Cooperative and Multimodal Capabilities Enhancement in the CERNTAURO Human–Robot Interface for Hazardous and Underwater Scenarios
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. Mo...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2020-09-01
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| Series: | Applied Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/10/17/6144 |
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| author | Carlos Veiga Almagro Giacomo Lunghi Mario Di Castro Diego Centelles Beltran Raúl Marín Prades Alessandro Masi Pedro J. Sanz |
| author_facet | Carlos Veiga Almagro Giacomo Lunghi Mario Di Castro Diego Centelles Beltran Raúl Marín Prades Alessandro Masi Pedro J. Sanz |
| author_sort | Carlos Veiga Almagro |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T16:34:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-205b5bb0d79a452bbfdc05e31d93132d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3417 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T16:34:37Z |
| publishDate | 2020-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Applied Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-205b5bb0d79a452bbfdc05e31d93132d2023-11-20T12:31:58ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172020-09-011017614410.3390/app10176144Cooperative and Multimodal Capabilities Enhancement in the CERNTAURO Human–Robot Interface for Hazardous and Underwater ScenariosCarlos Veiga Almagro0Giacomo Lunghi1Mario Di Castro2Diego Centelles Beltran3Raúl Marín Prades4Alessandro Masi5Pedro J. Sanz6European Organization for Nuclear Research, Esplanade des Particules 1, 1217 Meyrin, SwitzerlandEuropean Organization for Nuclear Research, Esplanade des Particules 1, 1217 Meyrin, SwitzerlandEuropean Organization for Nuclear Research, Esplanade des Particules 1, 1217 Meyrin, SwitzerlandInteractive Robotic Systems Lab, Jaume I University of Castellón, 12006 Castellón de la Plana, SpainInteractive Robotic Systems Lab, Jaume I University of Castellón, 12006 Castellón de la Plana, SpainEuropean Organization for Nuclear Research, Esplanade des Particules 1, 1217 Meyrin, SwitzerlandInteractive Robotic Systems Lab, Jaume I University of Castellón, 12006 Castellón de la Plana, SpainThe 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.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/10/17/6144human–robot interfacerobot teamscooperationmanipulation |
| spellingShingle | Carlos Veiga Almagro Giacomo Lunghi Mario Di Castro Diego Centelles Beltran Raúl Marín Prades Alessandro Masi Pedro J. Sanz Cooperative and Multimodal Capabilities Enhancement in the CERNTAURO Human–Robot Interface for Hazardous and Underwater Scenarios Applied Sciences human–robot interface robot teams cooperation manipulation |
| title | Cooperative and Multimodal Capabilities Enhancement in the CERNTAURO Human–Robot Interface for Hazardous and Underwater Scenarios |
| title_full | Cooperative and Multimodal Capabilities Enhancement in the CERNTAURO Human–Robot Interface for Hazardous and Underwater Scenarios |
| title_fullStr | Cooperative and Multimodal Capabilities Enhancement in the CERNTAURO Human–Robot Interface for Hazardous and Underwater Scenarios |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cooperative and Multimodal Capabilities Enhancement in the CERNTAURO Human–Robot Interface for Hazardous and Underwater Scenarios |
| title_short | Cooperative and Multimodal Capabilities Enhancement in the CERNTAURO Human–Robot Interface for Hazardous and Underwater Scenarios |
| title_sort | cooperative and multimodal capabilities enhancement in the cerntauro human robot interface for hazardous and underwater scenarios |
| topic | human–robot interface robot teams cooperation manipulation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/10/17/6144 |
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