Hand force feedback and sensing system

• US 7,138,976 B1
• Filed: 07/13/2000
• Issued: 11/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rutgers University
• Original Assignee: Rutgers University
• Inventors: Bouzit, Mourad, Burdea, Grigore C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lefkowitz, Sumati
• Assistant Examiner(s): Amadiz, Rodney
• Application Number:
  US10/332,661
• Time in Patent Office: 2,322 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-158, 414/5
• US Class Current: 345/156
• 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

Abstract

The present invention relates to a force feedback and sensing system for a hand in which an actuator system and sensing system is coupled to a palm base attached to the hand or a glove. The actuator system includes double acting actuators which provide force feedback against digits of the hand to simulate a real experience a user would have if directly manipulating a real object. The actuators are rotatably mounted to the palm base through a two degrees of freedom rotation joint.

Claims

1. A force feedback and sensing system for placement in a hand comprising:

one or more actuator systems each connectable to a respective digit of said hand;

said actuator system comprising a piston moveable within a double acting cylinder, said double acting cylinder comprises;

an inner cylinder;

an outer cylinder;

said inner cylinder and said outer cylinder being seated on a bottom cylinder cap;

a first inlet formed in a bottom portion of said outer cylinder; and

a second inlet formed in said bottom cylinder cap and in communication with said inner cylinder, a palm base positioned on a palm of said hand, said actuator system being rotatably mounted to said palm base for providing two degrees of freedom or rotation of said actuator system; and

one or more sensing systems each connectable to a respective one of said actuator systems, wherein air circulated upwardly from said first inlet between an inside surface of said outer cylinder and an outside surface of said inner cylinder an downwardly within said inner cylinder for compressing said piston and air circulated from said second inlet upwardly for extending said piston.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said inner cylinder is formed of glass.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said outer cylinder is formed of metal.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a first gasket positioned between a bottom portion of said inner cylinder and said outer cylinder adjacent said bottom cylinder cap, said first gasket having an aperture in communication with said first inlet.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising a second gasket positioned between a top portion of said inner cylinder and said outer cylinder, said second gasket having an aperture for receiving said air circulating upwardly from said first inlet between said inside surface of said outer cylinder and said outside surface of said inner cylinder.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a piston rod coupled to said piston with a spherical joint.

7. The system of claim 6 further comprising:

a shaft guide positioned within a top portion of said inner cylinder, said piston rod sliding within said shaft guide.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said shaft guide is formed of a material having a low coefficient of friction.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said shaft guide is formed of a nylon and molybdeum material.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein said piston is formed of a material having a low coefficient of friction.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said piston is formed of a carbon graphite material.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein said actuator system is mounted with a first joint, said first joint having a pair of bearings wherein each bearing is mounted to said actuator system for providing a first of said two degrees of freedom on a flexion axis.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said actuator system is mounted with a second joint, said second joint having a pair of bearings wherein each being is mounted to said actuator system for providing a second of said two degrees of freedom in an abduction axis.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said flexion axis and said abduction axis intersect at a point.

15. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

air tubing connected to said actuator systems, wherein said air tubing is integrally connected to said palm base.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein said palm base has a rounded bottom surface.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein an outer diameter of said bottom surface of said palm base is in a range of about 10 mm to about 20 mm.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein said actuator system is selected from the group comprising a “

large”

hand having a compression rate of about 54%, a “

medium”

hand having a compression rate of about 58% and a “

small”

hand having a compression rate of about 62%.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein said actuator system includes a piston and a piston rod attached to said piston and a sensing system comprises a linear sensor for measuring a distance of said piston rod within said cylinder.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein said linear sensor comprises:

a reflective infrared sensor mounted to said palm base;

one or more infrared emitters attached to a bottom of said cylinder;

one or more infrared receptors attached to a bottom of said cylinder;

fiber optic cables connecting said infrared sensor to said one or more infrared emitters and said one or more infrared receptors; and

a mirror coupled to a bottom surface of said piston,

wherein infrared waves generated by said one or more infrared emitters are reflected off said mirror as reflected infrared waves and received at said one or more infrared receptors, said reflected infrared waves being sent to said reflective infrared sensors over said fiber optic cables, values of said reflected waves being used to determine a position of said piston rod.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein said linear sensor comprises two infrared receptors.

22. The system of claim 1 wherein said sensing system comprises an abduction angle sensor for measuring rotation on an abduction axis and a flexion angle sensor for measuring rotation on a flexion axis.

23. The system of claim 1 wherein said sensing system comprises a force sensor for measuring forces applied to a fingertip joint of said digit.

24. The system of claim 1 wherein said palm base is attached to a glove, said glove being received over said hand.

25. The system of claim 1 wherein said palm base is attached to said hand with a hand mount, said hand mount including one or more side mounts attached to a hand mount base, wherein said hand is received between a bottom surface of said palm base and a top surface of said hand mount base.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein said hand mount includes one or more apertures for receiving an attachment to a wrist position sensor.

