A tactile sensor, a robot hand, and a robot

Abstract

The utility model relates to manipulator technical field, especially a kind of visual touch sensor, manipulator and robot. In visual touch sensor, shell is equipped with accommodating cavity;Surface contact module is connected with shell, surface contact module is configured to occur elastic deformation under the action of external force;Reflection plate is located in accommodating cavity, reflection plate is oppositely arranged with surface contact module, reflection plate is configured as the light reflection of surface contact module;Image acquisition module is located in accommodating cavity, image acquisition module is oppositely arranged with reflection plate, image acquisition module is configured to collect the light reflection of reflection plate, to obtain the deformation image of surface contact module. The thickness of the visual touch sensor of the embodiment of the application in the stress extrusion direction of surface contact module can be set smaller, so that at least part of the thickness of the visual touch sensor can be set smaller, the size of the visual touch sensor is smaller, and the application scenario of the visual touch sensor is more extensive.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] A visual-tactile sensor is a sensor that integrates optical imaging and tactile perception. It captures high-resolution images of contact interfaces in real time and retrieves tactile mechanical information. A typical visual-tactile sensor includes a surface contact object, an illumination module, and a camera. The camera captures the deformation of the surface contact object after contact with the object, using this as a carrier of tactile information. Tactile mechanical information is then obtained through a pre-defined image-to-tactile information mapping relationship using computer vision methods. However, current visual-tactile sensors are relatively large in size. Utility Model Content

[0003] In view of this, the present invention proposes a visual-tactile sensor, a robotic arm, and a robot, aiming to partially or completely solve the technical problem of the large size of existing visual-tactile sensors.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of this utility model is implemented as follows: In a first aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide a visual-tactile sensor, which includes... The housing has a receiving cavity; A surface contact module, connected to the housing, is configured to undergo elastic deformation under external force. A reflector is disposed within the accommodating cavity, the reflector being disposed opposite to the surface contact module, and the reflector being configured to reflect light from the surface contact module. An image acquisition module is disposed within the accommodating cavity. The image acquisition module is positioned opposite to the reflector and is configured to collect the light reflected by the reflector to obtain a deformation image of the surface contact module.

[0005] In some embodiments, the surface contact module includes a light-transmitting plate and a surface contact body, the light-transmitting plate being disposed opposite to the reflector, and the surface of the light-transmitting plate facing away from the reflector being connected to the surface contact body.

[0006] In some embodiments, the housing is further provided with a through hole that communicates with the accommodating cavity, and at least a portion of the surface contact module is disposed within the through hole.

[0007] In some embodiments, the light-transmitting plate is disposed within the accommodating cavity, the light-transmitting plate covers the through hole, the surface of the light-transmitting plate facing away from the reflector and the hole wall of the through hole form a limiting groove, and at least a portion of the surface contact body is disposed within the limiting groove.

[0008] In some embodiments, the end of the surface contact body facing away from the light-transmitting plate protrudes from the housing; and / or, the surface contact body is a silicone body.

[0009] In some embodiments, the reflector includes a plate body and a dielectric film, the plate body being connected to the housing, and the surface of the plate body facing the surface contact module being connected to the dielectric film.

[0010] In some embodiments, the housing further includes a first recess, and the reflector is disposed within the first recess.

[0011] In some embodiments, the image acquisition module is spaced apart from the surface contact module and from the reflector in the extending direction of the surface contact module.

[0012] In some embodiments, the visual-tactile sensor further includes an illumination module disposed within the accommodating cavity, the illumination module being configured to provide illumination to the surface contact module.

[0013] In some embodiments, the visual-tactile sensor further includes a first mounting plate disposed within the accommodating cavity, the image acquisition module being mounted on the first mounting plate, and the illumination module being mounted on the first mounting plate.

[0014] In some embodiments, the angle between the reflector and the surface contact module is α, 20°≤α≤30°; and / or, the image acquisition module includes a collection surface facing the reflector, the angle between the collection surface and the reflector being β, 45°≤β≤55°; and / or, in a direction away from the image acquisition module, the surface contact module has a first end away from the image acquisition module and a second end close to the image acquisition module, light reflected from the first end irradiating a first position on the reflector, light reflected from the second end irradiating a second position on the reflector, and the angle between the line connecting the first position to the center of the collection surface and the line connecting the second position to the center of the collection surface being γ, 45°≤γ≤50°.

[0015] In some embodiments, the housing includes a first wall and a second wall, the included angle between the first wall and the second wall being an acute angle, the surface contact module being provided on the first wall, and the reflector being provided on the second wall.

