Teleloperation of field mobile manipulator with wearable haptic-based multi-modal user interface and its application to explosive ordnance disposal

This paper describes a wearable multi-modal user interface design and its implementation for a teleoperated field robot system. Recently some teleoperated field robots are employed for hazard environment applications (e.g. rescue, explosive ordnance disposal, security). To complete these missions in outdoor environment, the robot system must have appropriate functions, accuracy and reliability. However, the more functions it has, the more difficulties occur in operation of the functions. To cope up with this problem, an effective user interface should be developed. Furthermore, the user interface is needed to be wearable for portability and prompt action. This research starts at the question : how to teleoperate the complicated slave robot easily. The main challenge is to make a simple and intuitive user interface with a wearable shape and size. This research provides multi-modalities such as visual, auditory and haptic sense. It enables an operator to control every functions of a field robot more intuitively. As a result, an EOD (explosive ordnance disposal) demonstration is conducted to verify the validity of the proposed wearable multi-modal user interface.