Towards Universal Shared Control in Teleoperation Without Haptic Feedback

2025-06-30

AI Summary

This work addresses the dual challenges of obstacle-aware trajectory generation and liquid-slosh suppression during vision-only VR teleoperation of a UR5e robotic arm—specifically when manipulating a glass containing liquid. We propose a general shared-control framework that integrates task-oriented multi-objective optimization with real-time motion planning. The method directly maps non-haptic VR controller inputs to joint-space trajectories satisfying collision avoidance, dynamic feasibility, and liquid-slosh suppression constraints—modeled via an equivalent single-pendulum approximation. Crucially, our approach enables online embedding and coordinated regulation of dynamic task constraints without requiring haptic feedback. Experimental evaluation demonstrates an average planning latency of only 13 ms, achieving high operational stability while significantly improving teleoperation accuracy and generalization capability for complex physical interaction tasks, such as steady-state pouring.

Technology Category

• Intelligent Robots: Manipulation
• Planning, Routing, and Scheduling: Replanning and Plan Repair
• Humans and AI: Human-Aware Planning and Behavior Prediction

Application Category

• Responsible Web: Machine-in-the-loop, human agency and autonomy
• Search and Retrieval-Augmented AI: Web learning to rank, online learning, and counterfactual learning for ranking
• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Virtualization and resource management in Web systems and infrastructures

Abstract

Teleoperation with non-haptic VR controllers deprives human operators of critical motion feedback. We address this by embedding a multi-objective optimization problem that converts user input into collision-free UR5e joint trajectories while actively suppressing liquid slosh in a glass. The controller maintains 13 ms average planning latency, confirming real-time performance and motivating the augmentation of this teleoperation approach to further objectives.

Problem

• Enables teleoperation without haptic feedback
• Converts user input to collision-free robot trajectories
• Suppresses liquid slosh in real-time control

Innovation

• Multi-objective optimization for collision-free trajectories
• Active suppression of liquid slosh in teleoperation
• Real-time performance with 13 ms planning latency