A man-machine interface for an AI-based telerobotic system

Abstract

This paper describes the design of a man-machine interface for a mobile telerobot. To accompany hardware enhancements made to a robot intended for bomb disposal operations, a new user interface has been designed which takes into account both the extended capabilities of the improved mechatronic system and human factors issues. The goal of the new interface is to reduce operator workload and error rates, and to enhance the operator's perception of the remote environment. Ironically, this effort is potentially complicated by the accompanying introduction of a number of sensor-based functions based on Artificial Intelligence technology, which are intended to further reduce the operator's workload. However, the addition of such functions greatly increases the complexity of the control system, and, given that the system is safety-critical in nature, it is a fundamental requirement that the operator should always be able to exert full control. Therefore, without careful interface design, the added automation (or more specifically, the ability of the operator to control it) leads to an increase in the number of system components under operator control, and therefore interface complexity itself, undermining one of the main motivations for the project.