Evaluation of Using Semi-Autonomy Features in Mobile Robotic Telepresence Systems

Mobile robotic telepresence systems used for social interaction scenarios require that users steer robots in a remote environment. As a consequence, a heavy workload can be put on users if they are unfamiliar with using robotic telepresence units. One way to lessen this workload is to automate certain operations performed during a telepresence session in order to assist remote drivers in navigating the robot in new environments. Such operations include autonomous robot localization and navigation to certain points in the home and automatic docking of the robot to the charging station. In this paper we describe the implementation of such autonomous features along with user evaluation study. The evaluation scenario is focused on the first experience on using the system by novice users. Importantly, that the scenario taken in this study assumed that participants have as little as possible prior information about the system. Four different use-cases were identified from the user behaviour analysis.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech. Plan Nacional de Investigación, proyecto DPI2011-25483

Evaluating Mobile Remote Presence Bots for Medical Consultation in Nursing Homes

Interviews with nursing home residents and medical practitioners who used a telepresence robot aka mobile remote presence bot (MRP) for medical consultation suggest that consulting via MRP is viable option for certain types of consultations. Participants perceived communication via the MRP as generally positive and the interaction felt natural even though it clearly wasn't the same as face-to-face conversation. The interpersonal quality of communication was slightly reduced; consultations may become more effective however this may impact on the emotional relationship between patients and doctors. Medical practitioners would be able to spend more time in conversation with their patients since time spent travelling to residential homes is greatly reduced. Consulting via MRP also offers a safe option during isolation regimes like the ones that have been implemented in long term care facilities around the world during the SARS-CoVID-2 pandemic

We are Here and We are Many: Using a Telepresence Robot for Shared Exploration and Learning (and Fun)

Mobile remote presence bots (MRP) have emerged as a potential way of addressing the 'tyranny of distance' when having to attend meetings at far away locations. In this contribution we report on how we used an MRP to share with two cohorts of postgraduate students at a regional university the formal ‘conferencing’ and the informal ‘mingling’ that takes place at quality academic conferences and that many would consider essential for effective networking and knowledge sharing. Simultaneously, students were able to experience and explore what it meant to be ‘different’ in a room full of people interacting in ‘regular’ ways, observing the conference attendees reacting to the MRP aka 'ipad on a stick' in ways from genuine interest to forced indifference

Beyond Being There, for All of Us : Exploring Webconferencing and Mobile Remote Presence Devices for Accessible Global Governance

United Nations efforts to support multistakeholder global governance continue to lag for persons with disabilities. Given the expense of face-to-face meetings, accessible ICTs could play an important role, enabling remote participation. However, what types of collaboration technologies best meet UN goals and those of remote participants? This study compares use of webconferencing technologies to mobile remote presence devices (MRP) in a UN conference in Mexico addressing Disaster Risk Reduction. It takes an exploratory action research approach working with UNISDR and the Disability-inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction (DiDRR) Network #AllofUs to convene four remote hubs (Suva, Dhaka, Geneva, DC), each controlling their own MRP in Cancun and having access to the webconference, along with other remote participants around the world. We ask: Which technologies best support required conference tasks; and what social and technological challenges arise with their use? Under the conditions of this study, both technologies appeared to be complementary

Into the Wild: Pushing a Telepresence Robot Outside the Lab

Most robotic systems are usually used and evaluated in laboratory setting for a limited period of time. The limitation of lab evaluation is that it does not take into account the different challenges imposed by the fielding of robotic solutions into real contexts. Our current work evaluates a robotic telepresence platform to be used with elderly people. This paper describes our progressive effort toward a comprehensive, ecological and longitudinal evaluation of such robots outside the lab. It first discusses some results from a twofold short term evaluation performed in Italy. Specifically we report results from both a usability assessment in laboratory and a subsequent study obtained by interviewing 44 healthcare workers as possible secondary users (people connecting to the robot) and 10 older adults as possible primary users (people receiving visits through the robot). It then describes a complete evaluation plan designed for a long term assessment to be applied "outside the lab" dwelling on the initial application of such methodology to test sites in Italy

The practical realities of Mobile Robotic Telepresence: understanding experiences, interactions and the implications for use in organisational spaces

