Robotic teleoperation: Mediated and supported by virtual testbeds

Abstract

In disaster scenarios or search and rescue applications an efficient, constructive and safe mission needs more than just robotic hardware and control. One major element is the interface between operator and robot. In this contribution, we present the approach of VTB-mediated teleoperation. This comprises (i) using standardized interfaces to integrate existing knowledge and libraries of the robotics community, (ii) the modular integration of necessary functionalities into the VTB, (iii) data handling and visualization in 3D simulation, (iv) direct control and feedback possibilities of real and virtual robotic systems, and (v) an overall modularity in terms of input and output modalities, internal and external libraries, as well as real and virtual data. This results in a holistic system of operator, VTB, and robotic system for training, support, prediction, and analysis before, after, and also during the mission.