DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPACT 6 DEGREE OF FREEDOM FORCE REFLECTING HAND CONTROLLER WITH CUEING AND MULTIPLE OPERATING MODES

TELE-AUTONOMOUS CONTROL OF MANIPULATOR(S) PRESUPPOSES THE EMPLOYMENT OF SOME TYPE OF PHYSICALLY ACTIVATED OR ACTUATED CONTROLLER AT THE HUMAN INFTERFACE. THE RESEARCH PROPOSED HEREIN ADDRESSES THE DESIGN AND PROTOTYPING OF A SIX DEGREE OF FREEDOM CARTESIAN COORDINATE HAND CONTROLLER. THE DEVICEESSENTIALLY IS AN XYZ STAGE TO WHICH A THREE-ROLL WRIST AND HANDGRIP IS AFFIXED. THE SIX DEGREES OF FREEDOM ARE TRANSDUCED AND COMMUNICATED TO THE SERVO ELECTRONICS OF THE MANIPULATOR. TO AID THE OPERATOR IN ACHIEVING TELE-PRESENCE, THE DEVICE WILL EMPLOY FORCE REFLECTION BACK TO THE OPERATOR, APPROPRIATELY SCALED AND WITH A SMALL TIME DELAY. AN INVERSE DYNAMICS ROBOT CONTROL METHODOLOGY WILL BE EMPLOYED IN THE HAND CONTROLLER TO RESOLVE THE HAND CONTROLLER'S ACTUATING TORQUES/FORCES SUCH THAT THE RESULTANT FORCE AND TORQUE AT THE OPERATOR'S HAND IS A SCALED VERSION OF THOSE REQUIRED TO PUT THE MANIPULATOR THROUGH THE DESIRED MOVEMENTS, REGARDLESS OF MANIPULATOR POSE AND PAYLOAD INERTIA. THIS PROPOSAL MAY OF INTEREST TO SBIR TOPIC 05.03 AS WELL.