Wearable sensor and wearable sensor system

Abstract

To make it easier to change the configuration of a wearable sensor.SOLUTION: The present invention relates to a wearable sensor to attach to a human body, the wearable sensor including: a layered body shaped to surround the area from the wrist of a hand of a person to the tips of the fingers, the layered body forming at least two layers overlapping each other at least partially; and at least one sensor provided in at least one of the at least two layers.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a wearable sensor having a sensor that measures finger-related actions such as finger movements, and a wearable system that collects and processes information measured by the wearable sensor. [Background technology]

[0002] Currently, there are many countries in the world where the declining birthrate and aging of the population are progressing or are expected to progress in the future. In Japan, the number of skilled workers is decreasing, for example in the industrial field, due to the effects of population decline and aging. Therefore, the transfer of skills from skilled workers to young workers has become an urgent issue. Many of the skills acquired by skilled workers require many years to master. Therefore, there is a demand to measure and quantify the movements of workers and use the quantified data to help them understand the tricks of the work. There is also a demand to shorten the time required for the transfer of skills. Furthermore, measuring people's movements can be useful for the transfer of skills in fields other than the industrial field as well.

[0003] There are various ways to measure the movements of workers, but one effective method is for workers to wear sensors while working.One method of working while wearing sensors is to use sensor gloves that can visualize the movements of the hands and fingertips, which are particularly likely to reveal the level of skill of a worker.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a data glove comprising a glove body and a first strain sensor and a second strain sensor arranged in an area corresponding to the vicinity of the metacarpophalangeal joint on the dorsal side of at least one of the first to fifth fingers of the glove body, the first strain sensor being configured to detect expansion and contraction in the proximal-distal direction of the area and the second strain sensor being configured to detect expansion and contraction in the left-right direction of the area. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-125931 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The method described in Patent Document 1 is considered to be capable of capturing finger bending and straightening three-dimensionally and accurately. However, for example, in manufacturing, workers perform various movements. The items to be measured and the types of sensors to be used vary according to the movements. Items to be measured include, for example, finger bending and straightening, pressure on the hand, acceleration when moving the hand, and sound generated when performing work. Sensors to be used include, for example, strain sensors, pressure sensors, acceleration sensors, microphones, and the like. In gloves specialized for using specific sensors, such as the data gloves disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is difficult to freely replace the sensors to be used in order to change the items to be measured according to the various movements of the worker.

[0007] The objective is to provide a wearable sensor and a wearable sensor system that allow the sensor configuration to be easily rearranged so that a wide variety of finger movements can be measured in various fields, including industrial fields. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A representative example of the means for solving the problems of the present invention is as follows: A wearable sensor to be worn on a human body, characterized by comprising a layered body having at least two layers at least partially overlapping each other in a shape surrounding the human body between the wrist and the fingertips, and at least one sensor provided in at least one of the at least two layers. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, the wearable sensor of the present invention can be used by combining two or more layers in an appropriate combination depending on the application from among the multiple layers on which the sensor is provided. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the following description of the embodiment of the invention. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] An example of the overall configuration diagram of a wearable sensor system. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 illustrates the combination of the glove as multiple layers. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a sensor data collection unit. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an operation screen for selecting a combination of gloves in the wearable sensor system. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a screen that displays measurement data of a wearable sensor in the wearable sensor system. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 illustrates an example combination of wearable sensors in multiple layers. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of storing a sensor in a pocket portion of a wearable sensor as a layer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] The following describes the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below do not limit the scope of the invention, and the elements and combinations thereof described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the solution of the invention.

[0012] [Example 1] Wearable sensors can be used to measure and quantify the movements of workers, and the quantified data can be used to easily understand the tricks of the trade. This can also shorten the time required to transfer skills.

[0013] 1 is a diagram showing an example of an overall configuration of a wearable sensor system. The wearable sensor system 1 may include a wearable sensor 11, a transmitter 2, a receiver 3, and a sensor data collector 4.

[0014] The wearable sensor of Example 1 has a layered body that surrounds the body between the wrist and the fingertips, the layered body having at least two layers that at least partially overlap, and at least one of the at least two layers has at least one sensor.

[0015] 2 shows a configuration example of a wearable sensor 11 according to Example 1. Example 1 is a wearable sensor having a shape of a glove. This wearable sensor having a shape of a glove may be simply called a sensor glove or simply a glove. In addition, a case where the wearable sensor according to Example 1 is used mainly for work in the industrial field will be described.

[0016] According to the first embodiment, the configuration of the wearable sensor can be easily changed, thereby making it easy to change the functions of the wearable sensor. In the first embodiment, a plurality of gloves each having at least one sensor selected from a plurality of sensors can be prepared. By using a glove suitable for the task to be measured from the plurality of gloves, the configuration of the wearable sensor can be easily changed. Also, a glove without a sensor can be used together with a glove with a sensor.

