flexible member 10. The camera module 20 includes: a first lens 21, a second lens 22, a bracket 23, a photosensitive chip 24, and a circuit board 25. Both the first lens 21 and the second lens 22 are mounted on the bracket 23, which is mounted on the circuit board 25. The photosensitive chip 24 is mounted on the circuit board 25 and located directly below the first lens 21 and the second lens 22, sharing a single photosensitive chip 24. By mounting the first lens 21 and the second lens 22 on the same bracket 23 and sharing the same photosensitive chip 24, the distance between the first lens 21 and the second lens 22 is reduced, enabling 3D sensing applications in the macro field. This also reduces the size of the camera module 20, meeting miniaturization requirements. The shared photosensitive chip 24 also reduces the cost of the tactile sensor. Understandably, when the flexible component 10 located above the camera module 20 is subjected to external compressive force, the camera module 20 records the changes in the flexible component 10 by taking pictures. The photos taken by the first lens 21 and the second lens 22 in the camera module 20 are combined and analyzed, and the deformation of the flexible component 10 is calculated by an algorithm, thereby obtaining information about the contact object that provides the external compressive force acting on the flexible component 10.

[0033] Please refer to Figure 3 The above, Figure 3A top view of the photosensitive chip 24 is provided. The surface of the photosensitive chip 24 includes a first imaging area 241 and a second imaging area 242. The first imaging area 241 corresponds to the first lens 21, and some light passes through the first lens 21 to form an image in the first imaging area 241 of the photosensitive chip 24. Similarly, the second imaging area 242 corresponds to the second lens 22, and some light passes through the second lens 22 to form an image in the second imaging area 241 of the photosensitive chip 24. That is, the imaging surface of a single photosensitive chip 24 is fully utilized, with the first lens 21 and the second lens 22 corresponding to different imaging areas.

[0034] In one embodiment, the center distance between the first lens 21 and the second lens 22 is H, where 3mm ≤ H ≤ 5mm. The center distance H between the first lens 21 and the second lens 22 is the distance between the optical axes of the first lens 21 and the second lens 22. It should be noted that the center distance H between the first lens 21 and the second lens 22 is also the baseline of the two lenses. In a stereo vision system, the baseline is an important parameter that affects the system's accuracy and performance. A smaller baseline is suitable for applications involving close-range depth measurement. Controlling the value of the distance H between the first lens 21 and the second lens 22 ensures that the tactile sensor can be well applied to 3D perception testing in the macro field.

[0035] In one embodiment, the flexible element 10 is made of silicone. The use of silicone in the flexible element 10 allows for good deformation detection.

[0036] In one embodiment, the flexible member 10 includes an arc-shaped portion 11 and a support portion 12. The arc-shaped portion 11 is located directly above the camera module 20, and is mounted on the circuit board 25 via the support portion 12. It is understood that the arc-shaped portion 11 is a component of the flexible member 10 used to receive external pressure. Designing this component as an arc-shaped structure facilitates accurate measurement of information about the contact object providing the external pressure.

[0037] Please refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the surface of the arc-shaped portion 11 is provided with dot matrix markings and the surface of the arc-shaped portion 11 is provided with area division marks. By providing dot matrix markings or area division marks on the surface of the arc-shaped portion 11 of the flexible member 10, the deformation of the surface of the arc-shaped portion 11 can be more clearly demonstrated, facilitating the analysis of images captured by the first lens 21 and the second lens 22, obtaining corresponding depth test information, and improving the deformation accuracy acquisition effect of the tactile sensor.

[0038] In one embodiment, the tactile sensor further includes an LED light 30, which is mounted on the circuit board 25 and located outside the bracket 23. The light provided by the LED light 30 can illuminate the flexible component 10, thereby increasing the brightness of the flexible component 10. This allows the images captured by the first lens 21 and the second lens 22 to clearly display the details of the flexible component 10, improving the accuracy of the measurement information of the flexible component 10.

[0039] In one embodiment, the camera module 20 further includes a barrier 26 disposed between the bracket 23 and the photosensitive chip 24, and located at the intermediate connection between the first lens 21 and the second lens 22. The barrier 26 is used to prevent crosstalk between the light passing through the first lens 21 and the second lens 22. The barrier 26, positioned between the first lens 21 and the second lens 22, prevents crosstalk between them, improves the imaging quality of the first lens 21 and the second lens 22, and thus enhances the sensing capability of the tactile sensor.

[0040] Further optimization involves integrally molding the retaining wall 26 onto the bracket 23. This integral molding of the retaining wall 26 onto the bracket 23 facilitates manufacturing and also facilitates the assembly and production of the tactile sensor.

[0041] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementations of this utility model, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of this utility model patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this utility model, and these all fall within the protection scope of this utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of this utility model patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A tactile sensor, characterized in that, include: Flexible components are used to receive compressive forces from objects they come into contact with and to deform accordingly. A camera module is disposed opposite to the flexible component and is used to capture images of the flexible component that has undergone deformation; The camera module includes: a first lens, a second lens, a bracket, a photosensitive chip, and a circuit board; Both the first lens and the second lens are mounted on the bracket, which is disposed on the circuit board. The photosensitive chip is disposed on the circuit board and located directly below the first lens and the second lens. The first lens and the second lens share a single photosensitive chip.

2. The tactile sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The center distance between the first lens and the second lens is H, where 3mm ≤ H ≤ 5mm.

3. The tactile sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flexible component is made of silicone.

4. The tactile sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flexible component includes an arc-shaped portion and a support portion. The arc-shaped portion is located directly above the camera module and is mounted on the circuit board via the support portion.

5. The tactile sensor according to claim 4, characterized in that, The surface of the arc-shaped portion is provided with dot matrix markings or the surface of the arc-shaped portion has area division markings.

6. The tactile sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tactile sensor also includes an LED light, which is mounted on the circuit board and located on the outside of the bracket.

7. The tactile sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The camera module also includes a barrier wall, which is disposed between the bracket and the photosensitive chip and located at the intermediate connection between the first lens and the second lens. The barrier wall is used to prevent crosstalk between the light passing through the first lens and the second lens.

8. The tactile sensor according to claim 7, characterized in that, The retaining wall is integrally formed on the bracket.

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