Safeness visualization of terrain for teleoperation of mobile robot using 3D environment map and dynamic simulator

In teleoperation of mobile robots on rough terrain, there is a risk that robots might tumble because of the inclination or unevenness of the ground. In this paper, we propose a method to evaluate in advance the stability of robots on assumed routes, and to provide visual information of the stability to the operator. Specifically, by using a 3D environmental map and dynamic simulator, the stability of robots on a terrain with respect to whether the robots are going to tumble or not is calculated. Following this, the information of the stability is visualized as a bird's-eye view image, which is one of the most useful images for the teleoperation of robots. By comparing the results of the actual experiments with those of the dynamic simulator, the validity of the proposed method for the evaluation of stability is demonstrated. The proposed method can help operators to choose suitable routes, and improves the safety in teleoperation of robots.