Systems and methods for touch sensing - Patents.com

Abstract

One embodiment is directed to a system for characterizing interactions between surfaces comprising: a deformable transmissive layer coupled to an interface membrane; a first illumination source operatively coupled to the deformable transmissive layer and configured to emit a first illumination light into the deformable transmissive layer; a detector configured to detect light from within at least a portion of the deformable transmissive layer; and a computing system configured to operate the detector to detect at least a portion of the light directed from the deformable transmissive layer and determine a surface orientation associated with a position along the interface membrane based, at least in part, on an interaction between the first illumination light and the deformable transmissive layer, and utilize the determined surface orientation to characterize a geometric outline of at least one side of an object contacted against the interface membrane.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] (CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS) This application claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application numbered 63 / 287,007, filed December 7, 2021, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0002] The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for detecting contact or touch interfacing between specialized surfaces and other objects, and more specifically to integration that may feature one or more deformable, permeable layers configured to assist in characterizing the detection or touch interfacing. [Background technology]

[0003] Computing has become an important component of modern life due to the ubiquity of systems such as laptop computers and smartphones. With reference to FIG. 1, a user (6) is shown in a typical work or home environment interacting simultaneously with both a laptop computer (2) and a smartphone (4). With reference to FIG. 2A, a so-called "smart watch" is shown removably coupled to the forearm (8) of the user (6). FIG. 2B illustrates a smartphone (4) being held in one hand (13) of the user while the other hand (12) of the user seeks to utilize gesture information to provide commands to the smartphone's (4) computing system. While these illustrative systems (2, 4, 10) may be configured to process, for example, voice-based or gesture-based commands, much of the operation of such devices continues to be accomplished through a physical interface such as a keyboard or touch screen. With respect to touch screens, a user often contacts one or more fingers against a planar surface with a relatively high bulk or structural modulus (i.e., which is generally fairly stiff and non-compliant to touch), and the contact pattern can be detected by a touch sensor through capacitance and / or resistance determinations. While capacitance and / or resistance based touch sensors have clearly been shown to have utility with respect to certain fairly specific (and often planar) physical engagements between humans and computers, such as so-called "mouse pads" or touch screens, there remains a need to improve such characterization of physical engagements between surfaces and objects such that the characterization may better simulate the vast amount of information obtained when, for example, a human hand is used as one of the objects to engage, as supported by the human nervous system. Described herein are systems, methods, and configurations for improving the characterization of touch in various scenarios and utilizing such characterization for various purposes, including, but not limited to, wearable touch sensor implementations and configurations. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] One embodiment is directed to a system for characterizing an interaction between surfaces comprising: a deformable transmissive layer coupled to an interface membrane, the interface membrane being contacted against at least one side of a contacted object; a first illumination source operatively coupled to the deformable transmissive layer and configured to emit a first illumination light into the deformable transmissive layer at a known first illumination orientation relative to the deformable transmissive layer such that at least a portion of the first illumination light interacts with the deformable transmissive layer; a detector configured to detect light from within at least a portion of the deformable transmissive layer; and a computing system configured to operate the detector to detect at least a portion of the light directed from the deformable transmissive layer, determine a surface orientation associated with a position along the interface membrane based, at least in part, on the interaction of the first illumination light with the deformable transmissive layer, and utilize the determined surface orientation to characterize a geometric outline of at least one side of the contacted object as contacted against the interface membrane. The interface membrane may be directly coupled between the deformable transmissive layer and the contacted object. The system may further comprise a substantially rigid optical element positioned between the detector and the deformable transmissive layer. The first illumination source may be directly coupled to the substantially rigid optical element, and the substantially rigid optical element may be configured to distribute the first illumination light to the deformable transmissive layer. The substantially rigid optical element may be defined by a bottom surface, a top surface, and one or more sidewall surfaces, the bottom surface being directly coupled to the deformable transmissive layer, and the top surface being positioned proximate to the detector. The substantially rigid optical element may comprise an outer shape substantially similar to one selected from the group consisting of a cylindrical shape, a cubic shape, and a rectangular prism shape. The first illumination source may be coupled to at least one of the one or more sidewall surfaces of the substantially rigid optical element.The system may further comprise a second illumination source operatively coupled to the deformable transmissive layer and configured to emit a second illumination light into the deformable transmissive layer at a known second illumination orientation relative to the deformable transmissive layer such that at least a portion of the second illumination light interacts with the deformable transmissive layer. The detector may further be configured to detect light from within at least a portion of the deformable transmissive layer based on both the first illumination light and the second illumination light, and the computing system may be configured to operate the detector to detect at least a portion of the first and second illumination lights directed from the deformable transmissive layer, determine a surface orientation associated with a position along the interface membrane based at least in part on the interaction of the first and second illumination lights with the deformable transmissive layer, and utilize the determined surface orientation to characterize a geometric profile of at least one side of the contacted object as contacted against the interface membrane. The second illumination light and the first illumination light may have different wavelengths. The second illumination light and the first illumination light may have different polarizations. The system may further comprise a third illumination source operatively coupled to the deformable transmissive layer and configured to emit a third illumination light into the deformable transmissive layer at a known third illumination orientation relative to the deformable transmissive layer such that at least a portion of the third illumination light interacts with the deformable transmissive layer. The detector may further be configured to detect light from within at least a portion of the deformable transmissive layer based on each of the first, second, and third illumination lights, and the computing system is configured to operate the detector to detect at least a portion of the first, second, and third illumination lights directed from the deformable transmissive layer, determine a surface orientation associated with a position along the interface membrane based at least in part on the interaction of the first, second, and third illumination lights with the deformable transmissive layer, and utilize the determined surface orientation to characterize a geometric profile of at least one side of the contacted object as contacted against the interface membrane. Each of the first, second, and third illumination lights may have different wavelengths. The first, second, and third illumination lights may not all have the same polarization.The first illumination source may comprise a light emitting diode. The detector may be a photodetector. The detector may be an image capture device. The image capture device may be a CCD or CMOS device. The system may further comprise a lens operably coupled between the detector and the deformable transmissive layer. The computing system may be operably coupled to the detector and configured to receive information from the detector related to light detected by the detector from within the deformable transmissive layer. The computing system may be operably coupled to the first illumination source and configured to control emission from the first illumination source. The deformable transmissive layer may comprise an elastomeric material. The elastomeric material may be selected from the group consisting of silicone, urethane, polyurethane, thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). The deformable transmissive layer may comprise a composite having a pigment material distributed within an elastomeric matrix, the pigment material configured to provide an illumination reflectance that exceeds that of the elastomeric matrix. The pigment material may comprise a metal oxide. The deformable permeable layer may be bounded by a bottom surface directly bonded to the interface membrane, a top surface closest to the detector, and a permeable layer thickness therebetween, with a pigment material distributed adjacent the bottom surface within the permeable layer thickness to provide an optimized illumination reflectance adjacent the bottom surface. The interface membrane may include an elastomeric material. The interface membrane and the deformable permeable layer may each have a modulus of elasticity that is substantially identical. The deformable permeable layer and the interface membrane may be directly bonded such that both primary and shear loads applied by a contacted object are substantially transferred across the interface membrane to the deformable permeable layer. The deformable permeable layer may comprise a bladder configured to be at least partially filled with a fluid. The interface membrane may comprise an assembly of relatively thin, sequentially removable membrane components.

[0005] Another embodiment relates to a touch sensing assembly including a plurality of touch sensing assemblies, each of the plurality comprising a deformable transmissive layer coupled to an interface membrane, the interface membrane being contacted against at least one side of a touched object, a first illumination source operatively coupled to the deformable transmissive layer and configured to emit a first illumination light into the deformable transmissive layer at a known first illumination orientation relative to the deformable transmissive layer such that at least a portion of the first illumination light interacts with the deformable transmissive layer, and a detector configured to detect light from within at least a portion of the deformable transmissive layer; and a touch sensing assembly including a first illumination source operatively coupled to each of the touch sensing assemblies and configured to operate each of the detectors to detect an illumination light from within each of the deformable transmissive layer. and a computing system configured to detect at least a portion of light directed from the first illumination light and determine a surface orientation associated with a position along each interface membrane based, at least in part, on an interaction with an associated deformable transmissive layer with an associated first illumination light, wherein each of the plurality of touch sensing assemblies is configured to be contacted against an adjacent side of the contacted object and generally address a surface of the contacted object, and the computing system is configured to utilize the determined surface orientation to characterize a geometric outline of the surface of the contacted object as contacted against the plurality of interface membranes. The plurality of touch sensing assemblies may be maintained in a biased position and orientation relative to the contacted object by one or more removable coupling members configured to couple the touch sensing assemblies to each other and to the contacted object. The one or more removable coupling members may be configured to orient the interface membrane of each touch sensing assembly in a generally surface-matching manner relative to a proximal portion of the surface of the contacted object. The one or more removable coupling members may comprise a removably attachable flexible substrate layer.The removably attachable flexible substrate layer may be configured to at least partially surround an object to be touched. The computing system may be operably coupled to each of the touch sensing assemblies utilizing wired connectivity. The computing system may be operably coupled to each of the touch sensing assemblies utilizing wireless connectivity. At least one of the first illumination sources may comprise a light emitting diode. At least one of the detectors may be a photodetector. At least one of the detectors may be an image capture device. The image capture device may be a CCD or CMOS device. The computing system may be operably coupled to the detector and configured to receive information from the detector related to light detected by the detector from within the deformable transmissive layer. The computing system may be operably coupled to one or more of the first illumination sources and configured to control emission from the one or more first illumination sources. At least one of the deformable transmissive layers may include an elastomeric material. The elastomeric material may be selected from the group consisting of silicone, urethane, polyurethane, thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). At least one of the deformable transmissive layers may include a composite having a pigment material distributed within an elastomeric matrix, the pigment material may be configured to provide illumination reflectance that exceeds that of the elastomeric matrix. The pigment material may include a metal oxide. The at least one deformable transmissive layer may be bounded by a bottom surface directly bonded to the interface membrane, a top surface closest to the detector, and a transmissive layer thickness therebetween, the pigment material being distributed adjacent to the bottom surface within the transmissive layer thickness to provide an optimized illumination reflectance adjacent to the bottom surface. At least one of the interface membranes may include an elastomeric material. The interface membrane and the deformable transmissive layer may each have a modulus of elasticity that is substantially the same.At least one bond of the deformable permeable layer and the interface membrane may be directly bonded such that both primary and shear loads applied by a contacted object are substantially transferred across the interface membrane of the bond to the deformable permeable layer of the bond. At least one of the deformable permeable layers may comprise a bladder configured to be at least partially filled with a fluid. At least one of the interface membranes may comprise an assembly of relatively thin, sequentially removable membrane components.

