Operating device and operating system

Abstract

An operating device according to the present disclosure allows a user to operate a device to be operated. The operating device comprises: an operating unit having a rotatable shape; a support that rotatably supports the operating unit; a driver that rotates the support; and a contact detection unit that detects a contact state between the user and the operating unit. During driving by the driver, rotation of the support by the driver is controlled in accordance with the detected contact state.

Description

Operating device and operating system

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an operation device and an operation system.

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an information input device that has three degrees of freedom of rotation in three axes and also provides force feedback.

[0003] The device described in Patent Document 1 includes an outer shell having a hollow spherical structure, a drive unit that rotates the outer shell, an adsorption unit that adsorbs the outer shell, an opening provided in the outer shell for inserting a user's finger, and a sensor unit located inside the outer shell. The drive unit includes a motor and an omni-wheel attached to the motor's output shaft, and the omni-wheel contacts the surface of the outer shell and transmits the rotational force of the motor to the outer shell by friction.

[0004] WO 2022 / 239294

[0005] However, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 leaves room for improvement in terms of safety.

[0006] The present disclosure provides an operating device and an operating system that can improve safety.

[0007] The operating device of the present disclosure is an operating device that allows a user to operate a target device, and includes an operating unit having a rotatable shape, a support unit that rotatably supports the operating unit, a drive unit that rotates the support unit, and a contact detection unit that detects the contact state between the user and the operating unit, and when the drive unit is operating, the rotation of the support unit by the drive unit is controlled based on the contact state between the user and the operating unit.

[0008] The operating device of the present disclosure is an operating device that allows a user to operate a target device, and includes an operating unit having a rotatable shape, a support unit that rotatably supports the operating unit, a drive unit that rotates the support unit, and a contact detection unit that detects the contact state between the operating unit and the support unit, and when the drive unit is operating, the rotation of the support unit by the drive unit is controlled based on the contact state.

[0009] In addition, the operation system of the present disclosure includes the above-mentioned operation device and a control device that controls the operation device, and the control device acquires force sense information, generates drive information for driving the drive unit based on the force sense information, and controls the drive unit based on the drive information.

[0010] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an operating device and an operating system that can improve safety.

[0011] Schematic block diagram for explaining a main configuration of the operation system in embodiment 1. Schematic perspective diagram for explaining the operation device in embodiment 1. Schematic cross-sectional view showing a cross-section of the operation device in FIG. 2A. Schematic diagram for explaining an attractive force that attracts the operation unit. Schematic diagram for explaining an attractive force that attracts the operation unit. Schematic block diagram showing an example of a configuration for detecting a first contact state between a user and the operation unit. Schematic perspective diagram showing an example of use of the operation device in embodiment 1. Schematic diagram for explaining an example of operation of the operation unit in embodiment 1. Schematic flowchart for explaining an example of operation of the operation system in embodiment 1. Schematic flowchart for explaining another example of operation of the operation system in embodiment 1. Schematic block diagram for explaining a main configuration of the operation system in embodiment 2. Schematic block diagram for explaining an example of a configuration for detecting a second contact state between the operation unit and a support unit. Schematic flowchart for explaining an example of operation of the operation system in embodiment 2. Schematic flowchart for explaining another example of operation of the operation system in embodiment 2. Schematic block diagram for explaining a main configuration of the operation system in variant 1. Schematic block diagram for explaining an example of a configuration for detecting a first contact state between a user and the operation unit in variant 2. Schematic block diagram for explaining an example of a configuration for detecting a first contact state between a user and the operation unit in variant 3. Schematic block diagram for explaining an example of a configuration for detecting a first contact state between a user and the operation unit in variant 4.

[0012] (Background to the present disclosure) The device described in Patent Document 1 is capable of inputting a rotation angle with three degrees of freedom and presents a force sensation including a rotational force.

[0013] However, in the device described in Patent Document 1, for example, when a user releases their finger from the outer shell portion, which is the operating unit, during force feedback, the operating unit may vibrate or perform other unstable operations. Alternatively, in the device described in Patent Document 1, for example, when the operating unit detaches from the suction unit during force feedback, components such as the omniwheel may become exposed and may come into contact with the user. For this reason, the device described in Patent Document 1 still has room for improvement in terms of safety.

[0014] Therefore, as a result of extensive research, the present inventors have investigated configurations of an operating device and an operating system that can improve safety, and have arrived at the present disclosure.

[0015] First Embodiment Hereinafter, a first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the first embodiment, an operation system in which a target device is operated by an operation device will be described as an example.

[0016] It should be noted that, in this specification, terms such as "first," "second," etc. are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as expressing or implying relative importance or ranking of technical features. Features qualified as "first" and "second" expressly or imply the inclusion of one or more of such features.

[0017] [1-1. Configuration of Operation System] The configuration of the operation system will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a schematic block diagram for explaining the main configuration of the operation system in embodiment 1. Note that Fig. 1 shows the main configuration of the operation system 1, with some elements omitted.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1 , the operation system 1 includes an operation device 10, a control device 30, and a target device 50. The operation device 10 is a device that is held in the user's hand and operated, and transmits operation information operated by the user to the control device 30. The operation information includes, for example, information regarding the amount of movement of the operation device 10 in the rotational direction and information regarding a first contact state between the user and the operation unit 11. The control device 30 receives the operation information from the operation device 10 and generates control information for controlling an actuator 51 of the target device 50 based on the operation information. The control device 30 also transmits the control information to the target device 50. The target device 50 receives the control information from the control device 30 and drives the actuator 51 based on the control information.

[0019] The operation device 10, the control device 30, and the target device 50 are connected by wire or wirelessly. For example, the operation device 10, the control device 30, and the target device 50 each include a circuit that performs communication in accordance with a predetermined communication standard. The predetermined communication standard includes, for example, LAN, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), USB, HDMI (registered trademark), CAN (controller area network), and SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface).

[0020] In this embodiment, the target device 50 is equipped with a force sensor 52. The force sensor 52 detects force information. The force information includes, for example, the magnitude of the force and / or moment acting on the target device 50. The target device 50 transmits the force information detected by the force sensor 52 to the control device 30. The control device 30 receives the force information from the target device 50 and generates drive information for the operation device 10 based on the force information. The control device 30 transmits the drive information to the operation device 10. The operation device 10 receives the drive information from the control device 30 and drives based on the drive information. This achieves force feedback. For example, a force sense when the target device 50 comes into contact with an object can be fed back to the operation device 10, allowing the user operating the operation device 10 to perceive that the target device 50 has come into contact with the object.

[0021] 1 to 2B, the configuration of the operation device will be described. Fig. 2A is a schematic perspective view for explaining the operation device of embodiment 1. Fig. 2B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the operation unit of the operation device of Fig. 2A.

[0022] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 2B, the operating device 10 includes an operating unit 11, a support unit 12, an attractive force generating unit 13, a rotation detecting unit 14, a driving unit 15, and a first contact detecting unit 16.

[0023] The operation unit 11 has a rotatable shape and is an operation body that can move in a rotational direction. A user can grip the operation unit 11 and move it in the rotational direction. Specifically, when the user operates the operation unit 11, the operation unit 11 is attracted by an attractive force generated by the attractive force generating unit 13 until it abuts on the support unit 12, and moves in the rotational direction while being supported by the support unit 12.

[0024] It should be noted that "rotation" may refer to rotation at an angle of 360° or more, or rotation at an angle of less than 360°.

[0025] In this embodiment, the operation unit 11 is a sphere or an ellipsoid, and includes a conductive and magnetic member.

[0026] The operation unit 11 has a weight or surface roughness that makes the frictional force with the support unit 12 equal to or greater than a predetermined value. In this embodiment, the surface of the operation unit 11 is covered with rubber to ensure the frictional force with the support unit 12.

[0027] The support unit 12 is a support that rotatably supports the operation unit 11. The support unit 12 is disposed below the operation unit 11. The support unit 12 comes into contact with the surface of the operation unit 11 and supports the operation unit 11 rotatably.

