Robotic Telepresence

1
Robotic Telepresence

• Marcelo H Ang Jr, mpeangh_at_nus,edu.sg Wong Hong
  Yang
• Dept of Mechanical Engineering, National
  University of Singapore
• Lim Ser Yong
• Automation Division, Gintic Institute of
  Manufacturing Technology

5 Jan 2001
2
Background

• Robots as super tools for humans
• vs complete autonomy
• Tasks unpleasant/unsuitable for humans
• hazardous environments
• tedious, low-level and high-level skills
• Tasks where robots can improve performance
• better accuracy and repeatabilty

3
The Teleoperator
4
(No Transcript)
5
Challenges

• Telepresence
• as if operator is at remote site
• all five senses are available
• sight, touch, sound, smell, taste
• real-time feedback of sensation
• via Internet?
• Robotic manipulator with human dexterity

6

• What are the limits in terms of tasks
• that can be operated telepresently?

7
Technologies
8
Haptic Devices
Phantom devices, Sensable Technologies
9
Haptics
10
System Overview
11
(No Transcript)
12
(No Transcript)
13
(No Transcript)
14
Position Tracking using Polhemus FASTRAK Magnetic
Position Sensor
FASTRAK receiver in HMD
FASTRAK receiver on velcro
FASTRAK transmitter
15

• 3 translation and 3 rotation data (Euler angles)
  are obtained (at receiver from transmitter).

16
Head-Eye Module (HEM, V 1)

• Separated into 2 parts the Eye Module and the
  Head Module.
• Motion provided by servo motors, directly coupled
  to drive each joint.
• Rotation is provided in 2 orientation frame axes
  (x,y) and 1 reference frame axis (Z)
• Motion control provided by a 3 axes motion
  control ISA bus PC card with user programming
  library

17
Eye Module
Camera holder
Carriage
Linear guides
Leadscrew
18
Head Module
Coincidence of rotating axes
19
Robot (Slave) Arm and Gripper

• Movement is done in tool mode. (Cartesian)
• Orientation is defined by a series of 6 numbers
  (orientation and approach vectors)
• A data record of 9 numbers (3 position 6
  orientation values) is passed to the robot
  controller through RS232 interface from PC.

20
System In Operation
21
Robotic Telepresence System, V2
22
(No Transcript)
23
Telepresence with Haptics
24
Summary

• Successful integration of hardware and software
  components. Only a short period of time is needed
  for operators to feel immersed and gain skill in
  operator the robot arm.
• Possible applications The Armed Forces,
  Underwater dredging and salvage operations,
  Telesurgery, Education

25
Future Work

• Improved Head Eye Module
• vergence control
• compact
• Inherent delay in Internet

26
But are the existing Internet Protocols enough
for communications between machines?

• Remote Monitoring and Control
• Machines as Web Controllable Objects
• http? ftp? telnet?

27
Requirements

• a system for different machines to be controlled
  and monitored on different platforms
• a system that links up the various software
  packages available now
• an open standard
• an object (component) oriented system, OOS

Off the shelf components working together (Plug
and Play for software and hardware
interoperability)
28
Solution

• 2 new layers between objects in the system
  Machine Command Abstraction (MCA) and Message
  Communication Protocol (MCP)
• MCA bridges the differences between the
  functional language of different machines
  (device independent)
• MCP defines a standard way of communicating
  between different objects using text messages
  (platform independent)
• Open Object Oriented Standard

29
Parallel/Analogy

• A MAVI compliant system is just like an FTP
  system
• Any FTP client can connect to any FTP server and
  send commands and receive feedbacks from the
  server
• Similarly, any device connected to a MAVI
  compliant server can be controlled and monitored
  by any MAVI client
• User Interface will be independent of device and
  platform
• Can be expanded for data transfer (example
  between smart agents or feedback sensors)

30
MCA

• The Machine Command Abstraction translate
  different machine commands that are vendor
  specific to a standard set of commands
• Free programmers from having to rewrite their
  User Interface for different devices (one UI many
  devices)
• Allows different UIs to be used on a single
  device (one device many UIs)

31
MCA - example commands for WCOs

• On/Off
• axis label 5 m
• power label 90
• start/stop
• get status
• etc.

32
MCP

• The Message Communication Protocol defines a
  standard language to be used in the TCP/IP pipe
• Follows the widely accepted XML format
• By formatting all communication messages in the
  TCP/IP pipe in textual XML format, it makes it
  easy to understand and implement, platform and
  programming language independent

• Secondary communication pipes can be established
  in real time through MCP for binary communication
  and encrypted messages

33
An Example
MCA
Vendor ADevice
MachineDriver
MCP
MAVI Server
UserInterface
InterfaceDriver
MAVI Client
MCA
Vendor BDevice
MachineDriver
MCP
MAVI Server
34
Features

• Designed for the Internet and Intranet.
• Based on TCP/IP
• Simple but expandable and scalable
• Independent of

• Machine Vendors
• Operating System
• Programming Language

35
With MAVI..

• Plug and Play WCO s
• Pervasive
• Home/Factory Use
• No programming experience
• Vendor/Hardware/Software independent

36
Scenarios

• User designs a prototype at home. Uses a
  shareware MAVI client to log into an Internet
  Rapid Prototyping shop. Remotely control,
  monitor and produces his prototype. Product
  delivered to him.
• Factory supervisor on leave. Uses the Internet
  and a MAVI client to log into his factory
  machines while overseas. Check on the machine up
  and down time and number of products produced.

37
Case Study 1 - Telerobot
http//telemfg.eng.nus.edu.sg

• Features
• Control and monitor robot from anywhere in the
  world
• Virtual Model for faster feedback
• Easily adapted to any other robot
• User Interface can be changed easily example
  force feedback joystick
• Additional components can be upgraded or added
  examples Security, Encryption, Image Processing,
  Object Avoidance etc

38
(No Transcript)
39
Case Study 2 i2h
http//mavi.mpe.nus.edu.sg/

• Internet Integrated Home
• Joint project with NCB to connect the Singapore
  One Home to the Internet (completed in 2000)
• Objective To implement the control and
  monitoring of home devices via the Internet.
  The implementation must be simple and secured
  so to encourage market adoption.
• Phase 1 Implementation of some Web
  Controllable Objects, (WCO) like Pan/Tilt
  WebCam and Table Lamps.

40
(No Transcript)
41
Other work..

• Jini
• architecture based on Java for federating
  services in a distributed system
• requires Java virtual machine, language dependent
• CORBA
• Common Object Request Broker defines an Interface
  Definition Language (IDL) to create interfaces to
  objects
• Requires language dependent ORB to work
• Microsofts (UPnP) Universal Plug N Play (newest)
• Windows software in any device.