Structures and humanoid robots

Abstract

The aim is to provide a humanoid robot with a structure that reduces the feeling of bottoming out of a flexible body when touching its contact points. [Solution] The structure 20 comprises a flexible body 40, a plate 50 arranged on top of the flexible body 40 and having a plurality of holes 52, and a support 70 that supports the plate 50 and forms a space 80 that receives the flexible body 40 which deforms when pressed and passes through the plurality of holes 52.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a structure and a humanoid robot.

Background Art

[0002] As an exterior material for robots and the like, for example, the technology according to Patent Document 1 is known. Further, flexible materials such as elastomer materials and gel materials are known as exterior materials for robots and the like.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in order to obtain the softness of the exterior material, that is, the lack of a sense of having a bottom, it is necessary to thicken the flexible body on the surface of the exterior material. However, thickening the flexible body causes an increase in weight, an increase in the thickness of the structure, and thus an increase in cost.

[0005] The present disclosure aims to provide a structure and a humanoid robot that reduce the sense of having a bottom of a flexible body, which is felt when touching the contact part of the flexible body.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The structure of the first aspect includes a flexible body, a plate that is disposed so as to overlap the flexible body and has a plurality of holes, and a support that supports the plate and forms a space that is deformed by pressing and receives the flexible body passing through the plurality of holes.

[0007] In this embodiment of the structure, the flexible body, deformed by pressure, enters the space through multiple holes drilled in the plate. Therefore, this embodiment of the structure reduces the feeling of the flexible body bottoming out when the contact area of ​​the flexible body is touched.

[0008] In the second embodiment, the structure is as described in the first embodiment, wherein the plurality of holes are each formed in the same shape and are evenly spaced at intervals of 10 mm or less.

[0009] In this embodiment of the structure, multiple holes are evenly spaced at intervals of 10 mm or less. Therefore, according to this embodiment of the structure, the variation in the rebound sensation in response to the amount of pressure applied when touching the contact area of ​​the flexible body is reduced.

[0010] The structure of the third embodiment is the structure described in the second embodiment, wherein the plurality of holes are circular holes with a diameter of 1 mm or more and a diameter of 20 mm or less.

[0011] In this embodiment of the structure, since the holes drilled in the plate are circular, the flexible body deformed by pressure can easily enter the holes. Therefore, with this embodiment of the structure, when the contact area of ​​the flexible body is touched, there is less likely to be a sudden change in the rebound sensation of the flexible body.

[0012] The fourth embodiment of the structure is the structure described in the second embodiment, wherein the plurality of holes are regular hexagons circumscribed around a circle with a diameter of 1 mm or more and a diameter of 20 mm or less.

[0013] In this embodiment of the structure, the holes drilled in the plate are hexagonal, making it easy to maintain a consistent distance between each hole without compromising strength. Therefore, with this embodiment of the structure, it is possible to obtain a similar rebound sensation even if the point of pressure on the flexible body shifts, while maintaining strength.

[0014] The fifth embodiment of the structure is the structure described in the third or fourth embodiment, wherein the plurality of holes are formed in an area of ​​35% or more of the projected area of ​​the plate when viewed from the direction in which the flexible bodies overlap.

[0015] In the structure according to this aspect, since a plurality of holes are formed in 35% or more of the projected area of the plate, it is easy for the flexible body to enter the space through the holes. Therefore, according to the structure according to this aspect, the variation in the feeling of the flexible body being supported by the pressing portion, which is felt when touching the contact portion of the flexible body, is reduced.

[0016] The structure of the sixth aspect is the structure according to any one of the first aspect to the fifth aspect, and the range of the hardness of the flexible body is 20 or less in Asker C hardness.

[0017] The humanoid robot of the seventh aspect includes a skeletal member and an exterior that covers the skeletal member and includes the structure according to any one of the first aspect to the sixth aspect.

Advantages of the Invention

[0018] According to the present disclosure, there are provided a structure and a humanoid robot that reduce the feeling of the flexible body being supported when touching the contact portion of the flexible body.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019] [Figure 1] It is a diagram for explaining a humanoid robot according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a cross-sectional view for explaining the structure according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] It is a plan view for explaining the plate of the structure according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] It is a cross-sectional view for explaining the structure according to the first embodiment, and shows a state where the flexible body is deformed by applying a load to the flexible body. [Figure 5] It is a plan view for explaining the relationship between the pressing force and the deformation amount when the flexible body is pressed. [Figure 6] It is a plan view for explaining the plate of the structure according to the second embodiment.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0020] Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described while referring to the drawings. In each of the drawings, the same or equivalent components and parts are given the same reference numerals. Also, the dimensional ratios in the drawings are exaggerated for convenience of explanation and may be different from the actual ratios.

