A Systematic Review of XR-Enabled Remote Human-Robot Interaction Systems

Abstract

The rising interest in creating versatile robots to handle multiple tasks in various environments, with humans interacting through immersive interfaces. This survey provides a comprehensive review of extended reality (XR) applications in remote human–robot interaction (HRI). We developed a systematic search strategy based on the PRISMA methodology, focusing on peer-reviewed publications that demonstrate practical implementations of XR in remote robot control, real robot system deployment, and HRI applications, we analyzed research published between January 2013 and December 2023. From the initial 2,561 articles, 100 met our inclusion criteria were included. We categorized and summarized the domain in detail, delving into the methods used in these articles to achieve intuitive and effective remote HRI, highlighting user experience enhancement and interaction designs. This survey identifies research opportunities, particularly emphasizes that future researchers should explore the potential of XR, such as exploring multimodal enhancement techniques that seamlessly integrate visual, haptic, and auditory feedback for more intuitive teleoperation. Our analysis reveals that while XR shows promising potential in remote HRI, there are significant gaps, such as user-centered design. This survey provides a framework for understanding the current state of XR-based remote HRI, establishing a foundation for future research.