[0016] In some embodiments, the visual-tactile sensor further includes a second control board disposed within the accommodating cavity, located on the side of the image acquisition module opposite to the reflector, and the second control board is electrically connected to both the image acquisition module and the illumination module.

[0017] Secondly, this utility model embodiment also provides a robotic arm, which includes the visual and tactile sensors as described above.

[0018] Thirdly, this utility model embodiment also provides a robot, which includes the visual and tactile sensors as described above, and / or includes the robotic arm as described above.

[0019] This utility model discloses a visual-tactile sensor, in which the image acquisition module obtains the deformation image of the surface contact module by collecting the light reflected by the reflector. Compared with the method of the image acquisition module directly acquiring the deformation image of the surface contact module, the image acquisition module must ensure that the surface contact module is completely captured, and also ensure that the distance limitation caused by focusing is overcome. In this embodiment of the visual-tactile sensor, the thickness of the surface contact module in the direction of force compression can be set to be smaller. Thus, at least part of the thickness of the visual-tactile sensor can be set to be smaller, the size of the visual-tactile sensor is smaller, and the application scenarios of the visual-tactile sensor are more extensive.

[0020] The above description is merely an overview of the technical solution of this utility model. In order to better understand the technical means of this utility model and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, and to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of this utility model more obvious and understandable, specific embodiments of this utility model are given below. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the visual-tactile sensor described in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a structural schematic diagram of an exploded view of the visual-tactile sensor described in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a structural schematic diagram of a cross-sectional view of the visual-tactile sensor described in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the surface contact module described in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first housing described in an embodiment of the present utility model; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second housing as described in an embodiment of the present utility model; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the reflector described in an embodiment of the present utility model; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the light path in the visual-tactile sensor described in this embodiment of the present invention; Figure 9 This is a structural schematic diagram of the angle of the acquisition surface described in an embodiment of this utility model; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first mounting plate described in an embodiment of the present utility model; Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the third mounting plate described in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 10. Housing; 11. Through hole; 12. Receiving cavity; 13. First recess; 141. First wall; 142. Second wall; 143. Third wall; 144. First protrusion; 145. First mounting hole; 146. Second mounting hole; 147. Slope; 148. Third mounting hole; 15. Slot; 16. Second recess; 17. First housing; 18. Second housing; 181. Fourth mounting hole; 182. Second groove; 183. Second protrusion; 19. Assembly groove; 20. Surface contact module; 21. Surface contact body; 22. Light-transmitting plate; 221. Extension; 30. Reflector; 31. Plate body; 32. Dielectric film; 40. Image acquisition module; 41. Acquisition surface; 50. Lighting module; 61. First mounting plate; 611. Third protrusion; 612. Fifth mounting hole; 613. Sixth mounting hole; 614. Mounting post; 615. Seventh mounting hole; 62. Second mounting plate; 63. Mounting bracket; 631. Eighth mounting hole; 71. First control panel; 72. Second control panel; X, first direction; Y, second direction; Z, third direction. Detailed Implementation

[0024] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While exemplary embodiments of the present invention are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present invention may be implemented in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this invention will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

[0025] In current technology, when the camera of a visual-tactile sensor directly acquires images of a surface contact object, it needs to maintain a certain distance from the surface contact object to ensure both complete image capture and accurate focus. This direct image acquisition method results in a larger thickness of the visual-tactile sensor in the direction of force application on the surface contact object, leading to a larger sensor size. This larger sensor limits its application scenarios; for example, its shape does not conform to the actual shape of a finger, and its large size prevents its effective use in robotics.

[0026] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figures 1 to 11 This application provides a detailed description of the visual-tactile sensor, robotic arm, and robot through specific embodiments and application scenarios. The visual-tactile sensor provided in this application has the advantage of small size. Furthermore, the sensor has three intersecting directions: a first direction X, a second direction Y, and a third direction Z. The angles between these directions are set according to usage requirements; for example, the first direction X, the second direction Y, and the third direction Z are mutually perpendicular. The first direction X is parallel to the surface of the surface contact module 20 facing the reflector 30 when it is not in operation, and the third direction Z is the height direction of the visual-tactile sensor.

