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The authors of this paper aim to describe the design of distributed architectures for the remote control of multirobot systems. A very good example of remote robot programming in order to validate these architectures is in fact the remote visual servoing control. It uses sequences of camera inputs in order to bring the robots to the desired position, in an iterative way. In fact, in this paper, we enabled the students and scientists in our university to experiment with their remote visual servoing algorithms through a remote real environment instead of using simulation tools.

Since 2001, the authors have been using the UJI‐TeleLab as a tool to allow students and scientists to program remotely several vision‐based network robots. During this period it has been learnt that multithread remote programming combined with a distributed multirobot architecture, as well as advanced multimedia user interfaces, are very convenient, flexible and profitable for the design of a Tele‐Laboratory. The distributed system architecture permits any external algorithm to have access to almost every feature of several network robots.

Presents the multirobot system architecture and its performance by programming two closed loop experiments using the Internet as communication media between the user algorithm and the remote robots (i.e. remote visual servoing). They show which conditions of Internet latencies and bandwidth are appropriate for the visual servoing loop. We must take into account that the real images are taken from the remote robot scenario and the experiment algorithm is executed from the client side at the user place. Moreover, the distributed multirobot architecture is validated by performing a multirobot programming example using two manipulators and a mobile robot.

Future work will pursue the development of more sophisticated visual servoing loops using external cameras, pan/tilt and also stereo cameras. Indeed, the stereo cameras control introduces an interesting difficulty related to their synchronization during the loop, which introduces the need to implement Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) based camera monitoring. By using camera servers that support RTSP (e.g. Helix Producer, etc.) it means sending the differences between the frames instead of sending the whole frame information for every iteration.

The distributed multirobot architecture has been validated since 2003 within the education and training scenario. Students and researchers are able to use the system as a tool to rapidly implement complex algorithms in a simple manner. The distributed multirobot architecture is being applied as well within the industrial robotics area in order to program remotely two synchonized robots.

This paper is an original contribution to the network robots field, since it presents a generic architecture to program remotelly a set of heterogeneous robots. The concept of network robot recently came up at the Workshop “network robots” within the IEEE ICRA 2005 World Congress.

This paper deals with the problem of developing a low cost remote supervisory control system with multimedia features of distributed robotic cells. The distributed robotic cells are locally controlled by different vendor systems. In the automated factories, a low cost and not isochronous backbone network is usually installed to transfer process data from the production level to the other ones. The proposed architectural prototype makes possible on different remote platforms a supervisory control with full process database access and field audio/video signal. The case of field vocal messages and animated plant synoptic using the low cost factory backbone network has been considered. On the remote station it is possible to use commercial supervisory control applications. A first case study, the remote supervision of a robotic cell, installed in the University of Naples, has given satisfying results. In addition, this application has shown the possibility of using the prototype for educational and research purposes, making available remote access to laboratories.

This paper aims to describe bridge transported servo‐manipulator (BTSM) system, which was developed to overcome the limited workspace of the conventional mechanical master‐slave manipulators in a hot cell.

The BTSM system consists of four components: a transporter with a telescoping tubeset, a slave manipulator, a master manipulator, and a remote control system. The slave manipulator is able to move horizontally, transversely, and vertically by using the transporter.

The performance test of the BTSM system has been carried out in terms of basic functions such as force threshold, bilateral control and force reflection characteristic.

With respect to design characteristic, the BTSM system has the novel features in that the individual motor modules or the slave manipulator can be repaired in a fully remote manner in case of catastrophic failure. Also, a 3D viewing camera facilitates remote tasks giving human operators realistic environmental information.

The purpose of this paper is to develop user friendly software with the minimum error and maximum performance in a form of remote sensing satellites evaluation software for estimation of weights and ranks of the remote sensing satellite plans, to decrease risk of management decisions.

The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) as a comprehensive framework for strategic decision making is used to arrive at the weights of criteria and sub‐criteria of remote sensing satellites. The Ms‐Access software is written to compute the ranks of the remote sensing satellite plans based on the relative weights of inputs and then, the outputs from AHP are shown as a numerical graph and generates the Ms‐Access database.

One of the main objectives of this paper is an attempt to access this skill that compare several remote sensing satellite plans on quantity and quality point of view by several effective criteria such as mass, power consumption and cost of satellites, in addition to the remote sensing subsystem, communication subsystem, telemetry, tracking and control subsystem, attitude determination control subsystem and their own sub‐criteria.

It is hard in just one paper, to gather lots of information about remote sensing satellite systems, use a new methodology that is unknown for aerospace engineering, and talk about an innovative software.

This paper provides helpful evaluating software which has a data bank that it is very useful and impartial advice for space strategy's managing organization to compare several plans.

This study provides low cost, time‐saving, and high‐performance remote sensing satellite evaluation software and gives valuable information and guidelines which help management decisions of aerospace organization.

Robot-assisted system for minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has been attracting more and more attentions. Compared with a traditional MIS, the robot-assisted system for MIS is able to overcome or reduce defects, such as poor hand-eye coordination, heavy labour intensity and limited motion of the instrument. The purpose of this paper is to design a novel robotic system for MIS applications.

