Visual Integration of Tactile Information in Telerobotics

Roger A. Browse and Marcia L. McDonald

Abstract

We have carried out three experiments which explore the effectiveness of various visual depictions of tactile data for the task in which subjects view a robot gripping an object and attempt to predict if the robot will be able to pick the object up. The display types tested range from simple total closing force values through to graphic three-dimensional contour plots, overlaid with force-torque vectors, with the subject having dynamic viewpoint control over the display.

Our results suggest that an operator's utilization of such tactile displays depends on the effectiveness of the model of the gripping configuration which can be obtained through visual images of the scene. In the case of simple planar contact between gripper and object, a total force value produced maximum performance enhancement. In more complicated, or awkward non-planar gripping, the total force value was of no use, but spatially distributed force representations could still yield enhanced performance.

Further experimentation was carried out with complex displays which subjects reported as depicting the contact forces better. It was found that these displays actually reduced performance, drawing into question the telepresence assumption that more realistic information will lead to better telerobotic operator performance.