[0021] [First Embodiment] (Humanoid Robot) FIG. 1 shows a humanoid robot 10 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1, the humanoid robot 10 is a robot that mimics the form of a human and is made to enable activities equivalent to those of a human by a plurality of joints.

[0022] Further, the humanoid robot 10 of the present embodiment is provided with an exterior material 12 that mimics human skin. As an example, the exterior material 12 is provided at locations on the humanoid robot 10 that can be touched by a user. More specifically, as an example, the exterior material 12 is adopted at locations on the humanoid robot 10 that can be touched by a user, such as the head, chest, trunk, arms, etc., which correspond to the human face. Note that the exterior material 12 is formed to include a structure 20 according to the present disclosure. In the following description, locations that can be touched by a user are referred to as "contact parts".

[0023] Next, the specific configuration of the structure 20 will be described while referring to the respective drawings from FIG. 2 onwards.

[0024] (Structure 20) FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the structure 20 according to the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 2, the structure 20 according to the present disclosure includes a flexible body 40, a plate 50, and a support body 70.

[0025] The flexible body 40 is a member that can be easily elastically deformed. As shown in FIG. 2, in the present embodiment, the flexible body 40 is, as an example, in a sheet shape.

[0026] In this embodiment, the flexible body 40 is a material that easily deforms when a load is applied, but returns to its original shape when the load is removed. In this embodiment, the flexible body 40 is defined as a material that exhibits a value of 20 or less when measured with an Asker C hardness tester.

[0027] Furthermore, the specific material of the flexible body 40 in this embodiment is not limited as long as it meets the above definition. Examples of materials that can be applied to the flexible body 40 include gel materials such as polyurethane gel, silicone gel, polyacrylamide gel, gelatin, hydroxyapatite, xerogel, and chitosan gel; various vulcanized rubbers such as nitrile rubber (NBR), ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM), and chloroprene rubber (CR); various thermoplastic elastomers such as olefin-based thermoplastic elastomers, styrene-based thermoplastic elastomers, polyvinyl chloride-based thermoplastic elastomers, and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers; and materials using biomass-derived materials as raw materials. Another example is that the above-mentioned materials meet the above definition when placed in a bag. In other words, materials that do not return to their original shape after unloading due to hysteresis, etc., are not included in the flexible body.

[0028] The plate 50 is a member having multiple holes 52, made of a material that does not easily undergo elastic or plastic deformation. As shown in Figure 2, the plate 50 is superimposed on the flexible body 40.

[0029] The plate 50 can be made of any material that does not easily undergo elastic or plastic deformation.

[0030] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the holes 52 drilled in the plate 50 are all the same shape and spaced at the same intervals. The shape of the holes 52 is determined as appropriate, but in this embodiment, as an example, they are circular holes 52 with a diameter of 1 mm or more and a diameter of 20 mm or less. The arrangement of the holes 52 is also determined as appropriate, but in this embodiment, as an example, the distance between the edges of adjacent holes 52 is 10 mm or less. Note that the spacing between the holes 52 may be different in the vertical and horizontal directions. Also, in this embodiment, as an example, the multiple holes 52 are formed covering 35% or more of the projected area of ​​the plate 50 when viewed from the direction in which the flexible bodies 40 overlap (i.e., the direction shown in Figure 3).

[0031] In this explanation, "multiple holes 52 having the same shape" means that the shape and size of each hole 52 are the same (i.e., congruent). However, the shape and size include tolerances that are permissible in manufacturing. Also, in this explanation, "spacing" refers to the distance between the edges of adjacent holes 52 in the vertical or horizontal direction. In other words, a spacing of 10 mm means that the shortest distance between two holes 52 on the plate 50 is 10 mm.

[0032] As shown in Figure 2, the support 70 is positioned on the opposite side of the plate 50 from the flexible body 40 and is made of a material that does not easily undergo elastic or plastic deformation. The support 70 functions as a so-called spacer, supporting the plate 50 and the skeletal member 60 of the humanoid robot 10 in a separated state.

