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#26 2022-08-24 18:36:51

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 16,746

Re: Teleoperation

For SpaceNut re #25

The points you raised about electric power for a remote controlled device make sense (to me for sure!)

I expect that a suite of machines able to operate via teleoperation should be equipped with telephone service to supplement WiFi.  WiFi would work fine in a city lot (for example) but telephone service would make sense for operation in the range of half a mile or so.

(th)

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#27 2022-08-26 06:07:43

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 16,746

Re: Teleoperation

This post by Calliban came from a topic Louis created, about driverless cars ...

The post itself is about remote controlled machines, which is the focus of ** this ** topic:

Calliban wrote:

Remote driving is existing technology and is really not too different to the way drones are controlled.  AI controlled vehicles are something different and are nowhere near practical application.

With remote driving, you have a driver, he just doesn't sit in the vehicle.  A lot of US troops in Afganistan and Iraq were killed by roadside bombs.  A remotely driven truck could have saved hundreds from being killed or maimed.  This is technology that can be done now or very soon.  The remote interface would add cost, but eliminating the cabin would save weight and increase payload.  You also have the advantage that the driver doesn't need to travel to or from site.  He doesn't have to go to some distant quarry in the Australian outback to mine coal.  He can sit in a comfortable air conditioned office close to where he lives, which could be on the other side of the world.  Maybe he can do his job from home.  That would save a shed load of cost.  This is one of those technologies that could make a huge difference to labour productivity, whilst reducing overall energy consumption.

Just don't expect machines to replace the human brain.  Computers can only deal with narrowly defined input parameters that are programmed into them.  This makes them really good at playing chess.  But really crap in a situation where there are an infinite variety of environments and a million unique decisions that need to be made.

It seems to me that industry (and personal service) can increase significantly if remote operation becomes the norm.

(th)

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#28 2022-10-24 08:37:52

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 16,746

Re: Teleoperation

https://haptic.al/using-virtual-reality … 7766eea342

The article at the link above is from 2018 ....

Using virtual reality to operate robots remotely
MIT’s VR system could make it easier for factory workers to telecommute.

Many manufacturing jobs require a physical presence to operate machinery. But what if such jobs could be done remotely?

Researchers from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) developed a virtual-reality (VR) system that lets workers teleoperate a robot using an Oculus Rift headset.

The system embeds the user in a VR control room with multiple sensor displays, making it feel like they are inside the robot’s head. By using gestures, users can match their movements to the robot’s to complete various tasks.

“A system like this could eventually help humans supervise robots from a distance,” says CSAIL postdoctoral associate Jeffrey Lipton, who was lead author on a related paper about the system.

“By teleoperating robots from home, blue-collar workers would be able to tele-commute and benefit from the IT revolution just as white-collars workers do now.”

The researchers even imagine that such a system could help employ increasing numbers of jobless video-gamers by “game-ifying” manufacturing positions.

Four years later, I have not yet seen any consumer products that would flow from this work ...

Remote controlled lawn mower, snow remover, leaf collector and other similar machines will surely appear in the market place.

(th)

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#29 2022-10-26 07:39:42

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 16,746

Re: Teleoperation

I've been looking for a business partner to develop a line of remote controlled machines for the home / small business market.

According to news reports, Metaverse investors are starting to worry about the prospects for the massive investment already made, without much evidence of prospects for success.

Today I looked for a possible partner, by following Google links for a while. I landed on a company that looks potentially capable, but I should note that the ambition to make an impressive web site is not the same thing as the ambition needed to persuade Mark Zuckerberg to change course.

Metaverse appears to be stalling, according to news reports. I'd like to see a change from entertainment to remote control of machinery. The market segment I'd like to see developed is small remote machinery for the home/community user.

What I have in mind are all the common machines associated with home ownership, including lawn mower, leaf collector, snow thrower, roof inspector, tree trimmer ... Once started down this line, I expect customers would provide additional opportunities.

Logical partners would be John Deere, if they can be enticed to include VR in their agricultural offeriings, and companies such as eGo and similar manufactures of electric home oriented machines.

