UPI Teleoperation System
Description



Components of the teleoperation system

The teleoperation system has four components:

A sensor system mounted on Crusher. It included a high-resolution video camera system and a microphone to pick up sounds in the environment. The camera array consisted of five video cameras, each with a resolution of 1600 x 1200 pixels. These cameras gave the operator a 202 degree by 31 degree field of view.

A fiber-optic data link between Crusher and the operator station. A kilometer of fiber-optic cable was mounted on a spooler and laid behind the vehicle as it was driven along the test courses. Under ordinary operating conditions, a wireless data link would be used instead of a fiber-optic tether. However, fiber-optic cable was used during testing to provide greater bandwidth.

A software control system that provided near real-time processing of video images from the camera system. It corrected the video images and controlled their frame rate, resolution, field of view, and other video parameters. It also controlled the operator’s five-screen video display system.

A control booth that provided visual and vestibular feedback to the driver. Crusher was driven from the operator control booth. Five high-resolution display screens surrounded the driver, each showing an image from one of the vehicle cameras. This gave the driver an immersive, wide angle view of the vehicle’s surroundings. Speakers played noises from the vehicle’s environment. The booth was mounted on a motion base that tracked Crusher’s motion. This gave the driver a physical sense of the vehicle’s movement to complement visual and audio from the vehicle.