An analysis and analogue-computer study of a force-reflecting positional servomechanism

THE problem of force reflection, or feel, has been of interest to designers of remotely controlled manipulators for the past several years. Systems have been designed and built which demonstrate both the possibilities and difficulties inherent in any attempt to obtain such feel characteristics.1,2 In addition, more complicated systems have been built in attempts to overcome such difficulties,3 and reports outlining the general feel problem of manipulators and suggest courses of further study have appeared in the literature.4 It is the purpose of this paper to present an analogue study of a basic force-reflecting positional system along with a companion dynamic analysis upon which any desired stability or synthesis study may be based.