The scenario I am thinking about is the very large market of folks past middle age who care about their properties, and about the neighborhood, but who have begun to reach the limits of stamina available to younger folks.

If there is someone who is ambitious and willing to tackle a long term development/promotion effort, I would expect the market to be substantial.

Let me provide some specific scenarios:

In the fall, I am outside frequently, collecting leaves to be collected in bags by the city where I live.

I'd ** really ** like a VR remote operated leaf collection machine that is quiet (we have dog walkers frequently in the neighborhood) and able to operate for at least a city block.

I am imagining a machine with a smart phone clipped to a mast.  The smart phone would communicate with the operator using 5G (or lesser as required), and with the machine using Bluetooth.

The VR aspect is the video camera feeds from the smart phone.  Views front and back would be helpful, because this machine will be working out in the public, so the remote operator must have excellent situation awareness.

The leaf collection system could be as simple as a brush and scoop, with payload delivered to a collection bin in the back of the machine.  The payload could be delivered directly into paper bags, for that matter.

***
Snow blower ... I'd like to be able to clear the walks around the entire block where I live.  This is something easy enough to achieve when I was younger.  A VR machine would perform traditional snow movement functions but it would do so with electric drive, and that same smart phone mounted on a mast for situation awareness.

That's enough to provide the reader with a sense of what is possible.

I have a contact at ACE Hardware for distribution.  I'm holding off on developing that contact until I have a product line for them to consider for distribution.

Lowes and Home Depot would be logical distribution channels as well.

(th)

(th)

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#30 2022-10-28 09:33:12

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 16,746

Re: Teleoperation

This is primarily for SpaceNut (all others welcome)

Today a reply arrived by email to my web form inquiry as reported in Post #29.

I've made an appointment for a meeting on Monday.  This will be a new experience for me, although I understand that it is quite common these days for professional meetings to take place via Zoom, Skype or another similar system.

On the ** other ** hand, the Zoom meetings we've been holding in NewMars are a pretty good model for what the experience might be like.

I submitted the text below (excerpt for brevity) so the gent will have a bit of an idea of my background and current activities.

Thanks for giving this concept an opportunity. This is a chicken/egg problem, from my perspective. A retailer is going to want to have a solid concept before taking the risk of approaching management. I have a presence on the Internet, using tahanson43206.  Over time I've earned promotion to a position as (Junior) Moderator for the NewMars.com/forums of the Mars Society. In that role, <snip>.  I maintain professional association with groups in the IT industry, where I spent 30+ years in banking.  Looking forward to our meeting!
(th)

(th)

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#31 2022-10-29 14:03:04

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 16,746

Re: Teleoperation

More for SpaceNut about the business meeting planned for Monday at 11:30 local time...;

Here is some detail from the email I just received:

Event Name: Introductory Meeting

This meeting is all about finding out about you, your business, and if there is a mutual fit to work together.

Location: This is a Zoom web conference.

Elsewhere in the email is mention that this will be a conference using the Zoom Webinar service that Mars Society just demonstrated so convincingly/

(th)

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#32 2022-10-31 10:58:08

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 16,746

Re: Teleoperation

For SpaceNut about the business meeting scheduled for Monday ...

This was a ** very ** interesting 30 minute Zoom session...

The meeting revealed that the company for whom the interviewer works already knows about VR control of remote machinery, in the sense that drones qualify as "remote machinery".  The key is the use of a VR helmet to control the equipment.

With that shared mindset as the foundation, we explored the potential to create a large business segment based upon the technology.  I received a short course on licensing/patents/etc as they apply to business development.

The most surprising (to me for sure) development is my discovery that this young gent considers full automation to be more attractive to investors than operator supervised automation, which I am advocating.

The young gent suggested looking at www.yarbo.com to see a company in late states of development as a business. They are (apparently) pursuing the full automation option with plenty of funding.

Upon reflection, it might turn out that only a government would be motivated to provide finding for supervised automation, because private industry would tend to want to eliminate people from the equation.

A government ** could ** impose a rule-of-the-game that ** any ** robot that operates in the open environment ** must ** be supervised ** at all times ** by a human.

That would increase employment, for sure!

