JPH09201785A - manipulator - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Problem] It is complicated to operate the joysticks for the number of manipulators, and the operation requires skill. SOLUTION: Instead of the joysticks 12 and 13,
The virtual console 100 on the CRT screen 10 is used. As a result, the operator can operate the manipulator precisely and accurately with the operation of one finger such as mouse click, and the operation does not require any skill. The operator console can be easily adapted to changes in the number of manipulators installed and settings.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a manipulator which operates a working arm by inputting instructions from a console to perform a desired work in place of a human arm, and more particularly to a micromanipulator requiring a fine and precise operation. It is preferably used.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Operation of a huge object that is unmanageable such as dismantling of a building or the like, dangerous work such as transportation of nuclear pellets or crucible of high-temperature molten metal, or operation of cells or industrial materials In order to perform work that is too fine for humans to operate, such as micro-sampling, which takes out minute foreign substances from the human body, etc., the operating arm instead of the human hand is equipped with a holding tool, operating needle, etc. Various manipulator systems have been put into practical use for confirming and displaying on the CRT screen and inputting operation contents from an operating console. For example, D
A micromanipulator that can be operated in units of micron is used when performing a fine work such as injecting an NA solution.

As shown in FIG. 1, a general micromanipulator system includes a base 1, an observation microscope 2 mounted on the base 1, and a pair of micromanipulators 3 arranged on both sides of the microscope 2. , 4 and a control device 5 for controlling the microscope 2 and the micromanipulators 3, 4. Although the manipulator comprises one pair in FIG. 1, it is often equipped with a larger number. A petri dish 7 containing microscopic samples such as cells is placed on the work table 6, and supplemented while observing the sample in the visual field of the microscope 2 or the image displayed on the CRT display 10 by the TV camera 9 or the like. The manipulators 3 and 4 equipped with microdevices such as the needle 9 and the microneedle 8 perform predetermined processing on microsamples such as cells in the petri dish 7.

Generally, in this type of micromanipulator system, the manipulators 3 and 4 are operated by a console 11.
Joysticks (operating rods) 12 and 13 installed upright
It is performed by The joysticks 12 and 13 are configured as shown in FIG. 2, and the support portion 50 attached to the console 11 rotatably holds the sphere 51, and the sphere 5
The joysticks 12 and 13 which are erected on 1 are tiltable. When the joysticks 12 and 13 are tilted, displacements in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction are detected, and the corresponding manipulators 3 and 4 are moved according to the displacement amounts. Further, the corresponding manipulators 3 and 4 are moved in the Z-axis direction according to the rotation angle of the rotary knob 52 provided on the upper ends of the joysticks 12 and 13. In this way, each joystick is used to instruct the amount of movement in the XYZ axis directions, each manipulator corresponding to these joysticks is operated, and a plurality of manipulators cooperate to perform a predetermined work.

[0005]

In such a conventional manipulator system, as many joysticks as the number of manipulators are required, and two manipulators are required to operate the joystick.
Since the operator holds two joysticks corresponding to the manipulator of the table with his / her left and right hands and performs tilting / rotating operations in cooperation with each hand, the operation is complicated, and it is a precise work. Requires considerable skill. It is necessary to operate each of the four joysticks in order to operate the commonly used four needles, but in order to operate the four joysticks with two arms, it is necessary to re-grasp them alternately. Further, it becomes complicated and requires skill of the operator. When re-grabbing the joystick, the needle may be inadvertently moved unintentionally. As the number of joysticks increases, more equipment installation area is required, more failures occur, and equipment costs rise.

In view of the above problems of the conventional apparatus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a manipulator which does not require the skill of an operator and allows anyone to perform an accurate operation easily. is there.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, in the manipulator according to the present invention, an operating arm that can move in at least two dimensions and an input means such as a mouse are provided on a screen such as a CRT. A virtual operating console for instructing the operation of the operating arm, and a drive mechanism for driving the operating arm in accordance with a command input from the virtual operating console.

While the conventional device requires complicated and skilled operation of the joystick, the virtual console of the present invention allows the operator to perform a predetermined operation only by a simple operation such as mouse click. Therefore, anyone can easily and accurately perform the operation.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment in which the manipulator according to the present invention is applied to a micromanipulator will be described below by taking, for example, a case where a single microcell is injected with a DNA solution.

The micromanipulator is systematically used as shown in FIG. Micromanipulators 3 and 4 are arranged laterally of the microscope 2 and fixed to the microscope 2 via coupling frames 15 and 16, respectively. The microscope 2 has a work table 6 in the center thereof, and a petri dish 7 containing sample cells is placed on the operation table 6. An objective lens (not shown) below the operation console 6
Are arranged, and sample cells are observed from the eyepiece lens 17.
Further, a TV camera 14 is connected to the microscope 2, and the CRT display 1 is photographed by photographing the sample cells and the operation needle tips 8 and 9.
An image is displayed on the screen 0, and the operator operates the manipulators 3 and 4 to perform a predetermined work while observing the state of the sample cells and the positional relationship with the operation needle tips 8 and 9.

