JP2021068041A - Force sense presentation device and force sense presentation method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a force sense presenting device capable of presenting a force sense without limiting a moving range or making a person feel uncomfortable. SOLUTION: The force sense presenting device for presenting a force sense to a person includes a nozzle capable of injecting a fluid in one direction and a control means for controlling the injection of the fluid from the nozzle. It is attached to a person or a person's portable object so that the injection direction of the fluid is outward, and the control means is a state detecting means for detecting the state of the nozzle to be attached and a storage means for storing the content of the force sense to be presented. The configuration is provided with a controller that controls the injection of fluid from the nozzle based on the state and the content detected by the state detecting means. [Selection diagram] Fig. 1

Description

The present invention relates to a force sense presentation device, and more particularly to a force sense presentation device that enables movement of a user and a method thereof.

Conventionally, various force sense presentation devices have been studied with the aim of applying them to virtual reality (VR) and remote control. Such a force sensation presenting device is roughly classified into a stationary type fixed to the ground or a desk or the like, and an exoskeleton-mounted type mounted on a human body as in Patent Document 1, for example.

JP-A-2019-117459

However, most of the force sense presentation devices are the above-mentioned stationary type, and the movement of the user is restricted. There is also an exoskeleton-mounted force sense presentation device that allows the user to move, but there is a sense of discomfort due to receiving the reaction force of the presented force sense at another part of the body, and the wearer's exoskeleton structure. Problems such as limited joint drive range are inevitable. Further, in the exoskeleton-mounted type, it is necessary to increase the rigidity of the device skeleton in order to accurately transmit the force sense, and the accompanying increase in the weight of the device also contributes to the discomfort when the force sense is presented.
An object of the present invention is to provide a force sense presenting device capable of presenting a force sense without limiting a moving range or making a person feel uncomfortable in order to solve the above problems.

As a configuration of a force sense presenting device for solving the above problems, a force sense presenting device that presents a force sense to a person, a nozzle capable of injecting fluid in one direction, and injection of fluid from the nozzle are used. The nozzle is attached to a person or a person's portable object so that the injection direction of the fluid is outward, and the control means is a state detecting means for detecting the state of the attachment target of the nozzle. It has a storage means for storing the content of the force sense to be presented, and is provided with a controller for controlling the injection of fluid from the nozzle based on the state and content detected by the state detection means. The term "outward" as used herein means that the fluid is not directly jetted toward the nozzle mounting target, and that a part of the fluid jetted from the nozzle may be sprayed on a person or a person's personal belongings. Tolerate. That is, it is not necessarily limited to the radial direction from the mounting target, parallel to the mounting target, and the like.
According to this configuration, it is possible to present a sense of force without limiting the range of movement or making a person feel uncomfortable.
Further, as another configuration of the force sense presenting device for solving the above problem, the controller may control the flow rate of the fluid injected from the nozzle according to the magnitude of the force sense presented. .. Further, it is preferable that the propellant ejected from the nozzle is a fluid around a person, and the control means is portable to a person or a person's portable object.
Further, as an aspect of the force sense presentation method for solving the above problem, a force sense presentation method for presenting a force sense to a person, in which a nozzle capable of injecting a fluid in one direction is used, and the direction of the fluid injection is different. The nozzle is attached so as to face outward from the person or the person's portable object to which the nozzle is attached, and the control means controls the injection of the fluid from the nozzle according to the force sense presented.
According to this aspect, it is possible to present a sense of force without limiting the range of movement or making a person feel uncomfortable.

