JPH06312391A - Remote control device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent erroneous operation in a remote control device for remote- controlling a working manipulator by halting a mark indicated on a screen so as to disable the input of an operating instruction corresponding to the motion of the mark on the screen until the execution of an operating instruction is completed. CONSTITUTION:A remote control device comprises micromanipulator 1 controlled respectively by control devices 3, 4, and a sample table 2, and CCD cameras 6a, 7a for picking up field view areas respectively including the front ends of the manipulators 1 through binoculars 9. Video signals for picked-up images are displayed on a pair of display devices 18, 19 in a head mounting display 16 worn by an operator, and are visualized as a stereoscopic image. A menu selected by a mouse 20 is displayed on a display device 19, and an input device 13 can be selectively changed over into one of first to fourth input modes. A cursor (mark) on the display screen is halted until a one operating instruction is completed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for remotely controlling an operation target such as a manipulator, and for example, remotely controlling an experimental manipulator in a space station from the earth or in a dangerous area such as a nuclear reactor. It can be used to remotely operate the work manipulators from the safe area.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a remote control device for performing experiments in a space station or working in a dangerous area, an operation target such as a manipulator or a moving table, a computer for controlling the manipulator, and an observation area for the manipulator are imaged Camera, a display for displaying the captured image, and an input device for inputting operation commands such as a manipulator to a computer, and operation commands corresponding to movements of a cursor or the like displayed on the display screen of the image. There are some that can be input.

[0003]

In the above remote control device, since the operation command is transmitted to the manipulator or the like via the wireless communication means, the manipulator or the like actually executes the operation command after it is input. There is a time delay due to the communication waiting time. In particular, in the case of remote control via a communication satellite, the communication distance is very long, resulting in a large time delay. Further, the actual state of the manipulator and the like does not match the state of the manipulator and the like displayed on the screen due to the communication delay of the image. Therefore, the operator may not be able to accurately grasp the communication waiting time, and may mistakenly assume that the execution of one operation command has been completed and input the next operation command. Conventionally,
The next operation instruction is stored in the input device for execution after the completion of execution of the previous operation instruction, or the instruction is ignored.

However, if the next operation command is input because of the illusion that the execution of one operation command has been completed,
Since the next operation instruction is not an instruction based on the actual state of the manipulator or the like, the manipulator or the like will perform an operation not intended by the operator even if it is executed after the completion of execution of the previous operation instruction. Further, when the next operation command is ignored, the operator cannot immediately determine whether the next operation command has been ignored or during communication, which causes confusion in the operation. That is, there is a problem in that an unintended command or a meaningless command is input to cause the manipulator or the like to perform an unexpected operation or cause an operator's erroneous operation.

Further, in the above remote control device, the movement distance of the manipulator or the like is instructed by moving a marker such as a cursor displayed on the screen. However, it is difficult to make the manipulator accurately perform a three-dimensional operation because the image of the observation area such as the manipulator displayed on the screen is planar.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a remote control device which can solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art.

[0007]

A remote control device according to the first aspect of the present invention includes an operation target, means for controlling the operation target, and
An indicator displayed on the display screen of the image, including means for capturing the observation region of the operation target, means for displaying the captured image, and means for inputting the operation command of the operation target to the control means. It is possible to input an operation command corresponding to the movement of the motion indicator, and the indicator remains stationary on the screen until the execution of one operation command is completed.

The remote control device according to the second aspect of the present invention includes an operation target, means for controlling the operation target, means for imaging the observation area of the operation target, means for displaying the captured image, and And a means for inputting an operation command of an operation target to the control means, the operation command corresponding to the movement of the sign displayed on the display screen of the image can be input, and the image can be visually recognized by the operator as a stereoscopic image. Thus, it has a pair of imaging devices and a pair of display devices arranged corresponding to the binoculars of the operator.

[0009]

According to the structure of the first aspect of the present invention, since the sign displayed on the screen remains stationary until the execution of one motion command is completed, an operation command corresponding to the movement of the sign on the screen is input. You cannot do it. As a result, the operator can clearly recognize the waiting time from the input of the operation command until the manipulator etc. actually executes the operation command, and the next operation command is executed before the execution of one operation command is completed. Can be prevented from being input.

According to the configuration of the second aspect of the present invention, the operator can visually recognize the image of the operation target observation area displayed on the screen of the display device as a stereoscopic image.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a remote manipulator for conducting an experiment in a space station, which is a micromanipulator 1 suitable for handling microscopic objects such as cells.
And the sample table 2 as operation targets. The micromanipulator 1 operates, for example, a jig such as a micropipette by a small distance in a three-dimensional direction along the X, Y, and Z axes, and the sample table 2 is, for example, a table on which a culture container is placed, X It is operated in a three-dimensional direction along the Y and Z axes.

The manipulator 1 is controlled by a first controller 3 and the sample table 2 is controlled by a second controller 4. Each of the control devices 3 and 4 is composed of a computer, and sends a signal corresponding to an operation command to each of the driving actuators of the manipulator 1 and the sample table 2, and sends an operation completion signal when the execution of the operation command is completed. A monitor 5 is connected to the first control device 3.

The tip of the experimental jig held by the manipulator 1 is located in the visual field region of the binocular microscope 9, and an image is taken through the binocular microscope 9 from the direction along the Z-axis with the visual field region as the observation region. A pair of image pickup devices are provided. That is, one imaging device is the binocular microscope 9
A CCD camera 6a arranged at the focal position of one of the eyepieces and a controller 6b of this camera, and the other imaging device is arranged at the focal position of the other eyepiece of the binocular microscope 9. It is mainly composed of a camera 7a and a controller 7b of this camera. The video signal of the image captured by the other imaging device 7a, 7b is branched and input to the first control device 3, and the image is displayed on the monitor 5.