(th)

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#33 2022-11-16 19:21:56

Void
Member
Registered: 2011-12-29
Posts: 6,975

Re: Teleoperation

Well, this is a bit related to the topic. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sV0cR_Nhac0

I would think this could be very important on Mars.

Done.


Done.

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#34 2022-11-16 20:05:38

tahanson43206
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Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 16,746

Re: Teleoperation

For Void re Post #33

Thanks for the (amazing to me!) report on advances in robotic technology in farming.

While that operation does not appear to involve teleoperation at this point, it would be a small step beyond what was shown, to allow the tractor operator to work from the farm house / home office.

The idea of building a database with an entry for ** every ** plant on a large farm is awe inspiring.

(th)

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#35 2022-11-17 03:33:17

Calliban
Member
From: Northern England, UK
Registered: 2019-08-18
Posts: 3,352

Re: Teleoperation

Void wrote:

Well, this is a bit related to the topic. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sV0cR_Nhac0

I would think this could be very important on Mars.

Done.

Void, very impressive.  The productivity improvements offered by these technologies are something that will be needed on Mars, because the conditions for growing food will be very much more expensive.  On Mars, the need to limit surface radiation exposure will also be a driver towards robotic AI solutions such as these.

There is some debate at present whether the best solution for growing is provided by heated, pressurised greenhouses using natural light, or underground spaces provided with synthetic light by LEDs.  In the first case, plants will be grown in narrow, pressurised polytunnels.  Electric power demands will be modest, but energy must be provided for heating.  Growing underground using LED lighting, is very power hungry.  It would require about 10kWe of continuous power to provide enough calories for one person.  Unless power is very cheap, such a solution would be an expensive way of producing food.  Greenhouses require heating.  But that heat can be low grade waste heat from the base powerplant.  So surface greenhouses have always appeared to be more practical from what I can see.

Polytunnels can be tended by a robotic manipulator that runs along a rail mounted from the ceiling.  TH has written about this before.  This would allow tunnels to be more compact than is neccesary for routine human access.  This saves structural cost, because the wall thickness of a pressurised tunnel is a function of its diameter.  The key to economic efficiency with a pressurised greenhouse, is to use volume as efficienctly as possible.  That means providing enough volume for plants to grow, but no more.  Being able to tend plants using compact robot systems is conducive to this.  Humans may need to get in occasionally to repair.  But this neccesitates a tunnel no more than 1m in diameter.  Watering could be carried out by running a waste heat pipe through a trench carrying dirty water along the length of the tunnel.  The dirty water in the trench will evaporate, carrying heat and water vapour with it.  Water vapour would condense on the ceiling, running into narrow ducts which feed the potted plants within the tunnel.

The conditions on Mars do make food production more challenging in many ways.  But the fact that all pressurised systems are closed means that resources are always used with close to perfect efficiency.  There will be no fertiliser run off, because there is nowhere for run off water to go.  Pesticides will be needed rarely, if ever.  Water will be used efficiently, because the greenhouse will condense transpired water and return it to the plants.  So the amount of water needed will be roughly how much is contained within the plants at maturity.  Human wastes will be decomposed in anaerobic composters to produce compost and nitrogen rich feed water.  This will reduce the amount of synthetic fertiliser needed.  Crop residues will be feedstock for paper, fuel and polymer manufacturing.  The efficiency offered by closed, integrated cycles, assisted by robotics, will perhaps compensate for the high capital cost of agricultural systems on Mars.

Last edited by Calliban (2022-11-17 03:51:25)


"Plan and prepare for every possibility, and you will never act. It is nobler to have courage as we stumble into half the things we fear than to analyse every possible obstacle and begin nothing. Great things are achieved by embracing great dangers."

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#36 2022-12-02 09:25:29

Calliban
Member
From: Northern England, UK
Registered: 2019-08-18
Posts: 3,352

Re: Teleoperation

The Metaverse.  I hadn't heard of this until recently.  It brings the idea of the holodeck into reality.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HDBQSn-h4Z8

And it sounds toxic.  Essentially people will become addicted and will end up spending their lives in an insipid shadow world, where nothing is real.  Kind of like the opening scenes of Valerian, where people wear headsets that show them an amazing high tech market city.  In reality, they are all walking around in the desert.


