CRII: CHS: Improving Dexterous Manipulation with Telerobots Through Operator-Sensitive Haptic Display

人在环远程机器人系统（HiLTS）应该为操作员提供所需的触觉反馈，以支持类似于自然身体的灵巧操作。 不幸的是，提供强大的动觉触觉反馈通常是以牺牲控制稳定性为代价的，而使用操作员手臂阻抗的简化模型无法改善控制稳定性，而该模型没有考虑到个人通常在整个给定任务中动态调节该值。 本研究的主要目的是测试以下假设：根据操作员的阻抗调制动觉触觉设备的受控和/或固有阻抗将改善 HiLTS 的界面和实用性。 改进触觉反馈方法是 HiLTS、触觉显示和人机交互领域的一个重要研究领域。 这项工作将提供一个将触觉设备阻抗与用户阻抗相关联的框架，并产生一套可推广的原则，用于研究触觉设备阻抗对用户阻抗的所有方面。 最终，项目成果将导致远程机器人更接近其操作员的体现，从而实现更强大和灵巧的操作。 这项工作将对各种应用产生广泛影响，包括手术机器人、上肢假肢和康复机器人。 教育和外展活动将包括会议研讨会、HiLTS 专题课程、实验室参观以及针对 K-12 和代表性不足的学生的夏季活动。仅使用肌肉激活和关节配置的知识就可以实时测量操作员手臂阻抗，此外，这些测量可以用作机器人控制和稳定性的基础。 然而，这些方法尚未在触觉显示领域获得广泛关注，考虑到人类和设备动力学通过动觉触觉设备的耦合性质，该领域存在巨大的潜力。 因此，改进当前的触觉显示方法，尤其是 HiLTS，应涉及通过触觉设备主动调制操作员的阻抗，其方式与通过与自然肢体的物理交互发生的调制一致。 这项研究将有助于从理论上和实证上理解触觉设备阻抗对人类用户端点手臂刚度的影响，以提高 HiLTS 的实用性。 该方法将涉及：（1）确定端点臂刚度与环境阻抗之间的关系； (2) 确定端点手臂刚度与触觉设备阻抗之间的关系； (3) 量化 HiLTS 中触觉设备阻抗调制对端点手臂刚度的影响。

Human-in-the-loop tele-robotic systems (HiLTS) should provide their operators with the haptic sensory feedback needed to support dexterous manipulation akin to what is capable with the natural body. Unfortunately, providing robust kinesthetic haptic feedback often comes at the expense of control stability, which cannot be improved using simplified models of the operator's arm impedance that fail to take into account that individuals typically dynamically modulate this value throughout a given task. A primary objective of this research is to test the hypothesis that modulation of a kinesthetic haptic device's controlled and/or inherent impedance in accordance with the operator's impedance will improve the interface to and utility of HiLTS. Improving haptic feedback methodologies is an important area of research in HiLTS, haptic display, and human-machine interaction more generally. This work will provide a framework for relating haptic device impedance to user impedance and produce a set of generalizable principles for investigating all aspects of haptic device impedance on user impedance. Ultimately, project outcomes will lead to tele-robots that come closer to being embodied by their operators, thereby allowing for more robust and dexterous manipulation. The work will have broad impact on a variety of applications including surgical robotics, upper-limb prosthetics, and rehabilitation robotics. Educational and outreach activities will include conference workshops, a special topics course on HiLTS, lab tours, and summer activities for K-12 and underrepresented students.Real-time measurements of the operator's arm impedance are possible using only knowledge of muscle activation and joint configuration, and further, these measures can be used as a basis for robotic control and stability. However, these methods have yet to gain widespread attention in the field of haptic display, where significant potential exists given the coupled nature of the human and device dynamics through a kinesthetic haptic device. Therefore, improving upon current methods of haptic display, especially for HiLTS, should involve active modulation of the operator's impedance through the haptic device, in a manner consistent with the modulations which occur through physical interaction with the natural limb. This research will contribute to both a theoretical and empirical understanding of the effect of haptic device impedance on the endpoint arm stiffness of a human user for the purpose of improved utility in HiLTS. The approach will involve: (1) identifying relationships between endpoint arm stiffness and environment impedance; (2) identifying relationships between endpoint arm stiffness and haptic device impedance; and (3) quantifying the effect of haptic device impedance modulation on endpoint arm stiffness in HiLTS.