Teleoperation

Teleoperation lets humans control robots in real time — using joysticks, VR rigs, or motion capture systems. It remains essential where autonomy struggles: disaster response, surgery, or robot training.

In humanoid robotics, teleoperation enables both direct control and data generation. Humans perform full-body actions while robots mimic them. These demonstrations feed imitation learning and reinforcement pipelines.

Modern systems leverage markerless MoCap, wearable sensors, and low-latency middleware like ROS or Isaac Sim to stream motion, manage feedback, and maintain safety.

TWIST uses motion capture to drive humanoid robots through complex actions like walking, kicking, and manipulation — blending teleoperation with real-world embodiment. Source: TWIST: Teleoperated Whole-Body Imitation System