FPGA Applied to Latency Reduction for the Tactile Internet.

Tactile internet applications allow robotic devices to be remotely controlled over a communication medium with an unnoticeable time delay. In bilateral communication, the acceptable round trip latency is usually 1 ms up to 10 ms, depending on the application requirements. The communication network is estimated to generate 70% of the total latency, and master and slave devices produce the remaining 30%. Thus, this paper proposes a strategy to reduce 30% of the total latency produced by such devices. The strategy is to use FPGAs to minimize the execution time of device-associated algorithms. With this in mind, this work presents a new hardware reference model for modules that implement nonlinear positioning and force calculations and a tactile system formed by two robotic manipulators. In addition to presenting the implementation details, simulations and experimental tests are performed in order to validate the hardware proposed model. Results associated with the FPGA sampling rate, throughput, latency, and post-synthesis occupancy area are analyzed.

Proposal of the Tactile Glove Device.

This project aims to develop a tactile glove device and a virtual environment inserted in the context of tactile internet. The tactile glove allows a human operator to interact remotely with objects from a 3D environment through tactile feedback or tactile sensation. In other words, the human operator is able to feel the contour and texture from virtual objects. Applications such as remote diagnostics, games, remote analysis of materials, and others in which objects could be virtualized can be significantly improved using this kind of device. These gloves have been an essential device in all research on the internet next generation called "Tactile Internet", in which this project is inserted. Unlike the works presented in the literature, the novelty of this work is related to architecture, and tactile devices developed. They are within the 10 ms round trip latency limits required in a tactile internet environment. Details of hardware and software designs of a tactile glove, as well as the virtual environment, are described. Results and comparative analysis about round trip latency time in the tactile internet environment is developed.