Robotic hand, method for making the same, and robot having the same

• US 9,616,566 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2015
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Lin, Yi-Cheng
• Primary Examiner(s): Amin, Bhavesh V
• Application Number:
  US14/752,080
• Publication Number:
  US 20160229053A1
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/084 Tactile sensors in general G01L5/16, G01L5/22
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1612 characterised by the hand, wrist, grip control
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1697 Vision controlled systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/30 End effector
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/47 Optical

Abstract

A robotic hand includes an interior casing, a cladding layer wrapped around an end of the interior casing, a plurality of photoelectric sensors, and a controller. The photoelectric sensors are located at different locations on an exterior surface of the interior casing, and are wrapped by the cladding layer. The photoelectric sensors can sense light signals striking different locations on the exterior surface of the interior casing, and convert the sensed optical signals into electrical signals. The controller can obtain the generated electrical signals, determine a pressure value applied according to the obtained electric signals, and generate a control signal according to the determined pressure value causing the robot to generate feedback.

Claims

1. A robotic hand comprising:

an interior casing;

a cladding layer wrapped around an exterior surface of an end of the interior casing, the cladding layer made of elastic resin;

a plurality of photoelectric sensors located at different locations on the exterior surface of the interior casing, the plurality of photoelectric sensors wrapped by the cladding layer and configured to sense light signals striking the different locations on the exterior surface of the interior casing, and convert the sensed optical signals into electrical signals;

a controller located inside the interior casing and electrically connected to each on of the plurality of photoelectric sensors, the controller configured to obtain the generated electrical signals, determine a pressure value of pressure applied according to the obtained electric signals, and generate a control signal according to the determined pressure value, the control signal causing a robot to generate feedback; and

a first memory, wherein the first memory is configured to store different feedback data, and a first relationship between pressure values and the feedback data;

each feedback data corresponds to one pressure value;

the controller is configured to determine a feedback data corresponding to the determined pressure value according to the stored first relationship, and generate the control signal according to the determined feedback data, thereby controlling the robot to generate the feedback with the feedback data.

2. The robotic hand of claim 1, wherein the pressure value is proportional to the feedback data.

3. The robotic hand of claim 1, further comprising a vibrator, wherein the feedback generated by the robot is vibration feedback;

the feedback data is a vibration data;

the vibrator is located in the interior casing and electrically connected to the controller;

the controller is configured to determine a vibration data corresponding to the determined pressure value according to the stored first relationship, and generate the control signal according to the determined vibration data;

the control signal is able to cause the vibrator to vibrate according to the determined vibration data, thereby allowing the robot to generate the vibration feedback.

4. The robotic hand of claim 3, wherein the vibration data is an amplitude or a frequency of the vibration feedback.

5. The robotic hand of claim 1, further comprising an electrothermal layer, wherein the feedback generated by the robot is temperature feedback;

the feedback data is a temperature value;

the electrothermal layer is wrapping around an exterior surface of the cladding layer;

the controller is configured to determine a temperature value corresponding to the determined pressure value according to the stored first relationship, and generate the control signal according to the determined temperature value;

the control signal is configured to control the electrothermal layer to heat to the determined temperature value, thereby allowing the robot to generate the temperature feedback.

6. The robotic hand of claim 5, further comprising a protective layer wrapped around an exterior surface of the electrothermal layer.

7. The robotic hand of claim 1, further comprising an electrothermal layer and a thermometer, wherein the feedback generated by the robot is temperature feedback;

the electrothermal layer is wrapping around an exterior surface of the cladding layer;

the thermometer is located in the electrothermal layer, and is configured to sense an ambient temperature value of an environment in which the robotic hand is located;

the controller is configured to obtain the sensed ambient temperature value from the thermometer, compare the obtained ambient temperature value with a preset value, and generate the control signal when the obtained ambient temperature value is greater than the preset value;

the control signal is able to cause the electrothermal layer to heat, thereby allowing the robot to generate the temperature feedback.

8. The robotic hand of claim 1, wherein the interior casing is polyhedral-shaped;

the photoelectric sensors are secured to different surface of the interior casing.

9. The robotic hand of claim 1, wherein the photoelectric sensors secured to each surface of the interior casing are arranged in a matrix.

