Page 72 - Concise Encyclopedia of Robotics

Control Trading
it is possible to reprogram the memory to change the movement instruc-
tions. The actions or function repertoire of the robot can be displayed on a
monitor screen. There might also be various malfunction indicators. Some
of the more sophisticated interfaces have a teach box, which lets the human
operator reprogram the motions and path of the robot.
See also TEACH BOX.
CONTROL TRADING
Control trading is a limited form of robotic remote control in a system
that employs teleoperation. The operator instructs the robot to perform a
specific, complete task, such as vacuuming a room or mowing a lawn.
The machine then carries out the entire task without further instruction
or supervision by the human.
Control trading has obvious assets. The human operator does not have
to constantly monitor the progress of the machine, although periodic
checking is advisable to ensure that a major malfunction does not occur.
It is thus possible for a single operator to oversee the operation of several
robots at the same time. Another asset is the fact that latency, or the time
lag caused by signal propagation delays, is not a serious problem. Control
trading is ideal, for example, in the teleoperation of a robot on Mars, or
the teleoperation of an interplanetary space probe. Still another asset is
that large signal bandwidth is not required, especially for the uplink to
the machine; commands can consist of encoded messages of a relatively
small number of bytes.
The main limitation of control trading is the fact that the robot can-
not be expected to contend with sudden, unforeseen changes in the work
environment. The machine performs its programmed set of operations
under the assumption that the environment will cooperate. In scenarios
where the robot work environment is subject to frequent change, shared
control is generally superior to control trading. Compare SHARED CONTROL.
See also TELEOPERATION.
COOPERATION
Cooperation is constructive or synergistic interaction of robots in a system.
It can take various forms, depending on the manner and extent to which
the robots communicate, and the degree of autonomy each machine has.
In nonactive cooperation, the robots do not necessarily have to com-
municate. However, it is important that each robot be able to tell the other
robots apart from general objects in the environment. This prevents
undesirable conditions such as collisions between robots, multiple robots
attempting the same task at the same time and in the same place, and
uneven distribution of the machines in the work environment. Other
than the ability to avoid conflicting with its peers, each robot in a

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