SubSense: VR-Haptic and Motor Feedback for Immersive Control in Subsea Telerobotics

Abstract-- This paper investigates the integration of haptic feedback and virtual reality (VR) control interfaces to enhance teleoperation and telemanipulation of underwater ROVs (remotely operated vehicles). Traditional ROV teleoperation relies on low-resolution 2D camera feeds and lacks immersive and sensory feedback, which diminishes situational awareness in complex subsea environments. We propose SubSense - a novel VR-Haptic framework incorporating a non-invasive feedback interface to an otherwise 1-DOF (degree of freedom) manipulator, which is paired with the teleoperator's glove to provide haptic feedback and grasp status. Our results highlight the potential of multisensory feedback in immersive virtual environments to significantly improve remote situational awareness and mission performance, offering more intuitive and accessible ROV operations in the field. Remotely Operated V ehicles (ROVs) are indispensable tools in the marine industry, offering a safer and more cost-effective alternative to human divers [1]. Underwater ROVs are versatile platforms supporting a range of missions, from routine imaging and infrastructure inspection to complex tasks such as environmental monitoring [2], maintaining sub-sea infrastructure [3], [4], performing mine countermeasure and explosive ordinance disposal [5], salvaging, search-and-rescue [6], and deep-water expeditions [7]. With over 79% of subsea deployments done by ROVs, they play a crucial role in commerce, military, and science - enabling us to explore beyond the limits of human scuba divers [8]. Despite growing industrial demands and recent advancements, underwater ROVs still have inherent limitations, particularly in their immersive control and interaction capabilities.