Motion control of passive haptic device using wires with servo brakes

In this paper, we introduce a passive haptic device which consists of wires with servo brakes and its control method for physical support of human being. Since servo brakes control a point constrained by wires, this passive system is intrinsically safe and has a wide operating range. We especially develop a motion support system controlled on plane and conduct a path following experiment for illustrating a possibility of the passive haptic device with wires. We also analyze the system´s characteristics by calculating the feasible braking force, and then improve the operating range of the system based on the analysis. Experimental results on path following function illustrate the validity of the system and its control method.