3D Gesture And Tactile Care Robot Controller for Natural Interaction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current care robots face challenges in providing natural and safe interaction with humans and their environments due to immature autonomous navigation, object recognition, and object picking capabilities, making it difficult to meet the complex and diversified care requirements of bedridden individuals and patients with limb injuries.

Innovation Solution

A care robot controller with a gesture parsing unit and tactile sensing unit, featuring slide rails, finger slot sliders, and a joystick, which parses three-dimensional gestures and provides vibration feedback to control the care robot, allowing for efficient and accurate user interaction by adapting to different user modes and habits.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If simple and single interaction approach is used, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability to different users and environments deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadaptability to different usersVSAvoidinteraction approach complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The controller is designed to support multiple interaction modes (gesture recognition, tactile sensing, vibration feedback) within a single device, making it universally applicable to different users with varying abilities while maintaining a unified hardware platform

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The controller adapts its interaction characteristics dynamically based on detected user patterns and environmental context, adjusting its behavior to match different users' needs without requiring multiple fixed-configuration devices

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Measurement precision

If advanced gesture parsing and tactile sensing are added, then user interaction accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegesture recognition accuracyVSAvoidcontroller structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple sensing functions (gesture parsing, tactile detection, vibration feedback control) are integrated into a single controller unit, achieving high measurement precision through combined capabilities while avoiding the complexity of multiple separate devices

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The controller performs self-calibration and automatic adaptation to users through the sensing and feedback mechanisms, reducing the need for complex external configuration systems while maintaining high recognition accuracy

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Ease of operation

If vibration feedback is provided for each pressing, then user interaction naturalness is improved, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinteraction naturalnessVSAvoidcontroller energy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Vibration feedback is provided periodically or selectively based on pressing patterns rather than continuously, maintaining natural interaction feel while reducing overall energy consumption through intermittent operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

Different pressing regions or patterns trigger different feedback responses, providing rich interaction naturalness only where needed rather than uniform feedback across all inputs, thereby optimizing energy usage

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

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 efficient and accurate control of care robots, improving user interaction by determining corresponding actions based on three-dimensional gestures and providing personalized vibration feedback, thus enhancing the natural and effective communication between users and robots.

Implementation Method 1

the tactile sensing unit is configured to sense the pressing received by the finger slot sliders and initiate a user mode corresponding to the pressing information

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectTactile sensing:

Implementation Method 2

so that the controller body provides corresponding vibration feedback

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectVibration: Vibration

Data Source

PatentUS11478937B2Care robot controller

Publication Date: 2022.10.25 SOUTHEAST UNIV

AI summary

The present invention discloses a care robot controller, which includes: a controller body that includes slide rails, finger slot sliders and a joystick, wherein the finger slot sliders are movably arranged on the slide rails and configured to receive pressing, and the joystick is configured to control the care robot; a gesture parsing unit configured to parse three-dimensional gestures of the controller body, and control the care robot to perform corresponding actions when the three-dimensional gestures of the controller body are in line with preset gestures; and a tactile sensing unit configured to sense the pressing received by the finger slot sliders and initiate a user mode corresponding to the pressing information, so that the controller body provides corresponding vibration feedback. Thus the user can control the controller efficiently and conveniently, the control accuracy is improved, and effective man-machine interaction is realized.