Whole-body Spatial Teleoperation Control of a Hexapod Robot in Unstructured Environment

Considering the lack of autonomy and the uncertainties of the external environment, manipulating robots in an unstructured environment remains a critical issue. By combining human intelligence, teleoperation control has been considered as a significant solution for enhancing the manipulation capability. In this paper, the whole-body spatial teleoperation control strategy of a hexapod robot in an unstructured environment is investigated. Firstly, the forward and inverse kinematics modeling of the hexapod robot leg is analyzed. In addition, three gaits planning, namely straight, swivel, and transverse gaits, are implemented based on the tripod method. Then, a teleoperation control scheme is developed, by integrating variable motion mapping, incremental motion control strategy, as well as visual and haptic feedback. Finally, preliminary experiments are designed and implemented to verify the feasibility and performance of the developed whole-body spatial teleoperation control strategy.