TELEOPERATORS FOR ADVANCED MANUFACTURING - APPLICATIONS AND HUMAN-FACTORS CHALLENGES

Advanced manufacturing systems integrate human workers with computers, automation, and robots. However, they do not often include a class of robotic device called a teleoperator. Teleoperators are human-robot systems that combine powerful human perceptual and problem-solving capabilities with the hardiness of machines. Therefore, they are more capable of interacting with dynamic environments than autonomous robots and yet insulate the human user from hazards in the work environment. The aims of this paper are to (1) introduce the reader to teleoperators and show how they might find a niche in advanced manufacturing systems and (2) discuss the human factors challenges presented by teleoperation. The paper concentrates on the existing state-of-the-art, including examples of the capabilities of existing teleoperator technology and current challenges in teleoperator human-machine interfaces. (C) 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.