The term "teleoperation" refers to the operation of a system or machine at a distance. It is sometimes referred to as “remote control” and is most often associated with robotics and mobile robots. Teleoperated robots help human users complete both simple and complex tasks from a distance. Unlike autonomous robots, machines using teleoperation require a level of human involvement in order to function.
Teleoperation is often deployed in situations deemed too dangerous, complex, or costly for a human worker to perform. As a result, teleoperation is featured in a variety of applications from the military to healthcare, scientific discovery, and manufacturing.
A teleoperation system consists of two parts. It includes a telemanipulator that a human operator controls at a distance and a robotic device. The human operator uses the telemanipulator to send signals to the robotic device via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, radio signals, or other connections. The robotic device then carries out the functions.
There is a wide range of benefits for teleoperation, and they include:
There are a variety of applications for teleoperation in robotics. Some of the most popular use cases include:
The world of teleoperation is shrinking when it comes to the telemanipulator. What was once massive, complex systems that required an advanced engineering degree to operate can now be found in your smartphone. The simplification of the telemanipulator device is making it possible for teleoperation to reach a wider audience. For example, with just a few taps of their phone screen, participants around the world were able to teleoperate Boston Dynamics’ robotic dog, Spot, on the streets of San Francisco.
Another discipline that is impacting the future of teleoperation is the evolution of virtual reality (VR). It opens up a world where human operators can remotely access and control machinery using a virtual reality system like an HTC Vive headset and hand controls. This allows an operator to teleoperate robots from their own home rather than in a factory setting.
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