Telepresence Robot with Autonomous Navigation and Virtual Reality: Demo Abstract

Telepresence technology enables users to be virtually present in another location at the same time through video streaming. This kind of user interaction is further enhanced through mobility by driving remotely to form what is called a Telepresence robot. These innovative machines connect individuals with restricted mobility and increase social interaction, collaboration and active participation. However, operating and navigating these robots by individuals who have little knowledge and map of the remote environment is challenging. Avoiding obstacles via the narrow camera view and manual remote operation is a cumbersome task. Moreover, the users lack the sense of immersion while they are busy maneuvering via the real-time video feed and, thereby, decreasing their capability to handle different tasks. This demo presents a simultaneous mapping and autonomous driving virtual reality robot. Leveraging the 2D Lidar sensor, we generate two dimensional occupancy grid maps via SLAM and provide assisted navigation in reducing the onerous task of avoiding obstacles. The attitude of the robotic head with a camera is remotely controlled via the virtual reality headset. Remote users will be able to gain a visceral understanding of the environment while teleoperating the robot.