"Plan and prepare for every possibility, and you will never act. It is nobler to have courage as we stumble into half the things we fear than to analyse every possible obstacle and begin nothing. Great things are achieved by embracing great dangers."

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#37 2022-12-02 10:14:34

kbd512
Administrator
Registered: 2015-01-02
Posts: 7,361

Re: Teleoperation

Calliban,

I feel like I'm rapidly becoming one of those "get off my lawn" type of old men.  I can't keep up with all the silly stuff the kids are doing these days and have to watch YouTube videos to simply understand what they're talking about.

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#38 2022-12-02 13:43:40

Calliban
Member
From: Northern England, UK
Registered: 2019-08-18
Posts: 3,352

Re: Teleoperation

Yeah, I am turning into one of those grumpy old men too.  Computer games are already addictive.  My fifteen year old son seems determined to devote his life to playing them.  And those are games viewed through a 2D screen.  He isn't actually immersed in the fantasy world.

A genuinely immersive computer generated environment would be extremely useful for remote operation of equipment.  Using human sized avatars, we could remotely construct a Mars base using operators parked up in orbit.  The technology could have truly amazing potential.  If you wanted to exp.ore a hostile environment like the surface of Io or Europa, the avatar would give you a real time immersive experience, equivelant to actually being there, whilst you are safe within a warm, shielded space craft.  But the same technology could also allow the ultimate electronic opiate, with people wasting away their lives in a computer generated world that doesn't exist outside of a microchip.  That appears to be the direction that Zuckerberg and others want to take us.  And there are plenty of people with addictive personalities that will get stuck in those fantasy worlds.

Last edited by Calliban (2022-12-02 14:00:23)


"Plan and prepare for every possibility, and you will never act. It is nobler to have courage as we stumble into half the things we fear than to analyse every possible obstacle and begin nothing. Great things are achieved by embracing great dangers."

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#39 2022-12-02 14:56:15

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 16,746

Re: Teleoperation

For Calliban re #38

Thank you for your excellent (from my point of view) description of exactly what this topic is about!

I am hoping to (somehow) find a way to tap into the billions (and probably) trillions of monetary units that are "out there" to be earned, by successful deployment of teleoperation by a capitalist society.  We (all humans) are at great risk if our command economy "friends/competitors" tap into this potential.

(th)

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#40 2022-12-24 08:26:34

tahanson43206
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Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 16,746

Re: Teleoperation

https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/sho … r-AA15CaxE

Amazon begins drone deliveries in 2 U.S. cities
Story by Megan Camponovo • Yesterday 1:09 PM
Amazon begins drone deliveries in 2 U.S. cities
© Provided by WKRG Mobile

(KTXL) - Amazon has officially begun making shipment deliveries with drones to customers in both Lockeford, California and College Station, Texas, the company confirmed to Nexstar’s KTXL on Friday.

The service in Lockeford was first announced in June 2022 and six months later has officially started.

"Our aim is to safely introduce our drones to the skies. We are starting in these communities and will gradually expand deliveries to more customers over time," Natalie Banke, Amazon Air spokesperson said.

Amazon calls its drone delivery Prime Air and has been working with the Federal Aviation Administration and local officials in both Lockeford and College Station to begin the service.

Related video: The Amazon River Basin Captured by Drone, Part 1 (Drone TV)

According to the company, after a customer has been “onboarded” and orders a package, a drone will fly to the customer’s backyard and descend enough to drop off the package, then fly away. In a blog post earlier this year, Amazon representatives said the goal is to deliver packages under 5 pounds in less than 60 minutes.

Last month, the company showed off plans for a new wave of drones expected to deliver packages beginning sometime in 2024.

The company will inform customers when drone delivery is available in their area.

To launch the program, Amazon got FAA safety certification to operate in Lockeford, about 50 miles south of Sacramento, and College Station – home to the main campus of Texas A&M University – near Houston.

Copyright 2022 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5.

This development appears (to me at least) to show progress in teleoperation.

