Super-immersive Remote Working via Virtual Reality Controlled Robotics

Abstract

In this paper, we briefly describe a novel VR-robot interface developed (on top of the eNetReality [2] authoring platform by eCom Scotland) to provide users with an enhanced learning experience by enabling them to operate the robot remotely through the VR device. We implemented and tested this interface to control the Franka Emika Panda robotic arm. The main objective of this work is to provide an immersive experience to the user by enabling them to interact with the digital twin of the Franka robot and visualize its actions in the VR device. To achieve this objective, we integrated a haptic feedback device to enable the user to receive feedback while the robotic arm performs the pick and place task. We have extensively tested this interface with a cohort of Electronics and Electrical engineering graduates from Glasgow College, UESTC, China. Our ultimate goal is to extend our interface to support multiple robots.