[0017] In other words, by configuring a wearable sensor by combining multiple gloves with different functions, the function of the wearable sensor can be changed by changing the combination of gloves. Wearable sensor 11 in Example 1 may have inner glove 12 and outer glove 13 as at least two layers that overlap at least partially and are included in a layered body that surrounds the body between the wrist and the fingertips of the hand.

[0018] The inner glove 12 has a sensor 21, a wiring 22, and a printed circuit board 23. The inner glove 12 has at least one sensor, and a plurality of types of sensors may be used at the same time. In FIG. 2, only some of the sensors 21 are marked with a symbol, but a large black circle may represent the sensor 21. As for the wiring 22, only some of the wiring is marked with a symbol, but it is understood that the wire connecting the sensor 21 and the printed circuit board 23 is the wiring 22. In FIG. 2, the sensor 21, wiring 22, printed circuit board 23, and button 14, which will be described later, of the wearable sensor 11 are located inside the outer glove, but are drawn with solid lines for ease of viewing. The material of the inner glove 12 may be various, such as a film, cloth, or leather material made of natural or synthetic materials. The inner glove 12 may be made of cloth sewn or glued, or may be made of a material molded using a mold.

[0019] Since the items to be measured and the type of sensor to be used vary depending on the movements of the subject wearing the wearable sensor while working, it is desirable to select gloves with appropriate sensors to match the movements of the subject. Items to be measured include, for example, bending and straightening of fingers, pressure on the hand, acceleration when moving the hand, and working sounds, and sensors to be used include, for example, strain sensors, pressure sensors, acceleration sensors, and microphones.

[0020] To summarize, the sensor may be, specifically, a pressure sensor, a strain sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, a distance sensor, a contact sensor, a temperature sensor, a Hall element, or a microphone. Table 1 shows an example of the arrangement of the sensors and the alarm unit for the inner layer and the outer layer of the at least two layers of the wearable sensor.

[0021] [Table 1]

[0022] Here, examples of tasks will be given and examples of sensors required to measure the movements of a worker in the tasks will be described.

[0023] One example of an operation is painting, in which a worker holds a spray gun and moves it from side to side and up and down while spraying paint. Spray gun The moving speed of the spray gun is changed appropriately. During this time, the amount of paint sprayed is adjusted with the trigger while the work is being performed. In painting work training, it is necessary to convey the techniques such as the tips and tricks of skilled workers to the learners, but it is difficult to convey such techniques verbally. When applying the wearable sensor according to the present invention to painting work, as shown in the wearable sensor 11, if a glove-shaped layered body is used, the pressure sensor should be attached to the fingertip of the glove worn by the worker on the hand that operates the spray gun, in many cases to the part corresponding to the fingertip of the index finger. In addition, a microphone as a sensor should be attached, for example, to the back of the glove that corresponds to the hand that operates the spray gun. Furthermore, an inertial sensor should be attached to the back of the glove that corresponds to the hand that operates the spray gun. By arranging the sensors in this way, the pressure sensor can measure the relationship between the timing and force of pulling the trigger. The microphone can measure the amount of paint sprayed in terms of sound. In addition, the inertial sensor can measure the timing and speed of swinging the spray gun left and right, etc. By using the measurement results obtained when an expert performs painting work using the wearable sensor of the present invention, a learner can learn how to best operate a spray gun by comparing the results with the measurement results of his or her own work.

[0024] Another example of work is the installation of a connector in network construction work. Work mistakes such as plugging and unplugging a connector during maintenance work in the information technology field can have a significant impact, such as causing data loss. There are situations in which it is difficult to reduce such work mistakes. In the installation of a connector, a worker connects a male connector to a female connector. An example of applying a wearable sensor according to the present invention to the installation of a connector will be described. When a glove-shaped layered body is used as the layered body as shown in wearable sensor 11, the sensor can be installed as follows. That is, the pressure sensor can be installed on the fingertips of the glove that the worker wears on the hand that holds the connector, often corresponding to the fingertips of the index finger and thumb. A microphone as a sensor can be installed, for example, on the back of the glove that corresponds to the hand that holds the connector. Also, an inertial sensor can be installed on the back of the glove that corresponds to the hand that holds the connector. By installing the sensor in this way, the force with which the connector is held can be measured by the pressure sensor, the sound when the connector is mated can be measured by the microphone, and the movement of the hand can be measured by the inertial sensor. By using the measurement results obtained when an expert performs the task of attaching a connector using the wearable sensor of the present invention, a learner can learn how to attach a connector by comparing the results with the measurement results of his or her own work.

[0025] The description of the wearable sensor 11 continues.

