Development of a Wearable Four-Degrees-of-Freedom Force Feedback Device with a Clutch Mechanism Using Artificial Muscle Contraction

The size and limited dexterity of current surgical robotic systems are factors which limit their usefulness. To improve the level of assimilation of surgical robots in minimally invasive surgery (MIS), a compact, lightweight surgical robotic positioning mechanism with four degrees of freedom (DOF) (three rotational DOF and one translation DOF) is proposed in this paper. This spatial mechanism based on a bevel-gear wrist is remotely driven with three rotation axes intersecting at a remote rotation center (the MIS entry port). Forward and inverse kinematics are derived, and these are used for optimizing the mechanism structure given workspace requirements. By evaluating different spherical geared configurations with various link angles and pitch angles, an optimal design is achieved which performs surgical tool positioning throughout the desired kinematic workspace while occupying a small space bounded by a hemisphere of radius 13.7 cm. This optimized workspace conservatively accounts for collision avoidance between patient and robot or internally between the robot links. This resultant mechanism is highly compact and yet has the dexterity to cover the extended workspace typically required in telesurgery. It can also be used for tool tracking and skills assessment. Due to the linear nature of the gearing relationships, it may also be well suited for implementing force feedback for telesurgery.

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Design of a Novel Parallel Mechanism for Haptic Device

Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics ◽

10.1115/1.4050562 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-63

Author(s):

Jin Lixing ◽

Duan Xingguang ◽

Li Changsheng ◽

Shi Qingxin ◽

Wen Hao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Parallel Mechanism ◽

Degrees Of Freedom ◽

Force Feedback ◽

Parallel Architecture ◽

General Purpose ◽

Haptic Device ◽

Haptic Devices ◽

Modeling And Optimization ◽

Teleoperation Systems

Abstract This paper presents a novel parallel architecture with seven active degrees of freedom (DOFs) for general-purpose haptic devices. The prime features of the proposed mechanism are partial decoupling, large dexterous working area, and fixed actuators. The detailed processes of design, modeling, and optimization are introduced and the performance is simulated. After that, a mechanical prototype is fabricated and tested. Results of the simulations and experiments reveal that the proposed mechanism possesses excellent performances on motion flexibility and force feedback. This paper aims to provide a remarkable solution of the general-purpose haptic device for teleoperation systems with uncertain mission in complex applications.

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Radiation-tolerant robotic complex URS-2

Robotics and Technical Cybernetics ◽

10.31776/rtcj.9209 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 142-150

Author(s):

Ivan Guschin ◽

Anton Leschinskiy ◽

Andrey Zhukov ◽

Alexander Zarukin ◽

Vyacheslav Kiryukhin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Degrees Of Freedom ◽

Force Feedback ◽

Control Device ◽

Control Panel ◽

Original Design ◽

Innovative Methods ◽

Control Computer ◽

Robotic Arm Control ◽

6 Degrees Of Freedom ◽

Radiation Tolerant

The results of the development of a radiation-tolerant robotic complex URS-2 for operation in hot cells at nuclear enterprises are presented. The robotic complex consists of several original components: robotic arm, control device with force feedback, control panel with hardware buttons and touch screen, control computer with system and application software, control-and-power cabinet. The robotic manipulator has 6 degrees of freedom, replaceable pneumatic grippers and is characterized by high radiation tolerance, similar to that of mechanical master-slave manipulators. The original design of the control device based on the delta-robot model that implements a copying mode of manual control of the robotic complex with force feedback is presented. The hardware and software solutions developed has made it possible to create a virtual simulator of the RTC for testing innovative methods of remote control of the robot, as well as teaching operators to perform technological tasks in hot cells. The experimental model of the robotic complex has demonstrated the ability to perform basic technological tasks in a demo hot cell, both in manual and automatic modes.

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Mechanical Manipulator for Intuitive Control of Endoscopic Instruments With Seven Degrees of Freedom

Volume 2: 28th Biennial Mechanisms and Robotics Conference, Parts A and B ◽

10.1115/detc2004-57137 ◽

2004 ◽

Author(s):

J. E. N. Jaspers ◽

M. Shehata ◽

F. Wijkhuizen ◽

J. L. Herder ◽

C. A. Grimbergen

Keyword(s):

