Master/slave manipulator and control method therefor

A method for controlling master/slave manipulators in which a corresponding position shift of a master manipulator and a slave manipulator can be freely achieved, and in which a slave operation by said slave manipulator following said master manipulator is attained by comparing in a comparator an operation signal from said master manipulator and an operation signal from said slave manipulator, said method comprising the steps of:

• at a time during which a corresponding position shift is to be effected, moving a leading end of said slave manipulator to a target position by operating said master manipulator;
• thereafter cutting off the operation signal to said comparator from said master manipulator while inputting to said comparator the operation signal of said slave manipulator, at a time of a cutoff of the operation signal from the master manipulator, instead of the operation signal from said master manipulator;
• and
• during a time of inputting to said comparator the operation signal from said slave manipulator instead of the operation signal from said master manipulator, shifting a leading end of said master manipulator to a desired position.

A method for controlling master/slave manipulators in which an enlargement ratio between a master manipulator and a slave manipulator can be freely changed, and in which a slave operation by said slave manipulator following said master manipulator is attained by comparing in a comparator an operation signal from said master manipulator and an operation signal from said slave manipulator, said method comprising the steps of:

• at a time during which an enlargement ratio change is to be effected, halting the operation of the master manipulator;
• cutting off the operation signal to said comparator from said master manipulator while inputting to said comparator the operation signal of said slave manipulator, at a time of a cutoff of the operation signal from the master manipulator, instead of the operation signal from said master manipulator;
• and
• during a time of inputting to said comparator the operation signal from said slave manipulator instead of the operation signal from said master manipulator, changing the enlargement ratio between the master manipulator and the slave manipulator.

Apparatus comprising:

• a master manipulator having a leading end;
• a slave manipulator having a leading end, wherein an operating area of the leading end of the master manipulator, based on a working amount .beta. of the master manipulator, and a working area of the leading end of the slave manipulator, based on a working amount .theta. of the slave manipulator, are not similar to each other;
• a control means including a memory;
• wherein said memory contains corresponding relationships between working amounts of respective degrees of freedom of a first one of said master manipulator and said slave manipulator and working amounts of respective degrees of freedom of a second one of said master manipulator and said slave manipulator;
• wherein the working amounts of said first one are represented by a first plurality of representing points on a first closed surface which is a limit surface of an operating area of said first one and a second plurality of representing points inside the operating area of said first one;
• wherein the working amounts of said second one are represented by a first plurality of target points, which respectively correspond to said first plurality of representing points, on a second surface which is a limit surface of an operating area of said second one, and a second plurality of target points, which respectively correspond to said second plurality of representing points, inside the operating area of said second one;
• wherein the working amounts of said first one are those when the leading end of said first one reaches each of the respective representing points in said first and second pluralities of representing points;
• and wherein the working amounts of said second one are those when the leading end of said second one reaches the corresponding respective target point in said first and second pluralities of target points;
• a master working amount detecting means for detecting said working amount .beta. and for inputting to said control means a signal representing the thus detected working amount .beta.;
• and
• a slave operating means for receiving from said control means a signal representing the working amount .theta. of said slave manipulator and for operating said slave manipulator based on the thus received signal representing said working amount .theta.;
• wherein, at the time of operating said master manipulator, said control means converts the working amount .beta. obtained from said master working amount detecting means into said working amount .theta., based on the corresponding relationships in said memory, and outputs to said slave operating means said signal representing said working amount .theta..

Apparatus comprising:

• a master manipulator for providing a master operation signal;
• a slave manipulator for providing a slave operation signal;
• a first comparator;
• an enlargement ratio multiplier;
• an adder;
• a second comparator for comparing said master operation signal and said slave operation signal;
• wherein said first comparator, said enlargement ratio multiplier, and said adder are interposed between said master manipulator and said second comparator in the named order beginning from the master manipulator;
• a first open/close switch and a first sample-and-hold device, which are connected in series in a circuit which is in parallel to a circuit connecting said master manipulator to said first comparator, with the first open/close switch being between said master manipulator and said first sample-and-hold device;
• and
• a second open/close switch and a second sample-and-hold device, which are connected in series in a circuit which connects said slave manipulator and said adder, with said second open/close switch being between said slave manipulator and said adder.