Bicycles and Wheelchairs for Locomotion Control of a Simulated Telerobot Supported by Gaze- and Head-Interaction

We present an interface for control of a telerobot that supports field-of-view panning, mode selections and keyboard typing by head- and gaze-interaction. The utility of the interface was tested by 19 able-bodied participants controlling a virtual telerobot from a wheelchair mounted on rollers which measure its wheel rotations, and by 14 able-bodied participants controlling the telerobot with a exercise bike. Both groups tried the interface twice: with head- and with gaze-interaction. Comparing wheelchair and bike locomotion control, the wheelchair simulator was faster and more manoeuvrable. Comparing gaze- and head-interaction, the two input methods were preferred by an equal number of participants. However, participants made more errors typing with gaze than with head. We conclude that virtual reality is a viable way of specifying and testing interfaces for telerobots and an effective probe for eliciting peoples subjective experiences.