A kind of flexible touch sensation sensor
Technical field the present invention relates to robot non-vision sensor field, particularly a kind of flexible touch sensation sensor.
The background technology touch sensor is that robot obtains the indispensable means of tactile data, the information that provides according to touch sensor, robot can reliably grasp target object, and further physical characteristicss such as its size of perception, shape, weight, soft or hard.The development trend of touch sensor is integrated, miniaturization and intellectuality, an integrated sensor array comprises a plurality of sensing units, each sensing unit can both independently obtain external information, and organically blending of a plurality of sensing units then can realize the function that single sensing unit can't be realized.For accurately obtaining tactile data and being applicable to the surface of arbitrary shape, also require touch sensor to have certain flexibility, can be installed in by this on the surface of arbitrary shape to adapt to different robot application, and can obtain the Three-dimension Contact force information, make it more solid and reliable ground grasping target object.
Early stage touch sensor mainly contains two kinds of mechanical type touch sensor and flexible type touch sensors, not only volume is bigger for they, spatial resolution is lower, and sensor is " rigidity ", be that sensor can not flexural deformation and be installed on the curved surface, so they are difficult to obtain using comparatively widely in the Robotics field.
Along with the development of sensor technology, touch sensors such as condenser type and optical profile type have appearred.
Capacitance type touch sensor is when stressed, minute movement can take place in one of them electrode, thereby cause the change of electric capacity, in capacitance type touch sensor owing to there is a movable electrode, its life-span is affected, reliability is not high yet, and is difficult to obtain tangential force information, promptly can not detect three-dimensional force information.
Optical tactile sensor mainly is the optical fiber touch sensor, the detection system of optical tactile sensor is comparatively complicated, except sensor itself, therefore the high-speed computer etc. that also needs external lighting fiber, miniature CCD and be used for Flame Image Process is difficult to realize miniaturization.
More than various sensors all be difficult to realize integrated, miniaturization and intelligentized requirement.
Summary of the invention the present invention seeks to overcoming weak point of the prior art (limitation of above-mentioned various schemes) in view of the deficiency of existing various touch sensors, has proposed a kind of simple in structure, a kind of more easily flexible touch sensation sensor of use.
Technical scheme of the present invention is: a kind of flexible touch sensation sensor, comprise voltage dependent resistor (VDR) on the sensor and the signal processing circuit that is electrically connected with it, it is characterized in that: said sensor is a three-dimensional force sensor, said three-dimensional force sensor forms three-dimensional force sensitization array rectangular more than three, and the three-dimensional force sensitization array places between elastic substrates and the flexible PCB;
Said three-dimensional force sensor is to be covered with film on the base of square frame shape, and the middle part of said film is equipped with force-transmitting pole, is equipped with voltage dependent resistor (VDR) (Fx1 respectively on the film at said base four edges; Fx2, Fy1, Fy2); wherein; voltage dependent resistor (VDR) (Fx1, Fx2) (Fy1 is 90 degree between Fy2) mutually and is provided with voltage dependent resistor (VDR); said voltage dependent resistor (VDR) (Fx1; Fx2) (Fz1 Fz4), is equipped with voltage dependent resistor (VDR) (Fz2 on the film on said force-transmitting pole side to be equipped with voltage dependent resistor (VDR) by; Fz3); said voltage dependent resistor (VDR) (Fz1, Fz2, Fz3; Fz4) with said voltage dependent resistor (VDR) (Fx1; Fx2) be arranged in parallel, said force-transmitting pole contacts with the elastic protective layer, and said base is connected with elastic substrates.
Described a kind of flexible touch sensation sensor is that three-dimensional force sensor is to be 16 that 4 * 4 arrays are provided with.
Described a kind of flexible touch sensation sensor, wherein the voltage dependent resistor (VDR) of three-dimensional force sensor and resilient protection interlayer are equipped with flexible PCB, have the hole of passing for force-transmitting pole on the said flexible PCB.
Described a kind of flexible 3 D force-touch sensor, wherein the back side of force-transmitting pole place film is equipped with back-up block, and the height of said back-up block is lower than the height of base.
Described a kind of flexible 3 D force-touch sensor wherein is equipped with flexible stuff between the base of three-dimensional force sensor.
Described a kind of flexible 3 D force-touch sensor, wherein voltage dependent resistor (VDR) (Fx1, Fx2, Fy1, Fy2, Fz1, Fz2, Fz3 Fz4) is silicon P type doped resistor.
As the further improvement of technical scheme, described flexible touch sensation sensor can crooked 90 degree.Its spatial resolution that detects three-dimensional force can reach below the 5mm, and the lower limit that detects three-dimensional force can reach 0.1N.
