Impedance controlled master-slave manipulation system. Part 1. Basic concept and application to the system with a time delay

摘要

An impedance controlled master-slave manipulation system is proposed for use as part of a tele-existence manipulation system. Tele-existence aims at the natural and efficient remote control of robots by providing a human operator at the controls with the real-time sensation of presence that enables him/her to perform remote manipulation tasks dexterously with the feeling that they exist inside the slave anthropomorphic robot in the remote environment. The proposed system regulates the impedance of the master manipulator and slave manipulator so that they coincide with each other. An impedance model of the remote environment is generated to be used for the control. Four basic impedance controlled master-slave manipulation schemes are applied to the system with a time delay. The feasibility of the proposed method is demonstrated by experiments using a hardware direct-drive master manipulator and a software slave manipulator.