Master manipulator

A master manipulator for generating grip motion command signals to move a slave manipulator in accordance with motions of an operator hand, which comprises:

• (a) an arm member in parallel to which the operator hand is placed;
• (b) a first lever member mounted on said arm member and pivotable in a direction of a first operator hand bending motion x about an axis X perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of said arm member;
• (c) a second lever member mounted on said first lever member and pivotable in a direction of a second operator hand bending motion y about an axis Y perpendicular to the axis X;
• (d) a grip member mounted on said second lever member and pivotable in a direction of a third operator hand twisting motion z about an axis Z perpendicular to the axes X and Y, the three axes X, Y, Z intersecting each other at a single point;
• (e) a connecting member connected to said grip member via a first universal joint at one end thereof;
• (f) a link member connected to the other end of said connecting member via a second universal joint at one end thereof;
• (g) a double spherical bearing bending motion transform assembly slidably and pivotably connected to the other end of said link member and having a first projection, a second projection and a third projection;
• (h) a single spherical bearing assembly mounted on said arm member for pivotably mounting the third projection of said double spherical bearing bending motion transform assembly;
• (i) a first motion sensing and controlling means connected to the first projection of said double spherical bearing bending motion transform assembly, for detecting the first operator hand bending motion x;
• (j) a second motion sensing and controlling means connected to the second projection of said double spherical bearing bending motion transform assembly, for detecting the second operator hand bending motion y;
• and
• (k) a third motion sensing and controlling means supported by said single spherical bearing assembly and connected to said double spherical bearing bending motion transform assembly via a third universal joint for detecting the third operator hand twisting motion z;
• and
• (l) when said grip member is moved in the first operator hand bending direction x, a parallelogram formed by said first lever member, said second lever member, said connecting member, said link member and said double spherical bearing bending motion transform assembly with the first and second universal joints, said single spherical bearing assembly and the axis X as joints being transformed to transmit the first bending motion x of said grip member to the first projection of said double spherical bearing bending motion transform assembly;
• when said grip member is moved in the second operator hand bending direction y, the parallelogram formed by the above five members with the first and second universal joints, said single spherical bearing assembly and the axis Y as joints being transformed to transmit the second bending motion y of said grip member to the second projection of said double spherical bearing bending motion transform assembly;
• and
• when said grip member is twisted in the third operator hand twisting direction z, the twist motion of said grip member being transmitted from said grip member to said third motion sensing and controlling means via the first, second and third universal joints.