Method and apparatus for haptic control

Apparatus for providing force distribution to a first and at least one second user contact points of a haptic interface, comprising:

• a central body with a first and at least one second pulleys supporting the first and at least one second user contact points on respective arm members for bi-directional motion about the respective pulley axes, the first and the at least one second user contact points being radially displaced from the respective pulley axes;
• a remote coupling from an actuator and control device comprising a first and at least one second actuators in operative association with a haptic device to the central body by way of at least one sheathed actuator cable extending between each actuator and the central body;
• the actuator drive and control device actuating the first and the at least one second actuators independently of each other;
• a force distribution mechanism for distributing force from the first and the at least one second actuators by way of each corresponding at least one sheathed actuator cable to the first and the at least one second user contact points of the haptic interface, respectively, the force distribution mechanism including the first and at least one second pulleys supporting the respective user contact points.

A method of providing haptic feedback to a first and at least one second user contact points of a remote interface, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing the remote interface with a first and at least one second pulleys having respective arm members supporting the first and at least one second user contact points for bi-directional motion about the respective pulley axes, the first and the at least one second user contact points being radially displaced from the respective pulley axes;
• remotely coupling an actuator drive and control device comprising a first and at least one second feedback actuator in operative association with a remote device to said pulleys by way of at least one sheathed actuator cable extending between each actuator and the remote interface, such that the pulley action of a corresponding one of said pulleys resulting from user manipulation of said user contact points provides haptic feedback to the user by said feedback actuators via said user contact points;
• actuating the first and at least one second feedback actuators independently of each other by the actuator drive and control device;
• distributing feedback from the first and the at least one second feedback actuators by way of the at least one sheathed actuator cable to the first and the at least one second user contact points supported on the first and at least one second pulleys of the remote interface, respectively.

Apparatus for providing haptic feedback to a first and at least one second user contact points of a remote interface, comprising:

• a remote interface with a first and at least one second pulleys having respective arm members supporting the first and at least one second user contact points for bi-directional motion about the respective pulley axes, the first and the at least one second user contact points being radially displaced from the respective pulley axes;
• a remote coupling from an actuator drive and control device comprising a first and at least one second feedback actuators in operative association with a remote device to a central body of the remote interface supporting the first and at least one second user contact points by way of at least one sheathed actuator cable extending between each actuator and the central body, such that the pulley action of a corresponding one of said first and at least one second pulleys resulting from user manipulation of said user contact points provides haptic feedback to the user by said actuators via said user contact points;
• wherein
• the actuator drive and control device actuating the first and the at least one second actuators independently of each other;
• and
• a feedback distribution mechanism for distributing feedback from the first and the at least one second actuators by way of each corresponding at least one sheathed cable to the first and the at least one second user contact point of the remote interface, respectively, the feedback distribution mechanism including the first and at least one second pulleys supporting the respective user contact points.

A method of providing force distribution to first and second user contact points of a haptic interface, the method including the steps of:

• providing the haptic interface with a first and at least one second pulleys having respective arm members supporting the first and at least one second user contact points for bi-directional motion about the respective pulley axes, the first and the at least one second user contact points being radially displaced from the respective pulley axes;
• coupling the haptic interface to a remote actuator drive and control device comprising first and second actuators in operative association with a haptic device through respective sheathed cables extending between each actuator and the haptic interface;
• actuating the first and second actuators independently of each other by the actuator drive and control device;
• and
• distributing forces from the first and second actuators by way of each corresponding sheathed cables to the first and at least one second pulleys supporting the first and second user contact points of the haptic interface, respectively.

A haptic interface system including:

• a central body of the haptic interface system including first and second pulleys having respective arm members supporting first and second user contact points for bi-directional motion about the respective pulley axes, the first and the at least one second user contact points being radially displaced from the respective pulley axes;
• actuator drive and control device comprising first and second actuators located remotely from the central body;
• and
• first and second sheathed cables coupling the actuator drive and control device comprising the first and second actuators to the central body, wherein the first and second actuators are independently operable to provide independent bi-directional motion of the first and second contact points for haptic feedback by way of the first and second sheathed cables;
• and
• a force distribution mechanism for distributing force from the first and second actuators by way of each corresponding first and second sheathed cable to the first and second user contact points of the haptic interface, respectively, the force distribution mechanism including the first and second pulleys supporting the respective user contact points.