The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 17, 2001
Filed:
Oct. 22, 1998
Ali Faraz, Coquitlam, CA;
Shahram Payandeh, Port Moody, CA;
Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, CA;
Abstract
A haptic interface for a remote manipulator uses a tunable spring to provide force reflection. The remote manipulator has an operating member coupled to the tunable spring. The operating member is also coupled to a manipulator member. A controller monitors the force with which an operator so moves the operating member and varies a spring constant of the tunable spring to keep the force exerted by the manipulator member on an object at a desired level. The haptic interface allows simultaneous control over the maximum force exerted by the manipulator member as well as the transmission ratio between the operating member and the manipulator member. The remote manipulator may be a surgical grasper, for example. A tunable spring can be smaller and lighter than the high torque actuators used in some prior remote manipulators which provide force feedback.