Understanding Teleoperation in Robotics: A Systematic Review of Device Types and Main Performance

Teleoperation of robotic manipulators has advanced significantly in recent years, serving as a critical solution for high-risk applications in medicine, industry, and space exploration, where direct human intervention is impractical or hazardous. Despite these advances, persistent technical and operational challenges, such as latency-induced instability and limited real-world validation, restrict broader adoption, necessitating a systematic evaluation of emerging technologies and their integrations to bridge the gap between laboratory prototypes and field-deployable systems. To this end, we conducted a Systematic Mapping Study across Scopus, IEEE Xplore, and Web of Science, screening 3,957 records and selecting 339 primary studies from 2019 to mid-2024 for in-depth analysis. The results categorize advancements into eight key groups: exoskeletons, haptic devices, immersive technologies, neural interfaces, motion and biometric sensing systems, direct input and control interfaces, advanced identification and communication systems, and combinations. The findings reveal a pronounced shift toward multimodal hybrids (<italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">e.g</i>., haptic-immersive fusions) that enhance operator precision, situational awareness, and ergonomic usability across domains. However, communication latency remains the predominant barrier, with delays over 200 ms compromising stability and safety irrespective of interface complexity. These findings underscore that while hybrid integrations mitigate isolated limitations, domain-specific tolerances —such as near-zero in medicine versus moderate in industry— demand tailored optimizations for effective deployment. Future research should prioritize rigorous field trials with standardized benchmarks (<italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">e.g</i>., NASA-TLX for workload and FMEA for safety) for combined technologies, alongside the development of 6G-enabled predictive algorithms to preempt latency issues, ensuring scalable, resilient teleoperation in critical scenarios.