One camera controller 6b is connected to the first display driver unit 11 via the communication device 56 and the video interface 10, and the other camera controller 7b is connected to the input device 13 from the video interface 12 via the communication device 57. After that, it is connected to the second display driver unit 15. Each of the display driver units 11 and 15 is connected to the head mount display 16. The head mounted display 16 includes a helmet 17 worn by the operator on the head, a first display device 18 arranged corresponding to one eye of the operator, and a first display device 18 arranged corresponding to the other eye of the operator. The first display driver unit 11 is connected to the first display device 18, and the second display driver unit 15 is connected to the second display device 19. Each of the display devices 18 and 19 can be composed of, for example, a CRT display device. As a result, the operator can visually recognize the images captured by the pair of image capturing devices 6 and 7 and displayed by the pair of display devices 18 and 19 as stereoscopic images.

The input device 13 is for inputting operation commands of the manipulator 1 and the sample table 2 to the respective control devices 3 and 4, and is constituted by a computer, and includes a mouse 20, a monitor 22, a data interface 23, and the above-mentioned. It is connected to the video interface 12 and the second display driver unit 15. By selecting the menu displayed on the second display device 19 with the mouse 20, the input device 13 is selectively switched to the first to fourth input modes, and in each input mode, the second display device 19 is switched to the other. Display different control images. That is, in the first input mode, the X and Y axis control image of the sample table shown in FIG. 2 is displayed, and in the second input mode, the Z axis control image of the sample table shown in FIG. 3 is displayed. In the input mode, the X and Y axis control image of the manipulator 1 similar to that in FIG. 2 is displayed, and in the fourth input mode, the Z axis control image of the manipulator 1 similar to that in FIG. 3 is displayed. A cursor (marker) 30 and X, Y coordinate axes 31, 32 are displayed on each X and Y axis control image, and a cursor (marker) 33 and a reference point of the manipulator 1 or sample table on each Z axis control image. 2 reference point Z coordinate scale 34, Z axis direction movement amount instruction scale 35 and Z
The coordinate digital display section 36 is displayed. Each cursor 3
0 and 33 can be moved by operating the mouse 20, and the movement amount and the movement direction of the manipulator 1 or the sample table 2 in the X and Y axis directions can be designated by moving the cursor 30 in the X and Y axis control image. , The amount of movement of the manipulator 1 or the sample table 2 in the Z-axis direction can be designated by moving the cursor 33 in the Z-axis control image. The monitor 22 displays the control image shown in FIGS. The video signal input from the input device 13 to the second display driver unit 15 is branched and sent to the monitor 38, and the monitor displays the same image as the second display device 19.

Operation commands corresponding to the movements of the cursors 30 and 33 are transmitted from the input device 13 to the relay computer 41 via the data interface 23 and the communication device 55. From the computer 41, each of the control devices 3 is transmitted. 4 to drive the manipulator 1 or the sample table 2 in accordance with the operation command. When the operation command is input to the input device 13, the input device 13 stops the movements of the cursors 30 and 33 on the screen and stops accepting new operation commands. When the operation of the manipulator 1 or the sample table 2 is completed and the control devices 3 and 4 send the operation completion signal as described above, the signal is transmitted to the input device 13 via the computer 41 and the data interface 23. By the operation completion signal, the input device 13 causes the cursors 30, 33
The stillness of the movement within the screen is released, and the next operation command can be accepted. The relay computer 41
A monitor 39 is connected to the monitor, and the monitor 39 displays the contents of communication.

According to the above configuration, the cursors 30, 33 displayed on the screen are displayed until the execution of one operation command is completed.
Is stationary, it is not possible to input an operation command corresponding to the movement of the cursor 30, 33 on the screen. Thereby, the operator can clearly recognize the waiting time from the input of the operation command until the manipulator 1 or the sample table 2 actually executes the operation command,
It is possible to prevent the input of the next operation command before the execution of one operation command is completed. Further, since the operator can visually observe the observation areas of the manipulator 1 and the sample table 2 as a stereoscopic image, the manipulator 1 or the sample table 2 can be easily operated three-dimensionally.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the present invention can be applied to a case where a manipulator for work in a dangerous area such as a nuclear reactor is remotely operated from a safety area.

[0020]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, an operator does not input an unintended operation command or a meaningless operation command, and it is possible to prevent the operation target from performing an inadvertent operation or an erroneous operation.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the operator can visually observe the observation area of the operation target as a stereoscopic image, it is possible to easily make the operation target an accurate three-dimensional operation.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a configuration of a remote control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an image for controlling the X and Y axes of the remote control device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a Z-axis control image of the remote control device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Manipulator 2 Sample table 3, 4 Control device 6, 7 Imaging device 13 Input device 18, 19 Display device 30, 33 Cursor

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An operation target, a means for controlling the operation target, a means for imaging an observation region of the operation target, a means for displaying the captured image, and a control means for controlling an operation command of the operation target. And a means for inputting to the input device, and an operation command corresponding to the movement of the sign displayed on the display screen of the image can be input, and the sign remains stationary in the screen until the execution of one operation command is completed. Remote control device. 2. An operation target, a means for controlling the operation target, a means for capturing an observation region of the operation target, a means for displaying the captured image, and a control means for controlling an operation command of the operation target. And a means for inputting to the operator, capable of inputting an operation command corresponding to the movement of the sign displayed on the display screen of the image, and corresponding to the operator's binocular so that the operator can visually recognize the image as a stereoscopic image. A remote control device having a pair of image pickup devices and a pair of display devices arranged in parallel.