This thesis presents an in-depth examination of Mobile Robotic Telepresence (MRP). The work uncovers the social organisation of interactions and highlights the practical considerations of using the technology in organisational spaces. MRP systems are remotely controlled, mobile robots with video-conferencing capabilities. A remote user can drive the robot from an online interface whilst projecting their face on the robot’s screen. Thus the remote user is (in theory) able to move independently. Capitalising on the shift to remote work, commercially available MRP models are often marketed as the solution to maintaining presence at the workplace. Research on MRP has explored the applications in a variety of settings, with unclear conclusions as to its value. Whilst studies claim that the technology allows users to feel a sense of presence in the mediated environment, several limitations and reports of unsuccessful deployments raise questions as to its value. There is little critical examination of what a `sense of presence' means in that context and what role it plays in hybrid interaction. Moreover, there is a lack of in-depth information on what exactly occurs when MRP is used in everyday, real-world contexts. The present thesis seeks to address that gap by showcasing the practical realities of MRP experiences ---both within interaction and in the broader deployment of the technology--- and then applying this understanding into assessing the suitability of the medium for hybrid organisational spaces. To this end, the thesis employs various qualitative research methods (interviews, video-data, autoethnography and deployment studies), to examine the subject from multiple angles and at different levels of detail. The broader approach to research is inspired by Ethnonmethodology and Conversation Analysis (EMCA), aiming to bring to the foreground the taken-for-granted details of how MRP works. The empirical work of this thesis is divided into two parts. The first part consists of three studies which focus on developing a detailed understanding of MRP experiences and interactions. These include an interview study of long-term users, a video study of user pairs engaged in a collaborative task and an autobiographical study of the author using an MRP in her home. The second part of the thesis looks into the application of MRP in organisational settings. This includes a case study outlining the work of deploying MRP in an office, and a follow-up interview study examining the fitness of the technology within that setting. The thesis contributes to the literature by showcasing the practical realities of MRP use and deployment, providing a detailed description of MPR as a distinct category of mediated interaction and drawing out implications for its use in hybrid organisational settings. Furthermore, this thesis contributes to future work by introducing the use of auto-ethnographic methods in HRI research, by respecifying the focus of telepresence research away from presence and towards participation and, lastly, by identifying the functions and implications of mobility in computer-mediated communication technologies. Future work might thus benefit from moving away from the existing tablet-on-a-stick design paradigm and envision forms of robotic mediation that truly meet the demands of meaningful participation in hybrid spaces

Effectiveness of a Wii Balance Board as a locomotion control method for a virtual reality telepresence robot

Abstract. While virtual reality can greatly contribute to the feeling of presence when operating a telepresence robot, it can come with multiple difficulties to implement in a manner that would make the user feel comfortable. One of those tasks is choosing a locomotion control method. Traditional locomotion control methods for telepresence robot, such as joysticks, might be easy to use but are lacking in immersion. Non-traditional locomotion control methods, for example, a treadmill-type might increase the immersion but the cost of equipment is too high for many users. In this study, we wanted to explore if the Wii Balance Board could be a suitable locomotion control method for a virtual reality telepresence robot. The Wii Balance Board was thought to possibly offer a low-cost and comfortable leaning-based locomotion control method for a telepresence robot. The Wii Balance Board was compared against joysticks, which were chosen as they are one of the most common locomotion control methods in virtual reality. For the experiment, we created a simulated environment in which the subjects had to operate a virtual robot through an assigned path with various obstacles. A 3D-model of the University of Oulu was used as the virtual environment, as it was readily available and represented a possible use case environment for a telepresence robot. The experiment consisted of nine three-part runs. After each run, the subjects filled out a form related to their preferences, and performance data was collected during each run. We had planned to run experiments for 40 people, but due to the COVID-19 outbreak, we were forced to conduct tests with only two researchers instead. After analyzing the results, we conclude that the Wii Balance Board is not suitable for controlling virtual reality telepresence robots in the tested environments. The Wii Balance Board was fatiguing to use after moderate periods of time and did not offer accurate enough control to be used in scenarios other than open environments. For future studies, we suggested to explore other options for joysticks, such as a balance board which would be better-designed for leaning purposes to compensate for the fatigue caused by constant leaning.Wii Balance Boardin tehokkuus ohjausmenetelmänä virtuaalitodellisuus etäläsnärobotille. Tiivistelmä. Vaikka virtuaalitodellisuus voi huomattavasti edistää läsnäolontunnetta käyttäessä etäläsnäolorobottia, siihen voi liittyä useiden haasteiden toteuttaminen tavoilla, jotka saavat käyttäjä saadaan tuntemaan olonsa mukavaksi. Yksi näistä haasteista on liikkeenohjaustyylin valitseminen. Perinteiset liikkeenohjaustyylit etäläsnäolorobotille, kuten ohjaussauvat, voivat olla helposti käytettäviä, mutta puutteellisia immersion kannalta. Epätavanomaiset liikkeenohjaustyylit, kuten juoksumattotyyppiset, voivat lisätä immersiota, mutta laitteistojen kustannukset ovat monille käyttäjille liian suuret. Tässä tutkimuksessa halusimme selvittää, olisiko Wii Balance Board -tasapainolevy sopiva ohjausmenetelmä etäläsnäolorobotille virtuaalitodellisuudessa. Wii Balance Board voisi tarjota halvan ja mukavan nojaukseen perustuvan liikkeenohjaustyylin etäläsnäoloroboteille. Wii Balance Boardia verrattiin ohjaussauvoihin, jotka valittiin, koska ne ovat yksi yleisimmistä liikkeenohjausmenetelmistä virtuaalitodellisuudessa. Tutkimusta varten loimme simuloidun ympäristön, jossa testihenkilöt ohjasivat virtuaalista robottia annettua reittiä pitkin erinäisiä esteitä väistellen. Ympäristönä käytimme Oulun Yliopistosta luotua virtuaalista mallia, koska se oli helposti saatavilla ja kuvasi mahdollista käyttötapausta etäläsnäolorobotille. Tutkimus koostui yhdeksästä kolmiosaisesta kierroksesta. Jokaisen kierroksen jälkeen koehenkilö täytti kyselyn mieltymykseen liittyen ja kierroksilta kerättiin tietoja suorituskykyyn liittyen. Olimme suunnitelleet tutkimuksen toteutettavaksi 40 henkilöllä, mutta COVID-19 taudin puhkeamisen takia meidän oli pakko suorittaa kokeita vain kahdella tutkijalla. Tulosten analysoinnin jälkeen päättelimme, että Wii Balance Board ei ole sopiva virtuaalitodellisuus etäläsnäolorobottien ohjaamiseen testatuissa ympäristöissä. Wii Balance Board oli uuvuttava käyttää kohtalaisen pitkien ajanjaksojen jälkeen eikä se tarjonnut tarpeeksi tarkkaa ohjausta muissa, kuin avoimissa ympäristöissä. Tulevia tutkimuksia varten ehdotimme tutkia muita vaihtoehtoja ohjaussauvoille, kuten tasapainolevy, joka olisi paremmin suunniteltu nojaustarkoituksiin jatkuvan kaltevuuden aiheuttaman väsymyksen kompensoimiseksi