Minimally Invasive Surgery ◽

Minimally Invasive ◽

Invasive Surgery ◽

Degrees Of Freedom ◽

Force Feedback ◽

Robotic Systems ◽

Complex Tasks ◽

Steel Wires

Performing complex tasks in Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) is demanding due to a disturbed hand-eye co-ordination, the use of non-ergonomic instruments with limited degrees of freedom (DOFs) and a lack of force feedback. Robotic telemanipulatory systems enhance surgical dexterity by providing up to 7 DOFs. They allow the surgeon to operate in an ergonomically favorable position with more intuitive manipulation of the instruments. Commercially available robotic systems, however, are very bulky, expensive and do not provide any force feedback. The aim of our study was to develop a simple mechanical manipulator for MIS. When manipulating the handle of the device, the surgeon’s wrist and grasping movements are directly transmitted to the deflectable instrument tip in 7 DOFs. The manipulator consists of a parallelogram mechanism with steel wires. First phantom experience indicated that the system functions properly. The MIM provides some force feedback improving safety. A set of MIMs seems to be an economical and compact alternative for robotic systems.

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Kraken: A wirelessly controlled octopus-like hybrid robot utilizing stepper motors and fishing line artificial muscle for grasping underwater

10.21203/rs.3.rs-186985/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Yara Almubarak ◽

Michelle Schmutz ◽

Miguel Perez ◽

Shrey Shah ◽

Yonas Tadesse

Keyword(s):

Degrees Of Freedom ◽

Low Cost ◽

Arm Movement ◽

Artificial Muscle ◽

Aquatic Life ◽

Stepper Motors ◽

3D Printed ◽

Arm Motion ◽

Hybrid Actuation ◽

Underwater Exploration

Abstract Underwater exploration or inspection requires suitable robotic systems capable of maneuvering, manipulating objects, and operating untethered in complex environmental conditions. Traditional robots have been used to perform many tasks underwater. However, they have limited degrees of freedom, manipulation capabilities, portability, and have disruptive interactions with aquatic life. Research in soft robotics seeks to incorporate ideas of the natural flexibility and agility of aquatic species into man-made technologies to improve the current capabilities of robots using biomimetics. In this paper, we present a novel design, fabrication, and testing results of an underwater robot known as Kraken that has tentacles to mimic the arm movement of an octopus. To control the arm motion, Kraken utilizes a hybrid actuation technology consisting of stepper motors and twisted and a coiled fishing line polymer muscle (TCP FL ). TCPs are becoming one of the promising actuation technologies due to their high actuation stroke, high force, light weight, and low cost. We have studied different arm stiffness configurations of the tentacles tailored to operate in different modalities (curling, twisting, and bending), to control the shape of the tentacles and grasp irregular objects delicately. Kraken uses an onboard battery, a wireless programmable joystick, a buoyancy system for depth control, all housed in a three-layer 3D printed dome-like structure. Here, we present Kraken fully functioning underwater in an Olympic-size swimming pool using its servo actuated tentacles and other test results on the TCP FL actuated tentacles in a laboratory setting. This is the first time that an embedded TCP FL actuator within elastomer has been proposed for the tentacles of an octopus-like robot along with the performance of the structures. Further, as a case study, we showed the functionality of the robot in grasping objects underwater for field robotics applications.

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First Test Results of a Haptic Tele-Operation System to Enhance Stability of Telescopic Handlers

ASME 2010 10th Biennial Conference on Engineering Systems Design and Analysis, Volume 3 ◽

10.1115/esda2010-25305 ◽

2010 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Stefano Cenci ◽

Giulio Rosati ◽

Damiano Zanotto ◽

Fabio Oscari ◽

Aldo Rossi

Keyword(s):

Degrees Of Freedom ◽

Force Feedback ◽

Control Strategies ◽

Input Device ◽

Test Results ◽

Operation System ◽

Work Related ◽

Control Schemes ◽

Working Capability ◽

Stiff Joint

According to a recent report of ILO (International Labour Organization), more than two million people die or loose the working capability every year because of accidents or work-related diseases. A large portion of these accidents are related to the execution of motion and transportation tasks involving heavy duty machines. The insufficient degree of interaction between the human operator and the machine may be regarded as one of the major causes of this phenomenon. The main goal of the tele-operation system presented in this paper is to both preserving slave (machine) stability, by reducing the inputs of slave actuators when certain unsafe working conditions occur, and improving the level of interaction at master (operator) side. Different control schemes are proposed in the paper, including several combinations of master and slave control strategies. The effectiveness of the algorithms is analyzed by presenting some experimental results, based on the use of a two degrees-of-freedom force feedback input device (with one active actuator and one passive stiff joint) coupled with a simulator of a telescopic handler.

