Retrofit Touchless Interface With Haptic Feedback for Existing HMIs
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current touchless Human-Machine Interfaces (HMIs) are inferior to touch-based systems in terms of intuitiveness, speed, and tactile feedback, and there is a need for retrofitting common touch-based HMIs with touchless solutions to reduce infection transmission risks, particularly in high-traffic environments.
Innovation Solution
A retrofit interface apparatus with a touchless sensing system and a controller that detects touch-free inputs, generates control signals, and interacts with the target device's control system to emulate touch-based inputs, providing tactile and visual feedback through capacitive and optical sensors, actuators, and display systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If touchless HMI systems are implemented, then infection transmission risk is reduced, but user experience quality and intuitiveness deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
A mechanical actuator serves as an intermediary component that physically presses the touch-based input device on behalf of the user. The actuator is controlled by a touchless sensing system, creating a bridge between touchless detection and physical contact input. This allows the user to interact without direct contact while the actuator provides the necessary tactile interaction with the target device.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the direct mechanical interaction (user finger pressing the button) with a touchless sensing system that detects user intent and triggers a mechanical actuator. The actuator then performs the mechanical pressing action, substituting the user's direct mechanical interaction with an automated mechanical system that is controlled without physical contact.
2Adaptability or versatility
If touchless sensing systems are added to existing devices, then contactless functionality is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into distinct functional modules: a touchless sensing system (separate from the target device), a controller, and a mechanical actuator. This segmentation allows the touchless functionality to be added as a standalone subsystem that interfaces with the existing target device, rather than requiring integration into the device's core architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical actuator serves as an intermediary component that physically presses the touch-based input device on behalf of the user. The actuator is controlled by a touchless sensing system, creating a bridge between touchless detection and physical contact input. This allows the user to interact without direct contact while the actuator provides the necessary tactile interaction with the target device.
3Ease of operation
If actuators are used to press touch-based inputs, then touchless operation is enabled, but response time may increase
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical actuator is pre-positioned and ready to actuate immediately when the touchless sensing system detects a valid input gesture. The system anticipates the user's intent through touchless detection and prepares the actuator for immediate action, minimizing delays between user input and device response.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the direct mechanical interaction (user finger pressing the button) with a touchless sensing system that detects user intent and triggers a mechanical actuator. The actuator then performs the mechanical pressing action, substituting the user's direct mechanical interaction with an automated mechanical system that is controlled without physical contact.
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 intuitive and practical touchless user experiences with tactile feedback, comparable to touch-based systems, while reducing infection risks by converting common touch-based interfaces into touchless ones.
Implementation Method 1
a capacitive sensor for touchless sensing
Implementation Method 2
using sonic wave transmission (SWT) for touchless haptic feedback (THF) (i.e. tactile)
Data Source
AI summary
A retrofit interface apparatus interfaces with a target device to provide the target device with touchless user input. The apparatus comprises: a touchless sensing system comprising one or more sensors responsive to touchless input made by a human user and for generating one or more corresponding sensor input signals; a controller connected to receive the one or more sensor input signals from the touchless sensing system and configured to generate, based on the one or more sensor input signals, a corresponding control signal; and the controller connectable to the target device to bypass a touch-based input of the target device and to provide the control signal as an input to an existing control system of the target device to thereby cause the control system of the target device to operate the target device based on the control signal.