[0027] Reference Figure 2 As shown in the figure, this application embodiment provides a visual-tactile sensor, which includes a housing 10, a surface contact module 20, a reflector 30, and an image acquisition module 40. The housing 10 is provided with a receiving cavity 12. The surface contact module 20 is connected to the housing 10 and is configured to undergo elastic deformation under the action of external force. The reflector 30 and the image acquisition module 40 are respectively disposed in the receiving cavity 12. The reflector 30 is disposed opposite to the surface contact module 20 and is configured to reflect the light from the surface contact module 20. The image acquisition module 40 is disposed opposite to the reflector 30 and is configured to collect the light reflected by the reflector 30 to obtain a deformation image of the surface contact module 20.

[0028] When the visual tactile sensor is in use, the surface contact module 20 reflects light to the reflector 30, and the reflector 30 reflects the light from the surface contact module 20. The image acquisition module 40 collects the light reflected by the reflector 30 to obtain a deformation image of the surface contact module 20. The visual tactile sensor captures the image of the surface contact module 20 in real time through the image acquisition module 40 to obtain tactile mechanical information.

[0029] In this embodiment of the visual-tactile sensor, the image acquisition module 40 collects the light reflected from the reflector 30 to obtain a deformation image of the surface contact module 20. Compared to the method where the image acquisition module 40 directly acquires the deformation image of the surface contact module 20, the image acquisition module 40 must ensure that the surface contact module 20 is completely captured while also overcoming the distance limitations caused by focusing. Therefore, the thickness of the visual-tactile sensor in the direction of force compression of the surface contact module 20 can be set to be smaller. This results in a smaller thickness for at least a portion of the visual-tactile sensor, leading to a smaller sensor size and a wider range of applications. For example, the shape of the visual-tactile sensor can be designed to more closely resemble the shape of an actual finger, making it more dexterous.

[0030] In some embodiments, the surface contact module 20 includes a light-transmitting plate 22 and a surface contact body 21. The light-transmitting plate 22 is disposed opposite to the reflector 30, and the surface of the light-transmitting plate 22 facing away from the reflector 30 is connected to the surface contact body 21.

[0031] In this embodiment, the surface contact body 21 is used to contact an object. After contacting the surface of the object, the surface contact body 21 deforms. The image acquisition module 40 obtains tactile mechanical information by capturing images of the surface contact body 21 in real time.

[0032] Understandably, the material of the surface contact body 21 is selected according to the application requirements. For example, the surface contact body 21 is a silicone body. The silicone body is a rubber sheet made primarily of silicone, which has good elasticity and is a silicone material component that can simulate human skin.

[0033] Translucent panels are composite materials made of high-transmittance materials such as PMMA (PMMA is a general term for acrylic resins, which are polymers obtained by polymerizing acrylic acid and its esters) and PC (PC is polycarbonate) combined with porous core materials or special structure core materials such as PP (PP is polypropylene). They are a type of translucent material panel.

[0034] The surface contact module 20 of this application improves the reflectivity of the surface contact body 21 by setting the light-transmitting plate 22, so that the image acquisition module 40 can better capture the image of the surface contact body 21 in real time.

[0035] In some embodiments, the housing 10 is further provided with a through hole 11, which communicates with the accommodating cavity 12, and at least a portion of the surface contact module 20 is disposed within the through hole 11. In this embodiment, the surface contact module 20 is assembled through the through hole 11, with one side of the surface contact module 20 facing the outside of the housing 10 for contacting objects, and the other side facing the reflector 30 inside the accommodating cavity 12.

[0036] In the use of the visual-tactile sensor, to avoid problems such as tearing and displacement caused by excessive deformation of the surface contact 21 after contact with an object, in some embodiments, a light-transmitting plate 22 is disposed within the accommodating cavity 12 and fixedly connected to the housing 10. The light-transmitting plate 22 covers the through hole 11, and the surface of the light-transmitting plate 22 facing away from the reflector 30 and the hole wall of the through hole 11 form a limiting groove. At least a portion of the surface contact 21 is disposed within the limiting groove. After contacting an object, the surface contact 21 mostly deforms into the limiting groove. The limiting groove can limit the deformation of the surface contact 21 and avoid adverse effects caused by excessive deformation of the surface contact 21.

[0037] In some embodiments, the end of the surface contact body 21 facing away from the light-transmitting plate 22 protrudes from the housing 10. In this way, the surface contact body 21 can make better contact with the object, and after contacting the object, it can have a larger deformation in the thickness direction, so that the image acquisition module 40 can better capture the image of the surface contact body 21 in real time.

[0038] There are various ways to connect the light-transmitting plate 22 and the surface contact body 21, for example, the light-transmitting plate 22 and the surface contact body 21 can be bonded together.

