Makoto Asakura

Manoeuvrability of a master-slave manipulator with different configurations and its evaluation tests

_Recently, much research on master-slave manipulators with different configurations (MSM-DC) has been conducted, but the manoeuvrability between different structural arms has not been sufficiently discussed. Thus, an MSM-DC with six degrees of freedom (DOF) using an orthogonal-type master arm has been developed and its manoeuvrability has been studied with the aid of some basic experiments. The results were as follows: (1) the MSM-DC can be operated as easily as a conventional MSM that uses a replica master arm; (2) the slave arm position and the reflecting force of the master arm are correctly generated by coordinate transformation between the slave arm and the master ann; (3) the master-slave mode is suitable for performing a fine task, compared with the joystick mode; and (4) the function of changing the transformation point, which is newly proposed, from the master arm to the slave arm is effective in carrying out a task which has a revolving point. In addition, quantitative evaluation of the manoeuvr...

Development of an advanced master-slave manipulator using a pantograph master arm and a redundant slave arm

A new master-slave manipulator (MSM) with different configurations and different degrees of freedom (DOF) has been developed. It consists of a general master arm using pantograph mechanisms and a seven degree of freedom slave arm with a redundant joint. Symmetric bilateral control using a virtual internal model and redundant arm control with a singular configuration are used to improve the maneuverability of the MSM. The developed MSM has been confirmed to have good maneuverability from basic experiments. This paper describes the mechanisms, control methods, and experimental results of the MSM.

The development of a general master arm for teleoperation considering its role as a man-machine interface

Master arm design is one of the most important issues in improving the maneuverability of master-slave manipulators. Though various types of master arm for teleoperation have been developed, no design criteria have been proposed for master arms as the man-machine interface and there are no compact master arms suitable for general use. In this paper, we discuss design criteria for a general master arm and present a new orthogonal type of master arm based on a pair of pantograph mechanisms that we have developed. This master arm is light in weight and compact, and the ergonomic switch layout on the grip was determined according to operational ease of use. The dynamic characteristics of this mechanism have been evaluated using generalized inertia tensor ellipsoids and good maneuverability has been confirmed in basic experiments.