A novel parallel haptic interface for telerobotic systems

Abstract

This chapter presents a novel parallel structure based on a modification of the 6 degrees of freedom (d.o.f.) Gough-Stewart platform where the linear actuators have been replaced by cable-driven pantographs. This device is used as a haptic interface. The goal of this design is to be used as a first prototype of a haptic device that tries to explote the particular characteristics of parallel structures to get a high bandwidth haptic interface able to be used as an impedance or as an admittance display. The remainder of the chapter is as follows; first some considerations about using parallel structures as haptic devices are made; then the geometrical model and the kinematic analysis are shown. Next, the hardware and software architectures used on the system, and the control schemes implemented on a multi-axis board are detailed. The designed control setup of the interface allows the implementation and experimentation of several bilateral control schemes. Experimental results with this device inside a classical force-position bilateral control are also shown at the end of this chapter. © 2007 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.