Project Title:

Global-Local Environment Telerobotic Simulator

05.06-8500
NAS7-1074
Global-Local Environment Telerobotic Simulator
KMS Fusion, Inc.
	P.O. Box 1567
	Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1567
		Frederick S. Schebor
(313-769-8500)

Abstract:

	Because autonomous robots are far beyond the state-of-the-art in artificial intelligence
and computer vision, NASA must use telerobotic systems to reduce the frequency of
potentially unproductive and dangerous extravehicular activities by space station
astronauts. Past experience shows that teleoperation is demanding and requires the
operator to maintain an accurate mental model of the local environment of the manipulator
even in adverse lighting and sensory conditions. To simplify teleoperation, a global-local
environment telerobotic simulator (GLETS) will be designed to simulate the remote
manipulator and its local environment. It will update continually the simulated environment
using remote sensors and display the simulated environment with rich visual and audio
cues that can be easily interpreted by the operator. CAD/CAM will be used databases
for the simulated robot environment and robot descriptions. The simulator will provide
a flexible software architecture that is easily modified and extended. It will adhere
to the NASREM standard for telerobotic control to allow its easy integration into
NASA's telerobotic program.

Potential Commercial Application:

Potential Commercial Applications: A telerobotic simulator that could adapt to nearly
any type of applications environment would provide a safe and inexpensive training
facility and facilitate configuring of robots, mission and contingency planning,
and error recovery.