A robotic system with three separate slave arms for MIS has been designed. In the proposed robot, a new mechanism was designed as the remote centre motion (RCM) mechanism to restrain the movement of instrument or laparoscope around the incision. Moreover, an improved instrument without coupling motion between wrist and grippers was developed to enhance its manipulability. A control system architecture was also developed, and an intuitive control method was applied to realize hand-eye coordination of the operator.

For the RCM mechanism, the workspace was analyzed and the positioning accuracy of the remote centre point was tested. The results show that the RCM mechanism can be applied to MIS. Furthermore, the master-slave trajectory tracking experiments reveal that slave robots are able to follow the movement of the master manipulators well. Finally, the feasibility of the robot-assisted system for MIS is proved by performing animal experiments successfully.

This paper offers a novel robotic system for MIS. It can accomplish the anticipated results.

The major objectives of this study are the engineering development and the structural analysis with finite element method (FEM) of a refrigerated container having a passive equipment and a remote control system to carry both fresh (+4°C÷±1°C) and frozen (−18°C÷−20°C) goods. The purpose of this paper is to offer some solutions to the many disadvantages of using phase change material (PCM) to refrigerate the insulated container for transporting both fresh and frozen goods.

In order to transport both fresh products (+4°C÷±1°C) and frozen products (−18°C÷−20°C), the PCM elements are filled with one eutectic liquid only, so as to avoid problems related to filling and emptying the eutectic plates, and to plate corrosion. Moreover, specially shaped air ducts and a cool flow control system are designed to maintain a uniform circulation of cool air and constant humidity values. All the structures of the container are correctly designed by means of FEM calculations to assure that all the structural, safety standards parameters are satisfied.

An innovative refrigerated container with PCM and a remote control system used to transport both fresh (+4°C÷±1°C) and frozen (−18°C÷−20°C) products, in which it is possible to maintain the temperature values for almost seven days, has been considered here. Many disadvantages due to the use of PCM have been eliminated. It is possible to maintain a uniform circulation cool air and humidity values within the design parameters by means of fans; moreover, this container is light and environmentally friendly. All structures of the container are designed using FEM.

This paper presents a refrigerated container with passive equipment and a remote control system to carry both fresh (+4°C÷±1°C) and frozen (−18°C÷−20°C) goods in which it is possible to maintain the temperature values necessary for almost seven days. The container is equipped with a remote control system powered by photovoltaic panels which works in real time, is capable of giving information about the environmental parameters set in it and monitors the state of products by means of a network of sensors. Furthermore, the remote control system can send information about the position of the container to a remote control centre. The relevant structural conditions are numerically (FEM) evaluated and reported.

Remote power control basically means control at a distance of major switching operations in a generating and distribution system.

Despite the increasing popularity and interest in remote pointing devices such as Wii remote controllers, there have been few studies that find and evaluate the users' psychological aspects of technology acceptance. This study uses the technology acceptance model (TAM) framework with the two external variables of perceived mobility and control.

The authors conducted an experiment with 409 participants to test the research model and employed structural equation modelling as the analysis method.

The results show that perceived mobility and control were significant determinants of perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. Moreover, perceived usefulness is significantly influenced by perceived ease of use and, further, perceived usefulness and ease of use played a significant role in affecting the attitude towards the technology. Finally, the results also reveal that attitude and perceived usefulness positively influence the intention to use the remote pointing device.

This paper is of value to researchers, engineers and designers designing and developing remote pointing technologies and their devices for use in our society.

This paper aims to improve the scene sense of a virtual scene, the welding model of a virtual reality system of riser automatic equipment was constructed using Unity3D and UG software, which mainly included a welding car, welding guide rail, welding power supply, virtual camera and other equipment and the model was rendered.

The human-computer interaction page and simulation test of the system was produced using the user interface GUI system for creating a human-computer interaction scene. The operator could capture the welding status of the physical equipment accurately and in real-time so the virtual reality technology was very suitable for the remote monitoring operation integrated with the welding system.

Human-computer interaction design and collision detection were realized. In addition, the system simulation experiment was accomplished. With the continuous improvement and development of virtual reality technology real-time virtual simulation and monitoring, technology will become the main development trend.

Based on virtual reality, the monitoring system can capture the operation status of physical welding equipment in real-time and accurately, which is very suitable for remote monitoring operation integrated with the welding system and also conducive to improving the monitoring level of the welding process.

This technology is time-saving and money-saving, for the operators do not have to be in a real welding environment and therefore they can get away from dangerous places. Consequently, it can avoid unnecessary injuries and problems.

This technology can replace people to enter the dangerous and extreme environment to carry out welding operation, so it becomes the most effective means of nuclear power plant maintenance, space structure construction and marine engineering construction. In addition, it is time-saving and money-saving.

With the rapid development of virtual reality technology in recent years, it is a new research direction to apply virtual reality technology to the remote welding operation. This technology is different from the traditional way of welding for the operators can stay away from the welding scene especially some dangerous places.

Describes the basic principles of radio remote control, dealing specifically with safety aspects, transmitters, receivers, transmitted telegrams, the Hamming code to indicate the origination of errors, and emergency stop circuits. Concludes with the specification for DTI approval in the UK and a list of typical applications for remote control systems including cranes, ship unloaders, conveyors and ventilation fans.