WO2023074336A1 - Compensation system, compensation device, compensation method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To compensate for friction under more suitable circumstances. [Solution] This compensation system 1 includes a master device 10 to which an operation of an operator is inputted, and a slave device 20 that moves in accordance with the operation inputted to the master device 10. The compensation system 1 also comprises a haptics transmission unit 354, a state assessment unit 352, and a friction compensation unit 353. The haptics transmission unit 354 controls transmission of haptics between the master device 10 and the slave device 20. The state assessment unit 352 assesses the state of the operation by the operator on the master device 10. The friction compensation unit 353 determines whether or not to compensate for friction on the basis of the result of assessment by the state assessment unit 352 and, upon having determined to compensate for friction, compensates for friction affecting the transmission of haptics by the haptics transmission unit 354.

Description

Compensation system, compensation device, compensation method and program

The present invention relates to a compensation system, compensation device, compensation method and program.

Conventionally, in a master device to which an operator's operation is input and a slave device that operates according to the operation input to the master device, a reaction force corresponding to the operation on the slave device side is applied to the master device as a haptic sensation. A technology of bilateral control called transmission is known. Also, there is known a configuration for compensating for frictional force when performing such bilateral control (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP-A-59-115172

By compensating for the frictional force as described above, it is possible to assist the operator's operation. However, if the frictional force is always compensated, problems may arise. For example, constant compensation of frictional force may result in amplification of vibrations unintentionally caused by the operator.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances. An object of the present invention is to perform friction compensation in a more appropriate situation.

In order to solve the above problems, a compensation system according to one aspect of the present invention includes:
A compensation system including a master device to which an operator's operation is input and a slave device that operates according to the operation input to the master device,
control means for controlling haptic transmission in the master device and the slave device;
determination means for determining a state of operation of the master device by the operator;
It is determined whether or not to perform friction compensation based on the determination result of the determination means, and if it is determined to perform friction compensation, the friction compensation is performed for the friction affecting the transmission of the haptic sensation by the control means. compensation means;
characterized by comprising

According to the present invention, friction compensation can be performed in a more appropriate situation.

It is a mimetic diagram showing the whole compensation system 1 composition concerning one embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the basic principle of haptic transmission control executed by the control device 30. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a control system in the compensation system 1; FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a hardware configuration of an information processing device that constitutes the control device 30; FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an outline of compensation control processing performed by the compensation system 1; FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of compensation system 1; FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the flow of compensation control processing executed by the control device 30; FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a compensation system 1 in modification 3; 10 is a flowchart for explaining the flow of compensation control processing executed by a control device 30a in Modification 3. FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between catheter speed and friction compensation amount. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a forgetting factor of the moving average value with forgetting factor shown in Equation (6);

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[composition]
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a compensation system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1, a compensation system 1 according to this embodiment is configured as a master/slave system including a master device 10 and a slave device 20 that are mechanically separated. As an example, in the compensation system 1 in this embodiment, the master device 10 constitutes a manipulator operated by an operator, and the slave device 20 constitutes a catheter system having an end effector inserted into a subject. .

In FIG. 1, the compensation system 1 includes a master device 10, a slave device 20, and a control device 30. The master device 10, the slave device 20, and the control device 30 are connected via a network 40. It is configured for wired or wireless communication. It should be noted that the compensation system 1 may optionally comprise a display L and a plurality of cameras C. FIG. As the camera C, a video camera that captures the appearance of the operator who operates the master device 10 (for example, the state of operation on the master device 10), the appearance of the subject into which the slave device 20 is inserted (for example, the insertion of the slave device 20) state), or various imaging devices such as an X-ray camera for imaging the inside of a subject (for example, blood vessels and organs of the subject) with X-rays. Further, it is possible to provide a plurality of displays L for displaying various images captured by a plurality of cameras C and various information output from the control device 30 .

The master device 10 receives an operation similar to that for a conventional mechanically configured catheter, and detects the position of a movable part (such as a movable member of a manipulator) that moves according to the input operation. Master device 10 transmits information representing the detected position of the movable part to control device 30 . In addition, the master device 10 outputs a reaction force from the actuator in accordance with an instruction from the control device 30 in response to the input operation.

Specifically, the master device 10 performs an operation to move the catheter forward and backward (for example, an operation to insert the catheter into a blood vessel or an operation to slightly move the catheter to detect haptic sensations near the lesion), and rotate the catheter around its axis. Manipulation (e.g., changing the direction of the end effector) and manipulating the end effector (e.g., if the end effector is a balloon, expanding or contracting it, or if the end effector is forceps, etc.) , opening and closing operations, etc.), applies a reaction force to these operations, and transmits to the control device 30 information representing the position of the movable portion moved by each operation.

The slave device 20 drives an actuator according to instructions from the control device 30 to perform an action corresponding to the operation input to the master device 10, and a movable part (a mover of the actuator or the actuator moved by the action) that moves according to the action. (e.g., catheters, etc.). As the slave device 20 operates, various external forces are input to the slave device 20 from the environment. As a result, the position of the movable portion in the slave device 20 indicates the result of various external forces acting on the output of the actuator. The slave device 20 then transmits information representing the detected position of the movable portion to the control device 30 . Here, the various external forces that are input to the slave device 20 from the environment include, for example, a resistance force in the thrust direction that a catheter inserted into the subject receives from a blood vessel, a guide wire and an end effector that are placed at the tip of the catheter, and the like. This includes the contact force when the body comes into contact with a lesion, organ, or blood vessel.

Here, if the resistance in the thrust direction of the slave device 20 is large, it may be difficult to perceive other external forces input to the catheter (contact force when contacting a lesion or organ, etc.). In this embodiment, as will be described later, a predetermined friction compensation amount is output as a force for assisting the operation of the master device 10 by the operator. As a result, it is possible to reduce the burden on the operator who operates the master device 10 and make it easier for the operator to perceive the state change of the slave device 20 . That is, friction compensation can assist the operator's operation of the master device 10 .

The control device 30 is composed of, for example, an information processing device such as a PC (Personal Computer) or a server computer, and controls the master device 10, the slave device 20, the display L and the camera C. For example, the control device 30 acquires the positions of the movable parts of the master device 10 and the slave device 20 (the rotation angle of the actuator detected by a rotary encoder, the forward/backward position of the movable part detected by a linear encoder, etc.), and 10 and the slave device 20 to control the transmission of haptic sensations.

When operating the master device 10 and the slave device 20 as a master/slave system, the control device 30 in this embodiment uses information representing the position of the movable part (the position of the movable element of the actuator or the position of the member moved by the actuator). The real space parameter (input vector) calculated based on the information representing the position and the like) is coordinate-transformed (transformed by a transformation matrix) into a virtual space in which position and force can be handled independently. That is, the input vector is coordinate-transformed from the real space of the oblique coordinate system in which the position and the force are related to each other to the virtual space of the orthogonal coordinate system in which the position and the force are mutually independent. The parameters calculated by the coordinate transformation represent the position and force state values corresponding to the input vector in the virtual space. Then, in the virtual space after the coordinate transformation, the control device 30 converts the state values of the position and force calculated from the input vector to the position and force for controlling the position and force (in this case, transmitting the haptic sensation). , and performs inverse transformation (transformation using the inverse matrix of the transformation matrix) to return the computation result to the real space. Further, the control device 30 drives each actuator based on the real space parameters (current command value, etc.) acquired by the inverse transformation, thereby transmitting the haptic sensation between the master device 10 and the slave device 20. Realize a master-slave system that

Note that position and velocity (or acceleration) or angle and angular velocity (or angular acceleration) are parameters that can be replaced by calculus, so when performing processing related to position or angle, replace them with velocity or angular velocity as appropriate. is possible.

