Whole Body Teleoperation of Humanoid Robots

The construction of an effective communication interface between the slave robot and the operator, and the establishment of an effective teleoperation method to manipulate the complex multi joint humanoid robot are the two technical challenges for the development of a whole body teleoperation system for humanoid in order to interact with a remote environment by controlling a remote robot proxy, an effective communication interface, which provides a two way information link connecting the human operator with the remote robot, is great importance. An effective interface should be able to provide the following functions:
• Sensor Information Display: function to display the remote environment state as being sensed by the sensors of the remote robot.
• Robot Information Display: function to display information of the remote robot condition.
• Robot manipulation Command Input: function to transmit physical actions to interact with the remote environment by using manipulating the remote robot.

The effectiveness of these functions is significant as they affect the operator’s perception and performance during teleoperation. An effective interface should be able to extend the operator’s sensory perception into accurately remote environment and be able to provide flexible manipulation to teleoperate of the remote robot.

A boy immerses himself into the virtual game environment feeling the sense of becoming one to the human form game character only by controlling his gamepad. He manipulates the game character following pre-defined motion generation rules using the simple input device. His perception in the motions of the game character in the virtual world fits the expected effects of the actions he performs using the gamepad. The existence of continuing perception action loop enables him to develop the sense of becoming one to the virtual character.

A humanoid robot is human like in physical form and is expected to move in a human like manner. Human operators should be able to manipulate the slave humanoid robot safely and stable by constructing a teleoperation system of a humanoid robot with motion generation rules similar to that of a human.