[0006] Another embodiment includes a plurality of touch sensing assemblies, each of the plurality comprising a deformable permeable layer coupled to an interface membrane, the interface membrane being contacted against at least one side of a contacted body part, a first illumination source operatively coupled to the deformable permeable layer and configured to emit a first illumination light into the deformable permeable layer at a known first illumination orientation relative to the deformable permeable layer such that at least a portion of the first illumination light interacts with the deformable permeable layer, and a detector configured to detect light from within at least a portion of the deformable permeable layer; and a touch sensing assembly operatively coupled to each of the touch sensing assemblies to operate each of the detectors to detect light from each of the deformable permeable layers. and a computing system configured to detect at least a portion of the directed light and determine a surface orientation associated with a position along each interface membrane based, at least in part, on an interaction between an associated first illumination light and an associated deformable transmissive layer, wherein each of the plurality of touch sensing assemblies is configured to be contacted against an adjacent side of the contacted body part and generally address a surface of the contacted body part, and the computing system is configured to utilize the determined surface orientation to characterize a geometric outline of an aggregated area of ​​the contacted body part as contacted against the plurality of interface membranes. The plurality of touch sensing assemblies may be maintained in a biased position and orientation relative to the body part by one or more removable coupling members configured to couple the touch sensing assemblies to each other and to the contacted object. The one or more removable coupling members may be configured to orient the interface membrane of each touch sensing assembly in a generally coplanar manner relative to adjacent portions of a surface of the body part. The one or more removable coupling members may comprise a removably attachable flexible substrate layer.The removably attachable flexible substrate layer may be configured to at least partially surround an object to be touched. The removably attachable flexible substrate layer may comprise a cuff configured to be coupled against a skin surface of a body portion of a user. The computing system may be operably coupled to each of the touch sensing assemblies utilizing wired connectivity. The computing system may be operably coupled to each of the touch sensing assemblies utilizing wireless connectivity. At least one of the first illumination sources may comprise a light emitting diode. At least one of the detectors may be a photodetector. At least one of the detectors may be an image capture device. The image capture device may be a CCD or CMOS device. The computing system may be operably coupled to the detector and configured to receive information from the detector related to light detected by the detector from within the deformable transmissive layer. The computing system may be operably coupled to one or more of the first illumination sources and configured to control emission from the one or more first illumination sources. At least one of the deformable transmissive layers may include an elastomeric material. The elastomeric material may be selected from the group consisting of silicone, urethane, polyurethane, thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). At least one of the deformable transmissive layers may include a composite having a pigment material distributed within an elastomeric matrix, the pigment material may be configured to provide illumination reflectance that exceeds that of the elastomeric matrix. The pigment material may include a metal oxide. The at least one deformable transmissive layer may be bounded by a bottom surface directly bonded to the interface membrane, a top surface closest to the detector, and a transmissive layer thickness therebetween, the pigment material being distributed adjacent the bottom surface within the transmissive layer thickness to provide an optimized illumination reflectance adjacent the bottom surface. At least one of the interface membranes may include an elastomeric material. The interface membrane and the deformable transmissive layer may each have a modulus of elasticity that is substantially identical.At least one bond of the deformable permeable layer and the interface membrane may be directly bonded such that both primary and shear loads applied by a contacted object are substantially transferred across the interface membrane of the bond to the deformable permeable layer of the bond. At least one of the deformable permeable layers may comprise a bladder configured to be at least partially filled with a fluid. At least one of the interface membranes may comprise an assembly of relatively thin, sequentially removable membrane components.

[0007] Another embodiment includes a plurality of touch sensing assemblies, each of the plurality comprising a deformable permeable layer coupled to an interface membrane, the interface membrane being contacted against at least one side of a contacted body part; a first illumination source operatively coupled to the deformable permeable layer and configured to emit a first illumination light into the deformable permeable layer at a known first illumination orientation relative to the deformable permeable layer such that at least a portion of the first illumination light interacts with the deformable permeable layer; and a detector configured to detect light from within at least a portion of the deformable permeable layer; a secondary sensor configured to sense a secondary indicator of motion of the body part and produce a secondary indicator output; and a computing system operatively coupled to each of the secondary sensors and the touch sensing assemblies, for operating each of the detectors to detect at least a portion of the light directed from the respective deformable permeable layer and to determine a secondary indicator output based, at least in part, on an interaction between an associated first illumination light and an associated deformable permeable layer. and a computing system configured to determine a surface orientation associated with a position along each interface membrane based on the determined surface orientation and to sense a secondary indicator of a motion of the body part using the secondary sensor, wherein each of the plurality of touch sensing assemblies is configured to be contacted against an adjacent side of the contacted body part and generally address a surface of the contacted body part, and the computing system is configured to utilize the determined surface orientations and to characterize a geometric outline of the surface of the contacted body part as contacted against the plurality of interface membranes, characterizing the surface geometric outline providing an output that is at least partially uncorrelated to the secondary indicator output such that the computing system is further configured to assist in predicting a user's command based, at least in part, on both the secondary indicator output and the characterization of the geometric outline of the surface of the contacted body part.The secondary sensor may be selected from the group consisting of a temperature sensor, a capacitive contact sensor, a resistive contact sensor, an electromyography electrode, a pressure transducer, an extension sensor, and an inertial measurement unit. The secondary sensor may be an inertial measurement unit comprising at least one accelerometer and at least one gyro. The secondary sensor may be coupled to a body part of the user. The secondary sensor may be coupled to at least one of the one or more touch sensing assemblies. The secondary sensor may be coupled to an independent system coupled to the body part. The secondary sensor may be coupled to a portable computing device coupled to the body part. The secondary sensor may be coupled to a computing system by wired connectivity. The secondary sensor may be coupled to a computing system by wireless connectivity. The system may be configured to utilize the characterized geometric profile of the surface along with the secondary indicator output acceleration to predict the user's command. Known elastic modulus information associated with one or more of the touch sensing assemblies may be utilized to estimate an interfacial force applied between the body part and the one or more touch sensing assemblies. The multiple touch sensing assemblies may be maintained in a biased position and orientation relative to the body part by one or more removable coupling members configured to couple the touch sensing assemblies relative to each other and to a contacted object. The one or more removable coupling members may be configured to orient the interface membrane of each touch sensing assembly in a generally coplanar manner relative to a nearby portion of a surface of the body part. The one or more removable coupling members may comprise a removably attachable flexible substrate layer. The removably attachable flexible substrate layer may be configured to at least partially surround the contacted object. The removably attachable flexible substrate layer may comprise a cuff configured to be coupled to a skin surface of the user's body part. A computing system may be operatively coupled to each of the touch sensing assemblies utilizing wired connectivity.A computing system may be operably coupled to each of the touch sensing assemblies utilizing wireless connectivity. At least one of the first illumination sources may comprise a light emitting diode. At least one of the detectors may be a photodetector. At least one of the detectors may be an image capture device. The image capture device may be a CCD or CMOS device. The computing system may be operably coupled to the detector and configured to receive information from the detector related to light detected by the detector from within the deformable transmissive layer. The computing system may be operably coupled to one or more of the first illumination sources and configured to control emission from the one or more first illumination sources. At least one of the deformable transmissive layers may include an elastomeric material. The elastomeric material may be selected from the group consisting of silicone, urethane, polyurethane, thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). At least one of the deformable transmissive layers may include a composite having a pigment material distributed within an elastomeric matrix, the pigment material configured to provide an illumination reflectance greater than that of the elastomeric matrix. The pigment material may include a metal oxide, and the at least one deformable transmissive layer may be bounded by a bottom surface directly bonded to the interface membrane, a top surface closest to the detector, and a transmissive layer thickness therebetween, the pigment material being distributed adjacent to the bottom surface within the transmissive layer thickness to provide an optimized illumination reflectance adjacent to the bottom surface. At least one of the interface membranes may include an elastomeric material. The interface membrane and the deformable transmissive layer may each have a modulus of elasticity that is substantially identical. At least one bond of the deformable transmissive layer and the interface membrane may be directly bonded such that both primary and shear loads applied by a contacted object are substantially transferred across the interface membrane of the bond to the deformable transmissive layer of the bond.At least one of the deformable permeable layers may comprise a bladder configured to be at least partially filled with a fluid. At least one of the interface membranes may comprise an assembly of relatively thin, sequentially removable membrane components. A secondary sensor may be coupled to the plurality of touch sensing assemblies. A secondary sensor may be operatively coupled to, but not co-located with, the plurality of touch sensing assemblies.

