Teleoperated robotic system

• US 9,789,603 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2011
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SARCOS LC (Sarcos Technology & Robotics Corp.)
• Original Assignee: SARCOS LC (Sarcos Technology & Robotics Corp.)
• Inventors: Jacobsen, Stephen C., Smith, Fraser M., McCullough, John, Colvin, Jr., Glenn, Scroggin, Wayco, Olivier, Marc X.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lowe, Scott
• Application Number:
  US13/332,165
• Publication Number:
  US 20120328395A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,128 Days
• Field of Search: 414 6
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/002 Manipulators for defensive or military tasks
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/025 comprising haptic means
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/085 Force or torque sensors B25J13/082, B25J13/084 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 3/04 involving servo mechanisms servo-actuated heads B25J15/02
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/005 mounted on endless tracks or belts
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1633 compliant, force, torque control, e.g. combined with position control
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1689 Teleoperation
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/065 non-masted mobile jacks of the garage type mounted on wheels or rollers B66F5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/12 Platforms; Forks; Other load supporting or gripping members
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/144 Movements of forks relative to each other - independent
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/18 Load gripping or retaining means
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 7/005 Unmanned ground vehicles, i.e. robotic, remote controlled or autonomous, mobile platforms carrying equipment for performing a military or police role, e.g. weapon systems or reconnaissance sensors F41H11/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40195 Tele-operation, computer assisted manual operation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40298 Manipulator on vehicle, wheels, mobile

Abstract

A teleoperated robotic system that includes master control arms, slave arms, and a mobile platform. In use, a user manipulates the master control arms to control movement of the slave arms. The teleoperated robotic system can include two master control arms and two slave arms. The master control arms and the slave arms can be mounted on the platform. The platform can provide support for the master control arms and for a teleoperator, or user, of the robotic system. Thus, a mobile platform can allow the robotic system to be moved from place to place to locate the slave arms in a position for use. Additionally, the user can be positioned on the platform, such that the user can see and hear, directly, the slave arms and the workspace in which the slave arms operate.

Claims

1. A teleoperated robotic system, comprising:

a master control arm having a plurality of support members coupled together about joints to form a plurality of degrees of freedom corresponding to degrees of freedom of a human arm;

a first user interface associated with the master control arm to facilitate control of the master control arm by a user;

a first load sensor associated with at least one of the joints that measures a load in a degree of freedom of said at least one joint;

a second user interface coupled to one of the support members of the master control arm, the second user interface comprising a second load sensor offset from the joints that measures a load applied to the second user interface by the user, and that facilitates application of a torque to assist movement of the master control arm by the user;

a slave arm having a plurality of support members coupled together about joints to form a plurality of degrees of freedom corresponding to the degrees of freedom of the master control arm, the slave arm comprising a load sensor operable to facilitate force reflection in the master control arm, wherein load information from the slave arm is communicated to at least one actuator in the master control arm, such that the at least one actuator actuates the master control arm to apply a proportional resistive force to the user, wherein the torque to assist movement of the master control arm by the user acts in opposition to the resistive force to the user; and

a mobile platform maneuverable about a ground surface and within an operating environment, the mobile platform being adapted to provide onboard support of a user within an operating area that facilitates selective operation of at least one of the master control arm and the mobile platform, wherein the master control arm and the slave arm are commonly supported about the mobile platform to provide a mobile teleoperation function.

2. The teleoperated robotic system of claim 1, further comprising a master/slave relationship filtering function that filters frequencies resulting from induced movements of at least one of the master control arm and slave arm, and that reduces motion feedback that propagates through the mobile platform.

3. The teleoperated robotic system of claim 2, wherein the master/slave relationship filtering function filters a cross command to minimize oscillations resulting from coupling between master support modes and at least one of a slave support mode and an environment mode.

4. The teleoperated robotic system of claim 2, wherein the master/slave relationship filtering function dampens out oscillations at an identified structural mode frequency by reducing a gain of a command occurring at the identified structural mode frequency, and introducing a phase lead at the identified structural mode frequency.

5. The teleoperated robotic system of claim 1, wherein the mobile teleoperation function further facilitates a dynamic and moveable zone of operation in which the slave arms are operating, as well as a mobile zone of operation in which the master control arms operate.

6. The teleoperated robotic system of claim 1, wherein a position of the master control arm is proportionally matched by the slave arm.

7. The teleoperated robotic system of claim 1, wherein a load in the slave arm is proportionally reproduced by an actuator of the master control arm.

8. The teleoperated robotic system of claim 1, further comprising a power source supported about the mobile platform to power at least one of the master control arm and the slave arm.

9. The teleoperated robotic system of claim 1, further comprising a seat located with the area of operation to support the user in a sitting position.

10. The teleoperated robotic system of claim 1, wherein the mobile platform further comprises a slave arm receiving channel, wherein at least a portion of the slave arm is received in the receiving channel when not in operation.

11. The teleoperated robotic system of claim 1, wherein the mobile platform further comprises an omni-directional system to provide the user with multiple degrees of freedom to manipulate and move the platform about the ground surface, the omni-directional system comprising at least three wheels that provide directional orientation independent of one another.

12. The teleoperated robotic system of claim 1, wherein the mobile platform comprises a trailer platform attachable to a trailering vehicle.

13. The teleoperated robotic system of claim 1, wherein the second user interface comprises an arm support coupled to the master control arm that locates the second load sensor proximate a forearm of the user.

14. The teleoperated robotic system of claim 1, wherein the first user interface comprises a handle coupled to the master control arm that locates the first load sensor proximate a hand and wrist of the user.

15. The teleoperated robotic system of claim 1, wherein load data from the second load sensor is combined with load data from the first load sensor to enhance the ability of the user to manipulate and maneuver the master control arm.

16. The teleoperated robotic system of claim 1, further comprising a torque assistance function that utilizes load data from the second load sensor to apply the torque to facilitate actuated movement of the master control arm in response to a load applied to the master control arm by the user, and that reduces the forces necessary to move the master control arm.

17. The teleoperated robotic system of claim 16, wherein the torque assistance function is insufficient to overcome the resistive force.

18. The teleoperated robotic system of claim 16, wherein the torque assistance function facilitates actuated movement of the master control arm in the direction of the load applied by the user to the master control arm.