A Study of the Effects of Lens Focal Length on Remote Driver Performance

摘要

The effects of three lens focal lengths on remote driving performance were measured. The three focal lengths and their corresponding horizontal fields of view (FOVs) were 12 mm (29 deg), 6 mm (55 deg), and 3.5 mm (94 deg). On-board driving performance (direct view) was also measured. The study was conducted on an indoor test course consisting of six segments: straightaways, right-hand turns, left-hand turns, serpentine, figure 8, and obstacle avoidance. The findings indicate that for the first five segments of the course, driving speed and accuracy were significantly greater (p <.05) with the 6-mm lens than with either the 12-mm or the 3.5-mm lens. In the last course segment (obstacle avoidance), speed and accuracy were significantly less (p <.05) with the 12-mm lens than with either the 6-mm or the 3.5-mm lens. Differences between the latter two lenses in speed and accuracy were not statistically significant. For the first five segments of the course, significantly greater speed and accuracy (p <.05) was achieved during on-board operations than during operations in the remote mode using the 6-mm lens. In the obstacle avoidance segment, speed was also significantly greater in the on-board mode (p <.05), but there was no significant difference in speed between the 6-mm and the 3.5-mm lens. In this analysis, the 6-mm lens was found to be less accurate (p <.05) than the 3.5-mm lens or the on-board driving mode, but the significance of this difference was considered marginal. No significant difference in accuracy was found between on- board driving and remote operations using the 3.5-mm lens. .... Field of view, Remote control, Teleoperation, Focal length, Remote driving, Unmanned ground vehicle, Indirect vision, Robotics.