New Delhi: Human exploration of the Moon and Mars will soon heavily rely on teleoperated robots. In order to eliminate the requirement for on-site human presence for some activities, researchers at the University of Bristol have made great strides towards creating a remote-control system that would enable humans on Earth to manage rovers on the Moon. By using robots that can be operated remotely from Earth, researchers hope to reduce the cost and improve the accuracy of manned lunar trips.
The efficiency of this system has been proven by recent experiments carried out at the European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications of the European Space Agency (ESA). Instead of using real-time camera feeds, which are hindered by the 1.3-second communication latency between Earth and the Moon, researchers were able to deal with lunar regolith simulant using a rover’s robotic arm because of the virtual simulation.
Realism Is Improved via Haptic Feedback
One of the most remarkable features of the Bristol team’s device is its haptic feedback, which simulates the sensation of touch. This allows operators to experience the properties of lunar regolith through the remote control system by providing realistic force input during sample lifting or excavation. The company plans to someday expand the usage of these haptic simulators to more complex jobs, even if they are now only used for basic tasks.
Joe Louca, a researcher, claims that the simulation can even replicate the Moon’s lower gravity, giving astronauts a real feeling of lunar circumstances. The method could be used to help astronauts for missions that will not need their presence in space and future lunar exploration.
Even though the Moon is currently the focus, Mars could benefit from the same teleoperation techniques, particularly in missions that return samples. Future space exploration hopefully take a new turn with robots that are controlled by humans as Mars mission costs and timetables grow. Over the next ten years with NASA’s Artemis project, Louca believes that more people will be using these technologies.
