Finger-worn Compliant Textile Device for 3D Interaction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current 3-D images are challenging for users to comprehend and interact with, and wearable robotics devices have large form factors that limit their suitability for real-world use.
Innovation Solution
A wearable device with compliant and flexible regions made from textiles and elastomers, coupled with actuators that mimic natural joint movements, and integrated with force sensors and vibrotactile devices to provide immersive haptic feedback, allowing users to interact with 3-D structures in a more intuitive and natural way.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If wearable robotics devices use rigid structures to provide support and control, then structural strength and control precision are improved, but device size and comfort deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs flexible exoskeletal elements made from compliant materials that can bend and conform to body contours while maintaining structural integrity. These flexible structures provide the necessary support and control without requiring bulky rigid components, thereby reducing device volume while preserving strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite material structures combining rigid and compliant elements in a unified exoskeletal framework. This allows different regions of the device to exhibit appropriate mechanical properties - rigid where structural strength is needed and compliant where flexibility and comfort are required - effectively resolving the contradiction between strength and size.
2Adaptability or versatility
If wearable devices use compliant materials to improve comfort and adaptability, then ease of operation and adaptability are improved, but control precision and structural stability worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by assigning different compliance characteristics to different regions of the exoskeletal structure. Highly compliant materials are used where adaptability and comfort are prioritized, while stiffer materials or reinforced structures are applied where control precision and stability are critical, allowing the device to optimize both adaptability and control simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention incorporates dynamic adjustment mechanisms that allow the exoskeleton to modulate its compliance in real-time based on operational requirements. This enables the structure to transition between more rigid and more compliant states, providing control precision when needed and adaptability when required, thus resolving the static contradiction between these two properties.
3Ease of operation
If wearable robotic devices are made compact for real-world use, then ease of operation and portability are improved, but actuator capacity and power output worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional high-power mechanical actuators with alternative actuation mechanisms such as pneumatic or hydraulic systems, or even passive elastic energy storage mechanisms. These substitutions enable compact device design while maintaining sufficient actuator capacity through different physical principles that are more space-efficient than conventional motor-driven systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs periodic actuation strategies where actuators operate in intermittent cycles rather than continuously. This allows for smaller, lighter actuators that deliver high power output during brief activation periods, maintaining actuator capacity while significantly reducing the overall device size and improving portability.
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 wearable device enhances user interaction with 3-D environments by providing a compact, intuitive, and immersive experience, enabling effective manipulation and comprehension of complex spatial data, and aiding in rehabilitation and assistive tasks.
Implementation Method 1
The at least one compliant regions may include an elastomer. The at least one compliant regions may be capable of elongation between about 160% and about 180%.
Implementation Method 2
The at least one compliant regions may include a textile including one or more fibers such as natural fibers, cotton, wool, silk, hemp, flax, animal hair, jute, modal, cellulose, bamboo, piña, ramie, nettles, milkweed, seaweed, metals, manufactured fibers, azlon, acetate, triacetate, viscose, lyocell, glass, graphite carbon, carbon fiber, carbon nanotube, liquid crystal, ceramics, polyesters, aramids, para-aramids, meta-aramids, aromatic polyesters, rayon, acrylics, modacrylics, polyacrylonitrile, polylactides (PLAs), polyamides, polyamide 6, polyamide 6.6, rubber lastrile, lastol, polyethylene (PE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), vinyl, vinyon, vinylidene chloride, polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC), polybenzimidazole (PBI), novoloid, melamine, anidex, nytril, elastoester, nylon, spandex/elastane, olefins, biosynthetic polymers, and blends of the same.
Data Source
AI summary
A wearable device includes: at least one compliant region adapted and configured to be placed over a joint of a subject and at least two flexible but less compliant regions coupled to opposite ends of the compliant region. The device provides a wearable robotic device including a wearable and at least one actuator adapted and configured to move the flexible but less compliant regions relative to each other.