Overcoming the Keyhole in Human-Robot Coordination: Simulation and Evaluation

Abstract

When environment access is mediated through robotic sensors, field experience and naturalistic studies show robot handlers have difficulties comprehending remote environments - they experience what domain practitioners often call a 'soda straw'. This illustrates the keyhole effect in Human Robot Interaction, a CSE phenomena studied in the context of large virtual data space interfaces and the current research seeks to reduce this effect. A simulation for human-robot coordinated search and rescue was created based on WTC response experiences. Pilot studies showed traditional performance measures to be inadequate in analyzing control and exploration tasks therefore a novel analysis approach based on fractal path tortuosity was developed. New interface concepts for helping remote observers perceive environmental affordances were then tested using the simulation environment and evaluation measures. These studies look to concepts based on Gibsonian principles to reduce keyhole effects in control interfaces to enhance remote functional presence in Human-Robot Coordination.