[0008] Another embodiment includes a plurality of touch sensing assemblies, each of the plurality comprising a deformable permeable layer coupled to an interface membrane, the interface membrane being contacted against at least one side of a contacted body part, a first illumination source operatively coupled to the deformable permeable layer and configured to emit a first illumination light into the deformable permeable layer at a known first illumination orientation relative to the deformable permeable layer such that at least a portion of the first illumination light interacts with the deformable permeable layer, and a detector configured to detect light from within at least a portion of the deformable permeable layer, a secondary sensor configured to sense a secondary indicator of motion of the body part and produce a secondary indicator output, and a computing system operatively coupled to each of the secondary sensors and the touch sensing assemblies, for operating each of the detectors to detect at least a portion of the light directed from the respective deformable permeable layer and at least in part to detect an interaction between the associated first illumination light and the associated deformable permeable layer. and a computing system configured to determine a surface orientation associated with a position along each interface membrane based on the secondary indicator output and to sense a secondary indicator of a motion of the body part using a secondary sensor, wherein each of the plurality of touch sensing assemblies is configured to be contacted against an adjacent side of the contacted body part and generally address a surface of the contacted body part, the computing system configured to utilize the determined surface orientations to characterize a geometric outline of the surface of the contacted body part as contacted against the plurality of interface membranes, and the computing system is further configured to utilize, at least in part, a neural network computing arrangement trained using a library of prior motion data to assist in predicting the user's command based on both the secondary indicator output and the characterization of the surface geometric outline as analyzed at runtime.The neural network computing arrangement may be trained utilizing a library of prior motion data based on similar combinations of touch sensing assemblies and contacted body parts for a number of different users. The neural network computing arrangement may be trained utilizing a library of prior motion data based on similar combinations of touch sensing assemblies and contacted body parts for a number of different prior sessions with the same user. The neural network computing arrangement may be trained based on a supervised learning model in which a training library comprising a relatively large number of predefined relationships between the characterized surface contours, the secondary sensor output, and the intended user commands is utilized to build the correlations. The neural network computing arrangement may be trained based on a reinforcement learning model in which a training library comprising a relatively large number of predefined relationships between the characterized surface contours, the secondary sensor output, the intended user commands, and the intended user intent is utilized to build the correlations. The secondary sensor may be selected from the group consisting of a temperature sensor, a capacitive contact sensor, a resistive contact sensor, an electromyography electrode, a pressure transducer, an elongation sensor, a moisture sensor, and an inertial measurement unit (IMU). The secondary sensor may be an inertial measurement unit comprising at least one accelerometer and at least one gyro. The secondary sensor may be coupled to a body part of the user. The secondary sensor may be coupled to at least one of the one or more touch sensing assemblies. The secondary sensor may be coupled to an independent system coupled to the body part. The secondary sensor may be coupled to a portable computing device coupled to the body part. The secondary sensor may be coupled to a computing system by wired connectivity. The secondary sensor may be coupled to a computing system by wireless connectivity. The system may be configured to utilize the characterized geometric profile of the surface together with the secondary indicator output acceleration to predict the user's commands.Known elastic modulus information associated with one or more of the touch sensing assemblies may be utilized to estimate an interfacial force applied between the body part and the one or more touch sensing assemblies. The touch sensing assemblies may be maintained in a biased position and orientation relative to the body part by one or more removable coupling members configured to couple the touch sensing assemblies to each other and to the contacted object. The one or more removable coupling members may be configured to orient the interface membrane of each touch sensing assembly in a generally coplanar manner relative to a proximate portion of a surface of the body part. The one or more removable coupling members may comprise a removably attachable flexible substrate layer. The removably attachable flexible substrate layer may be configured to at least partially surround the contacted object. The removably attachable flexible substrate layer may comprise a cuff configured to be coupled to a skin surface of the user's body part. A computing system may be operatively coupled to each of the touch sensing assemblies utilizing wired connectivity. A computing system may be operably coupled to each of the touch sensing assemblies utilizing wireless connectivity. At least one of the first illumination sources may comprise a light emitting diode. At least one of the detectors may be a photodetector. At least one of the detectors may be an image capture device. The image capture device may be a CCD or CMOS device. The computing system may be operably coupled to the detector and configured to receive information from the detector related to light detected by the detector from within the deformable transmissive layer. The computing system may be operably coupled to one or more of the first illumination sources and configured to control emission from the one or more first illumination sources. At least one of the deformable transmissive layers may include an elastomeric material. The elastomeric material may be selected from the group consisting of silicone, urethane, polyurethane, thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU).At least one of the deformable permeable layers may include a composite having a pigment material distributed within an elastomeric matrix, the pigment material may be configured to provide an illumination reflectance that exceeds that of the elastomeric matrix. The pigment material may include a metal oxide. At least one of the deformable permeable layers may be bounded by a bottom surface directly bonded to the interface membrane, a top surface closest to the detector, and a permeable layer thickness therebetween, the pigment material being distributed adjacent to the bottom surface within the permeable layer thickness to provide an optimized illumination reflectance adjacent to the bottom surface. At least one of the interface membranes may include an elastomeric material. The interface membrane and the deformable permeable layer may each have a modulus of elasticity that is substantially identical. At least one of the bonds of the deformable permeable layer and the interface membrane may be directly bonded such that both primary and shear loads applied by a contacted object are substantially transferred across the interface membrane of the bond to the deformable permeable layer of the bond. At least one of the deformable permeable layers may include a bladder configured to be at least partially filled with a fluid. At least one of the interface membranes may comprise an assembly of relatively thin, sequentially removable membrane components. The secondary sensor may be coupled to the plurality of touch sensing assemblies. The secondary sensor may be operatively coupled to, but not co-located with, the plurality of touch sensing assemblies.

[0009] Another embodiment is directed to a method for characterizing an interaction between surfaces comprising providing a deformable transmissive layer, a first illumination source, a detector, and a computing system, wherein the deformable transmissive layer is coupled to an interface membrane, the interface membrane being contacted against at least one side of a contacted object, the first illumination source being operatively coupled to the deformable transmissive layer and configured to emit a first illumination light into the deformable transmissive layer at a known first illumination orientation relative to the deformable transmissive layer such that at least a portion of the first illumination light interacts with the deformable transmissive layer, the detector being configured to detect light from within at least a portion of the deformable transmissive layer, and the computing system being configured to operate the detector; and utilizing the computing system to detect at least a portion of the light directed from the deformable transmissive layer and determine a surface orientation associated with a position along the interface membrane based, at least in part, on the interaction of the first illumination light with the deformable transmissive layer, and utilizing the determined surface orientation to characterize a geometric outline of at least one side of the contacted object as contacted against the interface membrane. The interface membrane may be directly bonded between the deformable transmissive layer and the object to be contacted. The method may further include providing a substantially rigid optical element positioned between the detector and the deformable transmissive layer. The first illumination source may be directly bonded to the substantially rigid optical element, the substantially rigid optical element configured to distribute the first illumination light to the deformable transmissive layer. The substantially rigid optical element may be defined by a bottom surface, a top surface, and one or more sidewall surfaces, the bottom surface being directly bonded to the deformable transmissive layer and the top surface being positioned proximate to the detector. The substantially rigid optical element may comprise an outer shape substantially similar to one selected from the group consisting of a cylindrical shape, a cubic shape, and a rectangular prism shape. The first illumination source may be bonded to at least one of the one or more sidewall surfaces of the substantially rigid optical element.The method may further include providing a second illumination source operatively coupled to the deformable transmissive layer and configured to emit a second illumination light into the deformable transmissive layer at a known second illumination orientation relative to the deformable transmissive layer such that at least a portion of the second illumination light interacts with the deformable transmissive layer. The detector may further be configured to detect light from within at least a portion of the deformable transmissive layer based on both the first illumination light and the second illumination light, and the computing system is configured to operate the detector to detect at least a portion of the first and second illumination lights directed from the deformable transmissive layer, determine a surface orientation associated with a position along the interface membrane based at least in part on the interaction of the first and second illumination lights with the deformable transmissive layer, and utilize the determined surface orientation to characterize a geometric profile of at least one side of the contacted object as contacted against the interface membrane. The second illumination light and the first illumination light may have different wavelengths. The second illumination light and the first illumination light may have different polarizations. The method may further include providing a third illumination source operatively coupled to the deformable transmissive layer and configured to emit a third illumination light into the deformable transmissive layer at a known third illumination orientation relative to the deformable transmissive layer such that at least a portion of the third illumination light interacts with the deformable transmissive layer. The detector may further be configured to detect light from within at least a portion of the deformable transmissive layer based on each of the first, second, and third illumination lights, and the computing system is configured to operate the detector to detect at least a portion of the first, second, and third illumination lights directed from the deformable transmissive layer, determine a surface orientation associated with a position along the interface membrane based at least in part on the interaction of the first, second, and third illumination lights with the deformable transmissive layer, and utilize the determined surface orientation to characterize a geometric profile of at least one side of the contacted object as contacted against the interface membrane. Each of the first, second, and third illumination lights may have a different wavelength.The first, second, and third illumination lights may not all have the same polarization. The first illumination source may comprise a light emitting diode. The detector may be a photodetector. The detector may be an image capture device. The image capture device may be a CCD or CMOS device. The method may further include providing a lens operably coupled between the detector and the deformable transmissive layer. The computing system may be operably coupled to the detector and configured to receive information from the detector related to light detected by the detector from within the deformable transmissive layer. The computing system may be operably coupled to the first illumination source and configured to control emission from the first illumination source. The deformable transmissive layer may include an elastomeric material. The elastomeric material may be selected from the group consisting of silicone, urethane, polyurethane, thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). The deformable transmissive layer may include a composite having a pigment material distributed within an elastomeric matrix, the pigment material configured to provide an illumination reflectance that exceeds that of the elastomeric matrix. The pigment material may include a metal oxide. The deformable permeable layer may be bounded by a bottom surface directly bonded to the interface membrane, a top surface closest to the detector, and a permeable layer thickness therebetween, with a pigment material distributed adjacent the bottom surface within the permeable layer thickness to provide an optimized illumination reflectance adjacent the bottom surface. The interface membrane may include an elastomeric material. The interface membrane and the deformable permeable layer may each have a modulus of elasticity that is substantially identical. The deformable permeable layer and the interface membrane may be directly bonded such that both primary and shear loads applied by a contacted object are substantially transferred across the interface membrane to the deformable permeable layer. The deformable permeable layer may comprise a bladder configured to be at least partially filled with a fluid. The interface membrane may comprise an assembly of relatively thin, sequentially removable membrane components.