[0033] As shown in Figure 2, a space 80 is formed between the support 70 and the plate 50 separated from the skeletal member 60. The shape of the plate 50 and the shape of the support 70 are designed as appropriate, provided that it is possible to form this space 80. As shown in Figure 2, the skeletal member 60 can be any member that supports the form of the humanoid robot 10.

[0034] As shown in Figure 4, according to the structure 20 of this embodiment, when the flexible body 40 is pressed with a finger or the like, the flexible body 40 enters the hole 52 of the plate 50. More specifically, when the flexible body 40 is pressed with a finger, it enters the hole 52 at the pressed area and the area surrounding the pressed area.

[0035] The flexible body 40, having entered the hole 52 in the plate 50, is then received in the space 80 formed between the plate 50 and the skeletal member 60. The size of the space 80 is designed appropriately so that the flexible body 40 is received in the space 80 when the expected magnitude of pressure (i.e., the specifications as an exterior material 12) is applied to the flexible body 40.

[0036] (Feeling of bottoming out) By the way, when a material is placed in a location that a user will touch, such as the exterior material 12 of a humanoid robot 10, it may be required to be soft to press, that is, to avoid a feeling of bottoming out. In this disclosure, as shown in Figure 5, the feeling of bottoming out is defined based on the relationship between the load obtained when the flexible body 40 is pressed with a finger and the amount of indentation.

[0037] First, when a flexible body 40 similar to the structure 20 according to this embodiment is placed on a plate material without holes 52, the relationship between the load obtained when the flexible body 40 is pressed with a finger and the amount of indentation is as shown by line T1 in Figure 5. That is, as the amount of pressure applied to the flexible body 40 is gradually increased, the load gradually increases, but eventually the load increases rapidly. This rapid increase in load is due to the fact that when the flexible body 40 is pressed by a finger, the pressed flexible body 40 deforms so as to escape outward from the pressed area, and as a result only a small amount of the flexible body 40 is subjected to the pressure of the finger between the finger and the plate 50.

[0038] In this disclosure, as shown in Figure 5, the sensation experienced by a person pressing their finger when a sudden increase in load occurs in response to an increase in the amount of pressure applied is defined as "bottoming out." Furthermore, as shown by the T2 line in Figure 5, a state in which the amount of pressure applied at which a sudden increase in load occurs in response to an increase in the amount of pressure applied is defined as "a reduced bottoming out."

[0039] By the way, as explained above, in order to reduce the feeling of bottoming out, the amount of pressure that causes the load to increase rapidly should be larger. One way to increase the amount of pressure that causes the load to increase rapidly is to increase the thickness of the flexible body 40 in the exterior material 12. However, if the flexible body 40 is made thicker, the weight of the exterior material 12 will increase, and the thickness of the structure 20 will also increase, which in turn tends to increase costs.

[0040] (Mechanism of Action and Effects) In this embodiment of the structure 20, the flexible body 40, which is deformed by pressing, enters the space 80 through a plurality of holes 52 made in the plate 50. Therefore, the structure 20 according to this embodiment reduces the feeling of bottoming out of the flexible body 40 that is felt when the contact area of ​​the flexible body 40 is touched. In other words, the structure 20 according to this embodiment allows for a larger pressing force to be applied before the feeling of bottoming out is perceived.

[0041] In other words, according to the structure 20 of this embodiment, the thickness at which an equivalent bottoming sensation is felt by pressing force can be reduced compared to the case with only the flexible body 40. For this reason, according to the structure 20 of this embodiment, the size of the structure 20 can be reduced compared to the case where the plate 50 does not have holes 52.

[0042] Furthermore, in the structure 20 according to this embodiment, the multiple holes 52 are evenly arranged at intervals of 10 mm or less. Therefore, according to the structure 20 according to this embodiment, the variation in the rebound sensation in response to the amount of pressure applied when touching the contact area of ​​the flexible body 40 is reduced.

