VEHICLE REMOTE CONTROL

COMMANDE A DISTANCE D'UN VEHICULE

English Abstract

The invention concerns a vehicle (1) remotely controlled by a pilot located in
a static control station (2). The pilot wears a helmet (4) provided with a
display screen (5) wherein he sees an image transmitted from a camera (11)
mounted in the vehicle (1). The movements and visual orientations of the
pilot's head (helmet 4), that is the direction in which he is looking are
transmitted to sensors, and the signals of said sensors are immediately
transmitted without delay to the vehicle (1) for directing the video camera
(11) into an orientation corresponding to the pilot's visual orientation, and
to controls monitoring the vehicle. Said controls directing the camera and
said controls monitoring the vehicle without delay considerably improve remote
control, thereby making the piloting process so realistic as to give the pilot
the impression that he is actually piloting the remotely controlled vehicle,
and above all eliminates simulator disease et enables to increase the running
speeds of remotely controlled vehicles.

French Abstract

Un véhicule (1) est commandé à distance par un pilote placé dans un poste de pilotage statique (2). Le pilote porte un casque (4) muni d'un écran (5) dans lequel il voit une image transmise à partir d'une caméra (11) montée dans le véhicule (1). Les mouvements et orientations visuelles de la tête du pilote (casque 4), c'est-à-dire de la direction du regard sont transmis à des capteurs, et les signaux de ces capteurs sont transmis immédiatement et sans délai au véhicule (1) pour commander la caméra vidéo (11) dans une orientation correspondante à l'orientation visuelle du pilote, ainsi que les commandes de contrôle du véhicule. Ces commandes de l'orientation de la caméra et des commandes de contrôle du véhicule sans délais permettent une amélioration considérable de la commande à distance. Ceci apporte un grand réalisme au pilotage à tel point que le pilote a réellement l'impression d'être aux commandes du véhicule commandé à distance, et surtout supprime le phénomène du "Malaise du Simulateur" et permet d'augmenter les vitesses d'évolution des véhicules télécommandés.

Claims

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C L A I M S
1. A remote-control system for a means of moving on or
under ground, in air or in space, on or in water,
particularly a vehicle (1) on which a camera (11) is mounted
whose image signal is transmitted to a control station (2)
from which a pilot exerts remote control via the image
transmitted by the camera and observed by a viewing device
(5) worn or not worn by the pilot, the image permanently
remaining within the pilot's field of vision and the visual
orientation and/or the orientation of the pilot's head being
continually detected and the said camera (11) being remote-
controlled in an orientation corresponding to the pilot's
visual orientation, characterised in that the delay in
detection and transmission between the beginning of a change
in the said visual orientation and the beginning of the
corresponding change in the camera control signal is reduced
to values below 100 ms.
2. Control according to claim 1, characterised in that the
said delay is reduced to values below 50 ms, preferably
below 10 ms.
3. Control according to claim 1 or 2, characterised by the
following features:
- practically zero delays in the measurement of the
visual orientation of the pilot and in detection of the
orientation of the visual axis of the pilot, and
- practically zero delays in transmission of the controls
governing the orientation and movements of the on-board
camera.

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4. Control according to any of claims 1 to 3,
characterised in that the noises and sounds detected in the
vehicle (1) are transmitted to the control station (2) or to
the pilot.
5. Control according to any of claims 1 to 4,
characterised in that the vibrations and/or attitude of the
vehicle and/or the forces acting on it are detected and
transmitted to the control station (2).
6. A remote-control device for effecting control according
to claim 1, comprising a vehicle (1) carrying a camera (11)
and an image transmitter, a control station (2) with a
receiver and a viewing device (5), and means for remote
control of the vehicle, the viewing device (5) being adapted
to be worn by the pilot or not, and means (4, 6, 7) are
provided for detecting the visual orientation of the pilot
and for remote-controlling the orientation of the said
camera (11), characterised by analog control of the
orientation of the said camera to reduce the delay in said
control.
7. A device according to claim 6, characterised by an
electromechanical system for measuring the orientation of
the head and/or the pilot's visual orientation, the system
preferably comprising potentiometers.
8. A device, preferably according to claim 7,
characterised by a helmet (4) for wearing by the pilot, the
helmet being connected to a lever by two cords or rods (15)
for transmitting the movements of the helmet to the lever
(14), the lever being mounted and articulated on a sliding

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support or on a pivoting lever, the said lever or levers or
the support acting directly or indirectly on potentiometers
in the control circuit.
9. A device according to any of claims 6 to 8,
characterised by a system for transmitting the noise and
sounds of the vehicle to the control station.
10. A device according to any of claims 6 to 9,
characterised by a system for transmitting the vibrations
and/or attitude of the vehicle and/or the forces acting on
the vehicle and for simulating the said vibrations, attitude
and/or forces in the control station (2).
11. A device according to any of claims 6 to 10,
characterised by an on-board control panel comprising the
instruments of the vehicle.
12. A device according to any of claims 6 to 11,
characterised by a system whereby the sensations perceived
in the controls of the vehicle (1) are re-transmitted to the
control station (2).
13. A device according to any of claims 6 to 12,
characterised in that a radar system is installed on the
vehicle.
14. A device according to any of claims 6 to 13,
characterised by an infrared or thermal camera mounted on
the vehicle.

