Shared control of multiple-manipulator, sensor-based telerobotic systems

A control architecture is presented for real-time, sensor-based, shared control of remote, multiple-manipulator telerobotic systems. The system allows teleoperation, autonomy, or a combination (shared, telerobotic control). The rate-based system accepts control inputs from a variety of sources (joystick position or velocity, automated path planner position or velocity, machine vision, force/moment) simultaneously for all Cartesian axes. The system has been experimentally implemented and has proven effective in laboratory simulations of remote space tasks