Patent ID: 7950275

Claim:
A manipulation simulator comprising: an input member which moves in response to operator's operation of an operation unit, a reaction force generation unit which generates a reaction force according to an amount of deformation thereof, an output member whose motion deforms the reaction force generation unit, and a transmission unit provided between the input member and the output member and adapted to transmit a motion of the input member to the output member and to transmit the reaction force of the reaction force generation unit to the input member via the output member, wherein the manipulation simulator allows the operator to operate the operation unit and applies an operational reaction force to the operator via the operation unit, the motion of the input member being a rectilinear motion, the reaction force generation unit generating the reaction force linearly according to the amount of deformation thereof, and the transmission unit being configured to continuously and nonlinearly vary a ratio of an amount of motion of the output member to an amount of motion of the input member according to the amount of motion of the input member, wherein the input member moves rectilinearly along an axis, and the input member and the output member are coaxial with respect to the axis and are fitted to each other in a relatively movable relation, and the reaction force generation unit generates a rotary reaction force about the axis.