Evaluating the Augmented Reality Human-Robot Collaboration System

This paper discusses an experimental comparison three user interface techniques for interaction with a mobile located remotely from the user. A typical means of operating robot in such a situation is to teleoperate the robot using cues from a camera that displays the robot's view of its environment. However, the operator often has a difficult maintaining awareness of the robot in its surroundings due to single ego-centric view. Hence, a multi-modal system has developed that allows the remote human operator to view robot in its work environment through an Augmented (AR) interface. The operator is able to use spoken dialog, into the 3D graphic representation of the work environment discuss the intended actions of the robot to create a collaboration. This study compares the typical ego-centric view to two versions of an AR interaction system for experiment remotely operating a simulated mobile robot. interface provides an immediate response from the located robot. In contrast, the Augmented Reality Collaboration (AR-HRC) System interface enables the user discuss and review a plan with the robot prior to execution. AR-HRC interface was most effective, increasing accuracy 30% with tighter variation, while reducing the number of calls in operating the robot by factors of similar to 3x. It thus provides means to maintain spatial awareness and give the users the they were working in a true collaborative environment.