Tele-operators

Abstract

There are many different definitions of the term tele-operator, and many different words have been coined for these devices, such as telechirs, telefactors, telepuppets and so on. We hope we do not add to the confusion by proposing our own definition. It is not entirely original, being a hybrid of the definitions published in the first major book (Johnsen and Corliss, 1969) on the subject and in reports of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) (Onega and Clingman, 1972) . Our definition is that a tele-operator is a cybernetic man-machine system designed to augment and extend human senses and dexterity. Figure 10.1 is intended to clarify this definition. The words have been chosen carefully. ‘Cybernetic’ implies the concept of control and feedback of information. Its use excludes preprogrammed machines such as automatic coffee dispensers, weighing machines and timer-controlled ovens—and even today’s industrial robots. The term ‘man—machine’ emphasizes the fact that the human element is in control. For this to be the case, the operator needs to have information about what is to be controlled, and this is supplied by feedback from sensors in the work space which augment the human senses. Finally, ‘dexterity’ means skill or expertise in movement and action, and although strictly speaking it refers to the use of the hands, we here extend its use to the feet.