Biomimetic Tactile Sensor for Prosthetics

描述(由申请人提供)：触觉反馈对于灵巧地使用手是必不可少的。致力于修复神经损伤的手的物理治疗师明白，触觉是最终手功能的关键指标。神经生理学家已经发现，握力的快速反射性调整对于处理物体是必不可少的，并依赖于通过脊髓的触觉反馈。自主机器人只能处理已知方向的刚性物体，特别是因为它们缺乏触觉反馈。开发遥操作机器人的工程师们已经证明，当振动触觉反馈通过“触觉显示器”提供给操作员的手时，性能会得到改善。所有这些应用中的限制因素是缺乏灵敏而坚固的传感器，这些传感器可以被整合到拟人化的机电手指中，并用于手需要发挥作用的多样化且往往是有害的环境中。我们已经开发并展示了新型仿生触觉传感器的基本可行性，这些传感器提供了对法向力和剪切力、与滑动和质地相关的微振动以及与接触物体的材料特性相关的温度和热通量的宽动态范围传感所有这些传感元件和连接都位于手指的刚性核心中，并由其保护，手指的刚性核心覆盖着在机械和美观上类似于生物手指的皮肤、髓和指甲元件。在这个项目中，第一阶段开发的信号处理电子设备和模压核心和外壳组件将组装成完整的模块。这些DigiTAC“模块将从机械、电子和功能上集成到各种假手和机械手中，旨在为因创伤和疾病而失去正常手功能的患者提供功能。这些多模式传感器阵列的触觉反馈将用于自动调整握力以防止滑动，并刺激神经皮肤以提供与物体交互的有意识感知。 公共卫生相关性：仅在1988至1996年间，就有超过70万人接受了上肢截肢(Dillingham等人。1998年)。由于缺乏用于触摸和握力调整的坚固传感器，机电假肢的发展一直受到阻碍。我们正在开发模仿人类手指的外观、机械性能和感觉能力的假指，并将其与假手和机器人手集成在一起。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Tactile feedback is essential for dexterous use of the hand. Physical therapists working to rehabilitate hands with neurological damage understand that tactile sensation is a key indicator of ultimate hand function. Neurophysiologists have identified that rapid reflexive adjustment of grip is essential for handling objects and depends on tactile feedback via the spinal cord. Autonomous robots can deal only with rigid objects in known orientations specifically because they lack tactile feedback. Engineers developing telerobotic manipulators have demonstrated improved performance when vibrotactile feedback is provided via "haptic displays" to the operator's hand. The limiting factor in all of these applications has been the absence of sensitive yet robust sensors that can be incorporated into anthropomorphic mechatronic fingers and used in the diverse and often hostile environments in which hands need to function. We have developed and demonstrated the basic feasibility of novel biomimetic tactile sensors that provide wide dynamic range sensing of normal and shear forces, microvibrations associated with slip and texture, and temperature and heat fluxes associated with the material properties of contacted objects All of these sensing elements and connections are located in and protected by the rigid core of a finger that is covered with skin, pulp and nail elements that are mechanically and cosmetically similar to biological fingers. In this project, the signal processing electronics and molded core and skin components that were developed in Phase I will be assembled into complete modules. These DigiTAC" modules will be integrated mechanically, electronically and functionally into a variety of prosthetic and robotic hands intended to provide function for patients with loss of normal hand function as a result of trauma and disease. Tactile feedback from these multimodal sensor arrays will be used to adjust grip forces automatically to prevent slip and to stimulate innervated skin to provide conscious perception of interactions with objects. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Between 1988 and 1996 alone over 700,000 people underwent upper limb amputation (Dillingham et al. 1998). The development of electromechanical replacement limbs has been hampered by the lack of robust sensors for touch and grip adjustment. We are developing prosthetic fingers that imitate the appearance, mechanical properties and sensory capabilities of human fingers, and integrating them with prosthetic and robotic hands.