Date of Award

8-2015

Level of Access Assigned by Author

Campus-Only Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Computer Engineering

Advisor

Bruce Segee

Second Committee Member

Yifeng Zhu

Third Committee Member

Richard Eason

Abstract

This thesis discusses the design and implementation of a system for semi-autonomous manipulation of a remote environment. For the purposes of this discussion 'manipulation' refers to any action that effects the remote environment, and 'semi-autonomous' any sequence of actions performed by the system in response to a user's request or action. The system consists of three major components: a View that allows the user access to the system, a Controller that responds to user requests to perform tasks in the remote environment, and the Remote Resources it uses to perform those tasks.

Specific applications implemented are computer opponents for playing go and checkers, and a manual arm interface. The first two examples allow the user to log in to a website (the View) and challenge the computer opponent to a game; video of the game is streamed for the user and played out on a board, remotely, with a robotic arm moving the game pieces for both sides. The third example, a manual arm interface, allows the user to remotely operate a robotic arm directly, using it to manipulate objects in the remote environment.

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