Teleoperating robots with VR: MIT gets inside a robot’s head

Progress in robotics in recent years has been staggering, and present-day robots can operate with considerable autonomy and are capable of real local decision-making. But as of yet, we haven’t reached the point that actual R2-D2s or C-3POs are ready to be thrust out alone into the cold, cruel world. However, we humans can now begin to take a small step away from the action because it is now beginning to be possible to control our mechanical minions at a distance.

Just like a video game

Scientists at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL) have demonstrated a system allowing robots to be controlled via well-known and well-documented virtual reality (VR) gear such as hand controllers and by the now ubiquitous Oculus Rift headset. The system was described in a paper presented at the IEEE/RSJ International Conference on intelligent robots and systems in Vancouver, British Columbia, by CSAIL director Daniela Rus and post-doc Jeffrey Lipton.  Read more

Reference: Electronic Products
                   Gary Elinoff