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EP-4737064-A1 - CONSOLE DEVICE

EP4737064A1EP 4737064 A1EP4737064 A1EP 4737064A1EP-4737064-A1

Abstract

The purpose of one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is to reduce resistance received from a console device when an operator operates the console device. This console device is provided with: a gripped part that is gripped by an operator; a gimbal that rotatably supports the gripped part around a yaw axis, a pitch axis, and a roll axis that intersect each other; and a control unit that controls the gimbal. The gimbal includes: harness winding parts wound around respective joints around the yaw axis, around the pitch axis, and around the roll axis; drive units for applying torques to the respective joints; and angle sensors for detecting angles of the respective joints and outputting detection values of the angles of the respective joints to the control unit. The control unit controls the drive units on the basis of the detection values input from the angle sensors, thereby compensating the torques applied to the respective joints by the drive units by torsional torques of the respective joints caused by the harness winding parts.

Inventors

  • SAIGA, Shohei

Assignees

  • Riverfield Inc.

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20230713

Claims (5)

  1. A console device comprising: a grip configured to be gripped by an operator; a gimbal that rotatably supports the grip around a yaw axis, a pitch axis, and a roll axis, the yaw axis, the pitch axis, and the roll axis intersecting each other; and a controller that controls the gimbal, wherein the gimbal includes: harness windings that are wound around respective joints around the yaw axis, around the pitch axis, and around the roll axis; drivers that apply torque to the respective joints; and angle sensors that detect angles of the respective joints and output detected values of the angles of the respective joints to the controller, and wherein the controller controls the drivers based on the detected values received from the respective angle sensors to apply the torque to the respective joints in order to compensate for torsional torque at the respective joints due to the respective harness windings.
  2. The console device according to claim 1, wherein the controller controls the drivers based on the detected values received from the respective angle sensors to cause the drivers to generate, at the respective joints, a counteracting torque that counteracts a gravitational torque at the respective joints due to gravity and that counteracts the torsional torque at the respective joints due to the respective harness windings.
  3. The console device according to claim 2, wherein the controller executes: a calculation process that calculates the counteracting torque from the detected values received from the respective angle sensors; and a generation process that controls the drivers to generate, at the respective joints, the counteracting torque calculated in the calculation process.
  4. The console device according to claim 3, wherein the controller executes the calculation process and the generation process each time the controller receives the detected values from the respective angle sensors.
  5. The console device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein: the controller pre-stores functions that represent respective relationships between the angles of the respective joints and the torque; and the controller calculates, in the calculation process, the counteracting torque corresponding to the detected values received from the respective angle sensors from the respective functions.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD This disclosure relates to a console device. BACKGROUND ART A manipulator, also known as an articulated robot, includes a plurality of links coupled in series. The motion of the manipulator is achieved by driving the joints using servomotors or the like. A master-slave system is sometimes employed for remote control of the manipulator. In the master-slave system, when an operator manipulates a master console device at hand, the master console device transfers a control signal corresponding to the manipulation to a slave manipulator. The slave manipulator then follows the operation of the console device according to the control signal. Torque due to the self-weight of the manipulator's links acts on the joints. Therefore, to accurately control the manipulator, a compensation technique is required to counteract such torque (see Patent Documents 1 to 3) . Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for compensating for the self-weight of a link of a manipulator using a counterweight. Patent Document 2 discloses a technique that uses both an actuator driving a joint of a manipulator and a self-weight compensation actuator. The self-weight compensation actuator applies torque to the joint to compensate for the self-weight of a link. Patent Document 3 discloses a technique for setting a pressure target required for self-weight compensation based on the current position of a robot arm and executing pressure control of a pneumatic actuator based on the pressure target. CITATION LIST Patent Literature Patent Document 1: JP 2021-130161 APatent Document 2: WO 2017/159188 A1Patent Document 3: WO 2016/051495 A1 SUMMARY OF INVENTION Technical Problem In order to prevent the operator from feeling the weight of the console device when manipulating the console device by hand, a self-weight compensation technique is also required for the console device. However, while Patent Documents 1 to 3 disclose techniques related to self-weight compensation of manipulators, they do not disclose techniques related to self-weight compensation of console devices. A console device has a control harness. This harness is routed from a proximal end of the console device, through a joint of the console device, to a distal end of the console device. The harness is wound around the joint to allow rotation of the joint. Such winding of the harness generates torque at the joint. This torque causes a sense of resistance for the operator manipulating the console device. It is therefore an object of one or more embodiments of the present disclosure to reduce the resistance felt by the operator from the console device during manipulation of the console device. Solution to Problem To solve the above problem, according to an aspect of the present disclosure, the console device comprises a grip, a gimbal and a controller. The grip is configured to be gripped by an operator. The gimbal rotatably supports the grip around a yaw axis, a pitch axis, and a roll axis, the yaw axis, the pitch axis, and the roll axis intersecting each other. The controller controls the gimbal. The gimbal includes harness windings, drivers, and angle sensors. The harness windings are wound around respective joints around the yaw axis, around the pitch axis, and around the roll axis. The drivers apply torque to the respective joints. The angle sensors detect angles of the respective joints and output detected values of the angles of the respective joints to the controller. The controller controls the drivers based on the detected values received from the respective angle sensors so as to compensate for torsional torque at the respective joints due to the respective harness windings with the torque applied to the respective joints by the drivers. Advantageous Effects of Invention The console device of one or more embodiments of the present disclosure contributes to reducing the resistance felt by the operator from the console device during manipulation of the console device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS [FIG. 1] This is a block diagram illustrating a remote-controlled robot system.[FIG. 2] This illustrates a console device.[FIG. 3] This illustrates left and right consoles of the console device.[FIG. 4] This illustrates a gimbal and a hand controller at a distal end of the right console.[FIG. 5] This illustrates the gimbal and the hand controller at the distal end of the right console.[FIG. 6] This is a graph showing a relationship between joint angle and torque. DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS One or more embodiments of the present disclosure are described below with reference to the drawings. The features and technical effects of the embodiments are understood from the following detailed description and drawings. However, the scope of the invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below. The drawings are provided for illustrative purposes only, and the scope of the invention is not limited to the examples in the drawings. <1. Overview of Remote-controlled Robot S