JPH04129682A - Multishaft joy stick - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To expand the detected shaft number by fitting one end of the telescopable arm which can amount an arm to a pedestal via a base end bracket having two orthogonal rotating shafts, and fitting a grip via the tip bracket having two rotating shafts orthogonal with the arm. CONSTITUTION:The motion of an arm centering the motion of a hand and an elbow is transmitted as the control command of a slave, in the state of gripping a grip 22 with the arm being mounted on an arm 12. Namely the grip 22 gripped by a hand is connected to a freely telescopic arm 12 via a tip bracket 24, so the grip 22 monobody can be turned in every direction centering around a wrist. Moreover the arm 12 itself is fitted to a pedestal via the base end bracket 16 having orthogonal two shafts. Consequently the arm 12 can be rotated horizontally and upward and downward centering around the elbow.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to improvements to joysticks, and particularly to a multi-axis joystick that increases the number of operation conversion axes to enable high-level control operations and facilitates control of multi-axis operation targets such as manipulators.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, commonly used joysticks have an operating stick supported by ball bearings, etc. to enable rocking rotation, and this rocking rotation is broken down into two-axis movements on plane orthogonal coordinates, and this movement is The amount is further detected as the amount of rotation around each axis using an encoder or the like. These detection signals are combined and proportionally output to the slave side. Therefore, by manually swinging the joystick in any direction, the slave can be moved in a plane.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

With conventional joysticks, the operation of the operating stick is usually detected as the amount of rotation of the plane orthogonal coordinate axes, so it is only possible to instruct the slave to perform control operations on the plane. Therefore, when performing three-dimensional slave operation,
It was necessary to change the slave movement plane in many ways using a switch or the like. However, with this method, there is a problem in that not only the switch operation for switching is complicated, but also the operating direction of the joystick and the control direction of the slave do not match, resulting in a very poor operability. This is particularly difficult when manually controlling a multi-axis machine such as a manipulator. The present invention has focused on the above-mentioned conventional problems, and can expand the number of axes for detecting various operations on the mask side, can move the joystick operation direction to match the direction of three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate axes, and has three-dimensional The present invention aims to provide a multi-axis joystick that can generate position and orientation data in the original space.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the multi-axis joystick according to the present invention is provided by attaching one end of an extendable arm on which an arm can be placed to a base via a proximal end bracket having two orthogonal rotation axes. A grip is attached to the extensible tip side of the arm, and the grip is attached via a tip bracket having two rotation axes orthogonal to the arm, thereby making it possible to create a structure with five degrees of freedom.
Each rotating shaft is equipped with a mechanism that returns to the neutral point, and sensors are attached to the rotating and sliding nodes between each element to detect their displacements, making it possible to detect rotational and expansion/contraction displacements. be. In the above configuration, in order to add one more axis to create a 6-axis structure, a second bracket having a rotation axis along an axis passing through the intersection of the two orthogonal axes is attached to the tip bracket, and this second bracket The grip may be rotatably attached to the handle. Further, in order to improve operability, the orthogonal rotation axes of the tip bracket are attached so that their intersection points are located at the center of the human wrist.

[Effect]

According to the above configuration, with the arm resting on the arm and gripping the grip, hand motions and arm motions centered on the elbow can be transmitted as control commands to the slave. That is, since the grip held by the hand is connected to the arm via the end bracket, the grip itself can be rotated vertically and horizontally around the wrist. Further, since the arm itself is attached to the base via a base end bracket having two orthogonal axes, the arm can be rotated horizontally and vertically around the elbow. Moreover, since the arm itself can extend and contract, by moving it back and forth while holding the grip, you can command the amount of extension and contraction of the arm in the front-rear direction and the speed of movement. Sensors are attached to the nodes of each element to measure the rotation angle and displacement of the sliding movement, so the position and speed of the slave corresponding to each element can be controlled, allowing position and attitude control in three-dimensional space. becomes possible. In particular, if the grip at the tip of the arm is attached to a tip bracket with two orthogonal axes and a second bracket is attached to make the rotation axes three orthogonal axes, the blip can be rotated around three axes at the tip of the arm, and the detection axis can be increased. Furthermore, by attaching the tip of the arm so that the intersection of the three orthogonal axes is located at the center of the human wrist, the translational movement of the operator's wrist can be detected by the three-axis detector on the base side of the arm. It is possible to more faithfully detect the rotational movement around the operator's wrist by using the three-axis detector on the distal end side of the arm. If a reversal switch is provided on the grip in place of or in conjunction with the second bracket, the working mode of each element can be switched to two stages.
In addition, commands for forward and reverse rotation of one axis can be given. Furthermore, by applying the above structure to the armrest arm of a chair, the worker can arbitrarily operate his arms and hands while sitting on the chair, improving work efficiency.

