Implementation of semi-virtual Multiple-Master/Multiple-Slave system

Building an experimental robotic setup can be a very tedious, prone to hardware faults and expensive process. A common way to circumvent some of this problems is to model a part or entire system in software. Moreover, virtual environments can be the only option to model hazardous or inaccessible sites. However, implementation of teleoperated robotic systems with force feedback exhibits additional problems. The human-robot interfaces should exist in hardware and this in turn requires simulated system to work in a proximity with a real-time. In this paper we describe a successful implementation of such a system in Gazebo simulator and Robot Operating System. We built an experimental Multiple-Master/Multiple-Slave setup in virtual environment for peg-in-hole task that consists of two 7-DOF Schunk LWA-3 robots and a common object to manipulate. To display forces to operators two SensAble PHANToM devices were utilized.