A Trial of Hybrid-Type Sensor Fusion System Using Micro-Multi-Axis Force Sensor

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

The researchers developed a system that human operator can handle and machine an object in the micrometer world using multi-axis force information even though the operator exists in the normal human world. In the system the main controller is transputer system which allows distributed control. More concretely the following items were realized: (i)a tele-micro-machining and handling system which covers the range from micrometer to millimeter scale, and (ii)multi-axis force-to-auditory information transformation technique, concentrating auditory sense among the five human sense, to enhance the operability of the system.The tele-micro-handling/machining system consists of the following parts: (i)the micro-handling/machining mechanism, (ii)the master manipulator device, (iii)an (optical stereo) microscope with a CCD camera, (iv)the multi-axis force information to auditory information transformation module, and (v)the controller. The micro handling/machining mechanism consists of the right … More and left sets of hands. Each hand is made up of coarse positioners, fine positioners, a multi-axis force sensor and an end-effector (tool). Three-exis force sensors are installed on both the right and left hands to detect the applied force on each tool. The force sensor has a parallel plate structure and the deformation is detected by strain gauges. The rated maximum load value of the force sensor is 900 mN for each direction and the resolution is 0.45 mN. The multi-axis force signal is amplified by a strain amplifier and is acquired by the controller (transputer system). This signal is sent to the master manipulator to enhance the controllability by realizing force feedback type bilateral control. Furthermore the force information is transformed into auditory information by sending the signals to D.C. amplifiers which drive speakers. The coarse positioners and the precise positioners are each controlled by a transputer. Force signal detection for the 3-axis force sensors installed on the left and right micro-manipulators is also executed as an independent task on a transputer. The control software on the transputers and the server software on the UNIX workstation communicate using software executed on the root transputer installed on the s-bus of the workstation. The multi-axis force information from the force sensors is decomposed into the orthogonal force vectors concurrently on a transputer.The following experiments were executed to certify the effectiveness of the system. In the experiment, the operator is provided with the task of removing paint with a thickness on the order of 100 mum from an aluminum alloy substrate. The operator is requested to remove the paint with constant maximum force. This experiment is similar to the task of repairing the wiring of a printed circuit board. It became clear from the experiment that the operator can control the maximum value of the thrust force when the absolute value of the force is presented as auditory information. This experiment shows the effectiveness of the system. Less