Rate control system for manipulator arms

Abstract

A manipulator system having a master control console and a slave mainpulator arm controlled by signals from the master control console is disclosed. The master control console includes a translation controller and a rotation controller, and the slave manipulator arm includes pivoted arm segments moved by translational servos in response to signals generated by the translation controller and pivoted wrist units moved by rotational servos in response to signals generated by the rotation controller. The slave manipulator arm has six degrees freedom of movement defined as three translational degrees of freedom in range, azimuth and elevation and three rotational degrees of freedom in wrist pitch, yaw and roll. The signals generated by each of the translation controller and the rotation controller are rate command signals. The translational servos compare commanded range, azimuth, elevation or attitude rate with the actual range, azimuth, elevation or attitude rates of the slave manipulator arm. Attitude rate error signals are generated and related to manipulator applied forces. Similarly, the rotational servos compare commanded wrist pitch, yaw and roll rates with actual wrist pitch, yaw roll rates of the slave manipulator arm. Wrist rate error signals are generated and related to manipulator applied torques. Thus, when in contact with an object, no forces or moments are produced unless the rate controllers are deflected and held, the magnitude of the applied forces and moments being proportional to controller displacement. The computed forces fromthe translational servos and the computed torques from the rotational servos are displayed on the master control console to provide visual force and torque feedback to the operator.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.