[0043] Incidentally, if the hole 52 is a polygonal shape such as a triangle or a square, the flexible body 40 is pushed into the corners inside the hole 52, so the feeling of resistance to the amount of pressure tends to increase rapidly. On the other hand, in the structure 20 according to this embodiment, the hole 52 made in the plate 50 is circular, so the flexible body 40, which is deformed by pressing, can easily enter the hole 52. In other words, in the structure 20 according to this embodiment, because the hole 52 is circular, there is less likely to be a sudden change in the feeling of resistance of the flexible body 40 when the contact area of ​​the flexible body 40 is touched, and in particular, a sudden increase in load accompanying an increase in pressing force.

[0044] Furthermore, in the structure 20 according to this embodiment, the hole 52 drilled in the plate 50 is circular in shape, with a diameter of 1 mm or more and a diameter of 20 mm or less. If the diameter of the hole 52 is less than 1 mm, the flexible body 40 will have difficulty entering the hole 52, and a feeling of bottoming out will be more likely to occur. On the other hand, as in the structure 20 according to this embodiment, by making the hole 52 circular in shape, with a diameter of 1 mm or more and a diameter of 20 mm or less, the feeling of bottoming out of the flexible body 20 that the user perceives is reduced.

[0045] Furthermore, if the diameter of the hole 52 is 20 mm or more, the flexible body 20 will enter the hole 52, which is larger than the thickness of the user's finger, making it difficult for the user to feel any rebound. On the other hand, as in the structure 20 according to this embodiment, since the hole 52 is circular with a diameter of 1 mm to 20 mm, the user can feel the rebound of the flexible body 20.

[0046] Furthermore, in the structure 20 according to this embodiment, since multiple holes 52 are formed in 35% or more of the projected area of ​​the plate 50, the flexible body 40 can easily enter the space 80 through the holes 52. For this reason, the structure 20 according to this embodiment reduces the variation in the feeling of the flexible body 40 bottoming out depending on the pressing point when the contact point of the flexible body 40 is touched.

[0047] In the above explanation, an example was given of pressing the flexible body 40 with a finger, but the same applies when pressing with other body parts, not just fingers. Furthermore, the same applies not only when directly pressing the flexible body 40 with a body part, but also when indirectly contacting it through accessories such as gloves.

[0048] Next, the structure 20 according to the second embodiment of this disclosure will be described with reference to Figure 6. In this description, components that are the same as those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment, and their descriptions will be omitted.

[0049] [Second Embodiment] (composition) As shown in Figure 6, in the structure 20 of this embodiment, the plate 150 has a regular hexagonal hole 152. More specifically, the hole 152 in the structure 20 of this embodiment is a regular hexagon that circumscribes a circle with a diameter of 1 mm or more and a diameter of 20 mm or less.

[0050] The other components are the same as those of the structure 20 according to the first embodiment.

[0051] (Mechanism of Action and Effects) In the structure 20 according to this embodiment, the holes 152 drilled in the plate 150 are regular hexagons, making it easy to maintain a constant distance between each hole 152 without compromising strength. Therefore, with the structure 20 according to this embodiment, compared to the case where the holes 152 are regular pentagons or less, it is possible to obtain a similar feeling of resistance even if the point of pressure on the flexible body 40 shifts, while maintaining strength.

[0052] [Other embodiments] Furthermore, although the flexible body 40 was described as being in the form of a sheet in the above description, the technology relating to this disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the flexible body 40 may have a pattern formed on its surface by irregularities, or it may be given a three-dimensional shape.

[0053] Furthermore, the flexible body 40 and the plates 50 and 150 are not limited to those that extend on a flat surface. That is, the flexible body 40 and the plates 50 and 150 can also be applied to those that extend in directions perpendicular to the overlapping direction (the vertical direction in the drawings in Figures 3 and 5) (the vertical, horizontal, and vertical directions in the drawings in Figures 4 and 6). More specifically, the flexible body 40 and the plates 50 and 150 may extend on a curved surface, or they may have shapes with irregularities such as steps.

[0054] Furthermore, while a humanoid robot 10 having an exterior material 12 has been described, the technology relating to this disclosure is also applicable to other uses. The structure 20 relating to this disclosure can be applied to articles that mimic human form, such as anatomical models, medical palpation models, and medical surgical models, as well as toys such as dolls. In addition, the structure 20 relating to this disclosure can also be applied to mechanical elements that humans touch, grasp, or press, such as steering devices including handlebars and steering wheels, writing instruments, grips, and push buttons. [Examples]

[0055] Examples of the present disclosure are described below with reference to Table 1. However, the technology relating to this disclosure is not limited to the tests and test materials described in these examples.