The practical realities of Mobile Robotic Telepresence: understanding experiences, interactions and the implications for use in organisational spaces

This thesis presents an in-depth examination of Mobile Robotic Telepresence (MRP). The work uncovers the social organisation of interactions and highlights the practical considerations of using the technology in organisational spaces. MRP systems are remotely controlled, mobile robots with video-conferencing capabilities. A remote user can drive the robot from an online interface whilst projecting their face on the robot’s screen. Thus the remote user is (in theory) able to move independently. Capitalising on the shift to remote work, commercially available MRP models are often marketed as the solution to maintaining presence at the workplace. Research on MRP has explored the applications in a variety of settings, with unclear conclusions as to its value. Whilst studies claim that the technology allows users to feel a sense of presence in the mediated environment, several limitations and reports of unsuccessful deployments raise questions as to its value. There is little critical examination of what a `sense of presence' means in that context and what role it plays in hybrid interaction. Moreover, there is a lack of in-depth information on what exactly occurs when MRP is used in everyday, real-world contexts. The present thesis seeks to address that gap by showcasing the practical realities of MRP experiences ---both within interaction and in the broader deployment of the technology--- and then applying this understanding into assessing the suitability of the medium for hybrid organisational spaces. To this end, the thesis employs various qualitative research methods (interviews, video-data, autoethnography and deployment studies), to examine the subject from multiple angles and at different levels of detail. The broader approach to research is inspired by Ethnonmethodology and Conversation Analysis (EMCA), aiming to bring to the foreground the taken-for-granted details of how MRP works. The empirical work of this thesis is divided into two parts. The first part consists of three studies which focus on developing a detailed understanding of MRP experiences and interactions. These include an interview study of long-term users, a video study of user pairs engaged in a collaborative task and an autobiographical study of the author using an MRP in her home. The second part of the thesis looks into the application of MRP in organisational settings. This includes a case study outlining the work of deploying MRP in an office, and a follow-up interview study examining the fitness of the technology within that setting. The thesis contributes to the literature by showcasing the practical realities of MRP use and deployment, providing a detailed description of MPR as a distinct category of mediated interaction and drawing out implications for its use in hybrid organisational settings. Furthermore, this thesis contributes to future work by introducing the use of auto-ethnographic methods in HRI research, by respecifying the focus of telepresence research away from presence and towards participation and, lastly, by identifying the functions and implications of mobility in computer-mediated communication technologies. Future work might thus benefit from moving away from the existing tablet-on-a-stick design paradigm and envision forms of robotic mediation that truly meet the demands of meaningful participation in hybrid spaces

Emerging Telepresence Technologies in Hybrid Learning Environments

The last several years have seen a strong growth of telerobotic technologies with promising implications for many areas of learning. HCI has contributed to these discussions, mainly with studies on user experiences and user interfaces of telepresence robots. However, only a few telerobot studies have addressed everyday use in real-world learning environments. In the post-COVID 19 world, sociotechnical uncertainties and unforeseen challenges to learning in hybrid learning environments constitute a unique frontier where robotic and immersive technologies can mediate learning experiences. The aim of this workshop is to set the stage for a new wave of HCI research that accounts for and begins to develop new insights, concepts, and methods for use of immersive and telerobotic technologies in real-world learning environments. Participants are invited to collaboratively define an HCI research agenda focused on robot-mediated learning in the wild, which will require examining end-user engagements and questioning underlying concepts regarding telerobots for learning