With such a configuration, the compensation system 1 in this embodiment implements a master-slave system that transmits a haptic sensation between the master device 10 and the slave device 20 as described above, and performs compensation control processing. Here, the compensation control process is a series of processes that perform control for performing friction compensation in an appropriate situation when performing friction compensation during transmission of a haptic sensation.
Specifically, in the compensation control process, the compensation system 1 controls transmission of haptic sensations in the master device 10 and the slave device 20 . Also, in the compensation system 1, the state determination unit 352 determines the state of the operation of the master device 10 by the operator. Furthermore, the compensation system 1 determines whether or not to perform friction compensation based on the determination result of the state determination unit 352, and when it is determined to perform friction compensation, the haptic transmission unit 354 transmits Friction compensation is performed for the influencing friction.

In this way, the compensation system 1 determines whether or not to perform friction compensation based on the state of the operation of the master device 10 by the operator when performing friction compensation during transmission of the haptic sensation. That is, the frictional force is not always compensated, but is compensated at an appropriate timing corresponding to the state of operation. As a result, for example, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a problem such as amplification of vibration unintentionally caused by the operator due to constant compensation of the frictional force.
Therefore, according to the compensation system 1, it is possible to solve the problem of performing friction compensation in a more appropriate situation.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the basic principle of the haptic transmission control executed by the control device 30. As shown in FIG.
The basic principle shown in FIG. 2 determines the operation of the actuator by inputting information representing the position of the movable part (current position of the movable part) and performing calculations in at least one of the areas of velocity and force. be.
That is, the basic principle of the present invention includes a system to be controlled S, a functional force/velocity assignment transformation block FT, at least one of an ideal force source block FC or an ideal velocity source block PC, and an inverse transformation block IFT. It is expressed as a control law.

The controlled system S is the master device 10 or the slave device 20 equipped with an actuator, and controls the actuator based on acceleration and the like. Here, as described above, since acceleration, velocity, and position are physical quantities that can be mutually converted by calculus, any of acceleration, velocity, and position may be used for control. Here, the control law is mainly expressed using the velocity calculated from the position.

The function-specific force/velocity allocation conversion block FT is a block that defines the conversion of control energy into the velocity and force regions set according to the function of the controlled system S. Specifically, in the functional force/velocity assignment transformation block FT, a coordinate transformation is defined in which a value (reference value) serving as a reference for the function of the controlled system S and the current position of the movable part are input. . This coordinate transformation generally converts an input vector whose elements are the reference value and the current velocity into an output vector composed of velocities for calculating the velocity control target value, and an input vector whose elements are the reference value and the current force. It converts the vector into an output vector consisting of force for calculating the force control target value. Specifically, the coordinate transformation in the functional force/velocity allocation transformation block FT is generalized as shown in the following equations (1) and (2).

However, in formula (1), x' ₁ to x' _n (n is an integer of 1 or more) are velocity vectors for deriving the state value of velocity, and x' _a to x' _m (m is 1 or more). ) is a vector whose elements are the reference value and the speed based on the action of the actuator (the speed of the mover of the actuator or the speed of the member moved by the actuator), and h _1a to h _nm are the elements of the conversion matrix representing the function. be. Further, in equation (2), f″ ₁ to f″ _n (n is an integer of 1 or more) are force vectors for deriving force state values, and f″ _a to f″ _m ( m is an integer equal to or greater than 1) is a vector whose elements are the force based on the reference value and the action of the actuator (the force of the mover of the actuator or the force of the member moved by the actuator).

By setting the coordinate transformation in the functional force/velocity allocation transformation block FT according to the function to be realized, various operations can be realized and scaling can be performed.
That is, in the basic principle of the present invention, in the function-specific force/velocity assignment conversion block FT, the variables of the actuator alone (variables in the real space) are replaced by the variables of the entire system (the variable) and assign the control energy to the control energy of velocity and the control energy of force. In other words, according to the basic principle of the present invention, a coordinate space in which velocity and force are related to each other is transformed into a coordinate space in which velocity and force are independent of each other, and then calculations related to velocity and force control are performed. Therefore, compared to the case where the control is performed with the variables of the actuator alone (variables in the real space), it is possible to independently apply the velocity control energy and the force control energy.

The ideal force source block FC is a block that performs calculations in the force domain according to the coordinate transformation defined by the functional force/velocity assignment transformation block FT. In the ideal force source block FC, a target value is set for the force when performing calculations based on the coordinate transformation defined by the functional force/velocity assignment transformation block FT. This target value is set as a fixed value or a variable value depending on the function to be implemented. For example, when realizing a function similar to the function indicated by the reference value, set the target value to zero, or when performing scaling, set a value obtained by expanding or reducing the information indicating the function to be realized. can.

The ideal velocity source block PC is a block that performs calculations in the velocity domain according to the coordinate transformation defined by the functional force/velocity assignment transformation block FT. In the ideal velocity source block PC, there are set target values relating to velocity when performing calculations based on the coordinate transformation defined by the functional force/velocity assignment transformation block FT. This target value is set as a fixed value or a variable value depending on the function to be implemented. For example, when realizing a function similar to the function indicated by the reference value, set the target value to zero, or when performing scaling, set a value obtained by expanding or reducing the information indicating the function to be realized. can.

The inverse transform block IFT is a block that transforms values in the domain of velocity and force into values in the domain of inputs to the controlled system S (for example, voltage values or current values).
According to this basic principle, when the positional information of the actuators of the controlled system S is input to the functional force/velocity assignment conversion block FT, the velocity and force information obtained based on the positional information is used to , in the function-specific force/velocity assignment conversion block FT, the control law for each of the position and force regions according to the function is applied. In the ideal force source block FC, force calculation is performed according to the function, and in the ideal velocity source block PC, velocity calculation is performed according to the function, and control energy is distributed to force and velocity respectively.

The calculation results in the ideal force source block FC and the ideal velocity source block PC become information indicating the control target of the controlled system S, and these calculation results are used as input values for the actuators in the inverse transformation block IFT, and the controlled system S is entered in
As a result, the actuators of the controlled system S perform operations according to the functions defined by the functional force/velocity assignment conversion block FT, and the intended operation of the device is realized.

Further, when a haptic sensation transmission function with scaling (amplification or reduction of force or position) is realized, the coordinate transformation in the functional force/velocity assignment transformation block FT in FIG. is represented as

However, in equation (3), _x'p is the velocity for deriving the state value of velocity, and _x'f is the velocity related to the state value of force. Also, _x'm is the speed of the reference value (input from the master device 10) (differential value of the current position of the master device 10), and x _'s is the current speed of the slave device 20 (differential value of the current position). . Also, in equation (4), f _p is the force related to the state value of velocity, and f _f is the force for deriving the state value of force. Also, f _m is the force of the reference value (input from the master device 10 ), and f _s is the current force of the slave device 20 .

