Internet based cooperative teleoperation

Robotic operations carried out via the Internet face several challenges and difficulties. These range from human-computer interfacing and human-robot interaction to overcoming random time delay and task synchronization. These limitations are intensified when multi-operators at multi-sites are collaboratively tele-operating multi-robots to achieve a certain task. Such a system is presented here, modeled and analyzed. The two main characteristics of this system are Internet based real-time closed loop control and coordinated operation. Modeling and analysis is done using Petri Nets, which is a graphical and mathematical modeling tool with very attractive features. These feature are based on its ability to describe and study systems that are characterized as being concurrent, asynchronous, distributed, parallel, non-deterministic and/or stochastic. Thus, it is a very adequate and efficient tool for studying distributed robotic systems. Specifically, it will be used to show that despite random time delay the stability and synchronization of the system were achieved using event-based control.