Hybrid Hand Controller Seamless Mode Transition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional systems for controlling robots with haptic feedback provide non-directional vibrations, resulting in unrealistic tactile sensations for users, and lack seamless transitions between gestural and haptic control modes, causing interruptions in control operations.
Innovation Solution
The system employs a Hybrid Hand Controller (HHC) that automatically transitions between full haptic and gestural control modes based on coupling and decoupling with a docking station, ensuring uninterrupted control and providing directional tactile feedback by selectively vibrating portions of the controller based on force applications, allowing for intuitive and precise control of slave devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional haptic systems use non-directional vibrations, then the control device is simple to implement, but the tactile sensation is unrealistic and provides poor feedback quality
Solution Approach 1:
The haptic control device is segmented into multiple independent vibration sources distributed across the controller surface. Each vibration source can be activated independently to create directional tactile feedback patterns, transforming non-directional vibrations into directional cues that guide user interaction while maintaining system manageability through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the controller are assigned different vibration characteristics and activation patterns based on their spatial locations. The system applies vibrations locally at specific contact points rather than uniformly across the entire device, creating realistic directional tactile sensations that correspond to the spatial relationships in the remote environment
2Adaptability or versatility
If the system transitions between gestural and haptic control modes, then the controller becomes more versatile, but control interruptions occur during mode switching
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-loading transition parameters and preparing mode switch sequences before actual mode changes are required. This includes pre-synchronizing gesture recognition states with haptic feedback states, ensuring that when a mode transition is initiated, all necessary computational and actuation preparations are already in place to execute the switch without interruption
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains continuous useful action during mode transitions by overlapping gesture and haptic control functionalities. Rather than completely switching between modes, the system allows both control types to operate simultaneously or in parallel during transition periods, ensuring uninterrupted control capability while adapting to different operational requirements
3Ease of operation
If the HHC is used as a portable gestural controller, then the system provides operational flexibility, but haptic feedback capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The HHC's operational characteristics are made dynamic rather than static. The controller can dynamically adjust its functional state between full haptic mode, gestural mode, and hybrid modes based on operational context. This dynamic adaptability allows the same device to provide high-fidelity haptic feedback when needed while maintaining portability and gesture-based operation when mobility is the priority
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables high-fidelity force feedback and precise motion control when docked, while providing portability and intuitive movement when undocked, ensuring realistic tactile sensations and seamless transitions, thus enhancing user experience and operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The directional tactile or haptic feedback is generated by causing only a portion of the HHC to vibrate
Data Source
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AI summary
System (100) and methods (500) for remotely controlling a slave device (102). The methods involve: using a Hybrid Hand Controller ("HHC") as a full haptic controller to control the slave device when the HHC (406) is coupled to a docking station (460); detecting when the HHC is or is being physically de-coupled from the docking station; automatically and seamlessly transitioning an operational mode of at least the HHC from a full haptic control mode to a gestural control mode, in response to a detection that the HHC is or is being de-coupled from the docking station; and using at least the HHC as a portable gestural controller to control the slave device when the HHC is de-coupled from the docking station.