Haptic Guidance with a Soft Exoskeleton Reduces Error in Drone Teleoperation

Haptic guidance has been shown to improve performance in many fields as it can give additional information without overloading other sensory channels such as vision or audition. Our group is investigating new intuitive ways to interact with robots, and we developed a suit to control drones with upper body movement, called the FlyJacket. In this paper, we present the integration of a cable-driven haptic guidance in the FlyJacket. The aim of the device is to apply a force relative to the distance between the drone and a predetermined trajectory to correct user torso orientation and improve the flight precision. Participants (n=10) flying a simulated fixed-wing drone controlled with torso movements tested four different guidance profiles (three linear profiles with different stiffness and one quadratic). Our results show that a quadratically shaped guidance, which gives a weak force when the error is small and a strong force when the error becomes significant, was the most effective guidance to improve the performance. All participants also reported through questionnaires that the haptic guidance was useful for flight control

Dynamic virtual reality user interface for teleoperation of heterogeneous robot teams

This research investigates the possibility to improve current teleoperation control for heterogeneous robot teams using modern Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) techniques such as Virtual Reality. It proposes a dynamic teleoperation Virtual Reality User Interface (VRUI) framework to improve the current approach to teleoperating heterogeneous robot teams

Application of neuroergonomics in the industrial design of mining equipment.

Neuroergonomics is an interdisciplinary field merging neuroscience and ergonomics to optimize performance. In order to design an optimal user interface, we must understand the cognitive processing involved. Traditional methodology incorporates self-assessment from the user. This dissertation examines the use of neurophysiological techniques in quantifying the cognitive processing involved in allocating cognitive resources. Attentional resources, cognitive processing, memory and visual scanning are examined to test the ecological validity of theoretical laboratory settings and how they translate to real life settings. By incorporating a non-invasive measurement technique, such as the quantitative electroencephalogram (QEEG), we are able to examine connectivity patterns in the brain during operation and discern whether or not a user has obtained expert status. Understanding the activation patterns during each phase of design will allow us to gauge whether our design has balanced the cognitive requirements of the user.Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Natural Resources Engineerin

Evaluation of Multi-sensory Feedback in Virtual and Real Remote Environments in a USAR Robot Teleoperation Scenario

The area of Human-Robot Interaction deals with problems not only related to robots interacting with humans, but also with problems related to humans interacting and controlling robots. This dissertation focuses on the latter and evaluates multi-sensory (vision, hearing, touch, smell) feedback interfaces as a means to improve robot-operator cognition and performance. A set of four empirical studies using both simulated and real robotic systems evaluated a set of multi-sensory feedback interfaces with various levels of complexity. The task scenario for the robot in these studies involved the search for victims in a debris-filled environment after a fictitious catastrophic event (e.g., earthquake) took place. The results show that, if well-designed, multi-sensory feedback interfaces can indeed improve the robot operator data perception and performance. Improvements in operator performance were detected for navigation and search tasks despite minor increases in workload. In fact, some of the multi-sensory interfaces evaluated even led to a reduction in workload. The results also point out that redundant feedback is not always beneficial to the operator. While introducing the concept of operator omni-directional perception, that is, the operator’s capability of perceiving data or events coming from all senses and in all directions, this work explains that feedback redundancy is only beneficial when it enhances the operator omni-directional perception of data relevant to the task at hand. Last, the comprehensive methodology employed and refined over the course of the four studies is suggested as a starting point for the design of future HRI user studies. In summary, this work sheds some light on the benefits and challenges multi-sensory feedback interfaces bring, specifically on teleoperated robotics. It adds to our current understanding of these kinds of interfaces and provides a few insights to assist the continuation of research in the area

Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality (AR) is a natural development from virtual reality (VR), which was developed several decades earlier. AR complements VR in many ways. Due to the advantages of the user being able to see both the real and virtual objects simultaneously, AR is far more intuitive, but it's not completely detached from human factors and other restrictions. AR doesn't consume as much time and effort in the applications because it's not required to construct the entire virtual scene and the environment. In this book, several new and emerging application areas of AR are presented and divided into three sections. The first section contains applications in outdoor and mobile AR, such as construction, restoration, security and surveillance. The second section deals with AR in medical, biological, and human bodies. The third and final section contains a number of new and useful applications in daily living and learning

An Evaluation of Haptic Cues on the Tele-Operator's Perceptual Awareness of Multiple UAVs' Environments

The use of multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is increasingly being incorporated into a wide range of teleoperation applications. To date, relevant research has largely been focused on the development of appropriate control schemes. In this paper, we extend previous research by investigating how control performance could be improved by providing the teleoperator with haptic feedback cues. First, we describe a control scheme that allows a teleoperator to manipulate the flight of multiple UAVs in a remote environment. Next, we present three designs of haptic cue feedback that could increase the teleoperator's environmental awareness of such a remote environment. These cues are based on the UAVs' i) velocity information, ii) proximity to obstacles, and iii) a combination of these two sources of information. Finally, we present an experimental evaluation of these haptic cue designs. Our evaluation is based on the teleoperator's perceptual sensitivity to the physical environment inhabited by the multiple UAVs. We conclude that a teleoperator's perceptual sensitivity is best served by haptic feedback cues that are based on the velocity information of multiple UAVs

Robot Manipulators

Robot manipulators are developing more in the direction of industrial robots than of human workers. Recently, the applications of robot manipulators are spreading their focus, for example Da Vinci as a medical robot, ASIMO as a humanoid robot and so on. There are many research topics within the field of robot manipulators, e.g. motion planning, cooperation with a human, and fusion with external sensors like vision, haptic and force, etc. Moreover, these include both technical problems in the industry and theoretical problems in the academic fields. This book is a collection of papers presenting the latest research issues from around the world

Safety and Reliability - Safe Societies in a Changing World

The contributions cover a wide range of methodologies and application areas for safety and reliability that contribute to safe societies in a changing world. These methodologies and applications include: - foundations of risk and reliability assessment and management - mathematical methods in reliability and safety - risk assessment - risk management - system reliability - uncertainty analysis - digitalization and big data - prognostics and system health management - occupational safety - accident and incident modeling - maintenance modeling and applications - simulation for safety and reliability analysis - dynamic risk and barrier management - organizational factors and safety culture - human factors and human reliability - resilience engineering - structural reliability - natural hazards - security - economic analysis in risk managemen