Seeking perceptual-based metrics to assess the visuo-motor loop in mobile robot teleoperation

This paper presents a study about the influence of visual feedback conditions on robot teleoperation and teleoperators' behavior for path following tasks. To objectively describe this influence we define three parameters: the spatial anticipation, the visuo-motor phase shift and the theoretical optical flow, which can be easily derived from experimental observations. The spatial anticipation is found to be correlated with the remote camera point of view, i.e height, pan, tilt. From the visuo-motor point of view, the movement of the joystick anticipates the movement of the head, that is linked with the unnatural conditions in the tele-operation of a non holonomic robot. Finally a logarithmic relation is found between the optical flow (the only information about the remote scenario the users perceive) and the spatial anticipation.