Deft Control Software (DCS) for Remote Robotic Operations with Underlying Structure

Future space missions will increasingly rely upon tele-operated robots to perform work remotely. This will require substantial improvements in robotic function, cognition, and human/machine interaction. The goal of this work is to realize this future by addressing key challenges in robotic space operations.BluHaptics has successfully demonstrated both the feasibility and potential impact of using our Deft Control Software (DCS) to provide pilot assistance to enable safe, intuitive and efficient remote teleoperation of NASA’s robotic systems. The primary goal of our Phase II effort is to develop and deliver a solution that enables intuitive tele-robotic control in dynamic scenarios, such as when targets and possibly interfering objects are moving in the workspace. This proposed approach combines 3D sensing and novel machine learning algorithms with simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) for workspace visualization SLAM, to obtain real-time tracking that provides pilot guidance. By increasing situational awareness and implementing safety features such as collision-avoidance, DCS can garner pilot trust, improvesafety, mitigate training time and support rapid task switching.We will perform physical experiments and task demonstrations using two separate robotic platforms that are readily available to our team: (1) MANTIS -- a compact and highly dexterous manipulator designed to fit inside an ExpressRack locker; and (2) Schilling Titan4 -- a work-class hydraulic manipulator commonly used in offshore oil and gas operations. Phase II work will demonstrate how these operator assistance capabilities impact the feasibility and effectiveness of complex robotic operations in two task scenarios that are key to the success of future NASA missions.