Wearable Haptic Actuator Pressure Adjustment for User Comfort
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wearable devices struggle to provide personalized haptic feedback to users due to varying user perceptions of contact pressure, necessitating a method to determine appropriate contact pressure for each user.
Innovation Solution
A wearable device equipped with biosensors and pressure sensors to obtain biometric and contact pressure data, utilizing an AI model to calculate a target contact pressure based on user profile and activity state, and adjusting actuator position or contact pressure to ensure optimal haptic feedback.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If haptic actuators are designed to provide strong haptic feedback, then haptic feedback intensity is improved, but contact pressure on the user's body increases causing discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
A flexible cushion is introduced as an intermediary element between the haptic actuator and the user's body. The cushion transmits haptic feedback forces while distributing the contact pressure over a larger area, reducing discomfort. The cushion material is specifically selected to provide appropriate compliance and pressure distribution characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the contact pressure parameters by modifying the distance between the haptic actuator and the user's body using a movable structure. This allows optimization of haptic feedback intensity while maintaining contact pressure within comfortable ranges. The adjustable mechanism enables real-time parameter changes based on user feedback and usage conditions.
2Productivity
If haptic actuators are positioned closer to the body for effective feedback, then haptic feedback efficiency is improved, but contact pressure increases causing discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The haptic actuator assembly is designed with movable components that allow dynamic adjustment of the distance between the actuator and the user's body. This dynamic structure enables the system to optimize positioning for feedback efficiency while maintaining comfortable contact pressure levels through real-time repositioning capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
A flexible cushion serves as a mediator between the haptic actuator and the user's body, allowing effective force transmission while distributing contact pressure. The cushion's compliance enables maintaining close proximity for efficient feedback without direct rigid contact that would cause discomfort.
3Device complexity
If haptic actuators are fixed in position for structural simplicity, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability to different users and conditions is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates movable and adjustable components that allow the haptic actuator position to be dynamically modified. This enables adaptation to different user body types, contact areas, and usage conditions while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure through the use of straightforward mechanical adjustment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The adjustable positioning mechanism serves multiple functions: adapting to different users, optimizing feedback efficiency for various contact areas, and enabling comfortable operation under different conditions. This multi-functionality reduces the need for multiple specialized components, maintaining structural simplicity while enhancing adaptability.
4Measurement precision
If contact pressure is increased to ensure proper device wearing, then wear detection accuracy is improved, but user comfort deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible cushion acts as a mediator that provides sufficient contact pressure for accurate wear detection through pressure sensors while simultaneously distributing this pressure to maintain user comfort. The cushion's material properties are selected to achieve appropriate pressure levels for sensing without causing discomfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts contact pressure parameters to maintain levels sufficient for accurate wear detection while staying within comfortable ranges for the user. The adjustable positioning mechanism enables real-time optimization of contact pressure based on sensor feedback and usage conditions.
Data Source
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AI summary
A wearable device for providing haptic feedback is provided. The wearable device comprises a sensor unit including pressure sensors configured to obtain data regarding contact pressure applied to a body of a user by haptic actuators. The haptic actuators are configured to provide haptic feedback to the user. The wearable device includes a processor configured to execute instructions stored in a memory to identify whether a user wears the wearable device based on contact pressure data obtained from the pressure sensors, measure a contact pressure applied to the body of the user by the haptic actuators by using the pressure sensors, adjust the contact pressure of the haptic actuators by using physical structure to perform distance adjustment, wherein the physical structure is configured to decrease or increase a distance between the haptic actuators so that the haptic actuators are in contact with the body of the user at a certain pressure.