Abstract
The use of remote robotic systems for inspection and maintenance in hazardous environments is a priority for all tasks potentially dangerous for humans. However, currently available robotic systems lack that level of usability which would allow inexperienced operators to accomplish complex tasks. Moreover, the task’s complexity increases drastically when a single operator is required to control multiple remote agents (for example, when picking up and transporting big objects). In this paper, a system allowing an operator to prepare and configure cooperative behaviours for multiple remote agents is presented. The system is part of a human–robot interface that was designed at CERN, the European Center for Nuclear Research, to perform remote interventions in its particle accelerator complex, as part of the CERNTAURO project. In this paper, the modalities of interaction with the remote robots are presented in detail. The multimodal user interface enables the user to activate assisted cooperative behaviours according to a mission plan. The multi-robot interface has been validated at CERN in its Large Hadron Collider (LHC) mockup using a team of two mobile robotic platforms, each one equipped with a robotic manipulator. Moreover, great similarities were identified between the CERNTAURO and the TWINBOT projects, which aim to create usable robotic systems for underwater manipulations. Therefore, the cooperative behaviours were validated within a multi-robot pipe transport scenario in a simulated underwater environment, experimenting more advanced vision techniques. The cooperative teleoperation can be coupled with additional assisted tools such as vision-based tracking and grasping determination of metallic objects, and communication protocols design. The results show that the cooperative behaviours enable a single user to face a robotic intervention with more than one robot in a safer way.
Highlights
Remote robotic systems are increasingly becoming essential for industries hosting hazardous facilities for their personnel
The aim of the TWINBOT. project is to overcome the current limitations of cooperative interventions in the field of underwater robotics, enabling the operator to supervise robotic operations through a visual-guided control-based human–robot interface and to perform complex tasks while avoiding cognitive fatigue that brings low-level manual control, augmenting the autonomy and intelligence of the vehicles
This paper has shown the current state of the cooperative behaviours module developed at Center for Nuclear Research (CERN) for the CERNTAURO project, which was very convenient in the control of similar operations in underwater scenarios
Summary
Remote robotic systems are increasingly becoming essential for industries hosting hazardous facilities for their personnel. The CERNTAURO project [1] aims at creating a complete system for remote interventions in the European Center for Nuclear Research (CERN)’s accelerator environments, including preparation, preliminary studies, safety, and execution of the tasks. For this purpose, a modular, usable, and multimodal human–robot interface was developed [2] to ensure easier and safer operation of multiple remote robotic systems. The proposed solution makes use of behavioural control scripts programmed during the task preparation, customised and adapted during the task execution Such scripts allow the creation of additional behaviours interconnecting multiple agents during the operation. Afterwards, the system description of the HRI cooperative functionalities is presented, which proved to be fundamental for carrying out the mentioned operations safely
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