[0026] The wiring 22 may be a wiring that connects the sensor 21 and the printed circuit board 23. The wiring 22 may be a cable, a part of the printed circuit board 23, or a printed circuit board separate from the printed circuit board 23. In FIG. 2, each wiring is represented by a single line to simplify the drawing, but this is a notation for convenience and does not limit the actual number of wirings. The wiring 22 may transmit the output of the sensor 21 to the printed circuit board. The wiring 22 may also supply power required for the operation of the sensor from a battery 25.

[0027] The printed circuit board 23 is a printed circuit board electrically connected to the wiring 22, and the sensor data may be collected on the printed circuit board 23. The printed circuit board 23 may be made of a flexible board, and may be any board that collects the output of the sensor. A battery 25 may be disposed on a part of the printed circuit board 23. The printed circuit board 23 may be implemented with a function of processing the sensor data by calculation, and a function of determining whether or not a task has been performed and whether or not the task has been performed based on the sensor data. Here, what is simply referred to as sensor data may mean data that is output or has been output by a sensor provided in the wearable sensor. This also applies to the following explanations unless otherwise specified.

[0028] The power for the sensor 21 and the transmitter 2 may be supplied from a battery 25 provided on the printed circuit board 23, or may be supplied from outside the glove. The sensor 21 and the transmitter 2 may be configured to be supplied from their own batteries.

[0029] The wearable sensor according to the first embodiment may have at least one notification unit in at least two layers. The notification unit may notify the surroundings, such as the worker wearing the wearable sensor. For example, the wearable sensor may have a sound generating unit such as an LED display, a vibration motor, and a speaker for informing the worker of the awareness based on the data collected by the wearable sensor 11. Here, the LED display, the vibration motor, and the sound generating unit are the notification unit. The LED display, the vibration motor, and the sound generating unit may inform the worker of the fact that the work movement measured by the sensor attached to the wearable sensor 11 exceeds the allowable error compared with the reference data when the worker is training or learning about the work using the wearable sensor 11. Alternatively, the LED display, the vibration motor, and the sound generating unit may notify the worker of the fact that the work movement measured by the sensor attached to the wearable sensor 11 is within the allowable error compared with the reference data. By having such a notification unit, it is possible to convey the awareness that leads to the improvement of the work to the worker using the wearable sensor.

[0030] In the wearable sensor according to the first embodiment, at least two layers may have different functions. For example, the inner glove 12 may have the function of the material of the layered body as its function, in addition to the electrical functions of sensing by the sensor and reporting by the reporting unit. For example, the inner glove 12 as the layered body may be formed using a rubber material. Since the rubber material is waterproof, it may have a waterproof function to prevent the sensor from being damaged by the sweat of the worker.

[0031] The outer glove 13 may be a glove that is used by covering the outside of the inner glove 12. The outer glove 13 may be a glove that has at least one function different from that of the inner glove 12. The function of the outer glove may be, for example, a cut-resistant function, a waterproof function, and a flame-retardant function in addition to the electrical functions of sensing by a sensor and reporting by a reporting unit. Furthermore, the function of protecting the inner glove 12 when the hand wearing the wearable sensor 11 comes into contact with an obstacle may be one of the functions that only the outer glove 13 has and that the inner glove 12 does not have. The material of the outer glove 13 may be various materials such as a film, cloth, or leather material made of a natural or synthetic material. Furthermore, the outer glove 13 may be made of cloth sewn or glued, or may be made of a material molded using a mold.

[0032] In the wearable sensor according to the first embodiment, at least two layered bodies may be connected to each other by a fastening member.

[0033] For example, the two layers, the inner glove 12 and the outer glove 13, can be fastened together and removed by passing a button 14 through a buttonhole 15. The button 14 may be a fastening member of the inner glove 12, which is the inner layer. The buttonhole 15 may be a fastening member of the outer glove 13, which is the outer layer. The button 14 and the buttonhole 15 allow the inner glove 12 and the outer glove 13 to be easily fastened together and removed.

[0034] The inner glove 12 and the outer glove 13 may be fastened together by other methods such as hooks, hook-and-loop fasteners, sewing, adhesives, etc. The position of the fastening member is not limited to the positions of the button 14 and the buttonhole 15 shown in Fig. 2, i.e., the back of the wrist of the glove. That is, for example, the fingertips of the inner glove 12 and the outer glove 13 may be fastened together, or the wrist parts may be fastened together.

[0035] In the embodiments described so far, examples have been shown in which two gloves, the inner glove 12 and the outer glove 13, are used, but a configuration in which three or more gloves are overlapped may also be used.

