A hand controller for enabling a user to perform an activity and method for controlling a robotic arm is provided. The hand controller includes a bar with a grip and a plurality of motors to provide a force feedback to the user in response to the movement of the plurality of mechanical arms. The method involves receiving input corresponding to the manipulation of a bar and providing a force feedback in response to the movement of the plurality of mechanical arms.

A hand controller for enabling a user to perform an activity and method for controlling a robotic arm is provided. The hand controller includes a bar with a grip and a plurality of motors to provide a force feedback to the user in response to the movement of the plurality of mechanical arms. The method involves receiving input corresponding to the manipulation of a bar and providing a force feedback in response to the movement of the plurality of mechanical arms.

A computer-assisted surgery system for performing a surgical procedure at a target area on a patient's anatomy. Said computer-assisted surgery system includes a robotic device having a plurality of joints and a plurality of actuators and a guide mechanically coupled to said robotic device. Said robotic device is configured to constrain said guide according to a pre-defined virtual geometry with said guide being movable along said pre-defined virtual geometry toward the target area on the patient's anatomy. The computer-assisted surgery system also includes a computer in communication with said robotic device and configured to command said robotic device to operate in one of a first mode in which said guide is manually manipulated by a user or a second mode in which said robotic device operates autonomously.

A nuclear dismantling system for dismantling equipment contaminated with radioactive contamination, including a dismantling apparatus to be operated remotely while in a nuclear facility and a control system communicatively coupled to the dismantling apparatus to control the dismantling apparatus remotely.

An adaptive workspace mapping controller is provided having a fine balance between a progressive drift to the task area of interests and an adjustment of the remote force-motion resolution through scaling factor change. This adaptive workspace mapping controller gives the human the possibility to perform teleoperation activities in any environments without feeling the limitations of the haptic interface. Embodiments smartly and continuously adapts force-motion mapping in the teleoperation system, between the haptic device and the controlled robot, with respect to their respective workspaces and capabilities, to the task trajectories and interaction forces, and to user preferences. It significantly improves on the existing mapping controllers since the new drift-computation method and the additional adaptive-scaling step make it as efficient in large free-space motions as in quasi-static interaction tasks.

A versatile, compact, and high-fidelity haptic device is provided. The mechanical transparency of the design and the selection of proper actuation meet the challenges of an accurate and stiff haptic device with high and isotropic force capability. Such a haptic interface enables a precise remote control and provides perfect sense of the task interaction in any environments and applications.

An offline-to-online programming teaching system for robot arm trajectory and a method thereof are disclosed. In the system, a trajectory conversion and control device establishes an offline polishing reference trajectory and performs a polishing operation simulation using the offline polishing reference trajectory. The trajectory conversion and control device converts data flow of the simulation into a polishing reference trajectory. The trajectory conversion and control device calculates a deviation between an end position of the series robot arm and the polishing reference trajectory to generate a guidance force information. A haptic device adjusts the position command based on the guidance force information to achieve the technical effect of integrating offline-to-online programming to provide robot arm trajectory teaching.

A teleoperated robotic system that includes master control arms, slave arms, and a mobile platform. In use, a user manipulates the master control arms to control movement of the slave arms. The teleoperated robotic system can include two master control arms and two slave arms. The master control arms and the slave arms can be mounted on the platform. The platform can provide support for the master control arms and for a teleoperator, or user, of the robotic system. Thus, a mobile platform can allow the robotic system to be moved from place to place to locate the slave arms in a position for use. Additionally, the user can be positioned on the platform, such that the user can see and hear, directly, the slave arms and the workspace in which the slave arms operate.

Techniques for retracting an instrument into an entry guide include receiving a retraction command for the instrument, the retraction command commanding movement of the instrument into the entry guide; causing, in response to the retraction command and using an instrument manipulator, movement of a rotational joint of the instrument that is external to the entry guide toward a distal end of the entry guide; actuating, after the rotational joint reaches a minimum distance from the distal end of the entry guide, the rotational joint to orient a link of the instrument so that the link can be retracted into the entry guide, the link being adjacent to and distal to the rotational joint; and causing, after the link is oriented so that the link can be retracted into the entry guide and using the instrument manipulator, further movement of the rotational joint toward the distal end of the entry guide.

A method of operating a robotic control system comprising a master apparatus in communication with an input device having a handle and a slave system having a tool having an end effector whose position and orientation is determined in response to a position and orientation of the handle. The method involves producing a desired end effector position and a desired end effector orientation of the end effector, in response to a current position and a current orientation of the handle. The method further involves causing the input device to provide haptic feedback that impedes translational movement of the handle, while permitting rotational movement of the handle and preventing movement of the end effector, when a rotational alignment difference between the handle and the end effector meets a first criterion. The method further involves re-enabling translational movement of the handle when the rotational alignment difference meets a second criterion.