Teleoperation in Robotics


Soliton’s Ultra Low Latency Video Streaming technology  for Telerobotics 

What is Telerobotics


Telerobotics is the remote operation of robots that can be controlled from a distance. It allows operations of robots in hazardous areas, inaccessible environments, or in places where it is not conducive for human life. Think of the Mars Rover!

Applications areas can include healthcare, maintenance, construction, mining, exploration, search, rescue and recovery operations.

Healthcare is an emerging market for telerobotics with the use of telesurgery. This is where surgeons can remotely undertake operations and surgical procedures on people, using a remotely controlled robot, where the person requiring the operation cannot get access to the hospital and/or the surgeon.

Within the mining industry, operations can be very dangerous, especially where there is a risk of collapse. Due to rising costs in open pits, the mining industry needs to do more vertical wall mining and so remote control mining robots and remotely driven trucks including bulldozers, trucks, shovels and water trucks can be utilized for safety and controlled remotely. Telemining has evolved.

Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) Drones, that is drones that are remotely controlled, are beginning to gain traction in search and rescue operations. A whole industry around disaster response robots is beginning to emerge. These are robots that can fly, swim, crawl through rubble, douse fires, helping emergency services and first responders gain access in highly risky areas and provide invaluable assistance.

 

Using Ultra Low Latency Streaming in Robotics

How does Soliton help?


Soliton is working with many robotic manufacturers to pioneer ultra low latency live streaming, allowing robots to be controlled in almost real time. By providing an OEM software SDK based on its RASCOW2 streaming protocol, Soliton provides software that can be integrated into existing hardware to allow secure and encrypted connectivity over multiple network connection simultaneously. This could include multiple cellular connections, Wi-Fi, and/or satellite which are bonded for reliability and bandwidth. Typical delay over 4G is 65ms (0.065s) glass-to-glass and even lower over 5G. LAN tunneling and serial connections over the bonded connection allows a return path for the control signals from the teleoperator back to the robot to control it in almost real time. The SDK is currently supported for NVIDIA Jetson and Nano devices.

 

Telerobotics

What is RASCOW2?


Real-Time Auto Speed Control based-On Waterway model, version 2 (RASCOW2) is Soliton’s second and latest generation of its streaming protocol that enables ultra-low latency live streaming over unpredictable and unreliable networks, such as cellular.

It bonds together the connections and in real time can load balance, provide error connection and encrypt the live stream giving highly reliable video streaming, even when bit rates drop to almost nothing.

RASCOW2 is available as a hardware encoder (Zao-X) or a software SDK.

Please also read our blog: Using Ultra Low Latency Streaming in Robotics Technology