[0036] Moreover, the layered body and the layers of the layered body according to the first embodiment do not necessarily have to cover everything beyond the wrist like a glove. That is, for example, it may be glove-shaped, but the fingertip part may be open, and the fingers may be exposed when worn. Furthermore, it may be something that surrounds the wrist part like a bracelet, something that surrounds the fingers like a ring, or something that surrounds the fingertips like a finger sack. Furthermore, in the wearable sensor according to the present invention, for at least two layers of the layered body that surround the body and overlap at least partially, the side that contacts the body, i.e., the inner layer, and the outer side, i.e., the outer layer, of the upper and lower layers do not have to completely overlap each other. That is, for example, the lower layer may be glove-shaped and the upper layer may be finger sack-shaped, and the relationship between the upper layer and the lower layer may be the opposite.

[0037] In addition, in Example 1, the inner glove 12 has a sensor and the outer glove 13 does not have a sensor, but it is also possible for the outer glove 13 to have a sensor and the inner glove 12 to not have a sensor, which is the opposite of this example, and the essence of the invention remains unchanged in this case.

[0038] In the wearable sensor according to the first embodiment, at least two layers in which the sensor is provided may be connected to a transmitter that transmits output data of the sensor, or a data transmission cable. In the first embodiment, the wearable sensor 11 may have a transmitter 2 in at least one of the inner glove 12 and the outer glove 13, and the transmitter 2 may transmit output data of the sensor in at least one of the inner glove 12 and the outer glove 13. In the first embodiment, the wearable sensor 11 may be connected to a data transmission cable that transmits output data of the sensor in at least one of the inner glove 12 and the outer glove 13. By configuring in this way, the data measured by the sensor can be sent to the outside of the wearable sensor 11. As a result, the data measured by the sensor may be used in various ways.

[0039] The wearable sensor system of Example 1 includes a wearable sensor of the present invention and a sensor data collection unit, the wearable sensor including a transmission unit and the sensor data collection unit including a receiving unit, and it is preferable that communication is possible between the transmission unit and the receiving unit.

[0040] FIG. 1 shows an example of a wearable sensor system according to the first embodiment. In the figure, a transmitter 2 may be electrically connected to a printed circuit board 23 and transmit sensor data received from the printed circuit board 23 or data obtained by processing the sensor data to a receiver 3. The transmitter 2 may correspond to a glove on which a sensor is provided among a plurality of gloves. A transmitter 2 may be provided for each glove on which a sensor is provided. Also, as described later, a single transmitter 2 may be provided for a plurality of gloves on which sensors are provided, which transmits the outputs of the sensors of those gloves collectively. Furthermore, each sensor in each glove may have a transmitter 2.

[0041] The method of transmitting data from the transmitting unit 2 to the receiving unit 3 may be a wireless connection such as a connection using Bluetooth (registered trademark) or WiFi (registered trademark), or a wired connection using a cable. The transmitting unit 2 may have a function of processing data sent from a sensor by calculation, and a function of determining whether or not a task has been performed and whether or not it is satisfactory based on the sensor data. The transmitting unit 2 may be integrated with the printed circuit board 23, and may have a function for transmitting the sensor data to the receiving unit 3 on the printed circuit board 23.

[0042] The receiving unit 3 receives data transmitted from the transmitting unit 2 and passes it to the sensor data collecting unit 4. The receiving unit 3 may have not only a receiving function but also a transmitting function, and the transmitting unit 2 may have not only a transmitting function but also a receiving function. That is, the transmitting unit 2 and the receiving unit 3 may each be a communication unit having a communication function capable of transmitting and receiving data, and may be capable of communicating between the two communication units. As a result, for example, the transmitting unit 2 and the receiving unit 3 may have a function of turning on an LED provided on the printed circuit board 23 of the wearable sensor 11 and a function of sending a signal to operate a vibration motor.

[0043] The sensor data collection unit 4 may perform various processes on the received sensor output data. The sensor data collection unit 4 may be, for example, a PC (Personal Computer) having a processor, storage resources, etc., a general-purpose computer, a cloud server, etc.

[0044] 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the sensor data collection unit 4. The sensor data collection unit 4 may mainly include an input unit 31, a sensor data collection receiving unit 32, a storage unit 33, a calculation unit , an output unit 35, and a transmission unit .

[0045] The function of the sensor data collection unit 4 to process the sensor data may be a program stored in the storage resource. The sensor data collection unit 4 may process the output data of the sensor, and generate and send a signal for activating the function of turning on the LED provided on the printed circuit board 23 of the wearable sensor 11 described above. Here, the sensor data collection unit 4 may, for example, compare the work movement measured by the sensor attached to the wearable sensor 11 with the reference data, and determine whether the work movement exceeds the allowable error or is within the allowable error, and then issue a command to turn on the LED.

