Remote manipulator with force feedback and control

Abstract

A haptic interface for a remote manipulator uses a tunable spring to provide force reflection. The remote manipulator has an operating member coupled to the tunable spring. The operating member is also coupled to a manipulator member. A controller monitors the force with which an operator so moves the operating member and varies a spring constant of the tunable spring to keep the force exerted by the manipulator member on an object at a desired level. The haptic interface allows simultaneous control over the maximum force exerted by the manipulator member as well as the transmission ratio between the operating member and the manipulator member. The remote manipulator may be a surgical grasper, for example. A tunable spring can be smaller and lighter than the high torque actuators used in some prior remote manipulators which provide force feedback.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.