Application of immersive technologies and natural language to hyper-redundant robot teleoperation

Abstract

This work presents an analysis of immersive realities and natural language applied to the teleoperation of hyper-redundant robots. Such devices have a large number of degrees of freedom, so they often exhibit complex configurations frustrating their spatial understanding. This work aims to contrast two hypotheses; first, if immersive interfaces enhance the telepresence and efficiency against conventional ones; and second, if natural language reduces workload and improves performance against other conventional tools. A total of 2 interfaces and 6 interaction tools have been tested by 50 people. As a result, immersive interfaces were more efficient, improved situational awareness and visual feedback, and were chosen by 94% of participants against conventional ones. On the other hand, participants performed better using natural language than conventional tools despite having less previous experience with the first ones. Additionally, according to 52% of the population, the preferred interaction tool was a mixed strategy that combined voice recognition and hand gestures. Therefore, it is concluded that immersive realities and natural language should play a very important role in the near future of hyper-redundant robots and their teleoperation.