[0028] In this embodiment, the support unit 12 has a conductor. Also, in this embodiment, the operating device 10 includes first to third support units 12a to 12c that are spaced apart from one another and arranged at different positions. When an equilateral triangle is drawn with the center of the operating unit 11 included therein in a plan view, the first to third support units 12a to 12c are respectively arranged at the vertices of the equilateral triangle. For example, the support unit 12 is made up of a plurality of omniwheels.

[0029] The omniwheel includes a first wheel and a plurality of second wheels that are rotatable around the first wheel, and the second wheels are rotatable in a direction perpendicular to the rotation direction of the first wheel.

[0030] The attractive force generator 13 is disposed below the operation unit 11 and generates an attractive force that attracts the operation unit 11. The attractive force generator 13 generates an attractive force that causes the operation unit 11 to abut against the support unit 12. In a plan view, the attractive force generator 13 is disposed inside the first to third support units 12a to 12c. The attractive force generator 13 attracts the operation unit 11 toward the attractive force generator 13, thereby maintaining the state in which the operation unit 11 is supported by the support unit 12.

[0031] The attractive force generating unit 13 generates an attractive force so that the operation unit 11 can be operated in the rotational direction without coming off the support unit 12. Specifically, the attractive force generating unit 13 generates an attractive force that prevents the operation unit 11 from coming off the support unit 12 even when an external force is applied to the operation unit 11. On the other hand, if the attractive force is too large, the load caused by the frictional force of the operation unit 11 makes it difficult for the operation unit 11 to move in the rotational direction. For this reason, the attractive force generating unit 13 generates an attractive force so as to reduce the load caused by the frictional force of the operation unit 11 to such an extent that the user can operate the operation unit 11 in the rotational direction.

[0032] 3A and 3B are schematic diagrams for explaining the attractive force that attracts the operation unit 11. FIG.

[0033] The magnitude of the attractive force that prevents the operation unit 11 from coming off the support unit 12 will be described with reference to FIG. 3A.

[0034] As shown in Fig. 3A, the angle formed by the support portion 12 with respect to the operation portion 11 is defined as "θ." Note that Fig. 3A shows a cross section of the periphery of the operation portion 11 where the angle θ is maximum.

[0035] Assuming that the maximum external force fmax occurs in all directions, the attractive force generating unit 13 needs to generate the largest attractive force against an external force in a direction where the angle between the external force and the support unit 12 is a right angle.

[0036] If the mass of the operation unit 11 is defined as "m" and the gravitational acceleration is defined as "g", the lower limit value Fmin of the attractive force generated by the attractive force generating unit 13 can be calculated by the following formula.

[0037]

[0038] The attractive force generating unit 13 generates an attractive force that exceeds the lower limit value Fmin calculated by the above formula.

[0039] The magnitude of the attractive force that allows the user to rotate the operation unit 11 in the rotational direction will be described with reference to FIG. 3B.

[0040] 3B, the attractive force is defined as "F." Generally, the load due to the frictional force is proportional to the normal force, so the torque load τ due to the frictional force applied to the operation unit 11 can be calculated by the following formula using the proportionality coefficient μ.

[0041]

[0042] If the upper limit of the torque load that can be operated by the user is defined as "τmax", the upper limit Fmax of the attractive force generated by the attractive force generating unit 13 can be calculated by the following formula.

[0043]

[0044] The attractive force generating unit 13 generates an attractive force that is less than the upper limit value Fmax calculated by the above formula.

[0045] In this way, the attractive force generator 13 generates an attractive force that is equal to or greater than Fmin and equal to or less than Fmax. This allows the operation unit 11 to be supported by the support unit 12 so that it can be operated in the rotational direction without coming off the support unit 12.

[0046] For example, fmax = 20 [N], θ = 65 [deg], m = 0.2 [kg], g = 9.8 [m / s ２ ], the lower limit of the attractive force Fmin is 45 [N].

[0047] Furthermore, if it is assumed that τmax=0.6 [N·m] and μ=0.0009 [m], the upper limit of the attractive force Fmax=665 [N].

[0048] In this case, the attractive force F is set to 45 [N]≦F≦665 [N]. When operability is important, it is preferable that F=Fmin in order to reduce the load caused by frictional force.

[0049] In this embodiment, since the operation unit 11 includes a magnetic material, the attraction force generating unit 13 generates a magnetic force as an attraction force, thereby attracting the operation unit 11. The attraction force generating unit 13 is, for example, a magnet.

[0050] The rotation detection unit 14 detects information related to the amount of movement of the operation unit 11 in the rotational direction. For example, the rotation detection unit 14 includes a rotary encoder. The rotary encoder detects the amount of rotation of the omni-wheel of the support unit 12. Specifically, the rotary encoder detects the amount of rotation of a first wheel of the omni-wheel. The amount of rotation of the omni-wheel is related to the amount of movement of the operation unit 11 in the rotational direction. Therefore, the amount of movement of the operation unit 11 in the rotational direction can be calculated based on the amount of rotation of the omni-wheel.

[0051] In this embodiment, the operating device 10 includes first to third rotation detectors 14a to 14c that detect the amount of rotation of the first to third support portions 12a to 12c.

[0052] The drive unit 15 is an actuator that rotates the support unit 12. The drive unit 15 rotates the support unit 12 and is capable of applying a rotational force to the operation unit 11. For example, the drive unit 15 is a motor.

[0053] In this embodiment, the operating device 10 includes first to third drive units 15a to 15c that rotate the first to third support units 12a to 12c.

[0054] The first contact detection unit 16 detects a first contact state between the user and the operation unit 11. Specifically, the first contact detection unit 16 detects information related to the first contact state between the user and the operation unit 11.

[0055] In this embodiment, the first contact detection unit 16 is a capacitance sensor that detects the capacitance between the user and the operation unit 11 .

[0056] FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram showing an example of a configuration for detecting a first contact state between a user and an operation unit.

[0057] The operating device 10 includes a contact portion 17 that contacts the support portion 12. The contact portion 17 includes a conductor and is electrically connected to the operating portion 11 via the support portion 12 even while the support portion 12 is rotating. As shown in FIG. 2B , the contact portion 17 contacts the first support portion 12a from a direction different from the rotation direction of the first support portion 12a and is slidable relative to the first support portion 12a. For example, the contact portion 17 contacts the first support portion 12a near the rotation axis.

[0058] For example, the contact portion 17 includes a caster. Specifically, the contact portion 17 includes a rotatable arm and a cylindrical caster attached to the arm. The caster is pressed against a part of the support portion 12 by a spring, so that the caster comes into contact with the support portion 12 and rotates as the support portion 12 rotates. At least a part of the caster is made of a conductor.

[0059] The first contact detection unit 16 is connected to the contact unit 17 and detects the capacitance between the user and the operation unit 11 via the contact unit 17 and the support unit 12 .

[0060] It is sufficient that the contact portion 17 is in contact with at least one of the first to third support portions 12a to 12c. The number of contact portions 17 is not limited to one and may be one or more. The number of first contact detection portions 16 is also not limited to one and may be one or more.

[0061] [1-3. Configuration of the control device] The control device 30 controls the operation device 10 and the target device 50. Specifically, the control device 30 acquires information related to the amount of movement in the rotational direction of the operation unit 11, and controls the target device 50 based on the information related to the amount of movement in the rotational direction of the operation unit 11. The control device 30 also acquires force sense information of the target device 50, and controls the drive unit 15 of the operation device 10 based on the force sense information.

[0062] Returning to FIG. 1 , the control device 30 includes a processor 31 and a storage unit 32 .

[0063] The control device 30 realizes predetermined functions by the processor 31 executing programs or instructions stored in the storage unit 32. The functions of the control device 30 may be realized by hardware alone or by a combination of hardware and software. The control device 30 may include one or more processors.

[0064] The processor 31 may be configured, for example, by a microcomputer, a CPU, an MPU, a GPU, a DSU, an FPGA, an ASIC, etc. The processor 31 may also be configured by a dedicated electronic circuit designed to achieve a predetermined function.

