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arXiv · 2504.05488

SPARK-Remote: A Cost-Effective System for Remote Bimanual Robot Teleoperation

Adam Imdieke·Karthik Desingh
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Abstract

Robot teleoperation enables human control over robotic systems in environments where full autonomy is challenging. Recent advancements in low-cost teleoperation devices and VR/AR technologies have expanded accessibility, particularly for bimanual robot manipulators. However, transitioning from in-person to remote teleoperation presents challenges in task performance. We introduce SPARK, a kinematically scaled, low-cost teleoperation system for operating bimanual robots. Its effectiveness is compared to existing technologies like the 3D SpaceMouse and VR/AR controllers. We further extend SPARK to SPARK-Remote, integrating sensor-based force feedback using haptic gloves and a force controller for remote teleoperation. We evaluate SPARK and SPARK-Remote variants on 5 bimanual manipulation tasks which feature operational properties - positional precision, rotational precision, large movements in the workspace, and bimanual collaboration - to test the effective teleoperation modes. Our findings offer insights into improving low-cost teleoperation interfaces for real-world applications. For supplementary materials, additional experiments, and qualitative results, visit the project webpage: https://bit.ly/41EfcJa

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Adam Imdieke, Karthik Desingh. 2025-04-07. SPARK-Remote: A Cost-Effective System for Remote Bimanual Robot Teleoperation. https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.05488

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