Commissariat a L'energie Atomique

Raymond Fournier

Alain Riwan

An element () comprises sealed cavities () arranged according to a regular pattern. Each cavity () contains a product such as a wax which changes in volume, in reversible fashion, when a given temperature threshold is crossed, together with an individual heating organ (). The cavities () are separated from the front face () of the element by a mobile or deformable organ (). A separate piloting for each of the heating organs () makes it possible to make the relief of the front face () of the element evolve in controlled fashion. Such an element can be used to re-transcribe, in relief, tactile (visually handicapped) or visual information.

Element with expansible relief

It is proposed that a real or virtual slave system with p degrees of freedom is controlled by means of a manual control member comprising a handle (10) formed by an active part (12) and one or two information return parts (14). A speed or displacement transducer or sensor (24) can be mounted in the active part (12) in order to produce signals used for controlling the slave system. Actuators, e.g. fitted in a support connected to the handle (10) by a flexible cord (22), receive informations from the slave system and transform them into a torque. This torque is transmitted to the information return part (14), e.g. by cables (30,34), so that a stress or force representative of the information from the slave system is applied to the hand of the operator.

Growing community of inventors

Gometz-le-Châtel, France

Raymond Fournier