This paper addresses the challenging problem of enabling reliable immersive teleoperation in scenarios where an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) is remotely controlled by an operator via a cellular network. Such scenarios can be quite critical particularly when the UAV lacks advanced equipment (e.g., Lidar-based auto stop) or when the network is subject to some performance constraints (e.g., delay). To tackle these challenges, we propose a novel architecture leveraging Digital Twin (DT) technology to create a virtual representation of the physical environment. This virtual environment accurately mirrors the physical world, accounting for 3D surroundings, weather constraints, and network limitations. To enhance teleoperation, the UAV in the virtual environment is equipped with advanced features that maybe absent in the real UAV. Furthermore, the proposed architecture introduces an intelligent logic that utilizes information from both virtual and physical environments to approve, deny, or correct actions initiated by the UAV operator. This anticipatory approach helps to mitigate potential risks. Through a series of field trials, we demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed architecture in significantly improving the reliability of UAV teleoperation.

翻译：本文针对操作员通过蜂窝网络远程操控无人机（UAV）时，实现可靠沉浸式远程操控这一具有挑战性的问题展开研究。当无人机缺乏先进设备（如基于激光雷达的自动停止功能）或网络存在性能限制（如延迟）时，此类场景尤为关键。为应对这些挑战，我们提出一种创新架构，利用数字孪生（DT）技术构建物理环境的虚拟表征。该虚拟环境精准映射真实世界，综合考虑三维场景、气象约束及网络限制。为增强远程操控能力，虚拟环境中的无人机配备了真实无人机可能缺失的先进功能。此外，该架构引入智能逻辑模块，通过融合虚拟与现实环境的信息，对操作员发起的操作指令进行批准、拒绝或修正。这种前瞻性方法有助于规避潜在风险。通过一系列实地试验，我们验证了所提架构在显著提升无人机远程操控可靠性方面的有效性。