Teleoperation Systems Quiz

Teleoperation

• Teleoperation is a type of human supervisory control, sometimes viewed as a "necessary/temporary evil" alternative to full AI autonomy.

• It's a popular choice for remote applications.

• Teleoperation is often used as a transitional step toward fully autonomous systems.

• Telesystems are essential for certain applications where a robotic task requires human interaction.

• Key components of a telesystem include Local (display, local control device), Communication, and Remote (sensor, control, effector, power).

Learning Objectives

• Students should be able to identify the seven components of a telesystem.
• Understanding the different styles of Human supervisory control (manual, traded, shared, and autonomy).
• Evaluating which domains are well-represented by telesystems.
• Categorizing supervisory control schemes as manual, traded, shared, or autonomy based on the offered descriptions.
• Detailing three key characteristics of suitable domains for telesystems.
• Explaining the out-of-the-loop problem in semi-autonomy.

Outline

• Theory section includes discussion of teleoperation, telesystem components, supervisory control types, and a general summary.
• Practical section covers case studies, human out-of-the-loop control, and scenarios where telesystems are suitable.
• AI Recap focuses on where AI excels and where there are limits.
• Summarizing the solutions for effective telesystem applications.

Definitions

• Taskable agent: a system given a task, completing it without supervision, then returning information.
• Remote presence: the task and role(s) are jointly handled by humans and robots in a blended cognitive system.
• Distinctions between taskable agents and remote presence aren't mutually exclusive, and instances can co-occur.

Relevance for Teleoperation

• Teleoperation is a practical technique, as a workaround for challenges like perceptual deficiencies.
• Teleoperation often provides the intended result.

Components of a Telesystem (Uttal 89)

• Local: Display, Control
• Remote: Sensor, Communication, Control, Effector, Power

7 Components of a Telesystem

• Local components (2): display, local control device.
• Communication components (1): connection.
• Remote components (4): remote control device, sensor, effector, power.

Hot New Trend

• Teleoperation is the current standard for DoD and Public Safety mobile robotics applications.
• Useful for remote operations, especially those needing a transitional path to fully autonomous technology.
• While not universally applicable as a failsafe across all robotic applications, teleoperation remains vital for tasks involving significant human-robot interaction.

Non-Anthropomorphic Systems

• Teleoperation and control remain adaptable to systems not resembling human construction.

How Do You Control a Telesystem?

• This is equivalent to "Human supervisory control," a broader term not confined to unmanned vehicles.
• Manned systems (auto-pilot, fly-by-wire) and factory automation also use variations of the methodology.

Supervisory Control

• Human operators intermittently specify directives while continually monitoring system updates through information provided by the system's sensors and effectors.
• The human maintains continual involvement, even if it's just to set objectives.
• Humans interact with the operation's information and influence the overall system.
• There are many ways in which the computer is involved, including the compensation for delays, designing inner-loop control methods, and enabling safety/self-preservation reflexes.

Types of Human Supervisory Control

• Classifications based on robot visibility and intelligence center:
  • Robot primary controller / operator sees robot
  • Robot primary controller / operator can't see robot
  • Operator primary controller / operator sees robot
  • Operator primary controller / operator can't see robot

Summary of Supervisory Control types

• Robot primary controller/Operator sees robot: Remote controlled
• Robot primary controller/Operator can't see robot: Manual control
• Operator primary controller/Operator sees robot: Remote controlled
• Operator primary controller/Operator can't see robot: Manual control
• Classifications according to shared interaction and robot responsibility (social interactions, autonomy, remote controlled, and manual control)

Downside of Manual Control

• Lack of direct visual feedback: Insufficient interfaces inhibit the user's perception of the robot's real-time location and surrounding context.
• Need for sensor inputs: Proprioception, exteroception, and exproprioception are critical for achieving sufficient awareness of the robot’s position, relationships with the environment, and its components.

Example: Manual Control

• An example of a manual control scenario involves a visually guided robot or system.

Traded Control

• Human and robot responsibilities are split.
• Involves switching control of the task between operator and robot as needed.

Shared Control

• Simultaneous input from both human and robot for control.
• Tasks are categorized into deliberation (human) and reaction (robot).

Guarded Motion

• Developed for human-in-the-loop control to mitigate unintended consequences caused by directives.
• Key elements in safeguarding system from unintended consequences are defined.

Guarded Motion Components

• Autonomy Intervention Criteria, Command Integration Method, Monitored Condition, Interface Modality, and Display Preprocessing.

Human Factors in Teleoperation

• Cognitive fatigue: associated effects, like Keyhole Effect and Simulator Sickness, negatively impacting the user.
• Latency: the time delay in communication between the human operator and the remote robot can create serious issues.
• Human-Robot Ratio: The safe human-to-robot ratio is calculated.
• Out-of-the-loop problems: When humans lose track of what the robot is doing, control failures can occur.

Guidelines for Determining Suitable Telesystems

• The task should be unstructured and not repetitive.
• The task workspace should not be conducive for industrial manipulators.
• Key components of the tasks demand dexterity (hand-eye coordination)

Mini-Summary: Telesystem Theory

• Teleoperation is a popular alternative to full autonomy for remote applications. It leverages the human-robot interaction.
• Human supervisory control is necessary to guide telesystems, despite potential limitations.
• Important distinctions of how people handle telesystems and the differences between various control strategies are explained.

Summary

• Telesystems present a practical alternative to full robotic autonomy.
• Human supervisory control is the framework for teleoperation.
• Supervisory control stretches from manual input to full automation.
• Issues like cognitive fatigue, communication delay, and human-to-robot ratio affect control efficiency and safety.
• Teleoperation or shared control is not always optimal as a fail-safe due to typical out-of-the-loop control problems.