[0039] In some embodiments, the reflector 30 includes a plate body 31 and a dielectric film 32. The plate body 31 is connected to the housing 10, and the surface of the plate body 31 facing the surface contact module 20 is connected to the dielectric film 32. In this embodiment, the dielectric film 32 is used to improve the reflectivity of the reflector 30, thereby enabling the image acquisition module 40 to collect more light reflected by the reflector 30 and obtain the deformation image of the surface contact module 20 more sensitively and accurately.

[0040] To reduce the thickness of the surface contact module 20 corresponding to the visual tactile sensor in the direction of force compression, the housing 10 further includes a first recess 13, within which the reflector 30 is disposed. Thus, while maintaining the distance between the reflector 30 and the surface contact module 20, the thickness of the housing 10 at the locations corresponding to the reflector 30 and the surface contact module 20 is reduced, resulting in a smaller visual tactile sensor and wider applicability.

[0041] The first recess 13 can form a groove-like structure, and part or all of the reflector 30 is disposed within the groove-like structure. (Refer to...) Figure 3 As shown, the first recess 13 can also be adapted to the setting angle of the reflector 30. The left end of the first recess 13 forms a step with the cavity wall of the receiving cavity 12, and the right end of the first recess 13 is smoothly connected with the cavity wall of the receiving cavity 12. This setting method of the first recess 13 can reduce the impact on the strength of the shell 10 while reducing the space occupied.

[0042] In some embodiments, the included angle between the reflector 30 and the surface contact module 20 is α, where 20°≤α≤30°. When the included angle α between the reflector 30 and the surface contact module 20 is within the above range, the reflector 30 can reflect all the light from the surface contact module 20, and the distance between the reflector 30 and the surface contact module 20 is set to be small, thereby making the size of the visual tactile sensor smaller.

[0043] It is understandable that the included angle α between the reflector 30 and the surface contact module 20 is set according to the usage requirements in actual applications. For example, α is one of 20°, 21°, 22°, 23°, 24°, 25°, 26°, 27°, 28°, 29°, 30°, or any angle between the above angles.

[0044] Reference Figure 8 As shown, the arrows indicate the transmission path of the light reflected by the surface contact module 20 and the path of the light transmitted from the surface contact module 20 reflected by the reflector 30. The projection of the right end of the reflector 30 onto the surface contact module 20 is located inside the surface contact module 20, while the projection of the left end of the reflector 30 onto the surface contact module 20 is located outside the surface contact module 20 and to the left of the surface contact module 20.

[0045] In some embodiments, the image acquisition module 40 is spaced apart from the surface contact module 20 and spaced apart from the reflector 30 in the extending direction of the surface contact module 20; that is, the surface contact module 20 and the reflector 30 are disposed on the same side of the image acquisition module 40, for example... Figure 3 The surface contact module 20 and reflector 30 shown are positioned to the right of the image acquisition module 40. In this way, the image acquisition module 40 does not occupy the space between the surface contact module 20 and the reflector 30, allowing the thickness of the visual tactile sensor in the direction of force compression of the surface contact module 20 to be set smaller, and preventing damage to the image acquisition module 40 caused by pressure from the surface contact module 20. Furthermore, the image acquisition module 40 does not block the light reflected from the surface contact module 20 to the reflector 30, and the reflector 30 reflects the light from the surface contact module 20 to the image acquisition module 40, allowing the image acquisition module 40 to collect more light to better obtain the deformation image of the surface contact module 20.

[0046] Reference Figure 3 As shown, when the surface contact module 20 has a plate-like structure, the extension direction of the surface contact module 20 from left to right is in the same direction as the first direction X. In the first direction X, the image acquisition module 40 is spaced apart from the surface contact module 20 and spaced apart from the reflector 30.

[0047] In some embodiments, the image acquisition module 40 includes a collection surface 41 facing the reflector 30, and the angle between the collection surface 41 and the reflector 30 is in the range of β, 45°≤β≤55°. In this embodiment, when the angle β between the collection surface 41 and the reflector 30 is within the above range, the image acquisition module 40 can collect all the light reflected from the surface contact module 20 reflected by the reflector 30. This allows for a better acquisition of the deformation image of the surface contact module 20; and avoids occupying a large space in the third direction Z, allowing the height of the visual tactile sensor in the third direction Z to be set smaller.

[0048] It is understandable that the angle range β between the collecting surface 41 and the reflector 30 is set according to the usage requirements in actual applications. For example, β is one of 45°, 46°, 47°, 48°, 49°, 50°, 51°, 52°, 53°, 54°, 55°, or any angle between the above angles.

