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Human-Robot Interface for Teleoperated Robotized Planetary Sample Collection and Assembly

Lorenzo Pagliara, Vincenzo Petrone, Enrico Ferrentino, Pasquale Chiacchio

TL;DR

The paper tackles the challenge of performing precision ISRU tasks, such as sample collection and assembly, via teleoperation in remote planetary environments. It introduces a two-subsystem HRI consisting of a Haptic Control System (HCS) and a Robot Visualization & Planning (RVP) framework, enabling 1:1 haptic mapping while offline trajectory planning extends the operator's effective workspace. Empirical results show a $2.25$-fold improvement in Assembly success with haptic feedback compared to position-only teleoperation, and robustness to round-trip delays up to $0.5\,s$ though performance degrades at longer delays. The work suggests improved safety, reduced training time for new operators, and practical viability for ISRU missions, warranting further validation with larger operator cohorts.

Abstract

As human space exploration evolves toward longer voyages farther from our home planet, in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) becomes increasingly important. Haptic teleoperations are one of the technologies by which such activities can be carried out remotely by humans, whose expertise is still necessary for complex activities. In order to perform precision tasks with effectiveness, the operator must experience ease of use and accuracy. The same features are demanded to reduce the complexity of the training procedures and the associated learning time for operators without a specific background in robotic teleoperations. Haptic teleoperation systems, that allow for a natural feeling of forces, need to cope with the trade-off between accurate movements and workspace extension. Clearly, both of them are required for typical ISRU tasks. In this work, we develop a new concept of operations and suitable human-robot interfaces to achieve sample collection and assembly with ease of use and accuracy. In the proposed operational concept, the teleoperation space is extended by executing automated trajectories, offline planned at the control station. In three different experimental scenarios, we validate the end-to-end system involving the control station and the robotic asset, by assessing the contribution of haptics to mission success, the system robustness to consistent delays, and the ease of training new operators.

Human-Robot Interface for Teleoperated Robotized Planetary Sample Collection and Assembly

TL;DR

The paper tackles the challenge of performing precision ISRU tasks, such as sample collection and assembly, via teleoperation in remote planetary environments. It introduces a two-subsystem HRI consisting of a Haptic Control System (HCS) and a Robot Visualization & Planning (RVP) framework, enabling 1:1 haptic mapping while offline trajectory planning extends the operator's effective workspace. Empirical results show a -fold improvement in Assembly success with haptic feedback compared to position-only teleoperation, and robustness to round-trip delays up to though performance degrades at longer delays. The work suggests improved safety, reduced training time for new operators, and practical viability for ISRU missions, warranting further validation with larger operator cohorts.

Abstract

As human space exploration evolves toward longer voyages farther from our home planet, in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) becomes increasingly important. Haptic teleoperations are one of the technologies by which such activities can be carried out remotely by humans, whose expertise is still necessary for complex activities. In order to perform precision tasks with effectiveness, the operator must experience ease of use and accuracy. The same features are demanded to reduce the complexity of the training procedures and the associated learning time for operators without a specific background in robotic teleoperations. Haptic teleoperation systems, that allow for a natural feeling of forces, need to cope with the trade-off between accurate movements and workspace extension. Clearly, both of them are required for typical ISRU tasks. In this work, we develop a new concept of operations and suitable human-robot interfaces to achieve sample collection and assembly with ease of use and accuracy. In the proposed operational concept, the teleoperation space is extended by executing automated trajectories, offline planned at the control station. In three different experimental scenarios, we validate the end-to-end system involving the control station and the robotic asset, by assessing the contribution of haptics to mission success, the system robustness to consistent delays, and the ease of training new operators.
Paper Structure (11 sections, 5 figures, 2 tables)

This paper contains 11 sections, 5 figures, 2 tables.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. HRI for haptic control in ISRU missions
  3. System Design
  4. Mission Operations Concept
  5. Haptic Control System
  6. Robot Visualization & Planning
  7. Results
  8. Haptic control assessment
  9. Analysis of the system in case of communication delays
  10. Ease of training new operators
  11. Conclusions

Figures (5)

  • Figure 1: Example of ISRU mission operations pipeline ferrentino_autonomous_2022
  • Figure 2: High-level overview of the system architecture
  • Figure 3: Haptic Control System block scheme
  • Figure 5: Point-to-point trajectory planning in RVP. Together with ER and MR meshes, additional collision objects (in light green) are added to replicate (1) the ER's antennas, (2) the hole in which the sample is assembled, and (3) the front camera, modeled as a box to account for all possible orientations (being the front camera pair mounted on a passive pan-tilt unit, without encoders).
  • Figure 6: Engagement procedure in RVP. The haptic device moving frame is shown with solid colors, while the fixed robot's end-effector frame is displayed as shaded.