# NimbRo Avatar: Interactive Immersive Telepresence with Force-Feedback Telemanipulation

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2109.13772 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2109.13772/

## Key facts

- Cited by 13 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 28 Sep 2021.

## Built on by (most cited first, 13 of 13)

- [Mobile ALOHA: Learning Bimanual Mobile Manipulation with Low-Cost Whole-Body Teleoperation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2401.02117/) (2024)
- [HumanPlus: Humanoid Shadowing and Imitation from Humans](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2406.10454/) (2024)
- [Bunny-VisionPro: Real-Time Bimanual Dexterous Teleoperation for Imitation Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2407.03162/) (2024)
- [OKAMI: Teaching Humanoid Robots Manipulation Skills through Single Video Imitation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2410.11792/) (2024)
- [ACE: A Cross-Platform Visual-Exoskeletons System for Low-Cost Dexterous Teleoperation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2408.11805/) (2024)
- [RoboCopilot: Human-in-the-loop Interactive Imitation Learning for Robot Manipulation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2503.07771/) (2025)
- [VR Facial Animation for Immersive Telepresence Avatars](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2304.12051/) (2023)
- [TeleOpBench: A Simulator-Centric Benchmark for Dual-Arm Dexterous Teleoperation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2505.12748/) (2025)
- [Attention-Based VR Facial Animation with Visual Mouth Camera Guidance for Immersive Telepresence Avatars](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2312.09750/) (2023)
- [The 10 Million ANA Avatar XPRIZE Competition Advanced Immersive Telepresence Systems](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2308.07878/) (2023)
- [VITAL: Interactive Few-Shot Imitation Learning via Visual Human-in-the-Loop Corrections](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2407.21244/) (2024)
- [ModPack: Extensible Teleoperation Interface for Bimanual Mobile Manipulation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2607.19479/) (2026)
- [SpeedTuning: Speeding Up Policy Execution with Lightweight Reinforcement Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2608.09138/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Robotic avatars promise immersive teleoperation with human-like manipulation and communication capabilities. We present such an avatar system, based on the key components of immersive 3D visualization and transparent force-feedback telemanipulation. Our avatar robot features an anthropomorphic bimanual arm configuration with dexterous hands. The remote human operator drives the arms and fingers through an exoskeleton-based operator station, which provides force feedback both at the wrist and for each finger. The robot torso is mounted on a holonomic base, providing locomotion capability in typical indoor scenarios, controlled using a 3D rudder device. Finally, the robot features a 6D movable head with stereo cameras, which stream images to a VR HMD worn by the operator. Movement latency is hidden using spherical rendering. The head also carries a telepresence screen displaying a synthesized image of the operator with facial animation, which enables direct interaction with remote persons. We evaluate our system successfully both in a user study with untrained operators as well as a longer and more complex integrated mission. We discuss lessons learned from the trials and possible improvements.