IE University Uses VR for Remote Robotics Experiments

Quotes

“Remote experimentation is a game-changer because it allows science without a lab. Today, many experiments require expensive laboratories and specialised equipment. If you are not in the right university or country, it is difficult to participate. PUPPET allows students and researchers in different parts of the world to test ideas and collect reliable data without needing physical access to the space”

“Computer simulations are useful for testing algorithms, but they operate in ideal conditions. In the real world, robot grippers slip, lighting changes, and sensors misread distances. By creating a digital twin of the lab and linking it directly to physical hardware, PUPPET lets researchers run reliable experiments that account for real-world friction and delays”

“The hardest part is managing multiple layers of technology that constantly affect one another. On a project like this, you have to think like a designer, a software developer, and a data analyst on the same day. A small change in the virtual space alters how the user moves. A slight network delay affects the robot's physical movement, and that changes the quality of the data collected. The real challenge is making all these separate parts work together as one stable system.”