It is a figure which shows one Embodiment of the force sense presentation device. It is sectional drawing of the force sense presentation part. It is a figure which shows the operation of the force sense presentation device. It is a figure which shows the other attachment example of the force sense presentation part. It is a system diagram of the evaluation test apparatus and the graph which shows the measurement result. It is a figure which shows the other form of the force sense presentation device. It is a figure which shows the other form of the force sense presentation device. It is a figure which shows the other form of the force sense presentation device.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail through embodiments of the invention, but the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims, and all combinations of features described in the embodiments are the inventions. It is not always essential for the solution, but includes a configuration that is selectively adopted.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a force sense presenting device, and shows a device for presenting a force sense to a fingertip. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a force sense presenting portion composed of a nozzle and a finger attachment.
As shown in FIG. 1, the force sense presenting device 1 according to the present embodiment generally includes a nozzle 2 for injecting air, an attachment means 4 for attaching the nozzle 2 to a force sense presentation target, and an injection from the nozzle 2. It is composed of a control means 6 for controlling the air to be generated. The nozzle 2 and the mounting means 4 constitute a force sense presenting unit 7 that generates a force with respect to an object that presents a force sense.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the nozzle 2 is integrally formed of rubber or the like together with the finger mounting tool 8 constituting the mounting means 4, and is provided before the tip of the fingertip.
The nozzle 2 is provided with a substantially tubular air passage 16 having an inflow port 12 on one end side and an injection port 14 on the other end side, and is configured to be able to inject air supplied from the air tank 10 in one direction.

When the nozzle 2 is attached to the fingertip via the finger attachment 8, the injection port 14 is directed toward the palm side in a plane in which one finger is bent by a joint, and air is directed in a direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the fingertip. As the passage 16 extends, the direction is set so that air is injected from the injection port 14 in this direction.

The air passage 16 is provided with, for example, a throttle portion 18 having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the inflow port 12 and the injection port 14 in the middle portion from the inflow port 12 to the injection port 14. The throttle portion 18 is formed so that the width of the air passage 16 gradually narrows from the inflow port 12 and then gradually widens toward the injection port 14. The form of the nozzle 2 is not limited to this, and may be changed as appropriate.

The finger attachment 8 includes a finger insertion portion 20 into which a fingertip is inserted. The finger insertion portion 20 is formed so as to fit the shape of the fingertip, for example, so that the injection port 14 of the nozzle 2 formed on the tip side is on the palm side and the inflow port 12 is on the instep side so that they always face the same direction. It is formed. That is, the orientation of the nozzle 2 is uniquely determined by inserting the finger into the finger insertion portion 20.

One end of a tube 22 for supplying air to the air passage 16 is connected to the inflow port 12 of the nozzle 2. A valve 24 that controls the supply of air is connected to the other end of the tube 22.

The glove 26 is worn on the hand in order to improve the wearability of the finger wearing tool 8, and includes a bending sensor 28 for detecting a bent state of the finger, which is a target for presenting a sense of force. For example, the material of the glove 26 is preferably a material that does not interfere with the natural movement of the fingertips.

The control means 6 generally includes the above-mentioned bending sensor 28, a valve 24, an air tank 10, and a controller 30.
The bending sensor 28 is formed in a long strip shape on the one hand, and is provided along the extension direction of the finger on the instep side of the glove 26. The bending sensor 28 allows bending and bending in the extension direction, and outputs the bending and bending state as an electrical signal. That is, the bending sensor 28 functions as a state detecting means for detecting the posture (bent state) of the finger, and in the present embodiment, the finger angle detection amount is detected. The bending sensor 28 is electrically connected to a control unit described later, and outputs the detected finger posture to the controller 30.

The valve 24 is provided, for example, on the wrist or the like so as to be portable via a fixing means such as a band. As the valve 24, for example, a two-port valve capable of controlling the supply and stop of air based on an electric signal is applied. The valve 24 is electrically connected to the controller 30 and operates to supply or stop air to the nozzle 2 based on the signal output from the controller 30. One end of a tube extending from the air tank 10 is connected to the input port of the valve 24, and one end of the tube 22 connected to the nozzle 2 described above is connected to the output port.

The air tank 10 is a pressure accumulator that stores compressed air of a predetermined pressure, and is connected to a tube 32 extending from the valve 24 to function as an air supply means (fluid supply means) injected from the nozzle 2. By using an air tank 10 having portability that can be carried by a person, for example, the restriction on the range of movement of the user can be removed. If the user's movement range is limited, the air compressor may be used directly instead of the air tank 10. In this case, the valve 24 and the compressor can be used by using a tube having a length corresponding to the movement range. You just have to connect with.

