IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine

CSA (Canadian Space Agency) is currently developing and conducting a series of experiments dubbed Avatar to investigate different command and control schemes allowing operators to interact with robots in space or on other planets. The objective of the Avatar experiments is to develop and test concepts in support of future space exploration missions. Although some of the concepts can be (and have b... View full abstract»

The requirements for an ideal telemanipulator (i.e., robot and surgical instrument) are derived. An overview on telemanipulators reported in literature is given. The new robot for telepresence surgery developed by German Aerospace Center (DLR) is presented in detail in the "DLR Robot" section. Surgical instruments equipped with miniaturized force-torque sensors and additional DoF at the distal end... View full abstract»

This article explores teleoperation for remote presence applications from a human-robot interaction (HRI) perspective to create a model that captures the key elements of the system and projects the impact of ever-increasing advances in autonomy and communications connectivity. Remote presence applications are those where one or more humans use the robot to project themselves into an environment to... View full abstract»

This article focuses on the use of stereoscopic video interfaces for telerobotics. Topics concerning human visual perception, binocular image capturing, and stereoscopic devices are described. There is a wide variety of video interfaces for telerobotic systems. Choosing the best video interface depends on the telerobotic application requirements. Simple monoscopic cameras are good enough for watch... View full abstract»

The goal of the proposed work is to analyze the characteristics and advantages of a telerobotic system based on video transmission and stereoscopic viewing. The proposed investigation follows a systematic approach based on the identification of main factors and a usability evaluation designed according them. Two different three-dimensional (3-D) visualization facilities are considered to evaluate ... View full abstract»

Insects and hummingbirds remain unmatched in their aerodynamic ability to hover in place in addition to other acrobatic feats such as flying backward and sideways by exploiting flapping-wing motion. Although this remarkable ability is key to making small-scale aircraft, flapping-hovering behavior has been difficult to reproduce artificially because of the challenging stability, power, and aeroelas... View full abstract»

Guido, a smart walker developed by Haptica (Dublin, Ireland), is a robotic walking aid that addresses the needs of the frail visually impaired, providing them with a safe means of taking exercise independently as well as navigation assistance in new environments. It was based on a program of research in the Trinity College Dublin from 1995 to 2000. Many similar devices have subsequently been devel... View full abstract»

Part I of this tutorial described two broad paradigms of interventional assistance: surgical computer-aided design (CAD)/computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) and surgical assistance. Part II focused on the underlying concepts of surgical CAD/CAM, with a particular emphasis on percutaneous procedures. This final installment of our three-part tutorial series discusses surgical assistance. In this sect... View full abstract»