A Haptic Interface Using a Force-Feedback Joystick

Abstract In this project, Rutgers University has teamed with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to pursue the development and demonstration of a novel haptic interfacing capability called MEMICA (remote MEchanical MIrroring using Controlled stiffness and Actuators). MEMICA is intended to provide human operators intuitive and interactive feeling of the stiffness and forces at remote or virtual sites in support of space, medical, underwater, virtual reality, military and field robots performing dexterous manipulation operations. The key aspect of the MEMICA system is a miniature Electrically Controlled Stiffness (ECS) element that mirrors the stiffness at remote/virtual sites. The ECS elements make use of Electro-Rheological Fluid (ERF), which is an Electro-Active Polymer (EAP), to achieve this feeling of stiffness. Forces applied at the robot end-effector due to a compliant environment will be reflected to the user by this ERF device where a change in the system viscosity will occur proportionally to the force to be transmitted. This paper describes the analytical modeling and experiments that are currently underway to develop an ERF based force feedback element.

Download Full-text

Haptically Guided Filtering for Reverse Engineering

Volume 1: 30th Design Automation Conference ◽

10.1115/detc2004-57539 ◽

2004 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Kristin Potter ◽

David Johnson ◽

Elaine Cohen

Keyword(s):

Reverse Engineering ◽

Laser Scanning ◽

Force Feedback ◽

Noisy Data ◽

Large Datasets ◽

Haptic Interface ◽

Local Smoothing ◽

Natural Interface ◽

Guided Filtering ◽

Sharp Edges

Reverse engineering of mechanical systems often begins with large datasets produced from laser scanning of physical artifacts. Commonly it is necessary to remove noise and filter them; however, selecting noisy regions and preserving sharp edges on desired features is difficult using standard GUI interfaces. We demonstrate a haptic interface for marking and preserving features in noisy data and for performing local smoothing operations. The force-feedback provides a natural interface for these operations.

Download Full-text

Interaction Control for Rehabilitation Robotics via a Low-Cost Force Sensing Handle

Volume 2: Control, Monitoring, and Energy Harvesting of Vibratory Systems; Cooperative and Networked Control; Delay Systems; Dynamical Modeling and Diagnostics in Biomedical Systems; Estimation and Id of Energy Systems; Fault Detection; Flow and Thermal Systems; Haptics and Hand Motion; Human Assistive Systems and Wearable Robots; Instrumentation and Characterization in Bio-Systems; Intelligent Transportation Systems; Linear Systems and Robust Control; Marine Vehicles; Nonholonomic Systems ◽

10.1115/dscc2013-4073 ◽

2013 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Andrew Erwin ◽

Fabrizio Sergi ◽

Vinay Chawda ◽

Marcia K. O’Malley

Keyword(s):

Grip Force ◽

Force Feedback ◽

Low Cost ◽

Interaction Force ◽

Rehabilitation Robotics ◽

Haptic Interface ◽

Force Sensing ◽

Improve Performance ◽

Feedback Controllers ◽

Interaction Control

This paper investigates the possibility of implementing force-feedback controllers using measurement of interaction force obtained through force-sensing resistors (FSRs), to improve performance of human interacting robots. A custom sensorized handle was developed, with the capability of simultaneously measuring grip force and interaction force during robot-aided rehabilitation therapy. Experiments are performed in order to assess the suitability of FSRs to implement force-feedback interaction controllers. In the force-feedback control condition, the applied force for constant speed motion of a linear 1DOF haptic interface is reduced 6.1 times compared to the uncontrolled condition, thus demonstrating the possibility of improving transparency through force-feedback via FSRs.

Download Full-text

Application of Two-Port Network in Bilateral Control for a Haptic Interface with Force-Position Compensation

Advanced Materials Research ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.199-200.1211 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 199-200 ◽

pp. 1211-1216 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jian Jun Meng ◽

Jin Tian Yun

Keyword(s):

Network Theory ◽

Force Feedback ◽

Position Error ◽

Haptic Interface ◽

Control Architecture ◽

High Fidelity ◽

Control Methods ◽

Bilateral Control ◽

Precise Position ◽

Force Reflection

The two-port network theory for describing the characteristics of the haptic interface is presented; the four-channel bilateral control architecture is introduced, and two control methods named position-error-based control and direct force reflection control (PEBC & DFRC) are also presented. Two main problems caused by the coupling between position and force information for transparency improvement of the haptic interface are also be discussed and a Model-Based Force-Position Compensation Strategy to enhance the transparency of the haptic interface is proposed. By embedding the compensation unit into the DFRC architecture, the Haptic Interface could be controlled with precise position and high-fidelity force feedback.