10. The robotic hand of claim 1, further comprising a positioning member, wherein the positioning member is located in the interior casing;

wires connecting the photoelectric sensors and the controller pass through different locations of the positioning member.

11. A robot comprising:

a body; and

two robotic hands secured to two opposite sides of the body, each robotic hand comprising;

an interior casing;

a cladding layer wrapped around an exterior surface of an end of the interior casing, the cladding layer made of elastic resin;

a plurality of photoelectric sensors located at different locations on the exterior surface of the interior casing, the plurality of photoelectric sensors wrapped by the cladding layer and configured to sense light signals striking the different locations on the exterior surface of the interior casing, and convert the sensed optical signals into electrical signals; and

a controller located inside the interior casing and electrically connected to each on of the plurality of photoelectric sensors, the controller configured to obtain the generated electrical signals, determine a pressure value of pressure applied according to the obtained electric signals, and generate a control signal according to the determined pressure value, the control signal causing the robot to generate feedback;

wherein the robotic hand further comprises a first memory for storing different feedback data, and a first relationship between pressure values and the feedback data;

each feedback data corresponds to one pressure value;

the controller is configured to determine a feedback data corresponding to the determined pressure value according to the stored first relationship, and generate the control signal according to the determined feedback data, thereby controlling the robot to generate the feedback with the feedback data.

12. The robot of claim 11, wherein the feedback generated by the robot is vibration feedback;

the feedback data is a vibration data;

the robotic hand further comprises a vibrator located in the interior casing and electrically connected to the controller;

the controller is configured to determine a vibration data corresponding to the determined pressure value according to the stored first relationship, and generate the control signal according to the determined vibration data;

the control signal is able to cause the vibrator to vibrate according to the determined vibration data, thereby allowing the robot to generate the vibration feedback.

13. The robot of claim 11, wherein the feedback generated by the robot is temperature feedback;

the feedback data is a temperature value;

the robotic hand further comprises an electrothermal layer wrapping around an exterior surface of the cladding layer;

the controller is configured to determine a temperature value corresponding to the determined pressure value according to the stored first relationship, and generate the control signal according to the determined temperature value;

the control signal is able to cause the electrothermal layer to heat to the determined temperature value, thereby allowing the robot to generate the temperature feedback.

14. The robot of claim 11, further comprising a display screen, a second memory, and a processor, wherein the feedback generated by the robot is based on emotion displayed in pictures;

the display screen is secured to a front surface of the body;

the second memory and the processor are located in the body;

the second memory is configured to store a plurality of pictures having associated emotional classifications, and a second relationship between the pressure values and the pictures;

each picture corresponds to one pressure value;

the processor is electrically connected to the controller, and is configured to obtain the pressure value from the controller, determine a picture corresponding to the obtained pressure value according to the stored second relationship, and control the display screen to display the determined picture, thereby allowing the robot to generate the feedback based on emotion displayed in pictures.

15. The robot of claim 11, wherein the robotic hand further includes a multiplexer located in the interior casing;

the controller is electrically connected to the photoelectric sensors via the multiplexer;

the multiplexer is configured to obtain the electrical signals from at least one photoelectric sensor via a corresponding sub-channel;

the controller is configured to obtain the electrical signals from the multiplexer, and generate the control signal according to the obtained electrical signals.

16. A method for making a robotic hand comprising:

providing an interior casing, a number of photoelectric sensors being located at different locations on the exterior surface of the interior casing, a controller being located inside the interior casing and electrically connected to each of the photoelectric sensors, the plurality of photoelectric sensors photoelectric sensors being configured to sense light signals striking the different locations on the exterior surface of the interior casing and convert the sensed optical signals into electrical signals, the controller being configured to obtain the generated electrical signals, determine a pressure value of pressure applied according to the obtained electric signals, and generate a control signal according to the determined pressure value, the control signal causing a robot to generate feedback;

providing a mold including a female mold core and a male mold core, the female mold core and the male mold core cooperatively defining a mold cavity;

loading the interior casing into the mold cavity, the interior casing being spaced from interior surfaces of the mold cavity to define a gap;

filling the gap with a molten elastic resin by injection molding;

solidifying the elastic resin to form a cladding layer on the exterior surface of the interior casing, causing the photoelectric sensors to be wrapped by the cladding layer; and

separating the interior casing with the cladding layer from the mold, to obtain the robotic hand.