[0065] The storage unit 32 is a storage medium that stores programs, instructions, and / or data for implementing the functions of the control device 30. The storage unit 32 can be implemented, for example, by a hard disk drive (HDD), an SSD, a RAM, a DRAM, a ferroelectric memory, a flash memory, a magnetic disk, or a combination thereof.

[0066] In addition, when the operating device 10 is attached to the parallel connection part 20 described later, the control device 30 may acquire information regarding the translational movement amount of the operating unit 11 and control the target equipment 50 based on the information regarding the translational movement amount of the operating unit 11.

[0067] [1-4. Configuration of Target Device] The target device 50 is a device to be operated by operating the operating device 10. For example, the target device 50 is a robot having an end effector. For example, the target device 50 includes an articulated robot (vertical articulated robot, horizontal articulated robot, etc.), an orthogonal robot, a parallel link robot, and a wire-driven robot. The target device 50 may also be a simulated robot, a hand of a simulated human model, or the like.

[0068] The target device 50 includes an actuator 51 and a force sensor 52 .

[0069] The actuator 51 drives the target device 50. The actuator 51 drives based on control information from the control device 30.

[0070] The force sensor 52 detects force information of the target device 50 .

[0071] [1-5. Usage example of operation device] An example of use of the operation device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 5 and Fig. 6. Fig. 5 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of use of the operation device of embodiment 1. Fig. 6 is a schematic view for explaining an example of operation of the operation unit of embodiment 1.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 5, the operating device 10 is attached to the parallel connecting portion 20 when in use.

[0073] The parallel connection unit 20 includes an operation frame 21 , a reference frame 22 , a plurality of wires 23 , a wire detection unit 24 , and a wire drive unit 25 .

[0074] The operation frame 21 is a frame on which the operation device 10 is disposed. For example, the operation frame 21 is composed of a flat frame and an inverted L-shaped frame extending from the flat frame. The flat frame has a substantially triangular shape in a plan view. The inverted L-shaped frame extends from the apex of the flat frame in a direction perpendicular to the flat frame.

[0075] The operation frame 21 is connected in parallel to the reference frame 22 by a plurality of wires 23. In this embodiment, the operation frame 21 is connected in parallel to the reference frame 22 by four wires 23.

[0076] The reference frame 22 is configured with a flat frame and an inverted L-shaped frame extending from the flat frame, similar to the operation frame 21. The reference frame 22 is larger than the operation frame 21.

[0077] In this embodiment, three vertices of the flat frame of the operation frame 21 and three vertices of the flat frame of the reference frame 22 are connected by three wires 23a. The three wires 23a extend diagonally downward from the operation frame 21. Furthermore, one wire 23b connects one vertex of the inverted L-shaped frame of the operation frame 21 and one vertex of the inverted L-shaped frame of the reference frame 22. The one wire 23b extends upward from the operation frame 21. These wires 23a are under tension.

[0078] When a user grips the operation unit 11 and moves it in the translational direction, the operation frame 21 moves in the translational direction together with the operation unit 11. When the operation frame 21 moves in the translational direction, the lengths of the plurality of wires 23 change.

[0079] The wire detection unit 24 detects information relating to the amount of translational movement of the operation frame 21. The translational direction refers to the direction of the X, Y, and Z axes. The wire detection unit 24 detects the lengths of the multiple wires 23 of the parallel connection unit 20.

[0080] The information regarding the amount of movement in the translational direction is transmitted to the control device 30. The control device 30 generates control information for the actuator 51 of the target device 50 based on the information regarding the amount of movement in the return direction. The control device 30 drives the actuator 51 of the target device 50 based on the control information.

[0081] In this embodiment, the parallel connection unit 20 includes four wire detection units 24. The four wire detection units 24 are arranged on the reference frame 22. The four wire detection units 24 are provided on the wire driving unit 25.

[0082] The wire driving unit 25 is an actuator capable of winding up the plurality of wires 23. By winding up the plurality of wires 23, the wire driving unit 25 maintains a state in which tension is applied to the plurality of wires 23. Furthermore, the wire driving unit 25 adjusts the tension of the plurality of wires 23 to achieve force feedback.

[0083] For example, the control device 30 receives force sense information from the target device 50 and generates drive information for the wire driver 25 based on the force sense information. The control device 30 drives the wire driver 25 by transmitting the drive information to the wire driver 25, thereby providing force sense feedback.

[0084] In this embodiment, the parallel connection unit 20 includes four wire driving units 25. The four wire driving units 25 are respectively arranged on the reference frame 22 and are capable of winding up four wires 23.

[0085] As shown in FIG. 6, a user grips the operation unit 11 and operates it in rotational and translational directions.

[0086] The operation unit 11 is, for example, a sphere, and is rotatably supported by the support unit 12. Therefore, there is no limit to the movement of the operation unit 11 in the rotational direction, and the user can rotate the operation unit 11 infinitely.

[0087] The user can grip the operation unit 11 and move it in the up-down, left-right, and / or front-back directions. Because the user can grip the operation unit 11 by touching more than half of the surface of the operation unit 11, the user can stably move the operation unit 11 in the translational direction. For example, when moving the operation unit 11 upward, the user can grip the operation unit 11 by touching more than half of the surface of the operation unit 11, and therefore the operation unit 11 can be easily moved upward.

[0088] The operation unit 11 is attracted downward by the attraction force generating unit 13 fixed to the operation frame 21. Therefore, as the operation unit 11 moves in the translational direction, the operation frame 21 also moves in the translational direction. For example, when a user grips the operation unit 11 and moves it upward, the operation frame 21 also moves upward. Therefore, the amount of movement of the operation frame 21 in the translational direction is equal to the amount of movement of the operation unit 11 in the translational direction.

[0089] [1-6. Operation of Operation System] An example of the operation of the operation system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a schematic flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the operation system in embodiment 1. Note that, in the example shown in Fig. 7, for the sake of simplicity, the description will focus on the operation of the operation unit 11 in the rotation direction.

[0090] 7 , in step S1, the operating device 10 detects information regarding the amount of movement in the rotational direction of the operating unit 11. Specifically, the rotation detection unit 14 detects the amount of rotation of the support unit 12 in contact with the operating unit 11 as information regarding the amount of movement in the rotational direction of the operating unit 11.

[0091] In step S2 , the operating device 10 transmits information regarding the amount of movement of the operating part 11 in the rotation direction to the control device 30 .

[0092] In step S3, the control device 30 receives information regarding the amount of movement in the rotational direction.

[0093] In step S4, the control device 30 generates control information based on information related to the amount of rotational movement of the operation unit 11. Specifically, the control device 30 calculates the amount of rotational movement of the operation unit 11 based on the information related to the amount of rotation of the support unit 12 detected in step S1. For example, the control device 30 calculates the amount of change in the amount of rotation of the support unit 12, and calculates the amount of rotational movement of the operation unit 11 based on the amount of change.

[0094] The control device 30 generates control information for controlling the actuator 51 of the target device 50 based on the amount of movement of the operation unit 11 in the rotational direction.

[0095] In step S5 , the control device 30 transmits control information to the target device 50 .

[0096] In step S6, the target device 50 receives the control information.

[0097] In step S7, the target device 50 controls the actuator 51 based on the control information, thereby driving the actuator 51.

[0098] In step S8, the target device 50 detects force information using the force sensor 52.

[0099] In step S9, the target device 50 transmits the force sense information.

[0100] In step S10, the control device 30 receives force sense information.

[0101] In step S11, the control device 30 generates drive information for driving the drive unit 15 of the operating device 10 based on the force sense information. Specifically, the control device 30 calculates the force sense in the rotational direction of the end effector based on the force sense information in the rotational direction of the target equipment 50. The control device 30 generates drive information for controlling the drive unit 15 of the operating device 10 based on the force sense in the rotational direction of the end effector. The drive information includes, for example, position, speed, acceleration, torque, voltage and / or current.

[0102] In step S12, the control device 30 transmits the driving information.

[0103] In step S13, the operation device 10 receives the drive information.

[0104] In step S14, the drive unit 15 of the operation device 10 is driven based on the drive information. This allows the force sense of the target device 50 to be fed back to the operation device 10. For example, the force sense when the target device 50 comes into contact with an object can be fed back to the operation device 10, allowing the user operating the operation device 10 to perceive that the target device 50 has come into contact with the object.