In the case of the coordinate transformation shown in equations (3) and (4), the position of the slave device 20 is multiplied by α (α is a positive number), the force of the slave device 20 is multiplied by β (β is a positive number), and the master It will be transmitted to the device 10 . Then, for example, by setting α=1 and β=1, the haptic sensation is transmitted without being amplified (that is, expanded) or attenuated (that is, reduced). On the other hand, for example, by setting the value of α and the value of β according to the purpose, scaling to amplify (that is, expand) or attenuate (that is, reduce) the haptic sensation to be transmitted can be performed. Realization is possible.
Using such a force/tactile sensation transmission function with scaling, for example, when performing compensation control processing, a method such as amplifying the force input from the operator to the master device 10 and transmitting it to the slave device 20. , it becomes possible to realize friction compensation.

[Hardware configuration]
Next, the hardware configuration of the control system in the compensation system 1 will be explained.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the control system in the compensation system 1. As shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the compensation system 1 includes, as a hardware configuration of a control system, a control device 30 configured by an information processing device such as a PC or a server computer, a control unit 101 of the master device 10, and a communication unit 102. , an insertion actuator 103 , a detection actuator 104 , a rotation actuator 105 , an operation actuator 106 , linear encoders 107 and 108 , rotary encoders 109 and 110 , drivers 111 to 114 , and slave device 20 . A control unit 201, a communication unit 202, an insertion actuator 203, a detection actuator 204, a rotation actuator 205, an operation actuator 206, linear encoders 207 and 208, rotary encoders 209 and 210, and a driver 211. 214, a display L, and a camera C.

A control unit 101 of the master device 10 is composed of a microcomputer including a processor, memory, etc., and controls the operation of the master device 10 . For example, the control unit 101 controls the driving of the insertion actuator 103 , the detection actuator 104 , the rotation actuator 105 and the manipulation actuator 106 of the master device 10 according to control parameters transmitted from the control device 30 .
Communication unit 102 controls communication between master device 10 and other devices via network 40 .

The insertion actuator 103 is composed of, for example, a direct-acting motor, and according to instructions from the control unit 101, the operator inputs the operation to the master device 10 to move the catheter forward and backward in order to insert it into the blood vessel. Gives a reaction force.
The detection actuator 104 is composed of, for example, a voice coil motor, and applies a reaction force to an operator's input to the master device 10 in accordance with instructions from the control unit 101 to advance and retract the catheter near the lesion for treatment. Give.
In the present embodiment, the insertion actuator 103 has a longer stroke than the detection actuator 104, while the detection actuator 104 performs more precise position and force control than the insertion actuator 103. It is possible.
The rotation actuator 105 is composed of, for example, a rotary motor, and applies a reaction force to the operator's operation to rotate the master device 10 around the rotation axis along the advancing/retreating direction according to instructions from the control unit 101 .
The operation actuator 106 is configured by, for example, a rotary motor, and applies a reaction force to an operation input by the operator to a lever (grip) or the like for operating the end effector, according to instructions from the control unit 101. .

The linear encoder 107 detects the position of the mover of the insertion actuator 103 (advance/retreat position on the linear motion axis).
The linear encoder 108 detects the position of the mover of the detection actuator 104 (advance/retreat position on the linear motion axis).
A rotary encoder 109 detects the position (rotational angle) of the mover of the rotary actuator 105 .
The rotary encoder 110 detects the position (rotational angle) of the mover of the operating actuator 106 .

The driver 111 outputs drive current to the insertion actuator 103 according to instructions from the control unit 101 .
The driver 112 outputs a drive current to the detection actuator 104 according to instructions from the control unit 101 .
The driver 113 outputs drive current to the rotation actuator 105 according to the instruction from the control unit 101 .
The driver 114 outputs drive current to the operating actuator 106 in accordance with instructions from the control unit 101 .

The determination sensor 115 measures a physical quantity for determining whether or not the control device 30 performs friction compensation. In this embodiment, the determination sensor 115 is composed of a pressure sensor for determining whether the operator of the master device 10 is holding the master device 10 for operation. The determination sensor 115 is arranged in the operating portion that is gripped by the operator when the master device 10, which is a catheter, is operated, and the pressure that fluctuates between gripping and non-gripping is detected by the pressure-sensitive element. Measure and convert to electrical signals. Further, the determination sensor 115 transmits the converted electrical signal to the control device 30 as information indicating the variation in the pressure applied to the operation unit of the master device 10 .
In this case, the structure of the operation unit in which the determination sensor 115 is arranged and the arrangement position of the determination sensor 115 in the operation unit are not particularly limited. Also, the structure of the determination sensor 115 and the principle of pressure measurement are not particularly limited. However, it is possible to have a structure, arrangement position, etc. that does not hinder the operation of the master device 10 by the operator (here, the operation of advancing and retracting the catheter to insert it into the blood vessel and the operation of operating the end effector). preferable.

A control unit 201 of the slave device 20 is configured by a microcomputer having a processor, memory, etc., and controls the operation of the slave device 20 . For example, the control unit 201 controls driving of the insertion actuator 203 , the detection actuator 204 , the rotation actuator 205 and the operation actuator 206 of the slave device 20 according to control parameters transmitted from the control device 30 .
The communication unit 202 controls communication between the slave device 20 and other devices via the network 40 .

The insertion actuator 203 is composed of, for example, a direct-acting motor, and according to instructions from the control unit 201, the operator inputs the operation to the master device 10 to move the catheter forward and backward in order to insert it into the blood vessel. The catheter of the slave device 20 is advanced and retracted.
The detection actuator 204 is composed of, for example, a voice coil motor, and according to instructions from the control unit 201, the slave device 20 responds to an operation input by the operator to the master device 10 to advance and retract the catheter near the lesion for treatment. advance and retract the catheter.
In the present embodiment, the insertion actuator 203 has a longer stroke than the detection actuator 204, while the detection actuator 204 performs more precise position and force control than the insertion actuator 203. It is possible.
The rotation actuator 205 is configured by, for example, a rotary motor, and rotates the catheter of the slave device 20 around a rotation axis along the advancing/retreating direction in accordance with instructions from the control unit 201 and in accordance with operations input to the master device 10 by the operator. Let
The operation actuator 206 is composed of, for example, a rotary motor, and operates the end effector (expansion, contraction, opening/closing, etc.) according to the operation input to the master device 10 by the operator according to instructions from the control unit 201. .

The linear encoder 207 detects the position of the mover of the insertion actuator 203 (advance/retreat position on the linear motion axis).
A linear encoder 208 detects the position of the mover of the detection actuator 204 (advance/retreat position on the linear motion axis).
A rotary encoder 209 detects the position (rotational angle) of the mover of the rotary actuator 205 .
A rotary encoder 210 detects the position (rotational angle) of the mover of the operating actuator 206 .

The driver 211 outputs drive current to the insertion actuator 203 according to instructions from the control unit 201 .
The driver 212 outputs a drive current to the detection actuator 204 according to instructions from the control unit 201 .
The driver 213 outputs a drive current to the rotation actuator 205 according to instructions from the control unit 201 .
A driver 214 outputs a drive current to the operation actuator 206 according to an instruction from the control unit 201 .

The display L is installed in a place where the operator of the master device 10 can visually recognize the screen, and the image instructed to be displayed by the control device 30 (the operator's visible light image captured by the camera C, or the subject's visible light image). image, X-ray image, etc.) and information instructed to be displayed by the control device 30 are displayed.
The camera C is installed in a place where the slave device 20 can capture images of the subject into which the catheter is to be inserted, captures images of the subject (visible light images, X-ray images, etc.), and transmits the captured images to the control device 30. do.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a hardware configuration of an information processing device that constitutes the control device 30. As shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 4, the control device 30 includes a processor 311, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 312, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 313, a bus 314, an input section 315, an output section 316, and a storage section. 317 , a communication unit 318 and a drive 319 .