[0010] Another embodiment includes providing a plurality of touch sensing assemblies and a computing system operably coupled to each of the plurality, each of the plurality comprising a deformable transmissive layer coupled to an interface membrane, the interface membrane being contacted against at least one side of an object to be contacted, a first illumination source operably coupled to the deformable transmissive layer and configured to emit a first illumination light into the deformable transmissive layer at a known first illumination orientation relative to the deformable transmissive layer such that at least a portion of the first illumination light interacts with the deformable transmissive layer, and a detector configured to detect light from within at least a portion of the deformable transmissive layer; and configuring the computing system to: and determining a surface orientation associated with a position along each interface membrane based, at least in part, on an interaction of an associated first illumination light with the associated deformable permeable layer, wherein each of the plurality of touch sensing assemblies is configured to be contacted against an adjacent side of the contacted object and generally address a surface of the contacted object, and the computing system is configured to utilize the determined surface orientations to characterize a geometric outline of the surface of the contacted object as contacted against the plurality of interface membranes. The plurality of touch sensing assemblies may be maintained in a biased position and orientation relative to the contacted object by one or more removable coupling members configured to couple the touch sensing assemblies to each other and to the contacted object. The one or more removable coupling members may be configured to orient the interface membrane of each touch sensing assembly in a generally surface-matching manner relative to a proximate portion of the surface of the contacted object. The one or more removable coupling members may comprise a removably attachable flexible substrate layer.The removably attachable flexible substrate layer may be configured to at least partially surround an object to be touched. The computing system may be operably coupled to each of the touch sensing assemblies utilizing wired connectivity. The computing system may be operably coupled to each of the touch sensing assemblies utilizing wireless connectivity. At least one of the first illumination sources may comprise a light emitting diode. At least one of the detectors may be a photodetector. At least one of the detectors may be an image capture device. The image capture device may be a CCD or CMOS device. The computing system may be operably coupled to the detector and configured to receive information from the detector related to light detected by the detector from within the deformable transmissive layer. The computing system may be operably coupled to one or more of the first illumination sources and configured to control emission from the one or more first illumination sources. At least one of the deformable transmissive layers may include an elastomeric material. The elastomeric material may be selected from the group consisting of silicone, urethane, polyurethane, thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). At least one of the deformable transmissive layers may include a composite having a pigment material distributed within an elastomeric matrix, the pigment material may be configured to provide illumination reflectance that exceeds that of the elastomeric matrix. The pigment material may include a metal oxide. The at least one deformable transmissive layer may be bounded by a bottom surface directly bonded to the interface membrane, a top surface closest to the detector, and a transmissive layer thickness therebetween, the pigment material being distributed adjacent to the bottom surface within the transmissive layer thickness to provide an optimized illumination reflectance adjacent to the bottom surface. At least one of the interface membranes may include an elastomeric material. The interface membrane and the deformable transmissive layer may each have a modulus of elasticity that is substantially the same.At least one bond of the deformable permeable layer and the interface membrane may be directly bonded such that both primary and shear loads applied by a contacted object are substantially transferred across the interface membrane of the bond to the deformable permeable layer of the bond. At least one of the deformable permeable layers may comprise a bladder configured to be at least partially filled with a fluid. At least one of the interface membranes may comprise an assembly of relatively thin, sequentially removable membrane components.

[0011] Another embodiment includes providing a plurality of touch sensing assemblies and a computing system operably coupled to each of the plurality, each of the plurality comprising a deformable transmissive layer coupled to an interface membrane, the interface membrane being contacted against at least one side of a body part to be contacted, a first illumination source operably coupled to the deformable transmissive layer and configured to emit a first illumination light into the deformable transmissive layer at a known first illumination orientation relative to the deformable transmissive layer such that at least a portion of the first illumination light interacts with the deformable transmissive layer, and a detector configured to detect light from within at least a portion of the deformable transmissive layer; and utilizing the computing system. and operating each of the detectors to detect at least a portion of the light directed from each deformable permeable layer and determine a surface orientation associated with a position along each interface membrane based, at least in part, on an interaction of an associated first illumination light with the associated deformable permeable layer, wherein each of the plurality of touch sensing assemblies is configured to be contacted against adjacent sides of the contacted body part and generally address a surface of the contacted body part, and the computing system is configured to utilize the determined surface orientations to characterize a geometric outline of an aggregated area of ​​the contacted body part as contacted against the plurality of interface membranes. The plurality of touch sensing assemblies may be maintained in a urged position and orientation relative to the body part by one or more removable coupling members configured to couple the touch sensing assemblies to each other and to the contacted object. The one or more removable coupling members may be configured to orient the interface membrane of each touch sensing assembly in a generally coplanar manner relative to adjacent portions of a surface of the body part. The one or more removable coupling members may comprise a removably attachable flexible substrate layer.The removably attachable flexible substrate layer may be configured to at least partially surround an object to be touched. The removably attachable flexible substrate layer may comprise a cuff configured to be coupled against a skin surface of a body portion of a user. The computing system may be operably coupled to each of the touch sensing assemblies utilizing wired connectivity. The computing system may be operably coupled to each of the touch sensing assemblies utilizing wireless connectivity. At least one of the first illumination sources may comprise a light emitting diode. At least one of the detectors may be a photodetector. At least one of the detectors may be an image capture device. The image capture device may be a CCD or CMOS device. The computing system may be operably coupled to the detector and configured to receive information from the detector related to light detected by the detector from within the deformable transmissive layer. The computing system may be operably coupled to one or more of the first illumination sources and configured to control emission from the one or more first illumination sources. At least one of the deformable transmissive layers may include an elastomeric material. The elastomeric material may be selected from the group consisting of silicone, urethane, polyurethane, thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). At least one of the deformable transmissive layers may include a composite having a pigment material distributed within an elastomeric matrix, the pigment material may be configured to provide illumination reflectance that exceeds that of the elastomeric matrix. The pigment material may include a metal oxide. The at least one deformable transmissive layer may be bounded by a bottom surface directly bonded to the interface membrane, a top surface closest to the detector, and a transmissive layer thickness therebetween, the pigment material being distributed adjacent the bottom surface within the transmissive layer thickness to provide an optimized illumination reflectance adjacent the bottom surface. At least one of the interface membranes may include an elastomeric material. The interface membrane and the deformable transmissive layer may each have a modulus of elasticity that is substantially identical.At least one bond of the deformable permeable layer and the interface membrane may be directly bonded such that both primary and shear loads applied by a contacted object are substantially transferred across the interface membrane of the bond to the deformable permeable layer of the bond. At least one of the deformable permeable layers may comprise a bladder configured to be at least partially filled with a fluid. At least one of the interface membranes may comprise an assembly of relatively thin, sequentially removable membrane components.

[0012] Another embodiment includes steps of providing a plurality of touch sensing assemblies, a secondary sensor, and a computing system operably coupled to each of the secondary sensors and the touch sensing assemblies, each of the plurality comprising a deformable permeable layer coupled to an interface membrane, the interface membrane being contacted against at least one side of a contacted body part, a first illumination source operably coupled to the deformable permeable layer and configured to emit a first illumination light into the deformable permeable layer at a known first illumination orientation relative to the deformable permeable layer such that at least a portion of the first illumination light interacts with the deformable permeable layer, and a detector configured to detect light from within at least a portion of the deformable permeable layer; and configuring the secondary sensor to sense a secondary indicator of motion of the body part and produce a secondary indicator output; and utilizing the computing system to operate each of the detectors to detect at least a portion of the light directed from each deformable permeable layer and at least partially detect an associated first illumination light. and sensing a secondary indicator of a motion of the body part using a secondary sensor, wherein the plurality of touch sensing assemblies are each configured to be contacted against adjacent sides of the contacted body part and generally address a surface of the contacted body part, and the computing system is configured to utilize the determined surface orientations to characterize a geometric outline of the surface of the contacted body part as contacted against the plurality of interface membranes, characterizing the surface geometric outline providing an output that is at least partially uncorrelated to the secondary indicator output such that the computing system is further configured to aid in predicting the user's command based, at least in part, on both the secondary indicator output and the characterization of the geometric outline of the surface of the contacted body part.The secondary sensor may be selected from the group consisting of a temperature sensor, a capacitive contact sensor, a resistive contact sensor, an electromyography electrode, a pressure transducer, an extension sensor, and an inertial measurement unit. The secondary sensor may be an inertial measurement unit comprising at least one accelerometer and at least one gyro. The secondary sensor may be coupled to a body part of the user. The secondary sensor may be coupled to at least one of the one or more touch sensing assemblies. The secondary sensor may be coupled to an independent system coupled to the body part. The secondary sensor may be coupled to a portable computing device coupled to the body part. The secondary sensor may be coupled to a computing system by wired connectivity. The secondary sensor may be coupled to a computing system by wireless connectivity. The system may be configured to utilize the characterized geometric profile of the surface along with the secondary indicator output acceleration to predict the user's command. Known elastic modulus information associated with one or more of the touch sensing assemblies may be utilized to estimate an interfacial force applied between the body part and the one or more touch sensing assemblies. The multiple touch sensing assemblies may be maintained in a biased position and orientation relative to the body part by one or more removable coupling members configured to couple the touch sensing assemblies relative to each other and to a contacted object. The one or more removable coupling members may be configured to orient the interface membrane of each touch sensing assembly in a generally coplanar manner relative to a nearby portion of a surface of the body part. The one or more removable coupling members may comprise a removably attachable flexible substrate layer. The removably attachable flexible substrate layer may be configured to at least partially surround the contacted object. The removably attachable flexible substrate layer may comprise a cuff configured to be coupled to a skin surface of the user's body part. A computing system may be operatively coupled to each of the touch sensing assemblies utilizing wired connectivity.A computing system may be operably coupled to each of the touch sensing assemblies utilizing wireless connectivity. At least one of the first illumination sources may comprise a light emitting diode. At least one of the detectors may be a photodetector. At least one of the detectors may be an image capture device. The image capture device may be a CCD or CMOS device. The computing system may be operably coupled to the detector and configured to receive information from the detector related to light detected by the detector from within the deformable transmissive layer. The computing system may be operably coupled to one or more of the first illumination sources and configured to control emission from the one or more first illumination sources. At least one of the deformable transmissive layers may include an elastomeric material. The elastomeric material may be selected from the group consisting of silicone, urethane, polyurethane, thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). At least one of the deformable transmissive layers may include a composite having a pigment material distributed within an elastomeric matrix, the pigment material configured to provide an illumination reflectance greater than that of the elastomeric matrix. The pigment material may include a metal oxide, and the at least one deformable transmissive layer may be bounded by a bottom surface directly bonded to the interface membrane, a top surface closest to the detector, and a transmissive layer thickness therebetween, the pigment material being distributed adjacent to the bottom surface within the transmissive layer thickness to provide an optimized illumination reflectance adjacent to the bottom surface. At least one of the interface membranes may include an elastomeric material. The interface membrane and the deformable transmissive layer may each have a modulus of elasticity that is substantially identical. At least one bond of the deformable transmissive layer and the interface membrane may be directly bonded such that both primary and shear loads applied by a contacted object are substantially transferred across the interface membrane of the bond to the deformable transmissive layer of the bond.At least one of the deformable permeable layers may comprise a bladder configured to be at least partially filled with a fluid. At least one of the interface membranes may comprise an assembly of relatively thin, sequentially removable membrane components. A secondary sensor may be coupled to the plurality of touch sensing assemblies. A secondary sensor may be operatively coupled to, but not co-located with, the plurality of touch sensing assemblies.

