Haptic-Guided Teleoperation of a 7-DoF Collaborative Robot Arm With an Identical Twin Master

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Control Systems

Background:

• Teleoperation typically lacks force feedback, limiting remote task performance.
• Cobot arms offer potential for master-slave systems but require force feedback implementation.
• Torque-controlled cobots can simulate haptic feedback, bridging the gap in teleoperation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate haptic-guided teleoperation using 7-DoF cobot arms.
• To implement a two-layer force feedback mechanism for object interactions and virtual forces.
• To compare the performance and usability of different force rendering approaches.

Main Methods:

• Utilized two Franka Emika Panda robot arms as a master-slave system.
• Developed a two-layer force feedback mechanism incorporating object interaction and virtual forces.
• Implemented and compared two distinct force rendering approaches, including joint torque coupling.
• Conducted experimental studies to assess performance and usability against non-haptic teleoperation.

Main Results:

• The joint torque coupling method significantly improved energy efficiency in haptic-guided telemanipulation.
• Realistic force feedback was achieved by accurately matching slave torque readings at the master side.
• Experimental results demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed haptic guidance system.

Conclusions:

• Haptic-guided teleoperation using cobot arms is feasible and beneficial.
• The proposed joint torque coupling method offers a promising approach for realistic force feedback and energy optimization.
• This technology enhances the performance and usability of remote robotic operations.