Internet page

Internet page

Internet page

Keywords: Robotics, Internet, Teleoperation, Haptics

http://www.omnitech.com

Omnitech Robotics

Omnitech Robotics International, LLC develops and manufactures robotic components, controls, and systems for unmanned ground vehicles and broad-based automation. They excel in the design, manufacture and support of modular embedded control components for converting any ground vehicle to remote control, teleoperated control, or semi-autonomous control.

Their STS and fourth-generation SRS modular kits can be used to automate tractors, forklifts, all-terrain vehicles, high-mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicles (Humvees), and M60 Panther and M1 Panther II tanks.

http://www.gypsy.rose.utoronto.ca

ETC-Lab

The Ergonomics in Teleoperation and Control Laboratory is one of the Human Factors Laboratories in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the University of Toronto. The laboratory researches subjects including: teleoperation, augmented reality, six degree-of-freedom input devices and control issues, stereoscopic video, and depth cue research in 3D graphics. Most of their research publications are available on-line.

http://www.cs.utah.edu/%7Ejmh/VETO.html

Virtual Environments and Teleoperation (VETO) Lab

Researching robotics, haptic interfaces, locomotion interfaces, teleoperation, rapid virtual prototyping, scientific visualisation, and human operator dynamics, the VETO lab is part of the School of Computing at the University of Utah. The laboratory has a general interest in the design, control, and application of haptic interfaces in teleoperation and virtual environments. They use the Sarcos Dextrous Arm Telemanipulator System for general teleoperation studies. This is an informative site that provides information about the research interests of the VETO laboratory, its members and its facilities.

http://www.space.mech.tohoku.ac.jp/research/parm/parm-e.html

Space Machines Laboratory (Uchiyama Laboratory)

The Space Machines Laboratory is working on space robotics and related technologies in mechanical engineering for the exploration of space. It is part of the Department of Aeronautics and Space Engineering, at Tohoku University, Japan. This is an interesting site that contains some excellent illustrations. Information is provided in both English and Japanese about research into Dual-Arm Space Robot Teleoperation, and Space Robotics and Mechatronics. These address the importance of teleoperation technologies for robots operated in space, and how reducing the level of human interaction can improve space exploration. Their work has been conducted along with the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) and with the support of National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA).

http://touchlab.mit.edu

MIT Touch Lab

The Laboratory for Human and Machine Haptics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was established in 1990 by Dr Mandayam A. Srinivasan. Also known as the Touch Lab, they are an interdisciplinary group of researchers interested in haptics and study the general principles that humans and machines use to explore, represent, and interact with objects. To further the understanding of human haptics, they are investigating skin biomechanics, neurophysiology, psychophysics, motor control, and computational models. The results of their research are also beneficial to hand therapy, intelligent prosthesis design, and the development of autonomous robots that need to perform human-like functions in unstructured environments. Some of their current work related to human and machine haptics includes: the role of skin biomechanics in mechanoreceptor response; perception of tangential displacements of finger print skin; mechanics of ridged skin observed in cadaver fingers; haptic and tactile aesthetics; tactile displays realized using MEMS actuator arrays; and the role of haptics in human- computer interaction.

This is a superb site that is well worth visiting.

Hot sites

http://haptic.mech.nwu.edu/intro/teleoperation/

The Haptic Community Web Site

The Haptics Community Web Site is intended to be a central online resource for researchers in the haptic community. The site is sponsored by the Laboratory for Intelligent Mechanical Systems at North Western University.

The site was a product of the 1995 IMECE Symposium on Haptic Interface to Virtual Environment and Teleoperator Systems. It provides an image gallery of haptic displays around the world, and introductory sections on control issues, mechanical design, tactile display, teleoperation, psychophysics, and simulation design. The site also includes links to paper archives, introductory essays, laboratory and individual paper archives, industrial and academic opportunities in haptics, and conference announcements.

This is an extremely useful site that will be of interest to academics and industrialists alike.

http://www.haptics-e.org

Haptics-e

Haptics-e is the electronic, peer-reviewed, journal of haptic perception and human machine interaction. It is technically co-sponsored by The IEEE Robotics and Automation Society and aims to combine the high quality, wide availability, and archival retention of traditional scientific journals with the speed and economy of electronic distribution.

The journal will consider papers on subjects relating to haptics including: mechatronics, devices for haptic interaction, biomechanics, sensory/motor interaction, neurophysiology, haptic rendering, systems and networking, human-computer interfaces, and real-time dynamic simulation and modeling of physical phenomena.

Jon Rigelsford