Troc

TRoc, short for Transportable Robotic Console, is a modular platform for remote operation and supervision of robotic systems in hazardous or inaccessible environments. It combines a portable operator station, a software stack, and standardized interfaces to enable teleoperation and coordinated autonomy across a fleet of devices. The design emphasizes portability, interoperability, and scalable control for single robots or multi-robot missions.

Development and adoption trace back to collaborations between robotics researchers and industry manufacturers in the 2010s. Early prototypes focused on ruggedized hardware and reliable communication, with later iterations incorporating open software middleware and standardized teleoperation protocols. By the 2020s, TRoc had become a reference architecture in several sectors that require remote operation, such as industrial automation, mining, and disaster response.

Hardware and software components form the core of TRoc. The hardware includes a portable operator station with multiple displays, tactile controllers, and optional haptic devices, housed in a rugged enclosure. The software stack features a ROS 2–based middleware, mission planning tools, real-time video and telemetry streaming, and safety interlocks. Connectivity supports 5G, Wi-Fi, and satellite links, with offline operation capabilities and robust encryption for secure access.

Capabilities and ecosystem. TRoc enables teleoperation, semi-autonomous control, and high-level task scripting, with multi-robot coordination through a central planner. Safety features include emergency stop, geofencing, and redundant communication paths. Variants range from a base model to ruggedized Pro versions, often accompanied by plug-in modules for grippers, sensors, or different robot platforms, including land, aerial, and underwater systems.

Applications. Common use cases include industrial handling, heavy equipment inspection, offshore operations, and emergency response, where remote or autonomous control reduces risk to human operators.