【Example】

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the multi-axis joystick according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a multi-axis joystick according to an embodiment, and FIG. 2 shows a skeleton diagram thereof. As shown in the figure, this joystick 10 has an arm 12 having a length approximately corresponding to the length of an arm, on which the arm can be placed. The arm 12 consists of a main arm 12A and a sub-arm 12B, both of which are slidably connected to each other to enable telescopic movement. In the case of the embodiment, this is formed so that it can expand and contract in the longitudinal direction of the arm 12 by a sliding mechanism using dovetails and dovetail grooves. Sub arm 12B is main arm 1
Sub arm 1 when placed on the bottom side of 2A and placing the arm on it.
Care has been taken to ensure that 2B does not become an obstacle when extending and contracting by hand. Note that a cylinder mechanism or other guide mechanism may be used instead of the sliding mechanism. Such an extendable arm 12 is attached to a fixed base 14, and is attached so that it can rotate horizontally and vertically via a bracket 16 having two rotation axes orthogonal to the base end of the main arm 12A. ing. That is, the base end bracket 16 includes a vertical rotation shaft 16A that is inserted through a cylindrical boss 18 that is formed to have a vertical axis on the surface of the base 14, and a U-shaped bracket that is integrally formed on the upper end of the vertical rotation shaft 16A. By inserting the vertical rotating shaft 16A into the cylindrical boss 18, the U-shaped bracket part 16
B is attached so that it can freely rotate horizontally about the vertical rotation axis 16A. Further, the U-shaped bracket portion 16B is configured to sandwich and hold both sides of the base end of the main arm 12A, and has a horizontal rotating shaft that passes through both and is disposed along a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the arm 12. 20 connects the main arm 12A so that it can rotate up and down. Therefore, the arm 12 can be horizontally rotated as a whole around the connecting portion with the base 14, and the tip of the arm 12 (sub-arm 12B) can be freely moved up and down in the vertical direction. Further, an operation grip 22 is attached to the tip of the sub-arm 12B which can be extended and retracted, but this is attached to a tip bracket 24 having a configuration substantially similar to the base bracket 16.
It is attached via. That is, the tip bracket 24 includes a vertical shaft 24A that is inserted into a cylindrical boss 26 that is integrally formed at the tip of the sub-arm 12B with its axis facing vertically, and a U-shape that is integrally formed at the tip of the vertical shaft 24A. The sub-arm 12B is configured to rotate around a vertical axis perpendicular to the arm axis at the tip position of the sub-arm 12B. The grip 22 is attached to such a tip bracket 24, and the grip 22 is sandwiched between the sides of the grip 22, and the horizontal shaft 2 passing through the clamping portion is attached to the grip 22.
8 so that it can swing vertically. As a result, the grip 22 can rotate horizontally and swing vertically with the position of the arm 12 as the center of coordinates. On the other hand, the operating grip 22 is rotatably attached to the horizontal shaft 28, and is formed on a flat plate with a certain thickness, so that it can be grasped with a horizontal hand with bent fingertips. There is. Also, to prevent your hand from leaving the grip 22 during operation,
A presser plate 30 that is curved so as to wrap around the inside of the hand is integrally attached to the grip 22. Furthermore, a switch 32 is arranged and set on the finger rest part of the grip 22, so that it is possible to switch between forward and reverse modes in each operation mode. As described above, the joystick 10, which has a rotating joint and a sliding joint, is further provided with means for automatically returning to a neutral point determined in the middle of the operating stroke of each element. This is constituted by a spring, and each rotating shaft 16A, 20, 2
4A and 28 are attached with springs for regulating rotation, such as spiral coil springs, and compression or tension coil springs are attached to the extendable portions of the main arm 12A and sub-arm 12B. Further, a gravity balancer may be attached to a weight supporting portion such as an elevating/elevating portion at the base end of the arm 12. Therefore, each element automatically returns to a predetermined neutral point when no operating force is applied by the arm or hand. Furthermore, a sensor is attached to each movable part to detect displacement from a neutral point between the elements. This is constructed by arranging a potentiometer or rotary encoder at the rotating node, and by arranging a linear scale, ultrasonic distance meter, etc. at the telescopic section. In the multi-axis joystick 10 configured in this way,
Place your arm on the arm 12 and place your hand on the grip 22 and presser plate 30.
Preparation for operation can be made by inserting the grip 22 between the two and grasping the grip 22. By moving the arm around the elbow, the arm 12 can be moved to any desired position around the proximal bracket 16. In addition, by moving the arm back and forth, the main arm 12A extends and contracts, and the length of the arm 12 can be changed. While determining the position of the tip of the arm 12 through such operations, the tip grip knob 22 can be handled in the same manner as a conventional joystick by swinging the grip 22 horizontally or up and down with a wrist motion. The movement of each element is captured by sensors installed at those nodes,
The slave at the tip of the manipulator can be operated proportionally via a controller (not shown). That is,
By operating the tip grip 22, it is possible to give a command in the working coordinate system of the manipulator to a speed proportional to the deviation of each axis from the neutral point, thereby controlling the position and orientation of the tip of the manipulator. FIG. 3 shows an operating state in which the multi-axis joystick of the above embodiment is applied to the armrest arm of a chair. That is, chair 3
The base 14 is attached to the side surface of the main body of the arm 12.
is set so that it is at the height of the armrest. According to this example, the operator can operate the device while sitting on the chair 34. Next, FIG. 4 shows the main structure of the second embodiment. This grip is a rod-shaped grip 36, and two brackets 38 and 40 are attached to the tip of the arm 12 so that the grip can be rotated about three orthogonal axes. That is,
Attached to the cylindrical boss 26 formed at the tip of the sub-arm 12B is a first bracket 38 bent into an L-shape and capable of horizontal rotation about a vertical shaft 42 inserted therethrough. A first horizontal shaft 44 perpendicular to the vertical shaft 42 is attached to the vertical plate portion of this bracket 38, and a second bracket 40 bent in a planar shape is attached to this. Therefore, the second bracket 40 is vertically swingable at a position in front of the arm 12. One piece of the second bracket 40 is bent so as to cross the front of the arm 12;
A horizontal shaft 46 is attached to the second horizontal shaft 46, and the rod-shaped grip 36 is attached to the second horizontal shaft 46 so as to be capable of so-called rolling rotation. In such an embodiment, the grip 36 can rotate around three orthogonal axes on the distal end side of the arm 12, and the number of rotation axes can be increased compared to the previous embodiment. This makes it possible to generate position/orientation data (six dimensions) in three-dimensional space of the manipulator operated by the joystick. FIG. 5 shows a third embodiment, which differs from the second embodiment in that each rotation is made so that the center of the orthogonal rotation axis of the grip 36 provided at the tip of the arm 12 coincides with the center of the human wrist. The shafts 42, 44, 46 are arranged. That is, the arm 12 on which the arm 50 is placed is made extendable and retractable by the linear guide 52, and the entire arm 12 is made capable of three-dimensional movement by three orthogonal axes 54, 56, and 58 on the base end side,
Furthermore, the grip 36 is also perpendicular to the tip 3 of the arm 12.
Three-dimensional movement is possible around axes 42, 44, 46. In particular, the intersection of the rotational center lines of the respective rotational axes 42, 44, 46 of the tip grip 36 is set to coincide with the center of the wrist 60. In addition, arm 50
A band 62 is provided so as to fix it on the arm 12. Thereby, the translational motion and rotational motion of the operator's wrist can be faithfully transmitted to the rotational motion of the joint of the arm and the motion of the translational axis.