It is possible the drones are programmed and not supervised in flight, but I think it is far more likely they are monitored by satellite or by telephone service during flight.

This would be a step toward full tele-operation of equipment of all kinds, if the second option is the case.

(th)

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#41 2023-01-11 14:02:07

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 16,746

Re: Teleoperation

In an ongoing search for any developments in this topic, I sent a note today to a company in the Washington, D.C., area. They (appear to) support work-at-home folks.

The capterra site seems to be about remote working using computers to interact with servers.  I'm hoping someone in your company might be following development of VR virtual reality control of machinery, such as lawn mowers, snow blowers and a myriad of other tools for use in home maintenance or small business maintenance, and potentially even large business property management.  I am aware of individual inventors working out solutions to allow remote control of equipment, but haven't found ** any ** signs that corporations are aware of this multi-billion dollar potential market.

The customer I am thinking about is retired, still mentally alert and active, but no longer interested in the outdoor "fun" of piloting a lawnmower or other appliance.

I'm not talking about robots that work without direction.  Equipment I have in mind would be directed by an operator working over wifi or the telephone network, to control the operation of machinery.

Thanks for considering this inquiry.

I'd like to post your answer on the NewMars.com/forums web site where I am serving as a (Junior) Moderator.  There is considerable interest there in remote controlled machinery for developing Mars.  Any machine that works on Mars is going to work on Earth.

(th)

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#42 2023-01-11 19:50:11

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 16,746

Re: Teleoperation

I tossed a request for teleoperation companies to Google, and got the best list I've seen so far:

teleoperation companies
About 402,000 results (0.37 seconds)

Phantom Auto Teleoperation - Teleoperation Technology
https://www.phantom.auto/

Phantom gives supply chain operators robust, reliable, and precise teleoperation control .
Solutions
Logistics solutions powered by ultra-low latency remote operation
Careers
We're hiring! Come join the Phantom Auto team.
Videos
Watch how logistics operators are using remote-enabled forklifts.
Blog
Stories, updates and more on remote operation in the supply chain

Warehouse Cobots - Download Free eBook

https://www.locusrobotics.com/
Deploy in just 4 weeks, lower labor costs, and easily scale as you grow. See How We Do It.

Cost-Effective - Nearshore in Mexico

https://www.intugo.co/
Intugo's Coworking Model, Allows Small Companies to Start, Even with a Team of One Quickly

Image result for teleoperation companies
Get in touch!

Cognicept – Teleoperations Operating System (OS) ...

Pylot – Autonomous Vehicle (AV) Teleoperation. ...

Ottopia – Teleoperator Assistance Systems. ...

Voysys – Teleoperation Latency. ...

SEAFAR – Remote Ship Management.

5 Top Emerging Teleoperation Startups - StartUs Insights
https://www.startus-insights.com › innovators-guide › 5-to...
About featured snippets

Top Teleoperation companies - VentureRadar

https://www.ventureradar.com › keyword › Teleoperation

Top Teleoperation Companies · Robotic Research LLC · Shadow Robot Company · Phantom Auto · ESTEC · Tactical Haptics · taurob GmbH · Scooterson · SE4.

People also ask
Who is the leading company in robotics?
What are examples of teleoperated robots?
Which company is most advanced in robotics?
What is a Teleoperation system?
Feedback

Teleoperation System - Shadow Robot
https://www.shadowrobot.com › teleoperation

The world's most advanced teleoperation robotics system. Our teleoperation robot has a remote robot control system that allows manipulation from a distance.

Ottopia - Safe and Cyber-Secure Teleoperation Software
https://ottopia.tech
Ottopia Technologies is a software company engaged in the design, development, and commercialization of teleoperation systems.

Phantom Auto - Remote Operation for Logistics
https://phantom.auto
Drivers can work remotely, too. Phantom's software enables people to remotely operate, assist, and supervise vehicles from thousands of miles away ...

Freedom launches Pilot to simplify teleoperation on third-party ...
https://techcrunch.com › 2020/06/17 › freedom-launch...
Jun 17, 2020 — The company is finally ready to discuss it in full, just as many companies are getting really serious about remote operations. The secret sauce ...

