A New Network Transmission Protocol for Internet-based Telerobotic Operations

Abstract

Internet-based robotic teleoperation systems face significant challenges due to unpredictable Internet latency, leading to instability, reduced transparency, and synchronization issues. Existing methods exhibit fundamental limitations when addressing random delay impacts, as they typically rely on bounded delay assumptions, predictable delay patterns, or statistical models that fail in actual Internet environments where delays are inherently random and unpredictable. This paper introduces the Tele-Robotic Control Protocol (TRCP), a specialized Internet transport protocol engineered specifically for robotic teleoperation applications. Unlike conventional information-oriented protocols, TRCP implements a paradigm shift to control-oriented design through an event-based control approach that completely removes delay impact rather than merely reducing it. The protocol features a content-based validation mechanism that analyzes actual command appropriateness within the current operational context, providing unprecedented safety guarantees for teleoperation in dynamic environments and ensuring TRCP can safely support Internet-based closed-loop control, which conventional protocols fundamentally cannot achieve. Additionally, TRCP incorporates an optimized header format and bidirectional stream architecture for efficient data exchange. Theoretical analysis confirms system stability through Petri net modeling, while comprehensive experimental validation across diverse teleoperation systems. Results confirm that TRCP significantly enhances the performance of Internet-based teleoperation systems.