[0013] Another embodiment includes the steps of providing a plurality of touch sensing assemblies, a secondary sensor, and a computing system operably coupled to each of the secondary sensors and the touch sensing assemblies, each of the plurality comprising a deformable permeable layer coupled to an interface membrane, the interface membrane being contacted against at least one side of a contacted body part, a first illumination source operably coupled to the deformable permeable layer and configured to emit a first illumination light into the deformable permeable layer at a known first illumination orientation relative to the deformable permeable layer such that at least a portion of the first illumination light interacts with the deformable permeable layer, and a detector configured to detect light from within at least a portion of the deformable permeable layer; and configuring the secondary sensor to sense a secondary indicator of motion of the body part and produce a secondary indicator output; and utilizing the computing system to operate each of the detectors to detect at least a portion of the light directed from each deformable permeable layer and at least partially detect an associated first illumination light. determining a surface orientation associated with a position along each interface membrane based on an interaction with a deformable permeable layer associated with the light and sensing a secondary indicator of a motion of the body part using a secondary sensor, wherein each of the plurality of touch sensing assemblies is configured to be contacted against adjacent sides of the contacted body part and generally address a surface of the contacted body part, and the computing system is configured to utilize the determined surface orientations to characterize a geometric outline of the surface of the contacted body part as contacted against the plurality of interface membranes, and the computing system is further configured to utilize, at least in part, a neural network computing arrangement trained using a library of prior motion data to assist in predicting the user's command based on both the secondary indicator output as analyzed at runtime and the characterization of the surface geometric outline.The neural network computing arrangement may be trained utilizing a library of prior motion data based on similar combinations of touch sensing assemblies and contacted body parts for a number of different users. The neural network computing arrangement may be trained utilizing a library of prior motion data based on similar combinations of touch sensing assemblies and contacted body parts for a number of different prior sessions with the same user. The neural network computing arrangement may be trained based on a supervised learning model in which a training library comprising a relatively large number of predefined relationships between the characterized surface contours, the secondary sensor output, and the intended user commands is utilized to build the correlations. The neural network computing arrangement may be trained based on a reinforcement learning model in which a training library comprising a relatively large number of predefined relationships between the characterized surface contours, the secondary sensor output, the intended user commands, and the intended user intent is utilized to build the correlations. The secondary sensor may be selected from the group consisting of a temperature sensor, a capacitive contact sensor, a resistive contact sensor, an electromyography electrode, a pressure transducer, an elongation sensor, a moisture sensor, and an inertial measurement unit (IMU). The secondary sensor may be an inertial measurement unit comprising at least one accelerometer and at least one gyro. The secondary sensor may be coupled to a body part of the user. The secondary sensor may be coupled to at least one of the one or more touch sensing assemblies. The secondary sensor may be coupled to an independent system coupled to the body part. The secondary sensor may be coupled to a portable computing device coupled to the body part. The secondary sensor may be coupled to a computing system by wired connectivity. The secondary sensor may be coupled to a computing system by wireless connectivity. The system may be configured to utilize the characterized geometric profile of the surface together with the secondary indicator output acceleration to predict the user's commands.Known elastic modulus information associated with one or more of the touch sensing assemblies may be utilized to estimate an interfacial force applied between the body part and the one or more touch sensing assemblies. The touch sensing assemblies may be maintained in a biased position and orientation relative to the body part by one or more removable coupling members configured to couple the touch sensing assemblies to each other and to the contacted object. The one or more removable coupling members may be configured to orient the interface membrane of each touch sensing assembly in a generally coplanar manner relative to a proximate portion of a surface of the body part. The one or more removable coupling members may comprise a removably attachable flexible substrate layer. The removably attachable flexible substrate layer may be configured to at least partially surround the contacted object. The removably attachable flexible substrate layer may comprise a cuff configured to be coupled to a skin surface of the user's body part. A computing system may be operatively coupled to each of the touch sensing assemblies utilizing wired connectivity. A computing system may be operably coupled to each of the touch sensing assemblies utilizing wireless connectivity. At least one of the first illumination sources may comprise a light emitting diode. At least one of the detectors may be a photodetector. At least one of the detectors may be an image capture device. The image capture device may be a CCD or CMOS device. The computing system may be operably coupled to the detector and configured to receive information from the detector related to light detected by the detector from within the deformable transmissive layer. The computing system may be operably coupled to one or more of the first illumination sources and configured to control emission from the one or more first illumination sources. At least one of the deformable transmissive layers may include an elastomeric material. The elastomeric material may be selected from the group consisting of silicone, urethane, polyurethane, thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU).At least one of the deformable permeable layers may include a composite having a pigment material distributed within an elastomeric matrix, the pigment material may be configured to provide an illumination reflectance that exceeds that of the elastomeric matrix. The pigment material may include a metal oxide. At least one of the deformable permeable layers may be bounded by a bottom surface directly bonded to the interface membrane, a top surface closest to the detector, and a permeable layer thickness therebetween, the pigment material being distributed adjacent to the bottom surface within the permeable layer thickness to provide an optimized illumination reflectance adjacent to the bottom surface. At least one of the interface membranes may include an elastomeric material. The interface membrane and the deformable permeable layer may each have a modulus of elasticity that is substantially identical. At least one of the bonds of the deformable permeable layer and the interface membrane may be directly bonded such that both primary and shear loads applied by a contacted object are substantially transferred across the interface membrane of the bond to the deformable permeable layer of the bond. At least one of the deformable permeable layers may include a bladder configured to be at least partially filled with a fluid. At least one of the interface membranes may comprise an assembly of relatively thin, sequentially removable membrane components. The secondary sensor may be coupled to the plurality of touch sensing assemblies. The secondary sensor may be operatively coupled to, but not co-located with, the plurality of touch sensing assemblies. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 and 2 illustrate aspects of a conventional computing system. [Diagram 2] 1 and 2 illustrate aspects of a conventional computing system. [Figure 3A] 3A-3D illustrate various aspects of a system for characterizing interactions between surfaces featuring a deformable permeable layer. [Figure 3B]3A-3D illustrate various aspects of a system for characterizing interactions between surfaces featuring a deformable permeable layer. [Figure 3C] 3A-3D illustrate various aspects of a system for characterizing interactions between surfaces featuring a deformable permeable layer. [Figure 3D] 3A-3D illustrate various aspects of a system for characterizing interactions between surfaces featuring a deformable permeable layer. [Figure 4] 4-7 illustrate various aspects of a system for characterizing interactions between surfaces featuring a deformable permeable layer. [Diagram 5] 4-7 illustrate various aspects of a system for characterizing interactions between surfaces featuring a deformable permeable layer. [Figure 6A] 4-7 illustrate various aspects of a system for characterizing interactions between surfaces featuring a deformable permeable layer. [Figure 6B] 4-7 illustrate various aspects of a system for characterizing interactions between surfaces featuring a deformable permeable layer. [Figure 7] 4-7 illustrate various aspects of a system for characterizing interactions between surfaces featuring a deformable permeable layer. [Figure 8A] 8A-13 illustrate various aspects of a system for characterizing interactions between surfaces featuring multiple deformable permeable layers aggregated for enhanced characterization capabilities. [Figure 8B] 8A-13 illustrate various aspects of a system for characterizing interactions between surfaces featuring multiple deformable permeable layers aggregated for enhanced characterization capabilities. [Figure 8C] 8A-13 illustrate various aspects of a system for characterizing interactions between surfaces featuring multiple deformable permeable layers aggregated for enhanced characterization capabilities. [Figure 8D]8A-13 illustrate various aspects of a system for characterizing interactions between surfaces featuring multiple deformable permeable layers aggregated for enhanced characterization capabilities. [Figure 9A] 8A-13 illustrate various aspects of a system for characterizing interactions between surfaces featuring multiple deformable permeable layers aggregated for enhanced characterization capabilities. [Figure 9B] 8A-13 illustrate various aspects of a system for characterizing interactions between surfaces featuring multiple deformable permeable layers aggregated for enhanced characterization capabilities. [Figure 9C] 8A-13 illustrate various aspects of a system for characterizing interactions between surfaces featuring multiple deformable permeable layers aggregated for enhanced characterization capabilities. [Figure 9D] 8A-13 illustrate various aspects of a system for characterizing interactions between surfaces featuring multiple deformable permeable layers aggregated for enhanced characterization capabilities. [Figure 10A] 8A-13 illustrate various aspects of a system for characterizing interactions between surfaces featuring multiple deformable permeable layers aggregated for enhanced characterization capabilities. [Figure 10B] 8A-13 illustrate various aspects of a system for characterizing interactions between surfaces featuring multiple deformable permeable layers aggregated for enhanced characterization capabilities. [Figure 11A] 8A-13 illustrate various aspects of a system for characterizing interactions between surfaces featuring multiple deformable permeable layers aggregated for enhanced characterization capabilities. [Figure 11B] 8A-13 illustrate various aspects of a system for characterizing interactions between surfaces featuring multiple deformable permeable layers aggregated for enhanced characterization capabilities. [Figure 12]8A-13 illustrate various aspects of a system for characterizing interactions between surfaces featuring multiple deformable permeable layers aggregated for enhanced characterization capabilities. [Figure 13] 8A-13 illustrate various aspects of a system for characterizing interactions between surfaces featuring multiple deformable permeable layers aggregated for enhanced characterization capabilities. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Detailed Description 3A-3D, various aspects of the illustrated digital touch sensing assembly (20) configuration feature a deformable transmissive layer (22) that may be utilized to characterize interactions between surfaces. For example, with reference to FIG. 3A, in a simplified illustrative embodiment, a computing system or device (18) operably coupled (16) to a power supply source (14) may be utilized to control light (1002) or other emissions from an illumination source (30) that may be directed into the deformable transmissive layer (22) through a control coupling (32), which may be wired or wireless. The deformable transmissive layer (22) may be pressed (1006) against at least a portion of a contacted object (1004), such as the edge of a coin, and based on the interaction of the illumination (1002) with the deformable transmissive layer (22), a detector, such as an image capture device (such as a CCD or CMOS device), may be configured to detect at least a portion of the light directed from the deformable transmissive layer, which may be operably coupled (34, such as by wired or wireless connectivity) to a computing system (18). In other words, using an illumination source (30) operatively coupled to pass illumination through the deformable transmissive layer in a known orientation relative to the deformable transmissive layer (e.g., optically coupled with an efficient transmissive interface) so that at least a portion of the illumination light interacts with the deformable transmissive layer, and a detector configured to detect light from within at least a portion of the deformable transmissive layer, a computing system may be configured to operate the detector to detect at least a portion of the light directed from the deformable transmissive layer, determine a surface orientation associated with a position along the interface between the deformable transmissive layer and the object contacted based, at least in part, on the interaction of the first illumination light with the deformable transmissive layer, and utilize the determined surface orientation to characterize the geometric outline of at least one side of the object contacted as contacted against the interface membrane.With reference to FIG. 3B, as discussed further below, an interface membrane (46) may be interposed between the contacted object (1004) and the deformable permeable layer (22), and such an interface membrane may have a similar or different modulus of elasticity to that of the deformable permeable layer. Preferably, an efficient bond is created between the deformable permeable layer and the membrane so that shear and main or normal loads are efficiently transferred between these structures. With reference to FIG. 3C, an embodiment is illustrated in which an optical element (24) is included and may be configured to assist in the precise distribution of light or other radiation throughout various parts of the assembled system. The optical element may include a substantially rigid material that is highly transparent, which may have a top surface, a bottom surface, and sides defined therebetween, forming a three-dimensional shape, such as, for example, a cylindrical, rectangular, and / or rectangular prism shape. The depicted optical elements (24) may be illuminated by one or more interconnected light sources (30, 31) and positioned within the field of view of the imaging device (26). A housing (28) is configured to maintain the orientation of the components relative to each other and to an interface membrane (46), which may comprise a fixedly attached or removably coupled substantially thin layer, as described above, including, for example, a polymeric material of relatively low bulk modulus, and which may be positioned for direct contact between other objects and the digital touch sensing assembly (20) for touch determination and characterization. Preferably, the deformable permeable layer and / or the interface membrane include an elastomeric material, such as silicone, urethane, polyurethane, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), or thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). Other elastomers with less light and / or radiation transmission efficiency may also be utilized, such as natural rubber, neoprene, ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber, butyl rubber, nitrile rubber, styrene butadiene rubber (SBR), Viton, fluorosilicone, and polyacrylates.The deformable transmissive layer may include a composite having a pigment material, such as dyes, metal oxides (e.g., iron oxide, zinc oxide, aluminum oxide, and / or titanium dioxide, etc.), metal nanoparticles (silver nanoparticles and / or aluminum nanoparticles, etc.), or other molecules configured to differentially interact with introduced light or radiation, distributed within an elastomeric matrix. The pigment material may be configured to provide illumination reflectance that exceeds that of the elastomeric matrix. The deformable transmissive layer is bounded by a bottom surface directly bonded to the interface membrane, a top surface closest to the detector, and a transmissive layer thickness therebetween, with the pigment material distributed within the transmissive layer thickness adjacent the bottom surface to provide an optimized illumination reflectance adjacent the bottom surface. Generally, aspects of suitable digital touch sensing assembly (20) configurations featuring elastomeric deformable permeable layer materials are described, for example, in U.S. Patent Nos. 10,965,854, 9,127,938, and 8,411,140, ​​each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. As shown in FIG. 3C, the depicted digital touch sensing assembly (20) may feature a gap or void (36), which may contain an optically transmissive material (such as one having a refractive index similar to that of optical element 24), air, or a specialized gas such as an inert gas, geometrically configured to place the side of the optical element (24) and / or the deformable permeable layer (22) within a desired proximity of an imaging device (26), which may comprise an imaging sensor, such as a digital camera chip, a single light-sensing element (such as a photodiode), or an array of light-sensing elements, and which may be configured to have a field of view and depth of field facilitated by the geometric gap or void (36). In another embodiment, the optical element (24) may be configured to be deformable or conformable such that the effect of the stiffness of such structure on other associated elements is minimized.

