Evaluation of a three-mode robotic manipulator control interface that employs voice and multi-touch commands

In this paper, we present a user study of a multimodal interface to control a robotic manipulator that employs voice and multi-touch commands. We have designed and implemented a new interface based on the results of a pilot study. This interface operates in three control modes that allow the user of a manipulator to translate, rotate, open, and close the gripper using four types of touch gestures. In order to switch among control modes, the user can employ voice commands. Thirty-four students who were unfamiliar with robotic arms were recruited. Twenty of them used our new interface, and the other controlled the same seven-degree-of-freedom manipulator using a conventional keypad. All of the participants were instructed on how to control the manipulator, carried out a task five times, and filled out a questionnaire. After completing the questionnaire, they were interviewed. Finally, we gave them another task in order to test their ability to change the orientation of the gripper. The study revealed that the new interface was easier to learn than the conventional interface that employs the keypad. Furthermore, it was easy for the participants to control the robotic manipulator using the multimodal interface. In addition, some findings valuable for the design of manipulator control interface were obtained.