Abstract: An enhanced reality maintenance system for operating in a hazardous environment employs an environment modeler which creates a computer model of the environment. An environment renderer creates a plurality of images, each corresponding to a viewing location and orientation, `viewpoint`. A remotely operated manipulator arm is attached at a fixed end to a stationary structure, has a utility package, such as a video camera, attached to a distal end, and actuators which move the manipulator arm to desired locations within the environment. The position and orientation of the manipulator arm, are determined by a position and attitude (P&A) sensing unit. This information is passed to an manipulator arm renderer which creates an image from a prestored model of the manipulator arm, viewed from several different viewpoints. The may be interactively determined as an offset from the current position and orientation of the utility package.

Abstract: An enhanced reality maintenance system operates one or more remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) in a hazardous or inaccessible environment. A computer model of the environment is created from spatial parameters provided to the system. Positions and orientations of moving objects are monitored. The projected course of the moving objects is extrapolated and constantly updated. An automated flight planner, receives desired destinations from an operator, analyzes the environment, the projected courses of moving objects and planned trajectories of other ROVs, and selects a planned trajectory of a selected ROV through the environment without collision.