CHS: Small: Toward a New Generation of Untethered Magnetic Haptic Interfaces

该项目将通过开发一种不受束缚的手持界面来推进基于磁悬浮的触觉界面的科学和技术，在这种界面中，磁力被施加到自由移动的工具上，而不是物理上附着在更大设备上的手柄上。该项目将力反馈设备扩展到一个包含自由移动的新发展浪潮中。目前的触觉设备使用机械连接将力和扭矩传递给用户。这些新的无系绳设备将使用投影磁场和外部跟踪工具，这样用户就可以从任何物理连接中解脱出来。该项目将有助于开发新的显微外科系统，用于在对实际患者进行手术之前对新手外科医生进行培训和评估。该项目将研究一种新型的磁性触觉界面，一种不受束缚的磁性界面，通过使用将磁场投射到自由空间的电磁铁，将力/扭矩施加到附着在触控笔上的永磁体上。必须跟踪永磁体的位置和方向，为设备提供反馈，使其作为触觉界面工作。与必须封装部分触控笔的洛伦兹力界面不同，该项目将生产一种不受束缚的界面，在这种界面中，触控笔可以完全脱离电磁铁系统，从而消除触觉触控笔与系统其余部分之间的物理联系，并将触控笔的惯性减少到只有触控笔本身的惯性。该项目有三个目标：(1)开发控制无系绳磁触觉界面的分析关系。许多现有的触觉设备的基本原理将需要重新考虑，例如工作空间大小，触控笔惯性，最大力/扭矩产生，最大稳定表面刚度和采样更新率之间的基本权衡。(2)采用高速图像处理技术来跟踪无系绳手动工具中可能的六个运动自由度。(3)实现一种优化后的模拟白内障手术的磁触觉界面原型。

This project will advance the science and technology of magnetic-levitation-based haptic interfaces by developing an untethered hand-held interface in which magnetic forces are applied to a freely moving tool rather than a handle that is physically attached to a larger device. The project will extend force-feedback devices into a new wave of development that incorporates free mobility. Current haptic devices use mechanically linkages to impart forces and torques to the user. These new untethered devices will use projected magnetic fields and an externally tracked tool so that the user is freed from any physical linkage. The project will contribute to the development of new microsurgical systems that can be used to train and evaluate novice surgeons prior to conducting surgery on actual patients.This project will investigate a new type of magnetic haptic interface, an untethered magnetic interface that renders force/torque to a permanent magnet attached to a stylus by using electromagnets that project their magnetic fields into free space. The position and orientation of the permanent magnet must be tracked to provide feedback for the device to work as a haptic interface. Unlike Lorentz-force interfaces, which must encase a portion of the stylus, the project will produce an untethered interface in which the stylus can be completely removed from the electromagnet system, thus eliminating the physical linkage between the haptic stylus and the rest of the system, and reducing stylus inertia to only that of the stylus itself. The project has three goals: (1) To develop the analytical relationships that will govern untethered magnetic haptic interfaces. Many of the existing basic principles for haptic devices will need to be reconsidered, such the fundamental trade-offs among workspace size, stylus inertia, maximum force/torque generation, maximum stable surface stiffness, and sampling update rate. (2) To adapt high-speed image-processing techniques to track the six degrees of freedom of movement that are possible in an untethered manual tool. (3) To realize a prototype magnetic haptic interface that is optimized for simulating cataract surgery.