Applications of force-feedback interfaces in teleoperation
Specifications and applications of force feedback interfaces: general introduction and teleoperation

Evolution has endowed humans with an extremely sophisticated sensory and motor system that allows them to interact very effectively with their environment. In particular, they can use their hands to grasp a wide variety of objects, manipulate them with great dexterity, and perform a wide range of tasks. However, these abilities are hindered when they must protect themselves and/or move away because the environment is hostile. For example, humans have had to develop slender tools to avoid getting too close to sources of excessive heat when handling objects as diverse as food during cooking (e.g., bread or pizza paddles) or molten glass or metal (e.g., rods, tongs, ladles). These rudimentary tools, however useful they may be, have two major drawbacks: they...