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15. A device according to any of claims 6 to 14;
characterised by a viewing system providing 3D (three-
dimensional) vision.
16. A device according to any of claims 6 to 15,
characterised by a GPS (global position system) type system
for locating the vehicle.
17. A device according to any of claims 6 to 16,
characterised by an on-board telemetry system.

Description

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REMOTE CONTROL OF A VEHIChE
The invention relates to remote control of a vehicle by
telepresence according to the preamble of claim 1 and a
device incorporating this control.
Simple or elementary remote control means of this kind are
known e.g. from GB-A-2 212 465. In these known remote-
control means, the video camera is mounted in a fixed
l0 position on the vehicle to be controlled. Practical
experience with these known remote-control means has been
unsatisfactory. If for example the controlled vehicle needs
to turn around an obstacle, the obstacle disappears from the
field of vision of the camera objective even before the
pilot begins the turn. It is therefore impossible to know
exactly where, when or how to avoid the obstacle.
25
There is also a known inspection vehicle described in US
patent 5 350 033. This vehicle carries a video camera, the
orientation of which can be remote-controlled so as to be
able to direct said camera towards objects to be inspected.
However this control does not correspond in the least to
automatic control depending on the visual orientation of the
pilot.
Although situated at a distance from the controlled vehicle,
the pilot has the impression of being inside it. The
invention is based on the observation that it is not
sufficient for the pilot or driver moving in a motor car or
aircraft simply to move his eyes in order to see all the
details necessary for perfect steering. For this purpose,
he needs to move his head. This is the case for example
when the pilot wishes to look at the image in the rear-view

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mirror. Consequently the remote control system according to
the invention should ensure synchronisation between the
orientation of the camera and that of the pilot's head. In
other words, since the transmitted image is observed via a
screen carried by the pilot, the orientation of the camera
must be continually controlled by the orientation of the
pilot's head situated at a distance. The image transmitted
to the pilot therefore corresponds to the image which the
pilot would see if he was in the vehicle.
The prior art of presence applied to robotics and to an
independent system has been described in a scientific
periodical (ELSEVIER, Robotics and Autonomous Systems 26
(1999), pages 117 to 125). Experience has shown that the
pilot automatically turns his head into the appropriate
visual orientation in each particular situation, so that the
remote-controlled camera is likewise turned in this
direction. In principle, as already stated, it is a matter
in synchronising the natural movements when looking, with a
mobile camera system on board a vehicle, the image being
constantly maintained in the pilot's field of vision. The
"natural movements when looking" means the movements of the
head and/or eyes necessary for "normal" vision. According
to the said ELSEVIER periodical, considerable delays occur
in known systems between the visual orientation movements of
the pilot and the movements of the camera. These delays in
measurement and transmission of control signals are due more
particularly to digitisation of information. The main
problems resulting in the known systems are:
1. The uneasy feeling of the simulator, commonly called
simulator sickness or SS and

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2. The low running speeds possible with present
telepresence systems (7 to 8 km/h in general, with peak
speeds less than 28 km/h).
Attempts to solve these major problems inherent in
telepresence have been unsuccessful.
The object of the invention is to eliminate simulator
sickness (SS) and substantially increase the running speeds
of vehicles. This object is attained by making a
considerable improvement to the present system for remote
control of a vehicle by means of telepresence as defined in
the characterising part of claim 1.
Results obtained to date from various tests on the control
system according to the invention have confirmed that the
delays in measuring the visual orientation and movements of
the head and/or transmission of controls are very small, to
such an extent that they can be taken as zero since they are
of the order of a millisecond. These delays are
imperceptible compared with human perception or the
mechanical limitations of vehicles used for telepresence.
Since these delays are so short, the phenomenon of simulator
sickness SS disappears,and the remote-controlled vehicle can
move at a substantially greater speed than that permitted by
prior-art remote controls. In fact, during the said tests,
the vehicle speeds approached 100 km/h.
As already stated, the inventor has found, as a result of
tests made, that the phenomenon of SS is linked to delays in
the controls. It is difficult however to define a delay
above which SS appears, since this depends on the
sensitivity of each individual. On the other hand it has

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been established that a reduction in delays results in a
decrease in SS. According to the invention, the delays
should be shorter than 100 ms, preferably shorter than 50 or
even 10 ms. This is possible in particular owing to the
following features:
1. Practically zero delays in measuring the visual
orientation of the pilot and detecting the orientation
of the pilot's visual axis.
2. Practically zero delays in transmission of the controls
governing the orientation and the movements of the on-
board camera.
It has been found particularly important to reduce the delay
between the beginning of a change in visual orientation
and/or a movement of the pilot's head and the beginning of
the corresponding change in the control signal acting on the
camera servomechanisms. However, the speed or acceleration
at which the camera movements are started is less important.
These favourable conditions can be obtained by an
electromechanical measurement and direct analog
transmission.
Conclusive tests were made on a quarter-scale car controlled
by a system using an analog circuit (model-builder's remote-
control) in order to reduce to a minimum the times for
measuring the orientation of the pilot's head and
transmitting the necessary controls to the vehicle and to
the on-board camera.

