Struggling with a tricky task? A robot arm could help you get help from a professional. Janis Stolzenwald and Walterio Mayol-Cuevas at the University of Bristol in the UK have developed a handheld robot that lets someone remotely provide assistance or guidance.
The robot could be used to inspect or carry out maintenance in factories or plants, allowing an expert to complete certain tasks without having to be present in person, says Stolzenwald.
The set-up involves a camera-equipped robot that is held by someone on site. It consists of a movable robotic arm and finger, which is attached to a rigid pole. A remote user can see the robot鈥檚 surroundings and also control its actions.
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The robot has two modes. In the first, the remote user must steer manually, controlling the finger at the end of the robot.
In the second, an assisted mode, the remote expert can select an object for the robot to interact with. The robot then carries out a pre-programmed task without the need for additional human control, and retreats when the job is complete.
Stolzenwald and Mayol-Cuevas tested the robot in a set-up involving pipe maintenance (see video, above). The robot could check pipes for cracks or turn simulated valves.
The assisted mode was 24 per cent faster than if the remote user completed the task manually.
鈥淭he arm cannot only manipulate things in the physical world, but can also be used to direct people,鈥� says Stolzenwald.
The remote expert and the person holding the robot are able to talk to each other, but in some cases didn鈥檛 need to.
One of the users who tested the set-up was able to remotely guide the person holding the robotic arm without saying a word 鈥� all they did was angle the finger tip in the direction they wanted the robot to be positioned, says Stolzenwald.
Developing fully autonomous robots that are dexterous, agile and able to avoid obstacles is still a challenge, so collaborative robots that depend on humans might be more useful in the near future, says Mayol-Cuevas.
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