【Effect of the invention】

As explained above, according to the multi-axis joystick according to the present invention, the number of detection axes can be expanded to six axes,
An excellent effect can be obtained in that data for each position and orientation can be generated while moving the operating direction of the joystick grip in substantially the same direction as the three orthogonal coordinate axes.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a multi-axis joystick according to the first embodiment, Fig. 2 is a skeleton diagram thereof, Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an example in which the multi-axis joystick is applied to the armrest of a chair, and Fig. 4 5 is a partial perspective view of a joystick according to a second embodiment, and FIGS. 5(1) and 5(2) are a plan view and a side view of a multi-axis joystick according to a third embodiment. 10... Joystick, 12...
Arm, 14...Base, 16...Base end bracket, 16A...Vertical rotation axis, 20...
...Horizontal rotation axis, 22...Operation grip,
24...Tip bracket, 24A...
Vertical axis, 28...Horizontal axis.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1) One end of an extendable arm on which an arm can be placed is attached to a base via a base end bracket having two orthogonal rotation axes, and a grip is provided on the extendable end side of the arm. , and the grip is attached via a tip bracket having two rotating shafts orthogonal to the arm, and the rotating shaft section is provided with a mechanism for returning to a neutral point, and the rotating nodes between each element and A multi-axis joystick characterized in that a sensor for detecting the displacement of the sliding joint is attached to the sliding joint so that rotation and expansion/contraction displacement can be detected. 2) A second bracket is attached to the tip bracket, the second bracket having a rotation axis along an axis passing through the intersection of two orthogonal axes thereof, and the grip is rotatably attached to the second bracket. The multi-axis joystick according to claim 1. 3) The multi-axis joystick according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the orthogonal rotation axes of the tip bracket are attached such that their intersection points are located at the center of the human wrist.