Model Based Teleoperation to Eliminate Feedback Delay NSF Grant BCS89-01352 First Report

We are conducting research in the area of teleoperation with feedback delay. Delay occurs with earth-based teleoperation in space and with surface-based teleoperation with untethered submersibles when acoustic communication links are involved. the delay in obtaining position and force feedback from remote slave arms makes teleoperation extremely difficult. We are proposing a novel combination of graphics and manipulator programming to solve the problem by interfacing a teleoperator master arm to a graphics based simulator of the remote environment coupled with a robot manipulator at the remote, delayed site. the operator's actions will be monitored to provide both kinesthetic and visual feedback and to generate symbolic motion commands to the remote slave. the slave robot will then execute these symbolic commands delayed in time. While much of a task will proceed error free, when an error does occur the slave system will transmit data back to the master and the master environment will be "reset" to the error state.