title: Model-based supervisory control in telerobotics.
abstract: Model-based approaches can be used to confront several of the challenging performance issues in teleoperation. This paper describes a model-based supervisory control technique for telerobotics. A human-machine interface (HMI) was developed for online, interactive task segmentation and planning utilizing a world model of the telerobotic working environment (TRWE). The task model is transferred intermittently over a low bandwidth communication channel for interpretation, planning, and execution of the task segments through the autonomous control capabilities of a telerobot. For the purposes of outlining tasks, a human operator controls a simulation model to generate a "task sequence script" as a sequential list of desired sub-goals for a telerobot. A graphic user interface (GUI) facilitates the development of the task sequence script with viewing perspectives of the graphic display automatically selected as a function of the operational state and model parameters. Also, because the human operator is specifying discrete model set-points of the TRWE, and allowing the autonomous control capabilities of the telerobot to coordinate the actual trajectory between set-points, a provision is made to preview the proposed trajectory for approval or modification before execution. Preliminary results with a manipulator arm remotely controlled via the Internet demonstrate the utility of the model-based supervisory control technique.
authors.affiliation: Telerobotics Unit, University of California at Berkeley 94720-2020, USA.
authors.forename: T T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Blackmon
authors.forename: L W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Stark
mesh_terms: D003195:Computer Communication Networks; D003196:Computer Graphics; D003198:Computer Simulation; D006804:Ergonomics; D006801:Humans; D008328:Man-Machine Systems; D012371:Robotics; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D014741:Video Recording