The controller 30 is a so-called computer, and includes a CPU as a calculation means provided as a hardware resource, a ROM and a RAM as a storage means, and an input / output interface as a communication means. The CPU outputs a signal for opening and closing the valve 24 by executing a process according to a program stored in the storage means based on the signal input from the bending sensor 28. The content of the force sense to be presented is stored in the storage means. For example, the controller 30 is connected to a device such as a head-up display that can provide a virtual reality world to a person, and from the bending sensor 28 so as to link with the virtual reality world provided to the person from the device. The valve 24 is controlled based on the input signal. That is, the controller 30 is based on the state detected by the bending sensor 28, which is a state detecting means, and the content of the presenting dynamism set to correspond to the above-mentioned virtual reality world stored in the storage means. Controls the injection of fluid from the nozzle 2.

For example, the controller 30 operates the valve 24 so as to inject air from the nozzle 2 when the output from the state detecting means exceeds a preset threshold value. This makes it possible to present the feeling that an object is near the threshold value in the operation. The threshold value referred to here means when the finger in the present embodiment is bent beyond a predetermined angle. Further, the threshold value may be appropriately set according to, for example, the user's operation corresponding to the virtual reality world, or the user's operation in remote control that can be regarded as one of the virtual reality. Further, the controller 30 may be configured to be portable to a person by housing the controller 30 in a case integrated with the valve 24.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the operation of the force sense presenting device 1 shown in FIG. In the following description, it is assumed that the force sense presenting device 1 operates under the following assumptions.
1. 1. For example, a device such as a head-up display is connected to the controller 30, and a predetermined image is projected to the user through visual perception or the like.
2. As shown in FIG. 3A, the projected image shows a state in which an elastic ball is pinched (grabbed) as a virtual object between the thumb and the index finger.
3. 3. The user moves the index finger to grasp the ball M sandwiched between the thumb and the index finger.
4. The controller 30 stores a program for injecting air from the nozzle 2 in response to the operation of the user moving the thumb and index finger to grasp the ball M, that is, a program for controlling the valve 24.

As shown in FIG. 3B, when the user bends the index finger to grasp the ball M, the bending sensor 28 detects the bent state of the index finger and outputs a signal corresponding to the bent state to the controller 30. To do. When the signal input from the bending sensor 28 to the controller 30 exceeds the threshold value preset in the controller 30, that is, when the finger is bent beyond the angle corresponding to the threshold value, the controller 30 informs the valve 24. A signal for injecting air from the nozzle 2 as shown by an arrow S in the figure is output.

In this way, the controller 30 controls the valve 24 according to the bending state of the index finger detected by the bending sensor 28, and injects air from the nozzle 2 to the user through the mounting portion of the nozzle 2. It is possible to present a reaction force such as a repulsive force or an elastic force received from the ball M when gripping the ball M. That is, the reaction force generated in the nozzle 2 by injecting air from the nozzle 2 mounted on the fingertip in the direction in which the finger bends is presented to the user as if it were the elastic force of the ball M.

In the above embodiment, the force sense presenting unit 7 is provided at the tip of the index finger (the portion beyond the first joint) to present the action of holding the ball between the index finger and the thumb. Similarly to the index finger, a force sense presenting unit 7 may be provided to present the action of gripping the ball.

The force sensation presented is not limited to the above-mentioned elastic ball. For example, as shown in FIG. 4A, the air blown from the injection port 14 of the nozzle 2 is directed outward from the palm side to the tips of the fingers of the hand (the portion beyond the first joint) and the palm. The force sense presentation unit 7 may be attached so as to blow out toward the air. Then, when the wall W is displayed on the head-up display connected to the controller 30 in the virtual reality world and the user (person H) pushes the wall W as shown in FIG. 4B, when the user (person H) pushes the wall W, By injecting air from the nozzle 2 of each force sense presentation unit 7, it is possible to present the reaction force R received from the wall W when the wall W is pushed.

