An Adaptive Hand Exoskeleton for Teleoperation System

Teleoperation can assist people to complete various complex tasks in inaccessible or high-risk environments,in which a wearable hand exoskeleton is one of the key devices.Adequate adaptability would be available to enable the master hand exoskeleton to capture the motion of human fingers and reproduce the contact force between the slave hand and its object.This paper presents a novel finger exoskeleton based on the cascading four-link closed-loop kinematic chain.Each finger has an independent closed-loop kinematic chain,and the angle sensors are used to obtain the finger motion including the flexion/extension and the adduction/abduction.The cable tension is changed by the servo motor to transmit the contact force to the fingers in real time.Based on the finger exoskeleton,an adaptive hand exoskeleton is consequently developed.In addition,the hand exoskeleton is tested in a master-slave system.The experiment results show that the adaptive hand exoskeleton can be worn without any mechanical constraints,and the slave hand can follow the motions of each human finger.The accuracy and the real-time capability of the force reproduction are validated.The proposed adaptive hand exoskeleton can be employed as the master hand to remotely control the humanoid five-fingered dexterous slave hand,thus,enabling the teleoperation system to complete complex dexterous manipulation tasks.

Position Measurement Based Slave Torque Feedback Control for Teleoperation Systems With Time-Varying Communication Delays

Bilateral teleoperation system is referred to as a promising technology to extend human actions and intelligence to manipulating objects remotely.For the tracking control of teleoperation systems,velocity measurements are necessary to provide feedback information.However,due to hardware technology and cost constraints,the velocity measurements are not always available.In addition,the time-varying communication delay makes it challenging to achieve tracking task.This paper provides a solution to the issue of real-time tracking for teleoperation systems,subjected to unavailable velocity signals and time-varying communication delays.In order to estimate the velocity information,immersion and invariance(I&I)technique is employed to develop an exponential stability velocity observer.For the proposed velocity observer,a linear relationship between position and observation state is constructed,through which the need of solving partial differential and certain integral equations can be avoided.Meanwhile,the mean value theorem is exploited to separate the observation error terms,and hence,all functions in our observer can be analytically expressed.With the estimated velocity information,a slave-torque feedback control law is presented.A novel Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional is constructed to establish asymptotic tracking conditions.In particular,the relationship between the controller design parameters and the allowable maximum delay values is provided.Finally,simulation and experimental results reveal that the proposed velocity observer and controller can guarantee that the observation errors and tracking error converge to zero.

Composite Nonlinear Bilateral Control for Teleoperation Systems With External Disturbances

This paper presents a new composite nonlinear bilateral control method based on the nonlinear disturbance observer(NDOB) for teleoperation systems with external disturbances. By introducing the estimations of NDOB and systems' nominal nonlinear dynamics into controller design, a NDOB based composite nonlinear bilateral controller is constructed to attenuate the influence of disturbance and uncertain nonlinearities. As compared with the existing bilateral control methods which usually achieve force haptic(i.e., contact force tracking)through a passive way, the newly proposed method has two major merits: 1) asymptotical convergence of both position and force tracking errors is guaranteed;2) disturbance influence on force tracking error dynamics is rejected through the direct feedforward compensation of disturbance estimation. Simulations on a nonlinear teleoperation system are carried out and the results validate the effectiveness of the proposed controller.

Teleoperation strategies research for collaborative welding systems based on virtual reality

Teleoperation control strategies for collaborative welding system which is targeting at giving full play to human’s superiority is designed and the fitness for teleoperation welding task of which are studied. During the teleoperation welding process, 6-DOF controller’s signal can be converted into welding torch’s position, velocity or acceleration changing which is being controlled. For welding purposes, control strategies of four modes are designed, which are static position and posture mode, dynamic position and posture mode, velocity mode and acceleration mode. A test and analysis system for testing the tracking accuracy and reliability of control strategy based on virtual reality is developed. The tracking accuracies of the four control strategies are studied in the following tests with straight line trajectory, curve trajectory or space curve trajectory. The results show that the control strategy in dynamic position and posture mode has best stability and strong adaptability which is the most suitable for the teleoperation system.

