Enhancing bimanual teleoperation with variable shoulder distance: manipulation in varying-scale of applications

Current bimanual teleoperation systems are limited by fixed shoulder distances, restricting adaptability for diverse tasks and large-scale environments. To overcome this, we propose a novel cable-traversing bimanual teleoperation system with dynamically adjustable shoulder widths. Our design employs 8-DoF floating arms suspended on parallel cables, enabling real-time adjustments between unimanual, bimanual shared, and bimanual extended workspaces. This flexibility enhances performance across dexterous tasks and wide-area operations. Experimental results show that narrower shoulder widths improve precision in small-object assembly, while wider spacing improves reach and control for handling large or deformable items. Dynamic adjustments reduce task time and support intuitive mode switching. We also present the hardware and kinematic design, demonstrating significant gains in adaptability and efficiency compared to fixed-width setups. Our system advances task-specific reconfigurability in robotic manipulation, with strong potential for agricultural work, industrial assembly, and infrastructure maintenance, laying the groundwork for more versatile teleoperation in real-world, dynamic environments.