System for performing an input on a robotic manipulator
A system for performing an input on a robotic manipulator, wherein the system includes: a robotic manipulator having a plurality of links connected to one another by articulations and having actuators; a sensor unit configured to record an input variable, applied by a user by manually guiding the robotic manipulator, on the robotic manipulator, wherein the input variable is a kinematic variable or a force and/or a moment, and wherein the sensor unit is configured to transmit the input variable; and a computing unit connected to the robotic manipulator and to the sensor unit, the computing unit configured to transform the input variable received from the sensor unit via a predefined input variable mapping, wherein the input variable mapping defines a mathematical mapping of the input variable onto a coordinate of a graphical user interface or onto a setting of a virtual control element.
1. A system to perform an input on a robotic manipulator, the system comprising:
a robotic manipulator having a plurality of links including an end effector connected to one another by articulations and having actuators;
a sensor unit configured to record an input variable, applied by a user by user's manual guiding of the robotic manipulator, on the robotic manipulator, wherein the input variable is a kinematic variable or a force and/or a moment, and wherein the sensor unit is configured to transmit the input variable; and
a computing unit connected to the robotic manipulator and to the sensor unit, the computing unit configured to:
transform the input variable received from the sensor unit via a predefined input variable mapping, wherein the predefined input variable mapping defines a mathematical mapping of the input variable onto a setting of a virtual control element; and
actuate the actuators in such a manner that, during the manual guiding of the robotic manipulator, the robotic manipulator outputs a haptic feedback and/or a tactile feedback associated with a resistance-caused boundary, such that the robotic manipulator behaves as a rigid body to an extent made possible by the actuators against an attempted movement of the robotic manipulator.
2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the system comprises a display unit, the display unit configured to display at least one of the following:
the input variable;
an amount of the input variable;
the input variable as transformed;
an amount of the input variable as transformed;
a graphical user interface and objects on a graphical object surface; and
a mouse pointer.
3. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the display unit is a screen.
4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the sensor unit is further configured to record a current position and/or a current orientation of the robotic manipulator for transmitting the current position and/or the current orientation to the computing unit; and
the computing unit is further configured to:
actuate the actuators in such a manner that the robotic manipulator, during the manual guiding onto a predefined geometric structure, generates a resistance against movement of the robotic manipulator caused by the manual guiding; and
activate a predefined function if the resistance exceeds a predetermined limit value or if a distance of a predefined point of the robotic manipulator with respect to the predefined geometric structure undershoots a predetermined limit value.
5. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the predefined function is activation of an object on a graphical user interface, at least when a coordinate of the graphical user interface coincides with a predetermined coordinate range of the object.
6. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the predefined geometric structure is a plane and the plane is invariant in terms of its orientation and position with respect to a terrestrial coordinate system.
7. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the haptic feedback and/or the tactile feedback in each case further includes at least one feedback associated with the following:
coincidence of the input variable and/or the current position and/or the current orientation of the robotic manipulator with an object on a graphical user interface; and
coincidence of a coordinate of the graphical user interface with a predefined coordinate range of the object of the graphical user interface.
8. The system according to claim 7 , wherein in the case of the feedback the coordinate of the graphical user interface is assigned, using the computing unit, to the input variable and/or the current position and/or the current orientation of the robotic manipulator.
9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the computing unit is configured to actuate the robotic manipulator with gravity compensation.
10. A method of performing an input on a robotic manipulator having a plurality of links including an end effector connected to one another by articulations and having actuators, the method comprising:
recording, using a sensor unit, an input variable applied by a user by user's manual guiding of the robotic manipulator, on the robotic manipulator, wherein the input variable is a kinematic variable or a force and/or a moment;
transmitting the input variable using the sensor unit;
transforming, using a computing unit, the input variable received from the sensor unit via a predefined input variable mapping, wherein the predefined input variable mapping defines a mathematical mapping of the input variable onto a setting of a virtual control element; and
actuating, using the computing unit, the actuators in such a manner that, during the manual guiding of the robotic manipulator, the robotic manipulator outputs a haptic feedback and/or a tactile feedback associated with a resistance-caused boundary, such that the robotic manipulator behaves as a rigid body to an extent made possible by the actuators against an attempted movement of the robotic manipulator.
11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the method comprises displaying at least one of the following using a display unit:
the input variable;
an amount of the input variable;
the input variable as transformed;
an amount of the input variable as transformed;
a graphical user interface and objects on a graphical object surface; and
a mouse pointer.
12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the display unit is a screen.
13. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises:
recording, using the sensor unit, a current position and/or a current orientation of the robotic manipulator for transmitting the current position and/or the current orientation to the computing unit; and
actuating, using the computing unit, the actuators in such a manner that the robotic manipulator, during the manual guiding onto a predefined geometric structure, generates a resistance against movement of the robotic manipulator caused by the manual guiding; and
activating, using the computing unit, a predefined function if the resistance exceeds a predetermined limit value or if a distance of a predefined point of the robotic manipulator with respect to the predefined geometric structure undershoots a predetermined limit value.
14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the predefined function is activation of an object on a graphical user interface, at least when a coordinate of the graphical user interface coincides with a predetermined coordinate range of the object.
15. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the predefined geometric structure is a plane and the plane is invariant in terms of its orientation and position with respect to a terrestrial coordinate system.
16. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the haptic feedback and/or the tactile feedback in each case further includes at least one feedback associated with the following:
coincidence of the input variable and/or the current position and/or the current orientation of the robotic manipulator with an object on a graphical user interface; and
coincidence of a coordinate of the graphical user interface with a predefined coordinate range of the object of the graphical user interface.
17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein in the case of the feedback the method comprises assigning, using the computing device, the coordinate of the graphical user interface to the input variable and/or the current position and/or the current orientation of the robotic manipulator.
18. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the method comprises actuating, using the computing unit, the robotic manipulator with gravity compensation.