Teleoperation With Force Feedback

Abstract

This master’s thesis is an exploration of force feedback in offshore applications with the intention of teleoperating heavy machinery. Specifically, Allseas provided their field joint coating machine handling for offshore pipelay as the subject and scope of this study. The anti-sway use case is identified through literature research, user and expert interviews, and observation of machine handling. Due to the nature of offshore dynamics coupled with heavy machine movement, sway of these machines is relevant to all specifics of handling and placing the machine on the pipe.

Operators rely on their intuition and experience when manually operating these machines. For the proposed teleoperation of machine handling, the operator is now distanced from the machine, removing their sense of control, direct force contact, and now making them trust in automation. This is where a force feedback telemanipulator can increase situational awareness and human machine performance. This is achieved through returning the direct contact forces back to the operator and providing them intuitive control from afar. With more research, rapid prototyping, and machine simulation, Paddy (the teleoperation force feedback test set up) is designed and developed. The proof-of-concept test set up is built using open-source frameworks such as Stanford Hapkit and Vanderbilt Simulink model, but with substantial redesign for offshore anti-sway use case.

To validate the design and use case, a user test with 12 Allseas engineers is conducted. The task is to mitigate the swing of the FJC simulation via the handheld manipulator with and without force feedback. The results imply that the main hypotheses are valid: (1) force feedback yields faster stabilization times, (2) the perceived workload from NASA-TLX scores is lower for force feedback (3) the user requirements and ease of use UMUX-Lite scores is favourable with force feedback, and (4) embodiment and hand placement influences expectations and feeling the feedback mechanisms. Future research could explore different feedback types (assistance vs. error prevention), feedback basis (sway angle vs. angular velocity) or further confirm these hypotheses.

Force feedback is not typically studied in industrial engineering. Thus, design guidelines are created based on this thesis exploration, emphasizing that force feedback is not an add on, but should be considered from the start of the design process. Lastly, recommendations for force feedback in Allseas and other relevant applications are stated for increased situational awareness, task efficiency, and enhanced HMI.