Download Full-text

A Virtual Environment for the Simulation and Programming of Excavation Trajectories

Presence Teleoperators & Virtual Environments ◽

10.1162/105474601753132650 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 10 (5) ◽

pp. 465-476 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Simon P. DiMaio ◽

Septimiu E. Salcudean ◽

Claude Reboulet

Keyword(s):

Virtual Environment ◽

Force Feedback ◽

Control Strategies ◽

Haptic Interface ◽

Visual Environment ◽

Heavy Duty ◽

Interaction Forces ◽

Impedance Model ◽

Hydraulic Machines ◽

Human Operators

An excavator simulator has been developed to facilitate the training of human operators and to evaluate control strategies for heavy-duty hydraulic machines. The operator controls a virtual excavator by means of a joystick while experiencing visual and force feedback generated by environment and machine models. The simulator comprises an impedance model of the excavator arm, a model for the bucket-ground interaction forces, a graphically rendered visual environment, and a haptic interface. This paper describes the simulator components and their integration.

Download Full-text

Design and Development of Two Concepts for a 4 DOF Portable Haptic Interface With Active and Passive Multi-Point Force Feedback for the Index Finger

Volume 2: 30th Annual Mechanisms and Robotics Conference, Parts A and B ◽

10.1115/detc2006-99111 ◽

2006 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Mark J. Lelieveld ◽

Takashi Maeno ◽

Tetsuo Tomiyama

Keyword(s):

Degrees Of Freedom ◽

Force Feedback ◽

Index Finger ◽

Design Method ◽

Haptic Interface ◽

Haptic Interfaces ◽

Linkage Mechanism ◽

Design And Development ◽

Constant Torque ◽

Flexion And Extension

This research aims to develop a portable haptic master hand with 20 degrees of freedom (DOF). Master hands are used as haptic interfaces in master-slave systems. A master-slave system consists of a haptic interface that communicates with a virtual world or an end-effector for tele-operation, such as a robot hand. The thumb and fingers are usually modeled as a serial linkage mechanism with 4 DOF. So far, no 20 DOF master hands have been developed that can exert perpendicular forces on the finger phalanges during the complete flexion and extension motion. In this paper, the design and development of two concepts of a portable 4 DOF haptic interface for the index finger is presented. Concept A is a statically balanced haptic interface with a rolling-link mechanism (RLM) and an integrated constant torque spring per DOF for perpendicular and active force feedback. Concept B utilizes a mechanical tape brake at the RLM for passive force feedback. The systematic Pahl and Beitz design approach is used as an iterative design method.

Download Full-text

The Role of the End-Effector in the Perception of Virtual Surfaces Presented via Force-Feedback Haptic Interfaces

10.1115/imece1999-0005 ◽

1999 ◽

Author(s):

Janet M. Weisenberger ◽

Michael J. Krier ◽

Martha A. Rinker ◽

Sandra M. Kreidler

Keyword(s):

Force Feedback ◽

Considerable Effect ◽

Haptic Interface ◽

Haptic Interfaces ◽

End Effector ◽

Sinusoidal Gratings ◽

Different Types ◽

Force Profile ◽

End Effectors

Abstract Differences in the force profile delivered by different types of end-effectors suggest that the choice of end-effector for a haptic interface can have a considerable effect on the perception of the human user. In the present study two different end-effector types were evaluated for two different haptic interfaces. Conventional probe-stylus end-effectors were tested on the PHANToM 3-degree-of-freedom (DOF) force feedback haptic interface and for the Immersion IE2000 2-DOF force feedback joystick. These were compared to thimble-gimbal end-effectors into which the index fingertip is inserted (standard for the PHANToM and specially constructed for the IE2000). In a task in which subjects were asked to judge the orientation of virtual sinusoidal gratings, no significant differences in performance were observed. Results are discussed in terms of tasks in which the differential cues delivered by different end-effectors might influence performance.

Download Full-text

Magnetorheological Fluid Brake for a Force Feedback Glove for Virtual Environments

Volume 3: 25th Computers and Information in Engineering Conference, Parts A and B ◽

10.1115/detc2005-85073 ◽

2005 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Jonathan Blake ◽

Hakan Gurocak

Keyword(s):

Virtual Environments ◽

Force Feedback ◽

Index Finger ◽

Haptic Interface ◽

Test Results ◽

Test Procedures ◽

Mr Fluid ◽

Output Torque ◽

Braking Torque ◽

Human Finger

The research and development of a Magnetorheological (MR) fluid brake for use in a force feedback glove is presented. The glove is a haptic interface for a virtual reality (VR) environment. The glove implements the MR fluid brakes to restrict motion of the VR user’s fingers. It is controlled by an input current and produces a corresponding output torque. The torque of the MR fluid brake is equivalent to the continuous torque exerted by a typical human index finger. Two sizes of brakes were developed to control the joints of the thumb, index, and middle fingers. The paper presents background and design details of implementing the MR fluid. The prototype designs of the MR fluid brakes are then introduced. Test procedures and results of the braking torque and response time are presented. Lastly, the implementation of the brakes into a force feedback glove is briefly discussed. Test results show that the MR fluid brake is capable of restricting the motion of a human finger.

Download Full-text