A platform for tele-collaboration with multiple robots via digital twin spaces

In recent years, the use of smart robots has been attracting attention as a means to address labor shortages due to the aging population. However, full autonomy of robots is not expected to be realized until after 2050, and collaboration with humans is essential for robot utilization in the near future. In this study, we propose a new platform for remote robot collaboration, in which an operator is immersed in digital twin spaces created using 3D point cloud information of the physical spaces and cooperates with multiple smart robots working in the real sites. The platform enables tele-collaboration between the avatar of the operator and the smart robots. An experiment was conducted to demonstrate the main functions of the proposed system. In the experiment, tasks assuming a scenario in which a robot followed an operator’s instructions and manipulated objects were conducted. By measuring the time required for the tasks, we evaluated the productivity per hour of the scenario, and discussed the potential contribution of the proposed system to increasing labor supply.