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Dextrous Telerobotics with Force Feedback – An Overview. Part 1: Human Factors

Robotica ◽

10.1017/s0263574700010213 ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 171-178 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

Grigore Burdea ◽

Jiachen Zhuang

Keyword(s):

Human Factors ◽

Degrees Of Freedom ◽

Force Feedback ◽

Force Perception ◽

Master Controller ◽

Robot Hands ◽

In Series ◽

Active Research ◽

Hand Geometry ◽

Anthropomorphic Hands

SUMMARYComplex tasks that need to be performed through teleoperation led to the development of multifinger robot hands. A dextrous master is a multi-DOF controller which is worn by the operator in order to teleoperate these anthropomorphic hands. Force feedback is very useful when there is interaction with the environment. Providing force feedback to dextrous masters is an area of active research. We outline some of the human factors that influence the design of such masters. Of obvious importance is the hand geometry and the desired number of degrees of freedom. Additional criteria relate to the force perception of the hand. Finally, the man-machine impedance is of importance, since at the man/machine interface there are two impedances acting in series. One is the effective impedance of the human operator holding the master controller, the second is the impedance of the master controller being manipulated.

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FlexDex™: A Minimally Invasive Surgical Tool With Enhanced Dexterity and Intuitive Control

Journal of Medical Devices ◽

10.1115/1.4002234 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 4 (3) ◽

Cited By ~ 36

Author(s):

Shorya Awtar ◽

Tristan T. Trutna ◽

Jens M. Nielsen ◽

Rosa Abani ◽

James Geiger

Keyword(s):

Minimally Invasive ◽

Degrees Of Freedom ◽

Force Feedback ◽

Technology Development ◽

Low Cost ◽

End Effector ◽

Minimally Invasive Surgical ◽

Surgical Tool ◽

Design Paradigm ◽

Rotational Degrees Of Freedom

This paper presents a new minimally invasive surgical (MIS) tool design paradigm that enables enhanced dexterity, intuitive control, and natural force feedback in a low-cost compact package. The paradigm is based on creating a tool frame that is attached to the surgeon’s forearm, making the tool shaft an extension of the latter. Two additional wristlike rotational degrees of freedom (DoF) provided at an end-effector that is located at the end of the tool shaft are manually actuated via a novel parallel-kinematic virtual center mechanism at the tool input. The virtual center mechanism, made possible by the forearm-attached tool frame, creates a virtual two-DoF input joint that is coincident with the surgeon’s wrist, allowing the surgeon to rotate his/her hand with respect to his/her forearm freely and naturally. A cable transmission associated with the virtual center mechanism captures the surgeon’s wrist rotations and transmits them to the two corresponding end-effector rotations. This physical configuration allows an intuitive and ergonomic one-to-one mapping of the surgeon’s forearm and hand motions at the tool input to the end-effector motions at the tool output inside the patient’s body. Moreover, a purely mechanical construction ensures low-cost, simple design, and natural force feedback. A functional decomposition of the proposed physical configuration is carried out to identify and design key modules in the system—virtual center mechanism, tool handle and grasping actuation, end-effector and output joint, transmission system, tool frame and shaft, and forearm brace. Development and integration of these modules leads to a proof-of-concept prototype of the new MIS tool, referred to as FlexDex™, which is then tested by a focused end-user group to evaluate its performance and obtain feedback for the next stage of technology development.

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Integrating a Grasp Exoskeleton Into a String-Based Interface for Human-Scale Interactions

Journal of Computing and Information Science in Engineering ◽

10.1115/1.3006304 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

Author(s):

Rasul Fesharakifard ◽

Maryam Khalili ◽

Laure Leroy ◽

Alexis Paljic ◽

Philippe Fuchs

Keyword(s):

Virtual Environments ◽

Degrees Of Freedom ◽

Force Feedback ◽

Control Method ◽

Hybrid Control ◽

Force Sensor ◽

Virtual Objects ◽

Rotary Encoder ◽

Human Scale ◽

Novel Design

A grasp exoskeleton actuated by a string-based platform is proposed to provide the force feedback for a user’s hand in human-scale virtual environments. The user of this interface accedes to seven active degrees of freedom in interaction with virtual objects, which comprises three degrees of translation, three degrees of rotation, and one degree of grasping. The exoskeleton has a light and ergonomic structure and provides the grasp gesture for five fingers. The actuation of the exoskeleton is performed by eight strings that are the parallel arms of the platform. Each string is connected to a block of motor, rotary encoder, and force sensor with a novel design to create the necessary force and precision for the interface. A hybrid control method based on the string’s tension measured by the force sensor is developed to resolve the ordinary problems of string-based interface. The blocks could be moved on a cubic frame around the virtual environment. Finally the results of preliminary experimentation of interface are presented to show its practical characteristics. Also the interface is mounted on an automotive model to demonstrate its industrial adaptability.

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