Teleoperation of Construction Robots Using Human Interaction: Case Study Examples

The integration of advanced teleoperation methods in construction robotics has the potential to enhance productivity and safety in demanding environments. Among different methods, hand gestures have emerged as an intuitive approach, enabling seamless communication between human operators and robotic systems. This study explores the use of hand gestures for controlling a robotic excavator and a robotic arm in construction applications. Two case study examples are presented. In the first case study, a series of hand gestures are performed to control a robotic excavator’s bucket and arm movements. The second case study focuses on using hand gestures to control a robotic arm to perform a material handling task in a virtual environment. In both cases, the performed hand gestures are all successfully captured and interpreted by the gesture-based control method to conduct the corresponding tasks, which indicates the feasibility of the gesture-based control method for various types of construction robots. Also, the limitations of the gesture-based teleoperation method are discussed. This work highlights the opportunities and challenges of gesture-based teleoperation and its potential for broader applications in construction robotics.