A design and control environment for Internet-based telerobotics

This paper describes an environment for the design, simulation, and control of Internet-based force-reflecting telerobotic systems. We define these systems as using a segment of the computer network to connect the master to the slave. Computer networks introduce a time delay that is best described by a time-varying random process. Thus, known techniques for controlling time-delay telerobots are not directly applicable, and an environment for iterative designing and testing is necessary. The underlying software architecture supports tools for modeling the delay of the computer network, designing a stable controller simulating the performance of a telerobotic system, and testing the control algorithms using a force-reflecting input device. Furthermore, this setup provides data about including the Internet into more general telerobotic control architectures. To demonstrate the features of this environment, the complete procedure for the design of a telerobotic controller is discussed. First, the delay parameters of an Internet segment are identified by probing the network. Then, these parameters are used in the design of a controller that includes a quasi-optimal estimator to compensate small data losses. Finally, simulations of the complete telerobotic system and emulations using a planar-force-reflecting master and a virtual slave exemplify a typical design-and-test sequence.