Voice and Graphical Command and Control for Mobile Robots

Typically, operator interaction with mobile robots has been via standard mouse and keyboard entry using computer workstations. While this suffices for laboratory experiments, it is unmanageable for field deployment of robotics. This is especially true when the operator, and thus the operator console, must go into the field with the robots (i.e., the UGV program). Dragging along a large, cumbersome operator is not viable for soldiers whose lives and missions depend on moving quickly and unobtrusively. To overcome these limitations, Mobile Intelligence Corporation proposes a Phase I project to demonstrate a multi-modal operator interface for robot command and control. The robot commander will be able to use both a simplified graphical interface which has undergone formal usability evaluation and structured English input/output over FM radios. The speech and graphical interfaces will be integrated to allow either to control missions. This technology will culminate in allowing soldiers in the field to command and control robots using their existing voice radios or a laptop computer. A possible scenario is to create and archive stereotypical mission segments using the graphical interface and these mission components are invoked, parameterized, and monitored in the field via the voice interface.