The manipulator 3 has an arm 18 extending toward the workbench 6, and a tool holder 19 for holding a micro tool 8, such as an injection pipette, is fixed to the tip of the arm 18. In addition, the manipulator 3 drives the arm 18 to operate the micro device 8, so that the manipulator 3 operates the X-axis direction driving stepping motor 20, the Y-axis direction driving stepping motor (not shown), and the Z-axis direction driving stepping motor 2.
Guide rails for 1 and XYZ axes (not shown)
Etc. are provided. The manipulator 4 side is similarly configured.

The manipulators 3 and 4 are operated by the joystick 1 arranged on the console 11 as in the conventional device.
2 and 13 can be operated, and an expert operator can use these. Joystick 1
Since the mechanism and operation method of Nos. 2 and 13 are the same as those of the conventional device, the description thereof will be omitted.

The characteristic configuration of the present invention resides in another manipulator operation command input device which is added to other than the joysticks 12 and 13 or is independently configured without the joysticks 12 and 13. An example of the configuration is shown in FIG. 4 shows.

According to the present invention, a virtual console 100 corresponding to the conventional console 11 is displayed on the CRT screen 10. For inputting operation commands, various pointing devices such as a mouse and input means for a general computer such as a keyboard are used. For example, to input a command to move to the right in the manipulator using the mouse M, by clicking in the area 110 or 111 in the virtual console 100 with the mouse and dragging to the right, The control device 5 receives the direction and distance as an actual manipulator drive command, and the manipulator actually moves to the right by controlling the manipulator drive mechanisms 20, 21 and the like. If the same instruction is input by one click operation instead of the mouse drag operation, the operation becomes simpler. The amount of movement of the manipulator corresponding to one click is appropriately selected and set according to the size of the sample, required accuracy, and the like.

The instruction to move in the Z-axis direction is the same as the instruction in the XY directions by mouse-clicking or dragging the Z-axis instruction area of the virtual console 100 instead of twisting the rotary knob 52 of the conventional joystick. It is possible to easily input the Z-axis movement instruction by operation. The amount of movement of the manipulator corresponding to one click is appropriately selected and set according to the size of the sample, required accuracy, and the like.

Predetermined predetermined operations such as repetition of the same operation and retracting operation of the operating needle are set in the key switch area of the virtual console 100, and similarly, by inputting all at once by mouse click instruction, efficiency is improved. Can be realized.

Since the virtual console 100 is only displayed on the CRT screen 10, the number of virtual consoles is changed (the number of manipulators is increased or decreased), the layout of the operation area is changed, the number of key switches is changed, and the registered contents are changed. It is possible to appropriately and easily make changes such as changes in hardware and convenience of the operator.

CRT screen 1 for displaying virtual console 100
0 may also be used as a screen for displaying an image of the TV camera 14 for observing the sample, and may be displayed in an overlapping manner. Of course, a separate CRT screen may be prepared.

Although two virtual consoles 100 corresponding to two manipulators are provided in FIG. 4, a larger number of virtual consoles 10 are provided depending on the number of manipulators installed.
0 may be displayed, or a switching area may be provided to change the manipulator corresponding to the instruction.

When a computer keyboard is used as an input device instead of the mouse of the previous example, the operation may be set to a specific key, and the positional relationship of the keys corresponds to the virtual console 100 on the screen. You may allow it. The mouse click operation is replaced by a key press operation, and the mouse drag operation is replaced by keeping the key pressed. Other input devices such as a touch board and a trackball can be appropriately used to input an instruction on the virtual console 100.

In addition, various modifications and replacements can be made without changing the essential parts of the present invention.

[0022]

In the manipulator according to the present invention, the CR
Since the virtual console on the T screen is used, it does not take up much space compared to using an actual console, the cost is low, the layout can be freely decided, and the number of consoles and settings can be easily changed. is there. Moreover, since the virtual console is configured on the screen by software, mechanical failure and setting deviation do not occur, and the operation reliability is high. In addition, since the virtual console is operated by inputting it with a general computer input means such as a mouse, the operator's skill such as delicate handling adjustment like a conventional joystick is not required, and one finger such as mouse click is required. You can perform precise and accurate operations with simple operations.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a system configuration example of a conventional manipulator.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an operation unit of a conventional manipulator.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a system configuration example of a manipulator according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a virtual console of a manipulator according to the present invention.

[Explanation of Codes] 2 ... Microscope 3, 4 ... Manipulator 10 ... CRT screen 11 ... Operating console 12, 13 ... Joystick 100 ... Virtual operating console

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A virtual operation console configured to move at least two-dimensionally, a virtual operation console configured on a screen such as a CRT and instructing the operation of the operation arm by an input means such as a mouse, and the virtual operation console. A manipulator, comprising: a drive mechanism that drives the operation arm according to an input command.