Telerobotics for depot applications

Air Logistic Centers trail the commercial sector in insertion of robotics and automation technologies. Small batch sizes, feature uncertainty, and varying workload have conspired to make classical industrial robotic solutions impractical for a wide range of depot remanufacturing processes. The solution is telerobotics. The challenge is how to judiciously exploit telerobotics to enhance depot industrial processes. In response to that challenge, the AFMC Robotics and Automation Center of Excellence (RACE) has launched a technical initiative to foster creative development and innovative utilization of emerging telerobotic technologies. The goals, plan of attack, and status of that initiative are presented.<>