The NAVIgoid consists of master wearable robot (ProInterface with head mounted display) and intelligent mobile robot (mobile platform, stereo cameras, and laser range finders). The novelty of our idea is to engage the user into teleoperation and provide a high level of immersion through proprioceptive telepresence and tactile feedback. The developed interface allows the operator to use their body posture and gestures for controlling the mobile robot and at the same time to feel the remote object through tactile stimuli.
Human operator is capable of changing the robot traveling direction in a smooth and natural manner by twisting and bending the trunk. The torso along with the flex sensors acts as joystick. For example, to move the robot forward or backward, the user leans the torso slightly forward or backward, correspondingly. The tactors of ProInterface vibrate to produce the tactile stimuli indicating the direction, distance, shape, and mobility of the moving obstacle (object, human, etc.). The haptic vision allows operator to feel the entire space around the mobile robot and to devote visual faculties to the exploration of the remote dynamic environment.
The developed technology potentially can have a big impact on multi-modal communication with remote robot engaging the user to utilize as many senses as possible, namely, vision, hearing, sense of touch, proprioception.
Developers: Assistant Professor Dzmitry Tsetserukou, PhD candidate Junichi Sugiyama, Professor Jun Miura, (EIIRIS, Toyohashi University of Technology)
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