Teleoperation Consortium
https://www.teleoperation.org

The Teleoperation Consortium enables the collaboration of companies, organizations, and governmental bodies engaged in developing bidirectional vehicle ...

Global Teleoperation of Automated Vehicles Market 2022-2028
https://www.globenewswire.com › 2022/06/24 › Global...
Jun 24, 2022 — Ottopia - Company Profile · Ottopia - Partners and Use Cases · DriveU. · DriveU. · Phantom Auto - Company Profile · Fernride - Company Profile ...

DriveU.auto - Teleoperation Grade Connectivity for Robot and ...
https://driveu.auto
Product. DriveU 100 Series · DriveU 300 Series. Company. About us · Careers. Resources. Blog · News & Events. Menu. Product. DriveU 100 Series · DriveU 300 ...

Teleoperations Market - Persistence Market Research
https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com › teleoperat...

Teleoperations Market Report Scope · Ottopia · Cognicept · Voysys · Formant · Taurob GmbH · Shadow Robot Company · Scooterson ·

Quantum Signal LLC ...
Key Companies Profiled: Ottopia; Cognicept; V...
Key Market Segments Covered: Component; E...
Market Analysis: US$ Mn for Value

Deploy your first cobot - Design your robot cell online

https://www.vention.io/robots
Design, automate and order custom robot cells in 3D in your browser. Customize your robot cell with, a pedestal, part presenter, range extender, area scanner.

Public designs library · Modular part library · Design in 3D online · Automate code-free online

(th)

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#43 2023-01-12 11:14:27

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 16,746

Re: Teleoperation

This is a follow up to Post #42

I visited:

Phantom Auto Teleoperation - Teleoperation Technology
https://www.phantom.auto/

Phantom gives supply chain operators robust, reliable, and precise teleoperation control .
Solutions
Logistics solutions powered by ultra-low latency remote operation
Careers
We're hiring! Come join the Phantom Auto team.
Videos
Watch how logistics operators are using remote-enabled forklifts.
Blog
Stories, updates and more on remote operation in the supply chain

The site display page has video showing EXACTLY what this topic is about ....

A driver at a remote facility is shown piloting various machines in a warehouse setting.

I expect this scene to become increasingly common in the years ahead.  The benefits are significant for both employee and employer.

There are a number of videos available to show how this company is implementing the concept.

(th)

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#44 2023-01-12 11:35:46

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 16,746

Re: Teleoperation

This is a follow up to Post #42

Several items Google found were apparently NOT directly involved in teleoperation.

Ottopia - Safe and Cyber-Secure Teleoperation Software
https://ottopia.tech
Ottopia Technologies is a software company engaged in the design, development, and commercialization of teleoperation systems.

The web page at ottopia.tech shows remote operation of automobiles in city traffic.

The focus appears to be allowing/enabling an operator to supervise a number of autonomous vehicles.

The "golden ratio" in today's industry is 1 human operator for every 10 driverless vehicles, which is already extremely economical as compared to having 10 in-cabin safety drivers. Depending on the operational design domain of your autonomous fleet, this ratio could be even better.

On Mars that "force multiplier" would increase the productivity of a worker in an underground habitat.  The "outdoor" experience of working on the surface of Mars would be available via video and audio feedback, and tactile feedback is in development.

Here is a blog entry from a year ago...

JANUARY 13, 2022
Teleoperation: How It’s Taking Over The Autonomous Vehicle Industry
What is teleoperation, how does it work, and why is it being increasingly used in the autonomous vehicle industry?`
Read More

I'll report back if the company replies to my inquiry.

(th)

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#45 2023-01-12 11:42:36

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 16,746

Re: Teleoperation

This is a follow up to Post #42

teleoperation.org appears to be an industry service ...

The Teleoperation Consortium (TC) is a non-profit business league established to facilitate the interaction, and advance the interests, of the entities involved in the teleoperation ecosystem. The Teleoperation Consortium enables the collaboration of companies, organizations, and governmental bodies engaged in developing bidirectional vehicle communications. Membership is open to any corporation, public entities, standards and specification organizations and academic institutions.