The processor 311 executes various processes according to programs recorded in the ROM 312 or programs loaded from the storage unit 317 to the RAM 313 .
The RAM 313 also stores data necessary for the processor 311 to execute various types of processing.

The processor 311 , ROM 312 and RAM 313 are interconnected via a bus 314 . An input unit 315 , an output unit 316 , a storage unit 317 , a communication unit 318 and a drive 319 are connected to the bus 314 .

The input unit 315 is composed of various buttons and the like, and inputs various information according to instruction operations.
The output unit 316 includes a display, a speaker, and the like, and outputs images and sounds.
Note that when the control device 30 is configured as a smartphone or a tablet terminal, the display of the input unit 315 and the display of the output unit 316 may be overlapped to configure a touch panel.
The storage unit 317 is composed of a hard disk, a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), or the like, and stores various data managed by each server.
The communication unit 318 controls communication between the control device 30 and other devices via the network.

A removable medium 331 consisting of a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a semiconductor memory, or the like is appropriately mounted in the drive 319 . A program read from the removable medium 331 by the drive 319 is installed in the storage unit 317 as required.

[Overview of control compensation processing]
Next, an overview of compensation control processing performed by the compensation system 1 will be described.
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an outline of compensation control processing performed by the compensation system 1. As shown in FIG.
First, FIG. 5A relates to a state in which the operator does not perform any operation and does not grip the operation unit of the master device 10 (non-holding state). When not grasped, the master device 10 is not supported by the operator. Therefore, as schematically illustrated, vibration due to the influence of an external force applied to the master device 10 is likely to occur. That is, vibrations unintended by the operator are more likely to occur when not gripped than when gripped. Further, when vibration occurs, the vibration is damped only by the friction applied to the slave device 20 from the subject or the like.

On the other hand, FIG. 5(B) relates to a state (at the time of gripping) in which the operator grips the operation unit of the master device 10 for operation. When held, the master device 10 is supported by the operator. Therefore, as schematically illustrated, vibration due to the influence of an external force applied to the master device 10 is less likely to occur. That is, when gripped, vibrations unintended by the operator are less likely to occur than when not gripped. Further, when vibration occurs, factors for damping the vibration include not only the friction applied to the slave device 20 from the subject or the like, but also the grip resistance due to gripping by the operator. In addition, vibration is easily damped.

Therefore, the compensation system 1 determines whether or not the master device 10 is being held by the operator as a determination of the state of operation of the master device 10 by the operator. Then, the compensation system 1 determines to perform friction compensation when the determination result indicates that the operator is holding the master device 10 .
As a result, when the master device 10 is gripped for operation by the operator and vibration is unlikely to occur, the operator can be appropriately assisted by friction compensation. On the other hand, when the operator does not need to be assisted by the fact that the master device 10 is not held, the friction compensation is not performed, thereby preventing the operator from amplifying unintended vibrations. be able to.
The above is the outline of the compensation control process.

[Functional configuration]
Next, the functional configuration of the compensation system 1 will be explained.
FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the compensation system 1. As shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 6 , in the compensation system 1, the control device 30 executes various processes so that the processor 311 includes a sensor information acquisition unit 351, a state determination unit 352, a friction compensation unit 353, and a haptic transmission. 354 and , function. A control parameter storage unit 371 is also formed in the storage unit 17 .

The control parameter storage unit 371 stores the control parameters acquired in the control of the control device 30 transmitting the haptic sensation between the master device 10 and the slave device 20 in chronological order. In this embodiment, the information stored as the control parameters can be various parameters acquired in haptic transmission control, and can include various types of information that can reproduce the haptic transmission control. For example, sensor information acquired by the master device 10 and the slave device 20, state values obtained by coordinate transformation of these sensor information, current command values to each actuator, or set in the control device 30 for tactile transmission control Various set values and the like can be stored as control parameters.

The sensor information acquisition unit 351 acquires sensor information detected by various sensors installed in the master device 10 and slave devices 20 . For example, the sensor information acquisition unit 351 acquires information indicating the position (forward/backward position or rotation angle) of the mover of each actuator detected by the linear encoders 107, 108, 207, 208 and the rotary encoders 109, 110, 209, 210. get. Further, the sensor information acquisition unit 351 acquires information indicating changes in the pressure applied to the operation unit of the master device 10 measured by the determination sensor 115 .
Then, the sensor information acquisition unit 351 stores the acquired sensor information in the control parameter storage unit 371 as time-series data.

The state determination unit 352 determines whether or not the operator is holding the operation unit of the master device 10 as the state of operation of the master device 10 by the operator. State determination unit 352 detects variations in pressure applied to the operation unit of master device 10 based on information indicating variations in pressure applied to the operation unit of master device 10 measured by determination sensor 115 . do. Then, the state determination unit 352 determines that the operation unit of the master device 10 is being held by the operator when the fluctuating pressure satisfies a predetermined standard. On the other hand, if the fluctuating pressure does not meet the predetermined criteria, it is determined that the operator is not holding the operation unit of the master device 10 .
Here, the predetermined criterion is, for example, that the instantaneous value of the fluctuating pressure exceeds a threshold value set based on the structure of the master device 10, or that the state of exceeding the threshold value continues for a predetermined time or longer. can do.
Then, state determination section 352 outputs this determination result to friction compensation section 353 .

The friction compensation unit 353 determines whether or not to perform friction compensation based on the determination result of the state determination unit 352. When it is determined to perform friction compensation, the force input to the slave device 20 is increased by a predetermined amplification factor. Friction compensation is performed by causing the force tactile sensation transmission unit 354 to be described later to perform control for amplifying and transmitting to the master device 10 . For example, the friction compensation unit 353 determines to perform friction compensation when the determination result by the state determination unit 352 indicates that the operator is holding the master device 10 .

First, when it is determined to perform friction compensation, the friction compensation unit 353 calculates the friction compensation amount (force for assisting the operation) output to the operator in the master device 10 . For example, the friction compensation unit 353 calculates the friction compensation amount by multiplying the force detected by the slave device 20 by a preset amplification factor (an arbitrary value greater than 1). Then, the friction compensation section 353 outputs the calculated friction compensation amount to the haptic transmission section 354 . In this case, the predetermined amplification factor is set based on, for example, an actual measurement value, a statistical value, or an estimated value obtained by simulation when a catheter has been inserted into a subject or a biological model simulating the subject in the past. can do. Also, this predetermined amplification factor may be a fixed value, or may be a variable value. For example, based on the type of device realizing the master device 10 and the slave device 20, the type of treatment realized by the operation of the operator, the setting instruction by the operator, the insertion state of the slave device 20 into the subject, etc. , may be varied to appropriate values.

On the other hand, when it is determined not to perform friction compensation, the friction compensation section 353 outputs the force itself detected by the slave device 20 to the haptic transmission section 354 without calculating the friction compensation amount.

The haptic transmission unit 354 controls haptic transmission in the master device 10 and the slave device 20 according to the control algorithm shown in FIG. 2 and the input from the friction compensation unit 353 . As described above in the explanation of the control algorithm shown in FIG. can be amplified (ie, expanded) and transmitted to the master device 10 .