FIG. 5 shows a system diagram of the evaluation test device 70 performed to examine the effectiveness of the force sense presentation device 1 according to the present embodiment, and the flow rate of air injected from the nozzle in the evaluation test by the evaluation test device 70. , The measurement result which measured the relation of the presentation power is shown. As shown in FIG. 5A, the evaluation test apparatus 70 fixes the prototype nozzle 71 to the digital force gauge 72, and measures the flow rate of the air supplied from the compressor 74 with the flow meter 73 while measuring the force gauge. The injection reaction force was measured by 72. For the measured value, a steady air injection reaction force under a constant flow rate was used. As shown in FIG. 5B, it was confirmed that the force increased as the flow rate ejected from the nozzle 2 increased, and its effectiveness was confirmed.
That is, for example, a variable flow rate valve that changes the flow rate based on a signal from the controller 30 is provided on the path where air is supplied to the nozzle 2, or the above-mentioned valve 24 is periodically interrupted to change the flow rate. By making it possible, the magnitude of the force sense given to the person can be freely changed.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the force sense is presented according to the visual sense such as VR has been described, but the application of the force sense presentation device 1 according to the present embodiment is not limited to this. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing another application example of the force sense presentation device 1. FIG. 6 shows a batting motion, which is one of the exercises, FIG. 6 (a) shows an ideal form state, and FIG. 6 (b) shows a force sense presentation to a user who presents an ideal form. It shows a state in which the force sense presenting unit 7 of the device 1 is attached.

The ideal form shown in FIG. 6A is stored in the controller 30 in advance, and as shown in FIG. 6B, force sensor presentation units 7 are provided at a plurality of locations at key points of the person H and the bat B. At the same time, a sensor (not shown) for detecting the state of the mounting part, here the position of the mounting part, is attached to the mounting part as a state detecting means. In this case, a plurality of nozzles 2 are attached to each force sense presenting unit 7, and a two-dimensional force sense can be presented at each attachment portion. The two-dimensional force sense means, for example, a force sense that enables the bat B to move along a plane orthogonal to the extension direction of the bat B. Such presentation of force sense is realized by providing at least three nozzles 2 so that the injection port faces outward with respect to the butt B in one force sense presentation unit 7, and a valve is provided for each nozzle 2. May be provided to individually control the injection of air from the nozzle 2.

Then, the controller 30 is compared with the position detected by each sensor and the position of the correct operation stored in the storage means in advance, and when the deviation from the actual operation is detected, the controller 30 is attached to the portion where the deviation is detected. By controlling each valve and injecting air from the nozzle 2 so as to correct the deviation from the nozzle 2 of the force sensor presentation unit 7, it is possible to present a corrective force based on the correct movement in the movement.

In each of the above-described forms, the force sense is presented for a predetermined motion, but the present invention is not limited to this. FIG. 7 shows a mode when the force sense presentation device 1 is used as a navigation system. As shown in FIG. 7, the force sense presenting unit 7 according to the present embodiment is composed of, for example, a plurality of nozzles 2 and a mounting means 4 capable of mounting the plurality of nozzles 2 on the arm. Each of the plurality of nozzles 2 is attached to the arm as a force sense presenting unit 7 along a plane orthogonal to the extension direction of the arm U so as to enable the above-mentioned two-dimensional force sense to be presented. It is composed of one that injects air outward from U and one that injects air in opposite directions along the extension direction of the arm U. Further, it is preferable to attach a sensor such as GPS as a state detecting means for detecting the position of the person H to the attaching means 4 to the force sense presenting unit 7. The position of the state detecting means in this example may be carried to another part of the person H limited to the force sense presenting unit 7.
Further, the controller 30 stores the position information of the destination of the person H (for example, corresponding to the GPS described above).
Then, the controller 30 injects air from any of the nozzles 2 so that when the person H moves, a force indicating the traveling direction is generated on the arm U based on the position information input from the sensor. It can function as a navigation.
The number of nozzles 2 for injecting air and the direction in which the nozzles 2 are attached can be changed as appropriate, and it is sufficient that the arm U is subjected to a force indicating the direction of travel.
Further, such presentation of force sense is not limited to attaching the force sense presentation unit 7 to the arm U, and for example, as shown in FIG. 8, the force sense presentation unit 7 is a cane that is a personal object. It may be attached to the T and presented to the person H via the cane T. Further, the force sense presentation unit 7 is any part as long as it is a part that can directly present the force sense to a person such as a foot or a person's portable object and can present the force sense to the person through the portable object. It may be attached to.