[0105] Another example of the operation of the operation system will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a schematic flowchart illustrating another example of the operation of the operation system in embodiment 1. Fig. 8 shows an example of the operation when the user changes from a state in which he or she is in contact with the operation unit 11 to a state in which he or she is not in contact with the operation unit 11 during force feedback.

[0106] 8 , in step S21, the operation device 10 detects information about a first contact state between the user and the operation unit 11. Specifically, the first contact detection unit 16 detects the capacitance between the user and the operation unit 11 as the information about the first contact state.

[0107] In step S22, the operating device 10 transmits information about the first contact state.

[0108] In step S23, the control device 30 receives information about the first contact state.

[0109] In step S24, the control device 30 determines that the user is not touching the operation unit 11 based on the information about the first contact state. That is, the control device 30 determines that the user has changed from a state in which the user is touching the operation unit 11 to a state in which the user is not touching the operation unit 11 during haptic feedback. For example, the control device 30 determines that the user is not touching the operation unit 11 based on a change in capacitance. For example, the control device 30 makes this determination using a capacitance threshold for determining that the user is not touching the operation unit 11. When the capacitance detected by the first contact detection unit 16 is equal to or less than the threshold, the control device 30 determines that the user is not touching the operation unit 11. When the capacitance detected by the first contact detection unit 16 is greater than the threshold, the control device 30 determines that the user is touching the operation unit 11.

[0110] If it is determined that the user is not touching the operation unit 11, the flow proceeds to step S25. If it is determined that the user is touching the operation unit 11, the flow returns to step S21.

[0111] In step S25, the control device 30 generates force sense information in the rotation direction for the operation unit 11. For example, the control device 30 generates the force sense information by overwriting the force sense information in the rotation direction from the target device 50 with "0". Alternatively, the control device 30 generates the force sense information in the rotation direction for the operation unit 11 by overwriting the force sense information in the rotation direction from the target device 50 with a reduced value. The control device 30 may instantaneously overwrite the force sense information in the rotation direction for the operation unit 11 with "0", or may reduce it in stages.

[0112] In step S26, the control device 30 generates drive information for the drive unit 15 based on the force sense information in the rotation direction of the operation unit 11. For example, if the force sense information is "0", the control device 30 generates drive information to stop driving the drive unit 15. Alternatively, if the force sense information is a decreased value, the control device 30 generates drive information to decelerate the drive of the drive unit 15.

[0113] In step S27, the control device 30 transmits the driving information.

[0114] In step S28, the operation device 10 receives the drive information.

[0115] In step S29, the operation device 10 controls the drive unit 15 based on the drive information. For example, the drive unit 15 stops driving. Alternatively, the drive unit 15 reduces the drive speed.

[0116] By performing the above-described steps S21 to S29, if the user releases the operating unit 11 while the drive unit 15 is driving during force feedback, the drive of the drive unit 15 can be stopped or the drive speed can be reduced. This makes it possible to stop the rotation of the support unit 12 by the drive unit 15 or reduce the number of rotations of the support unit 12.

[0117] Another example of the operation of the operation system will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a schematic flowchart illustrating another example of the operation of the operation system in embodiment 1. Fig. 9 shows an example of the operation when the user goes from not touching the operation unit 11 to touching it.

[0118] 9 , in step S31, the operation device 10 detects information about a first contact state between the user and the operation unit 11. Specifically, the first contact detection unit 16 detects the capacitance between the user and the operation unit 11 as the information about the first contact state.

[0119] In step S32, the controller device 10 transmits information about the first contact state.

[0120] In step S33, the control device 30 receives information about the first contact state.

[0121] In step S34, the control device 30 determines that the user is in contact with the operation unit 11 based on the information about the first contact state. That is, the control device 30 determines that the user has changed from a state in which the user is not in contact with the operation unit 11 to a state in which the user is in contact with the operation unit 11 during haptic feedback. For example, the control device 30 determines that the user is in contact with the operation unit 11 based on a change in capacitance. For example, the control device 30 makes this determination using a capacitance threshold value for determining that the user is in contact with the operation unit 11. When the capacitance detected by the first contact detection unit 16 is greater than the threshold value, the control device 30 determines that the user is in contact with the operation unit 11. When the capacitance detected by the first contact detection unit 16 is equal to or less than the threshold value, the control device 30 determines that the user is not in contact with the operation unit 11.

[0122] If it is determined that the user is touching the operation unit 11, the flow proceeds to step S35. If it is determined that the user is not touching the operation unit 11, the flow returns to step S31.

[0123] In step S35, the control device 30 generates drive information based on the force sense information received from the target device 50. For example, the control device 30 may instantly return to the drive information based on the force sense information from the target device 50, or may return to the drive information in stages.

[0124] In step S36, the control device 30 transmits the driving information.

[0125] In step S37, the operation device 10 receives the drive information.

[0126] In step S38, the operation device 10 controls the driving unit 15 based on the driving information. For example, the driving unit 15 starts driving. Alternatively, the driving unit 15 increases the driving speed.

[0127] By performing the above-described steps S31 to S38, when the user changes from a state in which they have released their hand from the operation unit 11 to a state in which they are touching the operation unit 11 during force feedback, it is possible to start driving the drive unit 15 or increase the drive speed. This makes it possible to start rotating the support unit 12 by the drive unit 15 or increase the rotation speed of the support unit 12.

[0128] [2. Effects, etc.] As described above, the operating device 10 of the present disclosure is an operating device that allows a user to operate a target device 50, and includes an operating unit 11, a support unit 12, a drive unit 15, and a contact detection unit 16. The operating unit 11 has a rotatable shape. The support unit 12 rotatably supports the operating unit 11. The drive unit 15 rotates the support unit 12. The first contact detection unit 16 detects a first contact state between the user and the operating unit 11. When the drive unit 15 is operating, the rotation of the support unit 12 by the drive unit 15 is controlled based on the detected first contact state.

[0129] This configuration can improve safety. For example, when force feedback is being provided and the drive unit 15 is driving, the rotation of the support unit 12 by the drive unit 15 can be controlled in accordance with the first contact state between the user and the operation unit 11. For example, if the user releases their hand from the operation unit 11 during force feedback, the rotation of the support unit 12 by the drive unit 15 can be stopped, thereby preventing unstable operation such as vibration of the operation unit 11. This improves safety and also reduces power consumption.

[0130] The operating device 10 includes a contact unit 17 that contacts the support unit 12. The contact unit 17 is electrically connected to the operating unit 11 via the support unit 12. The first contact detection unit 16 is connected to the contact unit 17 and detects capacitance between the user and the operating unit 11. When the driving unit 15 is driven, the rotation of the support unit 12 by the driving unit 15 is controlled based on the detected capacitance. This configuration makes it possible to easily detect the contact state between the user and the operating unit 11. Furthermore, because the contact unit 17 is electrically connected to the operating unit 11 via the support unit 12, external forces applied to the operating unit 11 can be reduced compared to when the contact unit 17 is in direct contact with the operating unit 11. This makes it possible to detect the first contact state without applying external forces in a direction that would cause the operating unit 11 to come off the support unit 12.

[0131] When it is detected that the user has changed from a state in which he or she is touching the operation unit 11 to a state in which he or she is not touching the operation unit 11, the rotation of the support unit 12 by the drive unit 15 stops or the rotation speed of the support unit 12 by the drive unit 15 decreases. Such a configuration can further improve safety.

[0132] When it is detected that the user has changed from a state where he or she is not touching the operation unit 11 to a state where he or she is touching the operation unit 11, the drive unit 15 starts rotating the support unit 12, or the rotation speed of the support unit 12 rotated by the drive unit 15 increases. With this configuration, the drive of the drive unit 15 can be restored when the user has changed from a state where he or she is not touching the operation unit 11 to a state where he or she is touching the operation unit 11. This allows, for example, force feedback to be resumed.

[0133] The support unit 12 is made up of a plurality of omni-wheels that are in rotatable contact with the operation unit 11. With this configuration, it is possible to improve safety and operability.

