A haptic teleoperation scheme has been designed and implemented on a hydraulically actuated lifter which is laboratory version of a forklift truck(1), (2). This control scheme has two novel features. It produces virtual fixtures based on measurements from a proximity sensor located on its end effector. Secondly, the control system has the ability to switch between position and rate modes during normal operation. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of these features, a series of human factors tests were conducted. Twenty test subjects participated in these experiments. Statistical analysis of the results indicates that both of the aforementioned novel features could enhance an operator's ability to conduct pick and place maneuvers using a forklift truck.
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Kontz et al. (2005) studied this question.