Guide Rope With Hollow Sealed Space for Tactile Communication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing guide ropes for visually impaired individuals are limited in the information they can convey, either relying solely on force direction and magnitude or being unsuitable for usage due to difficulties in communicating direction and force through flexible rubber air tubes.
Innovation Solution
A guide rope design featuring hollow, three-dimensional gripping components with deformable outer shells and non-deformable connection components, forming a sealed space to transmit tactile information through pressure changes and force applications, allowing for communication beyond just force direction and magnitude.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a flexible rubber air tube is used to transmit tactile information, then tactile communication is enabled, but the ability to communicate direction and magnitude of force is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The guide rope is segmented into distinct functional components: flexible gripping components with deformable outer shells for tactile information transmission, and rigid connection components for maintaining structural integrity and force transmission. This segmentation allows each part to specialize in its optimal function without compromise.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the guide rope have different mechanical properties tailored to their specific functions. The gripping components have locally deformable outer shells for tactile feedback, while the connection components have locally rigid structures for stable force transmission. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between flexibility and rigidity requirements.
2Device complexity
If only direction and magnitude of force are used for communication, then the guide rope structure is simple, but the information transmission capability is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The outer shell of the gripping components is designed to be dynamically deformable, allowing it to change shape in response to various tactile inputs. This dynamic deformation capability enables rich tactile information transmission without requiring complex electronic systems, thus improving information transmission while maintaining structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes changes in physical parameters (deformation of the outer shell, air pressure changes within the sealed space) to encode and transmit multiple types of information. By modulating these parameters, the guide rope can convey diverse tactile information beyond simple force direction and magnitude.
3Loss of information
If the outer shell is made deformable to transmit tactile information, then tactile communication is enhanced, but structural stability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The guide rope is divided into deformable gripping components and stable connection components. This segmentation isolates the deformability requirement to specific zones while preserving structural stability in other zones, resolving the contradiction between deformability for tactile transmission and stability for structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The gripping components utilize composite construction with an outer shell made of deformable material and an inner structure providing structural support. This composite approach allows the outer shell to deform for tactile information transmission while the inner structure maintains overall structural stability.
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
Enables effective tactile communication between users, including direction, force, and other information without the need for electric controls, providing a secure and reliable experience.
Implementation Method 1
the outer shell of each of the first gripping component and the second gripping component is formed in such a way as to be easily deformed by any of a change in pressure of air in the inner portion and a change in force applied from outside
Implementation Method 2
one sealed space is formed by a hollow inner portion of the first gripping component, a hollow inner portion of the first connection component, a hollow inner portion of the second gripping component, and a hollow inner portion of the second connection component
Data Source
AI summary
To allow users to communicate with each other using the tactile sense, which is not limited to the direction and magnitude of force. A guide rope is constituted by a first gripping component, a first connection component, a second gripping component, and a second connection component that are annularly connected in sequence. An inner portion of the first gripping component, an inner portion of the first connection component, an inner portion of the second gripping component, and an inner portion of the second connection component are all hollow, and the inner portions of the components are connected to form one sealed space. The first gripping component and the second gripping component are formed in such a way as to be easily deformed by a change in pressure of air in the inner portion or a change in force from outside. The first connection component and the second connection component are formed in such a way as not to be easily deformed by a change in pressure of air in the inner portion, a change in force from outside, or a change in relative positional relationship between the users.