JPH0438507A - Joystick controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable the feedback of force and to realize versatility by outputting the control signal of a rotational torque by operating a commanded torque to a motor based on a command from a target device and a detection signal from a rotational angle detecting means. CONSTITUTION:When feeding back tensile strength to a joystick 18, first of all, data such as a mode setting command or the value of force feedback are fetched from a target device 38 through a communication table 42. Further, the potentio-angle of the joystick 18 is inputted from rotational angle detectors 30x and 30y of a stick manipulation part 10. Next, when a CPU 34 reads out a program from a memory 36 and operates an output torque, a controller 12 calculates the commanded value of a traveling position for a traveling object in the target device 38. This output torque is outputted through a D/A converter 44 to a current control amplifier 46 and on the other hand, the commanded value of the position is outputted through an RS232C interface 40 to the target device 38.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

r Industrial Application Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a joystick control device, and in particular, the present invention relates to a joystick control device, and in particular, the present invention provides a sense of realism in operation by feeding back the force acting between an operation object (cursor, etc.) on a display and other displayed objects to the joystick side. The present invention relates to a joystick control device capable of displaying.

[Conventional technology]

Traditionally, joysticks connected to computers are
The amount of operation of the stick is detected as a rotation angle around two orthogonal axes, and the combined value is converted into the amount of movement of a two-dimensional image of a moving object such as a cursor on the display, and the moving object can be moved by stay-tuk operation. I'm trying to move it. In this case, the operation amount of the joystick is simply commanded unilaterally to the moving target cursor or the like.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

Therefore, in the conventional method described above, only one-sided command output from the joystick side is possible.
There is a problem in that it is not possible to feel the force acting between the object to be operated on the display and other displayed objects, and the sense of realism of the operation cannot be obtained. Furthermore, a mask arm of a pirated mask slave manipulator is known as a device that feeds back the applied force. This main mask arm has the same number of axes as the slave arm and is equipped with a force sensor, and in order to achieve a sense of realism, the mask mechanism, its control system, and software are complex. however,
For robot work systems where there are limitations on the space, weight, and power capacity of the mask side, that is, the operator's operating device, or where the required feedback is limited within two degrees of freedom. A complicated system such as the one described above is unnecessary, and a smaller, lighter, simpler, and more versatile device is desirable. Conventional joysticks are small, lightweight, simple, and versatile as manual devices for robot manipulators, but none have been equipped with a feedback device. The present invention focuses on the above conventional problems and provides a versatile joystick control device that is a joystick capable of feedback and has a structure that does not require a force sensor or the like to be attached to the operating side of a mask or the like. The purpose is to

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, a joystick control device according to the present invention includes a mechanism that pivotally supports an operation stick so as to be able to swing and rotate, and converts the operation of the operation stick into a rotation amount around an orthogonal coordinate axis, A rotation angle detection means and a torque-controllable motor are connected to this conversion mechanism, and the moving amount of the target device is calculated from the detected displacement signal of the rotation angle detection means based on the operation of the operation stick and output to the target device. In addition, the configuration includes a calculation means for calculating a command torque to the motor based on a command from the target device and a detection signal from the rotation angle detection means and outputting a rotation torque control signal.

[Effect]

According to the above configuration, by swinging and rotating the operating stick, the operation amount is detected by the rotation angle detection means, and this is calculated by the calculation means as the movement amount of the moving body in the target device and output to the target device. . On the other hand, the force acting on the movable body and other constituent bodies is directly or indirectly sent to the calculation means from the target device as a command. This command is input as a direct torque command or as an indirect command corresponding to the acting force. The arithmetic means that receives this information can calculate a control torque based on the information on the operating angle of the operating stick, output a control current to the motor, and feed back the operating force to the operating stick. As a result, the operating feeling of the operating stick reflects the acting force exerted on the moving object in the target device, and a realistic feeling of operability is achieved.

