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。致力于修复手部神经损伤的物理治疗师明白，触觉是手部最终功能的关键指标。神经生理学家已经确定，快速反射性调整握力对处理物体至关重要，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，因为它们缺乏触觉反馈。开发遥控机器人的工程师已经证明，当振动触觉反馈通过“触觉显示器”提供给操作者的手时，性能得到了改善。所有这些应用的限制因素是缺乏敏感而坚固的传感器，这些传感器可以集成到拟人化的机电手指中，并在各种各样的恶劣环境中使用，这些环境需要手的功能。我们已经开发并演示了新型仿生触觉传感器的基本可行性，这种传感器可以提供宽动态范围的法向和剪切力传感，与滑动和纹理相关的微振动，以及与接触物体的材料特性相关的温度和热流。所有这些传感元件和连接都位于被皮肤覆盖的手指刚性核心中，并受到其保护。在机械和美容上与生物手指相似的牙髓和指甲。在这个项目中，第一期开发的信号处理电子元件和模芯和蒙皮组件将组装成完整的模块。这些DigiTAC模块将被机械地、电子地和功能地集成到各种假肢和机器人手中，旨在为因创伤和疾病而失去正常手部功能的患者提供功能。来自这些多模态传感器阵列的触觉反馈将用于自动调整握力以防止滑动，并刺激受神经支配的皮肤，以提供与物体相互作用的有意识感知。

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.