Cartesian Force Estimation of a 6-DOF Parallel Haptic Device

Abstract: The haptic device recreates the sense of touch by applying forces to the user. Since the device is “rendering” forces to emulate the physical interaction, the force control is essential for haptic devices. While a dedicated force/torque sensor can close the loop of force control, the additional equipment creates extra moving mass and inertia at the tool center point (TCP). Therefore, estimating the Cartesian force at the TCP has continuously been receiving attention over the past decades. The objective of this thesis project is to develop a real-time force estimation algorithm based on the proportional current-torque relationship with the dynamic modeling of the TAU haptic device. The algorithm can be further used for the force control of the device. The research questions of the thesis are: how to design and develop an algorithm for the TAU that used for Cartesian contact force estimation, how to set up the force estimation test bench and how to evaluate the results of the force estimation algorithm. In order to achieve the force estimation algorithm, a virtual environment is built to simulate the real-time haptic physics. Then an external force/torque sensor is installed at the TCP to get the measurement of the Cartesian force at the TCP. The force estimation algorithm calculates the Cartesian force at the TCP based on the current measurement of the DC motors at the six joints. The estimation result of the Cartesian force at the TCP is then compared with the force/torque sensor measurement to determine if the estimation algorithm is sufficiently accurate. The analysis of the estimation accuracy emphasizes the feasibility of Cartesian force estimation on the TAU haptic device.