Force reflecting system

• US 10,551,927 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2017
• Issued: 02/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology
• Original Assignee: Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology
• Inventors: Bae, Joon Bum, Lee, Jeong Soo, Jo, In Seong, Park, Yeon Gyu, You, Bum Jae
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tai T
• Application Number:
  US16/309,484
• Publication Number:
  US 20190332172A1
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 3404072, 414 5, 414730
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 1/0288 Fingers
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1207 with electric or magnetic drive
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1638 Holding means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/165 Wearable interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/50 Control means thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5069 Angle sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2205/067 Fingers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object

Abstract

Provided is a force conveyance system that is configured to have 6 degrees of freedom, thereby allowing freedom of movement such as opening/closing of a hand and adduction/abduction of a finger and reflecting a desired force to a fingertip without obstructing the movement of a finger. Also, the force conveyance system may estimate a fingertip position and a finger joint angle, measure a finger movement, and convey a more accurate force accordingly.

Claims

1. A force conveyance system comprising:

a hand-back-wearable unit worn on a back of a hand;

an active unit provided in the hand-back-wearable unit to generate a rotational force;

an active link rotatably coupled to the active unit and rotatable by the rotational force;

a passive link coupled to the active link by a first coupler to have 2 degrees of freedom;

a finger-wearable unit coupled to the passive link by a second coupler to have 3 degrees of freedom and worn on a tip of a finger; and

a controller which estimates a position of the fingertip and an angle of a finger joint and controls the rotational force of the active unit according to the estimation,

wherein the second coupler includes a first rotation unit coupled to the finger-wearable unit and coupled to be rotatable by a movement of the finger around a third rotational axis arranged in an adduction/abduction direction of the finger;

a second rotation unit provided to protrude upward from the first rotation unit and coupled to be rotatable by the movement of the finger around a fourth rotational axis arranged in a lengthwise direction of the finger; and

a third rotation unit configured to couple the second rotation unit and the passive link and coupled to be rotatable by the movement of the finger around a fifth rotational axis arranged in a lengthwise direction of the passive link.

2. The force conveyance system of claim 1, wherein the active link includes:

a first active link unit coupled to the active unit and extending upward from the hand-back-wearable unit; and

a second active link unit inclined at a first preset angle from the first active link unit, formed to be inclined upward, and coupled to the first coupler.

3. The force conveyance system of claim 1, wherein the passive link includes:

a first passive link unit coupled to the second coupler and extending upward from the second coupler; and

a second passive link unit inclined at a second preset angle from the first passive link unit, formed to be inclined upward, and coupled to the first coupler.

4. The force conveyance system of claim 1, wherein the first coupler includes:

one end coupled to the active link and coupled to be rotatable by the rotational force of the active unit around a first rotational axis arranged in an adduction/abduction direction of the finger; and

another end coupled to the passive link and coupled to be rotatable by the movement of the finger around a second rotational axis arranged in a direction perpendicular to the back of the hand.

5. The force conveyance system of claim 1, further comprising an active unit sensor which measures a rotation angle of the active unit.

6. The force conveyance system of claim 5, further comprising a first hole sensor provided at one end of the first coupler, wherein the first hole sensor measures a rotation angle of the active link.

7. The force conveyance system of claim 6, further comprising a second hole sensor provided at another end of the first coupler, wherein the second hole sensor measures a rotation angle of the passive link.

8. The force conveyance system of claim 7, wherein the controller

calculates a tip position of the finger according to the rotation angle of the active unit measured by the active unit sensor, the rotation angle of the active link measured by the first hole sensor, and the rotation angle of the passive link measured by the second hole sensor,

calculates an angle of the finger joint by using the tip position of the finger, and

controls the rotational force of the active unit according to the angle of the finger joint.

9. The force conveyance system of claim 1, wherein the finger-wearable unit includes a finger holder formed in a ring shape to be fitted to the tip of the finger and formed to have one side open.

10. The force conveyance system of claim 9, wherein the finger-wearable unit further includes an opening/closing member configured to open/close an open portion of the finger holder.

11. The force conveyance system of claim 9, wherein an elastic member is provided at an inner circumferential surface of the finger holder.

12. The force conveyance system of claim 1, wherein the active unit is coupled to the hand-back-wearable unit and extending in a direction inclined at a preset angle with respect to a lengthwise direction of the finger.

13. The force conveyance system of claim 12, wherein a rotational axis of the active unit and a rotational axis of the active link are coupled by a bevel gear.

14. A force conveyance system comprising:

a hand-back-wearable unit worn on a back of a hand;

an active unit provided in the hand-back-wearable unit to generate a rotational force;

an active link rotatably coupled to the active unit and rotatable by the rotational force;

a passive link coupled to the active link by a first coupler to have 2 degrees of freedom;

a finger-wearable unit coupled to the passive link by a second coupler to have 3 degrees of freedom and worn on a tip of a finger;

an active unit sensor which measures a rotation angle of the active unit;

a first hole sensor provided at one end of the first coupler, wherein the first hole sensor measures a rotation angle of the active link;

a second hole sensor provided at another end of the first coupler, wherein the second hole sensor measures a rotation angle of the passive link; and

a controller which calculates a tip position of the finger according to the rotation angle of the active unit measured by the active unit sensor, the rotation angle of the active link measured by the first hole sensor, and the rotation angle of the passive link measured by the second hole sensor;

calculates an angle of the finger joint by using the tip position of the finger; and

controls the rotational force of the active unit according to the angle of the finger joint,

wherein the first coupler includes one end coupled to the active link and coupled to be rotatable by the rotational force of the active unit around a first rotational axis arranged in an adduction/abduction direction of the finger and another end coupled to the passive link and coupled to be rotatable by a movement of the finger around a second rotational axis arranged in a direction perpendicular to the back of the hand, and

the second coupler includes a first rotation unit coupled to the finger-wearable unit and coupled to be rotatable by the movement of the finger around a third rotational axis arranged in an adduction/abduction direction of the finger, a second rotation unit protruding upward from the first rotation unit and coupled to be rotated by the movement of the finger around a fourth rotational axis arranged in a lengthwise direction of the finger, and a third rotation unit configured to couple the second rotation unit and the passive link and coupled to be rotatable by the movement of the finger around a fifth rotational axis arranged in a lengthwise direction of the passive link.