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The invention will now be explained in greater detail with
reference to a preferred exemplified embodiment
diagrammatically shown in the drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 represents a control station;
Fig. 2 represents a controlled vehicle; and
Figs. 3 and 4 show a system for measuring the orientation of
l0 the pilot's head.
Fig. 5 is a block diagram representing all the important
components of the remote control.
In the example, a racing car 1 is being remotecontrolled.
The driver is in a static control station 2 in which all the
control components, more particularly the steering wheel 3
and pedals (not shown) and/or any other functions are
installed at least approximately in accordance with the
dimensions and positions in reality. The driver wears a
helmet 4 incorporating a screen 5, and a flexible cable 6 is
disposed between the helmet 4 and a measuring system
incorporated in a casing 7 comprising the required
electronics or mechanics. The measuring system detects the
orientation and movements of the driver's head, in the
present case the visual orientation, i.e. of the helmet 4.
The orientations and movements of the driver's helmet 4 are
detected by mechanical connections between the helmet and
potentiometers installed in the casing 7. The
potentiometers constitute sensors and in fact correspond to
those in a model-builder's remote-control system for remote
control of small-scale models. These analog sensors
(electric potentiometers) accordingly are connected to a

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model-builder's remote-control system, which processes the
data and transmits them to the receiving system in the
remote-controlled vehicle 1.
The model-builder's transmitter transmits the required data
via a transmitting antenna 8 situated in the static control
station 2 to a receiving antenna 9 on the car 1. The
information comprises the actual remote control, i.e.
transmission of the positions of the steering wheel 3,
pedals and other controls, and also comprises information
relating to the orientation of the camera or the pilot's
head, i.e. of the helmet 4.
As stated, the car 1 comprises all the control components
necessary for driving it. This system for remote control of
a car or any other vehicle is known per se and needs no
additional explanation.
A helmet 10 incorporating a camera 11 is mounted on the car
1. The signal from the camera 11 is amplified and
transmitted by an antenna 12 to a receiving antenna 13 at
the control station 2. The image thus transmitted is
presented to the driver via the screen 5. The orientation
and movements of the driver's head, i.e. of the helmet 4,
are continuously transmitted to the car 1, and the
orientation of the combined helmet 10 and camera 11 is
continually adapted to the orientation of the helmet 4 on
the pilot's head.
Figs. 3 and 4 are side and top views respectively of a
variant of the system for measuring the orientation of the
driver's head. The helmet 4 is connected to the ends of a
lever 14 by two flexible cords 15. The lever 14 can pivot

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around a fixed axis 16 in a lever 17, which is pivotable
around a horizontal axis. The levers 14 and 17 act on
potentiometers 18 and 19 respectively. The movements of the
levers are thus transmitted to one or the other
potentiometer. A spring 20 acts on the lever 17 so as
constantly to hold the cords 15 under suitable tension. The
orientations and movements of the pilot's head, and hence of
the helmet 4, around a vertical axis are transmitted by the
cords 15 to the lever 14 and potentiometer 18. Movements
around a horizontal axis are transmitted to the lever 17 and
the potentiometer 19.
In a variant embodiment the lever 17 could be replaced by a
sliding support acting on the potentiometer 19 via a
mechanical connection.
The suppression of the phenomenon of SS and the possibility
of considerably increasing the running speed of the vehicle
are the result of a technological approach which, in this
preferred example, involves an analog system capable of
eliminating the delays due to detection of the orientation
of the head and/or to the transmission of the said controls.
The invention therefore makes a considerable improvement to
telepresence. In fact, the only limits to future
applications of this invention are mechanical and human.
This remote control system can be improved and supplemented
by a number of means. A high-definition colour system can
be provided. The noise of the car can be detected and
transmitted, thus facilitating its control. Even stereo
sound can be transmitted, or an on-board instrument panel
can be provided, or a telemetry system and a 3D viewing
system can be added. It is also possible to detect and re-

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transmit the vibrations, forces and the attitude (pitching,
rolling, depth) affecting the vehicle, or the sensations in
the controls (e.g. the torque required for rotating the
steering wheel 3 or the forces needed to control the pedals,
particularly the brake pedal) and reproducing them in the
static control station 2. In addition a radar system or an
infra-red or thermal camera can be provided.
Fig. 5 is a diagram of all the essential components of the
remote control system. The reference numbers denote the
same components as in Figs. 1 to 4. The "X" references in
the "control station" part denote inputs for the signals
corresponding to the values detected by the "sensors and/or
detectors" i.e. respectively the outputs of the signals
detected by sensors associated with components not shown,
such as the accelerator or the brake pedal.
The remote-control system according to the invention has
wide applications, to leisure, business, the military,
utilities and first aid.
The screen carried by the pilot can be replaced by a moving
screen not carried by him, or a moving projection such that
the image always remains in the pilot's field of vision.

Representative Drawing