The present invention with respect to the beneficial effect of prior art is:
One, because three-dimensional force sensor adopts single crystal silicon material also to make by the MEMS technology, so each three-dimensional force sensing unit size is less, thereby can realize higher tactual space resolution, and the accuracy of detection height.
Two, the elastic protective layer is positioned at the outermost layer of three-dimensional force sensor; it directly contacts with testee as workplace; on the elastic protective layer without any electron device and electrode; thereby can not occur because of the electron device and the circuit damaged condition thereof that contact and the extracting target object may cause, so reliability is higher.
Three, elastic protective layer and flexible PCB and elastic substrates are resilient material; can effectively absorb impulsive force; therefore the three-dimensional force sensitization array that can protect three-dimensional force sensor to form is not destroyed under bigger external impacts, has improved the reliability of sensor greatly.
Four, leave minim gap between the E type film that elastic substrates and film and back-up block form, when being overstepped the extreme limit range by dynamometry, the gap vanishing can be played overload protective function.
Five, the size and the thickness of the E shape film that formed by film and back-up block of the range of three-dimensional force and sensitivity and be positioned at the control of material of the elastic protective layer above it, range of adjustment is wide.
Six, the distribution of voltage dependent resistor (VDR) has taken into full account coupled relation between the different directions on the E type film that forms of film and back-up block, makes that the coupling between all directions is almost nil.
Seven, there are enough gaps to allow the three-dimensional force sensitization array to realize flexural deformation in the three-dimensional force sensor between each three-dimensional force sensing unit, the whole flexible 3 D force transducer that is formed centrally in the three-dimensional force sensitization array being can stick on the various curved surfaces reliably, realizes the detection to three-dimensional force.
Description of drawings is further described flexible touch sensation sensor structure of the present invention below in conjunction with accompanying drawing.
Fig. 1 (a) is the cross-sectional structure synoptic diagram of flexible touch sensation sensor;
Fig. 1 (b) is the structural representation of three-dimensional force array (12);
Fig. 2 (a) is the cross-sectional structure synoptic diagram of the E shape film (9) of film (9) and back-up block (6) formation;
Fig. 2 (b) is the structural representation that voltage dependent resistor (VDR) (11) distributes.
1 is the elastic protective layer; 2 is flexible PCB; 3 is force-transmitting pole; 4 is three-dimensional force sensor; 5 is flexible packing material; 6 is back-up block; 7 is elastic substrates; 8 is signal processing circuit; 9 is film; 10 is voltage dependent resistor (VDR); 11 is base; 12 is the three-dimensional force sensitization array.
Specific implementation method is in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2: three-dimensional force sensitization array 12 that flexible touch sensation sensor is formed by passive elastic substrates 7, three-dimensional force sensor 4 and flexible packing material 5, flexible PCB 2 and the elastic protective layer 1 who shields form, and become a hard-packed three-dimensional force sensing element.
The structure and the functional character of flexible touch sensation sensor are: elastic protective layer 1 is positioned at the outermost layer of flexible 3 D force-touch sensor, plays protection and electrical isolation effect; Be flexible PCB 2 below the elastic protective layer 1, it provides being electrically connected between three-dimensional force sensitization array 12 and the signal processing circuit 8; Below the flexible PCB 2 be three-dimensional force sensitization array 12 and between flexible packing material 5, three-dimensional force sensitization array 12 is made up of some three-dimensional force sensing units, the conversion of realization from the force information to the electric signal, there are enough gaps to allow three-dimensional force sensitization array 12 to realize flexural deformation between the three-dimensional force sensing unit, E type film 9 central authorities of each three-dimensional force sensing unit make a force-transmitting pole 3, force-transmitting pole 3 passes between flexible PCB 2 and the elastic protective layer 1 and slightly contacts, 8 voltage dependent resistor (VDR)s 11 that distributing on the elastic strain film 10 in the described E type film 9 are respectively to X, Y, the power Fx of three directions of Z, Fy, the Fz sensitivity; Be elastic substrates 7 below the three-dimensional force sensitization array 12, between elastic substrates 7 and E type film 9, leave minim gap 6 and realize overload protection.
The function of described signal processing circuit 8 is the voltage signal that flexible touch sensation sensor is exported to be amplified, changes and outputs to computing machine handle, and it is characterized in that the gating of signal.Flexible touch sensation sensor and signal processing circuit 8 can be exchanged.
Described elastic substrates 7, flexible packing material 5 and elastic protective layer 1 make to realize flexible requirement by resin material.
