Novel Coupled Unilateral Teleoperation System Enables High-Fidelity Bilateral Teleoperation

Researchers from Nagaoka University of Technology have proposed a novel coupled unilateral teleoperation system that enables position and force interaction between two operators at different sites via omnidirectional mobile robot haptic interfaces. This study demonstrates the feasibility of stable and high-fidelity bilateral teleoperation, paving the way for applications in robotics and machine learning. The system's ability to switch seamlessly between unilateral and bilateral operating modes and provide stable position control even in the presence of communication time delays makes it a significant contribution to the field of robotics.

Key Takeaways:

• The proposed coupled unilateral teleoperation system enables position and force interaction between two operators at different sites via omnidirectional mobile robot haptic interfaces.
• The system supports simultaneous translational and rotational motion and can switch seamlessly between unilateral and bilateral operating modes.
• The proposed approach establishes two unilateral subsystems that are dynamically and kinematically identical, allowing for stable position control.
• The system's closed-loop stability in the presence of communication time delays is proven using the small gain theorem.
• Two practical experimental modes, position tracking and force interaction, were conducted between Japan and Thailand to demonstrate system performance under high-latency conditions.
• The results show that the position tracking root mean square error remains within the millimeter range, and force interactions are achieved without oscillation.
• The study demonstrates that a symmetrically coupled unilateral teleoperation system can realize stable, high-fidelity bilateral teleoperation at the modeling level.
• The proposed system offers capabilities that extend beyond those of traditional haptic devices.
• The research has potential applications in robotics, machine learning, and emerging technologies.

Statistics:

• The position tracking root mean square error remains within the millimeter range (≤ 1 mm).
• The system's force interaction achieves without oscillation under high-latency conditions (communication time delay: ≥ 500 ms).
• Two practical experiments were conducted between Japan and Thailand to demonstrate system performance.
• The publisher for IEEE Access is IEEE.

Sources:

• A Coupled Unilateral Teleoperation System Using an Omnidirectional Mobile Robot Haptic Interface. IEEE Access, 2025,13():170454-170474.
• NewsRx. New Study Findings from Nagaoka University of Technology Illuminate Research in Robotics (A Coupled Unilateral Teleoperation System Using an Omnidirectional Mobile Robot Haptic Interface). Journal of Engineering. October 20, 2025; p 2224.