Virtual Reality Application for Direct-Drive Robot with Force Feedback

Abstract

Most of the current virtual reality systems use geometric models and non-sensing robots for simulation, which cannot provide an insight into the real operation of the task. In this paper, we present a new type of telerobotics based on the haptic virtual reality (VR) approach for simulating hitting a ball with force feedback attached to a human arm. The main components of the approach include a user interface, simulation, and a robot control scheme. The user interface is implemented as a combination of a virtual paddle and a graphic interface. The human operator manipulates a direct-drive type handler in the simulated environment, and the environment is simulated by the haptic virtual system that enables the operator to feel the actual force feedback from the virtual environment just as she/he would from the real environment. The haptic virtual system integrates the dynamics of the direct-drive active paddle and the virtual environment. whereas the paddle actuator consists of the dynamics of the paddle and the operator on the physical side. The control scheme employs a dynamic controller that is designed considering the force from the operator imposed on the paddle, and the force from the environment imposed on the paddle and feedback to the human arm. Experiments in the virtual environment on hitting a virtual ball system are used to validate the theoretical developments.