Effect of perspective change in body ownership transfer to teleoperated android robot

Abstract

We previously investigated body ownership transfer to a teleoperated android body caused by motion synchronization between the robot and its operator. Although visual feedback is the only information provided from the robot, due to body ownership transfer, some operators feel as if they were touched when the robot's body was touched. This illusion can help operators transfer their presence to the robotic body during teleoperation. By enhancing this phenomenon, we can improve our communication interface and the quality of the interaction between operator and interlocutor. In this paper, we examined how the change in the operator's perspective affects the body ownership transfer during teleoperation. Based on past studies on the rubber hand illusion, we hypothesized that the perspective change will suppress the body owner transfer. Our results, however, showed that in any perspective condition, the participants felt the body ownership transfer. This shows that its generation process may differ in the body ownership transfer for teleoperated androids and the rubber hand illusion.