MULTI-DIGIT SENSOR EQUIPPED TELEROBOTIC END EFFECTOR AND WRIST

SRC HEREIN PROPOSES TO APPLY RECENTLY DEVELOPED PROVEN TECHNOLOGIES TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MULTI DIGIT SENSOR EQUIPPED, TELEROBOTIC END EFFECTOR/WRIST SYSTEM; THIS SYSTEM WOULD BE SUITABLE AS A RUGGED TESTBED FOR EVALUATING POTENTIAL DEXTROUS TELEOPERATION APPLICATIONS. THE TELEOPERATION SYSTEMS RECENTLY DEVELOPED BY SARCOS RESEARCH CORPORATION (SRC) AND THE CENTER FOR ENGINEERING DESIGN (CED) HAVE SHOWN SIGNIFICANT ADVANCES. FEATURES WHICH HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR SOME OF THESE ADVANCES INCLUDE: 1) WRISTS WITH INTERSECTING AXES OF ROTATION, EXTENDED RANGE OF MOTION, AND CLOSELY POSITIONED END EFFECTORS; 2) HIGH FIDELITY AND HIGH BANDWIDTH FORCE REFLECTION; AND 3) MULTIPURPOSE END EFFECTORS WITH CLOSE SPATIAL CORRESPONDENCE OR MAPPING BETWEEN THE OPERATOR COMMAND MOVEMENTS AND RESULTING REMOTE MANIPULATOR MOVEMENTS. THESE RECENTLY DEVELOPED SYSTEMS HAVE EXTENDED ACHIEVABLE REMOTE MANIPULATION CAPABILITIES FROM SLOW POSITIONING TASKS TO THOSE TASKS REQUIRING HIGH FIDELITY, HIGH BANDWIDTH FORCE AND POSITION CONTROL SUCH AS: PUTTING A #10-32 NUT ON A BOLT, ASSEMBLING A 3/8 INCH PIN INTO A SHACKLE AND OPENING, CLOSING AND REMOVING THE VALVE STEM ON 1/2 INCH VALVE.