TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a wearable force sense presenting apparatus for wrists.

BACKGROUND TECHNOLOGY

Recently, due to the development of head mounted displays (HMDs), an image of a virtual reality (VR) space is displayed right in front of a person, so that the person can feel as if he were in the VR space. That is, the HMD is a wearable visible apparatus mounted on the head of the person, where only the video information of the VR space is displayed while shutting out external information, so that the person can be absorbed in the VR space without seeing the external information.

In order to realize an experience for feeling the VR space as a real world, a force sense presenting apparatus (haptic interface) is required to provide a force sense for touching a virtual object or feeling the weight of the virtual object. Thus, the person enters the VR space using the two senses, i.e., the visible sense and the force sense, so that the person can intuitively operate and feel the virtual object in the VR space.

FIG. 12is an overall perspective view illustrating a prior art force sense presenting apparatus (see: Patent Literature 1). InFIG. 12, the force sense presenting apparatus is constructed by a right-hand force sense presenting unit and a left-hand force sense presenting unit symmetrically coupled by a rear-side coupling frame FR. Each of the right-hand force sense presenting unit and the left-hand force sense presenting unit is constructed by an end effector1R or1L having first, second, third and fourth wire contact points PAR, PBR, PCR and PDR, or PAL, PBL, PCL and PDL; an upper frame F1R or F1L and a lower frame F2R or F2L above and below of the end effector1R or1L; first and second motors M1R and M2R, or M1L and M2L on one side and the other side of the upper frame F1R or F1L; third and fourth motors M3R and M4R, or M3L and M4L on one side and the other side of the upper frame F1R or F1L; fifth and sixth motors M5R and M6R, or M5L and M6L on one side and the other side of the lower frame F2R or F2L; seventh and eighth motors M7R and M8R, or M7L and M8L on one side and the other side of the lower frame F2R or F2L; first and second wires W1R and W2R, or W1L and W2L connected between the wire exits of the first and second motors M1R and M2R, or M1L and M2L and the first wire contact point PAR or PAL; third and fourth wires W3R and W4R, or W3L and W4L connected between the wire exits of the third and fourth motors M3R and M4R, or M3L and M4L and the second wire contact point PBR or PBL; fifth and sixth wires W5R and W6R, or W5L and W6L connected between the wire exits of the fifth and sixth motors M5R and M6R, or M5L and M6L and the third wire contact point PCR or PCL; seventh and eighth wires W7R and W8R, or W7L and W8L connected between the wire exits of the seventh and eighth motors M7R and M8R, or M7L and M8L and the fourth wire contact point PDR or PDL, so that the end effector1R of the right-hand force sense presenting unit and the end effector1L of the left-hand force sense presenting unit can cooperate with each other. InFIG. 12, note that reference numeral1designates a user, and reference numeral2designates an HMD.

According to the prior art force sense presenting apparatus ofFIG. 12, the end effector1R of the right-hand force sense presenting unit and the end effector1L of the left-hand force sense presenting unit can cooperate with each other, to thereby give force sense to both hands of the user, thus realizing a wearable force sense presenting apparatus.

PROCEEDING TECHNOLOGY LITERATURES

Patent Literature

Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Publication No. 2016-207005

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

The above-mentioned prior art force sense presenting apparatus ofFIG. 12, however, has the following problems.

FIG. 13is a perspective view illustrating the frames F1R, F2R, F1L and F2L of the force sense presenting apparatus ofFIG. 12, andFIG. 14is for explaining the distances between the DC motors on the frames F1R, F2R, F1L and F2L ofFIG. 13, where (A) is a plan view and (B) is a right-side view. InFIG. 14, the frames F1R, F2R, F1L and F2L are slanted by only 10° with respect to the normal direction. Thus, the force sense presenting apparatus is easily mounted on the user. InFIG. 14, the distances between the DC motors on the frames F1R, F2R, F1L and F2L are 54 cm. InFIGS. 13 and 14, note that an H-shaped front-side coupling frame FF is added to the frames F1R, F2R, F1L and F2L ofFIG. 12to maintain the overall rigidity.

FIG. 15illustrates force sense presenting regions in which the force sense can be represented from all the directions in the case of the distances between the DC motors on the frames F1R, F2R, F1L and F2L, where (A) is a plan view and (B) is a right-side view. As illustrated inFIG. 15, since the frames F1R, F2R, F1L and F2L are slanted by 10° toward the up direction, the force sense presenting regions are constructed by two 10°-slanted rectangular parallelepipeds with a size of 38.18 cm×38.18 cm×72.68 cm.

InFIG. 15, a region defined by −21.32 cm <x<21.32 cm around the center (x=0) of the user is deviated from the force sense presenting regions. Therefore, there is a problem in that the efficiency of presenting the force sense is low.

Also, the frame structure is of a large size of about 40 cm×120 cm×70 cm, so that there is another problem in that the force sense presenting apparatus is large in size. As a result, a helper would be required when the force sense presenting apparatus is mounted on the user.

Means for Solving the Problems

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, in a force sense presenting apparatus having a right-hand force sense presenting unit and a left-hand force sense presenting unit, one side of an upper frame of the right-hand force sense presenting unit is linearly coupled to the one side of the upper frame of the left-hand force sense presenting unit. The force sense presenting apparatus is constructed by a right-hand rear-coupled frame coupling an approximately middle location of the upper frame in the right-hand force sense presenting unit to one side of a lower frame in the right-hand force sense presenting unit so that the upper frame and the lower frame in the right-hand force sense presenting unit are approximately T-shaped viewed from the top, and a left-hand rear-coupled frame coupling an approximately middle location of the upper frame in the left-hand force sense presenting unit to the one side of the lower frame in the left-hand force sense presenting unit so that the upper frame and the lower frame in the left-hand force sense presenting unit are approximately T-shaped viewed from the top, thus making the end effector of the right-hand force sense presenting unit and the end effector of the left-hand force sense presenting unit cooperate with each other.

Effect of the Invention

According to the present invention, since the center region of the user can be also an effective force sense presenting region, the efficiency of presenting the force sense can be increased. Also, since the frame structure can be small in size, a small-sized and lighter force sense presenting apparatus can be realized. Therefore, the mounting of the force sense presenting apparatus can be easily carried out without a helper.

