University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's Human Avatar Accelerating the Future of Remote Robotics

URBANA, Ill., January 11, 2022 (Newswire.com) - For more than three years, a team of graduate students led by Illinois CS professor Kris Hauser has progressed through the $10M ANA Avatar XPRIZE. Starting among nearly 80 teams from all around the world, the AVATRINA team worked to showcase their Tele-Robotic Intelligent Nursing Assistant (TRINA) as a platform for deploying human presence to a remote location.

Their groundbreaking work continues, as AVATRINA earned placement in the Avatar XPRIZE finals after competing alongside 36 other semifinalist teams.

TRINA is a robotic avatar that allows the operator to see, hear, navigate and interact with a remote environment. Its development showcases the team's dedicated effort in robotics and VR/AR research.

"We're in the Zoom era today, and telerobotics will be the telecommuting of tomorrow. It's thrilling to be involved in shaping the future of this technology, and the team is very excited for TRINA to compete at the finals," said Hauser.

Hauser's work on this project started before the XPRIZE began as NSF-supported research between collaborators at Illinois CS and Duke University in 2018. His team has grown to include an augmented reality gaming startup company called VRotors, which develops enterprise cloud platforms for robotics and immersive VR/AR technology.

The TRINA system is a mobile manipulator robot with two arms, grippers, and a moving base controlled by a remote operator using a commodity VR system. TRINA approximates human height and incorporates advanced control techniques so that it can gently shake a person's hand and collide with objects but is strong enough to lift 10 lbs. per hand.

The robot has audio and video connection to communicate with operators and observers on the robot's side. It also has a head with cameras, to track the operator's head movements, which lets the operator see what the robot sees. A tablet screen displays the operator's face. 

Hauser hopes to incorporate more realistic haptic feedback to improve the operator's fine manipulation capabilities and incorporate larger batteries to let TRINA operate untethered. He also hopes to implement AI-driven operator assistance techniques to help the user avoid collisions, navigate long distances and grasp objects more easily than with direct control.

Neil Malhotra, founder of VRotors, emphasized the AVATRINA team's innovativeness.

"It's been a privilege to work with Dr. Hauser's UIUC student robotics team, which developed one of the world's most capable human avatar robots through thoughtful innovation and incredible dedication, leading to this exciting competition result," Malhotra said.

The Avatar XPRIZE is a four-year global competition focused on developing an avatar system that will deploy a human's senses, actions and presence to a remote location in real time, leading to a more connected world. In the future, avatars could help provide critical care and deploy immediate responses in emergencies or offer opportunities for exploration and new ways of collaboration, stretching the boundaries of what is possible and maximizing the impact of skill and knowledge sharing.

"The possibility of living in a world where individuals can provide aid during a crisis in a different country without ever leaving the comfort of their homes is closer than ever," said Anousheh Ansari, CEO of XPRIZE. "While it's been difficult this year to predict what the future will bring for the evolving health landscape, these avatar solutions will solve real-world problems and can bring people together in more ways than ever before. We're looking forward to supporting these incredible finalist teams competing in the ANA Avatar XPRIZE and their technology into the future."

About The Grainger College of Engineering

The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is one of the world's top-ranked engineering institutions, and a globally recognized leader in engineering education, research and public engagement. With a diverse, tight-knit community of faculty, students and alumni, Grainger Engineering sets the standard for excellence in engineering, driving innovation in the economy and bringing revolutionary ideas to the world. Through robust research and discovery, our faculty, staff, students and alumni are changing our world and making advances once only dreamed about, including the MRI, LED, ILIAC, Mosaic, YouTube, flexible electronics, electric machinery, miniature batteries, imaging the black hole and flight on Mars. The world's brightest minds from The Grainger College of Engineering tackle today's toughest challenges. And they are building a better, cooler, safer tomorrow. Visit https://grainger.illinois.edu for more information.

About Illinois Computer Science

Building upon a proud legacy stretching back to the 1940s, Illinois Computer Science stands today at the forefront of computing innovation. Collectively, our alumni and faculty have birthed entirely new industries, generated billions of dollars in commerce, created tens of thousands of jobs, and revolutionized how people communicate, shop, conduct business and are entertained. A top-5 undergraduate and graduate program in computer science, as ranked by U.S. News & World Report, showcases the Illinois CS experience designed around cutting-edge education and powerful research capabilities. More than 100 faculty members and more than 40 NSF Career Award winners pace the high level of progress sustained within the department. Visit https://cs.illinois.edu/ to see how Illinois CS is shaping the future of computing.

Media Contacts:

Aaron Seidlitz (Department of Computer Science)
The Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
[email protected]

Source: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign