Bending Operation System Using Linear Member Displacement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bending operation systems for tubular portions, such as endoscopes or manipulators, face challenges in accurately calculating operation assist information while minimizing the size of the tubular portion, as traditional methods like angle sensors or encoders can increase the size and introduce errors due to non-one-to-one correspondence between wire displacement and bending amount.
Innovation Solution
A bending operation system that includes an elongated tubular portion with a bending portion, two linear members connected to the tubular portion, displacement detectors for each linear member, and a calculator that uses the displacements to accurately calculate operation assist information, reducing the system's size and minimizing errors by considering the state of the bending portion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If an angle sensor is disposed in the bending portion to measure bending amount, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the measurement function from the bending portion itself and relocates it to the drive portion. Instead of placing an angle sensor in the bending portion, the system uses displacement detectors on the linear members at the drive portion to calculate bending amount, thereby removing the complex sensor installation from the bending portion while maintaining measurement capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces linear members and displacement detectors as intermediary elements. The displacement of these linear members serves as an intermediate measurement that is then converted to bending amount through calculation, providing an indirect but accurate measurement method that avoids direct sensor installation in the bending portion.
2Device complexity
If wire displacement is measured by encoder to calculate bending amount, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision deteriorates due to non-one-to-one correspondence
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the measurement parameter from direct wire displacement to linear member displacement, and further changes the calculation method by considering the state of the bending portion. This allows the system to maintain simple encoder-based detection while improving accuracy by using state-dependent calculation functions that account for the non-linear relationship between displacement and bending amount.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the calculated bending amount is used to determine the state of the bending portion, which then feeds back into the calculation process. By using the bending state information to select or adjust the calculation function, the system compensates for non-linearities and improves measurement precision while maintaining structural simplicity.
Data Source
AI summary
A bending operation system includes an elongated tubular portion including a bending portion, a first linear member and a second linear member which cause the bending portion to bend, and a drive portion which displaces the first linear member and the second linear member. The bending operation system further includes a first displacement detector which acquires a displacement of the first linear member as a first displacement, a second displacement detector which acquires a displacement of the second linear member as a second displacement, and a calculator which calculates operation assist information by use of one or both of the first displacement and the second displacement.