Telerobots consist of master and slave devices, where the master is manipulated by an operator and the slave tracks the motion of the master. Telerobots are used when the environment that requires manipulation is not easily accessible or to extend the capabilities of the operator. For complex and delicate tasks that require interaction with the environment, force feedback can significantly enhance an operator's ability to complete the specific task. However, when operated with even small communication delays, force feedback often results in dangerously unstable systems.

Under support from both the Army Research Office and NASA, Creare is developing telerobot control system technology that ensures telerobot stability in the presence of arbitrary time delays. The Creare telerobot technology is based on:

• Impedance Control
• Passive Communication Protocols
• Impedance Shaping

This combination results in guaranteed stability and high performance in the presence of unpredictable time delays for telerobot systems.

Creare has demonstrated the key features of the Creare Telerobot Control Technology using two PHANToM haptic displays from SensAble Technologies and a commercially available micro-surgery system. Data from these examples verify the expected performance under fixed and variable time delays. We are currently preparing to perform limited tests of the control algorithm for the micro-surgery system in a clinical setting.