DUAL ROBOTIC ARM FORCE REFLECTION ALGORITHMS

IN THE CONTROL OF TELEPRESENCE ROBOTIC SYSTEMS, THE INTERACTION OF THE HUMAN OPERATOR WITH THE MECHANICAL COMPONENTS OF THE SYSTEM IS CRITICAL. IDEALLY, THE REMOTE OPERATOR SHOULD HAVE THE "SENSATION" THAT HE IS PRESENT AT THE WORK SITE CARRYING OUT THE SPECIFIED TASK. THIS PROPOSAL ADDRESSES THE ISSUE OF FORCE FEEDBACK BY PROPOSING TO PLACE THE OPERATOR'S ARM IN AN EXOSKELETON WITH SEVEN DOF THAT MIMIC THE DOF OF THE HUMAN ARM. THE EXOSKELETON CAN EXERT FORCES ON THE OPERATOR'S ARM BY APPLYING TORQUES TO THE JOINTS OF THE EXOSKELETON. DURING PHASE I, ODETICS WILL 1) DEVELOP AND VERIFY THE TRANSFORMATION ALGORITHMS TO REFLECT FORCES AND MOMENTS ACTING AT THE END-EFFECTORS OF TWO ROBOTIC MANIPULATORS BACK TO A HUMAN WEARING A DUAL-ARM EXOSKELETON SYSTEM; AND 2) ASSESS THE FEASIBILITY OF A HAND RECEPTACLE PROVIDING FORCE AND POSITION FEEDBACK TO THE OPERATOR FROM A DEXTEROUS END-EFFECTOR ON THE ROBOTIC ARM.