Described three-dimensional force sensitization array 12 adopts single crystal silicon material to be made by the MEMS technology.
The design of flexible touch sensation sensor: according to the demand of certain applications, as range, transducer sensitivity, the accuracy of detection of the spatial resolution that requires, three-dimensional force, require indexs such as diastrophic degree, determine size and the size of three-dimensional force sensor 4 and the gap between them of flexible touch sensation sensor.The range of three-dimensional force and sensitivity according to the result of finite element analysis, determine the distribution of voltage dependent resistor (VDR) 11 by the size of E shape film 9 and elastic strain film 10 and thickness and elastic protective layer's 1 thickness decision.
Flexible touch sensation sensor of the present invention can be by following making:
Adopt the MEMS technology to make three-dimensional force sensitization array 12, comprise the semiconductor planar technology and the micromachined technology of standard;
Force-transmitting pole 3 usefulness rigid materials adopt MEMS technology or metal working process to make;
The flexible PCB manufacturing technology of employing standard is made flexible PCB 2;
Adopt bonding techniques or high-performance binder that each three-dimensional force sensing unit in the three-dimensional force sensitization array 12 is bonded in above the elastic substrates 7, each three-dimensional force sensing unit then is electrically connected by flip chip bonding in flexible PCB 2 and the three-dimensional force sensitization array 12, and elastic protective layer 1 is bonded in above the flexible PCB 2 by the high-performance binder;
Adopt electronic circuit technology to make signal processing circuit 8, and be connected with flexible PCB 2, wherein signal processing circuit partly comprises switching gate circuit, voltage contrasting amplified circuit, data collecting card etc.;
At last, three-dimensional force sensitization array 12 is demarcated, promptly extract and handle the output signal of each three-dimensional force sensing unit correspondence under the effect of Three-dimension Contact power in the three-dimensional force sensitization array 12 successively, and adopt nerual network technique that these signals are handled by signal processing circuit 8.
Flexible touch sensation sensor according to above-mentioned method for designing and manufacture craft preparation can crooked 90 degree.Its spatial resolution that detects three-dimensional force can reach below the 5mm, and the lower limit that detects three-dimensional force can reach 0.1N.
The mechanism that Three-dimension Contact force information in the three-dimensional force sensor 4 is detected is as follows: Three-dimension Contact power is concentrated the centers that act on E shape film 9 by force-transmitting pole 3, and E shape film 9 is transformed into strain with acting force.Eight voltage dependent resistor (VDR)s that distributed on the E shape film 9, because semi-conductive piezoresistive effect, resistance will change when voltage dependent resistor (VDR) 11 is subjected to strain.These eight voltage dependent resistor (VDR)s are formed three and are detected electric bridge, respectively to three-dimensional force Fx, and Fy, Fz detects.Between elastic substrates 7 and the E shape film 9 minim gap 6 is arranged, the gap is zero when being overstepped the extreme limit range by dynamometry, can play overload protective function.
The distributing position of voltage dependent resistor (VDR) 11 has determined the size of the strain that is subjected to and the degree of coupling between all directions in the E shape film 9.Voltage dependent resistor (VDR) Rx1, Rx2 arrange along X-direction, and are linked to be electric bridge.
When Fx does the time spent, Rx1 is subjected to compressive strain, and resistance reduces, and Rx2 is subjected to stretching strain, and resistance increases, and checks that at this moment electric bridge output changes.When Fy does the time spent, Rx1, Rx2 are similar on neutral line and are symmetrically distributed, the strain approximately equal that is subjected to, and at this moment electric bridge is output as zero.
Resistance R y1, Ry2 distributes along Y-axis, and is linked to be electric bridge.In like manner, it is to the Fy sensitivity.
Resistance R z1, Rz2, Rz3, Rz4 is distributed in the root of E shape film 9 central boss and the root of diaphragm edge along X-axis, and is linked to be electric bridge.
When Fz does the time spent, Rz2 and Rz3 are subjected to compressive strain, and resistance reduces.And Rz1, Rz4 is subjected to stretching strain, and resistance increases, and electric bridge output at this moment changes.And Fx or Fy do the time spent, and Rx1, Rx2 and Ry1, the output of Ry2 electric bridge are zero.
Obviously, those skilled in the art can carry out various changes and modification to flexible touch sensation sensor of the present invention and not break away from the spirit and scope of the present invention.Like this, if of the present invention these are revised and modification belongs within the scope of claim of the present invention and equivalent technologies thereof, then the present invention also is intended to comprise these changes and modification interior.