Control and Feedback Design for Teleoperation of Continuum Robots in Obstacle-Constrained and Partially Observable Environments

Abstract

Effective teleoperation of continuum robots requires control and feedback strategies that remain robust under obstacle constraints and limited visibility. However, most prior studies evaluate simplified free-space scenarios with full visual access to the robot. This work presents a user study (N = 21) comparing joint-space and task-space control, an additional external view conveying robot shape and position, and visual and vibrotactile contact force feedback under obstacle-constrained and partially observable task conditions. Results show that providing explicit visual information about robot shape and position yields the largest improvement, significantly reducing task completion time and workload while increasing performance. Joint-space control enables faster and less demanding interaction than task-space control in constrained environments. Although contact force feedback does not significantly improve objective performance, it is preferred by most participants and perceived as supportive for motion understanding. These findings highlight the critical role of configuration observability in continuum robot teleoperation and inform the design of control and visualization strategies for realistic applications.