[0046] 4 is a diagram showing an example of an operation screen for selecting a glove combination in the sensor data collection unit 4, and shows an example of information input in the input unit 31. This operation screen may be displayed on a display. The display may function as the output unit 35 described later.

[0047] According to the first embodiment, since the configuration of the wearable sensor can be easily changed by changing the combination of gloves, the items to be measured and the type of sensor to be used can be appropriately selected according to the movement of the worker to be measured, that is, the work. Therefore, the sensor data collection unit 4 also needs to collect sensor data corresponding to the combination of gloves. The glove selection area 41 is an area for selecting gloves registered in advance in the system by using a pull-down menu or the like. At least one glove can be selected, and any number of gloves may be selected regardless of the example of the operation screen in FIG. 4. In addition, in registering gloves, a single glove before combining multiple gloves, for example, a glove that may be used as an inner glove and a glove that may be used as an outer glove, may be registered. In addition, if there is a combination of gloves that is frequently used, the combined gloves may be registered. The glove selection area 41 may have a function for registering a new glove and a new registration button for this purpose. In addition, the present invention relates to a wearable sensor that is exemplified as a glove-shaped one, but the glove selection area 41 may be expanded to have an area for selecting a wearable sensor different from the glove sensor or for selecting a sensor. The glove combination confirmation area 42 is an area for displaying the result of judging whether the glove combination selected in the glove selection area 41 is appropriate. An example of an inappropriate combination of gloves is a glove for an outer glove combined with a glove for an outer glove.

[0048] The receiving unit 32 of the sensor data collecting unit has an interface for receiving data from the receiving unit 3. Depending on the configuration of the wearable sensor system 1, the receiving unit 3 may be integrated with the receiving unit 32 of the sensor data collecting unit.

[0049] The memory unit 33 may include storage resources such as semiconductor memory, flash memory, HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), volatile memory, and non-volatile memory, and may be able to store various information including data received from the input unit 31 and the receiving unit 32 of the sensor data collection unit, programs executed by the calculation unit 34, and information used for collecting and analyzing sensor data.

[0050] The calculation unit 34 may include a processor and may execute various processes by executing a program in the storage unit 33. For example, the calculation unit 34 may perform calculations on information regarding the combination of gloves received from the input unit 31, sensor data received from the receiving unit 32 of the sensor data collection unit, or data obtained by processing the sensor data. The calculation unit 34 can perform calculations for graphically displaying the sensor data, calculations for determining whether or not a task has been performed and whether or not it is good, calculations for generating signals for turning on an LED provided on the printed circuit board 23 of the wearable sensor 11, driving a vibration motor, and the like.

[0051] The output unit 35 may be capable of displaying graphs, judgment results, and the like on a screen based on the calculation results performed by the calculation unit 34. Furthermore, when the sensor data collection unit 4 is used in combination with another system, the output unit 35 may be capable of outputting information to be passed to the corresponding system.

[0052] For example, based on the calculation of the calculation unit 34, the transmission unit 36 ​​can transmit a signal to the reception unit 3 for turning on an LED provided on the printed circuit board 23 of the wearable sensor 11 and for driving a vibration motor. In this case, since the reception unit 3 sends the transmitted signal to the transmission unit 2, both the transmission unit 2 and the reception unit 3 may be transceivers having a transmission function and a reception function.

[0053] 5 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a screen that displays sensor data in the sensor data collection unit 4. The screen that displays the sensor data may be one that updates and displays sensor data in real time, or one that displays stored sensor data. Here, "real time" means that it takes a short time for the movement of the worker wearing the wearable sensor to become sensor data and be displayed on the sensor data collection unit 4. A short time may be, for example, within 5 seconds, within 1 second, within 1 millisecond, or within 1 microsecond.

[0054] The connection status confirmation area 43 is an area that indicates whether various connections are correctly made and whether sensor data is reaching the sensor data collection unit 4. This area indicates that the transmission unit 2 and the reception unit 3 are connected by Bluetooth (registered trademark), WiFi (registered trademark), or the like, and that the glove is correctly connected. Here, the various connections may be connections from sensors attached to the glove to the sensor data collection unit 4 via the transmission unit 2 and the reception unit 3. Whether or not the various connections are correctly connected may be confirmed based on the number of data received, or based on the characteristics of the sensor data. In other words, it can be determined based on whether the number of sensor data corresponding to the number of sensors registered in advance is received, and whether sensor data corresponding to the characteristics of the sensors registered in advance is received.

