Wearable Touch Sensing for Accurate Work Content Recognition

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods struggle to accurately manage work information by determining the strength of touch and the surface concave-convex state of objects, especially when dealing with tools or fragile items like fruits, due to limitations in sensor data collection from wearable sensors.

Innovation Solution

A work information management system that includes a wearable sensor capable of receiving data from a sensing object and transmitting it to a terminal, where the system determines the work content of the worker based on the sensor data and outputs the determination result for display.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If a pressure sensor or wearable object is worn on the body to collect sensor data, then touch strength information can be acquired, but it becomes difficult to determine what a touched object is like due to lack of object-specific surface state information

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetouch strength measurementVSAvoidobject surface state information
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the wearable sensor on the worker's body with a sensing object (tool or workpiece) that has embedded sensors. This merging allows simultaneous acquisition of both touch strength data from the wearable sensor and object-specific surface state data from the sensing object, resolving the information loss problem.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The sensing object acts as an intermediary between the worker and the work environment. It captures object-specific characteristics (surface concave-convex state, material properties) that the wearable sensor alone cannot detect, and transmits this information to the management server for comprehensive analysis.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If only a wearable sensor is used to detect worker actions, then worker movement can be tracked, but accurate determination of work content and touch characteristics becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvework information management efficiencyVSAvoidwork content determination accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system creates a multi-functional sensing architecture where the wearable sensor detects worker actions and the sensing object detects object characteristics. Together, they provide universal coverage for both worker behavior tracking and work content verification, enabling accurate determination of both aspects simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The management server receives data from both the wearable sensor and the sensing object, processes this combined information, and provides feedback for accurate work content determination. This feedback mechanism allows the system to correlate worker actions with actual object interactions, improving measurement precision for work content assessment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Loss of information

If sensor data is collected from both wearable sensor and sensing object, then comprehensive work information can be obtained, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompleteness of work informationVSAvoidsensor system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The management server is designed as a universal platform that handles data from multiple sensor sources (wearable sensor and sensing object) through a unified processing architecture. This multi-functional design allows the system to manage comprehensive information from both sensors without proportionally increasing operational complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3832582B1Work information management system and work information management method
Publication Date: 2025.03.05 HITACHI LTD
  • EP3832582B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3832582B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3832582B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

The present invention comprises : a wearable sensor that is worn by a worker, the wearable sensor having a sensor that receives sensor data from a sensing object, and a transmitter that transmits to a terminal the sensor data received by the sensor; and a computer that determines operation content for the worker on the basis of the sensor data received from the wearable sensor, and outputs the result of the determination to a display unit.