First, when a friction compensation amount is input from the friction compensation unit 353 (that is, when performing friction compensation), the haptic transmission unit 354 inputs the friction compensation amount calculated by the friction compensation unit 353 to the slave device 20. perform control to compensate for the frictional force that That is, the haptic sensation transmission unit 354 transmits the friction compensation amount calculated (that is, amplified) based on the predetermined amplification factor to the master device 10 as a force for assisting the operation of the operator in the master device 10. Friction compensation is realized by transmission.

On the other hand, when the force itself detected in the slave device 20 is input from the friction compensator 353 (that is, when friction compensation is not performed), the force detected in the slave device 20 is transmitted to the master device 10. . That is, force is transmitted without amplification (ie, expansion) or attenuation (ie, reduction).

[motion]
Next, the operation of compensation system 1 will be described.

[Compensation control process]
FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining the flow of compensation control processing executed by the control device 30. As shown in FIG.
In the compensation control process, the operator instructs the execution of the compensation control process via the input unit 315, and the execution instruction of the compensation control process is performed by communication from an external device (for example, the master device 10) via the communication unit 318. Initiated in response to what is done. In this embodiment, when starting the compensation control process, an assistant who assists the operation of the slave device 20 manually or remotely operates the master device 10 so that the tip of the catheter is moved to the subject by a predetermined distance. Assume that it starts in an inserted state (for example, a state in which it is inserted by about 1 to 10 [cm]). As a result, it is possible to prevent the control of the control device 30 from becoming unstable in a state where the change in the external force at the initial stage of insertion is large.

In step S<b>11 , the sensor information acquisition unit 351 acquires information (sensor information) detected by various sensors installed in the master device 10 and the slave device 20 . The sensor information acquired in step S11 is stored in the control parameter storage unit 371 as time-series data.

In step S12, the haptic transmission unit 354 determines whether or not the operation state of the master device 10 is being gripped by the operator as the state of operation of the master device 10 by the operator.

In step S<b>13 , the friction compensation section 353 determines whether or not to perform friction compensation based on the determination result of the state determination section 352 . If it is determined to perform friction compensation, a determination of Yes is made in step S13, and the process proceeds to step S14. On the other hand, if it is determined not to perform friction compensation, the determination in step S13 is No, and the process proceeds to step S16.

In step S14, the friction compensation unit 353 calculates the friction compensation amount (force for assisting the operation) to be output to the operator in the master device 10.

In step S15, the haptic transmission unit 354 controls haptic transmission in the master device 10 and the slave device 20 while performing friction compensation based on the friction compensation amount calculated in step S14.

In step S16, the haptic transmission unit 354 controls haptic transmission in the master device 10 and the slave device 20 without friction compensation.

In step S17, the haptic transmission unit 354 determines whether or not an instruction to end the compensation control process has been issued. If the end of the compensation control process has been instructed, a determination of Yes is made in step S17, and the compensation control process ends. On the other hand, if the end of the compensation control process has not been instructed, a determination of No is made in step S17, and the process returns to step S11 and is repeated.

According to the compensation control process described above, the compensation system 1 determines whether or not to perform friction compensation based on the state of the operation of the master device 10 by the operator when performing friction compensation during haptic transmission. That is, the frictional force is not always compensated, but is compensated at an appropriate timing corresponding to the state of operation. As a result, for example, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a problem such as amplification of vibration unintentionally caused by the operator due to constant compensation of the frictional force.
Therefore, according to the compensation system 1, it is possible to solve the problem of performing friction compensation in a more appropriate situation.

[Modification 1]
In the above-described embodiment, the determination sensor 115 is configured by a pressure sensor for determining whether or not the operator of the master device 10 is holding the master device 10 for operation. The determination sensor 115 may be configured by another sensor without being limited to this. For example, instead of the pressure sensor, the determination sensor 115 may be configured with a temperature sensor.

The determination sensor 115 is arranged in an operation portion that is gripped by an operator when operating the master device 10, which is a catheter, and measures the temperature that fluctuates between gripping and non-gripping. Convert to electrical signal. Further, the determination sensor 115 transmits the converted electric signal to the control device 30 as information indicating the fluctuation of the temperature applied to the operation unit of the master device 10 .

In this case, the structure of the operation unit in which the determination sensor 115 is arranged and the arrangement position of the determination sensor 115 in the operation unit are not particularly limited. Also, the structure of the determination sensor 115 and the principle of temperature measurement are not particularly limited. Furthermore, the determination sensor 115 may be of a contact type or may be of a non-contact type. Further, when the determination sensor 115 is a non-contact temperature sensor, the determination sensor 115 does not necessarily need to be arranged in the operation section, and is arranged in a position near the operation section where the operator's temperature can be measured in a non-contact manner. may be
However, it is possible to have a structure, arrangement position, etc. that does not hinder the operation of the master device 10 by the operator (here, the operation of advancing and retracting the catheter to insert it into the blood vessel and the operation of operating the end effector). preferable.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the state determination unit 352 determines that the operation unit of the master device 10 is being held by the operator when the fluctuating pressure satisfies a predetermined criterion. In contrast, in this modification, the state determination unit 352 determines that the operation unit of the master device 10 is being held by the operator when the fluctuating temperature satisfies a predetermined standard. This predetermined criterion is that the instantaneous value of the fluctuating temperature exceeds a threshold (that is, an absolute value) temperature close to the temperature of the human hand, or that this threshold has been exceeded for a predetermined period of time or longer. can do. Since the temperature is also affected by the room temperature, for example, the threshold (ie, relative value) may be a temperature that is equal to or higher than a predetermined value from the temperature at the start of measurement (ie, temperature close to room temperature).
According to this modification, it is possible to use a temperature sensor instead of a pressure sensor when a pressure sensor is inappropriate due to mounting conditions such as the shape of the master device 10 included in the compensation system 1 .

[Modification 2]
In the above-described embodiment and the first modified example, the determination sensor 115 is composed of a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor, and based on the pressure and temperature measured by the determination sensor 115, the operator of the master device 10 performs an operation. Therefore, it is determined whether or not the master device 10 is being held. Whether or not the operator of the master device 10 is holding the master device 10 for operation is determined based on, for example, the analysis result of the image instead of the information measured by the determination sensor 115 . You may It should be noted that, when realizing the second modified example, it is also possible to configure the master device 10 so as to omit the determination sensor 115 .

As described above, the compensation system 1 can include multiple cameras C as appropriate. Therefore, for example, as the camera C, a video camera that captures the appearance of the operator who operates the master device 10 (for example, the state of operation on the master device 10) is provided. In this case, the state determination unit 352 analyzes the image captured by the camera C using an existing image analysis method. Then, based on the analysis result, it is determined whether or not the operator of master device 10 is holding master device 10 for operation.

Alternatively, as the camera C, an X-ray camera that photographs the inside of the subject (for example, blood vessels and organs of the subject) using X-rays is provided. In this case, the state determination unit 352 analyzes the image captured by the camera C using an existing abnormality detection algorithm. For example, an abnormality detection algorithm detects normality when the operator of the master device 10 is gripping the master device 10 for operation, and abnormal detection when the operator does not grip the master device 10 . Based on this analysis result, it is determined whether or not the operator of master device 10 is holding master device 10 for operation.
In either case, for example, the accuracy of image analysis may be increased by combining machine learning methods and performing learning in advance.