[0016] Also shown in Figure 3C is a computing device or system (18), which may comprise a computer, microcontroller, field programmable gate array, application specific integrated circuit, or equivalent, operably coupled to an imaging device (26) and to one or more light sources (30) and configured to facilitate control of these devices in collecting data related to touches on the deformable transmissive layer (22). For example, in one embodiment, as shown in Figure 3C, the light sources (30, 31) each comprise a light emitting diode ("LED") (32, 33) operably coupled to the computing device (18) using electronic leads, and the imaging device (26) comprises a digital camera sensor chip operably coupled to the computing device using electronic leads (34). A power source (14) may be operatively coupled to the computing device (18) to provide power to the computing device (18) and may be configured to controllably provide power through those couplings (34, 32, 33, respectively) to interconnected devices such as the imaging device (26) and light sources (30, 31). As shown in FIG. 3C (40), these coupling interfaces (32, 33, 34) may be short or relatively long (i.e., the digital touch sensing assembly 20 may be remote relative to the computing device 18) and may be a direct physical connection or transmission of data through a wired or wireless interface, such as via an optical / optical networking protocol or a wireless networking protocol such as Bluetooth® (RTM) or an 802.11-based configuration, which may be facilitated by additional computing and power resources local to the digital touch sensing assembly (20).

[0017] Referring to FIG. 3D, a partial schematic diagram illustrates that the computing system (18) may be operatively coupled, such as via wired or wireless control leads, to two or three different illumination sources (30, 31, 1010), or more (32, 33, 1012), which may be configured to have different wavelengths of emission and / or different polarizations and, as depicted, may be configured to emit from different orientations relative to the optical element (24) and associated deformable transmissive layer (22), enabling further data related to geometric profiling.

[0018] Referring to Figure 4, a configuration similar to that shown in Figure 3C is illustrated, except that the deformable permeable layer (22) of Figure 4 comprises one or more bladders or enclosed volumes (38) that may be occupied, for example, by a gas or fluid. In one embodiment, for example, the deformable permeable layer (22) may comprise several separately controllable inflatable compartments or sub-volumes and may comprise a cross-sectional shape selected to provide specific mechanical performance under load, such as a controllable honeycomb-type cross-sectional shape configuration. As described above, the deformable permeable layer (22) may comprise a material or materials selected to match the touch sensing paradigm in terms of bulk modulus and / or Young's modulus. In other words, for sensing relatively low loads, such as in a soap bubble or digital touch scenario in contact with the surface of a living photosynthetic leaf of a plant, a relatively low modulus (i.e., generally locally flexible / deformable and not rigid) material, such as, for example, an elastomer as described in the above-incorporated references, may be utilized for the deformable permeable layer (22) and / or the outer interface membrane (46), which may be removable, as described above. The outer interface membrane (46) may comprise an assembly of relatively thin, sequentially removable membranes, such that they may be sequentially removed as they become bound to dirt or dust, for example, in a "tear" type manner. In embodiments such as that shown in FIG. 4, in which the deformable permeable layer (22) includes an at least temporarily trapped volume of liquid or gas, the gas or liquid, along with its pressure, may be modulated to address a desired bulk modulus and sensitivity of the overall deformable permeable layer (22) (e.g., the pressure and / or volume may be modulated to change the functional modulus of the deformable permeable layer (22) generally in relation to one or more bladder sections (38)).

[0019] Referring to Figure 5, a configuration similar to that of Figure 3C is shown illustrating that the configuration of Figure 5 can be reduced or even eliminated depending on the optical layout of the imaging device (26), where the gap (37) between the imaging device (26) and the optical element (24) can be interconnected with refractive and / or diffractive optics to change properties such as the focal length of the imaging device (26).

