Virtual environment for telerobotics

A common problem faced by institutions concerns the limited availability of expensive robotics and control equipment, with which students in the educational program can work, in order to acquire valuable 'hands on' experience. The Multiple Manipulators for Training and Education (MuMaTe) virtual control and robotics laboratory was launched on the World Wide Web (WWW). Its aim was to evaluate the application of virtual learning environments, the internet, and multimedia technologies within an engineering based flexible learning program. Students using networked computers can access the on-line laboratory to perform a series of interactive experiments with real-world hardware including a DC-servo motor control system and a six degree-of-freedom MA2000 robot. This paper describes design issues involved in providing remote users with internet access to laboratory based hardware. Simulation tools for the robotic hardware were developed using JAVA and VRML 97 to create a desktop virtual reality environment which improves the visualisation of the manipulator hardware and associated workspace. Communication between the remote user and project server via the internet, interface electronics and control software is also discussed.