Stability and control of bilateral teleoperation over the Internet with force feedback

Bilateral teleoperation for the manipulation of distant environment over unreliable networks like the Internet presents many challenges which are examined in this thesis. The high performance demands of telesurgery set the framework for an investigation into teleoperation controller design in the face of packet losses and random transport delays. In the literature, many control approaches in teleoperation require models for the environment or the operator or both which cannot always be determined or which may change abruptly and frequently during operation. This thesis aims to develop models which place as few constraints as possible on the operator and environment while producing stable controllers whose performance is maximised in the face of the network imperfections.;Simulations are carried out which demonstrate the stability and performance of the proposed controllers. Experiments are then constructed using a linear single degree of freedom setup. The control design is undertaken for the experimental platform and the results are analysed. The stability and performance of the designed teleoperation controller is demonstrated in the face of packet losses and delays. Finally, suggestions for future work are suggested.;Data from actual Internet transmissions is used to formulate network models for use in the control design. The teleoperation problem is simultaneously formulated as a Linear Matrix Inequality condition and as a Markov Jump Linear System with a switching controller. Several design are detailed, building up to the case with independent communications between both sides with packet losses and random delays. Robust methods are applied to design controllers that can incorporate parameter uncertainty.