[0020] Referring to FIG. 6A, a configuration similar to that of FIG. 3C is illustrated, except that the configuration of FIG. 6A illustrates that one or more light sources may be directly coupled to the computing device (18) and configured to transmit light through optically transparent coupling members (42, 43), such as optical LED light sources, configured to transmit light through optically transparent coupling members (42, 43), via optical fibers, "light pipes," or waveguides, which may be configured to pass photons from such sources to the emitters (44, 45) as efficiently as possible, such as via total internal reflection.

[0021] Similarly, with reference to FIG. 6B, a configuration similar to that of FIG. 6A is illustrated in which the imaging device includes capture optics selected to collect photons and transmit them through an optically transparent coupling member (48), such as a waveguide or one or more optical fibers, back to an image sensor that may be positioned within or coupled to a computing device (18) or other structure, which may reside separately from the digital touch sensing assembly (20).

[0022] 7, as described in the above-incorporated reference (U.S. Pat. No. 10,965,854), the deformable permeable layer or member (22) may comprise a variety of geometric shapes and need not be planar or rectangular prism, for example, the deformable permeable layer or member (22) may be curved, convex, saddle-shaped, and the like, and may be customized for various specific contact sensing scenarios. For example, multiple convex shaped assemblies (20) such as those shown in FIG. 7 may be coupled to the grasping interface of a robotic gripper / hand to facilitate touch sensing / decisions related to an item being grasped, in a manner similar to the paradigm of the skin compartment between the joints of a human hand grasping an object.

[0023] With reference to Figure 8A, multiple digital touch sensing assemblies (20) may be utilized together to sense a larger surface (52) of an object (50). Each such assembly (20, five are illustrated in Figure 8A), as shown (54, 56, 58, 60, 62), may be operatively coupled to one or more computing devices (18) via electronic leads or the like (and may be interrupted by wireless connectivity, e.g., as described above), and thus configured to exchange data and facilitate the transmission of power, light, and control and sensing information.

[0024] With reference to Figure 8B, a larger number than those of Figure 8A may be utilized to partially or completely surround an object (50) or to monitor digital touch with two or more surfaces (52, 53) of such object (50). The five additional digital touch sensing assemblies (20) depicted in the lower portion of Figure 8B may be operatively coupled to the same or different computing devices (18), and the coupled conductors (64, 66, 68, 70, 72, etc.) may be combined or coupled to form a single combined coupled conductor assembly (74) as shown in Figure 8B.

[0025] With reference to Figure 8C, a plurality of digital touch sensing assemblies (20) may be assembled to facilitate sensing of an area or surface, such as in an array configuration (80), where the digital touch sensing assemblies (20) of the array (80) may each be operatively coupled (76, 78) to one or more computing devices (18) via a plurality of coupling conductors, which may be wirelessly interrupted, as described above. For illustrative purposes, Figures 8D, 9A, 9B, 9C, 12, and 13 comprise arrays (80) of digital touch sensing assemblies (20) integrated into various configurations for various exemplary use cases.

[0026] With reference to FIG. 8D, a removable coupling member may be configured to align the assembly (20) with a sensing surface oriented toward a surface of interest of an object or body part (such as an arm part as shown). The removable coupling member may comprise an attachable flexible substrate member, such as a fabric or polymer sheet, that may be at least partially elastomeric and configured to at least partially surround the object or body part of interest. The depicted flexible cuff (82) variation of the removable coupling member may be removably coupled to a user's or patient's forearm (8). The flexible cuff (82) may be coupled to an array (80) of digital touch sensing assemblies (20), which may be operably coupled (76, 78) to one or more computing devices (18), such as via a plurality of coupling leads that may be wirelessly interrupted, as described above. The array (80) may be configured to partially or completely surround a user's or patient's forearm (8), and the system may be utilized to collect data related to the movement and extension of the forearm during activities as it comes into contact with the various digital touch sensing assemblies (20).

[0027] With reference to FIG. 9A, one or more "secondary sensors," such as an accelerometer, gyro, moisture sensor, or inertial measurement unit ("IMU"), may be coupled to the cuff or array (80), or in another embodiment, not co-located with the cuff or array (80), but coupled to another portion of the person or object, and operably coupled to the computing system (18) to assist in providing additional data related to the movement and motion of the user's forearm (8) while the system simultaneously gathers data related to the motion of the forearm (8) using the array (80) of the digital touch sensing assembly (20). FIG. 9B illustrates that a smartphone (4) or similar device with an IMU and other sensors may be temporarily coupled to the hand, such as via a hand grasp, and operably coupled to the subject computing system (18) via wireless connectivity (86), or the like, to assist in providing IMU and other data while the system simultaneously gathers data related to the motion of the forearm (8) using the array (80) of the digital touch sensing assembly (20).

[0028] Indeed, with reference to Figures 9C and 9D, a variety of sensing devices may be operatively coupled to the array (80) of the digital touch sensing assembly (20) to provide a relatively rich amount of data related to the movement, motion, repositioning, and reorientation of a subject's forearm (8). For example, the system configuration of FIG. 9C features a plurality of operatively interconnected (122, 123) external imaging devices (88, 89) such as camera sensors configured to capture images of the subject's forearm, which may be captured simultaneously with touch sensing data from the digital touch sensing assembly (20), along with data from one or more thermocouples or temperature sensors (90), strain gauges or extension sensors (100, each shown in a hoop-type configuration around the circumference of the cuff 82), capacitive contact sensors (94), resistive contact sensors (96), electromyography ("EMG") muscle active electrodes / sensors (92), and pressure sensors (98, which may be interconnected with an inflatable bladder), each of which may be operatively coupled to the cuff (82) and computing device (18).

[0029] 10A, 10B, 11A, and 11B, various configurations are illustrated in which systems and integrations such as those illustrated in FIGS. 9C and 9D may be utilized.

[0030] With reference to FIG. 10A, a sensing platform, such as a long bone cuff, such as that described with reference to FIG. 9C, may be operatively coupled to a user, such as via coupling the cuff to a portion of the user's forearm, finger, or leg (102). The user may begin to recruit muscles to perform a movement using motor neuron and muscle fiber activity (104). Motor neuron, muscle activity, repositioning, and / or reorientation may be detected by sensors (such as EMG, IMU, camera, digital touch, capacitive contacts, resistive contacts, pressure sensors, and / or thermocouples) that comprise the sensing platform, such that an operatively coupled computing system receives the associated data (106). An operatively coupled computing device may be configured to perform "sensor fusion" or multi-sensor analysis to predict the movement the user is attempting to perform (108). For example, given known kinematics and kinematic idiosyncrasies of the human upper appendages, together with real-time or near real-time data from operatively coupled sensors, the computer system may be configured to infer what the human user is trying to accomplish as the movement begins and then continues, and such inferences may be utilized to assist in rapidly crafting and refining commands that may be utilized to instruct an interconnected system, such as another computing system or a robotic system. Sensor fusion techniques may also be utilized to smooth commands as they are inferred, for example, in the case of users with kinematic impairments, such as tremors, neurological diseases or injuries, or limited range of motion (e.g., the system may be configured to essentially smooth and obtain commands from users with limited motion). Thus, the operatively coupled computing device may be configured to assist the user in providing commands to other operatively coupled systems (such as other computing systems and / or electromechanical systems) based, at least in part, on the sensor fusion analysis (110).

[0031] 10B, a configuration similar to that of FIG. 10A is illustrated in which an additional feature of an operably coupled computing system is configured to use the convolutional neural network configuration and user activity as a training data set to improve the computing system's interpretation of the user activity, conditional on user confirmation of command success (112). In other words, the system may be configured to improve its ability to infer the user's commands by using the user's activity as a training data set.

[0032] In other words, the computing system may be further configured to utilize a neural network computing arrangement trained, at least in part, using a library of prior motion data to assist in predicting user commands based on both the characterization of the secondary sensor or indicator output and the geometric contour of the surface as analyzed at runtime. The neural network computing arrangement, which may utilize so-called "machine learning," may be trained using a library of prior motion data based on similar combinations of touch sensing assemblies and contacted body parts for a number of different users. The neural network computing arrangement may be trained using a library of prior motion data based on similar combinations of touch sensing assemblies and contacted body parts for a number of different prior sessions with the same user. The neural network computing arrangement is trained based on a supervised learning model in which a training library comprising a relatively large number of predefined relationships between the characterized surface contours, the secondary sensor output, and the intended user commands is utilized to build correlations. The neural network computing arrangement may be trained based on a reinforcement learning model in which a training library comprising a relatively large number of predefined relationships between the characterized surface contours, the secondary sensor output, the intended user commands, and the intended user intent is utilized to build correlations.

[0033] Referring to FIG. 11A, in a medical patient treatment environment, a sensing platform such as a long bone cuff may be operably coupled to a patient under medical treatment (114). A user may begin to recruit muscles to perform a movement using motor neuron and muscle fiber activity (104). Motor neuron, muscle activity, repositioning, and / or reorientation may be detected by sensors (such as EMG, IMU, camera, digital touch, capacitive contacts, resistive contacts, pressure sensors, and / or thermocouples) that comprise the sensing platform such that an operably coupled computing system receives the associated data (106). An operably coupled computing device may be configured to perform "sensor fusion" or multi-sensor analysis to predict the movement the user is attempting to perform (108). For example, given known kinematics and kinematic idiosyncrasies of the human upper appendages, along with real-time or near real-time data from operatively coupled sensors, the computer system may be configured to infer what the human user is attempting to accomplish as the movement begins and then continues, and such inferences may be utilized to assist in rapidly crafting and refining commands that may be utilized to instruct an interconnected system, such as another computing system or a robotic system. Sensor fusion techniques may also be utilized to smooth commands as they are inferred, for example, in the case of users with kinematic impairments, such as tremors, neurological diseases or injuries, or limited range of motion (e.g., the system may be configured to essentially smooth and obtain commands from users with limited motion). The operatively coupled computing device may be configured to assist the user in providing commands to other operatively coupled systems (such as other computing systems and / or electromechanical systems) based, at least in part, on the sensor fusion analysis, and also to store data related to the patient's operational efficiency for medical optimization (116).

