Using an UAV to guide the teleoperation of a mobile manipulator

Abstract

[Abstract] In this paper, a new teleoperation system consisting on the integration of a mobile manipulator, an UAV, and a haptic is presented. The camera of the UAV is used to give visual feedback to the operator. An algorithm is presented to allow the operator to command both the UAV and the mobile manipulator while keeping the point of view pointing towards the robot by only using a single haptic device. The presented algorithm combines a position-position and a position-velocity workspace mapping from the haptic to the mobile manipulator and the UAV, both in position and orientation. Further, a solution is presented that takes advantage of the null space of the mobile manipulator to keep the body and the arm of the mobile manipulator from occluding its own TCP and the object it is carrying, thus easing the teleoperation task. Experimentation has been carried on the system, both in a virtual and a real scenario, showing its potential in teleoperation scenarios. Overall, a novel teleoperation system and the ongoing progress towards its implementation in real situations is presented in this work.