Toward performance standards for remote manipulation

The effects of both static and dynamic positional perturbations that are inherent in many field manipulation missions are not adequately represented by highly repetitive, within-subjects experimental designs that are currently in use as the basis for assessing manipulator performance and setting standards for comparisons of competing systems. A methodological approach and a robust and versatile hardware system for implementing that approach have been developed and tested successfully. The results of these studies have general implications for future assessment of robotic and teleoperated manipulators