User interface for active drive apparatus with finite range of motion

1. A system comprising:

a controller configured to:

determine a user interface status, the user interface status including user interaction of a user interface;

determine a drive mechanism location relative to a first limit and a second limit, wherein the drive mechanism location comprises a location of a gripper device between the first limit and the second limit; and

select a clutching location based on the user interface status and drive mechanism location.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to operate as a continuous drive system to a user.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user interface status is associated with a position of the user interface.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the clutching location is selected at one of a central location, the first limit, and the second limit in response to a user interface velocity.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user interface status includes at least one of an active status and an inactive status.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the inactive status includes a determination by the controller that user interaction of the user interface has ceased.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to transmit an alert to an user interface device during clutching.

8. A method comprising:

determining a user interface status, the user interface status including a user interaction of a user interface;

determining a drive mechanism location relative to a first limit and a second limit along a slave device, wherein the drive mechanism location comprises a location of a gripper device between the first limit and the second limit; and

determining whether to clutch the slave device based on the user interface status and drive mechanism location.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising instructing the drive mechanism to clutch based on the drive mechanism location being between one of the first limit and second limit.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising instructing the drive mechanism to clutch based on the user interface status being an inactive status.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the inactive status is determined by a computing device that user interaction of the user interface has ceased.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the determination that user interaction has ceased includes a detection of no contact with the user interface.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the determination that user interaction has ceased includes a detection of no contact with the user interface for a predetermined amount of time.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium tangibly embodying computer-executable instructions, the instructions comprising instructions for:

determining a user interface status, the user interface status including a user interaction of a user interface;

determining a drive mechanism location relative to a first limit and a second limit along a slave device, wherein the drive mechanism location comprises a location of a gripper device between the first limit and the second limit; and

determining whether to clutch the slave device based on the user interface status and drive mechanism location.

15. The medium of claim 14 , further comprising instructing the drive mechanism to clutch based on the drive mechanism location being between one of the first limit and second limit.

16. The medium of claim 15 , further comprising instructing the drive mechanism to clutch based on the user interface status having an inactive status.

17. The medium of claim 16 , wherein the inactive status is determined by a computing device that user interaction of the user interface has ceased.

18. The medium of claim 17 , further comprising transmitting an alert to an user interface device during clutching.