[0055] The wearable sensor system according to the first embodiment may have a function of outputting sensing information of a sensor provided in the wearable sensor.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 5, the wearable sensor system according to the first embodiment may have a function of displaying and outputting, for example, sensor data, which is sensing information of a sensor, and a graph of the processed sensor data in the graph area 44. The graph to be displayed may, for example, display the elapsed time of measurement on the horizontal axis and the value of sensor data converted into an appropriate unit system on the vertical axis. The graph may also show the result of judging whether or not a task was performed, or whether or not it was good, or may be a summary of the frequency of the task. The graph area 44 may also have a mechanism for displaying the skill level of the worker, or may show the hand movement of the worker by a figure imitating a wearable sensor. By displaying the results of measuring the task by the sensor in a graph in this way, the worker wearing the wearable sensor can objectively understand the results of his or her own task. The three graphs shown as examples in the graph area 44 may be displayed with the same time axis, and by displaying the graphs with the same time axis, it is easy to grasp the timing of the task actions corresponding to each graph. It may also be possible to display a comparison of data resulting from a task performed by a worker undergoing training and data resulting from the same task performed by an expert, using the graph displayed in the graph area 44. In this way, the tricks of the task that are difficult to put into words can be visually and easily understood using a graph, which also aids communication between trainees and experts.

[0057] According to the wearable sensor of this embodiment, it is possible to combine two or more layers from among the multiple layers on which the sensor is provided in an appropriate combination depending on the application. This combination makes it easy to prepare a wearable sensor suitable for the application, and reduces the total number of types of wearable sensors that need to be prepared.

[0058] [Example 2] In the wearable sensor according to the second embodiment, the sensors included in at least two layers each having a sensor may be electrically connected to each other between the two layers.

[0059] A second embodiment of the present invention, that is, a second embodiment, will be described with reference to Fig. 6. The second embodiment is the same as the first embodiment, except for the points described below.

[0060] FIG. 6 shows a configuration example of a wearable sensor 111 according to a second embodiment of the wearable sensor of the present invention. In the second embodiment, in addition to the inner globe 112, the outer globe 113 may also have a sensor. The outer globe 113 may have a sensor 21, a wiring 22, and a printed circuit board 23. The outer globe 113 has at least one type of sensor, and a plurality of types may be used at the same time. In addition, the inner globe 112 and the outer globe 113 may have connectors 124 and 24, respectively, to be electrically connected. The connectors 124 and 24 may be a pair in which the connectors of the inner globe 112 and the outer globe 113 are combined, for example. For example, the connector 124 of the inner globe 112 may be a female connector, and the connector of the outer globe 113 may be a male connector corresponding to the connector 124. By configuring the connector in this way, even if the inner globe and the outer globe are changed to gloves with different functions, such as different sensors, the changed inner globe and outer globe can be connected by the connector. The wearable sensor is not limited to a two-glove configuration, an inner glove and an outer glove, but may be a three-glove or more configuration. In this case of a three-glove or more configuration, for example, the innermost glove may have a female connector, and the gloves other than the innermost glove may have a male connector corresponding to the female connector. In this case, the male connector may be a connector in which the back side where the connector pin is formed is a female connector, so that three or more gloves can be connected. Also, the connectors of the inner glove 112 and the outer glove 113 may be configured to be connected to the transmitter 2, respectively. Note that the sensor 21 of the inner glove 112 and the sensor 21 of the outer glove 113 are displayed with different figures, but this is simply a display of the sensor of the inner glove and the sensor of the outer glove, and there is no difference between them being sensors.

[0061] In the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, at least two layers on which sensors are provided may be connected to a transmitter that transmits output data of the sensor or a data transmission cable. In the second embodiment, the wearable sensor 111 may have a transmitter 2 in at least one of the inner glove 112 and the outer glove 113, and the transmitter 2 may transmit output data of the sensor in at least one of the inner glove 112 and the outer glove 113. Furthermore, in the second embodiment, at least two gloves that are layers having sensors may each have a transmitter 2 and each may be connected to a data transmission cable.

[0062] Furthermore, in the wearable sensor according to the second embodiment, the sensors of at least two layered bodies each having a sensor may be electrically connected to each other between the two layered bodies, and in the second embodiment, a signal summarizing the sensors of the inner glove 112 and a signal summarizing the sensors of the outer glove 113 may be connected by wireless communication between the inner glove 112 and the outer glove 113. Furthermore, each of the sensors of the inner glove 112 and the outer glove 113 may be connected to another sensor or a group of sensors by wireless communication.

