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What is virtual presence? Can you personally operate a robot on Mars?
Virtual presence is an emerging concept that allows people to perform real-time operations in remote environments. As technology advances, remote control and presence technologies allow humans to interact with physical space in ways never before possible, and even operate robots in extraterrestrial environments like Mars. This article will delve into the various components of virtual presence and how it allows us to transcend the boundaries of the earth.
Virtual presence and remote operation
Virtual presence is composed of two main subfields: remote operation and remote presence. Remote operation generally refers to controlling a machine from a distance, and the term is widely used in the scientific research and technical communities.
Virtual presence allows operators to interact through the robot as if they were actually there.
This may involve a range of operable equipment, such as drones, robotic arms, etc. Compared with traditional remote control operation, virtual presence provides an immersive experience, allowing operators to obtain immediate visual, auditory and even tactile feedback, thereby improving control accuracy.
Technological Progress and Application
The emergence of virtual presence is due to a series of technological advances, including real-time video transmission, near-delay-free control signals and high-resolution cameras. These technologies allow operators to experiment in changing environments and react accordingly based on the visual information they receive.
An early virtual presence system was the Virtual Device System developed by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory in the early 1990s, which allowed operators to feel as if they were physically present.
The system uses a variety of senses to allow the operator to perform dexterous tasks, such as distal nail insertion. This has enabled people to achieve a qualitative leap in applications, especially in highly professional fields such as space exploration and medical surgery.
Operating a robot on Mars
In addition to innovative applications on Earth, teleoperation technology has introduced a new dimension in space exploration. Most space missions rely on remote control, including Mars rovers such as Curiosity and Opportunity. These detectors not only drive autonomously, but can also be operated daily according to plans by scientists on the ground.
NASA has proposed the use of advanced remote operating systems for future planetary exploration, which may enable remote human exploration of Mars.
These detectors can achieve relatively real-time operation during the delayed transmission between Earth and Mars, which means that although there is a certain time delay, nearly synchronous control can still be achieved. Under such conditions, operators can feel a level of presence not possible with previous space missions.
Future challenges and prospects
However, achieving a perfect virtual presence is not easy, and specific technologies still face challenges. For example, latency, insufficient video quality, or difficulty in coordinating the user with the system may be operational issues. If these problems are not properly resolved, they may affect the accuracy and efficiency of the operation.
Also, users may be frustrated by the device's unresponsiveness, which may also affect the smoothness of the entire operation.
With the continuous advancement of technology, future virtual presence systems are expected to overcome these challenges and provide users with a more immersive operating experience. Human beings may be able to truly experience an "immersive" experience in the near future, even in the remote areas of Mars.
The development of virtual presence may open up new possibilities for interstellar travel and exploration, but we must consider: How will the cooperation between humans and machines evolve in future exploration journeys?
