Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Generic control system – apparatus or process – Digital positioning
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-18
2002-09-03
Black, Thomas (Department: 2121)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Generic control system, apparatus or process
Digital positioning
C700S064000, C700S065000, C700S083000, C700S086000, C700S089000, C700S253000, C706S044000, C706S920000, C703S007000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06445964
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates in general to automated kinematic machines and systems, such as, but not limited to, remote tool/robot control systems, and is particularly directed to a telekinegenesis system for training the sequential kinematic behavior of an automated kinematic machine by means of a virtual reality simulator, driven with kinematic parameter data out from a teleoperational device, which models the sequential behavior to be exhibited by the automated kinematic machine.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the generalized field of robotics, which is defined herein as the remote control and operation, either in response to discrete operator commands or autonomously, of plural function, multiple degree of freedom electro-optic, opto-mechanical, and or electromechanical systems, extant practices may incorporate one or more of telepresence, teleoperation, and telekinesis. In such robotic systems, calibrations, ranging from one-time measurements to periodic measurements of specific tooling points or arrays of known positions, to real time mensurations with concomitant program parameter updates, are commonly employed. Also, devices which utilize telepresence, telekinesis, and teleoperation with various control, operation, and calibration schemes are extensively documented in various patent literature, textbooks, technical publications, industry publications, and contemporary articles in a variety of popular publishing formats, including the Internet.
There are numerous current and future robotics operations, that differ in operating environments, functional sophistication, and criticality of correct and adequate operation. Industrial robots are widely used as automatons, repetitively performing the same sequence through the life of a production run. They may then be retooled and reprogrammed to perform a different set of tasks. Although generation of programs for this type of robotic application is not the prime focus of the present invention to be described below, a brief description will serve to elucidate some of the simple, underlying principles of robotics command program generation, and serve as initial introduction to telekinegenesis principles that are common to extant robotics system practices.
In cases of relatively simple automaton applications, the operating environment, motions required, effects of robot actions, physical calibrations, etc. are very well known, and explicitly definable in simple sequences and geometrical terms. The requisite actions are relatively easy to define in explicit, simple terms, and the command programs can be iterated and calibrated to near perfection. As programs of this sort may be used to generate large production runs, considerable time and money can be practically and economically invested to develop programs that yield the required results, particularly for operations such as pick and place, spot welding, fastener installation in set locations, and other similar functions that require simply definable motion parameters and sequences. Tasks such as these utilize telekinesis; that is, machines that are moved through a series of positions as specified by discrete kinematics commands. These machines employ calibrations with a wide range of sophistication, depending on the precision required.
Development of a command sequence may be characterized as shown in the functional block diagram of FIG.
1
. In general, as shown at
101
, it is necessary to define the work space or task environment, which is typically updated or modified at
102
, with the results of physical calibrations, modifications, etc. End position work points
103
are then mathematically defined at
104
, and are translated into joint positions
105
and associated joint position commands
106
. These joint position commands, in turn, usually require correction or modification
102
via machine and workspace calibration
107
, depending on precision requirements for the operation. Except for the simplest of tasks, or those that are very mature, a validation process
108
, with some subsequent modification at
102
, is performed. Everything is then updated, and the system is put into operation at
109
.
It should also be noted that, for most cases, the end effector position of a robotics assembly is not a unique function of the joint positions. Added constraints of work space envelopes and non interference with work piece and support structures limit the allowable sets of joint positions from which the programmer can then select. As the number of degrees of freedom of the robotics assembly increases, calibration requirements become more stringent and selection of the optimal joint position commands becomes less intuitive, and therefore more difficult for the program developer to specify correctly.
Functionally sophisticated tasks requiring intuitive, adaptive, human like control, such as installing gears in transmission assemblies or clamping bleeders with hemostats and installing sutures in a surgical operation, as non-limiting examples, often utilize teleoperation principles. Non-limiting examples of teleoperational robotic systems are described in the U.S. Patents to Kaneko et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,341,458, and Aono et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,483,440.
As diagrammatically illustrated in
FIG. 2
, in a conventional teleoperational system, the operator manipulates a kinematics simulator (or master)
20
, shown as having a plurality of joints
1
,
2
and
3
, the movement of which is sensed by a controller
22
, to generate the position commands for a multijointed slave robotic manipulator
24
that actually performs the work. The slave may be in the proximity of the operator, or quite far away. Telepresence of some form is generally incorporated, in the form of remote video, measurement systems, and other sensors. Some teleoperation systems also incorporate tactile sensing and force feedback
26
from the slave
24
to the controller
22
, and feedback
28
from the controller
22
to master
20
. This feedback serves to provide the operator with some “feel” for what is happening at the slave.
In most applications, teleoperation has the additional benefit that operator-positioning of the robotic kinematics simulator is intuitive, as the operator is simply moving arms where he wants them, not commanding a joint and trying to anticipate where this will position everything. Since the operator is evaluating each move in real time and adapting his actions, work space and task environment definition does not require the mathematical precision of the previous example. Some advanced systems further incorporate some dynamic controls to eliminate natural tremor from the operator inputs, and provide precision position feedback as well.
Although teleoperation systems inherently lack the machine precision of telekinesis systems, they lend themselves quite well to managing functionally complex sequences, or operations where there is no a priori precision in task environment definition. Of course, if the operator makes an error, so does the slave. Sensing and process controls can ameliorate this, but it is still fundamental to the nature of this type of operation.
It should also be noted that, for teleoperation, scale differences between the master and slave can be quite large. A remotely operable crane, for example, can be operated using a small desktop scale model of the real crane. The teleoperational principle works reasonably well for a large number of degrees of freedom, and it may work well for coordinating more than one machine. Experimental teleoperational medical robots, for example, commonly employ both a right hand and left hand manipulating arm, which are operated in concert by the surgeon.
Applications for robotics operations are evolving, which have requirements for hi h reliability, functional complexity, high precision, and with failure consequences that mandate maximal validation during command program development and operation. A few examples of potential applications with these characteristics are conventional weapons disarming, nuclear weapons
Ambrose Hollis
Stancil Brent A.
White John E.
Allen Dyer Doppelt Milbrath & Gilchrist, P.A.
Barnes Crystal J.
Black Thomas
Harris Corporation
LandOfFree
Virtual reality simulation-based training of telekinegenesis... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Virtual reality simulation-based training of telekinegenesis..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Virtual reality simulation-based training of telekinegenesis... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2867990