For more details:
We are here to answer any questions about our programs or membership. Please let us know how we can help.

Scott McCormick, President
+1 (734) 730-8665
sjm@teleoperation.org

The web site offers a press release announcing their formation in February of 2021.

I'll follow up to see if Mr. McCormick (or a staff person) has a suggestion for either of my interests:

1) Mars planning
2) Home maintenance machinery (lawn, leaves, snow).

(th)

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#46 2023-01-12 14:55:09

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 16,746

Re: Teleoperation

This post is about Teleoperation as a possible source of income for one or more NewMars members...

In my current investigation of leads provided by Google and Bing, I am finding there are companies already engaged in providing teleoperation services for such activities as supervising automated vehicles and performing warehousing tasks of various kinds.

If anyone is interested in part time (gig style) employment in this field, please let me know.  If you'd like to keep your interest private, you are welcome to write NewMarsMember via the Recruiting topic.

I just contacted Alibaba, and after working my way through the robots, I finally reached a helpful human who provided guidance on how to submit a Request for Quotation, which (I gather) is the correct way to inquire about products that do not exist.

For the record, I can confirm that as of today, the following products do not exist:

All below assume VR helmet and Game controller, plus Internet,  WiFi and telephone wide area communications:

1) Teleoperated lawn mower (robot does not count)
2) Teleoperated leaf collector (no robot version found)
3) Teleoperated snow thrower (no robot version found)

I am open to suggestions from NewMars members for similar machines that would be helpful around the home (or the estate for some).

(th)

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#47 2023-01-13 12:59:30

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 16,746

Re: Teleoperation

Teleoperation is a multi-billion (monetary unit) just waiting to happen...

A large company responded to my inquiry about their (possibly) handling teleoperation equipment by informing me that they do not currently carry such equipment, but they have a process available to request new products.  I have begun the process, and will report if anything develops.

In the mean time, here are a couple of ideas for employment of workers using teleoperation equipment ....

1) Forest fire monitoring ... with teleoperation, there is no need to keep a person at the top of a watch tower
2) Border monitoring ... with teleoperation is is quite feasible to employ a few hundred people to monitor the entire coast of the United States.

In both cases, thousands of camera-sensor systems would be installed, and any movement at any of them would trigger an alert for human monitors.

In addition to the on-ground equipment, an observation system in GEO would complete the configuration.

I'm confident NewMars members can think of many more applications for thousands if not millions of workers around the world, using teleoperation to extend skill sets world wide at the speed of light.

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#48 2023-01-16 14:07:03

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 16,746

Re: Teleoperation

In an ongoing search for evidence anyone is building for the Trillion (monetary unit) Teleoperation market, I asked Google to look again, and ** this ** time Google found a variety of expensive toys that show glimpses of what is possible:

41Qnf+9rgHL._AC_US40_.jpg

If the image above survives post, I'll return with text...

The full size image of the toy in the icon above is available at Amazon using "MOLACHI-Electric-Rotating-Sweeping-Brooms"

MOLACHI Ride On Street Sweeper Truck,12V Ride on Car w/ Remote Control,Electric 360 Degree Rotating Sweeping Brooms,Music,LED Light,Ideal Gift for Kids 3-7 Years Old,Green
Brand: MOLACHI

Assembly options: Get expert assemblyDetails

Brand    MOLACHI
Size    Large
Theme    Vehicle
Assembly Required    Yes
About this item

?Realistic Ride On Street Sweeper Truck:Our kids’ street sweeper car has the electric 360 degree rotating sweeping brooms, press the on button and it will turn 360 degrees.this ride on car offers toddlers realistic driving experience. Even better, pull the left stick and you can switch the car between marching, reversing, and parking. This street sweeper truck also has a rear movingtray for storage.Removable garbage can on the back make it look like a real sweeper truck.
?Multiple and Joyful Functions:This Construction Vehicle is also equipped with a variety of functions. Including Equipped with MP3 player,LED headlights,USB port & TF card slot , this electric street sweeper is able to be connected to your device to play music or stories. Brings extra surprise to your baby.

