Proposition and basic experiments of shape feedback master-slave arm-on the application for the demining robots

Abstract

As one of the essential technologies to realize a demining robot, which has the function of searching task for the mines during an autonomous phase and digging task for the mine in a tele-operated phase, we propose the shape-feedback master-slave arm. Feature mechanism of shape-feedback master and slave arm is the articulated finger joints located in the middle of master and slave fingers and their unilateral control to drive master finger joints to have same angle with the slave finger joints, which bend with compliance. Addition of these finger joints under unilateral control of the gripper with conventional bilateral servo control, it is expected to improve the performance of master-slave arm. We demonstrated the validity of the "shape-feedback" master and slave arm by the basic operation experiments and experiments using the model of demining robot.