Articulated Joint Haptic Feedback for Accurate Manual Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Operators face challenges in accurately and efficiently manually positioning the joints of articulated arms in medical devices due to numerous degrees of freedom, lack of awareness of physical and practical constraints, and difficulty in determining the correct configuration, which can lead to device damage or injury.
Innovation Solution
A computer-assisted system provides feedback during manual joint positioning by determining a target position, calculating kinematics relative to that position, and offering haptic feedback based on these kinematics to guide the operator.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If an operator manually positions joints of an articulated arm with multiple degrees of freedom, then the operator can achieve a desired configuration, but the operator experiences difficulty determining when the desired configuration has been obtained and struggles to position joints accurately and quickly
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides real-time feedback to the operator during manual joint positioning by determining the current configuration of the articulated arm and comparing it to the desired configuration. The feedback mechanism guides the operator by indicating which joints need to be positioned and in what direction, enabling accurate and efficient manual positioning without requiring the operator to guess or trial-error the correct configuration.
2Productivity
If an operator manually positions joints without feedback, then the operator can manipulate the articulated arm, but the operator is unaware of physical and practical constraints such as maximum allowable joint velocity and range of motion limits
Solution Approach 1:
The system monitors joint velocity and position in real-time, providing feedback to the operator about approaching constraints. When a joint nears its maximum allowable velocity or range of motion limit, the system alerts the operator, enabling safe operation at high speeds without risking device damage or injury to personnel.
Solution Approach 2:
The system preemptively prevents constraint violations by detecting when joints approach their operational limits and providing advance warning to the operator. This preliminary action prevents the operator from inadvertently causing damage or injury by exceeding maximum joint velocity or range of motion constraints.
3Ease of operation
If an operator manually positions joints without guidance, then the operator has freedom of movement, but the operator experiences difficulty deciding which direction to move the joints to reach the desired configuration
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides directional guidance feedback to the operator by comparing the current joint configuration to the desired configuration. The feedback indicates the specific direction each joint should be moved to achieve the target pose, eliminating the need for the operator to guess movement directions and significantly ease the positioning process.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for providing feedback during manual joint positioning include a computer-assisted device comprising an articulated structure comprising a joint and a brake associated with the joint and a control unit coupled to the articulated structure. To provide feedback during manual positioning of the joint due to manual force applied by an operator, the control unit is configured to determine a target position for the joint, determine kinematics of the joint relative to the target position, lock the joint when the joint is at the target position, release the brake when the kinematics of the joint indicate that the joint is moving towards the target position, and apply the brake when the kinematics of the joint indicate that the joint is moving away from the target position.