Enhanced telepresence and telesurgery systems automatically update coordinate transformations so as to retain alignment between movement of an input device and movement of an end effector as displayed adjacent the input device. A processor maps a controller workspace with an end effector workspace, and effects movement of the end effector in response to the movement of the input device. This allows the use of kinematically dissimilar master and slave linkages. Gripping an input member near a gimbal point and appropriate input member to end effector mapping points enhance the operator's control. Dexterity is enhanced by accurately tracking orientational and/or angles of movement, even if linear movement distances of the end effector do not correspond to those of the input device.

Camera referenced control in a minimally invasive surgical apparatus

The invention is an apparatus for physically exchanging a force with a user in an environment local to the user. A connection element connects to a user's body member and a linkage between the connection element and ground. The linkage includes means for powering at least three independent freedoms of the connection element relative to ground and means for maintaining at least one independent freedom of the connection element relative to ground free of power. Up to three independent freedoms of the connection element may be maintained free of power, and up to five independent freedoms may be powered. Other aspects of the invention include a two actuator counter-balance for controlling a point on a link. The invention also includes apparatus for establishing a virtual, switch, which presents to the user the force and displacement relationship of a spring switch. Another embodiment is a virtual bristled brush, again which presents to the user the force and displacement relationship of such a brush, while also changing the virtual environment to reflect the user's changes in location.

Force reflecting haptic interface

An endoscope captures images of a surgical site for display in a viewing area of a monitor. When a tool is outside the viewing area, a GUI indicates the position of the tool by positioning a symbol in a boundary area around the viewing area so as to indicate the tool position. The distance of the out-of-view tool from the viewing area may be indicated by the size, color, brightness, or blinking or oscillation frequency of the symbol. A distance number may also be displayed on the symbol. The orientation of the shaft or end effector of the tool may be indicated by an orientation indicator superimposed over the symbol, or by the orientation of the symbol itself. When the tool is inside the viewing area, but occluded by an object, the GUI superimposes a ghost tool at its current position and orientation over the occluding object.

Tool position and identification indicator displayed in a boundary area of a computer display screen

In a coupled control mode, the surgeon directly controls movement of an associated slave manipulator with an input device while indirectly controlling movement of one or more non-associated slave manipulators, in response to commanded motion of the directly controlled slave manipulator, to achieve a secondary objective. By automatically performing secondary tasks through coupled control modes, the system's usability is enhanced by reducing the surgeon's need to switch to another direct mode to manually achieve the desired secondary objective. Thus, coupled control modes allow the surgeon to better focus on performing medical procedures and to pay less attention to managing the system.

Medical robotic system with coupled control modes

A synthetic representation of a robot tool for display on a user interface of a robotic system. The synthetic representation may be used to show the position of a view volume of an image capture device with respect to the robot. The synthetic representation may also be used to find a tool that is outside of the field of view, to display range of motion limits for a tool, to remotely communicate information about the robot, and to detect collisions.

Synthetic representation of a surgical robot

An articulated robot such as an arc welding robot includes a plurality of articulations and an end effector having a tool center point. To teach the robot, a coordinate transformation matrix for transforming coordinates between the articulations is determined from condition data of the articulations. A present position of the tool center point is calculated based on the coordinate transformation matrix and a moving vector is determined from the present position of the tool center point to a next position thereof. Thereafter, a new coordinate transformation matrix for transforming coordinates between the articulations is determined so that the posture of the end effector at the next position of the tool center point, which is calculated based on the first-mentioned coordinate transformation matrix and the moving vector, will coincide with the posture of the end effector at the present position of the tool center point. Then, new condition data of the articulations are calculated from the new coordinate transformation matrix.

Method of teaching a robot

A robot control system including a robot, a robot controller for controlling operation of the robot, and a teaching box for teaching the robot through the robot controller. The teaching box includes an input unit separate from the robot controller for entering a command signal to teach the robot its operation to be effected and a control unit for controlling the input unit and processing and for applying the command signal to the robot controller.

Robot control system

PURPOSE: To realize an information production system having high universal applicability and high conformity by using an editing device connectable to a desired robot via a controller independently of a computer aided design system and therefore converting the given teaching information into the coordinate value of a reference coordinate system as well as into a wrist angle. CONSTITUTION: An editing device 4 is provided independently of a computer aided design CAD system 2 and connected to a desired robot 8 via an R/B controller 6. The teaching information given from the system 2 is transferred via a floppy disk 36. The device 4 consists of an input/output controller 38, a display device 40 and a mouse 42 and receives input of the numerical value, etc., via an alphameric/ KATAKANA (square form of Japanese syllabary) keyboard 44. Then the device 4 converts the teaching information given from the system 2 into the coordinate value of a reference coordinate system and the wrist information in terms of format. Furthermore, the device 4 has communication with the controller 6 with correction of errors and produces the information format coincident with the robot 8 to store it after the fine control of the teaching information carried out at a site via a teaching box 46. In such a constitution, the universal applicability and the conformity are improved for a robot teaching information production system. COPYRIGHT: (C)1988,JPO&Japio

Production system for teaching data on industrial robot

PURPOSE: To reduce the working load of a robot by correcting the teaching data so as to secure the coincidence between three reference points of the old teaching data and a work point of an end factor. CONSTITUTION: A robot controller 20 obtains the positions A of three reference point which are not set on a single straight line from the old teaching data. Then a work point TCP of a welding torch 46 is moved to three reference points which are used in an old teaching job. Thus a position B of the point TCP is obtained at that time point. When these preparatory jobs are through, the controller 20 compares the position A of each reference point of the old teaching data with the point B of each corrected point TCP. Thus a conversion matrix T is calculated for production of the new teaching data. COPYRIGHT: (C)1989,JPO&Japio

Correcting method for robot teaching data

PURPOSE: To fix the position of a work point to teach a robot by obtaining a new coordinate transformation matrix coinciding with the position of the present work point based on a coordinate transformation matrix and a rotation matrix to calculate new state data of each joint. CONSTITUTION: A base coordinate system O 0 fixed to a base 26 and a hand coordinate system Oe fixed to a work point TCP on a work 15 are defined for an arc welding robot 14, and coordinate systems O 1 WO 6 are defined for respective joints. Coordinate transformation matrices between respective joints are obtained from state data of respective joints, and the position of the present work point is calculated based on these matrices and a rotation matrix to the next attitude is obtained. New state data of respective joints are calculated based on coordinate transformation matrices and the rotation matrix. Thus, the position of the work point is fixed to teach the robot, and the operation speed of the robot at the time of play-back is improved. COPYRIGHT: (C)1989,JPO&Japio

Kazuhiro Kawabata

Papers

Method of teaching a robot

Robot control system

Production system for teaching data on industrial robot

Correcting method for robot teaching data

Robot teaching method