Developing the VirtualwindoW into a General Purpose Telepresence Interface
An important need while using robots or remotely operated equipment is the ability for the operator or an observer to easily and accurately perceive the operating environment. A classic problem in providing a complete representation of a work area is sensory overload or excessive complexity in the human–machine interface. In addition, remote operations often benefit from depth perception capability while viewing or manipulating objects. Thus, there is an on going effort within the robotic field to develop simplified telepresence interfaces. The Department of Energy’s Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) has been researching methods to generalize a human-machine interface for telepresence applications. Initial telepresence research conducted at the INEEL developed and implemented a concept called the VirtualwindoW. This system minimized the complexity of remote stereo viewing controls and provided the operator the “feel” of viewing the environment, including depth perception, in a natural setting. The VirtualwindoW has shown that the human-machine interface can be simplified while increasing operator performance. This paper deals with the continuing research and development of the VirtualwindoW to provide a generalized, reconfigurable system that easily utilizes commercially available components. The original system has now been expanded to include support for zoom lenses, camera blocks, wireless links, and even vehicle control.
- Research Organization:
- Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC07-99ID-13727
- OSTI ID:
- 911299
- Report Number(s):
- INEEL/CON-98-01275; TRN: US200724%%668
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 8th International Topical Meeting on Robotics and Remote Systems,Pittsburgh, PA,04/01/1999,04/01/1999
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
The VirtualwindoW: A Reconfigurable, Modular, Stereo Vision System
The VirtualwindoW: A Reconfigurable, Modular, Stereo Vision System