?Manual and Remote Control:Let your kids drive this ride on electric car manually, or Parent can remote control by 2.4Ghz remote controller if kids are too young. Kids can drive alone by electric foot pedal and steering wheel.Easy for kids to drive this 12v ride toy and exercise your child's hand and foot coordination.
?Safety Driving On:The kids street sweeper car features 4 Wheels with large diameter and slow start technology, which improve stability furthermore and protect your kids during their manual driving time . Adjustable seat belt, parental remote control and door button system keep kids safe.They can freely ride on various roads, such as wooden road, tile road.

?Durable Construction:High-quality PP material and solid iron frame keep this ride on street sweeper vehicle durable and stable.Scientifically designed kids street sweeper is a wonderful present for your children's birthday or Christmas. We have a wide selection of colors to choose from. This street sweeper toy is suitable for age 3-7 years. Let it accompany your kids and create cherished childhood memory.

What I'm looking for are the full sized equipment, with fully remote control using multiple laptops or VR headset and game controller or purpose built machine controller.  Many kinds of machines can (and I am sure eventually will) be designed for teleoperation.

Eventually, any person with the requisite training will be able to operate machinery to perform tasks at remote sites, working in teams or alone.

What I'm imagining is an Uber-like company that handles all the financial transactions.

Workers can be anywhere on Earth now, and eventually anywhere on Mars, the Moon or wherever humans set up shop.

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#49 2023-01-16 15:05:48

SpaceNut
Administrator
From: New Hampshire
Registered: 2004-07-22
Posts: 28,747

Re: Teleoperation

The term live game play and warfare use comes to mind for a person control remote actions elsewhere of which the latter is not the intent of the topic.

These not only tank into time lag but skill sets of the person interfacing to the controls to understand how what they see visually is affected by the users input at the controls and how to interact once the objective is to succeed from the action. It not only requires superior computer hardware and display but a high reliability to their means to communicate without cross talk or channels of spectrum to be hacked in effort to override the user interface.

Next up is the business avenue for the device we are controlling such as a delivery service. Of course, there are many more such venues to visit for that business to start.

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#50 2023-01-29 13:18:08

tahanson43206
Moderator
Registered: 2018-04-27
Posts: 16,746

Re: Teleoperation

For SpaceNut re #49

Thank you for the reminder of technical issues that must be solved before a commercial market for teleoperation appliances can grow to the level I anticipate.

I just dropped off a note to a prospective participant in a corporate team I'm hoping will decide to explore this opportunity.

I have edited the message to maintain privacy for potential participants...

This inquiry may be of interest to your Strategic Planning Department.

There may be a market for remote controlled lawn equipment.

I've been trying to figure out how to assemble a team of the right corporations to create the market, including hardware, marketing, distribution and whatever else is required.

I've approached <name of distributor> at the local level, and received an indication of interest in distributing product if something becomes available.

I'm interested in <company> because (a) it is an American company and (b) it is providing a venue for American competitors to develop increasingly agile/capable remote controlled machines.

The market opportunity I see is the folks (like me) who are retired from day-to-day employment, but remain mentally alert well into our 80's, and motivated to maintain our property (and that of friends) as long as possible.

While I am interested in a wide variety of machinery that can be controlled/operated/supervised remotely, here is a short list of immediate possibilities:


1) Lawn mower ... not a robot ... a machine directly supervised by human operator

2) Snow thrower ... clean walks from the comfort of home

3) Tree trimmer ... remove dead wood from the safety of home

4) Leaf blower ... move leaves for collection

5) Leaf collector ... collect leaves and bag them for city pickup


A creative thinking group could probably expand this list far beyond this basic start.

I am favorably impressed by the <company> branding and trademark protection ...

It seems to me the brand could extend into the home appliance/tool market without difficulty.


Remote control could be by VR if <company> can be enlisted as a partner.


There are probably other corporations who would be willing to participate in a coordinated development campaign.

***

If there is someone interested in discussing this potential market opportunity, I serve as a (Junior) Moderator for the Mars Society affiliate NewMars.com/forums.

My handle there is tahanson43206

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