As part of the Kontur-2 project, an aerospace-grade, force-reflecting joystick with two degrees of freedom was developed at the Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics.
Technical specifications
Qualification tests
The following tests were performed to qualify the RJo for use on the ISS:
Transport configuration and operating configuration
In order to protect the handle against mechanical stress during transport, a protective cap was developed that can also be used as an armrest during operation.
Force-Feedback Joystick for the International Space Station ISS—developed in the project Kontur-2.Astronauts onboard the ISS can telemanipulate robots on earth and are able to feel the resulting interaction forces from the robot on the ground.This enables the sensitive manipulation despite the large distances.
Credit: DLR/Simon Schätzle (CC-BY 3.0).
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Kontur-2 joystick RJo in transport configuration
Credit: DLR (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).
Martin Stelzer in the lab with ROKVISS robot and Kontur-2 joystick
Credit: DLR/Holger Urbanek (CC-BY 3.0).
Cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko with the Kontur-2 joystick in the Russian segment of the ISS
Credit: ROSKOSMOS/O. Kononenko.
Cosmonaut training for the tele-handshake between ISS and DLR-RM with G. Padalka in December 2014
Credit: DLR/Jordi Artigas (CC-BY 3.0).
Cosmonaut training with Sergei Volkov in December 2014 at the DLR
Credit: DLR/Oliver Glück (CC-BY 3.0).