Quantitative Comparison of Bilateral Teleoperation Systems Using µ-Synthesis

This paper presents a quantitative comparison framework for bilateral teleoperation systems which have different dynamic characteristics and sensory configurations for a given Task Dependant Performance Objective. μ-synthesis is used to develop the framework since it can efficiently treat systems containing uncertainties and disturbances. The framework consists of i) a feasibility test, and ii) a comparison methodology using prioritized task dependent performance objectives. As the formulation used is based on μ-synthesis, the system, operator and environment models are represented in the form of linear nominal models with frequency dependent multiplicative uncertainties. This framework is applied to a bilateral teleoperation system including an uncertain human operator and environment in a practical case study. The validity of the proposed quantitative framework is confirmed through experiments. The proposed framework can be used as a tool to design bilateral teleoperation systems, especially when there are constraints in designing drive mechanisms and choosing sensory configurations.