[Modification 3]
In the above-described embodiment, when it is determined to perform friction compensation, the friction compensator 353 amplifies the force input to the slave device 20 by a predetermined amplification factor and controls the force to be transmitted to the master device 10 as will be described later. Friction compensation is performed by causing the haptic transmission unit 354 to perform. Alternatively, the predetermined amplification factor may be changed dynamically.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the compensation system 1 in Modification 3. As shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 8, in the control device 30 (hereinafter referred to as "control device 30a" and also shown in the drawings as "control device 30a") in this modification, the control device 30 in the above-described embodiment and For comparison, a speed buffer 372 is further formed in the storage unit 17 . Also, the processing content in the friction compensator 353 is different.
Note that the other functional configurations (that is, functional blocks) other than the velocity buffer 372 and the friction compensator 353 are the same as the functional configurations described with reference to FIG. 6, so overlapping descriptions are omitted.

The speed buffer 372 stores data on the forward/backward movement speed of the catheter calculated by the friction compensator 353 in the past set interval (for example, the past 5 seconds). The data of the advancing/retreating speed of the catheter stored in the speed buffer 372 is successively updated to the latest data each time the friction compensation unit 353 newly calculates the advancing/retreating speed of the catheter.

The friction compensating unit 353 receives the sensor information acquired by the sensor information acquiring unit 351 (here, the linear encoders 107, 108, 207, 208 and the rotary encoders 109, 110, 209, 210 of each actuator. Based on the position (advance/retreat position or rotation angle), the current advance/retreat speed (current value) of the catheter in the slave device 20 is calculated. The friction compensator 353 also stores the calculated current advancing/retreating velocity (current value) of the catheter in the velocity buffer 372 in association with the time. Then, the friction compensator 353 calculates the average value (that is, the moving average value) of the advancing/retreating speed of the catheter in the past set section, and calculates the calculated moving average value and the friction compensation coefficient set for friction compensation. By multiplying by , the friction compensation amount (force for assisting the operation) output to the user in the master device 10 is calculated. As the moving average value, a simple moving average value is used here.

Here, since the catheter has elasticity, for example, when an external force is input to the slave device 20 due to transient noise such as an operator's sudden contact, the elastic force of the catheter acts on the input. , the catheter will be pushed back.
At this time, if friction compensation is simply performed, the operation of the catheter will be amplified, and a simple harmonic motion will occur.
In addition, even when no external force is input to the slave device 20, the sensor may detect a minute speed in the forward/backward direction. Friction compensation takes place. Then, the movement in the forward/backward direction is assisted, and a simple vibration is generated.

On the other hand, the user's operation of the master device 10 is assisted by the friction compensation amount obtained by multiplying the average value (that is, the moving average value) of the forward/backward movement speed of the catheter in the past set section by the friction compensation coefficient. By outputting the force as a force for the movement of the catheter, no assisting force is applied to the velocity component that causes the catheter to vibrate, and an assisting force is applied to the velocity component that causes the catheter to move in one direction. becomes.
As a result, while reducing the load on the user operating the master device 10, it is possible to make it easier for the user to perceive the state change of the slave device 20, and at the same time, the simple harmonic motion is generated in the catheter due to the force for assisting the operation. can be suppressed.
Therefore, the control for friction compensation executed in the compensation system 1 can be made more appropriate.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart for explaining the flow of compensation control processing executed by the control device 30a in the third modification.
Note that steps S11, S12, S13, S14, and S15 are the same processes as the steps with the same names described with reference to FIG. 6, and redundant description will be omitted.

In step S21, the friction compensator 353 calculates the current advance/retreat speed (current value) of the catheter in the slave device 20 based on the sensor information acquired by the sensor information acquisition unit 351 in step S11.

In step S22, the friction compensator 353 stores the current advancing/retreating velocity (current value) of the catheter calculated in step S21 in the velocity buffer 372 in association with the time.

In step S23, the friction compensator 353 calculates the average value (that is, the moving average value) of the advancing/retreating speed of the catheter in the past set section based on the data stored in the speed buffer 372 in step S22.

In step S24, the friction compensation unit 353 multiplies the moving average value calculated in step S23 by the friction compensation coefficient set for friction compensation, thereby outputting the friction compensation coefficient to the user in the master device 10. Calculate quantity.

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the velocity of the catheter and the amount of friction compensation.
In FIG. 10, (a) the original waveform of the velocity when the catheter is vibrating, (b) the moving average value of the velocity when the catheter is vibrating (10 [Hz] or more of the original waveform) ), (c) the friction compensation amount calculated from the original speed waveform, and (d) the friction compensation amount calculated from the moving average value of the speed. Note that the waveforms shown in FIG. 10 indicate temporal changes in the normalized speed or friction compensation amount.

As shown in FIG. 10(c), when the friction compensation amount is simply calculated from the original waveform of the velocity when the catheter vibrates, the action of maintaining or increasing the catheter vibration works, and the vibration continues for a long time. will be maintained.
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10(d), when the friction compensation amount is calculated from the moving average value of the velocity when the catheter vibrates, it is found that the effect of maintaining or increasing the catheter vibration is reduced. I understand.

As described above, the compensation system 1 in Modification 3 calculates the friction compensation amount obtained by multiplying the average value (that is, the moving average value) of the advancing/retreating speed of the catheter in the past set section by the friction compensation coefficient. , is output as a force for assisting the user's operation on the master device 10 . As a result, an assisting force is not applied to the velocity component that causes the catheter to vibrate, and an assisting force is applied to the velocity component that causes the catheter to move in one direction.

As a result, when compensating for the frictional force input to the slave device 20, it is possible to reduce the load on the user who operates the master device 10, make it easier for the user to perceive the state change of the slave device 20, and assist the operation. This force can suppress the occurrence of simple harmonic motion in the catheter.
Therefore, the control for friction compensation performed in the compensation system can be made more appropriate.

[Modification 4]
You may make it modify the above-mentioned modification 3 further. For example, a forgetting factor may be used when dynamically varying the predetermined amplification factor. In Modified Example 3, the friction compensation amount obtained by multiplying the average value (that is, the moving average value) of the advancing/retreating speed of the catheter in the past set section by the friction compensation coefficient is obtained by the user's operation on the master device 10. It is supposed to be output as a force for assisting.
On the other hand, in this modification, when calculating the average value (that is, the moving average value) of the advance/retreat speed of the catheter in the past set interval, the advance/retreat speed closer to the current time is given a higher weight. By multiplying the set forgetting factor, the moving average value of the advancing/retreating speed having the forgetting characteristic is calculated.
As a result, when there is a change in the state of the external force in the slave device 20, it is possible to quickly reflect the change and perform friction compensation.

Compensation system 1 in this modified example differs from compensation system 1 in modified example 3 in the content of processing in friction compensator 353 .
Therefore, the processing contents of the friction compensator 353, which is a different part, will be mainly described below.

The friction compensator 353 calculates the current advance/retreat speed (current value) of the catheter in the slave device 20 based on the sensor information acquired by the sensor information acquirer 351 . The friction compensator 353 also stores the calculated current advancing/retreating velocity (current value) of the catheter in the velocity buffer 372 in association with the time. Then, the friction compensator 353 calculates a weighted average value based on the forgetting factor (hereinafter referred to as “moving average value with forgetting factor”) for the advancing/retreating speed of the catheter in the past set section, and calculates By multiplying the moving average value with forgetting factor and the friction compensation coefficient set for friction compensation, the friction compensation amount (force for assisting the operation) output to the user in the master device 10 is calculated. do.