[0134] The operation unit 11 is a sphere or an ellipsoid, and this configuration can improve operability.

[0135] The operating device 10 includes an attractive force generating unit 13 that generates an attractive force that causes the operating unit 11 to contact the support unit 12. With this configuration, the operating unit 11 can be rotatably supported by the support unit 12.

[0136] The operating portion 11 has a weight or surface roughness that makes the frictional force with the support portion 12 equal to or greater than a predetermined value. With this configuration, the operating portion 11 can be easily supported on the support portion 12 so as to be rotatable.

[0137] The operation system 100 of the present disclosure includes an operation device 10 and a control device 30 that controls the operation device 10. With this configuration, it is possible to achieve the same effects as those of the operation device 10 described above.

[0138] The control device 30 acquires the force sense information, generates drive information for driving the drive unit 15 based on the force sense information, and controls the drive unit 15 based on the drive information. With this configuration, it is possible to control the rotation of the support unit 12 by the drive unit 15 in accordance with the first contact state between the user and the operation unit 11 during force sense feedback, thereby improving safety.

[0139] In the operation device 10, the numbers of the support units 12, the attraction force generating units 13, the rotation detecting units 14, the driving units 15, the first contact detecting units 16, and the contact units 17 are not limited to the above numbers. The numbers of these elements may be changed depending on the design of the operation device 10.

[0140] In the parallel connector 20, the shapes of the operation frame 21 and the reference frame 22 are not limited to the above-described examples. Furthermore, the number of wires 23 is not limited to the above-described number. The shapes of these elements may be changed depending on the design of the parallel connector 20.

[0141] In the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the target device 50 includes the force sensor 52, but the present invention is not limited to this. The target device 50 does not have to include the force sensor 52. For example, the target device 50 may estimate force information from a current sensor of the actuator 51.

[0142] In the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the operation device 10 and the control device 30 are configured as separate units, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the operation device 10 and the control device 30 may be configured as an integrated device.

[0143] In the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the operation unit 11 is a sphere or an ellipsoid, but the present invention is not limited to this. The operation unit 11 may have any shape as long as it is rotatable. For example, the operation unit 11 may be a rotatable polyhedron. The operation unit 11 may have a hemispherical shape. Alternatively, the operation unit 11 may have protrusions or depressions.

[0144] In the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the operation unit 11 includes a magnetic material and the attraction force generating unit 13 attracts the operation unit 11 by magnetic force, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the attraction force generating unit 13 may generate an attraction force that attracts the operation unit 11 by suction or the like. In this case, the operation unit 11 does not need to include a magnetic material. Alternatively, if the operation unit 11 is rotatably supported by the support unit 12 by its own weight, the operation device 10 does not need to include the attraction force generating unit 13.

[0145] In the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the support unit 12 is configured with a plurality of omni-wheels, but the present invention is not limited to this. The support unit 12 may be any component that rotatably supports the operation unit 11. For example, the support unit 12 may be a ball caster, or a mechanism that combines a plurality of wheels other than omni-wheels.

[0146] In the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the attractive force generating unit 13 is a magnet, but this is not limiting. The attractive force generating unit 13 may be an electromagnet. Furthermore, the operation unit 11 may include a magnet instead of a magnetic material. In this case, the attractive force generating unit 13 may be a magnetic material.

[0147] In the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the support unit 12 and the attractive force generator 13 are disposed below the operation unit 11, but they may be disposed in a direction other than below. The support unit 12 and the attractive force generator 13 may be disposed in a predetermined direction relative to the operation unit 11, and the attractive force generator 13 may generate attractive force in the predetermined direction so that the operation unit 11 contacts the support unit 12. The predetermined direction may be, for example, upward, forward, backward, rightward, or leftward.

[0148] In the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the rotation detection unit 14 is a rotary encoder, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the rotation detection unit 14 may be a laser Doppler velocimeter. In this case, the laser Doppler velocimeter measures, for example, the speed of the surface of the operation unit 11. The control device 30 may calculate the amount of rotation of the operation unit 11 by integrating the speed of the surface of the operation unit 11.

[0149] In the present embodiment, an example in which the first contact detection unit 16 is a capacitance sensor has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. The first contact detection unit 16 may be configured to detect information relating to the first contact state between the user and the operation unit 11. For example, the first contact detection unit 16 may be configured to detect information that changes depending on whether or not the user is in contact with the operation unit 11.

[0150] In the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the rotation of the support unit 12 by the drive unit 15 is controlled when it is detected that the user is not in contact with the operation unit 11 during force feedback, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the above-described control may be performed when power assist control is being executed to rotate the operation unit 11 to guide the user's operation. In this case, the control device 30 may control the rotation of the support unit 12 by driving the drive unit 15 without using force sense information from the target device 50. For example, the control device 30 may acquire force sense information from a device other than the target device 50, or may acquire force sense information by reading force sense information stored in the storage unit 32.

[0151] In the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the operating device 10 is attached to the parallel connector 20, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the operating device 10 may be attached to a link connector including a plurality of links and a plurality of joints connecting the plurality of links. Alternatively, the operating device 10 may be attached to a linear motion mechanism connector including a plurality of linear motion mechanisms each including a plurality of stages that can move linearly in a plurality of directions.

[0152] (Embodiment 2) An operation system 1A and an operation device 10A according to embodiment 2 will be described with reference to Fig. 10 and Fig. 11. Fig. 10 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a main configuration of the operation system according to embodiment 2. Fig. 11 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration for detecting a second contact state between the operation unit and the support unit.

[0153] In the operation system 1A of the second embodiment, a second contact state between the operation unit 11 and the support unit 12 is detected, and the rotation of the support unit 12 by the drive unit 15 is controlled based on the second contact state. Except for these points and points described below, the operation system 1A of the second embodiment is the same as the operation system 1 of the first embodiment in terms of configuration.

[0154] Therefore, in the second embodiment, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

[0155] 10 and 11 , the operating device 10A includes a second contact detection unit 18. The second contact detection unit 18 detects a second contact state between the operating unit 11 and the support unit 12. Specifically, the second contact detection unit 18 detects information related to the second contact state.

[0156] For example, the second contact detection unit 18 detects the conduction state between the first support portion 12a and the second support portion 12b. In this embodiment, the operation unit 11, the first support portion 12a, and the second support portion 12b include conductors. Therefore, when the operation unit 11 is in contact with the first support portion 12a and the second support portion 12b, the first support portion 12a and the second support portion 12b are conducted via the operation unit 11. When the operation unit 11 is not in contact with the first support portion 12a and / or the second support portion 12b, the first support portion 12a and the second support portion 12b are not conducted via the operation unit 11. Therefore, the second contact detection unit 18 detects the conduction state between the first support portion 12a and the second support portion 12b, thereby detecting the second contact state between the operation unit 11 and the support portion 12.

[0157] For example, the second contact detection unit 18 is a sensor capable of detecting resistance.

[0158] 11 , the operating device 10A includes a first support portion 12a and a second support portion 12b as the support portion 12. The operating device 10A also includes a first contact portion 17a that is in slidable contact with the first support portion 12a and a second contact portion 17b that is in slidable contact with the second support portion 12b as the contact portion 17. The first contact portion 17a and the second contact portion 17b are similar to the contact portion 17 in the first embodiment.

[0159] The second contact detector 18 is connected to the first contact portion 17a and the second contact portion 17b.

[0160] When the drive unit 15 is driven, the control device 30 controls the drive unit 15 based on the conduction state between the first support unit 12a and the second support unit 12b. For example, when the operation unit 11 comes off the support unit 12 during force feedback, the control device 30 can stop the rotation of the support unit 12 by the drive unit 15 or reduce the rotation speed of the support unit 12 by the drive unit 15. Note that although the third support unit 12c and the third drive unit 15c are not shown in FIG. 11, the control device 30 transmits drive information to the first to third drive units 15a to 15c and controls the rotation of the first to third support units 12a to 12c.

