HUG is the haptic user interface for telemanipulating our humanoid robot Justin. With its two light-weight robot arms, HUG can precisely measure the movements conducted by the human operator and at the same time display the forces that occur in the distant environment. Its unique properties turn HUG into a interaction device that is suitable for various other applications, too, including virtual assembly simulations, rehabilitation, and training.
Specifications
System description
How to achieve the most realistic force-feedback for our sophisticated haptic applications? This was one of the core questions when developing HUG. HUG is a bimanual haptic device composed of two Light-Weight Robot arms. The two robots are mounted behind the user, such that the intersecting workspace of the robots and the human arms becomes maximal. Equipped with a thorough safety architecture in hard- and software, HUG assures safe operation for human and robot. A particularly advantageous characteristic of HUG is its capability of generating high interaction forces in a comparably large workspace. Various hand interfaces and additional vibro-tactile feedback devices are available to enhance user interaction. Additionally, sophisticated control strategies improve performance and guarantee stability. To this end, HUG is well suited for versatile applications in remote and virtual environments:
Video
The DLR Bimanual Haptic Device on Vimeo
A human operator uses the bimanual haptic device HUG and feels the forces of a distant or virtual environment.
Credit: DLR (CC-BY 3.0).
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HUG controls the robotic wheelchair EDAN in the scope of the project SMiLE. The photo was taken on the trade fair Automatica.
The shown ergonomic and adjustable hand fixture has been developed to couple the human hand with the robot in a way that a data-glove can be worn and that the fingers can be freely moved. This fixture is equipped with a patented magnetic safety clutch. If critical forces or torques occur, the clutch decouples the hand from the robot and interrupts the safety circuit such that the robots stop moving.
A human operator uses HUG to telemanipulate the humanoid robot SpaceJustin. The forces on the remote environment are transmitted to the operator.
Real-time telepresent and virtual interactions require haptic devices to realistically display forces to the user. HUG is a bimanual haptic device composed of two Light-Weight Robot arms that are capable of generating highly dynamic interaction forces to the human hand. HUG is used to conduct research in various applications in remote and virtual environments, comprising telerobotics with SpaceJustin, virtual assembly verifications, rehabilitation tasks, and training of astronauts and mechanics.