27. A force feedback and sensing system for placement in a hand comprising:

one or more actuator systems each connectable to a respective digit of said hand;

said actuator system comprising a piston moveable within a double acting cylinder, said actuator system is connected to said respective digit with a fingertip mount, said fingertip mount including one or more side mounts attached to a fingertip mount base, said side mounts slide over said digit and said fingertip mount base being attached adjacent a bottom surface of a fingertip joint of said digit a palm base positioned on a palm of said hand, said actuator system being rotatable mounted to said palm base for providing two degrees of freedom of rotation of said actuator system; and

one or more sensing systems each connectable to a respective one of said actuator systems wherein said side mounts are attached with a self-locking head to said fingertip mount base.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein said actuator system includes a piston and a piston rod attached to said piston, said piston rod being rotatably mounted with a joint to said fingertip mount.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein said joint includes a pair of bearings.

30. A force feedback and sensing system for placement in a hand comprising:

one or more actuator systems each connectable to a respective digit of said hand;

said actuator system comprising a piston moveable within a double acting cylinder, a palm base positioned on a palm of said hand, said actuator system being rotatably mounted to said palm base for providing two degrees of freedom of rotation of said actuator system, said actuator system includes a piston and a piston rod attached to said piston and a sensing system comprises a linear sensor for measuring a distance of said piston rod within said cylinder, said linear sensor comprises;

a reflective infrared sensor mounted to said palm base;

one or more infrared emitters attached to a bottom of said cylinder;

one or more infrared receptors attached to a bottom of said cylinder;

fiber optic cables connecting said infrared sensor to said one or more infrared emitters and said one or more infrared receptors; and

a mirror coupled to a bottom surface of said piston,

wherein infrared waves generated by said one or more infrared emitters are reflected off said mirror as reflected infrared waves and received at said one or more infrared receptors, said reflected infrared waves being sent to said reflective infrared sensors over said fiber optic cables, values of said reflected waves being used to determine a position of said piston rod and

wherein said actuator system comprises an inner cylinder within an outer cylinder, said infrared emitter and said infrared receptor being positioned at said bottom of said inner cylinder, a cover positioned on the outer portion of said inner cylinder, said cover being formed of a reflective material and an absorbing material, a surface of said reflective material increasing progressively from a bottom portion to a top portion of said inner cylinder and a surface of said absorbing material decreasing progressively from said bottom portion to said top portion of said inner cylinder, wherein said infrared waves generated by said one or more infrared emitters are reflected off said mirror and said inner cylinder to said one or more infrared receptors.

31. A force feedback and sensing system for placement in a hand comprising:

one or more actuator systems each connectable to a respective digit of said hand;

said actuator system comprising a piston moveable within a double acting cylinder,

a palm base positioned on a palm of said hand, said actuator system being rotatably mounted to said palm base for providing two degrees of freedom of rotation of said actuator system; and

one or more sensing systems each connectable to a respective one of said actuator systems said sensing system comprises an abduction angle sensor for measuring rotation on an abduction axis and a flexion angle sensor for measuring rotation on a flexion axis wherein said abduction angle sensor is mounted to said palm base and said flexion angle sensor comprises a pair of polarized magnetic discs forming a magnetic field with a constant variation of intensity, said abduction angle sensor and said flexion angle sensor measuring said intensity of said magnetic field.

32. A force feedback and sensing system for placement in a hand comprising:

one or more actuator systems each connectable to a respective digit of said hand;

said actuator system comprising a piston moveable within a double acting cylinder,

a palm base positioned on a palm of said hand, said actuator system being rotatably mounted to said palm base for providing two degrees of freedom of rotation of said actuator system;

and said palm base is attached to said hand with a hand mount, said hand mount including one or more side mounts attached to a hand mount base,

wherein said hand is received between a bottom surface of said palm base and a top surface of said hand mount base and wherein said side mounts are attached with a self-locking head to said hand mount base.

33. A method for providing force feedback to a hand comprising:

providing one or more actuator systems each connectable to a respective digit of said hand;

said actuator system comprising a piston moveable within a double acting cylinder;

said double acting cylinder comprises;

an inner cylinder;

an outer cylinder;

said inner cylinder and said outer cylinder being seated on a bottom cylinder cap;

a first inlet formed in a bottom portion of said outer cylinder; and

a second inlet formed in said bottom cylinder cap and in communication with said inner cylinder;

a palm base positioned on a palm of said hand, said actuator system being rotatably mounted to said palm base for providing two degrees of freedom of rotation of said actuator system; and

sensing a position of said hand with one or more sensing systems each connectable to a respective one of said actuator systems,

wherein air circulates upwardly from said first inlet between an inside surface of said outer cylinder and an outside surface of said inner cylinder and downwardly within said inner cylinder for compressing said piston and air circulates from said second inlet upwardly for extending said piston.