Bilateral Control Method Research Articles

A haptic interface for computer-integrated endoscopic surgery and training

Haptic feedback has the potential to provide superior performance in computer-integrated surgery and training. This paper discusses the design of a user interface that is capable of providing force feedback in all the degrees of freedom (DOFs) available during endoscopic surgery. Using the Jacobian matrix of the haptic interface and its singular values, methods are proposed for analysis and optimization of the interface performance with regard to the accuracy of force feedback, the range of applicable forces, and the accuracy of control. The haptic user interface is used with a sensorized slave robot to form a master–slave test-bed for studying haptic interaction in a minimally invasive environment. Using the master–slave test-bed, teleoperation experiments involving a single degree of freedom surgical task (palpation) are conducted. Different bilateral control methods are compared based on the transparency of the master–slave system in terms of transmitting the critical task-related information to the user in the context of soft-tissue surgical applications.

A Design Method of Bilateral Control of Teleoperators with Uncertain Dynamics of Environments

In the present paper, we examine a bilateral control of teleoperation. In teleoperation, human operator works to achieve tasks via the master and the slave system. The slave system contacts the environment and works the tasks. According to past studies, when the dynamics of the environment is treated as uncertainties, the number of unstable poles of the slave system is required to be equivalent to that of the slave system with the dynamics of the environment. Sometimes the number of unstable poles of the slave system with the dynamics of environment is different from that of the slave system. We propose a simple design method of bilateral control systems such that the number of unstable poles of the slave system with the dynamics of environment is different from that of the slave system without the dynamics of the environment.

A Design Method of Bilateral Control of Teleoperators with Uncertain Communication Time-Delay

In the present paper, we propose a simple design method of bilateral control systems with time-delay. We consider the problem designing bilateral control system with time-delay as that designing control system for the minimum phase time-delay system. A method to settle nominal communication time-delay parameter such that the uncertainty is small is given. A design method of controllers is proposed to guarantee the stability of the bilateral control system.

極限作業ロボットマニピュレータの設計法の研究 （その３） 多感覚バイラテラル制御の設計法

This paper proposes the design method of multiple sensory bilateral control for the fingered manipulator. Multiple sensory bilateral control integrates force sensors and tactile sensors information based on conventional bilateral control. It evaluates the finger shape control which is deeply effected in finger grasp operation using operator finger's vector. Designed system function is examined by solidity or shape recognition, and task execution experiment. It showed the multiple sensory bilateral control and its design method are approved.

Bilateral Control Coordinating Operators and Support Systems by Force-Sensed Grips.

In teleoperation, bilateral master-slave arms are essential to handle objects effectively, when computer systems support the operators to coordinate both manual and automatic modes. Our previous study has shown that the operator can easily adjust the variable gain by the sensed force of gripping at the handlebar of master arm ; that changes the gain of connection between the manual and automatic modes. In this paper, the method for bilateral control of master-slave teleoperation is studied to realize robustness and smoothness in controlling the slave-arms with the computer supporting systems. The sliding mode control, better for robotics, is applied to the control system with variable gains by force-sensed grips. The parameters of the proposed method are examined through some simulations and some actual trials by using a master arm developed for this purpose. The method, proven by some examples of the master-slave movements in the one-degree freedom arm, realizes efficiencies in master-slave arm control with simplicities of commands and flexibility of skilled human operators.

Control of Micro-Manipulator (Basic Characteristics of Micro-Gripper and a Method of Bilateral Control)

Congratulatory Messages Susan Hackwood Editor, Journal of Robotic Systems. Director, Center for Robotic Systems As the founding editor of the Journal of Robotic Systems, I would like to express my whole-hearted approval of the English translation of the Journal of Robotics and Mechatronics. When we founded the Journal of Robotic Systems in the spring of 1984, we felt very strongly that Japanese participation in the publishing of technical papers should be encouraged, as much of the top research in robotics and mechatronics originates in Japan. To this end, we translated the abstracts of the Journal into Japanese. Translation is never easy. A technical translation of the Japanese language into English is especially formidable. I known that many eminent researchers, such as Professors Yamafuji, Hasegawa and Fukuda have invested considerable time and effort launching this new journal. I strongly applaud their efforts. It will be a great service to the English speaking research community to be able to read about high quality Japanese research every two months. I understand that the JRM will present research papers and technical reports from both industry and academia. This is indeed a unique opportunity for international exchange and cross-fertilization of ideas. We in the West are aware that many Japanese-speaking researchers are hesitant to publish their work in journals written in English. I would like to extend my very best wishes to this venture.

A study on control of a micro-manipulator. 1st report. Basic characteristics of a micro-gripper and a method of bilateral control.

A method of the master-slave type of bilateral control as one of the teleoperators is proposed in this paper to improve the operability of a micro-manipulator system for applications to genetic manipulation, micro surgery and others, which require contractive position and force. Conventional bilateral control methods can be classified from the viewpoint of a unified approach and a more general method is proposed here as the impedance reflective control method under some assumptions that the master slave dynamics are both linear. Then the stability problem is also described in the vein of the model reference adaptive system. The slave of the micro-gripper, as one of micromanipulators is made of a PMN ceramic actuator and the double link mechanism, while the master is made of a DC motor and an operating lever. The position and the force in both the master and the slave are all fed back to the control computer between them for computing control inputs for various methods. The comparison of experimental results between the conventional methods and the new method clarifies that the new method is effective for micro-manipulation.