Dual-user nonlinear teleoperation subjected to varying time delay and bounded inputs

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Control Systems Engineering
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Teleoperation systems face challenges like actuator saturation, nonlinear dynamics, and time delays.
• Existing control architectures struggle to maintain stability and coordination in complex, multi-user scenarios.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel trilateral control architecture for dual-master/single-slave teleoperation systems.
• To address stability and position coordination problems under actuator saturation and time-varying delays.

Main Methods:

• Extension of the nonlinear Proportional plus Damping (nP+D) controller.
• Weighted summation incorporating gravity compensation and dominance factors for user control.
• Asymptotic stability analysis using Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional.

Main Results:

• The proposed controller ensures stability and desired position coordination in free motion.
• Demonstrated effectiveness through simulations on a dual-master/single-slave system with 3-DOF robots.
• Successfully managed actuator saturation and bounded varying time delays.

Conclusions:

• The novel trilateral control architecture effectively manages complexities in dual-master/single-slave teleoperation.
• The dominance factor allows for nuanced user control and task prioritization.
• The controller provides a robust solution for real-world teleoperation applications.