Importance

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Abstract

A hand-held controller for a robot end effector having force and position control is disclosed. A single tactile area of the operator's hand, such as one finger, responds to two distinct feedback 'feels' which are created by movement of a single element in two degrees of freedom that are both pivotable and rotatable in nature. Rotation of the trigger contacting element about its longitudinal axis is responsive to and reflects the amount of grasp force exerted by the end effector. Deflection of a guard encasing that trigger around a pivot point is responsive to and reflects the amount of movement of the end effector. The operator controls the position and grasp force of an end effector by exerting pressure against the trigger guard and, in turn, can 'feel' two distinct feedbacks at the control finger. The feedback is indicative of both the grasp force and position of the controlled end effector. The trigger and its guard both pivot as a single unit in order to reflect position feedback, whereas the trigger within the guard rotates to reflect grasp force feedback.

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First Claim