A web-based solution for robotic telepresence. (12th December 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Melendez-Fernandez, Francisco; Galindo, Cipriano; Gonzalez-Jimenez, Javier
• Is Part Of: International journal of advanced robotic systems. Volume 14:Number 6(2017:Nov./Dec.)
• Publication Date: 2017-12-12
• Subjects: Software engineering for mobile robots -- robotics software design and engineering -- human robot interaction -- service robotics -- assistive robotics for the disabled -- medical assistance -- medical robotics; Robotics -- Periodicals; Robotics; Periodicals; 629.892
• DOI: 10.1177/1729881417743738
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1729-8806

Abstract

Robotic telepresence is an emerging technology with a great potential in applications such as elder assistance, telework, and surveillance. It relies on a combination of information and communication technologies and mobile robotics to provide a person with autonomy to move and interact in a remote environment. The application environments range from homes to factories, even large outdoor spaces, and the type of users involved in particular application contexts is also varied. That leads to a great heterogeneity in the design of the robotic platforms, communication infrastructures, and interfaces found across robotic telepresence applications. This article analyzes the sources of such heterogeneity, defines a modular architecture that provides a suitable solution for generic applications, and presents an instantiation of the architecture into a web-based solution for robotic telepresence. The main advantages of the solution presented are its open-source nature and its cross-platform compatibility. We report a pilot experience that shows how a functional robotic telepresence system based on this solution has been successfully deployed in an office environment and intensively tested by inexperienced participants over the Internet.