Spatial Reasoning for Human-Robot Teams

Abstract

This chapter presents research designed to study and improve an operator’s ability to navigate or teleoperate a robot that is distant from the operator through the use of a robot intelligence architecture and a virtual 3D interface. To validate the use of the robot intelligence architecture and the 3D interface, four user-studies are presented that compare intelligence modes and interface designs in navigation and exploration tasks. Results from the user studies suggest that performance is improved when the robot assumes some of the navigational responsibilities or the interface presents spatial information as it relates to the pose of the robot in the remote environment. The authors hope that understanding the roles of intelligence and interface design when operating a remote robot will lead to improved human-robot teams that are useful in a variety of tasks.