The Impact of Haptic Feedback Quality on the Performance of Teleoperated Assembly Tasks

Abstract

In teleoperation, haptic feedback allows the human operator to touch the remote environment. Yet, it is only partially understood to what extent the quality of haptic feedback contributes to human-in-the-loop task performance. This paper presents a human factors experiment in which teleoperated task performance and control effort are assessed for a typical (dis-)assembly task in a hard-to-hard environment, well known to the operator. Subjects are provided with four levels of haptic feedback quality: no haptic feedback, low-frequency haptic feedback, combined low- and high-frequency haptic feedback, and the best possible-a natural spectrum of haptic feedback in a direct-controlled equivalent of the task. Four generalized fundamental subtasks are identified, namely: 1) free-space movement, 2) contact transition, 3) constrained translational, and 4) constrained rotational tasks. The results show that overall task performance and control effort are primarily improved by providing low-frequency haptic feedback (specifically by improvements in constrained translational and constrained rotational tasks), while further haptic feedback quality improvements yield only marginal performance increases and control effort decreases, even if a full natural spectrum of haptic feedback is provided.

Immersive teleoperation of a robot arm using electro-tactile feedback

“…In [28], haptic feedback for controlling a robot in assembly tasks has been shown to improve the speed and interactivity of assembly tasks. Similar result using virtual reality (VR) technology and haptic feedback has been achieved in VR environments, see [29].…”

Tele-operation of a robot arm with electro tactile feedback

“…Assembly tasks have also been found to benefit from force feedback. In [8], experiments were performed to determine how controlling a robot to do various assemble tasks performed both with and without force feedback. Similar experiments were also conducted in virtual reality to determine how force feedback can improve the interactivity and speed of various assembly tasks [9].…”

Evaluation of Haptic and Visual Cues for Repulsive or Attractive Guidance in Nonholonomic Steering Tasks

“…EMOTE control, or teleoperation, is much more difficult for operators than direct manipulation due to delays and limited sensory feedback of the task [1], [2]. Visual information from available cameras of the remote location is typically limited (in terms of view angle and depth perception) and makes it difficult to interpret what the actual state of the vehicle or manipulator is [3] and [4].…”