[0056] (Test 1) In Test 1, a compression test was performed on a structure created using the test material described later. In Test 1, the compression work (unit: N m / cm) was used as an indicator of compressibility. 2 Using this method, we determined that a larger value for the compression work amount indicates greater compressibility.

[0057] The equipment used was a KES-G5 compression testing machine manufactured by Kato Tech. The test simulated a situation where a person presses with their fingertips, using a 10mm diameter indenter with a load of 100gf / cm². 2 Compression was applied until the result was reached. The measurement was performed nine times, with the location of the flexible body in the structure being randomly changed each time.

[0058] In Test 1, the softness of the material was evaluated according to the following criteria. A: The number of times the average compression work was greater than the comparison example was 100% B: The number of times the average compression work was greater than the comparison example was between 80% and 100%. C: The number of times the average compression work was greater than the comparison example was between 60% and 80%. D: The number of times the average compression work was greater than the comparative example was between 40% and 60%. E: The number of times the average compression work was greater than the comparison example was between 20% and 40%. F: The number of times the average compression work was greater than the comparative example was between 0% and 20%.

[0059] (Exam 2) In Test 2, a sensory evaluation based on human subjectivity was conducted on structures created using the test materials described later. In Test 2, the evaluator held the structure with both hands and pressed the flexible part multiple times with their thumb to judge its softness.

[0060] In Test 2, the test was conducted by a single evaluator.

[0061] In Test 2, the softness of the material was evaluated according to the following criteria. A: The number of times the softness of the press exceeds that of the comparative example is 100% B: The number of times the softness of pressing exceeds that of the comparative example is between 80% and 100%. C: The number of times the softness of pressing exceeds that of the comparative example is between 60% and 80%. D: The number of times the softness of pressing exceeds that of the comparative example is between 40% and 60%. E: The number of times the softness of pressing exceeds that of the comparative example is between 20% and 40%. F: The number of times the softness of pressing exceeds that of the comparative example is between 0% and 20%.

[0062] (Test material) In the examples and comparative examples, polyurethane gel ("Human Skin® Gel Concentrate, Milky White," manufactured by Exceel Co., Ltd.) was used as the flexible body. The thickness of the polyurethane gel used as the flexible body was 7 mm. The measured value of the polyurethane gel when measured with an Asker C hardness tester was 0.

[0063] Furthermore, in both the examples and comparative examples, a 1 mm thick ABS (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) plate was used. The size of the holes in both the examples and comparative examples was 10 mm in diameter. The spacing between the holes was also equal in both cases.

[0064] [Table 1]

[0065] From the above results, it was found that the sliding sheet of this embodiment has greater compressive flexibility compared to the structure of the comparative example. In particular, it was found that the compressive flexibility increases when the area ratio of holes in the plate exceeds 35%.

[0066] While embodiments of this disclosure have been described above with reference to the attached drawings, it is clear that any person with ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs could conceive of various modifications or applications within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims, and these too are naturally understood to fall within the technical scope of this disclosure. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0067] 10 Humanoid Robots 12 Exterior materials 20 Structure 40 Flexible body 50 boards 52 holes 80 space 70 Support 60 skeletal members 150 boards 152 holes

Claims

1. Flexible body, A plate having multiple holes is placed on top of the aforementioned flexible body, A support that supports the plate and forms a space for receiving the flexible body that deforms upon pressure and passes through the plurality of holes, A structure that includes the following features.

2. The aforementioned multiple holes are each formed in the same shape and are evenly spaced at intervals of 10 mm or less. The structure according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned multiple holes are circular holes with a diameter of 1 mm or more and a diameter of 20 mm or less. The structure according to claim 2.

4. The aforementioned multiple holes are regular hexagons that circumscribe a circle with a diameter of 1 mm or more and a diameter of 20 mm or less. The structure according to claim 2.

5. The plurality of holes are formed in an area of ​​35% or more of the projected area of ​​the plate when viewed from the direction in which the flexible bodies overlap. The structure according to claim 2.

6. The hardness range of the aforementioned flexible body is less than or equal to an Asker C hardness of 20. The structure according to claim 1.

7. Structural members, An exterior covering the aforementioned skeletal member and including the structure described in any one of claims 1 to 6, A humanoid robot equipped with [a certain feature].

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