Sticky and slippery collision avoidance for tele-excavation

Two new modes of real-time collision avoidance are presented which aid in the effectiveness of remote tele-operation. Sticky collision mode improves system safety by disallowing contact with modelled obstacles. Slippery mode Is used to improve the efficiency of the process by reducing the required level of operator skill. Both modes execute in real-time and have been implemented and tested on it remote excavator system. It was found that precise geometries could be excavated using extremely simplified cutting strategies that required very little fine control on the part of the operator, thereby improving the effectiveness of remote tele-excavation.