NOVEL 6-DOF WEARABLE EXOSKELETON ARM WITH PNEUMATIC FORCE-FEEDBACK FOR BILATERAL TELEOPERATION

A particular emphasis is put on a novel wearable exoskeleton arm, ZJUESA, with 6 degrees of freedom, which is used for the robot teleoperation with the force-feedback in the unknown environment. In this external structure mechanism, the 3-revolution-prismatic-spherical （3RPS） parallel mechanism is devised from the concept of the human upper-limb anatomy and applied for the shoulder 3-DOF joint. Meanwhile, the orthogonal experiment design method is introduced for its optimal design. Aiming at enhancing the performance of teleoperation, the force feedback is employed by the pneumatic system on ZJUESA to produce the vivid feeling in addition to the soft control interface. Due to the compressibility and nonlinearity of the pneumatic force feedback system, a novel hybrid fuzzy controller for the precise force control is proposed and realized based on the Mega8 microcontroller units as the units of the distributed control system on ZJUESA. With the results of several experiments for master-slave control with force feedback, the feasibility of ZJUESA system and the effect of its hybrid fuzzy controller are verified.

Controller Design for a Teleoperation System with Time Delay

A robust controller design method is presented to guarantee the stability and zero tracking error for teleoperation system with time delay. Through choosing appropriate master and slave parameters, extended state equation about master and master-slave error is achieved, which can be analyzed by using time delay knowledge. Thus delay-independent and delay-dependent criteria are derived in terms of the Lyapunov stability theorem, control parameters are obtained by the feasible of linear matrix inequalities. Experimental results show the validity of these approaches and the performance of master and slave manipulators with delay variations is analyzed.

A Teleoperation System Based on Predictive Simulation and Its Application to Spacecraft Maintenance

A teleoperation system based on predictive simulation is proposed for the sake of compensating the large time delay in the process of teleoperation to a degree and providing a friendly operating interface. The framework and function architecture of the system is discussed firstly. Then, the operator interface and a graphics simulation system is described in detail. Furthermore, a predictive algorithm aiming at position control based teleoperation is studied in our research, and the relative framework of predictive simulation is discussed. Finally, the system is applied to spacecraft breakdown maintenance; multi-agent reinforcement learning based semi-autonomous teleoperation is discussed at the same time for safe operation.

A Composite State Convergence Scheme for Bilateral Teleoperation Systems

State convergence is a novel control algorithm for bilateral teleoperation of robotic systems. First, it models the teleoperation system on state space and considers all the possible interactions between the master and slave systems. Second, it presents an elegant design procedure which requires a set of equations to be solved in order to compute the control gains of the bilateral loop. These design conditions are obtained by turning the master-slave error into an autonomous system and imposing the desired dynamic behavior of the teleoperation system. Resultantly, the convergence of master and slave states is achieved in a well-defined manner. The present study aims at achieving a similar convergence behavior offered by state convergence controller while reducing the number of variables sent across the communication channel. The proposal suggests transmitting composite master and slave variables instead of full master and slave states while keeping the operator's force channel intact. We show that,with these composite and force variables;it is indeed possible to achieve the convergence of states in a desired way by strictly following the method of state convergence. The proposal leads to a reduced complexity state convergence algorithm which is termed as composite state convergence controller. In order to validate the proposed scheme in the absence and presence of communication time delays, MATLAB simulations and semi-real time experiments are performed on a single degree-of-freedom teleoperation system.

A Novel 6‑DOF Force‑Sensed Human‑Robot Interface for an Intuitive Teleoperation

The teleoperation of a 6 degrees-of-freedom(DOF)manipulator is one of the basic methods to extend people’s capabilities in the wide variety of applications.The master interface based on the force/torque(FT)sensor could provide the full-dimension intuitive teleoperation of a 6-DOF robot since it has the ability to trigger 6-DOF command input.However,due to the force coupling,noise disturbance and unlimited input signals of the FT sensor,this force-sensed interface could not be widely used in practice.In this paper,we present an intuitive teleoperation method based on the FT sensor to overcome these challenges.In this method,the input signals from the force-sensed joystick were filtered and then processed to the force commands by force limit algorithm,with the merits of anti-interference,output limitation,and online velocity adjustment.Furthermore,based on the admittance control and position controller,the manipulator could be teleoperated by the force commands.Three experiments were conducted on our self-designed robotic system.The result of the first experiment shows that the interfered force from the force coupling could be effectively suppressed with the limitation of the input force through force limit algorithm.Then,a parameter was introduced in the other two experiments to adjust the velocity online practically with force limit algorithm.The proposed method could give a practical solution to the intuitive teleoperation based on the FT sensor.

