Internet Based Real-time Teleoperation of Robots

Internet Based Real-time Teleoperation of Robots

With the rapid advancement of internet technology, it is increasingly feasible to utilize the internet for the remote operation of robotic systems that require high real-time performance, such as remote driving and tele-surgery, under normal internet conditions. Given the substantial demand for such services, it is likely to become a standard service provided by network providers in the future. Nevertheless, there remains a potential for significant issues or even disasters to arise in the event of unforeseen disruptions in internet connectivity or significant network condition degradation. This project aims to bridge the gap between the internet and robotic systems, ensuring that the performance and safety of robotic operations can be optimized even in situations characterized by extremely challenging network conditions.
In general, our typical use of the internet involves transmitting information with relatively low requirements for real-time performance and safety, such as sensor data and video calls. However, with the emergence of new scenarios like remote driving, tele-surgery, remote drone control, and others, there is a growing need to establish a universal architecture for integration with the Internet. Notably, the latency introduced by the Internet may initially compromise the quality of sensory data. However, in scenarios where both remote sensing and remote control are involved, the interplay between sensing and control, combined with the presence of time delay, can potentially lead to system instability, oscillations, or loss of control. This project aims to establish a general architecture to support real-time teleoperation, using a set of technical solutions, e.g., the introduction of a robot-side safety layer, dynamic adjustment of data transmission, real-time data resolution and sampling rate enhancement, passivity-based channel delay control design with guaranteed stability, to enhance the quality of information transmission at a mechanistic level.

Industrial partner on robotics with interests to tele-operations