[0063] In the case of the second embodiment, the inner glove 112 and the outer glove 113 may be selected so that the combination of sensors as the wearable sensor 111 is appropriate. Since the items to be measured and the types of sensors to be used vary depending on the movement of the worker to be measured, that is, the work, the appropriate glove having a sensor that matches the movement may be selected. The items to be measured may be, for example, bending and straightening of fingers, pressure on the hand, acceleration when moving the hand, and work sound, and the sensors to be used may be, for example, a strain sensor, a pressure sensor, an acceleration sensor, a microphone, and the like. For example, if the items to be measured are pressure and work sound, a glove having a pressure sensor may be selected as the inner glove 112, and a glove having a microphone may be selected as the outer glove 113. In this way, by using a combination of gloves having different sensors, the combination of gloves can be easily changed by combining gloves according to the purpose, and it is not necessary to create a dedicated wearable sensor for each purpose. In other words, from a plurality of layered bodies on which sensors are provided, a combination of two or more layered bodies in an appropriate combination according to the purpose can be used. A layered body suitable for a use can be easily prepared, and the number of types of layered bodies to be prepared, i.e., the total number of wearable sensors, can be reduced. As described above, some sensors are suitable for placement on the inner glove, and some are suitable for placement on the outer glove. For example, a pressure sensor for measuring pressure on a fingertip or the like is effective in being placed on the inner glove close to the finger, since the positional relationship with the finger is important. On the other hand, a microphone for recording work sounds should be placed on the outer periphery of the glove to avoid sound being blocked by the material such as the fabric of the glove as much as possible, and it is effective to place it on the outer glove. In this way, the gloves prepared in advance are placed in consideration of the characteristics of the sensors, and there is an effect that many combinations of sensors can be realized with a small number of types so as to be able to respond to a wide variety of uses.Also in Example 2, the functions possessed by the inner glove 112 and the outer glove 113 are not limited to sensing functions. For example, the inner glove 112 may have a waterproof function for protecting the sensor from the sweat of the worker, and the outer glove 113 may have functions such as cut resistance, waterproofing, flame retardancy, and anti-slip properties.

[0064] The wearable sensor system according to the second embodiment may have a function of confirming that all combinations of layered bodies are valid combinations.

[0065] In the second embodiment, the glove combination confirmation area 42 may also be able to confirm whether the combination of gloves and the combination of sensors to be used together are appropriate. For example, when the same sensor is placed at the opposing positions of the inner glove 112 and the outer glove 113, there is redundancy, and it may be possible to notify the user that the combination of gloves is not appropriate. Also, when the connectors of the inner glove 112 and the outer glove 113 cannot be combined with each other, it may be possible to notify the user that the combination of both gloves is not appropriate.

[0066] The wearable sensor system of Example 2 may have a function of confirming that the sensor side communication unit, the data collection unit side communication unit, and all of the layered bodies in which the sensor is provided are properly electrically connected.

[0067] In the second embodiment, the connection status confirmation area 43 may have a function to confirm whether the transmitter 2, the receiver 3, and all the gloves having sensors are connected correctly. Here, the transmitter 2 and the receiver 3 may both be communication units having a transmission and reception function. The connection of the gloves may be a case where the inner glove 112 and the outer glove 113 are connected by a connector and the outer glove 113 is connected to the transmitter 2, or a case where the connectors of the inner glove 112 and the outer glove 113 are each connected to the transmitter 2. In this way, the function to confirm whether the elements such as gloves are connected correctly may be realized by the following method. That is, it may be determined from the number of data received, or it may be determined from the characteristics of the sensor data. That is, it may be determined from the point of whether the number of sensor data corresponding to the number of sensors registered in advance is received, or whether the sensor data corresponding to the characteristics of the sensors registered in advance is received.

[0068] The second embodiment may be implemented together with the first embodiment described above.

[0069] [Example 3] The wearable sensor according to the third embodiment may have a detachable member on at least one of the sensor and the layer for attaching and detaching the sensor and the layer.

[0070] A third embodiment of the present invention, that is, Example 3, will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Example 3 is common to Examples 1 and 2 except for the points described below. Example 3 employs a glove as a layer.

[0071] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a third embodiment. In the third embodiment, the sensor may be stored in a pocket of a glove 51. Although the third embodiment is shown as one glove, this one glove may be used as one of a plurality of gloves such as the inner glove and the outer glove in the first and second embodiments. In the third embodiment, at least one of the plurality of gloves constituting the glove 51 has a pocket 16 as a removable member for storing and removably holding the sensor and wiring. The pocket 16 may have a structure in which a lid can be formed by a hook-and-loop fastener or a button to prevent the sensor and wiring from falling off. In this way, even when the sensor and wiring are stored in the pocket of the glove, a wearable sensor that can obtain the same effect as in the first and second embodiments can be configured. The sensor stored in the pocket 16 may be stored in the same housing as the transmitter 2 and the battery 25 and then stored in the pocket 16. The sensor and wiring stored in the pocket 16 may be electrically connected to other sensors, wiring, and the transmitter 2 by a connector or wiring, as necessary. The removable member does not have to be only on the glove side as a layer. That is, the sensor may have a detachable member, and the sensor and the glove may be attached and detached by the detachable member. In this example, the sensor may be in the form of a clip. Furthermore, the sensor and the glove may each have a hook-and-loop fastener, and the sensor and the glove may be attached and detached by the hook-and-loop fastener. By configuring as in Example 3, the sensor can be easily attached and detached to the layer. As a result, by preparing only a small number of gloves, which are layers, it becomes possible to configure many types of wearable sensors. Also, as described above, Example 3 may be implemented together with Example 1 and Example 2.

