A systematic review of XR-based robotic teleoperation: From global trends to VR-based industrial manipulator control

The rapid expansion of extended reality (XR) technologies has unlocked novel opportunities in robotic teleoperation, yet the field exhibits fragmentation in terms of domain-specific applications, system architectures, control strategies, and evaluation methodologies. Therefore, this paper presents a systematic literature review of XR-enabled robotic teleoperation, combining a macro-level mapping of XR modalities, application domains, and robot types with an industrial application synthesis and a focused analysis of Virtual Reality-based teleoperation for industrial robotic manipulators. At the macro level, Virtual Reality (VR) dominates manipulation tasks in industrial contexts, while Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR) are more prevalent in inspection, service, and medical applications. Robotic manipulators predominate in precision-demanding tasks, whereas UAVs and mobile robots appear in inspection and rescue scenarios. Building on this mapping, the industrial synthesis examines how XR-based teleoperation supports manufacturing and operational use cases, and how these systems generate industrial value. The observed convergence between industrial applications, VR interfaces, and robotic manipulators then motivates the focused analysis of VR-based teleoperation of industrial robotic manipulators across three dimensions: technology, methodology, and evaluation. This highlights how systems combine immersive interfaces with sensing, digital twins, and simulation tools, how human–robot integration spans from direct to shared and supervisory control, and how multimodal feedback mediates interaction by conveying internal, external, and planning information. Finally, evaluation methodologies are structured around standardized metrics including efficiency, precision, operator experience, and system robustness. Challenges are discussed in relation to deployment readiness, human–system interaction, and integration with industrial environments. Overall, the review establishes a consolidated and critical synthesis of XR-based robotic teleoperation, providing actionable insights to advance VR-based industrial robotic manipulator teleoperation toward robust deployment.