Kinematic Analysis and Evaluation of Delta-Type Haptic Device Using Twin-Driven Magnetorheological Fluid Actuator

A magnetorheological (MR) fluid is a type of functional fluid that exhibits rapid and repeatable response characteristics. We used this fluid to develop a twin-driven MR fluid actuator (TD-MRA) and obtain fine force feedback. The TD-MRA exhibited highly accurate torque control without any sensor and feedback controller. In a previous study, we developed a haptic MR device for endoscopic surgery (H-MRD for ES) using TD-MRAs. However, the H-MRD for ES was specifically designed for surgical support robots. Therefore, in this study, we developed a general-purpose haptic device called the delta-type haptic MR device (DH-MRD), consisting of a delta-type mechanism and three TD-MRAs to expand the TD-MRA usability and range of applications. In this paper, we describe the kinematic analyses and evaluations for the DH-MRD. The analysis results show a range of motion of $\pm 50$ mm and achieved the design aim. Based on the results of the evaluative experiment, the DH-MRD can output approximately the target values, although errors occur.