[0049] In some embodiments, in the direction away from the image acquisition module 40, the surface contact module 20 has a first end A away from the image acquisition module 40 and a second end B close to the image acquisition module 40. The light reflected from the first end A illuminates a first position C of the reflector 30, and the light reflected from the second end B illuminates a second position D of the reflector 30. The angle between the line connecting the first position to the center of the acquisition surface 41 and the line connecting the second position to the center of the acquisition surface 41 is γ, where 45°≤γ≤50°. In this embodiment, when the angle γ is within the above range, all the light reflected by the surface contact module 20 can reach the reflector 30, and the image acquisition module 40 can acquire all the light reflected from the surface contact module 20 by the reflector 30. Thus, the image acquisition module 40 can accurately obtain the deformation image of the surface contact module 20. In addition, it also makes it unnecessary to design a large size for the housing of the visual tactile sensor in the direction of force compression of the surface contact module 20, and its shape can be designed to fit the shape of a human finger more closely.

[0050] It is understandable that the specific angle of γ is set according to the usage requirements. For example, γ is one of 45°, 46°, 47°, 48°, 49°, 50°, or any angle between the above.

[0051] In one specific embodiment, the α value of the visual-tactile sensor is 25°, the β value is 50°, the angle between the perpendicular line passing through the center of the acquisition surface 41 and the line connecting the first position C and the center of the acquisition surface 41 is γ2, and γ2 is 20°; the angle between the perpendicular line passing through the center of the acquisition surface 41 and the line connecting the second position D and the center of the acquisition surface 41 is γ1, and γ1 is 27°. The sum of γ1 and γ2 is γ. Thus, the visual-tactile sensor has a small size, meeting the size requirements for visual-tactile sensors.

[0052] In some embodiments, the visual-tactile sensor also includes an illumination module 50, which is configured to provide illumination to the surface contact module 20, so that the surface contact module 20 reflects light to the reflector 30, thus avoiding insufficient brightness from affecting the image acquisition effect.

[0053] In some embodiments, the visual-tactile sensor also includes a first mounting plate 61, which is disposed in the accommodating cavity 12. The first mounting plate 61 is tilted in the first direction X. The first mounting plate 61 is connected to the image acquisition module 40 and the illumination module 50 respectively. The image acquisition module 40 and the illumination module 50 are both disposed opposite to the reflector 30.

[0054] In this embodiment, the first mounting plate 61 assembles the image acquisition module 40 and the illumination module 50. During the assembly of the visual-touch sensor, the first mounting plate 61, the image acquisition module 40 and the illumination module 50 are first assembled into a module, and then the module is assembled into the housing 10, which has the advantages of simple and convenient assembly.

[0055] To ensure more uniform illumination and sufficient brightness in the illumination module 50, the illumination module 50 can be configured with multiple individual illumination units, arranged around the image acquisition module 40. For example, refer to... Figure 2 As shown, the lighting module 50 has six lighting units, three are located on the upper side of the image acquisition module 40, and three are located on the lower side of the image acquisition module 40. It is understood that the number of lighting units can be set according to usage requirements, and this embodiment does not limit this. Multiple lighting units can also be evenly distributed around the outer periphery of the image acquisition module 40, etc., depending on the specific usage requirements.

[0056] The illumination unit can also be selected according to usage requirements; for example, the illumination unit can be a light-emitting diode (LED). When the illumination unit is an LED, the visual-tactile sensor also includes a first control board 71, on which multiple LEDs are disposed. The first control board 71 has through holes for mounting the image acquisition module 40. The first control board 71 is mounted on a first mounting plate 61.

[0057] In some embodiments, the visual-tactile sensor also includes a second control board 72, which is disposed in the accommodating cavity 12. The second control board 72 is located on the side of the image acquisition module 40 away from the reflector 30. The second control board 72 is electrically connected to the image acquisition module 40 and the illumination module 50 respectively. The second control board 72 is used to perform comprehensive control on the image acquisition module 40 and the illumination module 50 to realize information transmission, image analysis, etc.

[0058] In the case where the lighting unit in the lighting module 50 is a light-emitting diode and a first control board 71 is provided, the second control board 72 is also connected to the first control board 71 to control the lighting module 50. In this embodiment, the second control board 72 is located on the side of the image acquisition module 40 away from the reflector 30. The second control board 72 utilizes the space on the side of the image acquisition module 40 away from the reflector 30 and does not occupy the space between the image acquisition module 40, the surface contact module 20, and the reflector 30, so that the thickness of the visual tactile sensor in the direction of force compression of the surface contact module 20 can be set to be smaller.

