Tele-Operated Remote Inspection with a Spherical Robot

Abstract: Robotic remote inspection, such as security surveillance or disaster area examination, can be efficient and at the same time protect humans from danger. However, conventional tele-operation interfaces impose a cognitive burden on the operator, who is typically not a robotics expert, and high-level information interpretation and decision-making is neglected. This work investigates the use of a spherical robot for remote inspection. Ball-shaped robots are inherently stable and robust, encapsulating all sensors and moving parts. They are, however, oscillation-prone and this causes some control and perception challenges.