Patent ID: 6216056
Filing Date: 2001-04-10
Classification: B25J

Abstract:
A method of controlling a force assisting device in which said force assisting device includes an appliance supported by a plurality of arms coupled so as to be sequentially drivable through joints on a stand; an operation handle arranged in the neighborhood of the appliance and operated by an operator in order to move said appliance; a force/torque sensor for producing an operation force applied to said operation handle as force/torque information in directions of plural-axes; and a motor control unit for controlling motors arranged to drive the plurality of arms through said joints, respectively, said method comprising:detecting, with said force/torque sensor, said operation force applied to said operation handle;computing an operation command for each of said motors by adding impedance-control and track-control on the basis of the detected force/torque information; andmoving said appliance in the direction of the operation force applied to said operation handle through said plurality of arms by said motor control unit on the basis of said operation command thus computed.