【Example】

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the joystick control device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a joystick control device according to an embodiment, and FIG. 2 is an external configuration diagram thereof. As shown in this figure, the device includes a joystick operating section 10 and a controller 12. First, the joystick operating section 10 has an operating stick 18 with a grip handle 16 protruding from the top surface of a housing 14. The operating stick 18 is installed vertically on the housing 14 or is supported by a ball bearing 20 inside the housing 14, and is attached so as to be able to swing and rotate around the ball bearing 20. There is. In addition, the housing 14
Inside are a pair of torque control motors 228.22. is installed. This motor 228.22. The rotational axes of are arranged along two orthogonal axes (X-axis, y-axis) that are on a plane perpendicular to the operation stick 18 and pass through the center of the ball bearing 20. Also, both motors 228.22. The rotating shaft 24. ．． 24,
are fitted with arcuate levers 261 and 26 formed in an arc shape following a virtual spherical surface centered on the ball bearing 20, each of which has an elongated length 28 through which the operation stick 18 passes. Therefore, by rotating the operating stick 18 around the ball bearing 20, the amount of operation is changed by rotating the operating stick 18 around the ball bearing 20. ．． 26
．． The rotating shaft 248.24 of the motor 221.22a
．． is converted into a rotation amount and taken in as a rotation angle around the X-axis or y-axis. That is, the ball bearing 20 and the arcuate lever 26. ．． 26. constitutes a mechanism that converts the movement of the operating stay 18 into a rotation amount around the orthogonal coordinate axis. Further, the motor 22. ．． 22. At the rear end is a rotation angle detector 3 consisting of a potentiometer and rotary encoder.
08.30a is attached, which is the rotating shaft 24x, 2
4A to detect its rotation angle. On the other hand, the controller 12 detects the rotation angle detector 308.3.
0. It has a central processing unit (CPU) 34 which inputs a detection signal from the CPU via an A/D converter 32, and a memory 36 consisting of a ROM or SRAM in which a processing program is stored. The CPU 34 detects the tilt angle of the operation stick 18 using a rotation angle detector 30. ．． 30. At the same time, the target device 3 such as a monitor or robot
The conversion calculation is performed to the amount of movement of the moving body in 8. The calculation result is outputted to the tarp/sort device 38 through a communication cable 42 such as R8232C connected via an interface 40, and the movable object is moved on a monitor or the like. Further, the CPU 34 in the controller 12 receives the position movement data of the moving body outputted from the target device 38, and also inputs the arbitrarily set acting force that the moving body receives at its current position as a command or its torque command. It has become so. Upon receiving this input, the CPU 34 reads the conversion program stored in the memory 36, calculates a control value corresponding to the input command or torque command, and outputs it to the D/A converter 44. The controller 12 is provided with a current control amplifier 46, and the output signal from the D/A converter 44 is input to the current control amplifier 46, where the torque control motor 22. ．． 22. A control current is output to the motors 22, . 22. It is designed to be controlled and driven. That is, the CPU 34 uses the operation stick 1
A control current corresponding to a mode determined by a setting command such as movement resistance, viscous force, elastic force, etc., which is applied to the moving body by the operating force of 8 is calculated and outputted, and each motor 22.
．． 22. It is controlled and driven. Note that the controller 12 is equipped with a power supply unit 48 to supply necessary power. The operation of the controller 12 will be described with respect to the case where a spring force is fed back to the operation stick 18. As shown in Figure 3, after powering on the joystick control device and performing initial settings (step 10),
0.102), from the target device 38 to the communication cable 4
2, the mode setting command and feedback value data are taken in (step 104). Also, a rotation angle detector 30 of the stick operation section 10. ．． 30. Input the potentiometer angle of the operation stick 18 from (step 10)
6). Then, the CPU 34 reads the program from the memory 36 and calculates the output torque (step 108). In order to realize the spring force, the inclination angle of the operating stick 18 along the orthogonal axis xSY is set to θ8, θ,
and the corresponding output torques around the X and y axes are τ8, τ
, the relationship between the two can be set as shown in FIG. Therefore, the function for calculating the output torque τ in step 108 is obtained as τ,=f, (0M) τ,=f y(θ,). Therefore, the output torque τ can be processed by a simple arithmetic routine according to equation (1) using the set function. Once this output torque is calculated, the controller 12 calculates a command value for the movement position of the moving body in the target device 38 (step 200). This is the value θ8, θ, taken in step 106 above.
outputs useful data X, y to the tarp/nt device. For example, x=key=4θ. Generally, it is calculated as X = g x (θ,, θ,
), y"gy (θ8.θ, )), apply and set a useful calculation formula according to a command from the target device 38 side. In this way, the output torque τ is calculated, and at the same time the operation stake 18 moves the position a [x, y]
Once calculated, the output torque τ is output to the current control amplifier 46 via the D/A converter 44 (step 202).
), on the other hand, the position command value a is output to the target device 38 via the R3232C interface 40 (step 204). Torque control motors 22 □, 22 . are each set torque τ8,
Since a control current corresponding to τ is supplied, a force such as a force offset, a spring force, a viscous force, or an inertial force corresponding to the control current is fed back to the operation stick 18. As a result, the force acting on the movable body of the target device 38 when the movable body is operated is reflected on the operation stick 18 side, making it possible to perform remote control with a very realistic feeling. Further, the joystick control device according to the embodiment connects, for example, a computer equipped with a video game as the target device 38, and controls the moving object set in the game program by regarding it as, for example, the vehicle shown in FIG. You can also do it. In this case, the propulsion force of the vehicle is F. It is output to the target device 38 as [= to θ8]. On the other hand, the resistance force that impedes the progress of the vehicle is
As the operation resistance force along the axial direction, τ, = αT0 is the motor 22! Output to. Also, if the impact force that the vehicle receives in the vertical direction is taken as the operating force of the stick 18 along the y-axis direction, τ
, =βT, is output to the motor 22y. At this time, the vehicle is propelled by mα=F x−T, and the target device 3
At step 8, an image of how the robot is moved by the propulsion force is output. In addition, the above T! , T is a function of the vehicle position, speed, and acceleration, and T=C(x, dx/dxSd″x/dx″). This is calculated on the computer side of the target device 38 and taken into the controller 12. Next, a process in which the above-described embodiment is applied to control the force and position of a robot's hand will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in the same figure (1), this means that the robot arm 50
This is applied when a person is allowed to hold a pen 52 and draw a line on a curved surface 54. This type of tracing control can be achieved by coordinating position control in the X direction and force control in the X direction (especially in the negative direction). The horizontal linear movement of the pen 52 is made to correspond to the inclination angle of the operation stick 18 along the X-axis direction,
In addition, the amount of vertical movement of the pen 52 can be adjusted using the operation stick 1.
8 along the y-axis direction. That is, the X axis of the operation stick 18 is processed as a function similar to that of a normal joystick, and the X axis of the operation stick 18 is
The X-axis torque of 8 is a function according to Figure 6 (2), τyo = f 1 (θ,) The output of the arm to the controller as the horizontal linear movement speed of the pen tip is: X = to θ. Then, torque calculation (step 108) and output command value calculation (step 200) are performed. On the other hand, the y-axis torque of the operation stick 18 is
Assuming that the feedback is a value obtained by a constant proportional ratio of the vertical reaction force F applied to the pen tip detected by the force sensor 56 attached to the pen tip, τ,=αF. The output of the arm to the controller as the vertical movement displacement of the pen tip is Y = θ. Then, torque calculation (step 108) and output command value calculation (step 200) are performed. The pen tip force feedback value τ allows the operator to adjust the vertical position of the pen tip while feeling the pen pressure.

Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the present invention, a control stick is provided with a mechanism that pivotally supports the control stick so as to be able to swing and rotate, and converts the movement of the control stick into a rotation amount around an orthogonal coordinate axis. A rotation angle detection means and a torque-controllable motor are connected to this conversion mechanism, and the moving amount of the target device is calculated from the detected displacement signal of the rotation angle detection means based on the operation of the operation stick and output to the target device. At the same time, since it is equipped with a calculation means for calculating the command torque to the motor based on the command from the target device and the detection signal from the rotation angle detection means and outputting a rotation torque control signal, it is possible to perform feedback control. The joystick can be a versatile joystick control device.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of the joystick control device according to the embodiment, Fig. 2 is an external configuration diagram thereof, Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing, and Fig. 4 is the relationship between the operating angle of the operating stick and the control torque. 5 and 5 are explanatory views of feedback when the target device is a video game display vehicle as a moving object, and FIG. 6 is an explanatory view when applied to control the position of the hand of a robot arm. 10...joystick operation section, 12...
... Controller, 18 ... Operation stick, 20 ... Ball bearing, 22. ．． 22.・・・
...Torque control motor, 268.26.・・・・・・
・Arc lever 301.30°...Rotation angle detector, 34...Central processing unit, 36...
Memory, 38...Target device. Agent Patent Attorney Tomo Murakami - Figure 2, Figure 4, Figure 3, Figure 5, X-axis>

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1) The operating stick is pivotally supported for rocking rotation, and is equipped with a mechanism that converts the operation of the operating stick into a rotation amount around the orthogonal coordinate axis, and this conversion mechanism includes a rotation angle detection means and a torque controllable mechanism. A motor is connected, and the moving amount of the target device is calculated from the displacement signal detected by the rotation angle detection means based on the operation of the operation stick and outputted to the target device, and the rotation angle detection means receives commands from the target device and the rotation angle detection means. A joystick control device comprising a calculation means for calculating a command torque to the motor based on a detection signal from the motor and outputting a rotation torque control signal.