[0034] Referring to FIG. 11B, a configuration similar to that of FIG. 11A is illustrated with the addition that an operably coupled computing system may be configured to use the convolutional neural network configuration and user activity as a training data set to refine the computing system interpretation of the user activity, conditional on user confirmation of command success (112).

[0035] With reference to FIG. 12, a smaller wrist cuff (118) is shown to illustrate that a compact configuration may be utilized. Similarly, a glove or portion thereof may be utilized to couple the sensing array (80) to a finger or portion thereof. With reference to FIG. 13, in the opposite geometric orientation, a larger array (80) of the digital touch sensing assembly (20) may be configured to assist in monitoring contact between a patient and a bed, such as a hospital bed, by operably coupling the array to a bed frame (120) or blanket or pad. Similarly, an array operably coupled to a blanket, drape, pad, or bandage may be utilized to monitor contact between a patient and a drape or bandage, such as in load-sensitive healing scenarios, such as skin graft burn procedures.

[0036] Various exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described herein. These examples are referred to in a non-limiting sense. They are provided to illustrate the broader applicable aspects of the present invention. Various modifications may be made to the described invention, and equivalents may be substituted, without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation, material, composition, process, process act, or step to the objective, spirit, or scope of the present invention. Furthermore, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, each of the individual variations described and illustrated herein has discrete components and features that can be easily separated from or combined with the features of any of the other several embodiments without departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention. All such modifications are intended to be within the scope of the claims associated with this disclosure.

[0037] Any of the devices described for performing the subject diagnostic or interventional procedures may be provided in packaged combination for use in performing such interventions. These supply "kits" may further include instructions for use and be packaged in sterile trays or containers as are commonly employed for such purposes.

[0038] The present invention includes methods that may be implemented using the subject devices. The methods may include the act of providing such a suitable device. Such provision may be implemented by an end user. In other words, the act of "providing" merely requires the end user to obtain, access, approach, locate, configure, activate, power on, or otherwise act on the requisite device to provide in the subject method. The methods recited herein may be carried out in any order of the recited events that is logically possible, and in the recited order of events.

[0039] Exemplary aspects of the invention have been described above, along with details regarding material selection and manufacturing. As for other details of the invention, these will be appreciated in conjunction with the patents and publications referenced above, and will generally be known or understood by those skilled in the art. The same may be true with respect to method-based aspects of the invention in terms of additional acts as typically or logically adopted.

[0040] In addition, although the present invention has been described with reference to several embodiments, optionally incorporating various features, the present invention is not limited to those described or shown as envisaged for each variation of the present invention. Various modifications may be made to the described invention, and equivalents (whether recited herein or not included for a degree of brevity) may be substituted without departing from the true spirit and scope of the present invention. In addition, when a range of values ​​is provided, it is to be understood that all intervening values ​​between the upper and lower limits of that range, and any other stated or intervening values ​​within the stated range, are encompassed within the present invention.

[0041] It is also envisioned that any optional feature of the described inventive variation may be described and claimed independently or in combination with any one or more of the features described herein. Reference to a singular item includes the possibility that there are multiple identical items. More specifically, as used in this specification and the claims associated herewith, the singular forms "a," "an," "said," and "the" include plural referents unless specifically stated otherwise. In other words, the use of articles allows for "at least one" of the subject items in the above description and the claims associated herewith. It is further noted that such claims may be drafted to exclude any optional element. Thus, this language is intended to serve as a predicate for the use of exclusive terminology such as "solely," "only," and the like in connection with the recitation of claim elements, or the use of a "negative" limitation.

[0042] Without the use of such exclusive terminology, the term "comprising" in a claim associated with this disclosure is intended to permit the inclusion of any additional elements, regardless of whether a given number of elements are recited in such a claim or whether the addition of a feature could be considered as changing the nature of the element recited in such a claim. Except as specifically defined herein, all technical and scientific terms used herein are to be given the broadest possible commonly understood meaning while maintaining the validity of the claims.

[0043] The scope of the present invention is not intended to be limited to the examples and / or subject specification provided, but rather is limited only by the scope of the claim language associated with this disclosure.

Claims

1. 1. A system for characterizing interactions between surfaces, comprising: a. a deformable permeable layer coupled to an interface membrane, said interface membrane contacting at least one side of an object with which it is contacted; b. a first illumination source operatively coupled to the deformable transmissive layer and configured to emit the first illumination light into the deformable transmissive layer at a known first illumination orientation relative to the deformable transmissive layer such that at least a portion of the first illumination light interacts with the deformable transmissive layer; c. a detector configured to detect light from within at least a portion of the deformable transmissive layer; d. a computing system configured to operate the detector to detect at least a portion of light directed from the deformable transmissive layer, determine a surface orientation associated with a position along the interface membrane based at least in part on an interaction of the first illumination light with the deformable transmissive layer, and use the determined surface orientation to characterize a geometric outline of the at least one side of the contacted object as contacted against the interface membrane; A system comprising:

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the interface membrane is directly bonded between the deformable permeable layer and the contacted object.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a substantially rigid optical element positioned between the detector and the deformable transmissive layer.

4. 4. The system of claim 3, wherein the first illumination source is directly coupled to the substantially rigid optical element, and the substantially rigid optical element is configured to distribute the first illumination light to the deformable transmissive layer.

5. 4. The system of claim 3, wherein the substantially rigid optical element is defined by a bottom surface, a top surface, and one or more sidewall surfaces, the bottom surface being directly bonded to the deformable transmissive layer and the top surface being positioned closest adjacent to the detector.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the substantially rigid optical element comprises an outer shape substantially similar to one selected from the group consisting of a cylindrical shape, a cubic shape, and a rectangular prism shape.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the first illumination source is coupled to at least one of the one or more sidewall surfaces of the substantially rigid optical element.

8. 10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second illumination source operably coupled to the deformable transmissive layer and configured to emit the second illumination light into the deformable transmissive layer at a known second illumination orientation relative to the deformable transmissive layer such that at least a portion of the second illumination light interacts with the deformable transmissive layer.

9. 10. The system of claim 8, wherein the detector is further configured to detect light from within at least a portion of the deformable transmissive layer based on both the first illumination light and the second illumination light, and the computing system is configured to operate the detector to detect at least a portion of the first and second illumination lights directed from the deformable transmissive layer, determine a surface orientation associated with a position along the interface membrane based at least in part on an interaction of the first and second illumination lights with the deformable transmissive layer, and use the determined surface orientation to characterize a geometric outline of the at least one side of the contacted object as contacted against the interface membrane.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the second illumination light and the first illumination light have different wavelengths.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the second illumination light and the first illumination light have different polarizations.

12. 10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a third illumination source operably coupled to the deformable transmissive layer and configured to emit the third illumination light into the deformable transmissive layer at a known third illumination orientation relative to the deformable transmissive layer such that at least a portion of the third illumination light interacts with the deformable transmissive layer.

13. 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the detector is further configured to detect light from within at least a portion of the deformable transmissive layer based on each of the first, second, and third illumination lights, and the computing system is configured to operate the detector to detect at least a portion of the first, second, and third illumination lights directed from the deformable transmissive layer, determine a surface orientation associated with a position along the interface membrane based at least in part on an interaction of the first, second, and third illumination lights with the deformable transmissive layer, and utilize the determined surface orientation to characterize a geometric outline of the at least one side of the contacted object as contacted against the interface membrane.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the first, second, and third illumination lights each have a different wavelength.

15. 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first, second, and third illumination lights do not all have the same polarization.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first illumination source comprises a light emitting diode.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the detector is a photodetector.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the detector is an image capture device.

19. 20. The system of claim 18, wherein the image capture device is a CCD or CMOS device.

20. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a lens operatively coupled between the detector and the deformable transmissive layer.

21. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing system is operably coupled to the detector and configured to receive information from the detector related to light detected by the detector from within the deformable transmissive layer.

22. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing system is operably coupled to the first illumination source and configured to control emissions from the first illumination source.

23. The system of claim 1 , wherein the deformable permeable layer comprises an elastomeric material.

24. 24. The system of claim 23, wherein the elastomeric material is selected from the group consisting of silicone, urethane, polyurethane, thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU).

25. 24. The system of claim 23, wherein the deformable transmissive layer comprises a composite having a pigment material distributed within an elastomeric matrix, the pigment material configured to provide an illumination reflectance greater than that of the elastomeric matrix.

26. 26. The system of claim 25, wherein the pigment material comprises a metal oxide.

27. 26. The system of claim 25, wherein the deformable transmissive layer is bounded by a bottom surface directly bonded to the interface membrane, a top surface closest to the detector, and a transmissive layer thickness therebetween, and the pigment material is distributed adjacent to the bottom surface within the transmissive layer thickness to provide optimized illumination reflectance adjacent to the bottom surface.

28. The system of claim 1 , wherein the interface membrane comprises an elastomeric material.

29. The system of claim 1 , wherein the interface membrane and the deformable permeable layer each have a modulus of elasticity that is substantially the same.

30. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the deformable permeable layer and interface membrane are directly coupled such that both primary and shear loads applied by the contacted object are substantially transferred across the interface membrane to the deformable permeable layer.

31. The system of claim 1 , wherein the deformable permeable layer comprises a bladder configured to be at least partially filled with a fluid.

32. The system of claim 1 , wherein the interface membrane comprises an assembly of relatively thin, sequentially removable membrane components.

Images