Training strategies for the user interface of vocational assistive robots

Two different user training strategies were tested on the ProVAR (professional vocational assistant robot) system. Test subjects were either trained on the full system or first separately on the graphical user interface (UI) alone, away from the robotic arm followed by training on the full system with both the UI and robotic arm. Beginning training separately from the robot allows an introduction to the system to be initiated earlier and at the location most convenient for the user. However this extra training time is not offset by a shortening of the total training time needed to master the system. The choice to do UI only training should be selected based on other motivations such as the desire to engage a potential user during mandatory bed rest, an often otherwise underutilized time.