Remote control of a robotic device using virtual reality

The subject of this paper is the possibility of remote control of a robotic device using the virtual reality technology. This concept is being developed in order to create a more native way to control a device remotely, as well as a more convenient image transmission for an operator, which is especially relevant in extreme situations. The paper presents the analysis of intelligent control system technologies and the examples of im-plementing virtual reality technologies in tele-robotics. This helped to highlight the overall structure of the remote control system and to show the main implementation problems of this project. This analysis has become a base for development and implementation of a universal hardware and software telecontrol platform on the Unity platform. The paper presents the application architecture and considers the requirements initially imposed on it in order to bypass the wireless channel limitations in the task of the real-time robot control using VR headsets. There is an implemented control system for selecting the direction of moving a robotic unit using one of the VR controllers. The paper considers implemented algorithms for obtaining high-quality stereoscopic vision in virtual reality devices, as well as the technique for synchronizing the re-mote rotation of a stereo pair. Moreover, there is a description of a command transmission system. The experiments of the implemented system were conducted in order to verify if it meets the neces-sary requirements to obtain the proper quality. The authors have measured the response time of the system and minimized the delay in the communication channel. The developed software for robotic unit telecontrol using a virtual reality headset provides the possibility of stable telecontrol of remote robotic equipment.