A Telepresence-Guaranteed Control Scheme for Teleoperation Applications of Transferring Weight-Unknown Objects

Currently,most teleoperation work is focusing on scenarios where slave robots interact with unknown environments.However,in some fields such as medical robots or rescue robots,the other typical teleoperation application is precise object transportation.Generally,the object’s weight is unknown yet essential for both accurate control of the slave robot and intuitive perception of the human operator.However,due to high cost and limited installation space,it is unreliable to employ a force sensor to directly measure the weight.Therefore,in this paper,a control scheme free of force sensor is proposed for teleoperation robots to transfer a weight-unknown object accurately.In this scheme,the workspace mapping between master and slave robot is firstly established,based on which,the operator can generate command trajectory on-line by operating the master robot.Then,a slave controller is designed to follow the master command closely and estimate the object’s weight rapidly,accurately and robust to unmodeled uncertainties.Finally,for the sake of telepresence,a master controller is designed to generate force feedback to reproduce the estimated weight of the object.In the end,comparative experiments show that the proposed scheme can achieve better control accuracy and telepresence,with accurate force feedback generated in only 500 ms.

A Robotic Teleoperation System for Precise Robotic Manipulation by Human-Machine Interaction

Teleoperation is of great importance in the area of robotics,especially when people are unavailable in the robot workshop.It provides a way for people to control robots remotely using human intelligence.In this paper,a robotic teleoperation system for precise robotic manipulation is established.The data glove and the 7-degrees of freedom(DOFs)force feedback controller are used for the remote control interaction.The control system and the monitor system are designed for the remote precise manipulation.The monitor system contains an image acquisition system and a human-machine interaction module,and aims to simulate and detect the robot running state.Besides,a visual object tracking algorithm is developed to estimate the states of the dynamic system from noisy observations.The established robotic teleoperation systemis applied to a series of experiments,and high-precision results are obtained,showing the effectiveness of the physical system.

Real-Time Internet-Based Teleoperation

Internet-based teleoperation employs robots and internet a two breakthrough technologies to manipulate robots from distance for different applications. Variable and unknown time delay dynamics of internet is the main obstacle for realtime teleoperation via internet. In this paper the internet delay dynamics and its characteristics have been studied based on the measurement in different nodes. Then a black-box model for end-to-end internet delay dynamics has been developed using system identification and Auto-Regressive eXogeneous (ARX) model. Our experimental studies show a regular periodic behaviour in long-term intervals of internet delay variation and also confirm the accuracy and reliability of our theoretical and modelling derivations. This paper also introduces a novel multivariable control method for real-time telerobotic operations via Internet. Random communications delay of the Internet can cause instability in realtime closed-loop telerobotic systems. When a single identification model is used, it will have to adapt itself to the operating condition before an appropriate control mechanism can be applied. Slow adaptation may result in a large transient error. As an alternative, we propose to use a Multiple Model framework. The control strategy is to determine the best model for the current operating condition and activate the corresponding controller. We propose the use of Multi-Model Adaptive Control Theory and Multivariable Wave prediction method to capture the concurrency and complexity of Internet-based teleoperation. The results confirm the efficiency of the proposed technique in dealing with constant and variable delay dynamics of internet.

Internet-based Teleoperation Platform For Mobile Robot

An Internet-based teleoperation platform for Mobile Robot is introduced in this paper. The hardware of the system mainly consists of a mobile robot. Its software employs client-server architecture for robot control and feedback information display. Different communication protocols are adopted according to the characteristics of message exchanged between the robot server and the client. The user interface is designed for the purpose of interaction. The great benefit of this client-server architecture is that the client software is insulated from the lowest level details of the mobile robot. Thus, it is very easy to implement and test new advanced teleoperation control algorithms, interface designs and applications on this platform without large programming work.

Human-robot shared control system based on 3D point cloud and teleoperation

Owing to the constraints of unstructured environments,it is difficult to ensure safe,accurate,and smooth completion of tasks using autonomous robots.Moreover,for small-batch and customized tasks,autonomous operation requires path planning for each task,thus reducing efficiency.We propose a human-robot shared control system based on a 3D point cloud and teleoperation for a robot to assist human operators in the performance of dangerous and cumbersome tasks.The system leverages the operator’s skills and experience to deal with emergencies and perform online error correction.In this framework,a depth camera acquires the 3D point cloud of the target object to automatically adjust the end-effector orientation.The operator controls the manipulator trajectory through a teleoperation device.The force exerted by the manipulator on the object is automatically adjusted by the robot,thus reducing the workload for the operator and improving the efficiency of task execution.In addition,hybrid force/motion control is used to decouple teleoperation from force control to ensure that force and position regulation will not interfere with each other.The proposed framework was validated using the ELITE robot to perform a force control scanning task.

