Design, Modeling, and Control of Magnetorheological Fluid-Based Force Feedback Systems

本研究将开发一种基于磁流变（MR）流体装置的力反馈遥操作机器人系统。遥控机器人系统由操作员操作一个操纵器（主）直接控制远程操纵器（从），其作用于外部对象。 现有技术的力反馈遥控机器人系统采用DC马达、液压装置或其他线性致动器来模拟当远程从设备触摸外部物体时遇到的阻力。 这些系统具有以下缺点：（1）从惯性通常显著大于其对应的主惯性，这导致从与其外部对象之间的碰撞发出的大信号的反馈。(2)力反馈需要更大的部件（马达、液压装置等），限制了系统在许多应用中的使用，特别是微创遥控机器人手术。(3)多自由度力反馈系统由于机电和控制问题与人机界面的耦合而固有地复杂，导致过高的成本。通过将新型3-D MR流体装置与完整的3-D微结构分析和控制协同结合，PI将创建克服上述传统力反馈系统局限性的新型力反馈系统。这项研究将集中在远程机器人系统，主要是远程机器人手术，其中包括一个外科医生处理一个机械手（主）直接控制一个远程机器人（从），这对病人的行为。目前的系统只能产生视觉反馈。 这项奋进的目标是不仅为外科医生提供视觉反馈，还提供触觉反馈。在这项研究的许多应用中，将有能力使纽约的外科医生能够安全地为伊拉克的士兵做手术。 基础研究的贡献是专门设计的磁流变（MR）流体设备和相应的软件来控制它们的发展。由悬浮在油中的微米和纳米尺寸的铁颗粒组成的MR流体，随着低水平施加的磁场的施加而极大地改变其流动能力。 这些MR流体设备将能够从远处模拟机器人遇到的阻力，从而使外科医生能够真实地“感受”远程机器人遇到的阻力。 这项研究的进展也可以应用于工业机器，生物医学，航空航天系统，机器人，视频和计算机游戏以及虚拟现实设备。 作为促进广泛学习和教育的努力的一部分，调查人员将让大学本科生和中学生参与研究。在推广方面，调查人员将为“处于危险之中”的八年级女生牵头举办一个为期两周的工程迷你夏令营。

CMS-0528395Washington, GregoryAbstractThe research in this study will develop a force feedback system for telerobotic manipulation based on magnetorheological (MR) fluid devices. Telerobotic systems consist of an operator handling one manipulator (the master) directly controlling a remote manipulator (the slave), which acts on an external object. Current state of the art force feedback telerobotic systems employ DC motors, hydraulics, or other linear actuators to simulate the resistances encountered when the remote slave touches an external object. These systems suffer from the following drawbacks: (1) Slave inertias are in general considerably larger than their corresponding master inertias, which leads to the feedback of large signals emanating from impacts between the slave and its external object. (2) Force feedback necessitates larger components (motors, hydraulics, etc.), limiting the systems' use in a number of applications, especially minimally invasive telerobotic surgery. (3) Multi degree of freedom force feedback systems are inherently complex due to the coupling of electromechanical and control issues with a human interface, leading to prohibitive cost. By synergistically combining novel 3-D MR fluid devices with the full 3-D microstructural analysis and control, the PIs will create novel force feedback systems that overcome the limitations of traditional force feedback systems, listed above. This study will focus on telerobotic systems, mainly telerobotic surgery which consists of a surgeon handling one manipulator (the master) directly controlling a remote robot (the slave), which acts on the patient. Current systems only produce visual feedback. The goal of this endeavor will be to provide not only visual feedback to the surgeon but tactile feedback as well. Among the many applications of this research will be the ability to enable a surgeon in New York to safely operate on a soldier in Iraq. The fundamental research contribution is the development of specially designed magnetorheological (MR) fluid devices and the accompanying software to control them. An MR fluid, consisting of micro and nano sized iron particles suspended in oil, greatly changes its ability to flow with the application of a low level applied magnetic field. These MR fluid devices will have the ability to mimic from afar the resistance encountered by the robot, thereby enabling the surgeon to realistically "feel" what the remote robot encounters. The advances of this research can also be applied to industrial machines, biomedicine, aerospace systems, robotics, video and computer games, and virtual reality devices. As a part of the effort to promote learning and education in broad levels, the investigators will engage both college undergraduates and middle school students in the research. In reference to outreach, the investigators will spearhead a two-week engineering mini camp for "at risk" 8th grade girls.