Upper-Body Haptic Garment for Snake Robot Teleoperation Orientation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Remote control of snake robots in confined spaces is challenging due to limited visibility, indistinguishable features, and complex locomotion, leading to disorientation and motion sickness for human operators, with traditional visual feedback insufficient for spatial understanding and navigation.
Innovation Solution
A haptic feedback system using an upper-body haptic suit with vibrating modules on the front and back to provide tactile feedback corresponding to the robot's position and orientation, enhancing spatial awareness and navigation through vibrotactile cues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional visual feedback (camera view) is used for robot teleoperation, then the system is simple and easy to implement, but the operator experiences disorientation and motion sickness due to limited visibility and inability to develop accurate spatial understanding
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from 2D visual feedback (camera view on screen) to 3D spatial haptic feedback by distributing vibrating modules across the front and back of the operator's upper body. This dimensional expansion provides intuitive directional cues about robot orientation and position, enabling accurate spatial understanding without disorientation.
Solution Approach 2:
The haptic feedback garment acts as an intermediary between the robot's state and the operator's perception. Instead of directly viewing the robot through a camera, the operator feels vibrational cues transmitted through the garment, which mediate the spatial information and prevent disorientation.
2Measurement precision
If haptic feedback garment with vibrating modules is used to provide spatial orientation feedback, then operator situational awareness and navigation precision are improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The haptic feedback system is segmented into multiple independent vibrating modules distributed across the garment. Each module can be controlled independently to provide specific directional feedback, allowing precise spatial awareness while using standardized, manufacturable modular components.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of feedback delivery from visual (2D screen) to haptic (multi-point tactile stimulation). By varying the activation patterns of different vibrating modules, the system encodes spatial information that improves operator awareness while using commercially available haptic technology.
3Loss of information
If camera view feedback is used for robot teleoperation, then the feedback system is simple, but the operator cannot accurately understand robot position and orientation in confined spaces with indistinguishable features
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the haptic garment provide different types of feedback information. For example, modules on the front versus back of the garment convey different orientation data, and modules at different heights convey vertical versus horizontal position information. This localized differentiation transmits comprehensive spatial information without requiring complex system architecture.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The haptic feedback system improves operator situational awareness and navigation precision, reducing disorientation and motion sickness, enabling effective teleoperation of snake robots in confined spaces.
Implementation Method 1
an array of vibrating modules on a front side and a back side of a haptic feedback garment
Data Source
AI summary
A system, apparatus, and method are provided for remote control of a robotic device, and more particularly, to a haptic system for robot teleoperation in confined spaces. A haptic feedback system for robot teleoperation is provided including: a robot; a robot control; and an upper-body haptic feedback garment including a first vibrating module array disposed across a front side of an upper body of an operator and a second vibrating module array disposed across a back side of the upper body of the operator, where the upper-body haptic feedback garment provides haptic feedback to the operator reflecting a position and orientation of the robot.