A new impedance and robust adaptive inverse control approach for a teleoperation system with varying time delay

This paper presents a new robust adaptive inverse control approach for a force-reflecting teleoperation system with varying time delay. First,an impedance control is designed for the master robot. Second,an adaptive inverse control is proposed for the slave robot. Finally,the slave side controller is modified such that the robust stability and performance are achieved. In addition,robust stability analysis has been performed and optimal behavior is ensured by using standard characteristic polynomials. It is shown that despite of presence of randomly-varying time delay,the proposed control algorithm compensates the position drifts efficiently. Demonstrable simulation studies confirm the effectiveness of the proposed control system and its advantages over the existing sliding mode control strategies.

Haptic based teleoperation with master-slave motion mapping and haptic rendering for space exploration

This paper presents a new solution to haptic based teleoperation to control a large-sized slave robot for space exploration, which includes two specially designed haptic joysticks, a hybrid master-slave motion mapping method, and a haptic feedback model rendering the operating resistance and the interactive feedback on the slave side. Two devices using the 3 R and DELTA mechanisms respectively are developed to be manipulated to control the position and orientation of a large-sized slave robot by using both of a user's two hands respectively. The hybrid motion mapping method combines rate control and variable scaled position mapping to realize accurate and efficient master-slave control. Haptic feedback for these two mapping modes is designed with emphasis on ergonomics to improve the immersion of haptic based teleoperation. A stiffness estimation method is used to calculate the contact stiffness on the slave side and play the contact force rendered by using a traditional spring-damping model to a user on the master side stably. Experiments by using virtual environments to simulate the slave side are conducted to validate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed solution.

Delayed Teleoperation with Force Feedback of a Humanoid Robot

Teleoperation systems allow the extension of human capabilities to remote-control devices by providing the operator with conditions similar to those at the remote site through a communication channel that sends information from one site to the other. This article aims to present an analysis of the benefits of force feedback applied to the bilateral teleoperation of a humanoid robot with timevarying delay. As a control scheme, we link adaptive inverse dynamics compensation, balance control, and P+d like controllers. Finally,a test is performed where an operator simultaneously handles the locomotion(forward velocity and turn angle) and arm of a simulated 3D humanoid robot to do a pick-and-place task using two master devices with force feedback, where indexes such as time to complete the task, coordination errors, path tracking error, and percentage of successful tests are reported for different time-delays. We conclude with the results achieved.

Control Schemes for Passive Teleoperation Systems over Wide Area Communication Networks with Time Varying Delay

In this paper,the problem of time varying telecommunication delays in passive teleoperation systems is addressed.The design comprises delayed position,velocity and position-velocity signals with the local position and velocity signals of the master and slave manipulators.Nonlinear adaptive control terms are employed locally to cope with uncertain parameters associated with the gravity loading vector of the master and slave manipulators.Lyapunov-Krasovskii function is employed for three methods to establish asymptotic tracking property of the closed loop teleoperation systems.The stability analysis is derived for both symmetrical and unsymmetrical time varying delays in the forward and backward communication channel that connects the local and remote sites.Finally,evaluation results are presented to illustrate the efectiveness of the proposed design for real-time applications.

Investigation into Pilot Handling Qualities in Teleoperation Rendezvous and Docking with Time Delay

Teleoperation rendezvous and docking can be used as a backup for autonomous rendezvous and docking（RVD） for an unmanned spacecraft when the autonomous system is failure or for guiding the chaser docking with an uncooperative target.The theoretical model for analyzing the handling qualities in teleoperation RVD process is established based on the previous studies conducted by National Aeronautics and Space Administration（NASA）.The predictive factor is introduced to describe the pilot＇s predictive ability in the teleoperation tasks with time delay,which interrelates with the skills of a pilot and the predictive assist approach used in the tasks such as the predictive display method.Based on the semi-physical simulation system in our laboratory,900 experiments at two levels of time delay are carried out by 18 volunteers for validating the established model.The experimental results demonstrate the correctness of the theoretical model and indicate that a skilled pilot has a predictive ability of approximately 0.9 in teleoperation RVD tasks.The theoretical analysis shows that the handling qualities are greatly affected by the time delay and the predictive factor,and it is impossible to achieve a teleoperation RVD task for the skilled pilot when the time delay is larger than 9.0 s.

Bilateral teleoperation with reducing wave-based reflections

This paper presents a wave-based bilateral teleoperation structure to reduce the wave reflection and enhance the force and speed tracking performance through adjusting the relative parameters. A time domain passive approach is also applied to deal with the passivity of whole system even with non passive environment. The efficiency of the proposed method is confirmed by some experimental results.