[0059] In this embodiment, the housing 10 is used to fix components such as the surface contact module 20, reflector 30, image acquisition module 40, and illumination module 50, and to ensure that each component remains stably aligned under mechanical stress. Simultaneously, the housing 10 prevents damage to the sensitive image acquisition module 40 and circuitry from external physical impacts or environmental contaminants (such as dust or liquids). Furthermore, by creating a relatively enclosed environment, the housing 10 reduces ambient light interference, ensuring that the image acquisition module 40 only captures the optical signals generated by the deformation of the surface contact module 20 due to contact with the object, thus improving the accuracy of image acquisition. The design of the housing 10 can also be adapted to different usage scenarios, such as matching with robot end effectors, for example, directly replacing mechanical fingers.

[0060] In some embodiments, the housing 10 includes a first wall 141 and a second wall 142, the included angle between the first wall 141 and the second wall 142 is an acute angle, the first wall 141 is provided with a surface contact module 20, and the second wall 142 is provided with a reflector 30.

[0061] In this embodiment, the image acquisition module 40 obtains the deformation image of the surface contact module 20 by collecting the light reflected by the reflector 30. The distance between the reflector 30 and the surface contact module 20 can be set to be small. Thus, the distance between the first wall 141 and the second wall 142 can be set to be small, so that the shape of the visual tactile sensor at the first wall 141 and the second wall 142 is closer to the actual finger shape and more dexterous.

[0062] The housing 10 also includes a third wall 143, which is parallel to the first wall 141 and connected to the second wall 142. The angle between the third wall 143 and the second wall 142 is an obtuse angle, so that the shape of the visual tactile sensor is closer to the actual shape of a finger.

[0063] In some embodiments, the housing 10 includes a first housing 17 and a second housing 18. After assembly, the first housing 17 and the second housing 18 form a receiving cavity 12. The first housing 17 and the second housing 18 are respectively connected to the light-transmitting plate 22, the reflective plate 30, the image acquisition module 40, the lighting module 50, the first mounting plate 61, and the second mounting plate 62. The specific connection method is as follows.

[0064] Reference Figure 5 As shown, the first housing 17 has a first opening at one end in the third direction Z and a second opening at one end in the first direction X. Second mounting holes 146 are respectively provided on the end faces of the first and second openings. (Refer to...) Figure 6 As shown, the second housing 18 has an L-shaped structure, and a fourth mounting hole 181 is provided at the end of the second housing 18. The second mounting hole 146 and the fourth mounting hole 181 are connected by fasteners such as bolts to fix the first housing 17 and the second housing 18 together, and the second housing 18 covers the first opening and the second opening.

[0065] The connection structure between the first housing 17 and the light-transmitting plate 22 is as follows: Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the light-transmitting plate 22 has an extension 221 at one end in the first direction X, and the extension 221 tapers in the second direction Y to form a stepped structure. The first housing 17 has a slot 15, and the first housing 17 has a second recess 16 at one end in the third direction Z. The second recess 16 is recessed into the first housing 17 from the end face of the first housing 17 in the third direction Z along the third direction Z. The light-transmitting plate 22 is disposed in the second recess 16, and the extension 221 is engaged in the slot 15. After the first housing 17 and the second housing 18 are connected, the light-transmitting plate 22 can be assembled.

[0066] The first housing 17 has a first wall 141 and a third wall 143. The first wall 141 has a first recess 13, and the reflector 30 is assembled in the first recess 13. The specific method of assembling the reflector 30 in the first recess 13 can be selected according to the usage requirements. For example, the reflector 30 can be pasted in the first recess 13, which has the advantages of simple structure and simple assembly.

