Evaluation of human control in telerobotics by means of EMG

This paper analyses human control performance by means of a telemanipulation system and measurements of muscular activity during teleoperations. The task is performed with the aid of different types of interfaces. The control loop of a telerobotic manipulation system includes the human motion program. The control strategy for human motion is closely dependent on the type of interface available, that is, on the way the performance knowledge is presented to the operator. The analysis here proposed concerns the sensory and logical evaluation of this dependence in a telerobotic application, by means of EMG signal acquisition during teleoperations both in real and virtual environments. The experiments have been performed with a new paradigm for the evaluation of human feedback during the telemanipulation performance of a touch task. The paradigm adopted in this research is the result of the integration of robotics and neurology.<<ETX>>