Teleprogramming: Remote site robot task execution

This dissertation describes a remote site robot workcell for teleoperation with communication delays on the order of 20 seconds. In these situations, direct teleoperation becomes impossible due to the delays in visual and force feedback. Teleprogramming has been developed in order to overcome this problem.;An integral part of teleprogramming is a semi-autonomous remote site robot system. The remote system is composed of a robot manipulator, sensors, controlling computer, and manipulator tools. The constraints on the remote site system and the amount of autonomy needed are defined partially by the teleprogramming system, and partially by the needs of the remote system. Development of the remote site system for teleprogramming evokes some pertinent research issues: low level manipulator control, semi-autonomous command execution, and remote site tool usage.;Low level manipulator control is based on a hybrid control scheme using wrist-based sensory feedback. Implementation of this control is presented and problems related to controlling the manipulator in an arbitrary frame are investigated.;High level commands are executed at the remote site in small autonomous steps. Implementation of tolerance checks and guarded moves are presented, including error detection and the detection of motion termination conditions in a partially known environment.;Power tools introduce redundant degrees of freedom into the manipulator/tool system. To control this redundant system, the tool is actively controlled in its natural degree of freedom and the corresponding degree of freedom in the manipulator becomes passive. Feedback for the manipulator/tool system is supplied by the wrist-based sensor. Two examples of sensing and control for tools are presented.;This research has resulted in the development of a remote site system for teleprogramming. The remote system, however, is both time-delay and input independent. The characteristics of the system, including the compliance, flexibility, and semi-autonomity, are useful to a wide variety of robotics applications, including manufacturing and direct teleoperation.