[0067] The image acquisition module 40 and the lighting module 50 are assembled within the first housing 17 via a first mounting plate 61 and a second mounting plate 62. The first housing 17 has a first protrusion 144 extending into the accommodating cavity 12, and the first protrusion 144 has a first mounting hole 145. The lighting module 50 is assembled onto the first control board 71. The first mounting plate 61 has a sixth mounting hole 613, through which it connects to the first control board 71 and mates with the first mounting hole 145 to connect with the first protrusion 144. The first mounting plate 61 connects to the image acquisition module 40 via a fifth mounting hole 612. For example, the fifth mounting hole 612 is a threaded hole, and one end of the image acquisition module 40 has an external thread, allowing the image acquisition module 40 to be assembled within the fifth mounting hole 612. Third protrusions 611 are located at the three corners of the first mounting plate 61, extending away from the first control board 71. The third protrusions 611 have a seventh mounting hole 615 and a mounting post 614. The second mounting plate 62 has mounting holes that mate with the seventh mounting hole 615 and mounting holes that mate with the mounting post 614. The first mounting plate 61 is assembled and connected to the second mounting plate 62 through the seventh mounting hole 615 and the mounting post 614. The second mounting plate 62 is used to limit the position of the first mounting plate 61 and make the structure of the first mounting plate 61 more stable. In addition, the third protrusion 611 abuts against the slope 147 of the first housing 17 to ensure the assembly angle of the first mounting plate 61, thereby ensuring the setting angle of the image acquisition module 40.

[0068] The second control panel 72 is assembled on the second housing 18, see reference. Figure 6 As shown, the second housing 18 is provided with two second protrusions 183, and a second groove 182 is formed between the two second protrusions 183. The second control plate 72 is snapped into the second groove 182 to realize the assembly of the second control plate 72 and the second housing 18.

[0069] In the current technology, the housing 10 is usually made of plastic. Although the plastic housing reduces the overall weight of the visual tactile sensor, when the visual tactile sensor is subjected to force, the relative positions of the image acquisition module 40, the illumination module 50, and the surface contact body 21 installed on the housing will change due to the deformation of the housing. The image acquisition module 40 will not be able to acquire images stably, and the final mechanical information obtained will not be accurate.

[0070] In this embodiment, the housing 10 is made of a hard material such as aluminum alloy. The hard material can improve the strength of the housing 10, making it less prone to deformation. The relative positions of the reflector 30, the surface contact body 21, and the image acquisition module 40 will not change due to the deformation of the housing 10. The path of light is more stable, resulting in better image quality of the deformation of the surface contact body 21 under pressure. This ensures the image quality of the deformation of the surface contact body 21 captured by the image acquisition module 40, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the mechanical information acquired.

[0071] In practical applications, the housing 10 can be made of aluminum alloy. Aluminum alloy has good material strength and low density, which ensures that the visual and tactile sensor is lightweight enough and improves the load-bearing capacity of the visual and tactile sensor when it is clamped.

[0072] The visual-tactile sensor also includes a mounting bracket 63, which has an eighth mounting hole 631. The surface of the first housing 17 also has a mounting groove 19, with a third mounting hole 148 at the bottom of the groove. Bolts or other fasteners connect the eighth mounting hole 631 and the third mounting hole 148 to assemble the mounting bracket 63 and the first housing 17. The mounting bracket 63 is used for assembling the visual-tactile sensor in various application scenarios, such as mounting the sensor onto a robotic arm. It is understood that the mounting bracket 63 can be extended in different forms to adapt to various robotic arms and grippers.

[0073] It is understandable that the first housing 17, the second housing 18, the mounting bracket 63, and the first mounting plate 61 are all aluminum alloy parts.

[0074] In this embodiment of the visual-tactile sensor, when the surface contact body 21 is compressed, the image acquisition module 40 captures a deformation image of the surface contact body 21 through the reflector 30. The deformation data is then uploaded to a second control board or data processor for processing to provide force feedback. This embodiment optimizes the structural arrangement of the visual-tactile sensor by reflecting the image of the surface contact body 21 to the image acquisition module 40 through the reflector 30. This reduces the size of the surface contact module 20 in the direction of compression, making the visual-tactile sensor more compact. Simultaneously, it allows the shape of the visual-tactile sensor to more closely resemble the shape of a human finger, making the gripping action more natural and fluid.

[0075] This application also provides a robotic hand, which includes the visual-tactile sensor described above. The visual-tactile sensor can serve as the fingers of the robotic hand, and because the visual-tactile sensor is smaller and its shape is closer to the shape of a human finger, the shape of the robotic hand is closer to that of a human hand, and the gripping action is more natural and smooth.

[0076] This application also provides a robot, which includes the visual and tactile sensors as described above, and / or includes the robotic arm as described above.

[0077] In the embodiments of this application, the visual-tactile sensor, the robotic arm, and the robot can be referenced to each other and have the same or similar beneficial effects as any of the aforementioned visual-tactile sensors. To avoid repetition, they will not be described again here.

[0078] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0079] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a related manner. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to mutually. Each embodiment focuses on describing the differences from other embodiments. For embodiments of devices, electronic devices, computer-readable storage media, and computer program products containing instructions, the descriptions are relatively simple because they are basically similar to the method embodiments; relevant parts can be referred to the descriptions of the method embodiments.

