Invited review: the synergy between virtual reality and robotics

To a large extent the robotics and the newer virtual reality (VR) research communities have been working in isolation. This article reviews three areas where integration of the two technologies can be beneficial. First, we consider VR-enhanced CAD design, robot programming, and plant layout simulation. Subsequently, we discuss how VR is being used in supervisory teleoperation, for single operator-single robot systems, single operator multiplexed to several slave robots, and collaborative control of a single robot by multiple operators. Here VR can help overcome problems related to poor visual feedback as well as system instabilities due to time delays. Finally, we show how robotics can be beneficial to VR in general, since robots can serve as force feedback interfaces to the simulation. Newer back-drivable manipulators offer increased safety for the user that closely interacts with the robot. The synergy between the fields of robotics and virtual reality is expected to grow in years to come