Note that the moving average value of the advancing/retreating speed of the catheter in the past set section in Modification 3 is expressed by the following equation (5), for example.
On the other hand, in this modified example, when calculating the moving average value with forgetting factor for the advancing/retreating speed of the catheter in the past set section, the calculation can be performed by the following equation (6).

In equations (5) and (6), m is the number of data in the moving average interval, n is the data number of the current value, k is the number of data going back from the current value, T is the time constant, exp (-k / T ) indicates the forgetting factor. For the time constant T, for example, an appropriate value is determined by referring to experimental values or values obtained by simulation based on the behavior of the compensation system 1 when the friction compensation amount is calculated using a simple moving average. can decide.
Calculation of the moving average value with forgetting factor shown in Equation (6) corresponds to calculation of applying a first-order IIR low-pass filter to the waveform of the advancing/retreating velocity of the catheter.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the forgetting factor of the moving average with forgetting factor shown in Equation (6).
As shown in FIG. 11, the forgetting factor used to calculate the moving average value with forgetting factor has a larger value at a time closer to the current time, and a smaller value at a past time farther from the current time.
The haptic transmission unit 354 performs control to compensate for the frictional force input to the slave device 20, as in the third modification, using the friction compensation amount calculated in this manner.

As described above, the compensation system 1 in Modification 4 calculates the moving average value with forgetting factor for the advancing/retreating speed of the catheter in the past set section, and sets the moving average value with forgetting factor and friction compensation. A friction compensation amount to be output to the user in the master device 10 is calculated by multiplying by the calculated friction compensation coefficient. Then, the friction compensation amount calculated in this manner is output as a force for assisting the user's operation of the master device 10 . As a result, an assisting force is not applied to the velocity component that causes the catheter to vibrate, and an assisting force is applied to the velocity component that causes the catheter to move in one direction. Furthermore, due to the characteristics of the moving average value with forgetting factor, the moving average value is calculated with less weight for the past data of the advancing/retreating speed of the catheter. The effect of compensating for is increased.

As a result, when compensating for the frictional force input to the slave device 20, it is possible to reduce the load on the user who operates the master device 10, make it easier for the user to perceive the state change of the slave device 20, and assist the operation. This force can suppress the occurrence of simple harmonic motion in the catheter. In addition, even if an external force is input to the slave device 20 due to transient noise, the force that assists the forward/backward movement of the catheter due to the external force is balanced with the elastic force of the catheter, so that the catheter vibrates. It is possible to prevent a situation such as a temporary standstill state on the way. That is, by multiplying the moving average value by the forgetting factor, the friction compensation amount does not become constant (always changes due to the action of the forgetting factor). The static force generated is balanced with the elastic force of the catheter at a specific position, making it difficult for the stationary state to occur. In addition, since the oscillating component of the friction compensation amount calculated by multiplying the moving average value by the forgetting factor is reduced by the effect of the moving average, it is possible to further suppress the occurrence of vibration in the catheter.
Therefore, the control for friction compensation executed in the compensation system 1 can be made more appropriate.

[Modification 5]
Modifications 4 and 5 described above may be further modified. For example, the friction compensation amount may be calculated in consideration of factors other than the advancing/retreating speed. In the above-described modification 4 and modification 5, it was explained that a force for friction compensation (a force for assisting operation) in the master device 10 is output with respect to the advancing/retreating speed of the catheter that is the slave device 20. .
On the other hand, it is possible to output a force for friction compensation in consideration of factors other than the advance/retreat speed of the catheter.
For example, depending on the angle at which the slave device 20 is installed, the effect of gravity is constantly exerted on the movement of the forward and backward movements. force) can be output.

In this case, for example, the friction compensator 353 calculates the component of gravity acting in the forward/backward direction of the catheter based on the tilt angle at which the slave device 20 is installed, and tilt compensation corresponding to the calculated component of gravity. The force for tilt compensation is calculated (by multiplying the component of gravity by a coefficient, etc.), and the haptic transmission unit 354 can assist the force for tilt compensation in the master device 10 . At this time, in the forward and backward direction of the catheter, a negative assist is output in the same direction as the gravity component (that is, a force that prevents the gravity component from moving the catheter), and a positive force is output in the opposite direction to the gravity component. assist (a force that suppresses the action of the gravity component that inhibits movement of the catheter) can be output.

This compensates for the effect of gravity input to the slave device 20, reduces the load on the user who operates the master device 10, and makes it easier to perceive changes in the state of the slave device 20 (such as the actual magnitude of the load). be able to.
Therefore, the control for friction compensation executed in the compensation system 1 can be made more appropriate.

[Other Modifications]
In the above-described embodiment, the force in the thrust direction (advancing and retreating direction) of the catheter is transmitted between the master device 10 and the slave device 20 by haptic sensation, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, haptic transmission may be performed between the master device 10 and the slave device 20 for rotation about a rotation axis along the advancing/retreating direction or for operating an end effector. Furthermore, for example, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the compensation system 1 remotely operates the catheter has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, various devices can be targeted as devices remotely operated by the compensation system 1. For example, various devices having a linearly configured portion, such as forceps or an endoscope. and other medical devices.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the actuators provided in the master device 10 and the actuators provided in the slave device 20 are associated one-to-one to transmit the haptic sensation has been described as an example. However, it is not limited to this. That is, a plurality of actuators of the master device 10 are associated with one actuator of the slave device 20 to transmit a haptic sensation, or one actuator of the master device 10 is associated with a plurality of actuators of the slave device 20 to transmit haptic sensations. It is possible to communicate It is also possible to associate the plurality of actuators of the master device 10 with the plurality of actuators of the slave device 20 to transmit the haptic sensation. As an example, the insertion actuator 203 and the detection actuator 204 of the slave device 20 shown in FIG. 3 can be associated with the insertion actuator 103 of the master device 10 to transmit the haptic sensation. In this case, there is no need to provide the detection actuator 104 of the master device 10, and it is possible to reduce costs and reduce the weight of the device.

[Configuration example]
As described above, the compensation system 1 according to this embodiment includes the master device 10 to which the operator's operation is input, and the slave device 20 that operates according to the operation input to the master device 10 . The compensation system 1 also includes a haptic transmission unit 354 , a state determination unit 352 , and a friction compensation unit 353 .
The haptic transmission unit 354 controls haptic transmission between the master device 10 and the slave device 20 .
The state determination unit 352 determines the state of operation of the master device 10 by the operator.
The friction compensating unit 353 determines whether or not to perform friction compensation based on the determination result of the state determining unit 352. When it is determined to perform friction compensation, the haptic transmission by the haptic transmitting unit 354 is affected. Friction compensation is performed for the friction that occurs.
In this way, the compensation system 1 determines whether or not to perform friction compensation based on the state of the operation of the master device 10 by the operator when performing friction compensation during transmission of the haptic sensation. That is, the frictional force is not always compensated, but is compensated at an appropriate timing corresponding to the state of operation. As a result, for example, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a problem such as amplification of vibration unintentionally caused by the operator due to constant compensation of the frictional force.
Therefore, according to the compensation system 1, it is possible to solve the problem of performing friction compensation in a more appropriate situation.

