Teleoperated robotics will be an essential tool to support upcoming lunar exploration and in-situ resource utilisation activities. However, the communication delays between Earth and the Moon makes operating these robots extremely challenging. Model-Mediated Teleoperation (MMT) is a method of controlling these remote systems in perceived real-time, via a simulation, but is dependent on the accuracy of its model. In this work, a computationally efficient model of lunar regolith was implemented in an open-loop MMT system. The behaviour of the virtual model was compared with its physical equivalent during manipulation tasks. The model predicted the outcome of a regolith simulant scooping task with sufficient accuracy to be considered effective and trustworthy 100% and 92.5% of the time, respectively. Pouring actions were less accurate, but trustworthiness and effectiveness can still be ensured by restricting the orientation of the end effector whilst carrying simulant material. Simulated haptic interactions were representative of the real-world during simple, linear tasks (pressing and dragging), but not during more complex motions. This simulation could be adapted to account for reduced gravity, to form a delay-robust lunar MMT system, or to build operators’ trust in the system by familiarising themselves in a low-risk virtual world.

Remote manipulation is a key enabler for upcoming space activities such as in-orbit servicing and manufacture (IOSM). However, due to the large distances involved, these systems encounter unavoidable signal delays, which can lead to poor performance and users adopting a disjointed, “move-and-wait” style of operation. We use a robot arm teleoperated with a haptic controller to test the impact of haptic feedback on delayed (up to 2.6 s: Earth-Moon communications) teleoperation performance for two example IOSM-style tasks. This user study showed that increased latency reduced performance in all metrics recorded. In real-time teleoperation, haptic feedback showed improvements in success rate, accuracy, contact force, velocity, and trust, but, of these, only the improvements to contact forces and moving velocity were also seen at higher latencies. Accuracy and trust improvements were lost, or even reversed, at higher latencies. Results varied between the two tasks, highlighting the need for further research into the range of task types to be encountered in teleoperated space activities. This study also provides a framework by which to explore how features other than haptic feedback can impact both performance and trust in delayed teleoperation.

Robot-assisted percutaneous needle insertion is expected to significantly increase targeting accuracy in minimally invasive operations. For this, it is necessary to provide mathematical models that can accurately capture the underlying dynamics of medical needles. Here, we present a novel nonlinear mathematical model of flexible medical needles based on the Absolute Nodal Coordinate Formulation. The model allows the description of large needle deflections and arbitrarily large rigid body motions. Tailored to the requirements of transperineal prostate biopsy and brachytherapy, it can correlate both the translational and rotational coordinates of the needle's base with its deflection, provide force feedback and accept arbitrary loading conditions. The model is optimised in terms of computational efficiency in order to allow real-time simulation and control. Experiments show that the proposed model allows for submillimeter precision in both static and dynamic needle deflection settings. Due to its accuracy and computational efficiency, it is expected to constitute a valuable tool for both real-time visual/haptic simulation and control of percutaneous needle insertion.

Redundant manipulators offer a continuum of joint configurations which satisfy a specific end-effector pose, an advantage when operating within confined spaces. This, how-ever, challenges a controller to select a single goal configuration from a wide range when path planning. This paper outlines the use of the MySQL database management system for systematic goal selection during redundant manipulator path planning in confined spaces. We outline a sampling method to envelope all configurations of a redundant manipulator and utilise it to generate a complete database of configurations. We demonstrate the application of this method to generate a large data-set of (1 billion) manipulator configurations for a KUKA LBR iiwa 14 equipped with a Robotiq 2F-85 gripper. With this database, the controller systematically selects goal configurations during 50 path planning scenarios within the confined space of a glovebox. We compare this to an iterative method using existing kinematic solvers to select goal configurations as a baseline. The database method achieves a 100% success rate in 42% of the scenarios attempted. In comparison, the baseline method achieves >50% success rate in just 6% of the scenarios attempted. Our proposed method also produces repeatable paths, which are similar in length and link swept area for each attempt of the same scenario, whereas the baseline method generates a different path in every attempt.

In this paper we present IRIS, a manipulator that is capable of applying contact forces when interacting with an object/stimulus, in increments in the order of mN up to 6N at 5 radial locations simultaneously. IRIS is based upon the contractual mechanism of its namesake: the iris diaphragm often found in cameras. Complete coverage of the surface of a realistic breast phantom is demonstrated using this contractual mechanism combined with control over the angle of incidence between the sensors and the stimulus using sim-to-real concepts. A significant amount of the complexity in control is outsourced to the morphology and compliance of the mechanism. The manipulator demonstrates the technological feasibility of a robotic clinical breast examination.

Rehabilitation Robotics involves the use of robotic systems as an enabling technology for people with kinetic problems, in order to help them recover from a physical trauma. This paper presents the investigation of a robotic system for stroke and post hand-surgery patient rehabilitation, in order to gradually regain flexibility in their finger-joints by passively extending and flexing their fingers. It includes one linear actuator for each finger and a thin-film force sensor at each fingertip as a safety measure against overstraining the finger-joints. Prior to designing the system, kinematic and dynamic models of a human hand have been derived and simulated in MATLAB. Data obtained from this model show a strong correlation to natural human hand movements, recorded in this study using a 6 DoF motion capture system. Design of the robotic system is performed using UGS NX6 software.