[0161] An example of the operation of the operation system 1A will be described with reference to Fig. 12. Fig. 12 is a schematic flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the operation system in embodiment 2. Fig. 12 shows an example of the operation when the operation unit 11 changes from a state in which it is in contact with the support unit 12 to a state in which it is not in contact with the support unit 12 during force feedback.

[0162] 12 , in step S41, the operating device 10A detects information about the second contact state between the operating unit 11 and the support unit 12. Specifically, the second contact detection unit 18 detects conduction between the first support unit 12 a and the second support unit 12 b as information about the second contact state. For example, the second contact detection unit 18 detects resistance between the first support unit 12 a and the second support unit 12 b.

[0163] In step S42, the controller device 10A transmits information about the second contact state.

[0164] In step S43, the control device 30 receives information about the second contact state.

[0165] In step S44, the control device 30 determines that the operation unit 11 is not in contact with the support unit 12 based on information about the second contact state. That is, the control device 30 determines that the operation unit 11 has changed from a state in which it is in contact with the support unit 12 to a state in which it is not in contact with the support unit 12 during force feedback. For example, the control device 30 determines that the operation unit 11 is not in contact with the support unit 12 based on the presence or absence of electrical continuity between the first support unit 12a and the second support unit 12b. For example, the control device 30 determines whether the first support unit 12a and the second support unit 12b are electrically connected based on the resistance detected by the second contact detection unit 18. When the resistance detected by the second contact detection unit 18 is greater than a threshold value, the control device 30 determines that the first support unit 12a and the second support unit 12b are not electrically connected. That is, the control device 30 determines that the operation unit 11 is not in contact with the support unit 12. When the resistance detected by the second contact detection unit 18 is equal to or less than the threshold value, the control unit 30 determines that the first support unit 12 a and the second support unit 12 b are electrically connected. In other words, the control unit 30 determines that the operation unit 11 is in contact with the support unit 12.

[0166] If it is determined that the operation unit 11 is not in contact with the support unit 12, the flow proceeds to step S45. If it is determined that the operation unit 11 is in contact with the support unit 12, the flow returns to step S41.

[0167] In step S45, the control device 30 generates force sense information in the rotation direction for the operation unit 11. For example, the control device 30 generates force sense information in the rotation direction for the operation unit 11 by overwriting the force sense information in the rotation direction from the target device 50 with "0." Alternatively, the control device 30 generates force sense information in the rotation direction for the operation unit 11 by overwriting the force sense information in the rotation direction from the target device 50 with a reduced value.

[0168] In step S46, the control device 30 generates drive information for the drive unit 15 based on the force sense information in the rotation direction of the operation unit 11. For example, if the force sense information is "0," the control device 30 generates drive information to stop driving the drive unit 15. Alternatively, if the dynamics information is a decreased value, the control device 30 generates drive information to decelerate the drive of the drive unit 15. The control device 30 may instantly overwrite the force sense information with "0," or may decrease it in stages.

[0169] In step S47, the control device 30 transmits the driving information.

[0170] In step S48, the controller device 10 receives the drive information.

[0171] In step S49, the operation device 10 controls the drive unit 15 based on the drive information. For example, the drive unit 15 stops driving. Alternatively, the drive unit 15 reduces the drive speed.

[0172] By performing the above-described steps S41 to S49, if the operation unit 11 comes off the support unit 12 while the drive unit 15 is driving during force feedback, the drive of the drive unit 15 can be stopped or the drive speed can be reduced. This makes it possible to stop the rotation of the support unit 12 by the drive unit 15 or reduce the number of rotations of the support unit 12.

[0173] Another example of the operation of the operation system will be described with reference to Fig. 13. Fig. 13 is a schematic flowchart illustrating another example of the operation of the operation system in embodiment 2. Fig. 13 shows an example of the operation when the operation unit 11 changes from a state where it is not in contact with the support unit 12 to a state where it is in contact with the support unit 12.

[0174] 13 , in step S51, the operating device 10A detects information about the second contact state between the operating unit 11 and the support unit 12. Specifically, the second contact detection unit 18 detects the conduction state between the first support unit 12 a and the second support unit 12 b as information about the second contact state. For example, the second contact detection unit 18 detects the resistance between the first support unit 12 a and the second support unit 12 b.

[0175] In step S52, the controller device 10A transmits information about the second contact state.

[0176] In step S53, the control device 30 receives information about the second contact state.

[0177] In step S54, the control device 30 determines that the operation unit 11 is in contact with the support unit 12 based on information about the second contact state. That is, the control device 30 determines that the operation unit 11 has changed from a state in which it is not in contact with the support unit 12 to a state in which it is in contact with the support unit 12 during force feedback. For example, the control device 30 determines that the operation unit 11 is in contact with the support unit 12 based on the presence or absence of electrical continuity between the first support unit 12a and the second support unit 12b. For example, the control device 30 determines whether the first support unit 12a and the second support unit 12b are in electrical continuity based on the resistance detected by the second contact detection unit 18. When the resistance detected by the second contact detection unit 18 is smaller than a threshold, the control device 30 determines that the first support unit 12a and the second support unit 12b are in electrical continuity. That is, the control device 30 determines that the operation unit 11 is in contact with the support unit 12. When the resistance detected by the second contact detection unit 18 is equal to or greater than a threshold value, the control unit 30 determines that there is no electrical continuity between the first support unit 12 a and the second support unit 12 b. In other words, the control unit 30 determines that the operation unit 11 is not in contact with the support unit 12.

[0178] If it is determined that the operation unit 11 is in contact with the support unit 12, the flow proceeds to step S55. If it is determined that the operation unit 11 is not in contact with the support unit 12, the flow returns to step S51.

[0179] In step S55, the control device 30 generates drive information based on the force sense information received from the target device 50. For example, the control device 30 may instantly return to the drive information based on the force sense information from the target device 50, or may return to the drive information in stages.

[0180] In step S56, the control device 30 transmits the driving information.

[0181] In step S57, the operation device 10 receives the drive information.

[0182] In step S58, the operation device 10 controls the driving unit 15 based on the driving information. For example, the driving unit 15 starts driving. Alternatively, the driving unit 15 increases the driving speed.

[0183] By performing the above-described steps S51 to S58, when the operating unit 11 changes from a state where it is separated from the support unit 12 to a state where it is in contact with the support unit 12 during force feedback, it is possible to start driving the drive unit 15 or increase the drive speed. This makes it possible to start rotating the support unit 12 by the drive unit 15 or increase the rotation speed of the support unit 12.

[0184] As described above, the operating device 10A includes a second contact detection unit 18 that detects the second contact state between the operating unit 11 and the support unit 12. When the drive unit 15 is driven, the rotation of the support unit 12 by the drive unit 15 is controlled based on the detected second contact state. This configuration improves safety. For example, when the drive unit 15 is driven during force feedback, the rotation of the support unit 12 by the drive unit 15 can be controlled in accordance with the second contact state between the operating unit 11 and the support unit 12. For example, if the operating unit 11 comes off the support unit 12 during force feedback, the rotation of the support unit 12 by the drive unit 15 can be stopped, thereby preventing the user's hand from getting caught in the rotation of the support unit 12. This also reduces power consumption.

[0185] The support unit 12 includes a first support unit 12a that rotatably supports the operation unit 11 and a second support unit 12b that is positioned at a different position from the first support unit 12a and rotatably supports the operation unit 11. The operation device 10A includes a first contact unit 17a that contacts the first support unit 12a and a second contact unit 17b that contacts the second support unit 12b. The second contact detection unit 18 is connected to the first contact unit 17a and the second contact unit 17b and detects the electrical continuity between the first support unit 12a and the second support unit 12b. The rotation of the support unit 12 by the drive unit 15 is controlled based on the detected electrical continuity. This configuration makes it easy to detect the contact state between the operation unit 11 and the support unit 12. Furthermore, the first contact unit 17a and the second contact unit 17b are electrically connected to the operation unit 11 via the first support unit 12a and the second support unit 12b. This makes it possible to suppress the external force applied to the operation unit 11 compared to when the first contact portion 17a and the second contact portion 17b are in direct contact with the operation unit 11. This makes it possible to detect the second contact state without applying an external force in a direction that would cause the operation unit 11 to come off the support portion 12.

