Walk along: An Experiment on Controlling the Mobile Robot 'Spot' with Voice and Gestures

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Zhang, Renchi, van der Linden, Jesse, Dodou, Dimitra, Seyffert, Harleigh, Eisma, Yke Bauke, de Winter, Joost C. F.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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author Zhang, Renchi
van der Linden, Jesse
Dodou, Dimitra
Seyffert, Harleigh
Eisma, Yke Bauke
de Winter, Joost C. F.
author_facet Zhang, Renchi
van der Linden, Jesse
Dodou, Dimitra
Seyffert, Harleigh
Eisma, Yke Bauke
de Winter, Joost C. F.
contents Robots are becoming more capable and can autonomously perform tasks such as navigating between locations. However, human oversight remains crucial. This study compared two touchless methods for directing mobile robots: voice control and gesture control, to investigate the efficiency of the methods and the preference of users. We tested these methods in two conditions: one in which participants remained stationary and one in which they walked freely alongside the robot. We hypothesized that walking alongside the robot would result in higher intuitiveness ratings and improved task performance, based on the idea that walking promotes spatial alignment and reduces the effort required for mental rotation. In a 2x2 within-subject design, 218 participants guided the quadruped robot Spot along a circuitous route with multiple 90-degree turns using rotate left, rotate right, and walk forward commands. After each trial, participants rated the intuitiveness of the command mapping, while post-experiment interviews were used to gather the participants' preferences. Results showed that voice control combined with walking with Spot was the most favored and intuitive, whereas gesture control while standing caused confusion for left/right commands. Nevertheless, 29% of participants preferred gesture control, citing increased task engagement and visual congruence as reasons. An odometry-based analysis revealed that participants often followed behind Spot, particularly in the gesture control condition, when they were allowed to walk. In conclusion, voice control with walking produced the best outcomes. Improving physical ergonomics and adjusting gesture types could make gesture control more effective.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2407_11218
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Walk along: An Experiment on Controlling the Mobile Robot 'Spot' with Voice and Gestures
Zhang, Renchi
van der Linden, Jesse
Dodou, Dimitra
Seyffert, Harleigh
Eisma, Yke Bauke
de Winter, Joost C. F.
Human-Computer Interaction
Robotics
Robots are becoming more capable and can autonomously perform tasks such as navigating between locations. However, human oversight remains crucial. This study compared two touchless methods for directing mobile robots: voice control and gesture control, to investigate the efficiency of the methods and the preference of users. We tested these methods in two conditions: one in which participants remained stationary and one in which they walked freely alongside the robot. We hypothesized that walking alongside the robot would result in higher intuitiveness ratings and improved task performance, based on the idea that walking promotes spatial alignment and reduces the effort required for mental rotation. In a 2x2 within-subject design, 218 participants guided the quadruped robot Spot along a circuitous route with multiple 90-degree turns using rotate left, rotate right, and walk forward commands. After each trial, participants rated the intuitiveness of the command mapping, while post-experiment interviews were used to gather the participants' preferences. Results showed that voice control combined with walking with Spot was the most favored and intuitive, whereas gesture control while standing caused confusion for left/right commands. Nevertheless, 29% of participants preferred gesture control, citing increased task engagement and visual congruence as reasons. An odometry-based analysis revealed that participants often followed behind Spot, particularly in the gesture control condition, when they were allowed to walk. In conclusion, voice control with walking produced the best outcomes. Improving physical ergonomics and adjusting gesture types could make gesture control more effective.
title Walk along: An Experiment on Controlling the Mobile Robot 'Spot' with Voice and Gestures
topic Human-Computer Interaction
Robotics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.11218