Systems and methods for improved telepresence

In a system having input devices and telepresence devices, a method for controlling one or more associated telepresence devices with a selected input device, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving raw data representative of movement commands from the selected input device;
• converting the raw data into a zone structure, representative of the movement commands in a telepresence-device independent format, the zone structure being a format independent of any one of the input devices and any one of the one or more associated telepresence devices;
• when the selected input device is selectively associated with the one or more associated telepresence devices, processing the zone structure with a device module corresponding to each of the one or more associated telepresence devices to obtain telepresence device commands corresponding to at least a portion of the movement commands for each of the associated telepresence devices;
• and
• transmitting the movement commands to the associated telepresence devices.

A telepresence system for allowing an operator to interact with a remote operating environment, the telepresence system comprising:

• a plurality of input devices;
• a plurality of telepresence devices, wherein one or more of the telepresence devices is configured to be controlled by one of the plurality of input devices and one or more of the telepresence devices is configured to provide a visual representation of the operating environment;
• a computer comprising:
• an input conversion module configured to receive raw data representative of operator commands from at least one of the plurality of input devices and further configured to convert the raw data to a zone structure representative of the operator commands in a telepresence-device independent format, the zone structure being a format independent of any of the plurality of input devices and any of the plurality of telepresence devices;
• and
• a plurality of device modules corresponding to the plurality of telepresence devices configured to receive the zone structure and convert the zone structure to movement commands corresponding to the operator commands for each respective telepresence device;
• and
• a communication link for transmitting the movement commands to the telepresence devices.