[0186] When it is detected that the operating unit 11 and the support unit 12 have changed from a contacting state to a non-contacting state, the rotation of the support unit 12 by the drive unit 15 is stopped or the rotation speed of the support unit 12 by the drive unit 15 is reduced. Such a configuration can further improve safety.

[0187] When it is detected that the operating unit 11 and the support unit 12 have changed from a non-contact state to a contact state, the drive unit 15 starts rotating the support unit 12, or the rotation speed of the support unit 12 rotated by the drive unit 15 increases. With this configuration, the drive of the drive unit 15 can be restored when the operating unit 11 changes from a non-contact state to a contact state with the support unit 12. This makes it possible to resume force feedback, for example.

[0188] In the present embodiment, the second contact detection unit 18 is a sensor capable of detecting resistance, but the present invention is not limited to this. The second contact detection unit 18 only needs to be able to detect information relating to the second contact state between the operation unit 11 and the support unit 12. For example, the second contact detection unit 18 only needs to detect information that changes depending on whether or not there is contact between the operation unit 11 and the support unit 12.

[0189] In the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the rotation of the support unit 12 by the drive unit 15 is controlled when it is detected that the operation unit 11 and the support unit 12 are not in contact during force feedback, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the above-described control may be performed when power assist control is being executed. In this case, the control device 30 may control the rotation of the support unit 12 by driving the drive unit 15 without using force sense information from the target device 50. For example, the control device 30 may acquire force sense information from a device other than the target device 50, or may acquire force sense information by reading out force sense information stored in the storage unit 32.

[0190] (Other Embodiments) As described above, the above embodiments have been described as examples of the technology disclosed in the present application. However, the technology in the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments and can be applied to embodiments in which modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. are made as appropriate. Furthermore, these general and specific aspects may be realized by an apparatus, a system, a method, a computer program, a computer-readable storage medium, or a combination thereof.

[0191] Below, modified examples will be given as examples of other embodiments.

[0192] FIG. 14 is a schematic block diagram for explaining the main configuration of the operation system in the first modification.

[0193] 14 , the operation device 10B of the operation system 1B includes a first contact detection unit 16 and a second contact detection unit 18. The control device 30 generates drive information for the drive unit 15 based on information detected by the first contact detection unit 16 and / or information detected by the second contact detection unit 18.

[0194] In the operating device 10B, when the driving unit 15 is driven, the rotation of the support unit 12 by the driving unit 15 is controlled based on the first contact information and / or the second contact information.

[0195] Such a configuration can further improve safety and reduce power consumption.

[0196] In the first modification, the first contact detection unit 16 and the second contact detection unit 18 are separate units. However, they may be realized by a single contact detection unit.

[0197] FIG. 15 is a schematic block diagram showing an example of a configuration for detecting a first contact state between a user and an operation unit in Modification 2. In FIG.

[0198] As shown in FIG. 15, the operation device 10C detects a first contact state between the user and the operation unit 11 by the first contact detection unit 16A detecting electromagnetic waves.

[0199] The first contact detection unit 16A is connected to the support unit 12 and generates and detects electromagnetic waves. The first contact detection unit 16A is, for example, an electromagnetic wave sensor. The control device 30 determines whether the user is touching the operation unit 11 based on the electromagnetic waves detected by the first contact detection unit 16A.

[0200] Even with this configuration, it is possible to detect the first contact state between the user and the operation unit 11. Furthermore, since the contact unit 17 does not need to be provided, the number of parts can be reduced.

[0201] The first contact detection unit 16A is not limited to detecting electromagnetic waves, but may detect information that changes depending on whether or not the user is in contact with the operation unit 11.

[0202] FIG. 16 is a schematic block diagram showing an example of a configuration for detecting a first contact state between a user and an operation unit in Modification 3. In FIG.

[0203] As shown in FIG. 16 , in an operating device 10D, a first contact detection unit 16B directly senses the operating unit 11 to detect a first contact state between the user and the operating unit 11 .

[0204] For example, the first contact detection unit 16B is an imaging device that captures an image of the operation unit 11. The first contact detection unit 16B acquires image information by capturing an image of the operation unit 11. The control device 30 determines whether or not the user is touching the operation unit 11 based on the image information captured by the first contact detection unit 16B. For example, the control device 30 determines whether or not the user is touching the operation unit 11 by performing image analysis on the image information.

[0205] Even with this configuration, it is possible to detect the first contact state between the user and the operation unit 11. Furthermore, since the contact unit 17 does not need to be provided, the number of parts can be reduced.

[0206] The first contact detection unit 16B is not limited to an imaging device. For example, the first contact detection unit 16B may be a transmissive photoelectric sensor. The photoelectric sensor includes a light-emitting unit that emits detection light and a light-receiving unit that receives the detection light. The first contact detection unit 16B may detect the first contact state between the user and the operation unit 11 based on information about the detection light received by the light-receiving unit. For example, the photoelectric sensor is disposed above the operation unit 11. When the user's hand touches the operation unit 11, the detection light incident from the light-emitting unit to the light-receiving unit is blocked by the user's hand. As a result, the amount of light received by the light-receiving unit decreases. The control device 30 determines that the user is touching the operation unit 11 when the amount of received light falls below a threshold. The photoelectric sensor may also be a reflective type.

[0207] Alternatively, the first contact detection unit 16B may be an ultrasonic sensor.

[0208] FIG. 17 is a schematic block diagram showing an example of a configuration for detecting a first contact state between a user and an operation unit in the fourth modification.

[0209] As shown in FIG. 17, in an operating device 10E, a first contact detection unit 16C is provided in the operating unit 11.

[0210] For example, the first contact detection unit 16C is a pressure sensor provided in the operation unit 11. The first contact detection unit 16C detects the pressure applied to the operation unit 11. The control device 30 determines whether the user is touching the operation unit 11 based on the pressure information detected by the first contact detection unit 16C.

[0211] Even with this configuration, it is possible to detect the first contact state between the user and the operation unit 11. Furthermore, since the contact unit 17 does not need to be provided, the number of parts can be reduced.

[0212] The first contact detection unit 16C is not limited to a pressure sensor, and may be, for example, a temperature sensor.

[0213] Similarly, the second contact detection unit 18 may also be an electromagnetic wave sensor, an imaging device, a photoelectric sensor, or an ultrasonic sensor.

[0214] (Summary of the embodiment) (1) The operating device of the present disclosure is an operating device for a user to operate a target device, and includes an operating unit having a rotatable shape, a support unit that rotatably supports the operating unit, a drive unit that rotates the support unit, and a contact detection unit that detects a contact state between the user and the operating unit, and when the drive unit is operating, the rotation of the support unit by the drive unit is controlled based on the detected contact state.

[0215] (2) The operating device of (1) may further include a contact portion that comes into contact with the support portion, and the contact portion may be electrically connected to the operating portion via the support portion, and the contact detection portion may be connected to the contact portion and detect a capacitance between the user and the operating portion, and when the driving portion is operating, the rotation of the support portion by the driving portion may be controlled based on the detected capacitance.

[0216] (3) In the operating device of (2), the support portion may include a first support portion and a second support portion arranged at a different position from the first support portion, the contact portion may include a first contact portion that is in slidable contact with the first support portion and a second contact portion that is in slidable contact with the second support portion, the contact detection portion may be connected to the first contact portion and the second contact portion and may detect a state of conduction between the first support portion and the second support portion, and when the drive portion is operating, the rotation of the support portion by the drive portion may be controlled based on the detected state of conduction.

[0217] (4) In any one of the operating devices (1) to (3), the contact detection unit may detect a contact state between the operating unit and the support unit, and when the drive unit is operating, the rotation of the support unit by the drive unit may be controlled based on the detected contact state.

[0218] (5) In any one of the operating devices (1) to (4), when it is detected that the user has changed from a state in which he or she is in contact with the operating unit to a state in which he or she is not in contact with the operating unit, the rotation of the support unit by the drive unit may be stopped, or the rotation speed of the rotation of the support unit by the drive unit may be reduced.