[0072] As described above, examples of the embodiments of the present invention have been described using the first, second, and third embodiments, but the embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims, and all of the elements and combinations thereof described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the solution of the invention. Also, in this embodiment, the measurement target was described as work, but any movement involving hand and finger movement, such as sports or playing a musical instrument, can be the subject of the present invention.

[0073] Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited to such specific configurations, and includes various modifications and equivalent configurations within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

[0074] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the components can be modified and embodied in an implementation stage without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0075] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes various modified examples and equivalent configurations within the spirit of the appended claims. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those including all of the configurations described. Furthermore, a part of the configuration of one embodiment may be replaced with the configuration of another embodiment. Furthermore, the configuration of another embodiment may be added to the configuration of one embodiment. Furthermore, a part of the configuration of each embodiment may be added, deleted, or replaced with another configuration.

[0076] In addition, each of the above-mentioned configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, etc. may be realized in hardware, for example by designing some or all of them as an integrated circuit, or may be realized in software by a processor interpreting and executing a program that realizes each function.

[0077] Information such as programs, tables, and files that realize each function can be stored in a storage device such as a memory, a hard disk, or an SSD (Solid State Drive), or in a recording medium such as an IC card, an SD card, or a DVD.

[0078] In addition, the control lines and information lines shown are those considered necessary for the explanation, and do not necessarily show all the control lines and information lines necessary for implementation. In reality, it can be considered that almost all components are connected to each other. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 1. Wearable sensor system 2. Transmitter 3. Receiving section 4. Sensor data collection section 11, 111...Wearable sensors 12, 112…Inner glove 13, 113…Outer glove 14…Button 15…Buttonhole 16…Pocket 21…Sensor 22…Wiring 23...Printed circuit board 24, 124…connector 25…Battery 31...Input section 32…Receiver 33...Storage section 34...Arithmetic section 35...Output section 36...Transmitter 41…Glove selection area 42…Glove combination confirmation area 43…Connection status check area 44…Graph area 51…Gloves

Claims

1. A wearable sensor that is attached to the human body, A layered body that surrounds the body between the wrist and fingertips, forming at least two layers that overlap in at least part, The system comprises at least one sensor provided in at least one of the at least two layers, A wearable sensor characterized by the following:

2. A wearable sensor according to claim 1, The wearable sensor, at least two of which have different functions, A wearable sensor characterized by the following:

3. A wearable sensor according to claim 1, The two layers are connected to each other by fastening members. A wearable sensor characterized by the following:

4. A wearable sensor according to claim 1, The sensor is provided in each of the at least two layers, A wearable sensor characterized by the following:

5. A wearable sensor according to claim 1, The sensor includes at least one of the following: a pressure sensor, a strain sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, a distance sensor, a contact sensor, a temperature sensor, a Hall element, and a microphone. A wearable sensor characterized by the following:

6. A wearable sensor according to claim 1, At least one of the two layers is provided with at least one notification unit. A wearable sensor characterized by the following:

7. A wearable sensor according to claim 4, At least two layers on which the aforementioned sensors are provided are connected in a communicative manner. A wearable sensor characterized by the following:

8. A wearable sensor according to claim 4, At least two layers on which the sensors are provided are connected to a first transmitting unit or a transmitting cable that transmits the sensing results from the sensors. A wearable sensor characterized by the following:

9. A wearable sensor according to claim 1, The sensor and at least one of the at least two layers are provided with a detachable member that detachably holds the sensor to the layer. A wearable sensor characterized by the following:

10. A wearable sensor system, A wearable sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 9, It comprises a sensor data acquisition unit that collects observation results from the wearable sensor, The wearable sensor has a second transmitting unit, The sensor data acquisition unit has a receiving unit that can communicate with the second transmission unit. A wearable sensor system characterized by the following.

11. A wearable sensor system according to claim 10, The sensor data acquisition unit has a function to confirm the connection between the second transmission unit and the layer on which at least one of the sensors is provided. A wearable sensor system characterized by the following.

12. A wearable sensor system according to claim 10, The sensor data acquisition unit has a function to determine whether the combination of layers on which the sensors are provided is effective. A wearable sensor system characterized by the following.

13. A wearable sensor system according to claim 10, The sensor data acquisition unit has a function to output the sensing results of the sensors provided in the wearable sensor. A wearable sensor system characterized by the following.

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