This paper introduces an innovative control approach for teleoperating a robot in close proximity to a human operator, which could be useful to control robots embedded on wheelchairs. The method entails establishing a virtual connection between a specific body part and the robot's end-effector, visually displayed through an Augmented Reality (AR) headset. This linkage enables the transformation of body rotations into amplified effector translations, extending the robot's workspace beyond the capabilities of direct one-to-one mapping. Moreover, the linkage can be reconfigured using a joystick, resulting in a hybrid position/velocity control mode using the body/joystick motions respectively. After providing a comprehensive overview of the control methodology, we present the results of an experimental campaign designed to elucidate the advantages and drawbacks of our approach compared to the conventional joystick-based teleoperation method. The body-link control demonstrates slightly faster task completion and is naturally preferred over joystick velocity control, albeit being more physically demanding for tasks with a large range. The hybrid mode, where participants could simultaneously utilize both modes, emerges as a compromise, combining the intuitiveness of the body mode with the extensive task range of the velocity mode. Finally, we provide preliminary observations on potential assistive applications using head motions, especially for operators with limited range of motion in their bodies.

翻译：本文提出了一种创新控制方法，用于在操作者近端遥操作机器人，该方法可用于控制轮椅嵌入式机器人。该方法通过在特定身体部位与机器人末端执行器之间建立虚拟连接来实现，该连接通过增强现实（AR）头显进行可视化呈现。此连接机制能够将身体旋转运动转化为放大的末端执行器平移运动，从而将机器人的工作空间扩展到直接一对一映射能力之外。此外，该连接可通过操纵杆进行重新配置，形成分别利用身体运动与操纵杆运动的混合位置/速度控制模式。在全面阐述控制方法后，我们展示了一项实验研究的结果，旨在阐明本方法相较于传统基于操纵杆的遥操作方式的优势与局限。身体连接控制模式在任务完成速度上略快，且自然优于操纵杆速度控制模式，但对于大范围任务其体力消耗更大。混合模式允许参与者同时使用两种控制方式，成为一种折中方案，既保留了身体模式的直观性，又兼具速度模式的大范围任务能力。最后，我们针对利用头部运动（特别是针对身体活动范围受限的操作者）的潜在辅助应用提供了初步观察结果。