[0080] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this utility model and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this utility model. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this utility model are included within the scope of protection of this utility model.

Claims

1. A visual-tactile sensor, characterized in that, include, The housing (10) is provided with a receiving cavity (12); A surface contact module (20) is connected to the housing (10), and the surface contact module (20) is configured to undergo elastic deformation under the action of external force; A reflector (30) is disposed in the accommodating cavity (12), the reflector (30) is disposed opposite to the surface contact module (20), and the reflector (30) is configured to reflect the light from the surface contact module (20); An image acquisition module (40) is disposed within the accommodating cavity (12). The image acquisition module (40) is disposed opposite to the reflector (30). The image acquisition module (40) is configured to collect the light reflected by the reflector (30) to obtain a deformation image of the surface contact module (20).

2. The visual-tactile sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The surface contact module (20) includes a light-transmitting plate (22) and a surface contact body (21). The light-transmitting plate (22) is disposed opposite to the reflector (30), and the surface of the light-transmitting plate (22) facing away from the reflector (30) is connected to the surface contact body (21).

3. The visual-tactile sensor according to claim 2, characterized in that, The housing (10) is also provided with a through hole (11), which is connected to the accommodating cavity (12), and at least part of the surface contact module (20) is disposed in the through hole (11).

4. The visual-tactile sensor according to claim 3, characterized in that, The light-transmitting plate (22) is disposed in the accommodating cavity (12), the light-transmitting plate (22) covers the through hole (11), the surface of the light-transmitting plate (22) facing away from the reflector plate (30) and the hole wall of the through hole (11) form a limiting groove, and at least part of the surface contact body (21) is disposed in the limiting groove.

5. The visual-tactile sensor according to any one of claims 2-4, characterized in that, The end of the surface contact body (21) facing away from the light-transmitting plate (22) protrudes from the housing (10); and / or, The surface contact body (21) is a silicone body.

6. The visual-tactile sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The reflector (30) includes a plate body (31) and a dielectric film (32). The plate body (31) is connected to the housing (10), and the surface of the plate body (31) facing the surface contact module (20) is connected to the dielectric film (32).

7. The visual-tactile sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The housing (10) further includes a first recess (13), and the reflector (30) is disposed in the first recess (13).

8. The visual-tactile sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the extending direction of the surface contact module (20), the image acquisition module (40) is spaced apart from the surface contact module (20) and spaced apart from the reflector (30).

9. The visual-tactile sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The visual-tactile sensor also includes an illumination module (50) disposed within the accommodating cavity (12) and configured to provide illumination to the surface contact module (20).

10. The visual-tactile sensor according to claim 9, characterized in that, The visual-tactile sensor also includes a first mounting plate (61), which is disposed in the accommodating cavity (12). The image acquisition module (40) is mounted on the first mounting plate (61), and the lighting module (50) is mounted on the first mounting plate (61).

11. The visual-tactile sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The included angle between the reflector (30) and the surface contact module (20) is α, where 20° ≤ α ≤ 30°; and / or, The image acquisition module (40) includes a collection surface (41) facing the reflector (30), the angle between the collection surface (41) and the reflector (30) being in the range of β, 45°≤β≤55°; and / or, In the direction away from the image acquisition module (40), the surface contact module (20) has a first end away from the image acquisition module (40) and a second end close to the image acquisition module (40). The light reflected from the first end illuminates a first position of the reflector (30), and the light reflected from the second end illuminates a second position of the reflector (30). The angle between the line connecting the first position to the center of the acquisition surface (41) and the line connecting the second position to the center of the acquisition surface (41) is γ, where 45°≤γ≤50°.

12. The visual-tactile sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The housing (10) includes a first wall (141) and a second wall (142), the included angle between the first wall (141) and the second wall (142) is an acute angle, the surface contact module (20) is provided on the first wall (141), and the reflector (30) is provided on the second wall (142).

13. The visual-tactile sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The visual-tactile sensor also includes a second control board (72), which is located in the accommodating cavity (12) on the side of the image acquisition module (40) away from the reflector (30). The second control board (72) is electrically connected to the image acquisition module (40) and the illumination module (50) respectively.

14. A robotic arm, characterized in that, Including the visual-tactile sensor as described in any one of claims 1-13.

15. A robot, characterized in that, Includes a visual-tactile sensor as described in any one of claims 1-13, and / or includes a robotic arm as described in claim 14.

Images