Usability of an Immersive Control System for a Humanoid Robot Surrogate

Abstract

Social isolation is an issue that effects many people, especially those from ethic minorities, LGBTQIA+ communities, the elderly, those in long-term healthcare, and those living with life-limiting illnesses. It has become increasingly evident during the pandemic, when mental health issues have soared, and the importance of interacting with loved ones has been highlighted. While telecommunication software helped a great deal in these unprecedented circumstances, it does not allow for navigation in remote environments, and lacks high level interactions found in face-to-face communication. Therefore, this system has been developed to address these issues, and this study was being conducted to test the technical usability of the system when being used by healthy participants. It was found that 720p is the highest resolution that can be applied before the camera delay becomes unusable; though participants suggested that they would like the option to switch to 2k resolution should they be looking close up without moving. In addition, it became apparent that overall the participants were positive about the system, but would prefer a less bulky head-mounted display, and that the choice of which robot to use with the system (Nao or Pepper) was entirely down to individual preference based on the task being completed.