Semester of Graduation

Summer 2026

Degree

Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering (MSECE)

Department

Division of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

Telerobotic systems have been extensively studied for earthmoving operations, but tasks that demand fine precision and continuous tracing motions have received considerably less attention. These operations require tailored manipulation strategies and feedback mechanisms to enable effective operation of robotics systems by human operators. The overall objective of this work is to present a haptic based teleoperation framework for construction in challenging environments, evaluated in a simulation setting and later implemented in a physical environment. This thesis is organized into two phases addressing complementary aspects of teleoperated construction.

In the first phase, a haptic based teleoperation interfaced enhanced with assistive kinematic and graphical functions was developed and evaluated for remote execution of precision construction tasks. Three control configurations were compared: a baseline mode, a mode incorporating assistive kinematic functions, and a mode combining both kinematic assistance and graphical overlays. A structured human-subjects experiment was performed to evaluate operator performance and human factors across all configurations. Both quantitative performance indicators and qualitative measures were collected. Findings indicate that the proposed assistive features yielded improvements in precision (88%), operational efficiency (63%), and collision avoidance (75%) during simulated telerobotic crack repair operations, while simultaneously lowering mental demand and enhancing perceived usability.

In the second phase, the research transitions from simulation to physical hardware by presenting the design, fabrication and programing of two geometrically identical custom 3 degree of freedom robotic manipulators using 3D printed structural components and brushless DC actuators. These manipulators form a leader-follower bilateral teleoperation system with real time force feedback with joint level gravity compensation. The system was implemented and tested in a laboratory setting, where position tracking accuracy, gravity compensation effectiveness, and bilateral force feedback behavior were evaluated through controlled trial experiments. Results demonstrated position tracking RMSE values of 3.25°, 2.37°, and 2.24° for the base, shoulder, and elbow joints, respectively. These hardware results validate that the control principles explored in the simulation phase can be realized in a custom-built physical platform.

Date

7-3-2026

Committee Chair

Trahan, Jerry

LSU Acknowledgement

1

LSU Accessibility Acknowledgment

1

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