A Verification of a Teleoperation Interface for Rescue Robots using a Virtual Reality Controller with a Door-Opening Task

There is a need for an interface for the teleoperation of rescue robots that can be used with less training and reduces the mental burden. In recent years, numerous teleoperation interfaces for robots have been developed using commercially available VR headsets and VR controllers. In this study, to investigate the usefulness of VR interfaces in tasks involving both movement and manipulation, a VR interface capable of both movement and manipulation was proposed and validated by users in a door-opening task. The validation results confirm that operations using the VR interface contribute to a shorter working time with the manipulator compared to operations using the gamepad. Additionally, mental demand, temporal demand, and effort tended to be reduced in manipulator operation using the VR interface in the NASA-TLX mental workload assessment. However, the gamepad was also identified as a suitable input device for driving operations, and combining both operations or using them differently depending on the situation may reduce the operator's workload.