This paper presents two methods aimed at alleviating the negative effects of network delays on teleoperation. The problem of telepresence across delayed networks is well known. A delay in feedback information such as visual and haptic data can make the task at hand very unintuitive and difficult for the operator. The first presented method investigates the hypothesis that simulated inertia in the haptic input device can be a supporting factor during teleoperation across delayed networks. An experiment involving 36 human subjects was carried out under varying network and inertia conditions. Psychophysical experiments were conducted to determine suitable values of inertia. However, simulated inertia was found to be neither a supporting factor nor a detrimental factor to operator performance and immersion in the presence of both delayed and non-delayed networks. The second presented method is a force prediction approach, which extends the teleoperation system with a local force model. This is a learned force model situated locally at the operator-side. Instead of relying on the delayed force signals from the teleoperator-side, haptic information can be extracted from this local force model. An experiment has been created to demonstrate the benefits of this approach in compensating for the instabilities due to time delay.

Telepresent tasks involve removal of the human operator from an immediate working area and relocation to a remote environment that offers the operator all necessary control features. In this remote location, the operator must be provided with adequate feedback information such that the task at hand can be effectively executed. This research explores the effectiveness of various feedback methods. More specifically, graphical feedback in the form of video streamed images is compared against rendered 3D models, the overall effectiveness of haptic feedback is analyzed, and the influences of sensory augmentation and sensory substitution are examined. This study involved 48 participants, each of whom executed a simple clockwork assembly task under various feedback mechanisms. The results support the use of 3D models as opposed to live video streams for graphical presentation, utilization of haptic feedback (which was found to significantly enhance operation effectiveness), and the use of sensory augmentation and substitution under specific circumstances.