Comparing Semi-Autonomous Strategies for Virtual Reality Based Remote Robotic Telemanipulation: On Peg-In-Hole Tasks

Over the last decade, robot telemanipulation has been increasingly utilized in various applications so as to replace human operators in hazardous or remote environments. However, the telemanipulation of robots remains a challenging task, especially when high precision and dexterity are required. Peg-in-hole tasks are considered some of the most challenging tasks as they require high precision. To facilitate the execution of such complex tasks, this paper introduces and compares different semi-autonomous strategies for virtual reality (VR) based remote robotic telemanipulation of a robot arm. Four modalities of robotic telemanipulation with varying degrees of autonomy are presented and thoroughly compared. Finally, the comparative user study highlights the differences between the proposed modalities and showcases the advantages and disadvantages of each approach in detail.