Simple expert systems to improve an ultrasonic sensor‐system for a tele‐operated mobile‐robot

Abstract

Time taken to complete a tele-operated task with a mobile-robot partly depends on how a human operator interacts with the mobile-robot. Current tele-operated systems tend to rely heavily on visual feedback and experienced operators and this paper investigates how to make their tasks easier using an expert system to interpret joystick and sensor data. Simple expert systems improve that interaction for a tele-operated mobile-robot using ultrasonic sensors. Systems identify potentially hazardous situations and recommend safe courses of action. Results are presented from a series of timed tasks completed by tele-operators using a joystick to control a mobile-robot via an umbilical cable and watching the robot while operating it or sitting at a computer and viewing the area ahead of the robot. Tele-operators completed tests both with and without sensors and using the recently published systems to compare results. The new systems described here consistently performed tasks more quickly than some recently published systems. The paper also suggests that the amount of sensor support should be varied depending on circumstances.

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