Real-time collision avoidance in teleoperated whole-sensitive robot arm manipulators

A hybrid robot teleoperation system is presented which makes use of the methodology of motion planning for whole-sensitive robots to assist the operator in generating collision-free motion in a master-slave robot arm manipulator system. The system combines operator commands with data from the sensitive skin to guarantee safe motion for the entire body of the robot arm. The arm avoids obstacles automatically and in real time and moves in a collision-free manner although no prior knowledge of the objects in the environment is available to the motion planning system and no constraints are imposed on the obstacle shapes. The operator is thus relieved of the task of providing safety of the robot arm and surrounding objects.