[0219] (6) In the operating device of (5), when it is detected that the user has changed from a state in which he or she is not touching the operating unit to a state in which he or she is touching the operating unit, the rotation of the support unit by the driving unit may begin, or the rotation speed of the support unit by the driving unit may increase.

[0220] (7) In the operating device of (4), when it is detected that the operating unit and the support unit have changed from a contacting state to a non-contacting state, the rotation of the support unit by the drive unit may be stopped, or the rotation speed of the support unit by the drive unit may be reduced.

[0221] (8) In the operating device of (7), when it is detected that the operating unit and the support unit have changed from a non-contact state to a contact state, the rotation of the support unit by the drive unit may begin, or the rotation speed of the support unit by the drive unit may increase.

[0222] (9) The operating device of the present disclosure is an operating device for a user to operate a target device, and includes an operating unit having a rotatable shape, a support unit that rotatably supports the operating unit, a drive unit that rotates the support unit, and a contact detection unit that detects a contact state between the operating unit and the support unit, and when the drive unit is operating, the rotation of the support unit by the drive unit is controlled based on the detected contact state.

[0223] (10) The operating device of (9) may further include a contact portion that comes into contact with the support portion, and the support portion may include a first support portion that rotatably supports the operating portion, and a second support portion that is arranged at a different position from the first support portion and rotatably supports the operating portion, and the contact portion may include a first contact portion that comes into contact with the first support portion and a second contact portion that comes into contact with the second support portion, and the contact detection portion may be connected to the first contact portion and the second contact portion and detect a state of conduction between the first support portion and the second support portion, and when the drive portion is operating, the rotation of the support portion by the drive portion may be controlled based on the detected state of conduction.

[0224] (11) In the operating device of (9) or (10), when it is detected that the operating unit and the support unit have changed from a contacting state to a non-contacting state, the rotation of the support unit by the drive unit may be stopped, or the rotation speed of the support unit by the drive unit may be reduced.

[0225] (12) In the operating device of (11), when it is detected that the operating unit and the support unit have changed from a non-contact state to a contact state, the rotation of the support unit by the drive unit may start, or the rotation speed of the support unit by the drive unit may increase.

[0226] (13) In the operating device according to any one of (1) to (12), the support unit may be configured with a plurality of omni-wheels that are in rotatable contact with the operating unit.

[0227] (14) In the operating device according to any one of (1) to (13), the operating portion may be a sphere or an ellipsoid.

[0228] (15) The operating device according to any one of (1) to (14) may further include an attractive force generating unit that generates an attractive force that causes the operating portion to contact the support portion.

[0229] (16) In the operating device according to any one of (1) to (15), the operating portion may have a weight or a surface roughness that makes the frictional force with the support portion equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

[0230] (17) The operation system of the present disclosure includes an operation device of any one of (1) to (16) and a control device that controls the operation device, wherein the control device acquires force information, generates drive information for driving the drive unit based on the force information, and controls the drive unit based on the drive information.

[0231] The present disclosure is applicable to, for example, an operating device that operates a target device such as a robot arm.

[0232] 1, 1A, 1B Operation system 10, 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D, 10E Operation device 11 Operation unit 12 Support unit 12a First support unit 12b Second support unit 12c Third support unit 13 Attraction generator 14 Rotation detector 14a First rotation detector 14b Second rotation detector 14c Third rotation detector 15 Drive unit 15a First drive unit 15b Second drive unit 15c Third drive unit 16, 16A, 16B, 16C First contact detector 17 Contact unit 17a First contact unit 17b Second contact unit 20 Parallel connection unit 21 Operation frame 22 Reference frame 23, 23a, 23b Wire 24 Wire detector 25 Wire drive unit 30 Control device 31 Processor 32 Storage unit 50 Target device 51 Actuator 52 Force sensor

Claims

1. An operating device for allowing a user to operate a target device, comprising: an operating unit having a rotatable shape; a support unit that rotatably supports the operating unit; a drive unit that rotates the support unit; and a contact detection unit that detects a contact state between the user and the operating unit, wherein, when the drive unit is operating, the rotation of the support unit by the drive unit is controlled based on the detected contact state.

2. The operating device according to claim 1, further comprising a contact portion that comes into contact with the support portion, the contact portion being electrically connected to the operating portion via the support portion, the contact detection portion being connected to the contact portion and detecting capacitance between the user and the operating portion, and when the drive portion is operating, the rotation of the support portion by the drive portion being controlled based on the detected capacitance.

3. The operating device according to claim 2, wherein the support portion includes a first support portion and a second support portion arranged at a different position from the first support portion, the contact portion includes a first contact portion that is in slidable contact with the first support portion and a second contact portion that is in slidable contact with the second support portion, the contact detection portion is connected to the first contact portion and the second contact portion and detects a state of conduction between the first support portion and the second support portion, and when the drive portion is operating, the rotation of the support portion by the drive portion is controlled based on the detected state of conduction.

4. An operating device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the contact detection unit detects a contact state between the operating unit and the support unit, and when the drive unit is operating, the rotation of the support unit by the drive unit is controlled based on the detected contact state.

5. An operating device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, when it is detected that the user has changed from a state in which they are touching the operating unit to a state in which they are not touching the operating unit, the rotation of the support unit by the drive unit is stopped, or the rotation speed of the rotation of the support unit by the drive unit is reduced.

6. The operating device according to claim 5, wherein, when it is detected that the user has changed from a state where they are not touching the operating unit to a state where they are touching the operating unit, the rotation of the support unit by the drive unit begins, or the rotation speed of the rotation of the support unit by the drive unit increases.

7. The operating device according to claim 4, wherein, when it is detected that the operating unit and the support unit have changed from a contacting state to a non-contacting state, the rotation of the support unit by the drive unit is stopped or the rotation speed of the support unit by the drive unit is reduced.

8. The operating device according to claim 7, wherein, when it is detected that the operating unit and the support unit have changed from a non-contact state to a contact state, the rotation of the support unit by the drive unit begins, or the rotation speed of the rotation of the support unit by the drive unit increases.

9. An operating device for a user to operate a target device, comprising: an operating unit having a rotatable shape; a support unit that rotatably supports the operating unit; a drive unit that rotates the support unit; and a contact detection unit that detects a contact state between the operating unit and the support unit, wherein, when the drive unit is operating, the rotation of the support unit by the drive unit is controlled based on the detected contact state.

10. The operating device according to claim 9, further comprising a contact portion that comes into contact with the support portion, wherein the support portion includes a first support portion that rotatably supports the operating portion, and a second support portion that is arranged at a different position from the first support portion and rotatably supports the operating portion, wherein the contact portion includes a first contact portion that comes into contact with the first support portion and a second contact portion that comes into contact with the second support portion, wherein the contact detection portion is connected to the first contact portion and the second contact portion and detects a state of conduction between the first support portion and the second support portion, and wherein when the drive portion is operating, the rotation of the support portion by the drive portion is controlled based on the detected state of conduction.

11. An operating device according to claim 9 or 10, wherein, when it is detected that the operating unit and the support unit have changed from a contacting state to a non-contacting state, the rotation of the support unit by the drive unit is stopped, or the rotation speed of the support unit by the drive unit is reduced.

12. The operating device according to claim 11, wherein, when it is detected that the operating unit and the support unit have changed from a non-contact state to a contact state, the rotation of the support unit by the drive unit begins, or the rotation speed of the rotation of the support unit by the drive unit increases.

13. The operating device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the support section is composed of a plurality of omni-wheels that are in rotatable contact with the operating section.

14. The operating device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the operating portion is a sphere or an ellipsoid.

15. The operating device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, further comprising an attractive force generating unit that generates an attractive force that causes the operating unit to abut against the support unit.

16. An operating device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the operating part has a weight or surface roughness that makes the frictional force with the support part equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

17. An operation system comprising: an operation device according to any one of claims 1 to 14; and a control device that controls the operation device, wherein the control device acquires force sense information, generates drive information for driving the drive unit based on the force sense information, and controls the drive unit based on the drive information.

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