Improved Availability of Mobile Network Teleoperation by Employing a Video Conferencing Application With Audio-Embedded Commands

This study proposed an innovative teleoperation system utilizing video conferencing applications to enhance availability and operability in mobile networks. The proposed system accomplished this by transmitting video through screen sharing and embedding control signals into audio signals by converting them into sine waves whose amplitudes correspond to control values. Compared with conventional VPN-based approaches, our approach reduced communication delay over mobile data networks by more than 1s and, in evaluation experiments using Toyota's Human Support Robot, demonstrated improved operational accuracy. The proposed method expanded the operational range beyond Wi-Fi or cable limitations, enabling outdoor remote control via mobile data communication. This advancement opens new possibilities in hazardous environment operations, elderly care, and data collection for AI model training. Our approach improved the flexibility of teleoperation systems, paving the way for widespread adoption across various industries and research domains. Future improvements in video conferencing applications and next-generation mobile networks could further enhance system performance.