Hands-off Ergonomic Robot Operation (HERO)

Robotic unmanned ground vehicles (UGV) are being used by ground combat forces in greater numbers, providing the warfighter with critical standoff capabilities in high-risk operational scenarios. Most UGV systems are teleoperated using a hand-held operator control unit with a built-in display. To operate these systems, operators must look down and use their hands, which decreases situational awareness (SA) and leaves them unable to carry a weapon. Both factors leave the operator vulnerable, increasing risk and requiring additional protection resources for robot-related operations. To allow the operator to maintain SA and carry a weapon while controlling a UGV, we propose to design and demonstrate a system for Hands-off Ergonomic Robot Operation (HERO). HERO gives the operator supervisory control over the robot using a combination of semi-autonomous capabilities and low-burden human-system interface. The operator can issue high-level commands to the robot, which performs tasks without the need for direct manipulation. A multimodal interface is used to make the system more intuitive and robust against environmental conditions. HERO combines speech and gesture recognition with both audio and visual feedback, using head and glove-mounted hardware so the operator can maintain SA and carry a weapon. A helmet-mounted display is provided for non-line-of-sight operation.