Workspace deformation based teleoperation for the increase of movement precision

Abstract

Teleoperation makes possible the execution of many tasks, that otherwise are not feasible when a human operator can not access to the working area due to dangerousness or environmental conditions, and it is not possible as well, to program the task so as to be performed autonomously, due to its complexity. Nevertheless, manipulation tasks require certain ability from the human operator due to the difficulties that produce the need to operate through control devices that does not fit with the structure of the slave arms. With the aim of increasing the precision capabilities provided by such control interfaces, a vision based procedure designed to deform the space around the working point has been developed. The vision system operates from the detection of the relevant scene elements. This space deformation produces automatically a progressive increase in precision when the robot arm approaches the relevant detected elements.