Operation input unit and manipulator system

Abstract

Unintended motion of a displayed object is prevented by rapidly detecting a state in which an operator becomes unable to operate an operating unit. Provided is an operation input unit including a display; a head-mounted unit; an operating unit to which an operating signal for a displayed object displayed on the display is input; a relative-position detecting section that detects the relative position between the head-mounted unit and the operating unit; and a control unit that controls the displayed object by switching between a first control mode in which the motion of the displayed object is controlled in accordance with an operating signal input to the operating unit and a second control mode in which the motion of the displayed object is controlled by limiting an operating signal input to the operating unit on the basis of the relative position detected by the relative-position detecting section.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An operation input unit, comprising
 a display;   a head-mounted unit mounted on the head of an operator;   an operating unit to which an operating signal for a displayed object displayed on the display is input by the operation of the operator;   a relative-position detecting section that detects the relative position between the head-mounted unit and the operating unit; and   a control unit that controls the displayed object by switching between a first control mode and a second control mode on the basis of the relative position detected by the relative-position detecting section,   wherein, in the first control mode, the motion of the displayed object is controlled in accordance with an operating signal input to the operating unit, and   wherein, in the second control mode, the motion of the displayed object is controlled by limiting an operating signal input to the operating unit, or an operator is notified that the control unit does not operate in the first control mode.   
     
     
         2 . The operation input unit according to  claim 1 , wherein when the relative-position detecting section is not able to detect the relative position, the control unit switches to the second control mode to forcedly halt the displayed object. 
     
     
         3 . The operation input unit according to  claim 1 , further comprising a restart part that restarts the displayed object from a state in which the displayed object is forcedly halted. 
     
     
         4 . The operation input unit according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the relative-position detecting section includes space sensors that are provided individually at the head-mounted unit and the operating unit and that detect displacement information in the space coordinate system thereof; and   the control unit switches from one of the first and second control modes to the other of the first and second control modes when displacement information detected by at least one of the space sensors is larger than a predetermined threshold value.