Operator Interface Design Issues in a Low-Bandwidth and High-Latency Vehicle Teleoperation System

Guiding a remote vehicle when real time image transmission is not possible is an important problem in the field of teleoperation. In such a situation, it is impractical to put an operator behind a steering wheel and expect accurate steering. In semi-autonomous teleoperation, an operator designates the path that the vehicle should follow in an image of the scene transmitted from the vehicle, and the vehicle autonomously follows this path. Previous techniques for semi-autonomous teleoperation require stereo image data, or inaccurately track paths on non-planar terrain. STRIPE is a method for accurate semi-autonomous teleoperation using monocular image data. By combining techniques in computer control, artificial intelligence, and intelligent user interfaces, we are designing a unique system for remote operation of a vehicle across low-bandwidth and high-delay transmission links.