Dynamic virtual environment to test teleoperated systems with time delay communications

This paper presents a dynamic virtual environment tool for training operators and to prove different control schemes in telerobotic systems, and describes virtual reality environments used in teleoperated robotic systems. In the presented tool, the kinematic and dynamic model of the remote environment which is manipulating the operator is considered. The paper also describes how time delays in the communication channel can be easily added to the simulator, in order to analyze their effects in the teleoperated system. Finally, some experimental results achieved with this virtual teleoperated system are shown. With the presented dynamic simulator, different control schemes designed to overcome the time delay problem could be tested. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.