Network in the loop platform for research and training in bilateral control

This paper introduces a test platform for research and education in bilateral control system. The so-called network-in-the-loop (NIL) platform aims to provide a realistic test environment for such systems, particularly in terms of testing the developed control algorithms under actual network delay. The platform is designed with two xPc targets which communicate with each other over the Internet. A novel contribution of the platform is that it allows for the realistic and yet, low-cost simulations of bilateral control topologies under real word Internet delay, without the need for the actual manipulators or related hardware. A small case study is also presented to test the performance of the platform.