Signal Modulator for Visual Indicator

• US 20100131101A1
• Filed: 11/20/2009
• Published: 05/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Utah Research Foundation (State of Utah)
• Original Assignee: University of Utah Research Foundation (State of Utah)
• Inventors: Meek, Sanford G., Engeberg, Erik Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 8,588,977 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/258
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/583 Hands; Wrist joints
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/70 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/6827 Feedback system for providing user sensation, e.g. by force, contact or position
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/6881 optical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/701 operated by electrically controlled means, e.g. solenoids or torque motors
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/704 computer-controlled, e.g. robotic control
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/7635 for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/769 Displaying measured values

Abstract

An apparatus in an example comprises a manipulator, a force sensor, a signal modulator, and a visual indicator. The manipulator is employed by a user. The force sensor determines a force signal from a force applied by the manipulator on a part of an environment of the user. The signal modulator is adjustable by the user to select a switch point for the visual indicator based on relative fragility of the part of the environment. The signal modulator employs the force signal and the switch point to control the visual indicator for the user.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a manipulator that is employed by a user;

a force sensor that determines a force signal from a force applied by the manipulator on a part of an environment of the user;

a signal modulator; and

a visual indicator;

wherein the signal modulator is adjustable by the user to select a switch point for the visual indicator based on relative fragility of the part of the environment;

wherein the signal modulator employs the force signal and the switch point to control the visual indicator for the user.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the manipulator comprises any one of an active manipulator or a passive manipulator.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the manipulator is employable in prosthetics and/or robotics.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the manipulator comprises any one of a prosthetic hand, a prosthetic foot, or a robotic manipulator.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the visual indicator comprises an LED.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the visual indicator comprises a plurality of LEDs.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the plurality of LEDs comprises a first LED and a second LED, wherein the signal modulator employs the force signal at a first level below the switch point to turn on the first LED, wherein the signal modulator employs the force signal at a second level above the switch point to turn on the second LED.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the plurality of LEDs comprises a plurality of colors.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the visual indicator comprises a plurality of colors.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user has control of gain of the visual indicator to make the visual indicator more or less sensitive to the force applied by the manipulator on the part of the environment;

wherein the user can make any one level of the force applied by the manipulator on the part of the environment map to any level of light intensity.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the visual indicator comprises a plurality of LEDs with light intensity gains adjustable at discretion of the user.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the visual indicator comprises a plurality of colors of LEDs with light intensity gains adjustable at discretion of the user.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

a manipulator that is employed by a user;

a force sensor that determines a force signal from a force applied by the manipulator on a part of an environment of the user;

wherein the force sensor is differentiated to indicate rate of change of the force applied by the manipulator on the part of the environment;

a signal modulator; and

a visual indicator;

wherein the signal modulator is adjustable by the user to select a switch point for the visual indicator based on relative fragility of the part of the environment;

wherein the signal modulator employs the force signal and the switch point to control the visual indicator for the user.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein one or more of a measured force derivative, an absolute value of the measured force derivative, or/and a measured force is employed in a control algorithm to increase sensitivity of the force applied by the manipulator on the environment.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the visual indicator is activated by a sum of a measured force, Fn, and a derivative of Fn or an absolute value of a derivative of Fn, as a control input for an LED or a plurality of LEDs of the a visual indicator.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

a manipulator that is employed by a user;

wherein the manipulator comprises a plurality of independent degrees of freedom which may be passive or active;

a force sensor that determines a force signal from a force applied by the manipulator on a part of an environment of the user;

one or more sensors that can determine velocities or/and accelerations of any or all of the plurality of independent degrees of freedom of the manipulator;

a signal modulator; and

a visual indicator;

wherein the signal modulator is adjustable by the user to select a switch point for the visual indicator based on relative fragility of the part of the environment;

wherein the signal modulator employs the force signal and the switch point to control the visual indicator for the user.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the visual indicator displays a measured velocity and/or acceleration of one or more of the plurality of independent degrees of freedom of the manipulator, wherein the visual indicator is employable by the user upon not looking at the manipulator so the user may know the measured velocity or/and acceleration of any part of the manipulator and as desired adjust the force applied by the manipulator on the part of the environment.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the force applied on the environment by the manipulator on the part of the environment is performed automatically relative to the measured velocity or/and acceleration of any of the plurality of independent degrees of freedom of the manipulator.

19. An apparatus, comprising:

a manipulator that is employed by a user;

a force sensor that determines a force signal from a force applied by the manipulator on a part of an environment of the user;

a sensor that determines if an object grasped by the manipulator is slipping from a stable grasp of the manipulator operated by the user;

a signal modulator; and

a visual indicator;

wherein the signal modulator is adjustable by the user to select a switch point for the visual indicator based on relative fragility of the part of the environment;

wherein the signal modulator employs the force signal and the switch point to control the visual indicator for the user.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the visual indicator becomes active when the object grasped by the manipulator slips from the stable grasp.

21. An apparatus, comprising:

a manipulator that is employed by a user;

a force sensor that determines a force signal from a force applied by the manipulator on a part of an environment of the user, wherein the force sensor responds to vibrations that occur during object slip;

a signal modulator; and

a visual indicator;

wherein the signal modulator is adjustable by the user to select a switch point for the visual indicator based on relative fragility of the part of the environment of the user;

wherein the signal modulator employs the force signal and the switch point to control the visual indicator for the user.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the force applied by the manipulator on the environment an is automatically increased relative to the shear force or absolute value of the measured shear force or/and the shear force derivative or absolute value of the measured shear force derivative.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a high-pass, band-pass filter that amplifies the vibrations that occur during object slip as measured by the vibration sensitive force sensor and/or vibration sensitive force sensor derivative.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the increased force applied by the manipulator on the environment is automatically increased and maintained to prevent future occurrences of object slip.