TELEBROBOTIC DIGITAL CONTROLLER SYSTEM

THE OBJECTIVE OF THE PROPOSED RESEARCH IS DEVELOPMENT OF A SMALL, LIGHTWEIGHT, HIGH CAPABILITY, MULTI-PROCESSOR TELEROBOTIC CONTROLLER SYSTEM. THE SYSTEM IS TO CONSIST OF AN INTERCONNECTION OF SEVERAL ROBOTIC JOINT CONTROLLERS AND A SINGLE MASTER CONTROLLER COMMUNICATING THROUGH A HIGH SPEED SERIAL COMMUNICATION BUS. THE MASTER CONTROLLER CONTROLS COMMUNICATION WITH THE VARIOUS JOINT CONTROLLERS IN A TIME MULTIPLEXED MANNER AND SYNCHRONIZES THEIR ACTIVITY. SINCE THE SYSTEM IS TOTALLY SYNCHRONIZED THE TIMEOF OCCURRENCE FOR EACH MEASUREMENT AND CONTROL APPLICATION IS PRECISELY KNOWN THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM AND ANY CROSS COUPLING EFFECTS COMPENSATED FOR. THE ROBOTIC JOINT CONTROLLERS WILL MEASURE APPROXIMATELY 3" X 4.24" AND BE ALMOST TOTALLY SELF CONTAINED REQUIRING ONLY 28V DC AND THE SERIAL COMMUNICATION LINK AS A TIE IN WITH THE REST OF THE SYSTEM. THE JOINT CONTROLLER INCLUDES THE CAPABILITY TO CONTROL 3 PHASE BRUSHLESS MOTORS REQUIRING UP TO 10 AMPS. NOMINALLY RATED AT 28 V, THE JOINT CONTROLLER CAN OPERATE BETWEEN 15 TO 50 V. DC. ANTICIPATED RESULTS OF PHASE I AND PHASE II EFFORTS IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMPLETE TELEROBOTIC DIGITAL CONTROLLER SYSTEM JUST DESCRIBED. ANTICIPATED PHASE I RESULTS IS A CONCEPTUAL DESIGN OF SUCH A SYSTEM AN A FEASIBILITY ASSESSMENT INCLUDING COSTS.