Master-slave manipulator apparatus and method therefor, further training apparatus for manipulator operation input and method therefor

• US 6,496,756 B1
• Filed: 11/16/1999
• Issued: 12/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Technology Research Association Of Medical And Welfare Apparatus
• Inventors: Kan, Kazutoshi, Nishizawa, Kouji, Fujie, Masakatsu
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): BARNES-BULLOCK, CRYSTAL JOY
• Application Number:
  US09/441,053
• Time in Patent Office: 1,127 Days
• Field of Search: 700/3, 700/47, 700/85, 700/260, 700/262, 700/257, 700/264, 318/568.11
• US Class Current: 700/264
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1689 Teleoperation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/427 Teaching successive positions by tracking the position of a joystick or handle to control the positioning servo of the tool head, master-slave control G05B19/423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37344 Torque, thrust, twist, machining force measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40195 Tele-operation, computer assisted manual operation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40408 Intention learning
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40415 Semi active robot, cobot, guides surgeon, operator to planned trajectory, constraint

Abstract

A master-slave manipulator apparatus and a control method therefor, in which a movement which an operator does not intend is prevented, thereby reflecting the operator'"'"'s intention accurately and correctly, includes a master manipulator for conducting an operation input therewith, a controller for processing the operation input, and a slave manipulator for operating upon drive instruction from the controller, wherein the master manipulator includes a plurality of force detectors, and the controller decides a driver shaft, by comparing an output from a pattern producing means for producing a generation pattern of the outputs of the plurality of force detectors to a pattern stored in a memory means in advance, thereby removing the operation input which is caused unconsciously in the operation input of the master manipulator.

Claims

1. A master-slave manipulator apparatus comprising:

a master manipulator for performing an operation input;

a controller for processing the operation input from the master manipulator; and

a slave manipulator operating based on a drive instruction from the controller;

wherein the master manipulator includes a plurality of force detector means for detecting the operation input; and

wherein the controller includes means for removing an operation input which is generated unconsciously in inputting the operation input to the master manipulator based on outputs from the plurality of force detector means.

2. A master-slave manipulator apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the unconscious operation input removing means includes:

means for producing a generation pattern of the outputs from the plurality of force detector means of the master manipulator; and

means for outputting the drive instruction at least to the slave manipulator, being removed from the operation input which is generated unconsciously, based on the generation pattern of the outputs from the force detector means produced by the means.

3. A master-slave manipulator apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the unconscious operation input removing means further includes deciding means for deciding a driver shaft in the slave manipulator based on the generation pattern of the outputs from the force detector means produced by the means.

4. A master-slave manipulator apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the deciding means includes:

memory means for memorizing a generation pattern of the outputs from the plurality of force detector means therein in advance; and

comparing means, wherein at least the driver shaft in the slave manipulator is decided through the comparing means, by comparing the generation pattern of the outputs from the plurality of force detector means with the generation pattern which is stored in the memory means.

5. A master-slave manipulator apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the generation pattern producing means further comprises means for simplifying the outputs from the plurality of force detector means.

6. A master-slave manipulator apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the decision means further comprises means for collecting the generation pattern of the outputs from the plurality of force detector means corresponding to the driver shaft specified, so as to store it into the memory means.

7. A master-slave manipulator apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the decision means further comprises identifying means for identifying the operator, and the comparison means compares the generation pattern stored in the memory means to the generation pattern of the outputs from the plurality of force detector means, corresponding to an output of the identifying means.

8. A master-slave manipulator apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of means for detecting muscle potentials from an arm of the operator operating the master manipulator;

wherein the controller further includes means for removing an inputting operation being generated unconsciously in the operation input of the master manipulator based on the outputs of the plurality of force detector means, and the outputs from the plurality of muscle potential detecting means as well.

9. A control method for a master-slave manipulator apparatus, wherein a slave manipulator is driven and controlled corresponding to an operation input from a master manipulator, and the master manipulator includes a plurality of force detector means, the control method comprising the steps of:

detecting forces being applied onto the master manipulator by means of the plurality of force detector means;

producing a generation pattern of the plural forces applied to the master manipulator, being detected in the detecting step; and

removing an operation input applied unconsciously onto the master manipulator based on the generation pattern being produced.

10. A control method for a master-slave manipulator apparatus according to claim 9, wherein at least the operation input applied unconsciously is removed therefrom by deciding the driver shaft in the slave manipulator based on the generation pattern produced.

11. A control method for a master-slave manipulator apparatus according to claim 9, wherein at least the driver shaft in the slave manipulator is decided by comparing the generation pattern produced with a pattern produced in advance.

12. A control method for a master-slave manipulator apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the comparison with the pattern produced in advance is conducted after simplifying the generation pattern produced.

13. A control method for a master-slave manipulator apparatus according to claim 9, wherein there are further provided a plurality of means for detecting muscle potentials from an arm of an operator operating the master manipulator, and the operation input applied to the master manipulator unconsciously is removed by using also outputs from the plurality of the muscle potential detector means, when excluding the operation input applied to the master manipulator unconsciously.

14. An apparatus for making a training of operating a master-slave manipulator apparatus, wherein a slave manipulator is driven and controlled corresponding to an operation input from a master manipulator, comprising:

a controller for processing the operation input from the master manipulator;

wherein the master manipulator forming a training apparatus for operation input of the manipulator includes a plurality of force detector means for detecting the operation input; and

wherein the controller includes means for deciding presence of the operation input being applied by an operator unconsciously in the operation input of the master manipulator based on outputs from the plurality of force detector means;

wherein the training of the master-slave manipulator apparatus is conducted based on the presence of the unconscious operation input which is decided by means of the decision means.

15. An apparatus for making a training of operating a master-slave manipulator apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising means for generating an alarm depending on a result of decision by means of the decision means of the unconscious input operation.

16. An apparatus for making a training of operating a master-slave manipulator apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising a display means for displaying a result of decision by means of the decision means of the unconscious input operation.

17. An apparatus for making a training of operating a master-slave manipulator apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising identifying means for identifying the operator.

18. A method for making a training of operating a master-slave manipulator apparatus, wherein a slave manipulator is driven and controlled corresponding to an operation input from a master manipulator, and the master manipulator includes a plurality of force detector means for detecting the operation input, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting forces applied onto the master manipulator by means of the plurality of force detector means;

producing a generation pattern of the plural forces applied onto the master manipulator, which are detected in the above step;

deciding a presence of an operation input being applied unconsciously by an operator in the operation input of the master manipulator; and

conducting the training for the operation input of the manipulator based on the existence of the unconscious operation input by the operator, which is decided.

19. A method for making a training of operating a master-slave manipulator apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising the step of alarming the operator based on the existence of the unconscious operation input by the operator, which is decided.

20. A method for making a training of operating a master-slave manipulator apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising the step of displaying a result of the decision based on the existence of the unconscious operation input by the operator, which is decided.