Tracked Inspection Robot: Teleoperation based on ROS and Unity 3D

Abstract

Deficiencies in depth and perspective perception often hinder teleoperation based on video observation, especially in monocular settings. The integration of virtual reality (VR) allows the operator to be more immersed in the working environment, which can optimize the operation process and reduce the difficulty of operation. Taking cable trench inspection as an application scenario, this paper proposed a teleoperation system based on robot operating system (ROS) and Unity. The proposed method achieved the synchronization of both virtual and real robot actions, enabling the transmission and visualization of multimodal sensor data, and eventually allowing operators to utilize the virtual interface for immersive robot operation. The results of the user survey verified the feasibility of using the tracked robot based on ROS to achieve teleoperation combined with VR, and the introduction of VR reduces the cognitive load.