In the above-described embodiment, air is injected from the nozzle 2 as a means for presenting a sense of force, but the present invention is not limited to air.
For example, in the above-mentioned presentation of force sensation in exercise, it is described as correcting to the correct form of swing in batting, but for example, the correct form in swimming can also be taught. In this case, for example, the force sense presenting unit 7 is provided on the entire body so as to present the force sense corresponding to the degree of freedom of the joints of the user's body, and the force sense is presented by injecting water from the nozzle 2. Just do it.
At this time, the water injected from the nozzle 2 is pumped by a pump or the like to pump water from the pool in which the user swims, that is, water that is a fluid around the user, and pressurizes the water to supply the valve to control the injection amount. It should be. That is, the pump functions as a fluid supply means for supplying the fluid injected from the nozzle 2.

That is, in order to present the sense of force, the nozzle 2 can use a gas such as air, a liquid such as water, or a fluid such as powder, depending on the substance around the user. it can.
Further, what is injected from the nozzle 2 is not limited to a single substance such as a gas or a liquid, and may be a mixture of a gas and a liquid such as a so-called spray. By mixing the gas and the liquid in this way and injecting them from the nozzle 2, the mass of the ejected product is increased, and the reaction force that can be presented can be increased. Such a mixture, for example, a dimethyl ether or a freon-based gas, is a user who mixes a gaseous substance at room temperature in a liquid state and injects the substance from the nozzle 2 to evaporate after spraying. It can be used independently of the surrounding substances. It is not essential that the injected material evaporates.

Further, the application of the force sense presenting device 1 is not limited to the above-mentioned presentation of force sense in virtual reality, teaching of correct movement during exercise, and the like, and can also be applied to rehabilitation and the like.

As described above, the force sense presenting unit 7 for presenting the force sense is directly carried by a person or attached to a cane T which is a person's portable object and indirectly carried by a person. By presenting the force sense by applying the injection reaction force when a fluid such as air is injected from the nozzle 2 to the force sense presenting unit 7, the reaction force support part unlike the exoskeleton type is not provided. , It becomes possible to present the force sense to the place where the force sense presentation unit 7 is attached.

1 Force presentation device, 2 nozzles, 4 mounting means, 6 control means, 7 force presentation unit,
8 finger fittings, 10 air tanks, 12 inlets, 14 inlets, 16 air passages,
18 Aperture part, 20 finger insertion part, 22 tube, 24 valve,
26 gloves, 28 sensors, 30 controllers, 32 tubes.

Claims (5)

It is a force sense presentation device that presents a force sense to a person.
A nozzle that can inject fluid in one direction,
A control means for controlling the injection of fluid from the nozzle is provided.
The nozzle
Attached to a person or a person's personal belongings so that the direction of fluid injection is outward,
The control means
A state detecting means for detecting the state of the nozzle to be attached, and
A controller having a storage means for storing the content of the force sense to be presented and controlling the injection of fluid from the nozzle based on the state detected by the state detecting means and the content.
A force sense presentation device equipped with. The force sense presenting device according to claim 1, wherein the controller controls the flow rate of the fluid injected from the nozzle according to the magnitude of the force sense to be presented. The force sense presenting device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the ejected object injected from the nozzle is a fluid around the person. The force sensation presenting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control means is carried by a person or a person's portable object. It is a force presentation method that presents a force sense to a person.
A nozzle capable of injecting fluid in one direction is attached so that the injecting direction of the fluid is outward from the person or the person's personal belongings to which the nozzle is attached.
A force sense presentation method in which a control means controls the injection of a fluid from the nozzle according to the force sense to be presented.

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