Electro-Optic Dimming Sensor Assembly for Visual and Tactile Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sensor assemblies require multiple sensors to acquire various pieces of information, leading to complex arrangements and increased size, making it difficult to efficiently integrate tactile and visual sensing capabilities in a single compact device.
Innovation Solution
A sensor assembly with a light-control member that adjusts between light transmission and reflection states, combined with a contact member, allows a single sensor to obtain visual and tactile information using a single image sensor by altering its view-angle ranges based on the light-control member's state, effectively functioning as a stereo camera.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple sensors are used to acquire visual and tactile information, then measurement precision and information completeness are improved, but device complexity and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines visual sensing and tactile sensing functions into a single sensor assembly. The image sensor serves dual purposes: capturing visual information when the light-control member transmits light, and detecting tactile information when the light-control member reflects light. This merging eliminates the need for separate visual and tactile sensors, reducing device complexity while maintaining measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The single sensor assembly is designed to perform multiple functions by changing its operational mode. The light-control member enables the image sensor to switch between visual detection mode (transmission state) and tactile detection mode (reflection state), making the sensor universal for both visual and tactile sensing applications without requiring multiple specialized sensors.
2Measurement precision
If multiple sensors are integrated in a single device, then information completeness is improved, but the device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
By merging visual and tactile sensing capabilities into one sensor assembly with a single image sensor, the patent significantly reduces the volume required compared to housing separate visual sensors and tactile sensors. The light-control member acts as a switching mechanism that enables one sensor to fulfill the roles of multiple sensors, thereby minimizing the overall device size.
3Device complexity
If a single sensor is used for both visual and tactile sensing, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability requires sophisticated control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The light-control member is designed as a dynamic component that can change its light interaction properties between transmission and reflection states. This dynamic switching capability allows the single sensor assembly to adapt between visual and tactile sensing modes based on operational requirements, maintaining versatility while preserving structural simplicity through a unified sensor design.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables a compact sensor assembly to acquire multiple types of information, including visual and tactile data, with a simplified structure and reduced complexity, mimicking the functionality of multiple sensors in a single unit.
Implementation Method 1
a light-control member configured to change light transmittance from a light transmission state in which external light can be transmitted to a light reflection state in which light can be reflected according to application of power
Data Source
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AI summary
A sensor assembly is provided. The sensor assembly comprises: a housing including an opening; a circuit board disposed inside the housing; an image sensor electrically connected to the circuit board; a dimming member of which light transmittance is changed from a light transmission state, in which external light can be transmitted, to a light reflection state in which light can be reflected, according to application of power; and a contact member which is disposed to be adjacent to the opening and through which light can be transmitted. When viewed from the side, the dimming member is disposed such that a longitudinal extension line of the dimming member and a longitudinal extension line of the contact member form a predetermined angle. When the dimming member is in the light transmission state, the image sensor is disposed to acquire an image over the dimming member, and when the dimming member is in the light reflection state, the image sensor is disposed to receive light reflected from the dimming member and light directly incident through the contact member.