Abstract
While programming a telemanipulator the operator often uses special input devices to generate trajectories, which are to difficult for automatic planers. Though the trajectories are evaluated by a simulation and shown on a graphical animation, it is much faster to give the operator direct haptic feedback if a collision will occur while executing the trajectory. To combine the haptic feedback with an intuitive input device, we have developed the ForceCube. The input parameters are separated in three translational and three rotational values. They are matched on three orthogonal sides of a cube in such way, that their axes correspond to their counterparts in the real word. Each of the axes can be blocked in one direction. With this feature it is possible to move the manipulator with contact in one direction and without any constraints in the other directions. The ForceCube is integrated in the teleoperation system TelOS developed at the Institute for Real-Time Computing and Robotics.
