Mitigating delay and poor transparency in ground vehicle teleoperation based on the predicted trajectory guidance...

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Control Systems

Background:

• Teleoperated ground vehicles are crucial but limited by communication delays and poor transparency.
• These limitations impair operator perception and control, leading to unstable teleoperation.
• Existing frameworks primarily focus on delay compensation, not transparency issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To extend the eye-movement-based predicted trajectory guidance control (ePTGC) framework to address low transparency in teleoperated ground vehicles.
• To improve operator efficiency, maneuverability, and reduce cognitive burden under adverse conditions.
• To ensure accurate and robust trajectory tracking within the enhanced ePTGC framework.

Main Methods:

• Framing the low transparency issue as a trajectory-tracking problem.
• Designing and incorporating a Preview-LPV trajectory-tracking controller into the ePTGC framework.
• Conducting human-in-the-loop teleoperation simulation experiments.

Main Results:

• The improved ePTGC framework significantly mitigates adverse effects of delays and poor transparency.
• Enhanced efficiency and maneuverability were observed in simulations.
• Reduced operator cognitive burden was demonstrated under varying road adhesion and high delay levels.

Conclusions:

• The extended ePTGC framework effectively addresses both communication delays and poor transparency in teleoperated ground vehicles.
• This approach enhances the stability and performance of teleoperation systems.
• The findings have implications for improving remote operation in various domains.