Control apparatus and method for master-slave robot, master-slave robot, and control program

A method of controlling a master-slave robot that controls a master-slave device comprising a slave mechanism that grips an object and performs a task while being in contact with an object to be treated and a master mechanism that allows a person to remotely-manipulate the slave mechanism,

• the method comprising:
• causing a force information acquiring unit to acquire force information of an external force acting on the slave mechanism;
• causing a force correction determination unit, based on at least one piece of information of the force information and velocity information of the slave mechanism, to determine a force correction part and a correcting method;
• causing a force correction unit to correct the force information acquired by the force information acquiring unit by the correcting method determined by the force correction determination unit based on the force correction part and the correcting method that are determined by the force correction determination unit;
• causing a force transmitting unit to transmit, to the master mechanism, corrected force information after the correction is performed by the force correction unit;
• causing a master control unit to control manipulation information of the master mechanism when the master mechanism is manipulated based on the corrected force information transmitted from the force transmitting unit;
• and
• causing a slave control unit that is connected to the slave mechanism and the master control unit to output a control signal that transmits the manipulation information of the master mechanism sent from the master control unit to the slave mechanism,
• wherein when the force correction determination unit determines the force correction part and the correcting method, the force correction determination unit determines the force correction part serving as information of a section from a correction start time serving as a start time of correction of the force information to a correction end time serving as an end time of the correction, based on the at least one piece of information of the force information and the velocity information of the slave mechanism, and
• wherein the force correction determination unit determines at the determined force correction part, the correction method in which correction is performed by repeatedly reducing and increasing the force within a range that is not more than a value obtained by reducing an absolute value of the force information at the force correction part by a predetermined correction amount.

A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium including a control program for a master-slave robot that controls a master-slave device comprising a slave mechanism that grips an object and performs a task while being in contact with an object to be treated and a master mechanism that allows a person to remotely-manipulate the slave mechanism,

• the control program causing a computer to execute the steps of:
• causing a force information acquiring unit to acquire force information of an external force acting on the slave mechanism;
• causing a force correction determination unit, based on at least one piece of information of the force information and velocity information of the slave mechanism, to determine a force correction part and a correcting method;
• causing a force correction unit to correct the force information acquired by the force information acquiring unit by the correcting method determined by the force correction determination unit based on the force correction part and the correcting method that are determined by the force correction determination unit;
• causing a force transmitting unit to transmit, to the master mechanism, corrected force information after the correction is performed by the force correction unit;
• causing a master control unit to control manipulation information of the master mechanism when the master mechanism is manipulated based on the corrected force information transmitted from the force transmitting unit;
• and
• causing a slave control unit that is connected to the slave mechanism and the master control unit to output a control signal that transmits manipulation information of the master mechanism sent from the master control unit to the slave mechanism,
• wherein in the step of determining the force correction part and the correcting method:
• the force correction determination unit determines the force correction part serving as information of a section from a correction start time serving as a start time of correction of the force information to a correction end time serving as an end time of the correction, based on the at least one piece of information of the force information and the velocity information of the slave mechanism, and
• the force correction determination unit determines at the determined force correction part, the correction method in which correction is performed by repeatedly reducing and increasing the force within a range that is not more than a value obtained by reducing an absolute value of the force information at the force correction part by a predetermined correction amount.