Authors:
Robert Codd-Downey
and
Michael Jenkin
Affiliation:
York University, Canada
Keyword(s):
ROS, Human-robot Interaction, Teleoperation, iOS.
Related
Ontology
Subjects/Areas/Topics:
Human-Machine Interfaces
;
Human-Robots Interfaces
;
Informatics in Control, Automation and Robotics
;
Robot Design, Development and Control
;
Robotics and Automation
;
Telerobotics and Teleoperation
;
Vehicle Control Applications
Abstract:
The development of effective user interfaces for an autonomous system can be quite difficult, especially for
devices that are to be operated in the field where access to standard computer platforms may be difficult
or impossible. One approach in this type of environment is to utilize tablet or phone devices, which when
coupled with an appropriate tool such as ROSBridge can be used to connect with standard robot middleware.
This has proven to be a successful approach for devices with mature user interface requirements but may
require significant software development for experimental systems. Here we describe RCON, a software tool
that allows user interfaces on iOS devices to be configured on the device itself, in real time, in response to
changes in the robot software infrastructure or the needs of the operator. The system is described in detail
along with the accompanying communication framework and the process of building a user interface for a
simple autonomous device.