Interface Operation and Implications for Shared-Control Assistive Robots

Shared-control for assistive devices can increase the independence of individuals with motor impairments. However, each person is unique in their level of injury and physical constraints. Consequently, a plethora of interfaces are used to control the assistive device, depending on the individual. In order to be effective, the shared-autonomy assistance should be aware of the usage characteristics of the interface and adjust to varying performance characteristics of the person. To that end, we conduct a 23 person (9 spinal cord injured and 14 uninjured) study using three commercial interfaces used to operate powered wheelchairs, and establish performance measures to characterize interface usage. The analyses of our performance measures unveil key aspects of the interface operation that can inform features of a customizable and interface-aware control sharing framework.