LSU Design Enables Robots to Work in Distant, Hazardous Locations

Some fabrication sites are too dangerous or distant for people to do the work. While robots can work in the most hazardous conditions, current remote controls lack precision. An LSU researcher’s algorithm and hardware make it easier to guide a robot through complex tasks at vast distances, so machines can handle deep-sea construction, make repairs in damaged nuclear plants, or tackle welding, large-scale 3D printing, and other intricate tasks in industrial and off-planet settings.

“The controller’s algorithm and hardware make it easy to precisely direct a robot through a task, like repairing a crack inside a nuclear reactor or 3D-printing a structural component on the surface of the moon,” said Ali Kazemian, an assistant professor in the Department of Construction Management. “The proposed intelligent haptic feedback configuration sends physical sensations – vibrations, pressure or resistance – to the operators’ hands so they can ‘feel’ what’s happening.”

The LSU system differs from most commercial robot controllers, which are designed for “pick and place” tasks. Those robots pick up an object, say a box, from a surface and move it somewhere else, such as further down a conveyor belt.

Current teleoperation systems serve the warehousing and surgical industries, but there is a large underserved market for remote fabrication and repair.

Kazemian’s control system has a wide range of potential applications, including:

• Space, defense, and security — NASA, private space companies, and the military need safe, precise remote construction and repair capabilities in hazardous, hard-to-reach locations.
• Energy — Remote repair and maintenance of nuclear, offshore, and mining equipment.
• Industrial — Complex welding, large-scale 3D printing, surface coating, sandblasting, spraying, painting, crack repair, and laser surface treatments.

“Telerobotics for fabrication is still a new frontier,” said Robert Twilley, LSU vice chancellor of research and economic development. “Dr. Kazemian’s control system bridges the gap between what robots can do today and what will be needed for the next generation of exploration, manufacturing, and maintenance in the most challenging environments imaginable — from coastal infrastructure repairs to offshore energy systems, advanced manufacturing, and defense operations.”

The control system can also function effectively under conditions where there is a time lag between the operator’s commands and the robot’s actions. Kazemian and his team are researching “predictive” virtual models that make the control system work better under a time lag.

There is a 2.6-second delay between a live camera feed from a robot on the moon to the operator on Earth, Kazemian said. Waiting three seconds to find out whether a crucial weld is proceeding correctly exponentially increases the difficulty.

“The virtual model generates predictive visualizations by combining the operator’s commands with the latest sensor data,” Kazemian said. “Providing timely feedback helps the user make correct decisions and send the following commands, reducing the negative impact of delays in the camera feed.”

To attract strategic partners in aerospace, energy, and defense, Kazemian plans to scale up lab and field demonstrations to further refine the control system. He is collaborating with two LSU faculty members, Hunter Gilbert, associate professor of mechanical engineering, and Yimin Zhu, professor of construction management.

Kazemian is working with the LSU Office of Innovation & Technology Commercialization (ITC) to patent his discovery.

“We’re thrilled to help Dr. Kazemian try to bring this groundbreaking technology to market,” ITC Senior Commercialization Officer Grace Myers said.