Teleoperation and Level of Automation

This chapter presents an overview of the teleoperation of robotics systems, starting with a historical background and positioning these systems in a scale of levels of automation. Next, as a representative example, an up-to-date specific bilateral teleoperation scheme is described in order to illustrate the typical components and functional modules of this kind of systems. As a natural extension of the bilateral teleoperators, the cooperative teleoperation systems are introduced. Some specific topics in the field are particularly discussed, for instance, the control objectives and algorithms for both bilateral teleoperators and cooperative teleoperation systems, the communication channels, the use of graphical simulation and task planning, and the usefulness of virtual and augmented reality. The last part of the chapter includes a description of the most typical application fields, such as industry and construction, agriculture, mining, underwater, space, healthcare and surgery, assistance, humanitarian demining, and education, where some of the pioneering, significant, and latest contributions are briefly presented. Finally, some conclusions and the trends in the field close the chapter.