Force/torque display for space teleoperation control experiments and evaluation

Experiments were performed at the Johnson Space Center (JSC), Manipulator Development Facility using the full scale Shuttle Remote Manipulator System (SRMS) to evaluate the effect of visual presentation through perspective display of the orthogonal forces and torques sensed at the manipulator end effector. The experiments investigated the effect of the display information on the management of forces and torques generated during payload berthing and deployment, as well as simulated satellite module change-out operations. The evaluation also addressed (1) issues of display format, including: force/torque scaling, point of resolution, and display mixing with video generated imagery, and (20) task related variables of payload size, alternative sources of guidance information, and control mode. The results are presented of a first-pass informal anlaysis of the analog, strip chart-recorded data from these evaluation tests. The results provide a relative measure of improvement in force management through the use of such a display, as well as information regarding the impact of display variables and task demands on operator performance.