C.-Y. Su, S. Rakheja, H. Liu (Eds.): ICIRA 2012, Part II, LNAI 7507, pp. 635–644, 2012.
© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2012
Internet-Based Telerobotics of Mobile Manipulators:
Application on RobuTER/ULM
B. Khiter
1
, A. Hentout
1
, E. Boutellaa
2
, M.R. Benbouali
1
, and B. Bouzouia
1
1
Division of Computer-Integrated Manufacturing and Robotics (DPR)
2
Division of Multimedia and Systems Architecture (ASM)
Centre for Development of Advanced Technologies (CDTA)
BP 17, Baba Hassen, Algiers 16303, Algeria
{bkhiter,ahentout}@cdta.dz, hentout_abdelfetah@hotmail.com
Abstract. Few works only deal with telerobotics of mobile manipulators via the
Internet. This paper consists of a contribution in this research field and
describes an Internet-based multi-agent telerobotic system of such robots.
The developed system provides the operator with a human/robot interface,
accessible via the Internet, for remote control of mobile manipulators. This
interface displays all sensors data and video images delivered by the eye-in-
hand IP camera. In addition, the interface allows the operator to perform
primitive tasks, either separately by the manipulator or by the mobile base, or in
cooperation by both of them.
The proposed telerobotic system is implemented on the RobuTER/ULM mobile
manipulator. The validity of the system is demonstrated through telerobotic
experiments of four primitive tasks via the Internet over a long distance.
Keywords: Mobile Manipulators, Internet-based Telerobotics, Multi-agent
Architecture, RobuTER/ULM.
1 Introduction
Telerobotic systems are traditionally implemented by using dedicated communication
channels. Moving the local/client and/or the remote sites requires the movement of all
the equipments and the network reconfiguration of the communication channel
connecting the two sites. Another disadvantage is that operators are, also, forced to
move at the client site in order to work and to prepare tasks. Moreover, if the client
machine (where the human/robot interface is implemented) breaks down, it becomes
difficult (or very expensive) to continue accomplishing the task successfully.
In recent years, with the popularity of the Internet, Internet-based telerobotic
systems are becoming a very interesting and promising field of researches in robotics.
Telerobotics via Internet involves control of remote robots within a web browser [1].
Such a system eliminates most of the traditional problems mentioned previously.
Furthermore, it allows easy and low-cost relocation of operators, and does not depend
on the location of the equipment that controls the robot (located on a remote site). The
development of an Internet interface, provides an opportunity for researchers to work
and to cooperate together to control the robot from anywhere in the world [2].