A low-cost internet-based telerobotic system for access to remote laboratories

Abstract

This paper presents an account of the design of a low-cost Internet-based teleoperation system implemented on China's Internet. Using a multimedia-rich human-computer interface, combining predictive displays and graphical overlays, a series of simple tasks were performed within a simulated space environment scenario. Internet clients anywhere can monitor the robotic workspace, talk with technicians, and control the Arm/Hand integrated system with 15 DOF located in lab to perform tasks (such as grasping a vessel, pouring a liquid, and peg-in-hole assembling, etc.). Our main contributions are to establish a foundation for teleoperated science and engineering research, and we have addressed some issues involving the time-delay associated with the Internet. We also developed several key software adaptation technologies and products used for Internet-Based teleoperation, compatible with the BH-III dexterous hand, BH1 6-DOF mechanical arm and five-finger 11-DOF data glove, constructed in our laboratory. This system has been successfully tested and applied in remote robotic education (Virtual Laboratories) system via China's Internet using our Master/Slave architecture, which combines mixed modes of remote monitor/manipulate and local autonomous control.