The state determination unit 352 determines whether or not the master device 10 is being held by the operator as a determination of the state of operation of the master device 10 by the operator.
The friction compensation unit 353 determines to perform friction compensation when the determination result by the state determination unit 352 indicates that the operator is holding the master device 10 .
As a result, when the master device 10 is gripped for operation by the operator and vibration is unlikely to occur, the operator can be appropriately assisted by friction compensation. On the other hand, when the operator does not need to be assisted by the fact that the master device 10 is not held, the friction compensation is not performed, thereby preventing the operator from amplifying unintended vibrations. be able to.

The friction compensation unit 353 performs friction compensation by causing the haptic transmission unit 354 to amplify the force input to the slave device by a predetermined amplification factor and transmit the amplified force to the master device 10 .
Thereby, friction compensation can be performed using a control algorithm for haptic transmission.

The state determination unit 352 determines the state of the operation of the master device 10 by the operator based on the variation in the pressure applied to the master device 10 .
As a result, it is possible to accurately determine the state of the operation of the master device 10 by the operator based on the pressure that varies between gripping and non-gripping.

The state determination unit 352 determines the state of the operation of the master device 10 by the operator based on the temperature fluctuation of the master device 10 .
As a result, it is possible to accurately determine the state of the operation of the master device 10 by the operator based on the temperature that fluctuates between when the device is gripped and when it is not gripped.

The state determination unit 352 analyzes the captured image regarding the operator's operation, and determines the state of the operator's operation on the master device 10 based on the analysis result.
As a result, it is possible to accurately determine the operation state of the master device 10 by the operator without measuring the pressure or temperature applied to the master device 10 .

As described above, the control device 30 according to this embodiment includes the haptic transmission section 354 , the state determination section 352 , and the friction compensation section 353 .
The haptic transmission unit 354 controls haptic transmission between the master device 10 to which the operator's operation is input and the slave device 20 that operates according to the operation input to the master device 10 .
The state determination unit 352 determines the state of operation of the master device 10 by the operator.
The friction compensating unit 353 determines whether or not to perform friction compensation based on the determination result of the state determining unit 352. When it is determined to perform friction compensation, the haptic transmission by the haptic transmitting unit 354 is affected. Friction compensation is performed for the friction that occurs.
With such a configuration of the control device 30 as well, it is possible to solve the problem of performing friction compensation in a more appropriate situation, as with the compensation system 1 described above.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes modifications, improvements, and the like within the scope of achieving the object of the present invention.
For example, the present invention can be realized as the compensation system 1 in the above-described embodiment, as well as a control device that controls the compensation system 1, a control method configured by each step executed in the compensation system 1, or a compensation system It can be implemented as a program executed by a processor to implement one function.
Further, in the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the control device 30 is implemented as an independent device has been described as an example. It can be implemented in one or distributed in both of them.

Also, the processing in the above-described embodiments can be executed by either hardware or software.
That is, it is sufficient that the compensation system 1 has a function capable of executing the above-described processing, and the functional configuration and hardware configuration for realizing this function are not limited to the above-described example.
When executing the above-described processing by software, a program that constitutes the software is installed in the computer from a network or a storage medium.

The storage medium that stores the program consists of a removable medium that is distributed separately from the device main body, or a storage medium that is pre-installed in the device main body. Removable media are composed of, for example, a semiconductor memory, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, or a magneto-optical disk. Optical discs are composed of, for example, CD-ROMs (Compact Disk-Read Only Memory), DVDs (Digital Versatile Disks), Blu-ray Discs (registered trademark), and the like. The magneto-optical disk is composed of an MD (Mini-Disk) or the like. Also, the storage medium pre-installed in the device main body is composed of, for example, a ROM (Read Only Memory) storing programs, a hard disk, or a semiconductor memory.

It should be noted that the above embodiment shows an example to which the present invention is applied, and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention. That is, the present invention can make various changes such as omissions and substitutions without departing from the gist of the present invention, and can take various embodiments other than the above-described embodiments. Various embodiments and modifications thereof that can be taken by the present invention are included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and their equivalents.

1 Compensation system, 10 Master device, 20 Slave device, 30 Control device, 40 Network, L Display, C Camera, FT Functional force/velocity allocation conversion block, FC Ideal force source block, PC Ideal velocity (position) source block, IFT Inverse transform block, S controlled system, 101, 201 control unit, 102, 202 communication unit, 103, 203 insertion actuator, 104, 204 detection actuator, 105, 205 rotation actuator, 106, 206 operation actuator, 107, 108, 207, 208 linear encoder, 109, 110, 209, 210 rotary encoder, 111 to 114, 211 to 214 driver, 115 judgment sensor, 311 processor, 312 ROM, 313 RAM, 314 bus, 315 input section, 316 output unit, 317 storage unit, 318 communication unit, 319 drive, 331 removable media, 351 sensor information acquisition unit, 352 state determination unit, 353 friction compensation unit, 354 haptic transmission unit, 371 control parameter storage unit, 372 speed buffer

Claims (9)

1. A compensation system including a master device to which an operator's operation is input and a slave device that operates according to the operation input to the master device,
   control means for controlling haptic transmission in the master device and the slave device;
   determination means for determining a state of operation of the master device by the operator;
   It is determined whether or not to perform friction compensation based on the determination result of the determination means, and if it is determined to perform friction compensation, the friction compensation is performed for the friction affecting the transmission of the haptic sensation by the control means. compensation means;
   A compensation system comprising:
2. The determination means determines whether or not the master device is being held by the operator as a determination of the state of operation of the master device by the operator,
   The compensating means determines to perform the friction compensation when the determination result by the determining means indicates that the operator is holding the master device.
   2. The compensation system of claim 1, wherein:
3. The compensating means performs the friction compensation by causing the control means to perform control of amplifying the force input to the slave device by a predetermined amplification factor and transmitting the amplified force to the master device.
   Compensation system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that:
4. The determination means determines the state of operation of the master device by the operator based on variations in pressure applied to the master device.
   Compensation system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that:
5. The determining means determines the state of operation of the master device by the operator based on temperature fluctuations of the master device.
   Compensation system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that:
6. The determination means analyzes a photographed image related to the operator's operation, and determines the state of the operator's operation of the master device based on the analysis result.
   Compensation system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that:
7. Control means for controlling transmission of haptic sensations between a master device to which an operator's operation is input and a slave device that operates according to the operation input to the master device;
   determination means for determining a state of operation of the master device by the operator;
   It is determined whether or not to perform friction compensation based on the determination result of the determination means, and if it is determined to perform friction compensation, the friction compensation is performed for the friction affecting the transmission of the haptic sensation by the control means. compensation means;
   A compensator comprising:
8. A compensation method performed in a system including a master device to which an operator's operation is input and a slave device that operates in response to the operation input to the master device, comprising:
   a control step of controlling haptic transmission in the master device and the slave device;
   a determination step of determining a state of operation of the master device by the operator;
   It is determined whether or not to perform friction compensation based on the determination result of the determination step, and if it is determined to perform friction compensation, friction compensation is performed for the friction that affects the transmission of the haptic sensation in the control step. a compensation step;
   A compensation method, comprising:
9. a control function for controlling transmission of haptic sensations between a master device to which an operator's operation is input and a slave device that operates according to the operation input to the master device;
   a judgment function for judging the state of operation of the master device by the operator;
   It is determined whether or not to perform friction compensation based on the determination result of the determination function, and if it is determined to perform friction compensation, friction compensation is performed for the friction that affects the transmission of the haptic sensation by the control function. a compensation function;
   A program characterized by realizing on a computer.

Images